The Witch of Marshallville

Rosie woke up with a start, a book sliding off her chest to the floor. Looking around blearily, she tried to locate the source of the annoying buzzing that was forcing her into wakefulness. She had been dreaming about the spring at Witch's Point, but now that she was conscious, couldn't seem to remember what it was about, which was almost as annoying as the buzzing.

She then saw her phone on the nightstand, "MOTHER DEAREST," on the display.

Oh, right. She was supposed to call her parents when she got in. And then she didn't, too caught up in going through the book she had found last night. Or, well, trying to go through it.

"Hey, Mom."

Rosie yawned after answering and then leaned over the edge of the bed to pick up the book from the floor.

"What the hell, Rosie!" her mother shouted. "I've been worried sick about you!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I got in and got sidetracked."

Rosie looked through the pages that were barely legible, thanks to the numerous notes and corrections her grandmother had made. It was obvious that Lottie had taken some liberties and embellished in a way that displeased Grams. Rosie found it humorous at first. But then she realized she could barely make out any of the information. Not that she needed it, to be honest. So far, she already knew what she had made out.

"Well, at least you're alive." Her mother sighed heavily. "How are things down there?"

"Um, good. Only really had time to go to the store." Rosie put the book aside and rubbed her eyes. "Had an early night."

"Well, it's almost 8 a.m., so you should probably get up and get to work."

"I know." God, she couldn't even let her sleep in on vacation. Granted, it wasn't as though Grams had let her sleep in either. But getting up early with Grams meant going for hikes in the woods and foraging, which was far more enjoyable than cleaning. "Did you want something?"

"Just to make sure you got there safely." Her mother already sounded exasperated, even though they hadn't been on the phone for more than a few minutes.

"Okay, then I'm going to get to work. Love you, Mom." Rosie yawned again and removed the phone from her ear, ready to hang up.

"Rose Evelyn-"

Rosie jabbed the end button and tossed the phone on her bed. She stretched a bit before crawling out and leaving the bedroom. She stopped at the top of the stairs, looking at the cluttered area that was her grandmother's workspace. It was the only place in the house that wasn't pristine, and Rosie was not looking forward to wading through all that.

But it was far too early in the morning to think about it, so instead, she headed downstairs to start the coffee pot, not bothering to take her phone with her. Knowing her mother, she'd just text whatever it was she wanted to say and Rosie could deal with it after she had fully woken up.

Once the coffee was ready, she poured herself a cup and walked out to the deck, breathing in the mountain air deeply. Even though she was up earlier than planned, she couldn't help but feel invigorated. She really should have come back to visit more often, Rosie thought as she took a sip, looking around the forest. Her eyes drifted over and up the slope toward Witch's Point. It wasn't a far hike from the house - actually took longer to drive over there from here, but not by much.

It was a popular hangout spot for local teens and had a good view of the town nestled among the foothills, making it equally popular for hikers during the day. Rosie went over there a lot when she was younger to hang out but hadn't spent too much time looking around the place now that she thought about it.