Solstice

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Solstice

Chapter #1 Something in the wind 

"On your way?" Came the demanding question through the other end of the phone," and you better not tell me no. I've been waiting for this day all month"

My best friend and slave driver Michelle Reed at her finest. She's been my best friend for so long we can't even remember when it began. Even our kids think we are related. As for her waiting for this day for a month it's true and probably my fault. We always make plans to get together  once a month but the last couple of months has been hard for me. I have a struggling seventeen year marriage and six kids to take care of. Thankfully our kids are in sports so we are able to get together then and make it a b***h fit in between screaming out our kids' names. So that definitely wasn't the same. 

Scrolling through f*******: one day I seen a girls night event and clicked interested. Five minutes later I hear a ping and there was the notification that was going to change my life forever, good or bad. Along with it came a message "I just put going so make sure you get the day off". Oh that b***h, and yup I started it by clicking that stupid interested button .

"Kylie Marie I can hear you sigh into the phone! You better answer me." Down right dignant now so I let her off the hook.

Laughing into the phone " if you would stop to breathe I would tell you I'm here and get your ass outside, but since I can't I'll just honk my horn".

I can see her through her kitchen window as I beep my horn, turning Michelle flashes me the middle finger and grins. " You are so lucky I didn't have to hunt you down and kick your ass "

I laugh harder and hang up. I've was in her yard for the whole tirade and she couldn't hear me pull in over her bitching. Michelle comes running out of the yard with her purse and coat in her arms yelling to her husband as she good in my car.

"Man that fucker better listen to me." Turning to me she looks me over and say "wow you look great, how did you get out of the house?"

"Easily," I say as I back down her driveway. "He wasn't home."

Cocking an eyebrow at me Michelle gave me a skeptical look. " Your never going to hear the end of it are you? I don't know why you stayed with him so long. You need a new man."

That's easy to say and she knows it since her marriage isn't so happy go lucky either. Although, I think a fair share of their problems are her. She bossy, pushy, and can be very disagreeable. Her husband isn't a saint either and I've heard stories if him putting his hands on her but I've never actually seen it. One thing my miserable husband has never done was out his hands on me. He just controls me in other ways, like pushing my kids away and never allowing me to have friends over. He gives dirty looks and growls about everything. It's getting old and our arguing has been almost non stop

. 

Pulling onto the freeway I check my makeup in the mirror. My eyes have been turning colors alot lately. Something they do when I'm mad or worried or really any mood I seem to have. When I'm calm they are usually hazel, lately they have been either orange or green. Everyone comments on them and asks if I use contacts, nope not at all. My middle son Ian has eyes just like me. We get the from my grandma who is claimed to be born of witches. Who knew for sure but it's been a rumor in my family for as long as I have been alive.

"I wasn't going to call off today I promise", trying to keep my eyes on the road, the wind has really picked up. "I really needed to get out of the house. And don't judge me, but I'm feeling lucky today. Like only good things can come from getting out."

Michelle turns and looks at me and says, " I can feel it too. It's weird and I don't know what to make of it but we really needed to come. Maybe you will get lucky." The pervert grins and wriggles her eyebrows at me.

"Sure thing good buddy and you can be the lookout". We both laugh, I would never cheat on my husband. He's pretty stoic and controlling and I've had plenty of opportunities but I have never acted upon it, not would I. I'm not sure why but it's just an ingrained belief that bad things happen to those who cheat. It keeps me honest.

The gps breaks into the moment and tells us that our turn is coming up. Bracing ourselves, we pull into town decorated like a scene from Halloween Town and giggle. Neither of us noticing we were holding our breaths or why. Maybe we both truely did feel like a change was coming. 

"Ready?" She asks as I park. I turn to look at her and she's pulling up her Snapchat app. "We need our selfie so fix your lips."

We are so ridiculous. Always taking selfies for everything, regardless if it's a lunch date a McDonalds to our trip to a casino. I fix my lips do the duck pose and ask her if they look ok.

Laughing at me we pose and take at least ten halfway decent photos which she posts automatically. Using the horrible one she posts to f*******:, " Girls night out in Halloween Town". Stealing the name from a Disney show we would watch growing up.

As we grab our purses and get out of the car I hear our phones chirp a notification warning. Apparently she tagged me in the dorky photo. "Well s**t!" Michelle screeched. 

I look over at her as I pull out my phone. The girls night out event group liked our photo. Oh well that's cool. Chirp, chirp. I heard her gasp. They shared the damn photo to their event page. The caption over the photo said " Our first photo of the night and door prize winners of free psychic readings."

We look at each other and grin and thats when it started. The wind chimes that kept going off with the wind. Lifting my head up I look to my best friend but she was too busy replying to the post to notice.

Stepping around the car I look around for windchimes. Nowhere. There isn't one in sight. "Hey buddy, do you here that?" I ask.

Still typing " here what?"

"The windchimes?" I look back at her.

"Ya they sound pretty."

"Uhm, but where are they? I asked, " there aren't any in the storefronts." 

Looking at me funny she looks in all directions and says,"f*****g weird! Your right though today seems to be our lucky day, did you know there were going to be psychics?"

"Nope, but I hope their real. I need a bit of good news."

Taking off down the lane we follow the map on their even page and head into the first stop. Windchimes guiding us as we go. The place was packed with women of all ages. Some dressed in witches hats some in full witch garb. As we hesitated at the door a stiff breeze came along and pushed us in.

Looking at each other as we squeezed in Michelle calmly states, "What the fuck."