18 - Laura 05 - A Fetch

She had been at it three days, and had all but the last item on the list. That one, She had to see for herself, and apparently no one was willing to talk. Except one person.

They mentioned a little shop, only open on the weekends, that had no fixed address. Indeed, that was the mystery of the place. It always looked the same inside, but it’s doorway changed by week.

Frankly, if it weren’t for what she’d already seen, finding an store on chicken legs would have sounded absurd, but this was nothing.

The problem was, no one could help her.

So she went to Mistress Szarka.

“All but the last item, hmm? Aah, yes, an unflawed Selenite Athame. And you said you have a lead?” “Yeah, but … it’s just a lead, no address. Says the Witch of the Overturned Cauldron would have just that, but finding the place…. Well, I went to four different addresses yesterday, all empty fronts.”

“I see.” The lady said as she stood. “Well, you have made an exceptional effort with what you have. But finding the hidden with the mundane is always going to be a tricky deal. Come.” She grabbed a coat and headed for the door. “A trick, I shall teach you. Come along.”

The pair walked down the street. Four blocks and two turns, until they came to a wide inner city park with playground.

The lady stood at the entrance and seemed to look everyone over. Laura considered pulling out her photograph, but as she made the move, the lady seemed to nod and step in.

She wandered down the path, watching where the children were running about. Playing hide and go seek, it seemed. She stood by a bench and watched a round end. She waited for the children to disperse and hide, a young boy hiding his eyes to count.

When the boy ran past to find his peers. She reached out, and grabbed him roughly by the shoulders.

The boy screeched and fought, and Laura cringed at the fact that Lady Szarka had just…. Grabbed a kid.

Then the screeching stopped.

Lady Szarka held a single gold between her fingers, up before the child’s eyes. The child focused on it, then smiled.

Then creepily, somehow smiled *wider*. His cheeks cracking and his face levering open in a sharp toothed grin. He made a motion to snatch the coin, but the lady was faster, flicking it hidden into her palm.

“Uh, uh.” She tutted. As she let his shoulder go. “First a Fetch, then a Prize.” She said solemnly. “Yesyes. A fetch-fetch. Then prize. Shiny prize.” He said, eyes totally focused on the hand where the coin was hidden. Lady Szarka made a long, slow, exaggerated motion, and handed the coin to Laura. The boy-creatures eyes followed hungrily the whole way.

Laura cautiously took the coin and also held it tight. “What in..”

“Fetchlings *fetch* things.” Lady Szarka explained. “When things are lost and hidden, it can be said that one of them will find it. Mostly because one of them likely hid it in the first place.”

She snapped her fingers, getting the Fetchlings attention, before pointing to Laura. “You will find the Witch of the Overturned Cauldron. Take Elle here to them, and the coin is yours on Delivery.”

The boy-creature briefly scowled. “Not a Fetch-Fetch. A find and seek. Want two. Two shiny.” Lady Szarka paused, and pulled out a second coin, this one smaller and silver. “Small shiny now, Golden shiny on delivery. Do we have a deal?”

He looked hungrily at the coin. “Deal-Deal.” He snatched it, then took Laura’s hand with his other one. “You come-come. Keep up.” And pulled her along.

Laura looked back just enough to see a somewhat sadistic smile on Lady Szarka’s face. As she *waved her goodbye*.