Witch on the Edge, page 9
“My brain mold cracked.’ Skylar said.
“Stick it in the microwave and re-melt it. You don’t have enough time to do another one,” Chef Jango suggested.
Skylar did what she was told and then took her cakes out of the oven. The tombstone looked amazing. The edges of the brain looked a little ragged, so in the final minutes, they covered it up with chocolate dirt. Skylar hoped the tasting element didn’t take down the entire team. If they were going to win, she needed to keep her focus.
* * *
Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Hands off your display, ladies and gents.
* * *
All right, teams. In The First Shock, we wanted you to go old school. You’ve carved up some pumpkin and chocolate into a design that’s as creepy as it is delicious.
* * *
Scream Seekers show us what you got.
* * *
Skylar watched as one of the pumpkin carvers took the lead. She didn’t know his name, but he had an air of confidence surrounding him. It only made her more determined.
* * *
“Today, we’ve tried to bring you a really haunting grave scene with pumpkin tombstones, sugar flowers, beet roses and a killer modeling chocolate tomb holding the best dessert you’ve ever tasted. For our tasting element today, we’ve prepared a white chocolate pumpkin mousse layered with vanilla chiffon cake,” the pumpkin carver explained before he returned to his seat.
* * *
Judges, what do you think? Did they hit it out of the graveyard or no?
* * *
“I love the gravestones as well as the details and intricacy of the coffin. All in all, I think you did a really great piece,” Baba Yaga said.
* * *
“Your presentation is eerily beautiful. The work with the modeling chocolate is phenomenal and the sugar flowers are fabulous. But we have a problem with the chiffon cake. Do you know what these little specks of yellow are in the cake? Their egg yolks. You didn’t whip the batter enough,” Jeeves explained.
* * *
The judges have spoken. Thank you, Screen Seekers. Soul Crushers, you’re on deck. What are you serving?
* * *
Skylar let out the breath she’d been holding, stood and walked forward to face her nemesis. When Hunter grabbed her hand, she almost cried.
“We’re in this together, sweetheart. I’ll always have your back,” he whispered so that only she could hear.
“Thank you,” she mouthed as they continued walking.
Hunter was the first to speak. “We wanted to create a really creepy display for you and bring you a little flavor from the grave. Our tasting element is the skeleton coming up from the grave. Our pumpkin elements are the bones and hands. We also have some beautifully carved flowers, and our tombstone is made of cake.”
When Hunter finished his presentation, Skylar cracked the brain with a hatchet while envisioning it was Baba Yaga’s brain. She served each judge a piece of cake. “For the tasting element, we have a pumpkin spice cake with a hazelnut spread in a white chocolate cream cheese buttercream.
* * *
Mm. This is absolutely sinful. I love it. What about you, Jeeves?
* * *
“First of all, I love the interactivity of this dessert. I mean how great would it be at a dinner party to have something that’s fun and playful. The flavor of this dessert is like autumn in a cake. You have the wonderful spices, and the cake is superiorly moist and delicious, but the white chocolate coating was a little, thick and sweet. Your presentation was exceptional. The detail on the tombstone is phenomenal, but the rest is a little sloppy. Your bones look like they came from a craft store instead of a crypt,” Jeeves said.
* * *
“I’m a big fan of pumpkin spice, so I loved the cake. But the brain didn’t do it for me. If you had added more shading, I think the brain would have been more realistic,” Baba Yaga said.
* * *
Skylar tried not to panic. They were so screwed, and it was all her fault. She could have made the brain look more realistic. Everyone knew that picking the pumpkins first was crucial in this competition and she may have just lost the edge they needed to win the competition.
* * *
Thank you, Soul Crushers. The judges will take a few minutes, put their heads together and decide which team won the first challenge.
* * *
Skylar knew it had only been a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity which seemed fitting since they were sitting in a graveyard.
* * *
The judges have made their decision. The winner of The First Shock is… Scream Seekers. Nice job. You get first dibs in the pumpkin patch.
* * *
Skylar’s heart sank. The reigning champions had won the pick of the litter in the pumpkin patch. But it was still anyone’s game. They may have won the battle, but the Soul Crushers would win the war. It was time to kick ass and take names. Right after she went to the ladies’ room and regrouped.
* * *
We like to call the next round, The Final Fright. Every year, millions of pumpkins get carved up for All Hallows Eve. Their insides are removed and placed with a candle. And then the humans put them out to display on their porches.
* * *
Your challenge today, should you choose to accept it is to imagine what would happen if these pumpkins rose from the dead and turned on the humans. I’m talking pure carnage and chaos. Two of my favorite things. Think Armageddon and it’s raining pumpkins.
* * *
Families will take a ghost tour tonight through the graveyard. Your creations will live amongst the deceased for them to judge. Don’t forget, it’s All Hallows Eve, so we must prepare a treat to welcome our guests.
* * *
You have four hours until the lights go out in Georgia. Wait, that didn’t come out right. Where are we again?
* * *
“Mystic Grove you idiot,” Baba Yaga said.
* * *
Thanks, Carol. I almost forgot you were there. Almost. Teams, the time starts now.
* * *
“All right guys, we’re not out of the competition yet. We need to keep our heads down and rock this next challenge. It’s time to go big or go home. We’ve got this guys,” Skylar said.
“Let’s create a scene where farmers are growing these massive pumpkins that have mutated to take revenge on the farmers growing them,” Hunter suggested.
Asher nodded his head in agreement. “I love that idea. We could have beautiful vines made of modeling chocolate and fondant coming out of the massive pumpkin.
“We’s need the revenge component to be obvious. What if the bottoms parts of the farmer’s body were in the mouth of the pumpkin and the top half on the side of the pumpkin?” Chef Jango Fett suggested.
“Oh, my Goddess, that’s brilliant. If Hunter carves the massive pumpkin, Asher and I can carve all the smaller pumpkins we’ll need. We have to make sure the entire area is covered,” Cassie said.
“What do you want to do for the tasting portion, Sky?” Hunter asked.
“Let’s do a pumpkin seed brittle and a chocolate pumpkin truffle,” Skylar said.
Cassie licked her lips. “That sounds delicious, Sky. Will you have enough time?”
“I will if we get started now. The sun is going down and we have a lot to do, so let’s get to work. Fifteen thousand dollars is on the line.”
“’The Scream Seekers might have gotten the best pumpkin, so we’ll have to go bigger to make our scene work. This pumpkin is going to be a beast to carve, but I can make it work,” Hunter said. “This is definitely the largest pumpkin I’ve ever carved.
Skylar smiled at some of the smaller pumpkins Asher and Cassie were carving. They were freakishly horrific. Hunter was still struggling with his massive pumpkin, which was a little nerve wracking because they only had three hours left. But she knew he would get it done. Chef Jango was working on the farmer. Thank the Goddess, they were only using one because there wasn’t enough time for another one.
“Oh, my Goddess. We have two hours left,” Skylar yelled.
Cassie was doing big narly teeth while Chef Jango created all their cake elements. His fondant work was super detailed, which would make their characters come to life. The sun was going down fast, and they were running out of time. Skylar had just finished the tastings, as Hunter was adding the bottom half of the farmer into the pumpkin’s mouth. It looked wicked and Skylar couldn’t have been prouder of her husband.
Lucifer announced they had thirty minutes left and Skylar tried not to panic. All the cake elements didn’t like the moisture, so they had to wait for Hunter to finish carving the massive pumpkin. There was still a lot to do, but it was questionable whether they would get all their elements placed into their display. Just when they thought they had made it, they realized there was a lot of empty space in the front. So, they grabbed the discarded pumpkins, started breaking them into pieces and adding red food color to make fake blood and guts. Thank the Goddess it worked to fill the open space. When Lucifer announced the one-minute mark, Skylar thought she was going to pee her paints.
* * *
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Times up.
* * *
Skylar smiled with pride as their guests oohed and aahed over their display. Hunter was amazing with the kids when he presented their scene. It was anyone’s competition at this point.
* * *
“Hey guys, we have some pumpkin seed brittle and chocolate pumpkin truffles for you to try,” Skylar said as she offered the kids treats.
* * *
What do you think, judges?
* * *
“I’m really blown away, especially since you guys got such a big pumpkin to start with. It has so much character. I would definitely put it in my yard on All Hallows Eve. I could see it being in a horror movie. I love the goriness,” Baba Yaga said.
* * *
“You guys completely delivered. I love that you took your color palette from nature. The detail work in the fondant brought the farmer to life. I would buy a bushel and a peck from him. However, I didn’t like the texture of the truffle, but the pumpkin brittle was genius. I could have eaten that all day long. You didn’t really need the truffle.
* * *
Thank you, judges. It’s time to head back to the voting area so we can decide who will be the new champion of the All Hallows Eve Showdown and take home fifteen thousand dollars. Only the dead know or is it the toes know. I always get those two expressions mixed up. Either way, let’s go pick a winner.
* * *
Hello ghosts, witches and supernaturals. It’s time to submit your vote.
* * *
Will you choose the Scream Seekers where the giant Pumpkin King convinces his minions to turn the tables on a defenseless farmer? If so, let your swirl of red magic shine.
* * *
Or will you choose the Soul Crushers who’s genetically engineered pumpkins got hungry for a farmer? If so, let your black swirl of magic shine.
* * *
Your votes will decide the winner of the All Hallows Eve Showdown. Please cast your votes now by creating a swirl of red or black magic.
* * *
The votes are in, and the magical community has spoken. The winner of this graveyard of horror and fifteen thousand dollars is….
* * *
Congratulations, Soul Crushers! You’re the new champions of the All Hallows Eve Showdown.
* * *
Skylar couldn’t believe they had won the All Hallows Eve Showdown. She would be able to buy new ovens. This time from a reputable manufacturer. No more cutting corners for this baker. But more importantly, Paddycakes would have it’s Grand Opening. The joy in her heart was overflowing.
Cassie ran up and hugged her. “We did it.”
“I love you, Cass. I couldn’t have done this without you. Thanks for believing in me and sticking by me.”
“That’s what sisters are for. I’m going to take pictures of our fabulous display for the Paddycakes website. This win is going to triple your business,” Cassie said, as she quickly disappeared.
Skylar didn’t know how her cousin had so much energy after carving pumpkins all day. She was mentally and physically exhausted. All she wanted to do was go home, soak in a hot bath, and drink a bottle of Chardonnay, but she needed to have this stage makeup removed first. She didn’t know how actors and actresses wore this stuff so thick.
“Can we talk, Sky?” Hunter asked.
Skylar closed her eyes, counted to three and turned to face her husband. “I can’t do this right now, Hunter. Tomorrow. I’ll be ready to talk tomorrow. Right now, I want to have this make up removed and go home.”
“Fair enough, but the crew needs us for a few more promotional shots. We are the grand champions after all.”
Skylar groaned. “Fine. Tell them I’ll be there in a few minutes. I want to make a pit stop in the ladies room.”
Hunter nodded in understanding. “Will do. I’ll see you in a few, sweetheart.”
She watched from the shadows with disgust. Some witches didn’t know when they had a good thing and Skylar Alexander was no different. You should have taken my warning seriously witch. I told you to stay away from him, but you didn’t listen so now you must pay.
* * *
On this night during the witching hour,
I call upon the powers of all witches, demons, ghosts and supernaturals.
To incapacitate an unsuspecting witch who didn’t heed my warning,
Lure her to me, so her family will suffer in mourning.
Unveil the secrets they hid in the night,
So that I might bury her in plain sight.
Three times three,
So mote it be.
* * *
Skylar closed her eyes and tried to will away the dull pain in the back of her head. The last thing she remembered was winning the All Hallows Eve Showdown. Everything went black after they announced the winner. Where was Hunter and the rest of her family and friends? What was poking her in the side? When her head stopped spinning, she slowly opened her eyes. The face staring back at her was terrifying.
“Screaming will do you no good witch. The coffin is soundproof and sealed airtight. You should run out of air in about thirty minutes to an hour. It will take your family that long to realize you’re missing. I tried to warn you, but you didn’t listen. Hunter is mine and no one, especially you will stand in the way of our happiness. Sleep well, because the last face you’ll ever see is mine. Sweet dreams until you take your last breath.”
Skylar screamed when she realized there was a dead body lying beside her. But that didn’t stop her from trying to open the lid of the coffin. She screamed for help until she was hoarse. How much time had passed? She couldn’t die yet. She’d never told Hunter how much she loved him. Why hadn’t she told him? Now, she’d never get the chance.
She closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. There had to be a way out, so she felt around the coffin to see if there was anything that would help her pry it open. Why had Baba Yaga taken her powers? Who would get her out in time without magic? The more she struggled the harder it became to breathe. She tried again to conserve her air, but it wasn’t working. There had to be a spell surrounding the coffin. Even if she could get out, the dirt would suffocate her.
Skylar wiped away a stray tear rolling down her cheek. She had so many regrets. The biggest one involved not telling her husband how much she loved him. They’d wasted so much time arguing over nothing. Two stubborn mules unwilling to bend a little. Her air supply was thinning and there was no one coming to rescue her. All the fears she’d harbored over the years had dissipated. There was nothing left holding her back.
She closed her eyes and dreamed about the man she loved. Their last days together when they were happy. The way he loved to touch her when they were watching television. The way his body felt wrapped around hers. Oh, what a life they could have had if only they had been willing to risk it all.
Epilogue
Hunter was about to lose his shit. “Sky, sweetheart. Wake up,” he demanded but she wasn’t responding.
Skylar could hear Hunter yelling her name, but he seemed so far away. Why did he sound so upset? Were they arguing again? Her limbs were heavy, and her body felt weighted down. Where was she and why couldn’t she open her eyes? She could still hear Hunter calling her name, but she couldn’t quite reach him. Why couldn’t she reach him? There were so many things she needed to tell him. The most important being how much she loved him.
Hunter bent down and whispered in her ear as Asher gave her mouth to mouth. “Please don’t leave me, sweetheart. I need you to wake up. I’m sorry for everything. I love you, Skylar. Please, wake up.”
The harder Skylar reached for the light, the farther it seemed beyond her grasp. She had to wake up because she could hear the panic in Hunter’s voice. He needed to know that she was okay. That they were okay. Why was someone pushing on her chest? They were making it hard for her to breathe.
