This was originally posted on Manic Expression.
People always told me that it was better to be a good person. That the people who had riches and fame were poorer than those who had loving friends. Whoever decided this was the case had never been poor themselves nor had they faced endless scorns from those around them. I did have friends but my bosses and family weren't any of them. Though I had to act nice or else become homeless.
"Viola, I never expected this from you." Tom said.
Most women fell for my boss. They would do embarrassing things just to get his attention. In the beginning I had been the same, though I hadn't held out any hope he would pay attention to me. My perception of him changed when it turned out sleeping with him was the only way to rise through the ranks quickly. I wanted benefits and better pay, but I figured an STD wouldn't be worth it.
"They were only a day late." I said.
"They were a week late." Tom said and crossed his arms.
A week late? I had given the report to Betsy. She had promised to give them to Tom as I had family matters to attend to. The following day she had come to me with her hair out of place and said she had given them to Tom. So either she had forgotten to give Tom the papers, purposefully not given Tom the papers, or the two wanted to find a way to get me fired. Only the last possibility sounded like I was thinking about things too much.
"It won't happen again." I promised.
"It better not." Tom replied and left my cubicle.
A few hours later and it was raining hard. Due to my luck the moment it started to downpour I had to go back home. I could hardly see a few feet in front of me which made the drive home extremely nerve wracking. Maybe it would be a good idea to crash and get out of my dead end job. Maybe during my next life I'd be a billionaire or something.
The moment I got into my house I slammed the front door behind me. A loud cry escaped my lips and I crashed onto my couch. I tried to calm myself down but there was no hope for me. Every day it seemed I faced harassment from a familiar face. Today Tom had demeaned me and tomorrow it would just be someone else.
I heard the soft sounds of paws walking on my floor and then I felt my cat jump on my back. Even though I was exhausted, Satin's paws made me smile. It seemed that she always knew what to do to make me happy. And all her loyalty cost was wet cat food.
I slowly turned over so that she wouldn't get flung to the floor. An accident that had been repeated numerous times throughout the years. Once I stopped moving, Satin curled up on my stomach. She started purring as I pet her. There was no way the world could overwhelm me like it was trying to do. No matter what happened, Satin would always be waiting at home. She would always be here for me. The one creature I could trust.
After I got off the couch, or more precisely when Satin allowed me to get up, the night progressed in a peaceful manner. Dinner, as always, was a simple affair. Usually I felt too nervous to have a big meal. My cat, on the other hand, grew extremely grumpy if I didn't give her food at exactly the right time.
"You're not about to starve and you know it." I replied to Satin's pitiful cry.
Once we finished dinner it was time for me to get showered. I loved the feeling of warm water going over my body as it relaxed me. Since it had been a stressful day the water nearly scorched my skin. Soon after I was in bed reading a book with Satin curled up by my feet.
Tonight I had decided to read aloud until she went to sleep. Reading my book helped me to distract myself that it was October. That meant my family would want to spend time with me. A sigh left my lips as I tried desperately to keep focused on my book.
* * *
"How does this one look, Viola?" My dad asked.
To those also in the pumpkin patch, he sounded like a happy guy. His tone was cheerful and the smile on his face reached his eyes. What those in the pumpkin patch didn't know was my dad's face could turn monstrous if you contradicted him. He never hit me, but he had left a deep scar on me nonetheless.
"Looks awesome, dad." I replied in a tone that he would mistake for cheerful.
"Of course it does." He agreed. "It's a little pricey, but this is Halloween after all."
The joy in his eyes wasn't because he felt anything for me, it was because he was able to buy something for me. After I hadn't needed his money anymore, he had grown colder around me. He needed me to need him. He needed that sense of control over his play thing.
"Yeah, it's Halloween." I said and tried to sound grateful.
After buying the pumpkin, dad insisted on spending an entire day with me. Because I didn't want to irritate him, I accepted going to dinner. During the meal he tried to make me feel stupid about any opinion I had. He was using this moment as a means to degrade me. Some father.
Finally I was alone in my house with only Satin. She jumped on the counter as I took out ingredients for a spell. I placed the ingredients a few feet from the pumpkin. It was highly important for me to concentrate so that innocent lives weren't harmed. My cat seemed to realize this and was the quietest I had ever seen her.
I held the knife and concentrated on all the negative feelings I had for my targets. With each wave of rage the pumpkin started to glow. I lowered the knife and it grew even brighter. A twisted smile was on my lips as my revenge got closer.
Over the next few hours I prepared the pumpkin to be carved and then put a funny face on it. The spell wasn't for a jack-o-lantern, it was for the homemade pumpkin pies I had promised everyone.
* * *
A few days later I found myself in the company Halloween party. There were people dressed up in the standard vampire and zombies costumes. Others were dressed up as fairies, trolls, and even their favorite characters. Others were lazy and had put fake name tags on their usual outfit.
"You are a great cook." Betsy said with a smile. "You could land a husband with this alone."
"I know." I replied with a fake grin.
I was sure I knew a spell or two that could bring a husband to me. Though I valued freewill too much to ever go down that dark path. I was also sure that wasn't what Betsy met. She didn't believe in magic for longer than October. She liked the atmosphere, not the art.
"That costume is lame." A guy said and rolled his eyes at me.
"At least I spent time on it." I replied and pointed to his fake name tag.
"At least I'm not wearing a lame witch costume."
He walked away and Betsy glared at him. I knew that anger wouldn't last for long as he was good looking. It would be good for her to have fun. In a way I pitied her but I had made my choice and I would make it again. She had made one too many mistakes that had helped to make my life a living hell.
* * *
"Viola!" Mom shouted as she hugged me.
"Mom." I replied with a laugh as I nearly dropped the pumpkin pie.
"I'm sorry. I'll put that on the counter by the others."
"Store bought?"
"You know this family too well."
"I hope I do."
We laughed as we both went to the kitchen. I knew I would have to deal with my dad this evening, but I didn't want to. I wanted to avoid him. My pulse increased when I caught a glimpse of him on the sofa. He had a beer in his hand and was talking with one of my uncles. Both of them laughed as a shiver went down my spines.
Soon. That's the only thought I could hold onto. Soon all my pain would go away. Those responsible for my life would get their just desserts.
"Your cousins are in the backyard." Mom said as she put my pie by the others. "They have already got the fire pit started."
"Do we have to wait until after dinner to roast marshmallows?" I asked with a smirk.
"Like any rule would stop them."
With a laugh I went to join my cousins. Mom would be kept busy playing the role of hostess.
* * *
The moment my car was parked in my driveway, I let out a long sigh. My dad had been...opinionated as always. I had only stayed for dessert to make sure my dad ate the pumpkin pie.
I exited my car and looked at the pumpkins standing guard in front of my house. Their faces were nothing special and did not stand out in any way. They made me smile, though, as the highlight of my evening had just begun.
Satin greeted me once I closed the door as if she, too, was excited. She followed me closely as I poured myself a glass of wine and went to stand in front of my bathroom mirror. A witch could scry on any reflective surface. I didn't need a crystal ball to look where my body wasn't.
"Show me." I said in a commanding voice as I set my glass down.
Satin jumped in front of the mirror as I focused my conscious mind on the people I had cursed. The pumpkin pie had been a conduit, but not everyone who ate from it had been damned. That would have been unfair to my mother and some of my co-workers after all.
The first people I looked at were Tom and Betsy. She was pleasing him so that her job would remain secure. He, of course, didn't care about her except for what she did to him. What began as a romantic evening quickly turned bloody. I had made sure his mind wanted what his body couldn't give him. For her I had made her beauty go away by way of age and death. A process that went quicker with sex.
I smirked at the after math and then went to my dad. His curse was to say what he meant with no sugar coating. I wanted others to see the true monster underneath. His words to my mom were so bad that she left their house with tears coursing down her cheeks. He was also crying but couldn't stop himself. The next time he'd have kind words to say was when he really meant them.
I continued to look at victim after victim for the remainder of the evening. Some were cursed to die and others to live. As I had used magic, no one would be able to trace the crimes to me. Those who figured out what I had done this night would know to stay away. I was powerful and not to be messed with.
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