“Mia, are you ready to hear the best story you have ever heard in your short, little life?”
“Ready, Grandpa!”
“A story that will blow every story your Grandma has ever told you out of the water?”
“Yes!”
“A story so good that after hearing it, your life will never be the same? No, Ms. Mia. I don’t think you’re ready.” “I am Grandpa! I promise I am!”
“Okay then. Here goes. Just remember that I warned you… ”
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Ivy had just traded my release for the filming and selling of her magic. I was kicked out on the side of the road, God knows where, in the middle of the woods, and I was pretty beat up. I had scrapes and bruises and bloody parts all over me. My phone was cracked and I was alone. At least, I thought I was. Out of nowhere scurries a little white-pawed mouse. “Quincy! Boy, am I glad to see you! I don’t suppose you know which way to go. My GPS isn’t working.”
I tell you what, Mia. That mouse was smart. He knew where I wanted to go even before I did. Quincy started walking west down the road. All I could do was follow his little pearl feet and think of a plan. Quincy knew where he was going and where I wanted to go. I believed and still believe that whole-heartedly. We were going back to my house, or at least near it. I had to do research, so we went to the library.
Ivy told me when I first met her that magic was everywhere. I didn’t really believe her until she showed me in the woods that I should, I just liked to be around her. I would follow her anywhere. Then, after she did show me that I should believe her, I only thought that magic was in her. She was just special. Quincy showed me that I was so wrong. He navigated me all the way back home and then all the way to the library. I didn’t even know where the library was in my own town. You see, I wasn’t the smartest or greatest student when I was younger, Princess. But, I could come up with a scheme like the best of them. Sometime I’ll have to tell you about the time me and my friend Dylan recruited 40 kids to lead an uprising against our school bully to TP his house and put hot sauce in his pool.
Anyway, I figured out who the mother and son stalking duo were. The Hag’s name was actually Lindy Sullivan. She was 69, almost 70, and she was mean. She lived off of the schemes she made for her son to execute. Their most successful scheme was creating a bunch of think tanks, with Damian as the host, and then they would steal all of the inventors ideas before they could patent them. Damian made a good chunk of money off of one stolen idea, gum that would brush your teeth for you. He and his family lived off of that for a long while with a few other good ideas to tide them over here and there, but then the good ideas ran out. Damian’s house was repossessed and his wife left him with their kids because Damian started having trouble feeding them. He was even arrested for shoplifting food to send to his wife and kids who had moved to a motel in South Boston. He was held in a holding cell until his mom came to pay the $100 fine. Damian had nothing left. Lindy had a plan. They were going to find someone special, slap them on a bottle and then sell snake oil to people who really didn’t approve of the idea of aging. They found Ivy I guess. I knew the snake oil part because there was a cosmetics convention coming up in Boston that my mom had been going on about for a month that she saw an ad for on Wheel of Fortune. “Lindy must watch that show, all older ladies do.” That was my thought. And she said she wanted to sell Ivy.
Well, as soon as I thought I knew what was going on I went to the bus station, and I waited. I saw them board the bus with poor Ivy slung carelessly over their shoulder, and I snuck into the undercarriage of the bus with all of the luggage. I knew Quincy would tell me when to get off.
When I did, we were in front of a big convention center. Old Lindy had made a special request for a stop, I guess. I bet she threatened him and I watched as Lindy, holding Ivy’s hand so that her knuckles turned white and Ivy’s cracked and popped, threw open the door with her son scuttling behind her.
I followed her into the building and I’ll tell you the rest tomorrow, Mia.