Part 2:
“You are one strange individual," I said to the witch. “What weird stuff is going on up there?”
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?”
Truth be told, I didn’t.
But I had to hold her accountable for her misdeeds.
“All those dogs upstairs. What was that about?"
“Did you like them? That, my dear, is art.”
Now, let's be clear: Michelangelo is art.
Frida Kahlo is art.
Bob Ross is art.
The person standing before me was a monster.
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?”
Truth be told, I didn’t.
But I had to hold her accountable for her misdeeds.
“All those dogs upstairs. What was that about?"
“Did you like them? That, my dear, is art.”
Now, let's be clear: Michelangelo is art.
Frida Kahlo is art.
Bob Ross is art.
The person standing before me was a monster.
“This is your idea of fun?" I asked. “All those poor dogs. And their poor owners."
She laughed in my face.
“You leave dogs alone," I said. “You hear me?! From now on, all dogs – in the whole world! – are under our protection."
“Alas, it's a far cry from the past. But I can’t use children anymore. Too much fuss, too much trouble. Not like before. Now I take pets.”
She laughed in my face.
“You leave dogs alone," I said. “You hear me?! From now on, all dogs – in the whole world! – are under our protection."
“Alas, it's a far cry from the past. But I can’t use children anymore. Too much fuss, too much trouble. Not like before. Now I take pets.”
I thought back to a day last summer.
A day when my friend Lanie Branson caught her boyfriend kissing another girl at camp.
Lanie was really mad.
So mad that she said her blood was ‘literally boiling.’
I suddenly knew just how Lanie felt.
My boiling point was imminent.
Dale must have seen me about to explode.
He cleared his throat and gently brushed a foot against mine.
His posture relaxed, looking stoic under syrups, I read his signals loud and clear.
“Be cool, Josephine. Just a little longer."
And so … and so I did.
A day when my friend Lanie Branson caught her boyfriend kissing another girl at camp.
Lanie was really mad.
So mad that she said her blood was ‘literally boiling.’
I suddenly knew just how Lanie felt.
My boiling point was imminent.
Dale must have seen me about to explode.
He cleared his throat and gently brushed a foot against mine.
His posture relaxed, looking stoic under syrups, I read his signals loud and clear.
“Be cool, Josephine. Just a little longer."
And so … and so I did.
“One more question,” I said to the witch. “If I may ask? One last question.”
“I’ll allow it. You’ll be dead soon, anyway.”
“In the vat, with the syrups. Why did you leave it open? We would never have escaped.”
Her face twisted into incredulous knots.
As if I was the dumbest person in all of human history.
“Candy has to breathe,” she hissed. “It always has to breathe.”
Her arms thrust out at us. Blue crackles fired from her fingertips.
“I have had quite enough of this,” she smiled.
My eyes shifted to Dale. He nodded an emphatic yes.
“And we have had enough of you!”
I threw out a hand, like a band leader at the final note.
Right on cue, Dale hopped to his left, planted his feet and blinked us away.
We disappeared and took Maxie far from that vile, evil place.
“I’ll allow it. You’ll be dead soon, anyway.”
“In the vat, with the syrups. Why did you leave it open? We would never have escaped.”
Her face twisted into incredulous knots.
As if I was the dumbest person in all of human history.
“Candy has to breathe,” she hissed. “It always has to breathe.”
Her arms thrust out at us. Blue crackles fired from her fingertips.
“I have had quite enough of this,” she smiled.
My eyes shifted to Dale. He nodded an emphatic yes.
“And we have had enough of you!”
I threw out a hand, like a band leader at the final note.
Right on cue, Dale hopped to his left, planted his feet and blinked us away.
We disappeared and took Maxie far from that vile, evil place.
