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"Ye shall seek but will not find, ye shall smell but will not deduce, ye shall see but would not see, ye shall hunt in the outside but shall have it in your abode. "The old wizard, Aaron finished reading the note in his hand. Aaron was an old man, in his late sixties or early seventies, he had a full head of hair and a very long, white beard. He was bent from old age certainly, but one could see he used to be tall in his heydays, he had long legs and he would have been handsome in his prime. "I'm not sure I understand this." He looked up at Sharon and Cynthia as they stood before him in his living room, dressed in a 1920s drab.
They were dressed similarly in a flapper gown, hat on head, and low-heeled buckled shoes on their feet. The only difference was their hair colors, while Sharon was a redhead with long tresses that occasionally got into her eyes, Cynthia was a blonde with very straight and long hair. The girls were both tall and beautiful, Cynthia was the eldest but it was hard to tell because they had the same height and facial features. Many people often mistook them for twins, but they didn't mind. They were only two years apart after all.
"You mean to tell us we traveled down here for nothing? We were told you were the best wizard at solved riddles. I'm not impressed." Cynthia says, scrunching her nose.
"Calm down, Cynthia, that's no way to show gratitude." Sharon says, admonishing her."
"What gratitude? He couldn't even solve a simple riddle." She wasn't usually rude, but she was tired. She and Cynthia were witches and had created a portal to time travel into the year, 1920 to solve a riddle. According to their mother, history had it that Aaron, the wizard was the best at solving witch riddles. There's also the matter of him being able to interpret the riddle as he used to be alive during the time the riddle was written.
God knows it was the best they needed right now after many months of groping in the dark, looking for an answer to the riddle they had on their hands.
"I don't think it's safe for you to time travel, I've accepted my lot. You girls have done too much already." Their mother Jo Ann said from her sick bed.
The Macaulay girls had insisted and had finally had their way after consulting higher witches and asking their help to create a portal into the past.
History has it that the Macaulays were the most powerful witches in all of the doomsday town until a spell was cast on them by a very powerful higher witch. The curse had been haunting them for many generations. The women always fell sick and died at the age of 50, the eve of their 50th birthday, no matter what they tried, it always happened. The girls had witnessed their grandmother die at that age and she had told them the story behind it.
A certain ancestor had been said to have wronged a higher witch and she had placed a curse on them leaving the clause that they would only be free if they found a certain object hidden somewhere in their town. The witch, Bonatree left behind a riddle to lead them to the hidden object, a pebble stone and so far, no one had been able to crack it.
Jo Ann was currently on her sick bed at age 49, she would be turning 50 in a few days and the girls had sworn that they would do everything to solve the riddle. Everyone had tried to no avail until they heard the story of the wizard who was very good at cracking riddles. The only problem was that he was many years gone, and time-traveling was the only way to meet him.
"Let's go, Sharon, we have wasted enough time." Cynthia barked at her sister.
"Thanks so much for your hospitality and your welcome, I'm lucky to have met you, Aaron." Sharon stood and enveloped the old wizard in a hug, she wished she could take him back with her to enjoy the benefits of technology his generation never witnessed.
"It's okay my darling Sharon, I can understand her frustration, I would probably feel the same way too. Im sorry i couldn't be of help."
Sharon reluctantly disengaged herself and waved a small goodbye before following her sister out.
"I'm sorry Mom, we couldn't solve it," Sharon announced to her mother on their return from the portal that took them to the past.
"You girls did all you could, and I'm proud of you. Please, add more firewood to the place, I'm so cold." Jo Ann says shivering in her seat, wrapped in a blanket in front of the fireplace in the living room.
Sharon stood up to do her bidding reluctantly. The fireplace always smelled weird and she hated being near it. She always wondered why their mother wouldn't just sell the house, it had been passed down from many generations, and had had many repairs done on it. It was the oldest house in town and the fireplace pissed her off all the time.
Cynthia shifted tiredly in her seat, "The workers are coming tomorrow, Mom."
Jo Ann whipped her head in Cynthia's direction, "What workers?"
"The contractors that are coming to demolish the fireplace and build a better, modern one. We want you to be as comfortable as you can. You need a warmer fireplace."
"Honestly, girls, I'm fine. I don't need a warmer fireplace. There's two days left."
That was what the girls dreaded to hear, their mother would turn 50 in the next two days and that was it, she would die after.
"Don't say that, mom. I don't want to hear you say it." Cynthia says before breaking down in tears, followed suit by Sharon. Before Jo Ann could console them, tears were already rolling down her cheeks too. How would her girls cope without her? Was it the end? She wont even be around to see her grandkids. She inwardly cursed the ill fate that made her get born into the Macaulay family.
Jo Ann bawled out loud from the emotional pain of it all, and her girls soon surrounded her, crying their rivers of tears.
"Mum, you don't need to do this." Sharon cautioned her mother, forcing the big bag out of her hands.
"I won't be needing them anymore, why hold on to it? I'm dying tomorrow. A dead person doesn't need clothes, let me donate them to charity."
Cynthia sighs and groans, "The workers are downstairs, Mum. Don't prophesy your death."
Harry, the lead masonry, called out from the foot of the stairs, "Ma'am, we need you here."
Cynthia and Sharon head down the stairs, followed closely by their mother. "What's wrong?" Sharon asks taking in the demolished form of the structure that used to be a fireplace.
"I think you need to see this," he responds opening his palm to reveal a blue, smooth, shiny, small pebble, with the inscription, "I guess the curse is broken now that you solved my riddle and found the pebble."
The girls and their mother gasped and stood there, frozen to the spot open-mouthed.
"Oh, God. It was here all along, that was what the riddle meant by, "You shall seek but will not find, you shall smell but you will not deduce, you shall see but you would not see, you shall hunt in the outside but ye shall have it on your abode. The smell and everything, that was the reason for it." Jo Ann mumbles, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"How did it get there? It's been many decades." Cynthia wonders her neck bent toward the fireplace.
"A witch cast the spell, remember? Hiding something like this in plain view wouldn't be a herculean task for a higher witch. By the way, who cares?" Sharon responds fighting back tears. The girls and their mother envelop themselves in the most emotional hug ever, shedding pure tears of joy.
"Happy birthday, Mom. You are officially 50, the big five 0." Cynthia and Sharon enter their mum's room, Cynthia carrying a cake with candles on top, and Sharon following suit with boxes of gifts.
It appears Jo Ann was still sleeping, they proceeded to wake her up from slumber, and Cynthia dropped the cake on the bedside table before tapping her gently. She tapped her three times and got no response. She exchanged an uneasy glance with Sharon.
In panic, Sharon shoves her aside and taps their mother vigorously. "This can't be happening, we broke the curse, we found the stone. You cannot do this to us, Mom." Tears were already rolling down her cheeks and Cynthia was already slumpwd on the floor howling.
"Calm down girls, I'm still here. I'm sure I'll get a pass for playing a trick on my birthday. It's worth it wouldn't you say?" Jo Ann smiles and sits up from the bed.
"You won't get a pass for this Mom, my heart already fled from my body." Sharon laughs, throwing a pillow at her Mom playfully.
"I second that, and I intend to make you work for it." Cynthia smiles, getting up from the floor.
"Say no more, bills on me. Go get dressed, girls, let's hit the town."
The girls happily bounced out of the room, giggling as they left.
Jo Ann stares at their departure proudly, those girls? They were the best thing that ever happened to her. Even if she had died on her birthday, she would have died, feeling fulfilled. The curse was broken, and the Macaulay family is back at the top of the food chain.