Chapter 6
Melinda groaned and rolled over onto her stomach, hiding her face from the assault of the sunshine streaming in through her window. Her nose filled with the aroma of fresh baked blueberry muffins drifting up from the kitchen which made her stomach growl hungrily for sustenance. Ignoring the desperate cries from her belly she pulled the pillow over her head and tried to fall back to sleep.
Suddenly, she remembered the Pearl Russell's memoirs that were hidden in her top drawer beneath her unmentionables. With renewed ambition, she jumped to her feet and confirmed that the small leather diary was still safely where she had left it. She traced her finger along the tattered edges and smiled to herself. Something in it called out to her and she wanted nothing more than to open it and take in every syllable scribed within. Unfortunately, her hunger was at it's limit and the pangs within her abdomen were almost unbearable. She threw her hair back in a lazy ponytail and bounded down the stairs to the kitchen.
"Morning Sleepy Head," Piper chirped from the kitchen sink as she heard her daughter bound into the kitchen.
"Hey," Melinda replied. "What time is it?"
"Umm.. a little past 10 I would say. Your brothers are already gone, your dad is at Magic School already, and I'm actually about to leave for the resturaunt. That nasty health inspector is coming out today."
"The one that hates you?" Melinda asked as she put a little piece of a muffin into her mouth.
"She doesn't hate me," Piper answered feigning offense to her daughters statement. "She simply can't understand why I have such high scores all of the time."
"So she's out to get you," Melinda finished her mothers sentence with a knowing gleam in her eye.
"Exactly!" Piper answered gleefully.
"So, she hates you." Melinda stated as she bit a huge bite out of her muffin.
"Yup," Piper answered laughing. "Which means I have to go and make sure everything is in order."
"Mom," Melinda groaned. "You are a regular Hitler in that kitchen. I've seen you fire cooks for the asparagus not cooked enough, what are you worried about?"
"One time!" Piper exclaimed. "Besides, he served RAW asparagus to a known food critic, what would you have done?"
Melinda just laughed at her mother's frustrated expression. She knew that her mother was a perfectionist to the most minute detail which is why the inspector always tried so hard to find something wrong. Melinda suspected that it was as much a game to her mother as it was to the inspector.
"So, I'm here all by myself today?" Melinda asked.
"Seems so, unless you want to come and help me with the grease traps," Piper answered hopefully. By the upturn of Melinda's nose, Piper knew that even begging wouldn't persuade her daughter.
"I think I'm going to read the book," Melinda said thoughtfully. She thought it was odd that she didn't flinch at lying to her mother, though technically she wasn't lying. She was going to read the book, just not the one she led her mother to believe. Why couldn't she just be honest about it?
"Okay then," Piper said airily as she poured a large glass of orange juice for her daughter. "It's off to work I go."
"Bye Ho-- Have a good day…?" Melinda said.
"Did you just call me a ho?" Piper asked raising an eyebrow and keeping the glass halfway between them.
"No!" Melinda cried, her eyes wide in mock innocence.
"Uh huh," Piper laughed as she handed the juice to Melinda.
After seeing Piper to the door, and ensuring that her mother's car was safely out of sight, Melinda rushed back up to her room. She shut her door and leaned against it protectively. Reaching behind her she turned the lock and sighed to herself. Finally, she was alone with the diary with nobody to disturb her. Feeling a presence in her room, but not seeing anyone there she narrowed her eyes and looked around.
"If you are truly a friend then show yourself," Melinda hissed.
The young woman from the night before materialized in front of her. Once again, her wavy hair flowed freely at her shoulders. She was standing next to Melinda's dresser with a serene look on her face. Her white skin seemed to glisten, although the figure wasn't at all corporeal. Melinda felt a tingle go down her spine, generally a warning that something was very wrong but she ignored it. The figure stared intensely at her before speaking.
"Are you going to read it?" It asked her.
"Maybe," Melinda answered defensively. "Why is it any of your business?"
"I only want to help you understand, Melinda." The apparition told her solemnly.
Melinda looked at the woman. Something about the ghost seemed very familiar, but she couldn't place what it was. A voice in the back of her head told Melinda that although her curiosity about the book was overwhelming, something else was askew in the grand scheme of things. Something just wasn't right, and that something was pushing Melinda closer and closer to diving headfirst into trouble.
"Help me understand what?" Melinda asked.
"To understand yourself," The ghost smiled. It reached its hand up and put it gently upon its imaginary heart. "To understand what is within here. You are so much more than you and your family have allowed you to be. There is so much more power within you, power like you would have never imagined."
"Why do you seem so familiar to me?" Melinda asked.
"We're family," the woman replied. "But that is all that I can say right now. We are family, and you should trust me. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so just read the journal. Just learn from her mistakes."
Melinda nodded as the spirit melted away. She crossed the room to the dresser and pulled out the diary. With little effort she was able to open the clasp lock and the diary fell open to the first page. Unfortunately, the pages were yellowed with age and the ink had been washed out by time. Frustrated, Melinda squinted to read the elaborate loopy handwriting.
"Why read it?" A voice whispered in her ear. "You're a witch. You don't have to try to read this."
"What are you talking about?" Melinda asked the voice. She was slowly getting used to the voice inside her head.
"Watch it. A simple spell, watch it silly girl."
"That's it!" Melinda exclaimed smacking her mattress. She grabbed a pencil and notepad from her side table and set her mind to writing a defined spell. One that would bring her back to watch the story unfold, but let her stay within her own world at the same time. Wording would be tricky, but she knew that she could get it just right. Finally, after seven spells and ten revisions, her spell seemed to be perfect.
"The answers I seek are within this book
Bring me back for an in depth look
Of memories from an ancestor long ago
Within my mind I shall go to and fro"
