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Bella leaned over the counter, balancing a bottle between the counter and her finger. It had been a long, boring day. A jingle at the door alerted Bella to a new customer, and she stood up with a start, putting on her winningest smile as the bottle she’d been playing with clattered to the floor. “Hello, welcome to Belladonna’s!”
She sighed with relief at the girl who walked in, a redhead with glasses and freckles and a nervous energy. Thank the Founder it was someone she knew; it was too late in the day for her to field the normal questions. A familiar customer would be much less draining.
“Ah, Scarlet! How can I help you?”
The girl adjusted her glasses nervously and stammered, “I, um, I was hoping you could help me? I, um, I have a date this weekend.”
Bella moved around the counter and offered a hand to Scarlet, leading her further into the store. “Congratulations! I assume that potion I made you last week worked well?” Scarlet nodded, and Bella continued. “I will do whatever I can. What can I get you?”
Scarlet nodded. “I, um, I actually wanted s-something different? I mean, um, a potion would be nice, too, but you, um, sell plants, right?”
Bella nodded. “Not really the kind of pretty flowers you can get most places, but yes.”
“That’s okay. I was looking for something pretty but different?”
Bella tapped her chin in thought before snapping her fingers. “I have just the thing. Wait here.”
She left Scarlet in the main room while she went into storage. After a bit of looking with a flashlight, she found it.
Scarlet was standing nervously as Bella returned. With a dramatic flourish, she opened her clasped hands and revealed a bottle filled with dirt, inside of which was a small number of pebbles. As she turned the bottle, the rocks glowed a striking bright green. “This what you’re looking for?”
Scarlet gasped as the light struck the glowing green moss. “It’s perfect.”
Bella smiled. “Fantastic! And then a potion as well?”
As Scarlet nodded, Bella turned on the spot and suddenly she was wearing a black pointed hat and long flowing robes. A magical mortar and pestle appeared in her hands as she ground various things together, before pouring into one of her many bottles and passing along to Scarlet.
“Will this still work after you’re, um, not working?”
Bella nodded. “Of course. I wouldn’t cheat you. Just mix that with hot water for a while and imbibe and your nerves will wash away.” She didn’t have the heart to tell her it was just herbal tea.
Scarlet seemed perfectly happy, though, and paid in short order. As she left, Bella waved behind her. “Thank you for shopping at Belladonna’s!” She smiled until the door closed, then returned to leaning on her hands as her transformation faded. Only about an hour before she closed, and then it would be time for patrol. A witch’s duty was never done, she supposed.