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"Did you see that new shop in town?" Hailey asked on her way down the street, gesturing to the vacant lot of stores next to them, "So many are packing up their things and leaving. I guess Rosemeadow's unprofitable. But hey, it's cool to see something new once in a while."
"Hm, no, I haven't heard of it," Daisy said, digging in her purse and pulling out a fresh gold-trimmed wallet, "Wanna stop by?"
"Woaah, hold your horses, rich girl," Hailey said, her voice airy and playful, "Since when did you get that fancy thing?"
"Oh, you know. Just the mall. It's not name-brand or anything." Daisy modestly tucked it away to stray away from bragging. For her 18th birthday, her parents had showered her in extravagant, expensive gifts, and she didn't want other people to feel bad for not getting the same.
"Suure. Anyway, yeah, let's go; I think it's all about... something something witchcraft. Seems like your type of thing, huh?" Hailey snarked.
"Totally." Daisy rolled her eyes at the sarcastic remark, flipping her astray ice-blonde hair off her shoulder.
The two made their way down the street they've known all their lives — Daisy and Hailey have lived in Rosemeadow for way too long — until they came across an unfamiliar shop with a spooky sign that read Sadie: VooDoo and Other Witchcrafts.
"Oh, you weren't kidding," Daisy said, way too used to Hailey's teasing to take anything she says seriously, "Okay, well, this will be interesting."
"Surely."
They opened the heavy sable doors to a dim, red-lit shop, where there was only one vague silhouette of an employee behind the distant counter. On the walls hung thousands of parts for custom Voodoo dolls, with baskets for base cloth and buttons for eyes; on the countertops lay yellow-tinted pages from ancient spell books, with vials and bottles for making potions in scattered around them. Various creepy ingredients, like the teeth and tongues of small animals, had been neatly packaged next to the glasses. Needles and spools of thread cluttered themselves just about everywhere.
"Damn," Hailey said, her hand on the all-too-fancy knob that the door sported, "Think we've seen enough. I'm ready to leave."
Daisy, however, was fascinated. "Leave? We didn't even look around. I wanna make one of those dolls."
"How much more looking around do we have to do? Pretty sure this is it. Let's go," Hailey said, her eyes darkening with an emotion Daisy couldn't make out.
"Hey, if you're scared, that's fine. None of it's real," Daisy said, her voice light and comforting.
"I don't—"
"Of course it's real."
The two whipped their heads up, startled by the sudden raspy voice coming from the unknown figure. The lighting did not help in deciding who it was; their face was indistinguishable, enveloped in the crimson of the store. A jolt of electric terror danced through Hailey's veins.
"Who are you?" She stammered, grabbing Daisy's hand and ready to book it.
The figure came out of the dark, creeping closer to them. But they could eventually make out a creased face. "I'm Sadie. I own the shop. Hey, I recognize you two. Did you go to Rosemeadow High School?"
The horror melted away and Daisy let out a soft laugh at their fears. "Yeah, we did. You went there? I don't remember you."
"Same, I'm not sure I recognize you," Hailey said, squinting at the stranger whose shop they stumbled into, trying to remember a moment with her.
"Eh, it's okay. Not sure a lot of people remember me from high school anyway," Sadie said, flipping her messy coal-dust hair which matched the sights around them. She sported a ruffled dark — this girl obviously liked the dark — pink dress with white laces and a few loose strings.
She's actually quite pretty, Daisy thought, for a witchcraft-shop owner, anyway.
"Here, let me show you around," Sadie extended a ghostly pale hand.
"Oh, uh, we're oka—" Hailey began.
"Sure! I'd love to see more," Daisy interrupted, earning one of Hailey's signature looks-that-could-kill boring into her skull.
Daisy took the girl's hand, with Hailey begrudgingly following close behind, and was lead to the custom section.
"I heard you say something about making your own doll. Here's where you start," Sadie said, gesturing to the blank dolls with no decoration, "You know Build-A-Bear? It's kind of like that, except with human beings."
Hailey's eyes widened with nerves, but Daisy's narrowed with curiosity, trying to look for which one she wanted to use.
"That one," Daisy said, pointing to a tanned doll and turning to Hailey. "I'm gonna make you."
"What, so you can stitch my mouth shut?" Hailey joked, hiding away her fear, "Or poke me when you think I say something stupid?"
Daisy laughed. "Totally."
Sadie climbed up the silver ladder next to the two, fetching the selected doll. "Now that I've got this, you can go look around the hair and eye section and grab what you need."
"Gotcha," Daisy said, her voice excited and dripping with anticipation. She grabbed Hailey's hand and led her toward the cloth and buttons, looking intently at her eyes to memorize their color.
"You're like Little Red Riding Hood. What big eyes you have," Hailey mocked as they drew closer.
Daisy rolled her eyes, brushing off the comment. "Well, anyway, she was nice, wasn't she?"
Hailey glanced around to ensure they were out of earshot before replying. "She reminds me of the Wicked Witch of the West... she's creepy."
"Hailey!" Daisy scowled, climbing up the ladder to reach her items, "We're in her store and she's been nothing but kind to us. Be nice back, jerk."
"Oh, the J-word, how dare I," Hailey feigned her fear, "She's been nice, but she's also creepy. And what's that she said about the Voodoo being real, or whatever? She's just... weird, Daisy."
"Why did you enter a witchcraft store whose gimmick is selling witchcraft, expecting the employees to tell you witchcraft is fake?"
Hailey thought for a moment. "I guess you're right. But still, she's weird."
"Hey, that's the same attitude everyone used to have about you, back in middle school," Daisy said with a furrowed brow, focused on grabbing teal cloth and gray buttons to match Hailey, "If I thought you were weird and stayed away, we would have never been friends. If you just be nice to people, then maybe you can find a new friendship."
A weight of guilt fell heavy onto Hailey's shoulders as memories of the bullying she endured played back in her head like a cracked record. "Sorry, sorry. She was just, uh, off-putting. But it's okay. I apologize. I'll be nicer."
"Good," Daisy smiled, making her way back down the ladder. "This fits your hair color, right?"
Hailey stared at the teal cloth. "Eh, close enough."
Daisy rolled her eyes, but with a smile. "You're so difficult."
"Me? You wanted to come here and make a doll of me, so... not sure if I'm the difficult one," Hailey smirked, grabbing the hand Daisy extended as she led her back to Sadie.
"Here, I've got all my stuff ready," Daisy spilled her selections onto the sole empty counter that was in front of the doll bodies.
The excited palms of Sadie picked them up instantly, a brief brushing of hands between the two occurring that only one of them ignored. Daisy felt a bit of blood rushing to her face at the sudden touch.
"Alright, let me stitch this up for you in the back — it'll be, eh, I'd say around ten minutes or so."
Hailey pulled over a witch-themed chair and sat down, beckoning Daisy to join her, but now Daisy was determined. And when she has something in her mind, it isn't getting out.
"Why don't I join you? I'd like to see the process. Maybe I'd make my own some day, if I saw how."
Sadie let out a raspy laugh. "Then what would you need my store for after that? Can't share my secrets."
"Please?" Daisy said, giving the best puppy-dog look she could muster.
Hailey had become an expert on relationships after her time in Rosemeadow High School; not her relationships, of course, she had never had one of her own — but after setting her hotheaded friend Milly up with her crush, Elliot, and after getting her step-brother Zander to finally confess his feelings to his friend, Luke, she knew how to recognize the little butterflies in a stomach.
And Daisy looked like she had a swarm.
Hailey smiled and came to Daisy's defense. "You can't just leave us out here... what if we steal everything and run away? At least sew it out here with us."
"I couldn't. My supplies and sewing machine are in the back."
"Then let us come with you! We could be serial thieves and you'd never know till you came out and we were — boom! — gone, like the wind," Hailey flashed her biggest smile, a mischievous glint in her gray eyes. She wanted Daisy to be happy with someone nice. Sadie seemed like a good candidate.
Sadie stood for a moment, considering it. Then she sighed. "Come on, let's go."
Daisy, who had no idea that her best friend was trying to get her a girlfriend, grinned an innocent smile at Hailey. "Thanks," she whispered, "I wanna see all of this Voodoo in the making."
Hailey hid a smile, knowing there was more to that then Daisy thought.
Sadie led them to the back of her store, a small area in an otherwise decently sized establishment. It was cramped and dim, full of Sadie's personal Voodoo dolls, banners, and other sewing projects. "Okay, here it is. Isn't it exciting?"
"Didn't know you were the sarcastic type," Hailey smirked, "Fun."
"Always have been," Sadie answered, her voice flat, as she activated the sewing machine. "As it preps the hair for me, I'm going to sew the buttons... What are your names?"
"Oh! How rude of us, we didn't even introduce ourselves," Daisy said, "I'm Daisy, and that's Hailey. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too. So, Daisy, can you tell me where to sew the buttons for Hailey's eyes?"
Daisy took a glance at Hailey's face and then inched closer to the doll, her delicate fingers touching Sadie's frail ones as she pointed to just above the middle of the doll's head. "She doesn't have too big of a forehead, I suppose."
"Hey!" Hailey yelled, offended, but her voice was light and playful.
"Just poking fun," Daisy smiled and drew away from the doll as Sadie began to stitch.
Daisy watched the craft intently, mesmerized by the thread; it was as if Sadie was performing an art, a dance, that Daisy was only a mere witness to. The needle went in and out, a knot near its eye for proper sewing. The organized spools and clumps of fabric watched along with Daisy as Sadie's swift hand finished the stitching.
"Wow."
"Pretty interesting, isn't it?" Hailey said, knowing Daisy's eyes were not on the doll but on the girl instead.
"Now let's do the hair, since it's all ready. It's simpler than the buttons." Sadie's pale hands took the buttoned, hairless doll and the teal cloth Daisy selected, putting them under the machine. Then, she switched a lever on its side to turn it to another mode and dragged her fingers along with it. The sewing of the hair was much quicker than the eyes, but it wasn't like Daisy was taking into account the length of the interaction, anyway; she was simply in awe.
In a few minutes or so, the doll was done. "Fresh out of the oven," Sadie said, handing the doll to Daisy.
"Huh, it really does look like you, Hailey."
"When I'm naked, yeah," Hailey joked, "Where's the clothes at?"
"That's next," Sadie answered, her voice monotone, "Although, now that I'm looking at you better, you've got something in your hair."
Confused, Hailey ran her fingers through her locks, and without finding anything out of the ordinary, dropped her hands down. "Huh? Where?"
"Oh," Sadie look away in embarrassment of her bluntness, "I meant the accessory. The clip in your hair."
"Oh! It's fine," Hailey said with an understanding smile, "Yeah, it's a star."
"Ooh!" Daisy exclaimed, "Do you have star buttons we can sew on?"
"Mhm, that's what I was getting at," Sadie said, walking to the door and turning the doorknob. The red light of the store greeted the trio as they walked over to the button section. "They're all on the bottom, because I like them too much to let people see."
"Oh, we don't have to buy them if you want to keep them! " Daisy began, "They were hidden for a reason—"
"No worries," Sadie interrupted, kneeling down and grabbing a box, fishing out the one that best matched Hailey's. "I want you to have one."
Daisy felt that strange rush of blood again, and Hailey saw it, too, but Daisy ultimately dismissed it. "Thanks," she stammered, confused by but trying to ignore her own body.
"Okay, so, while I'm in the back sewing this on, you two can look around the pre-made clothing and pick whatever suits you," Sadie said, tucking the doll and star button into a bag.
Hailey was about to object in favor of Daisy, but once she saw her happily nodding at Sadie's suggestion, she backed down.
"That sounds great!" Daisy smiled, "No promises we won't steal anything though."
Sadie smirked and turned around, heading to the back room. Daisy admired the way she walked, and took a few moments to face Hailey.
"What are you wearing, again? The lights make it hard to tell," Daisy asked, a little distracted.
"That white shirt with the pink heart that you got me for my 16th birthday," Hailey said, "And the matching jacket."
"Oh, okay," Daisy said absently, wandering over to the clothes with Hailey's hand entwined with hers. "Hmmm... what about that one? You think that will fit?"
"Yeah, I think so. But if it's gonna be a doll, it should probably have more than one set of clothes, right?" Hailey asked.
"Oh, yeah, you're right. Let me look around some more," Daisy said, turning away from Hailey entirely.
"Maybe we should have a photo-shoot for it," Hailey smirked, "Or would you prefer a photo-shoot of you and Miss Sadie, hm?"
Startled, Daisy turned to her. "What?"
"Oh, c'mon, I know the sparks of a crush when I see them."
"She's just... nice, I mean, I barely even know her. How could I like-like her?" Daisy defended herself, her annoyance obvious, but underneath that, a hint of fear at the fact that Hailey may be right.
"Daisy, it's about time you get a girlfriend. You haven't ever been in a relationship before. Try it! Get her number!" Hailey said, slapping Daisy's shoulder in support.
"Well, I could say the same for you. What about that Jake kid that you're obsessed with talking about, but never make a move on, hm?"
Hailey could feel her face heat up, but she wouldn't let that stop her. "Hey, you can't ignore my advice just because I don't follow it myself. In fact, this just makes it more obvious you like her! Daisy, go for it!"
Daisy paused as if in thought. Then, "Haileeey..." Daisy whined, "Why do you do this to me?"
"You need to live your life how you want, that's why." Hailey smirked.
"Alright, well, whatever. Let's just pick the clothes out, okay?" Daisy said, desperately wanting to change the subject. Her entire face was beet red and she almost felt dizzy from how much blood was flowing into her head.
"Okaaay," Hailey said, snatching a few of the clothes but making sure to put the shirt with the heart on top. Then, she grabbed a clump of jean-like pants to match her own and then grabbed Daisy's hand, leading her to the room in the back. "I've got all the clothes. Now you knock on the door and ask to come in, and then blah blah blah, and then ask her for her number."
Daisy was quick to object with a harsh "No!" but Hailey rolled her eyes and handed her the doll's clothing. "Just hear me out on this one, okay?"
Daisy thought for a moment, then sighed, giving in. "Okay," she said, her voice exhausted, and knocked weakly on the door.
"Yes?" Sadie's raspy voice called from the inside.
"I've got the stuff for the clothes, is the doll ready?" Daisy said, giving Hailey a light punch the arm for holding back her laughter.
"Oh, yeah. Just give me a second."
Daisy could hear the rustling of keys and relaxed sounds of footsteps as Sadie drew closer.
Once she unlocked the door, she led Daisy and Hailey inside again. It was even dimmer than before and pieces of construction paper were strewn across the floor.
"It gets prettier every time you come in, huh," Sadie joked, her voice sarcastic but monotone.
Hailey giggled, but it was masked by Daisy's hearty laugh, which she only let out when she was excited and genuinely happy. Hailey smiled at her. This relationship so has to happen.
Daisy handed Sadie the clothes, and Sadie rattled the doll until they fit. Once they were on, it was a near-identical recreation of the blue-haired girl in front of them; Daisy whipped out her phone, placed the doll on Hailey's shoulder, activated her camera's flash, and took a photo of the two side by side.
Sadie gave a soft smile to them before turning to her bundles of needles. "Now," Sadie began, "These are the special kinds of needles that you can use to poke the person your doll is after."
Hailey looked a little worried, but braved her fear and masked it with confidence and skepticism before scoffing, "Well, what would it do if you poked a doll that isn't meant to be anyone? What, would the Voodoo magic just, like, travel through the multiverse?"
Daisy gave her a pinch on the arm and Hailey let out an "Ow!" before Sadie laughed. "We wouldn't know what happens because the person doesn't exist. These needles only work if the person is alive and, well, existent, because that's the only way we can know if they work at all."
Hailey appeared dumbfounded by the explanation and Daisy laughed at her expression. Sadie didn't want to put off one of her own customers and felt bad, so she turned away and grabbed a needle to hand to Daisy.
"Here," Sadie said, her frail palm extended and carrying the needle. Daisy grabbed it and Sadie's hand drew away, but the weight of the small, gentle interaction lingered; Daisy had to snap back into her head after dazing out, and Sadie turned her attention to Hailey, trying to focus on something else.
"Try it out, Daisy. Poke the doll's cheek with the needle," Sadie instructed. Daisy did as told and Hailey jumped as a tingle that felt just like a finger brushed her cheek; both Daisy's ice blue eyes and Hailey's gray ones widened in response.
"Shit! I mean, it didn't feel like a needle that poked me, but... a finger? How is that possible?" Hailey asked, her finger tracing her cheek in terror.
Sadie smiled, sweet but knowing. "I told you already, Hailey — witchcraft."
Silence, with only an eerie melody and melancholy tune that were settling in the room to break it up...
But then Daisy and Hailey laughed, one a little nervous and the other full of heart.
"Wow... did you plan all that? The creepy music, and that line? That was really cool!" Daisy exclaimed.
"No, admittedly," Sadie said, "But I like for my customers to have the best experience they can. When the opportunity arises, it rises, right?"
"Right," Hailey said, her mouth still a little open in shock but trying to move past it.
"Oh, speaking of customers, let's go ring this up. You want one needle too, right?" Sadie asked, walking toward the dust-caked door, "I should let you know — touching the doll doesn't do anything. It's only these needles that can actually cause the effect."
"Oh, okay," Daisy said, "Yeah, one is good."
"Alright," Sadie twisted the knob and walked back into the main store, leading Hailey and Daisy to the cash register; it was adorned with skulls and various witchcraft slang that neither of the two understood a thing about.
Sadie smirked. "Will that be all?"
Daisy glanced around, deciding she didn't want anything more. "I think so, yeah."
"I do not want anything," Hailey said, a trembling finger on her cheek, "Daisy, you better not poke me all day! Or I'm coming back here and making one of you!"
Daisy laughed and poked her shoulder with her finger. Hailey scowled.
After hearing the amount, Daisy gave Sadie her card out of her gold-trimmed wallet, and got a receipt.
"Thank you so, so, so much, especially for dealing with Hailey," Daisy said, locking eyes with Sadie and earning a light punch in the arm from Hailey.
"It's my pleasure," Sadie said, her voice still tinged with stoicism but lighter, more free.
Even though Hailey nudged her, Daisy only gave a small wave back, and when she was about to turn the doorknob, she heard Sadie's voice call to her.
"Will I see you two here again?"
Hailey looked back, confused by the absence of Daisy until she noticed that she had already turned around and gone back to the counter.
"Do you have a pen?" Daisy asked, pulling a miniature notebook out of her purse.
"Oh, uh, surely somewhere in here," Sadie said, fishing in her bag for one. Once she retrieved it, she handed it over.
Daisy scribbled something on the paper, tore it out of the notebook, and laid it on the counter. She looked up. "Call me sometime, okay?"
Both Daisy and Sadie's faces were significantly redder than their usual pale.
"Of course," Sadie stammered, losing her professional facade. "Thank you for stopping by."
Daisy smiled. "Absolutely."
Swiftly, Hailey and Daisy left, and immediately once they walked out the door, Hailey burst into squeals and Daisy sighed in both relief and terror.
"You did it!" Hailey exclaimed, "I'm so proud of you, wow."
"That—" Daisy stuttered, clearing her throat, "That was definitely the bravest thing I've ever done in my life."
Daisy paused, collecting herself as Hailey's eyes beamed with pride.
"Wow, okay..." Daisy sighed, "Alright, I need to know! Did I look confident? Do you think she's going to call me back? Did I play it cool enough? Or I was I too nonchalant? Help!"
Hailey giggled. "You're fine! Just wait till she calls you—"
A ding of a text message interrupted her; an unknown number had vibrated in Daisy's purse. Once she grabbed her phone, she read it aloud.
"'Hey Daisy, it's Sadie. Thanks again. Maybe it's too sudden, and I get that we don't know too much about each other, but that can change — do you want to meet up sometime at that Stacy's pizzeria place? Or somewhere else, maybe? Let me know!'"
Daisy gasped mid-reading and Hailey's eyes widened, grabbing each other's hands.
"I did it!" Daisy squealed.
And "You did it!" was the only appropriate thing that Hailey could squeal back.