Nature; Inevitably.

Do you promise?

"I'll see you tomorrow Cass, let's see if you can beat todays muffins shall we?" one of my regulars Kyle chuckled out whilst grabbing his coat to leave.

"Do you promise?" 

"I pinky promise, and I learnt from my daughter last night that its the most sacred promise their is, especially when food is involved."

"Okay then I'll accept your pinky as payment for your promise" I laughed out with him, my customers were the best part of the day for me, being able to interact and not be judged because of what or who I was, it was all very easy and low key, just how I liked. 

"Oh shush Cass, you know I can't stay away from here, I'll see you tomorrow."

 I did know that, it is my spell after all, and I worked very hard to make it. See, the promise my customers make to come back not only gives me a little zing directly to my magical well, but also attaches itself to their subconscious. It starts off as a whisper in the back of their minds, that they could really do with the coffee, or the food, or the ambience that they get at the Void; whatever it is that they most enjoyed. And the longer they stay away the more intense the feeling gets until they rush in craving whatever it was they had last time and only when they've stepped foot in the door does the urge to come back dissipate, that way I get my promises and nothing unexpected as payment for it. It took a lot of work to get it to behave that way, a lot of failed attempts, and a lot of unexpected items just dropping into my house, anything from underwear to cars. I couldn't simply destroy the items or else I'd get sent something else, fae magic is fickle about its payments after all. So I sent them all, to an untouched area of the void, the underwear especially, because ewwww. 

I can feel my home pulling for me to come back, my only indicator that closing time is nearing, considering the lack of working clocks, and I notice a straggler at the back of the shop, looking around longingly and making every attempt to avoid my eyes, she can clearly tell its almost time to go and isn't feeling it yet. Sometimes I have to persuade people to leave, the magic that draws them in can be addictive, they cant fathom being anywhere else but right here, until they leave. So cloth in hand I walk over to her and start clearing the table across from her, which would be so much easier if she left so I could just will everything to be clean and in its proper place; curse magic. 

 I look over and see her nursing the last dregs of my excellent coffee, so I decide to break the silence she seems intent on keeping. "Can I get you anything else to go? I can pop that coffee in a takeaway cup if you want? Its just about closing time here unfortunately, but we will be open tomorrow from 8:30am if you wanna come back?" 

"Sorry, no I'm fine, I'll just finish this and get out of your hair...can I ask you something?"

Ah, here we go, coffee shop extraordinaire by day, free therapist by night I laugh to myself

"Sure thing, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I mean, I was just wondering, how do you manage to get this place to feel so relaxing? Like, I came in here having a really bad day, and now I cant even remember what was wrong in the first place, and I don't even have enough anxiety in me to be worried about the fact I can't remember what was wrong- that is so not like me I have enough anxiety and then some normally, you know?" She said so fast as if afraid the words would evade her if she didn't say them in one breath.

I looked her over once, subtly adjusting my sight to see beyond the surface. She was right, her aura pulsed with a sickly dark green colour, she was full of anxiety, full of pain and distrust, it must be difficult for her to understand her sudden ease in her surroundings, better tread carefully here, I don't want to get her too hooked on the place. Some people are more susceptible to the charms of not having to face your own mind, or responsibilities, and a place like this can cause plenty of damage in a person's life if they use it as a crutch. 

"Well, would you believe me if I said magic?" I laughed and she cracked a smile, easing the tension she felt slightly, so far so good. 

"Honestly, I just created a space where I imagined being able to relax, I've always found the whole straight lined, angular, minimalist coffee shops to be quite cold, like they don't want you to stay in them for long, like having customers stay and relax ruins their profits or something, I didn't want anyone to feel pushed out of here, I wanted them to come, interact if they wanted to, and if not, be alone with their thoughts in a space that definitely couldn't be judgmental. Does that make sense?" 

I could see her mulling over my words and turned away pretending to be sorting out the menus on the table I was cleaning, I heard her sigh and the shuffling of a coat indicating that she was getting up to leave, I turned and smiled to see she was satisfied with my answer and walked her to the door.

"You sure there's nothing else I can get for you..."

"Amanda, and no I'm okay, but I will be back, I love it here, I'll bring my friends next time I promise."

Damn, so close and yet so far, I'd hoped she wouldn't promise, I don't want her getting stuck in a rut here, but at least if she brings friends she won't be alone with her questions again. 

"That'd be great thanks! I'll see you soon then I hope, have a nice night Amanda."

I sigh as I close the door and flip the sign to closed, wow it was a long day. I love being busy, and the rush in my body from all the promises has me feeling like I could fly to mars with all the energy, but a flight round the forest would have to do, and not tonight, tonight a bubble bath for my aching feet is definitely on the cards. I look around my shop and picture it how its supposed to be in my mind, flicking my wrist I feel a tingling in my fingers and when I look up again everything is in its place, oh I love being me sometimes, that would have taken ages to clean otherwise. 

I switch off the lights and step out into the crisp night air, I run through my lockup routine with the key, checking the handle, all the things a normal owner would do to a property and place my other hand firmly on the door, I feel the magical lock begin to twist and turn back into its place, when its finished it looks like a blooming flower, petals open and exposed to the moon in silent reverence, it really is a beautiful spell, too bad only I can see it. 

Turning I make my way back to the entrance to my haven, as soon as I step foot in the forest the world shifts slightly to the right, I can see the world behind me clear as day, but only I can enter this one that I carved for myself, unless those I bring here are given the permission, my forest is like an overlay on the minute little copse that stands in the human world, where theirs leads quickly to another neighbourhood, mine goes on for miles, and is full of trees so tall they look like they can touch the stars, I hear the trees rustle out a welcome and smile as I begin my steady walk through the woods, determined to respect the nature I ran through this morning. I breathe into my hands and a little ball of light appears to aide me with my walk through the dark. I know my way through the woods like the back of my hands, but the trees are cheeky and like to shift themselves to try and catch me out in my walk so the light is my insurance against an errant root or two. Humming to myself I open up my senses to the nature around me, listening to the sleeping animals, the river two miles west burbling along singing its woeful tune of being evermoving and unable to meet its love- a weird tune for a river but I relate to it. Its the trees that I listen to the most, with my senses open I can hear them speak, they tell me the forest reports, which animals are lacking in food, or shelter, if there were any trespassers (which there never are) and stories of old times when they were full of fantastical creatures. Everything from dryads to mother nature- who is real but apparently a total b***h to the trees and left them with rotten luck in their opinion because they rarely get to talk to anyone as no one understands their language. 

"But I understand you" I say more to myself than them, I know they rarely listen to my input on their rantings, only the new saplings listen and they're further to the north of my old friends. 

 Reaching the centre of the forest I hold up my hand to let the light dissipate, and feel for the thread of magic around the clearing. I know I'm paranoid about my security but with my family you can never be too careful, trust me. From this side, the clearing looks just as it sounds, a rough circle, barren of anything but grass and pathetic looking grass right now too. Tugging on the thread I open a hole in my barrier and, ah, there's my home. The clearing is much bigger from the inside, and filled with thousands of flowers and plants- that bloom or bear fruit no matter the season outside- well, I am of the fae after all. 

 In the middle of the paradise that could cause a botanical garden to weep in shame sat my cottage, simple stone,  two stories, with ivy trailing the walls in an errant manner than I can never seem to tame. I could just as easily have decided on a castle or an underwater abode but the simplicity of a cottage spoke to me, and I haven't been one for a flashy castle in a very long time. As I walk the flowers part for me so I don't trample them, and I mindlessly stroke their blossoms like they were my pets. (I am not ashamed to say I baby talk to my flowers like I would a dog if I had one, they're my babies and they love it) Home sweet home I think as I get to my door and step inside, wiping my feet on the moss I use in lieu of a welcome mat. 

The lights flicker on as they sense my magic and set themselves to a faint glow sensing my weary mood. 

Now, for that bubble bath I think and smile "Oh I am good to myself."