Chapter 3: Start of a Journey

It took her a bit of time but she found Uncle Gabe in the hedge maze. The man was always one for puzzles and was better than a GPS. She, on the other hand, was known for getting lost in a walk-in closet.

He frowned when he saw her but didn't say anything. Great. He was pouting. Nothing worse than a grown man pouting. He probably thought that it would make her cave. It had before. Not this time though. She couldn't let him have his way or she would be stuck here forever.

Nudging him while saying, "You know that this is in no way a reflection on you. Right? You had to know that this was going to happen sooner or later?"

He huffed, "Why? This place is nice. You don't have to worry about anything. Is it really so bad here?"

She shook her head while saying, "I don't fit in here. I would have thought you would have gotten that memo when Sister Mary Louise tried to perform an exorcism on me when I was ten. It's time that I try to find where I do belong. You can't begrudge me that."

Uncle Gabe rolled his eyes, "Sister Mary Louise was a troglodyte and a hairy wart on this existence. You're fine just as you are and you belong wherever you want. I worry about you. These talking monkeys stumble around with no care about anyone but their own needs and wants. You're special."

Leaning against him, she couldn't help but laugh. Didn't ever uncle think their niece or nephew was special in some way? Wasn't it some requirement? She didn't take what he said too seriously. It was like Uncle Mike said. He didn't want to admit that she wasn't a little girl anymore. She figured that he was probably afraid that he was going to lose her.

Resting her head on his shoulder, "It's just a job and you know Mother Superior isn't going to let me sign up for anything wild. She still hasn't forgiven Father Morgan for just suggesting Monte Carlo night. So, have a little faith. Isn't that what you're always telling me? How about practice what you preach, Buster."

His mouth was a grim line as he watched her. It was almost as if he was seeing someone else. Was he seeing her father? Her mother? A mixture of both? She didn't have the courage to ask. No matter how much she was wanted to do so. The questions were never voiced. Deep down she knew that it would cause him pain. It was enough that she was branching out a little bit and getting a job. She didn't need to make it worse by bringing up her parents. Maybe one day.

After a few minutes of silence, he said, "You're not going to let this go. Are you?"

Shaking her head, "Nope. You know me. Stubborn to a fault. I need this, Uncle Gabe. Think of it this way. I can buy my own books instead of bugging you. That's got to be an upside."

His blue eyes looked sad even though he smiled, "You've never bugged me. Still, you're going to go your own way. Just be careful. Don't need to lose you, Kiddo."

It took her a second for it to register that he was going to accept this. When it finally did sink in, she laughed and hugged him tightly. She felt so much better knowing that both of her uncles were going to support this.

Laughing before he started talking, "No boys. No wild clothes. No odd hair color. Don't abuse this bit of freedom."

She rolled her eyes but still smiled, "I don't think I can get any weirder than my own hair color and didn't you know that militant penguin chic is all the rage now. Nina García wants an interview soon."

She didn't even mention boys because they weren't worth mentioning. If a guy couldn't stand up to her uncles and not run screaming, she was better off without a date. She was just happy that this was going so well.

Uncle Gabe was silent except for one brow raised. She knew that her sense of humor was different from his and there were times that he didn't know if she was serious or not. Of course, neither one of them got Uncle Mike's humor.

Tugging at his arm, "Come on. Let's go see Mother Superior. I'm sure she has a job in mind already. She /always/ has a plan. So, let's go pepper her with some questions. It will be fun."

He shook his head but didn't didn't put up a resistance. From past experience, they both knew that all it would get him is a sore shoulder. It was easier to let her take the lead.

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A few weeks later Leta was beyond happy. Mother Superior had delivered just as Leta knew she would. The Nook and Cranny Curio Shop wasn't exactly glamours and she would never get rich, but it was a wonderful job for her. The owner was an old woman who insisted on being called Momma Mamau. She was the first to say that she was ugly as sin. Short and squat with a bulbous nose and dull ginger hair. She wouldn't win any beauty contests, but she had an amazing voice.

Quickly Leta came to adore her. She was attentive, patient, and had this habit of belting out a show tune and the most random moments. It made for an interesting shift. That and discovering all the strange odd bits that were sold there. Leta really didn't know how the woman made money because she didn't remember a single person walking through the door. Momma Mamau would just shrug and tell her that it was mostly random road trippers and eBay that kept the store open. Leta decided that it was better not to ask questions. Sometimes the answers weren't worth the hassle.

Her uncles left not long after she got the job. Both feel secure in the fact that the only she really had to worry about was the off chance that a pile of junk might fall on her or get attacked by rogue dust bunnies. Not exactly life threatening things. Well, except the ceramic cat by the register. Leta was pretty sure that it was out for her. It was a creepy thing that just seemed to always be staring at her. Momma Manau would just laugh and tell her that her imagination was working overtime.

One day Momma Manau asked her to clean out the back stockroom. She wanted to move some merchandise and needed to know what was back there. When Leta flipped the light switch, she started to rethink this job. To put it simply, the place was a disaster. It looked like something off the show Hoarders. She was certain that she would find a dead body or two hidden in the mess. The remains of other shop girls that tried to clean up this room.

Sighing, she rolled up her sleeves and started to pick at the piles. Momma Manau had told her what she was looking for. She had also told Leta that if it looked broken to pitch it. Of course, then the woman went on to make a list of exclusions. Finally, Leta suggested that if she had any doubts that she would show it to her. Momma Manau thought that was a wonderful idea. It was more work for Leta, but at least there wouldn't be any doubt that what got tossed was really junk.

The first few days were back breaking and grungy. The sisters would raise their brows when she came back to the convent after work. She looked a mess. Covered head to toe in dirt and dust. There had also been a few spider scares. No one enjoyed those. On the plus side, she felt productive. She was doing something. The stockroom was also starting to shape up. She swore that she could actually start seeing more than a small patch of floor and a sliver of a wall.

A week later the stockroom was finally organized and clean. She still didn't know how the woman packed so much stuff into such a small space. Must be the same principle as the bottomless purse theory. She was just thrilled that she was almost done. After this, Momma Manau promised that she would let her sit at the counter and just read for the next few shifts to give her a break. She couldn't wait. It sounded like her idea of heaven.

The last thing she had to clean and move was an old mirror. It was….rather hideous. The glass was speckled and warped. So, the images looked like something from a funhouse. The frame was a dark wood that had faces carved into it. They were very detailed and unnerving. They were faces that looked like they were screaming in agony. It wasn't exactly something a person would want in the dining room unless they were a Vincent Price fan.

Deciding that it would be best to just get it over with, she started to wipe down the glass with a soft cloth. Dreaming of the next book that she would buy for her time at the counter. While she was doing this, she didn't notice that the glass started to shimmer and swirl. It was so warped, that it would have been impossible to see.

She didn't realize that something was up until the faces started to scream and it felt like something had a hold of her wrist. She frantically started tugging and screaming for help. No help came and she couldn't get free. It seemed to act like quicksand. The more she struggled, the further she was pulled into the mirror. Soon, she was far enough in that she tipped over completely into the mirror and disappeared. Only the echo of her screams and the soft cloth were the only things left to hint that something was off.

In the front of the store, Momma Manau took a sip of tea from a chipped tea cup and cackled, "Should get real interesting now. They should have let her go home years ago. Those overgrown birds have to learn that you can't stop the inevitable. Going to have to learn the hard way now. Isn't that right?"

A white cat looked eerily like the ceramic cat that Leta always thought was watching her meowed and curled up next to the old woman. All they could do now was wait and see how things unfolded.