Smooth jazz flowed though the air, the popping and snapping of wood in the fireplace offering complements the rhythmic bounce of the double bass. A soft piano score provided a nice tempo to the piece. The sole occupant of the cabin tapped her foot in time with the tune, her legs crossed on the couch. In place of her usual uniform, she had on a thick sweater with extra long sleeves. In her lap sat a cup of hot jasmine tea, freshly steeped. A fluffy set of sweatpants and a set of cat slippers completed her outfit, leaving her in complete comfort.
The campers had left the day previous to go back to their typical lives. This left the island mostly uninhabited, save for her and the other counsellors. Without the clamoring din that came with the young animals, it was time for the camp to enter a period of relaxation and dormancy. Most of the monsters were ready to hibernate or settle into their apartment for the winter. The witches were prepared to get back into their seasonal hobbies. The cycle of the seasons had shifted hands once more.
Fallen leaves rustled quietly outside, beneath the sound of the stereo or the cracking and popping of the fireplace. Everything was right at last with Susie, and she could return to her life among people her age, maturity, and most importantly, magical ability.
Just as the piano danced all the way up a jazz piece's scale, a phone call cut through the thick atmosphere. The aura of calm was snapped out of existance with the sharp clang of a receiving bell. Susie let out a frustrated growl and stood up, setting her tea on the coffee table. She had just wanted a day of existing. No interruptions, no phone calls, no paperwork. Just a day to herself.
She picked up the phone, answering it curtly.
"Summer Camp Island, we're closing for the season. Can I help you?"
The voice on the other end was not one she recognized, but it certainly got her attention. It was a masculine voice that reminded her of someone she was familiar with, but not quite. It was that usual Midwestern accent, formal yet to the point. They spoke with the seasoned frankness of a professional.
"Hello, Ms. McAllister? We're calling about a particular camper of yours. You sent them back, but there was a complication. Are you free at the moment?"
Susie poofed a chair directly to her side and sat down, tucking the phone to her ear as she then also teleported a notepad into her hands.
"I am now, what's the news?" She said in a serious tone.
After clearing his throat, the man at the other end said. "Though we have done our best to get into contact with their parents, the child you know as Lucy Thompson has unfortunately ended up in a custodial limbo. As far as we can confirm, their mother has been completely unable to confirm her location with us to transfer her back into parental custody, and her father is likewise missing. Looking into it, we found an arrest record for the father, and the mother has since ceased all contact with us."
The expression on the camp counsellor's face went from an annoyed seriousness to somber realization. Something was happening with Lucy's parents that was even more serious than the typical neglectful attitude they had. She adjusted the phone up to her ear again, taking note of what was being said as the person on the other end continued to speak.
"As it stands we can put Lucy into state custody, gather her belongings from her old place of residence and those she has on her, and put her into foster care. There is also the option of returning her to the previous guardian... which is by the paperwork, an Alice Fefferman? Am I pronouncing that correctly?"
The cat's mouth dropped open with a click of her jaw. Alice had been the one to fill out the custody paperwork this year. The forgetful witch had been assigned to just signing her name on all the paperwork requiring signatures this year. She had most likely not stopped with the normal forms, Which meant that Alice would be the one in technical custody of the campers. Susie once again shut her mouth and responded.
"So you're saying that, you'd be willing to allow us to take care of her while the situation is taken care of with her parents?"
The man on the other end of the line replied in the affirmative. "Yes we would. It would save on resources for other fostered children, and we know that Ms. Fefferman, as well as you and a Ms. Spellman, are all certified to homeschool her. Not that we doubt that she'd be able to self-study. She also expressed a very concern over being lonely if put into state care."
Susie's head reeled from this. This was practically the end of her peaceful fall and winter alone with the witches. However... recalling every single time she had ever written a fake letter for Lucy to feel better about herself, she sighed. The idea of abandoning Lucy in a time that was so crucial felt deeply wrong. She had heard plenty of stories about how foster care chewed up and spat out kids. She knew Lucy was tough on her own, but... even so, it'd be wrong to put her to that just because she wanted two seasons of her eternal life undisturbed. The counsellor replied resolutely.
"Alright, send Lucy back. I'll tell Alice about this once I get off the line with you. We'll be out in the early morning tomorrow to pick her up at the docks. Make sure she has any paperwork you need us to sign."
"Thank you Ms. McAllister. Have a good day."
With the click of the receiver, the cabin was quiet. Susie could practically feel her heart beating in her ears. That had been the most benevolent thing she had done in a little while. Hanging her head, she accepted her fate of obligation. She had responsibilities this fall and winter season. Not that she wanted any, though. She was saving one of her campers from a very rough section of her life though. Not fully given her parental troubles, but... at the very least, she could help. Or at least, Betsy and Alice could help.
The next day dawned bright and early. Betsy was the first standing out at the docks to wait for Lucy. The boat that'd be bringing them was smaller than the usual, but it'd be as easy as quickly picking her up. No paperwork or hiding anything important. They'd given the usual instructions for the island's inhabitants to go into stealth until the boat vanished into the fog over the sea again.
As the sun crept up over the horizon to part the fog, Susie and Alice soon joined their equine friend. They were in their winter uniforms, and Susie had her hair back in her formal ponytail. Each of them exchanged looks of silent anxiety. None of them really knew exactly what would happen once Lucy was back again. There was the distinct possibility that Lucy might end up stuck with them all winter. Thankfully homeschooling existed and Lucy was already decent at it, but they really had no idea what to do as far as accommodating her.
Without the other campers there to keep her company, none of them really knew what they'd do to socialize Lucy. They could get the monsters to stay with her, but many of them were going to be hibernating. Only a few would be around at all, and they had plans already. It'd be rude, to request that they drop everything. That left only a few options. Susie or Betsy staying in Heartforde and sending Lucy to school there was one of them, but that seperated the witches. They wanted to spend time together this fall-winter season, too.
Some form of compromise would have to be set up. That or Lucy would simply have to learn to get along with the witches and their company. They would only resort to that if the other options didn't play out.
Just as the sun began to clear the fog off the water, they heard the telling rumble of a boat's engine cut through the silence. Their quiet pondering was interrupted by the sound of Lucy's return. Out of the thinning fog arrived a small boat carrying just one passenger, and the driver of it. Lucy sat with her suitcase beside her in the back seat, staring out at the island.
The engine cut a fair distance from the island, and the pilot expertly brought the boat right up to the dock before giving the engine a small tap in the oppossite direction to stop the vessel. Though he looked like a typical seal, it was obvious enough to the witches that the sailor was some sort of magical creature, by his eyes. Lucy disembarked unsteadily, her nonexistant sea-legs causing her to stumble on the wooden pier.
The pilot waved to the witches before reversing out back into the ocean, two-point turning to head back towards the shore. Lucy looked up at the teens with an expression of clear expectation. It only took a moment for Alice to run down the dock towards her, wrapping Lucy in a smothering hug. With all her strength she squeezed the aardvark, bringing her head to rest on the camper's shoulder.
"Oh, you poor thing! I can't believe this all happened. We'll take good care of you okay? Bedtime will be super late, like... ten at night! And we'll watch Gander High together, and..."
Susie stepped between the two just as Lucy began to turn a shade of blue. Lucy gasped for breath, smiling at Alice as she said between gasps.
"Didn't know I was such a big deal to you Alice... Thanks for letting me come back though."
Susie spoke this time, untying her ponytail so her hair fell back into its usual style.
"Don't worry about it Lucy. We have a cabin set up for you and everything. It's actually the one you stayed in during the summer, we just brought it closer to ours."
The camper let out a held breath, scuffing her foot on the wooden boards beneath her. She was somewhat relieved at that, since she had left the furniture in the configuration she liked the most. It'd make moving back in much easier.
"Thanks, but uh... I was wondering something."
Betsy stepped up behind Alice, setting a hand on the elephant's shoulder. Her voice carried with it the most earnest empathy of all of them.
"Ask away, we promise to answer the best we can."
A lull rang out between the four girls. The sound of the waves lazily lapping at the shore, leaving cold brine trails behind it, provided a calm ambience. Lucy shuffled her feet quietly on the wooden pier, tapping her heels on the sturdy wooden boards. With the quiet nearly to the point of drowning them, the aardvark spoke.
"What if my parents don't take me back?"
The smiles the witches were putting on faded. They all exchanged glances, before Alice broke the silence first. She stepped up to Lucy, taking her hands and speaking simply.
"If... your mom doesn't take you back, we get to keep you. I don't think your dad can actually... um, legally, uh..."
Susie decided to cut in, clearing her throat.
"We're your guardians until your mother decides to accept custody of you again. Which she might not, depending on what all happened while you were here at camp. Just, keeping things straight with you Lucy."
Lucy's eyes flooded with worry... and no small amount of watery tears.
"She'll take me back right? Just, after whatever's happening blows over?"
Susie averted her gaze. She was terrible at this sort of comforting talk. Plus, she knew the real truth about how often Lucy's mother wrote to her. Which was close to maybe once a month, nowhere near every week. Betsy chimed in to save Susie from having to answer dishonestly.
"I'm sure things will go back to normal."
None of the witches were holding their breath at a happy ending for this, but it made Lucy feel better. She sniffed, wiping her eyes and standing up straight as she could. She became the Lucy they were used to again, full of stern confidence and a dash of dismissive self-assuredness.
"You're right, it'll all be okay. My Mom loves me a lot, she'll come back for me." She said, then recalled that it was late August out in the northern Atlantic. "Let's uh, go get to the cabins ok? My fingers are freezing."
The walk back to the cabins was a quiet one. Witches exchanged worried glances between themselves, wondering who was going to be the one to explain that maybe... Lucy's parents weren't really going to be back for her. Especially if they learned that she was perfectly healthy, happy and cared for somewhere else. That maybe the parents that Lucy had didn't... really love her.