https://spillwords.com/the-magic-wand/
Here's the story if you don't want to use the link:
Roxy set her purse in the back room and got ready to
face the raucous crowd at Yesterday's Gone. She checked her look in the mirror
and liked what she saw. She'd dyed her pixy haircut black for Halloween and was
wearing black jeans and a black pullover, a gift from her friend. She smiled,
reading the lettering on front. Witches
Rule. Monte was a warlock, so he thought it'd be just the thing for her to
wear, it being All Hallows' Eve and all. He especially thought it was perfect since
he'd given it to her to help cast a spell on that jerk Big Ed who'd been
hassling her for the last month. Even though the bar was packed with people
dressed up in costumes and ready to party she'd seen him on the way in. He was
trouble with a capital "T". Well, she was ready for him now. She
checked her purse to see if the magic wand Monte had given her was still there.
It was. To her it looked like a twig, like something out of Harry Potter, but
Monte insisted on calling it a magic wand because that's what it was.
"It
came from up on the north shore of Lake Superior," he'd told her.
"It's made from diamond willow, and it's got a lot of mojo going for
it."
So
if Monte wanted to call it a magic wand, great. The important thing was that he
had taught her how to use it, how to cast a spell, so now she was all set if
that big jerk wanted to hassle her. In fact, she felt better than she had in
the month since he'd first shown up and started giving her a hard time.
Well,
now I'm ready, she thought to herself. Bring it on.
Big
Ed surveyed the crowd with interest, wondering how many people envied his good
looks and his awesome build. Probably a lot. Man, he loved Yesterday's Gone. As
far as neighborhood bars went it would rate right up at the top of his book. If
he kept a book, that is, which he didn't. But the drinks were cheap and more
importantly, they were big, and that's what mattered. The sound system pumped
out classic rock with Zeppelin and ZZ Top heavy in the rotation, plus, you
could take an occasional hit in the bathroom and no one minded. So, yeah, what
was not to like?
The
waitresses weren't bad either. Especially the cute little chick with the pixy
hair cut. Roxy. Man what he wouldn't give...Well, she was all right, one of the
main reasons he kept talking his buddies into coming back. Tonight, especially.
Halloween. He'd dressed up a professional wrestler in a form-fitting, light
blue tank top and a pair of tight, purple shorts. He had the build for it - muscles
on top of muscles from working out and a gut that wasn't so bad as long as he remember
to suck it in. It was going to be a good night. As long the beers and the
shot's of Jack were flowing. Speaking of...She spied Roxy. Time for more drinks.
"Hey
there, darling," he yelled, snapping his fingers. "How about another
round for your boy over here?" He'd been spending the evening trying to
chat-her-up but she was so busy she wasn't able to spend any time with him.
Like now. She just hurried over and dropped off their drinks and left quickly
before he could give her a hug and a little kiss. Man, what he wouldn't give...
Finally,
around eleven he'd had enough. She had just dropped off another round when he
motioned to her, "Aw, Roxy, come here little girl. Come and sit on Big Ed's
lap and lets cuddle a bit."
She
scowled at him. "I've told you before. Back off. I've got work to do. Leave
me alone."
Big
Ed was having none of it. "Come on, girly girl. Just one little kiss for
your favorite customer."
He
grabbed for her but she slapped his hand away, dodging off to the side. He was
able to get a hold of her arm for a moment, but she pulled away. "Stop it!
God you make me sick. Just leave me the hell alone."
He
grinned. He could tell she was just flirting with him. Just like every other
girl. They all did. He loved it.
"Aw,
sweetheart..." he was saying but stopped and watched as she ran off to the
back room. Now where's going? Maybe to freshen up a bit for him. He smiled.
Good.
He took a sip of whiskey and was turning to
his buddies when he noticed her coming back. He brightened and a smile formed
on his face as she quickly made her way to his table. Changed her mind, I
guess, is what he was thinking.
He
stood up to greet her, wobbling and weaving to gain his balance as he opened
arms, "Come back for a hug from Big Ed?"
He
never got the chance. "Not on your life," Roxy said, stopping in
front of him.
He
wasn't used to being rejected by any woman, especially a tiny waitress like this
one. He started to get angry. "Quit fooling around and come here. Now."
"Never!"
Roxy yelled and pulled her magic wand out of her back pocket.
Big
Ed was startled for a moment. "What's this, little girl? A toothpick for
me. A toothpick for your daddy?
He
started to reach out but stopped when Roxy began waving the wand slowly, weaving
it hypnotically back and forth, back and forth, in front of his eyes. He
stopped and stood still, watching. What was going on?
Roxy
took a deep breath and let it out watching as Big Ed's eyes turned glassy. Then
she began chanting in a soft, sing-songy kind of way, "Hut two three four. Hut two three four. Time for Big Ed to start matching
around the floor."
"What
the hell..." he started to say, but then stopped. As she kept her wand weaving
back and forth, back and forth, Roxy watched as a perplexed look came over Big
Ed's face. Then his feet start moving, shuffling forward and backward, forward
and backward. He tried to stop them but couldn't. Then out of nowhere words started
coming out of his mouth, spilling forth like water from a spigot. He put his
hand up and tried to stop them but couldn't. Quietly at first, the words forced
their way out from between his fingers. "Hut two three four. Hut two three
four." And then louder, "HUT TWO THREE FOUR! HUT TWO THREE
FOUR!"
Roxy
could barely contain her laugher. It was working! She spoke up, loud and clear,
so the entire bar could hear."START MARCHING!" she commanded. Big Ed stared
at her, pleading, but she had no sympathy and gave him a devilish look in
return."NOW!"
So he
did. He started marching around the bar in time to his chant, "HUT TWO
THREE FOUR! HUT TWO THREE FOUR!" Bumping into patrons and tables and
chairs, stumbling and falling on occasion, only to arise and begin marching
again, chanting, "HUT TWO THREE FOUR! HUT TWO THREE FOUR!"
Roxy
stood back and watched, eye wide with wonder. She was ecstatic. Thank goodness
for Monte. He'd said, "Let's teach that jerk a lesson, Let's make him
pay."
He'd
given her the wand, told her about it coming from a special place on the north
shore and taught her the chant. All of this, however, only after she'd held the
wand, and, as Monte had said, bonded with it. She'd felt it's heat emanate into
hand and fingers, finally feeling it's power flowing into her entire body,
filling her with not only with warmth, but a measure of confidence she'd never
felt before. It was a good feeling, kind of like curling up under a warm comforter
on a cold night.
Now
she watched as that jerk Big Ed marched around the bar in time to, "HUT
TWO THREE FOUR! HUT TWO THREE FOUR!" while the place erupted with laughter
and cat-calls from not only the customers, but Big Ed's friends as well. It was
apparent to Roxy: The magic wand had worked.
Later
that night on her way home from work she stopped to see Monte and thank him.
"How'd
it go," he asked pouring her a cup of coffee. They were sitting in the
small living room of the apartment he lived in.
"Fabulous,"
Roxy smiled and told him all about all about it; the hut two three fours, and
the marching and how everyone laughed at Big Ed. When she was finished, she
took a sip from her mug and turned serious, "I have a question,
though."
"What's
that?" Monte asked. He was in a really good mood. He was happy things had
gone well for his friend. Guys like Big Ed needed to be put in their place and
he was glad to have played a small part in helping out. But it was really all Roxy's
doing. The wand had uncovered something deep inside of her that she didn't know
she had - the power of magic. From now on she didn't have to take crap from
anyone anymore.
"Toward
the end the boss came out and told the jerk and his friend to leave and never
come back. On his way out the creep called me a witch. I just grinned and
tipped my wand at him and didn't bother telling him the spell would wear off in
another hour." She laughed, "Let him think he's going to marching
around saying 'Hut two three four' for the rest of his life." Her smiled faded,
though, as she took Monte's hand and asked, "But, I'm not really a witch,
am I? Just because I could chant the words you told me and make him do weird
stuff, that doesn't automatically make me a witch, right?"
Monte
was quiet, thinking how to answer. "Well, look what happened tonight. What
do you think? Do you think you're a witch?"
Roxy
thought for a moment, forehead furled. Finally she said, "No. I doubt it.
I'm just a girl who was sick of getting pushed around and you helped me. You
and that magic twig, I mean, wand," she corrected herself and smiled. Then
she took the wand out of her purse and handed it to him. "Here. I guess
you'll want this back."
Monte
held up his hands, "No. No way. I want you to have it. You'll never know
when you might need it again."
Roxy
looked skeptical. Then she grinned, "You sure?"
"I
am. In fact, from now on we'll call it your magic twig. It's all yours. You keep
your magic twig handy and you'll never be pushed around again. I guarantee
it."
"All
right!" she said, enthusiastically. Then she paused, thinking, and added, "But
will you give me more lessons? You know, teach me how to use it to do more magic
stuff?"
Monte
was glad Roxy wanted to learn more. Deep down he knew the truth - she really
was a witch at heart, she just didn't know it yet. She was going to make a
great one.
"Absolutely.
If you want to learn I'll be happy to teach you."
Roxy
smiled and sipped her coffee. She fell good. The best she'd felt in a long time
and if it had to do with the twig and it's magic, so be it. "Great,"
she said. "When should be get started?"
He
set his mug down, stood up and took her hand, "How about now?"
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