Come Witch or High Water Read online

  Come Witch or High Water

  by

  Constance Barker

  Copyright 2019 Constance Barker

  All rights reserved.

  Similarities to real people, places or events are purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven – Alan

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Thanks for Reading

  Catalog of Books

  Chapter One

  It had been three days since we left Nikatomia on our new assignment. Winnie, Alan and I arrived through our usual and only known portal between our world, Nikatomia, and the normal realm. An old tunnel in Indiana, commonly known as the Big Tunnel. Despite using the dreaded teleportation spell to get from there all the way to Washington State, getting to our final destination had proved difficult. We lost about a day after using teleporting, it had odd side effects. Winnie was speaking in reverse; Alan had turned a vibrant shade of orange and I temporarily went invisible. Usually we avoided teleportation because the side effects varied so much, and it was impossible to know what was going to happen. It was just too far to travel by flight or any other method.

  After our lost day, we had to find where we were actually going. Our assignment given by our mysterious boss had been vague as usual. A note had been sent a week prior telling us that there was a lake creature that needed to be brought back to Nikatomia. Apparently, he had become a little too ingrained in the folklore of a town and was getting too much attention. That was typical for when we would be sent in. From our research he seemed docile enough. He hadn’t attacked anyone, just scared off a few kids who got pictures. It could be an easy job, that is if the lake creature wants to come back to Nikatomia with us.

  Nikatomia was our home. A safe realm for all creatures of the paranormal. It was my job, as well as my trainee Winnie and my raven companion Alan to bring our kind that was stuck in the normal realm to Nikatomia. Sometimes they didn’t want to come with us – they had left Nikatomia on purpose, but most didn’t know it was even an option.

  “Why didn’t we just transport straight to the site?” Winnie complained. We had been forced to hike most of the way to where this alleged lake creature lived. With the rain and heavy fog it wasn’t safe to fly our brooms. The location was so remote that if we traveled the way the normal realm folk did, we’d have to take a plane or a boat there. There was no vehicle access to the tiny settlement. Not that I’d ever be able to get Alan or Winnie into a car again. They both get violently ill when in a car. I didn’t want to discover what would happen to them if they were stuck on a boat or a plane.

  “We didn’t know where it was,” I reminded her of the obvious. When we researched, there had been so many supposed lake creatures, sea monsters and the like that it was impossible to narrow it down completely. Washington State was the location we'd been told. I had to narrow it down from there.

  “Why wouldn’t they have just told us?” Winnie pestered. She had been in a bad mood since we started hiking. She had to trade in her typical tailored suits for cargo pants and hiking boots. It was weird seeing her in such casual clothing, but even weirder was her eye patch didn’t match her outfit. Winnie had lost her eye some time ago and used her eye patch as a fashion accessory most of the time. She had forgotten the bag she had packed them in and was stuck with a patch that had a portrait of a lion on it. Rawrrr!

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged. This was a point of contention between her and I. The identity of our boss was a mystery, and our messages one way. They sent us information about a creature that was in the normal realm, be it a ghost, witch, lake creature or anything else. We would research it and then travel through the realms to bring them back. Winnie insisted that I knew more about our boss than I let on. “We’ll be there soon though.”

  “I for one can’t wait to stay somewhere warm,” Alan said shivering. The rain had left his feathers damp and he hadn’t really gotten a chance to dry out. I was a little worried about him. I didn’t know if birds could catch colds, but if they could then he likely would.

  “I hope there’s a place when we get there.” We were still moving, getting closer and closer to the final destination. We’d stumble on it soon enough. I didn’t mind the hike so much, but I was cold and could use a bit of rest as well. At every chance we had we took flight on our brooms to cut down on time. Even though we could only fly in short bursts, it probably cut days off our journey. “It’s very remote, we might end up in tents. Come here.” Alan flew over to me and I unzipped my jacket. The bird hopped inside, and I zipped it back up. He was freezing, but we’d both be warmer in a few minutes. Alan peeked his head out of the opening.

  “Tents?” Winnie’s brow shot up. “Tents?” After our teleportation side effects wore off, we had gone out and bought camping and hiking gear, including tents. I didn’t see how this could be a surprise to either of them. They were packed in our bags thanks to a shrinking spell to get them to fit.

  “Yes, tents.” I didn’t want to hear any more complaining. I wasn’t in the mood. Personally, I enjoyed the hike for the most part. The national forest was beautiful, and there was nothing to compare it to in Nikatomia, our world. “I will put a silence spell on you if you complain again. I’m sorry, but I will.”

  “Harsh,” Winnie said, but she didn’t complain. She was a few years younger than me and I was meant to be training her in my position. In that respect I was in charge of her, but we were more like equals at this point. Every so often, like now, I would remember our age difference and my authority. “Can you tell me again where we are going?”

  “Charybdis.” Winnie was only trying to change the subject. She had actually done most of the research on our final destination this time around. “It’s considered one of the most remote parts of Washington State, with only seventy-five year-round residents. Located within the national park and right on Lake Chelan.” I rattled off the facts like I was a guide book. It wasn’t surprising to me that the lake creature had chosen such an isolated location. Notoriously, water creatures liked solitude. I did wonder if they ever got lonely though. Solitude was what I was most comfortable in, but now I would be lost without Winnie and Alan.

  “How close are we?” Alan’s voice was muffled by my jacket. Instead of answering aloud, I took a few long strides. The forest cleared a bit and made way for a cabin, the first sign of civilization we’d seen.

  “We’re here,” I said with a smile. There was a small bakery in town, which was the first place we went to. Warm food, and warm service was much welcome. We’d also be able to ask about lodging and maybe even the lake creature if the people seemed friendly enough. That was one thing that you learned in my line of work. In a few minutes, I could tell you if someone would be useful in giving us information or if we were barking up the wrong tree.

  The bakery wasn’t far from the first cabin we saw, the smell of the place was enough to guide us straight to it. I was hoping for so
me apple pie. The bakery was small, what else would you expect from a settlement of less than a hundred people? Winnie ran up the steps leading to the front door. There was little that she loved more than a good pastry, and the promise of one at the end of our journey had helped her get through it.

  “Welcome,” a woman behind the counter said with a bright smile. “What can I get for you?” The warmth inside the bakery seeped into my skin. I was finally feeling like I might dry out a bit.

  “I’ll have a slice of apple pie, please?”

  “And I’ll take a chocolate croissant.” Winnie stared greedily into the glass case the pastries were kept in. There was no doubt that we would be returning here a minimum of once a day while we were in town.

  “Two coffees as well, please,” I added, thinking how nice a hot drink would feel.

  “Coming right up. You can take a seat where you like, and we’ll bring it out to you. I’m assuming you both want your desserts warmed?” I could have started drooling at the idea of that alone. Instead, I nodded. “Tracy, could you get a fresh pot of coffee on?”

  “Yeah, just a second, Mama,” a second woman, younger than the first, replied. I hadn’t noticed her when we walked in. She had been ducked behind the fridge with a cleaning rag. She finished up wiping down the fridge and then turned her attention to brewing us some coffee. Tracy was in her early twenties and her mother was probably in her sixties. They looked like they were related, not just in their looks but mannerisms too. They seemed to move around the same way with similar gaits. In a few minutes we were sipping on hot drinks and devouring our treats.

  “Where are you all coming from?” The woman who first greeted us asked.

  “Indiana,” I replied as close to the truth as I could. “I’m Vana, this is Winnie and the bird is called Alan.” I half expected them to kick Alan outside, but they seemed unphased by his presence. Maybe people often brought odd pets through. A town with a creature lurking in its lake was probably used to oddities by now.

  “He’s a sweetheart,” Tracy said. Once she noticed him, she had put together a small plate of fruit and nuts for him, which he happily devoured. “I’m Tracy and that’s my mom, Judy.”

  “You just passing through? Or here to stay a while?” Judy asked, coming from someone less friendly it would have felt like an interrogation.

  “Here to stay for a bit,” I said. “We hiked out here and are planning on camping out for a while. Always good to get away for a spell.”

  “You hiked all the way out here?” Tracy asked with a guffaw of disbelief.

  “People do,” Judy said quickly. “Not often anymore, but they used to hike out here all the time. Now everyone charters a plane or a boat.”

  “That wasn’t really in our budget,” Winnie joked.

  “No, it wouldn’t be in ours either. Especially not with this season’s turn out being so low.” Judy and Tracy had sat down now. With no one else to tend to and the three of us satisfied there was no reason for them to run around the bakery trying to pass the time.

  “Not many people have come to town this year?” I asked, hoping that our conversation might naturally be heading in the right direction. Alan hopped onto the table and was taking small sips from my coffee. The bird had a thing for java.

  “No, it doesn’t seem like it’s a journey people want to make right now,” Judy shook her head. She eyed Alan, as though she weren’t quite sure if birds were okay to drink coffee or not. Winnie and I didn’t say anything, so she must have assumed it was alright. “We sure are glad you decided to come here.”

  “Is there a reason why people aren’t coming?” Winnie was bolder with her questions, but always got away with it because of her charm. If I’d asked the question I might as well have screamed we're searching for the lake creature.

  “It’s silly, really,” Judy shook her head. “Complete nonsense. The world outside of Charybdis has been mad for a long time, and it feels like it’s finally reached us here too.” She let out a long sigh. “It’s all silly.”

  “It’s not silly, Mama,” Tracy disagreed. Judy gave her daughter a sharp look, but Tracy continued. “Those boys weren’t the only ones who saw it, Billy Joe swears he did too.”

  “What good does that do?” Judy asked rhetorically. “Billy Joe’s no good anyway...I certainly wouldn't be taking him for his word.” There was a lot that the two wanted to say to each other on this subject, but they kept their mouths shut.

  “Saw what?” I asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence. Mother and daughter faced against one another and I figured they’d have an argument once we left, I just hoped they would keep talking now. It seemed like we were about to get the exact information we needed.

  “The monster in the lake,” Tracy replied tearing her eyes away from her mother’s and looking at Winnie and me. She sounded surprised that we didn’t already know what she was going to say.

  Chapter Two

  “There is no monster.” Judy threw her hands up in the air, exasperated. “I’ll thank you not to frighten off our only customers.” She eyed her daughter. “It’s a silly rumor, started by some young boys that’s gotten out of control.” I could hear the genuine stress behind her words. In a place where less than a hundred people stayed year-round, I could only imagine how reliant your income would be on tourists. We didn’t have to worry about pay in Nikatomia. Whoever our boss was, paid us quite well when we finished an assignment. Even so, most goods were bartered at our home. I could pay for a dinner by doing a simple spell for the chef.

  “We don’t scare that easily,” Winnie said with a smile. This was exactly what we wanted to hear, though we wouldn’t tell her that.

  “Just take it all with a grain of salt,” Judy forewarned.

  “We will, I promise,” I said.

  “You might have seen it in the news already, or when you were researching for traveling here,” Tracy started. We had seen something, that’s what brought us here in the first place. There was actually a rich history of lake creatures in Charybdis. Oddly enough though, we hadn’t read anything about a group of kids. “There was an incident last year involving the creature.”

  “Or involving some stupid teenagers doing stupid things.” Judy rolled her eyes. She was a such a pragmatic woman that even if she were undeniably confronted with something as unreal as a lake creature or magic, I could picture her trying to logically deny its existence.

  “Possibly,” Tracy agreed. “But, there’s a long history of a lake creature in our waters. One was spotted nearly two decades ago now, and there were always rumors, whispers before that too.” She was a natural storyteller. The kind of person that demanded attention when she began to speak. Not purposefully, but because their way of speaking was so enticing to the listener. “Twenty years ago, a ship tried to come to our shores. It was stormy out.”

  “Like it always is,” Judy interjected. “We’re in the Pacific northwest for goodness sake, it rains almost every day.”

  “More stormy than usual,” Tracy said firmly. “It started all of a sudden. The water was in complete unrest, moving like the ocean with large waves threatening to turn the ship over. It was a fishing boat with a small crew aboard. Onlookers were horrified...it didn’t look like they were going to make it. The waves crashed against them almost capsizing the boat.” I was drawn in. I could feel the fear those men must have felt on their ship as it was beaten by the very thing that was meant to keep it afloat. Something unnatural had to have occurred for the lake to behave like that. “There was nothing the men could do but hope they’d make it through the storm. And there was nothing the people on the shore could do but watch.”

  Judy stood up from her seat then and walked to the far side of the bakery. She stood looking out the windows at the lake in front of us. It was drizzling outside, making the world seem like it was wrapped in a gray haze. The sky and the lake matched in their shades of murk. The brilliant green of the forest behind it contrasted starkly even through the fog. A shiver settle
d around the room as we all came to the conclusion that this story didn’t have a happy ending. I wondered if Judy had been among the horror-struck spectators, unable to do anything to save the men from drowning. Tracy couldn’t have been more than three or four at the time, so I doubted she was recalling the story from her own memory of the event.

  “The waves threw the boat on its side, capsizing it. Men leapt from the edges trying desperately to survive.” Tracy had taken the salt on the table and knocked it on its side as she spoke, illustrating what happened.

  “Almost every man aboard that ship died.” Judy sounded far away. She was remembering the night it happened. Winnie breathed in a small gasp.

  “Almost,” Tracy nodded. “There was one survivor. A young man, a deck hand on the boat. He washed up on shore the next morning. The lake was still, the boat had disappeared completely. It was like it never happened.”

  “That poor boy had all but lost his mind,” Judy interjected. “He was speaking all sorts of nonsense. He was traumatized and his brain made something up to help him cope with the trauma. I used to see it all the time.”

  “What do you mean?” Winnie asked.

  “Before moving out here, I was a nurse in the mental ward of a hospital. People come up with all sorts of stories to explain the terrible things they had to go through. It was easier than just accepting that it was all random, by chance, the luck of the draw.” Judy still stood staring out the window. “That poor boy never dealt with his trauma and still believes what he saw was real.”

  “What did he see?” We all knew the answer. Our research had told us about this incident as well, but it sounded more like folklore when we read it. Meeting people who saw the tragedy unfold made it real. Our kind could do so much damage without meaning to in the normal realm. I’d be willing to bet that more than one patient that Judy encountered hadn’t made up a thing and just witnessed the paranormal.