Witch's Bell Book One

Ebony always did things around the other way. She picked her accessories first and then her clothes last. Why? Because Ebony changed accessories depending on her moods, not her tops.
    'Now, now, now,' she said softly as she walked in to her walk-in wardrobe. 'What kind of day will today be?' she asked a pair of jeans as she ran a hand over the tough fabric. 'Is today a jeans day? Will I be sitting down at restaurants and walking in the rain?' She pointed over to a pair of cowboy boots, 'will I be stalking down the street, hair flaring behind me?' She tugged at a 50's-style red dress, 'will I be posing on the tops of stairs?' she grabbed at a white hat, 'will I be staring melancholy as the rain drizzles down the window?'
    Ebony giggled. By far, this was her favorite part of the day. Dressing up. Her father never could understand why she always took so long to get ready in the morning. He'd always have a shower, slap on his uniform, tug his hat over his hair, kiss Ebony's mother, and walk out the door.
    Ebony, on the other hand, sometimes took a full hour to decide just what to wear and how to do her hair and make-up. And only her mother really understood why. It was because a witch always had to be careful about how she met the day in the morning, especially a summoner witch. Wear a floral dress, and don't be surprised if someone gives you flowers. Wear winter boots in summer, and don't be surprised if it rains all day. Go to breakfast in an evening gown, and you could fully expect someone to run past and dump a cocktail in your hands.
    No, Ebony always had to be careful what she wore. So really, it was quite lucky that she had such a giant number of clothes to choose from.
    'Okay,' she ran a hand down her face, 'what do I have to do today?' she asked her assembled collection, playing with the bangles around her wrists. 'Well, I have to go to the post office to buy more tough bags for the store – I also need more pens.' Ebony ticked something off her imaginary list using her French manicured pinkie. 'Then I have to go to Wonda's Witch Wonders and buy more candles for Friday's seance.' Ebony looped her long hair around her hands, lifting it up off her neck, and then letting it fall down again softly. 'Then I have all those files to look through for Ben,' Ebony ran a hand through her rack of dresses. 'Then I have to go down to the police depot and remove curses from all that jewelery.'
    Ebony nodded briefly. 'Okay, that's it. Well, it's really simple then, isn't it? I have just too much to do today, and I just don't want to be bothered by anyone when I'm just so busy,' Ebony clicked her fingers. 'So I simply must wear white.'
    She grabbed at a very pretty pure-white summer's dress. It was a light, but thankfully opaque, cotton. The shoulders were tied into little bows at the neck; it was pinched in at the waist, and flared out at the hips. Ebony also grabbed at a pair of white high-heels – not too tall, but not too short. Then she finally grabbed the white hat from before – the one with the wide, but stiff, brim.
    Now she knew how to meet the day, Ebony dressed quickly and was out the door in under five minutes.
    'Ah ha,' she said as she closed and locked the door behind her, 'wear a summer's dress, and invite in the sunshine,' she said, her face angled up to the perfect blue sky above her.
    It was a truly dazzling day. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and the sky was a bright shade of azure blue. The slightest breeze gently moved the leaves on the trees and played against the tips of Ebony's loose hair. The background hum of insects was in the air, and there was such a pleasant hush to things that Ebony almost felt like she was off in the country somewhere – not smack bang in the middle of a city.
    Ebony gave a happy sigh as she walked along the street, her heels clicking softly against the pavement.
    She made quick time to the post office. The day simply moved around her – not dragging or sticking, like some days did – but gliding gracefully like a bird on the wing.
    'You're in luck,' one of the post-office-workers declared as Ebony walked in, 'Bob was late this morning, and still hasn't delivered to your shop. We can have him deliver these postbags and pens to you, if you'd like?'
    'Hmm,' Ebony smiled appreciatively, 'you mean rather than have to walk two boxes back to my shop, you can have someone else actually drive them there. Well,' she said, beaming at the man, 'I think that would be lovely.'
    'Okay