Looks
Chapter 10 of The Impossible Apothecary
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Chapter 10
Looks
Dear Nana,
I had my first real customers come into the shop today. It was the usual small issues, like a woman with allergies and a man came in with a rather unfortunate wart issue. I considered drawing a ritual circle to infuse the ointment, but magic already seems to make these folks nervous, so I just went with the regular treatments for him to take home.
Even with the new customers, it still feels off. They are coming in despite their fear, not because they aren’t scared anymore. It hurts a little the way they look at me. The whispers. The judgement. I try to be strong like you. People would call you a frightening bog witch and you would just laugh, knowing you did your job. I’m trying to not let it bother me, but it does. It’s not like the folks that used to seek you out. They expected something mysterious and different. That’s why they came to you. But here, they expect something else. They expect someone like their previous apothecary.
I have been thinking about what you always said about people needing the treatment to feel right, and how half the healing is presentation. I think maybe they have different expectations and require a different type of show. So I had an idea that I am going to try out.
I’m not sure how it is going to go, but I hope it eases their fears and lets them approach me with a bit more ease. I will let you know how it goes.
I knew this post was going to be hard, I guess I just didn’t realize exactly how hard. But maybe tomorrow will lift a little of that weight. I wish you were here to talk me through this. I feel lost, and a little scared. Hopefully a new day will bring new changes. I’ll let you know what happens.
I love you and miss you, Nana.
Fluidity
Flu fussed with her skirt as she walked, somewhat diminishing the confident stride she was going for. While her hands nervously fidgeted, she kept her smile in place as she greeted people on the street as she passed. She had spent most of the day debating with herself over the choice she had made with this recent project, and had finally decided to own the choice, and move forward.
The ease she had found in recent trips to the cafe vanished, as once again all eyes were on her. Memories of riding into town on the trunk flitted through her mind, but she pushed them back. She adjusted the large brim of her hat against the lowering sun, and though she knew it was the same hat, just as the dress was one she had worn for years, it all felt so new today.
“This is all so different. Why does it feel so strange?” She tried not to think about it, and walked casually, but it was taking some getting used to. Approaching the cafe, she stepped inside, and again, all eyes were on her. The room went quiet as she made her way to the counter with feigned confidence. As always, Roger stood behind the counter with an expression that revealed nothing. He watched in stoic silence as Flu approached and sat her mug on the counter.
“Good afternoon, Roger,” she said with a smile, ignoring the room full of eyes on her as if she didn’t notice. She definitely noticed.
“Afternoon,” he grunted. He looked her over for a moment before picking up the mug, which practically disappeared in his large calloused hand. He filled the mug with steaming coffee and sat it back on the counter.
“New dress?”
Flu smiled at him, glad he had noticed.
“Actually it’s one of my regular dresses, I just used a little alchemy and magic. What do you think?”
Flu did a little twirl making the hem of her skirt flare outwards. The dress was a crisp white, with light pastel embroidered elements depicting mushrooms and falling leaves.
Roger seemed to consider it for a long moment, his silence making Flu’s enthusiasm waver.
“Nice stitching,” he replied in his usual tone.
“Thank you.” Flu beamed at the compliment. She knew Roger was honest, sometimes a little too much, but she let out a little sigh of relief as he spoke.
“It don’t fit,” he added.
Flu stopped. That had been unexpected. Looking down she felt around the dress for anything that fell out of place but found nothing. The dress fit just as it always had. She hadn’t changed the dress beyond coloration, but maybe he was seeing something she didn’t.
“What do you mean? It fits the same as it always…” She was cut off by the sound of a voice.
“Flu?” the voice asked.
Turning, she saw Fern standing just behind her. She straightened her glasses and looked Flu up and down. While her face was not expressionless, it was just as hard to read as Roger’s had been.
“What is… I mean, that’s a very pretty dress. Is there an occasion or something?” Fern looked up for a moment but her eyes were immediately drawn back to her dress.
Flu shook her head, and looked down at the dress, running her fingers over the fabric.
“No. I just thought I would try something new. You know… brighten things up.” Flu suddenly became much more self conscious about her outfit, and she looked down at her feet. “Do you not like it? Is it the boots?”
She knew she should have done something with her heavy black leather boots, but she had run out of time, and had been afraid altering their color might somehow affect the enchantment that kept water from getting into the boots and getting her socks wet.
Fern quickly shook her head, pushing her glasses up again, even though they hadn’t moved in the ten seconds since she had last adjusted them. “No, not at all,” she quickly corrected. “The boots are fine. They match your black eye makeup. It’s just it looks very different from what you usually wear. I’m just not used to seeing you in such light colors. It’s a very nice dress.”
Flu tilted her head and reached up to her face. “But I’m not wearing eye makeup.”
And that’s when the goblin came tumbling in the cafe door.
Everything happened so fast it was hard for Flu to even process what was happening. Fern jumped out of the way as the goblin rolled past like a little green ball with large wide ears poking out from the side.
Rolling to a stop in front of Flu she looked down and was met by a pair of beady black eyes and a large crooked nose that looked like it had been broken and not set back correctly. Its lips curled back to reveal a mouthful of crooked yellow teeth, each ending in a sharp point. It clutched something she couldn’t see against its chest.
A moment later a man in work clothes burst through the door wielding a garden hoe like a club.
“Where is that little monster?” The man’s face was red and he was out of breath.
With a screech the goblin scampered between Flu’s legs and ran beneath tables, using them for cover as the farmer tried to chase it. Patrons began to scream and scatter, only adding to the chaos. Flu stood in place, stunned at the scene unfolding before her as coffee, tables, chairs and people were overturned and scattered.
Flu was again startled as Roger leapt over the counter with surprising speed for a man of his size, and landed beside her. He moved to grab the goblin from under a table, but it was too quick and it made a run for the door.
“Don’t let it get away!” the man with the hoe yelled, but it was too late. People were rushing out the door, and the goblin made its escape between their legs, the chaos of the room slowing the farmer from his pursuit.
As the room began to settle, the man, and his hoe exited in pursuit, and Roger, cursing under his breath, began to set tables and chairs back upright. Flu still stood in place, looking down at the floor where the goblin had initially come to rest in front of her.
“It’s hurt,” she said quietly to herself.
Roger grumbled something about how it served the goblin right, but Flu only stared, looking at a small puddle of blood at her feet.
“It was injured. It’s bleeding,” she said a little louder. Something shifted in her mind and she seemed to come back to the present moment. Quickly she moved for the door.
“Fern!” Flu’s voice came out sharp, and cut through the gentle rattles and scraping sounds of furniture being put back into place among the mess. Fern looked up, a questioning look on her face as she set a chair back into place. She let out a little yelp as Flu grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the exit with her.
“I need your help,” she said as she dragged a startled Fern behind her.
“Um, I need to go, apparently, sorry about the mess,” Fern called out as she was dragged out into the street. “Don’t forget to file the incident with Eloise OH!” She was cut off as Flu yanked her out the door.
Looking around, the goblin was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the farmer. Flu looked at the ground and saw a few drops of blood going east, but she had no idea if it was from before the goblin entered the shop, or after it escaped.
Fern stumbled beside flu, still trying to wrap her head around everything.
“What do you need my help with?” Fern’s eyes followed where Flu was looking.
“I need to find that goblin. It’s hurt. That was a lot of blood on the floor for a small creature.”
Fern’s expression twisted. “You want to find the goblin? Aren’t we glad it’s gone?”
Flu shook her head, her voice was tight and her words came out in a sharp clip. “It’s bleeding badly. I need to make sure it’s ok. You know the area better than anyone. Are there caves nearby?”
“What?” Fern was clearly still trying to parse everything that had just happened in such a short period. “You want to treat a goblin?”
“Are there caves?” Flu repeated, urgency pasted clearly on her face.
Fern finally seemed to understand what Flu was asking. “Yes. Actually there are cave systems all under the town. The village was actually established as an intended mining camp, but-”
“Are there any entrances in that direction?” Flu cut her off, nodding to the east where the blood trail ran.
“Yes. There is one just past the Miller farm. You aren’t thinking of going down there are you?” Fern’s eyebrows raised in concern. “If you are right and the goblin went down there, it might be dangerous. Those caves have all been designated as off limits.”
Flu didn’t answer, and instead grabbed Fern’s hand again, dragging her in the indicated direction. “Show me.”