I was sitting on the back seat along with Max.
Aunt Agatha was staring at me through the rearview mirror.
I placed my hands on my lap.
I gave her side-eye.
I then devoted my attention to the glass window of the car.
It was cold outside, which is why fog began appearing on the car’s glass windows.
That is why I could not have enjoy the view through the window.
Max was sitting silently next to me.
Aunt Agatha cleared her throat before speaking.
“So, Max, tell me about yourself.” Her voice was soft.
Aunt Agatha then shifted her gaze from the rearview mirror to the windshield.
I looked at Max’s face.
A small smile crept on Max’s face.
“Umm…I am a student and also work in the library,” Max spoke in a firm tone.
My eyebrows shot up, which painted a question mark on my forehead.
I was asking myself that question that what he was talking about.
Aunt Agatha grappled the steering wheel firmly.
She leaned against the car seat.
She sucked her teeth.
“Do you like books?” she asked, looking at Max through the rearview mirror.
Max silently lowered his gaze.
I was just gazing at him and waiting for his answer.
I did not find him as a bookworm.
I knit my eyebrows together.
It would really surprise me if he would say yes.
Max lifted his head and glanced at the rearview mirror.
”Umm…yes, I am reading a book.
I do not remember the name.” Max pulled his sleeve.
“You know we have a collection of crime and thriller novels in the library.” Max’s voice was steady.
I breathe through my nose.
My eyes widened like a balloon.
The conversation I witnessed between Aunt Agatha and Max astonished me.
Aunt Agatha shifted her attention from Max to my face.
Meanwhile, an incoming car was about to crash into our car, but Aunt Agatha suddenly turned the car on the sidewalk.
Aunt Agatha added with a nervous laugh.
“It was close.” Her voice dropped to an audible level.
Afterwards, everyone became silent.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the gigantic building.
It seemed like a hall.
As Aunt Agatha pulled the brake, the one man in a blue three-piece suit approached and asked.
“Can you give me the car keys?” He spoke softly.
Aunt Agatha opened the car door, hopped out of the car, and gave him the car keys.
I hopped out of the car along with Max.
I adjusted my gown when I heard the man say.
“Ma’am, can you come with me?” His voice was low.
Without saying anything, Aunt Agatha began following the man.
“I think we should go inside,” Max said.
He spoke in a firm tone.
“It’s too cold outside, and I do not want you to catch a cold.”
The corner of my mouth moved upwards into a smile.
A quick nod escaped me in response.
I proceeded upstairs and reached the porch.
The entrance door was open.
I can hear the loud chatter from outside on the porch.
When we were going inside, I clutched Max’s hand.
In response, Max did not say anything.
He just looked at me with a plastered smile on his face.
As we entered, a hand pressed against my chest and stopped me.
I paused, my right foot poised in the air, and then I gently placed it behind my left foot.
A minute later, I turned my attention from the hand to the face of the lady who was standing in front of me and blocking our path.
She was Isabel.
I noticed fiery and intense anger on her face.
She stepped forward, darted her gaze into my eyes, clawed her hand around my hand, and forced me to let go of Max’s hand.
She then clutched my hand and aggressively nudged it away.
“What are you doing with him?” Anger vibrated in her voice.
Before I formed the words to say something, Max jumped into the conversation.
“I asked you, and you said that you will not go, so I came with her.” His voice was steady but firm.
Isabel balled her hands on her side.
She clenched her jaw, gritting her teeth, which was audible in the tense air.
“I said I will think about it,” she said, gritting her teeth.
I cautiously took a step back.
I remained silent.
Max grabbed Isabel by her arm and tried to lead her away from me.
But Isabel screamed.
The chatter in the room suddenly fell silent, and everyone started gazing at Isabel.
She jerked Max’s hand away.
Isabel looked at me.
Her cheeks turned red.
It seemed like she was fuming with anger.
She walked over to me.
Isabel gave me a double-handed shove.
I tripped and was about to fall when someone grabbed my hand, helping me regain my balance and stand up straight.
I shifted my gaze from the ground to the man who was holding my hand.
He was Damon.
Damon’s face broke into a smile.
I gently pushed his hand away.
I then noticed the smile on Damon’s face faded away.
His face became straight.
“I know what she is trying to do.” A hint of anger colored her voice.
“She wants to create a rift between you and me.”
Max wore a tight smile, which barely concealed his frustration.
Max nervously laughed.
He clutched Isabel’s hand.
Max leaned in and whispered in her ears.
“You are overreacting,” Max giggled.
“Let’s go home.” Isabel glared into Max’s eyes.
She then aggressively pushed Max’s hands away.
“I cannot believe that you want to save her.” Isabel unclenched her fists.
“You are seeing that she is trying to come between us.” Her voice sharpened with anger.
I gave Isabel a sidelong glance.
I drew a long breath to calm myself.
Isabel stomped towards me and tried to slap me across my face.
Max suddenly stepped forward and gave Damon a single-handed shove.
“What is your problem?” His voice was excessively loud.
I noticed the tension started brewing between Max and Damon.
Out of nowhere, Lydia stepped between them.
It seemed like she was trying to deescalate things between Max and Damon.
Damon tightened his hands into fists.
“I want both of you to leave now because I do not want to call back up,” Lydia said.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Damon took one step back.
It seemed like he was also restraining himself from escalating things.
In the meantime, Isabel stepped forward and gave Damon a single-handed shove.
But before Damon reacted, I noticed Marinda appeared inside the crowd and yelled.
“Damon, I want you to go to the hospital.” Her voice was loud.
It was breaking the silence.
Damon’s head dipped in a brief nod.
Isabel went out of the hall, and Max was behind her.
“Listen, Isabel,” Max shouted.
And a minute later, I saw Damon walking out of the building.
As I stepped forward, a loud voice touched my voice.
“Callie, wait up.” His voice was firm.
I turned around and saw Aunt Agatha coming towards me.
When she stepped inside the room, a feminine voice echoed in my ears.
“Agatha, long time no see,” she added with a heavy chuckle.
“I never thought I would see you again.” I sensed sarcasm in her voice.
The woman was Halen.
I sensed tension between Halen and Aunt Agatha.
Aunt Agatha squeezed her hands into fists; her knuckles turned white.
“Halen, I think you still have nightmares about me, which is why you recognized me so fast.” Her voice was a mixture of anger and resentment.
Halen gave her head a nod.
She scoffed.
“I thought you stopped haunting this town, but I was wrong.
You are a witch, and it is not easy to get rid of you,” she said with a high tone.
With time I sensed the tension between them rising.
But I do not know what all is about because I am unaware of the past they had.
My chest rose and fell with rapid breath.
Halen started clapping.
“Umm…You really have the guts to come here after what you did,” Halen said.
There were tremors in her voice.
I was surprised, but a flicker of suspicion quickly followed.
Aunt Agatha unclenched her fists.
Her lips carved into a smile.
She lowered her gaze for a second and then looked at Halen’s face.
Aunt Agatha took off her heels.
“I thought you changed.” Aunt Agatha lifted her hair and made a bun on the back of her head.
“But I am wrong because you have envy for me, and you still do.” Aunt Agatha delivered her words with firmness.
Halen inclines her head in disagreement.
“You are still a bitch,” Halen said, gritting her teeth.
Aunt Agatha rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.
A minute later, she clenched her fist and punched Halen across the face.