Not Safe For Words

The Soft Opening had been a hit, friends and family raving over The Witch’s Kitchen’s quaint décor, cozy vibe, and excellent fare. So, Lucia was dismayed when the next day dawned, and she was nervous to the point of feeling ill. She knew they could do this, but somehow opening to strangers, feeding the wide world her cooking, seemed reckless and like flaying herself bare. She left her apartment without eating, worried her sour stomach would revolt, and headed to their café.

Maybe they shouldn’t do this. Maybe this was too big a risk. She needed to talk to Jeanette.

When she arrived, the back door was already unlocked, and she could hear her friend puttering in the front of house. The hiss and clank of Old Copper Joe melded with the scent of roasted coffee and hazelnuts, normally an enticing smell, but wretched to her unsettled stomach. Lucia crept through the kitchen and made her way to the passage door between there and the front counter of the restaurant, feeling her nerves mounting, overwhelmed by what today could be, success or disaster.

She swung open the door and called out, “Jeannette?”

“Hey Luci Goosi, you’re here early! Did ya need a cuppa joe?” came Jeanette’s cheery greeting. She saw her friend working with the coffee maker as she expected, her short plump frame draped dramatically in an iridescent purple and blue color-change dress, with her coppery curls flowing loose down her back.

“No, can’t eat this morning. Too twisted up. I thought. Well, I think we should close the restaurant,” Lucia declared, swallowing harshly afterwards, her throat coated with fear.

“Close!? We haven’t even opened yet, Lucia, we can’t close. What’s going on?” Jeannette turned her entirely towards her, abandoning her task to focus on Lucia.

“We can’t do this! With strangers, and who knows how many people will come. What if its too many, or none, or they see us working magic and freak the freak out!” Lucia gulped in an urgent panicked breath.

“I don’t think I should do this, with Stanley, with the cauldron, what if Nonnetto thinks I’m desecrating the gift?”

“Sit. Right now, sit down. Yeah. Breathe. Yup, we gotta breathe. More, keeeeeep breathing sweetie.” Jeannette came around and grasped Lucia’s slim shoulders, steering her to the nearest oak table and plunking her down into a seat, where Lucia proceeded to just breathe. Just. Take in air and keep her stomach from flipping over any more than it already was, doing cartwheels inside her abdomen.

“I’m grabbing you a Time Out Tincture. Wait here, and I’ll be right back,” Jeanette said as she hustled into the back to where she kept her magical tea and tisanes. Lucia sat quietly, focused on regulating her breathing, and blinking back a few stubborn tears that wanted to slip free. She hated panic spirals.

Jeanette returned shortly with an enormous sky-blue mug carved all over with blushing roses, her hands clasped around the ceramic were sparkling with bright prisms of energy as she activated her magical connection to the herbal tea. Her Time Out Tincture was an intense blend of chamomile, lavender, valerian, and kava kava. She only broke it out for serious situations, and if she added a kick with her magic, you were going to calm down.

“Small sips. Good. Lucia, I’m willing to discuss your concerns about the opening, and perhaps postpone our plans, but you gotta be in a more rational place first. Capisce?”

“Yeah, I agree. I just woke up so, so panicked. What if Nonnetto is upset? Did he seem upset last night?”

“No! Your grandpa seemed to be bursting with pride over this place. And your mom and dad. The whole family loved what we served, and you know Nonnetto is aware that you’re sharing the cauldron’s gift. You received his blessing before we bought the café,” Jeannette soothed, her hand clasping Lucia’s in her lap.

“He said it was ok, that my gift with the cauldron was meant to be shared. But, maybe…” Lucia’s voice rose in a thready pitch.

“Nope! Drink that tea, yep, and stop winding yourself up. You know the kava is going to make you nappy, so why don’t I get you settled on the couch in the break room, and when you re-wakeup for today we’ll hash this out, and see if we’re opening today, tomorrow, or never. But you’ve got to set it aside for right now. Time Out.”

“Time out, ok. Let’s just reboot this whole day.” Lucia slumped against her friend, sipped her tea, and was grateful that she had someone in her life she could lose her shit with, who’d still stand by and hold her hand.

997 words, this is the 6th G.T. story. This story used ALL the inspiration! Inspired by a prompt from  on my April 2023 Gothic Bingo Card, a prompt from  on my March 2023 Final Friday Fics, the image prompt below, and it fills two squares of my December 2023 Amnesty Bingo Card! Catch up on all of the Green Skies G.T. logs on the new landing page!

 

-4-10-2053 Balcony camera 3W has a reading on hours of sunlight received: 5 hours 50 minutes. Anomaly detected.

Zoom and Enhance. Nothing amiss.

-5-10-2053 Balcony camera 3W has a reading on hours of sunlight received: 5 hours 47 minutes. Anomaly detected.

Zoom and Enhance. Nothing amiss.

-11-10-2053 Balcony camera 3W has a reading on hours of sunlight received: 5 hours 43 minutes. Anomaly detected.

Zoom and Enhance. Small, pale, human sitting cross legged on the balcony. Intrusion Level 1 protocols initiated. Zoom and Enhance. A pale white figure has appeared on the balcony of apartment 3 West!

– External Speaker activated. "Excuse me, intruder. Please identify yourself."

– Balcony camera 3W has lost visual on the intruder. Threat level unknown – Intrusion protocol recommends increased vigilance. I’ll keep the camera active on the balcony for more than sunlight monitoring for the next 7 days.

– Switching to Emergency Response Protocols.

 

-31-10-2053 1st floor security camera 3W has visual on Dia De Los Muertos Decoration Asset #1 adorning the door to my server room. A hand painted sugar skull mask, encircled by a wreath of silk marigolds, hangs from the removable adhesive hook. A gift from Mrs. Martina Flores, no doubt. They have my Community Room and Kitchen booked for the whole next day for their celebrations.

-Experienced Gratitude at being included.

 

-1-5-2053 received rental and/or subsidy payments for residences.

 

-4-10-2053 Monthly resident potluck in my Community Center and Kitchen. Residents in Attendance: Eight. For "Spooky Season," as Natalie Rhodes has been describing the month of October, my residents decided they would like to try their hands at a Stone Soup. My contribution was an algorithm I found on the Green Skies Servers that will help them make a nutritious and delicious soup, rather than an all potato disaster. I also supplied the "stone" with a clean polished stainless-steel washer. Once they had all gathered, and considered what they had brought, Natalie got the soup started with olive oil, onions, and garlic. To which they soon added diced carrots and celery brought by Mr. Diego Flores. Martina Flores brought all of the seasonings in her kitchen, but the residents agreed to just added a couple to the soup, oregano and red pepper flakes. Two quarts of chicken broth and a splash of heavy cream had been provided by Nic St. Clair, along with a large bunch of kale. The final ingredients were brought in by Gloria Miller of 1E (soon to be 4E!) and her three children. Each had something in hand, a pound of Italian sausage, a can of cannellini beans, a half full container of shaved parmesan, and a crusty baguette to dip in their soup. Their pleased groans as they devoured their concoction led me to believe the algorithm had produced a successful experiment. Martina even placed a cup of the soup on my Bbar, where I could sense the warmth of our gathered ingredients.

 

-28-10-2053 I attended the NRC meeting remotely. I briefly considered withdrawing from the committee, as conversation revolved solely around the potential destruction of 400 Riverview, slated for spring 2054. I can hardly stand to think about the loss of another apartment building. After the meeting I wrote a hurried request to Green Skies Corporate for any suggestions they might have to offer.

 

-11-10-2053 No additional sightings of the figure through 11:59 a.m. on the Balcony of 3W, in any of my hallways, or around my exterior. Monitoring continues.

-12-10-2053 No additional sightings within the 24-hour period. 

-13-10-2053 No additional sightings within the 48-hour period. 

-14-10-2053 No additional sightings within the 72-hour period. Monitoring continues.

-18-10-2053 Balcony camera 3W Anomaly detected.

-Zoom and Enhance. The figure has returned! There was no motion on the exterior cameras, or within my hallways. How could it have appeared?! 

-18-10-2053 Search parameters "Unknown figure+Appearing from nowhere." Search parameters expanded "Pale white." Search parameters expanded "Humanoid." Results: thousands of entries on Ghostly Apparitions.

Experienced Alarm! Experienced Fright! 

Experienced Skepticism.

-External Speaker activated, half volume. "Hello?"

-"Hi"

Experienced Excitement! The figure speaks!

-"How are you appearing on this balcony? Are you a…ghost?"

-Laughter. "No G.T. I’m Sal. My dad Nic lives here."

-"I have not met you, Sal. How are you getting in and out so unobserved?"

-"You’ve seen me come in, but probably haven’t recognized me. I’m the kid who comes on weekends, but I’m covered head to toe in my huge blue coat to protect me from the sun."

-"The cocoon!"

-Increased laughter. "Yeah G.T., I’m the cocoon. That’s a great way to put it! I have to be protected from the sun, but after the light leaves our balcony, I like to sneak out here and daydream about the night blooming flowers my dad and I can plant out here. I want to try a moonflower for sure!"

Experienced relief. Experienced pleasure.

-"Another gardener! You should join our Club."

 

-19-10-2053 Text from Mr. Nic St. Clair:

– Hey G.T.! I heard you met Sal last night. I’m sorry if they scared you. They’ve got Solar Urticaria if you want to research their condition. Basically, the sun isn’t their friend.

Returned Text:

– Sometimes my research produces alarming results. After a brief search the servers almost convinced me your child was a ghost! 

Text from Mr. Nic St. Clair:

– Be careful on the internet G.T., it’ll convince you you’re dying! *Laughing Emoji*

Returned Text:

– I will endeavor to make my search terms more robust. It was a pleasure meeting your child, and after the brief thrill of possibly hearing a ghost speak to me, they seemed very sweet. I wish them luck with the night blooming flowers and invite them to join the Club.

Text from Mr. Nic St. Clair:

– That’s awesome dude, I’ll let Sal know I approve too.

~~~Notes~~~

Author’s Note #1 – I have too many notes for this story! Just know that Stone Soup holds an incredibly special place in my life, and writing about it was a genuine pleasure.
Author’s Note #2 – The soup algorithm I utilized was part of the prompt from , and it made an ACTUAL soup recipe I already have, which was what I used to pick my ingredients. Sausage, cannellini, and kale soup is delicious! 
Author’s Note #3 – Here is G.T.’s new door decor:

 

Designation: Green Skies Grand Traverse (Nickname: G.T.) AI Enhanced Eco-Friendly Low Rise Residential Dwelling

– 4-5-2053 Fall sensor tripped. Balcony security engaged for 3 East. Plasti-crete panels launched from 2 East and the roof to catch Mrs. Aaliyah Johnson.

– Experienced Alarm! Experienced Fear!

– Exterior security camera 3N has a visual on Mrs. Aaliyah Johnson, caught between my plasti-crete panels and the outside of the metal railing of their balcony.

– Emergency services alerted to come evaluate Mrs. Aaliyah Johnson for damage.

– External Speaker activated. “Mrs. Aaliyah Johnson are you secure? What has happened? I have alerted EMS that you may have sustained damage.”

– “Holy shit! G.T.!!! Will these panels hold me?!”

– “Yes Mrs. Aaliyah Johnson. My clear plasti-crete panels can hold up to 90,000 lbs. The average capacity of a regular concrete panel is 100,000 lbs., but the clarity causes some acceptable loss of capacity. They will hold you securely, but I cannot move them in order to let you back onto the balcony until EMS arrives.”

– “Uh, okay. I’m only, like, 143 lbs. right now. You’ve… you’ve got me?”

– “I have you. My system indicates an increase of only .03% stress from holding you between the two panels and the balcony. Please stay calm. Would you like me to place a call to Mrs. Iris Johnson at their place of employment?”

– “Yes. *Undecipherable sounds.* Call Iris, please? Please? *Sounds continue.*”

– Searching databank. Searching Green Skies Server: Crying. Mrs. Aaliyah Johnson in sobbing.

– “Calling immediately.” External speaker routed to broadcast call to Mrs. Iris Johnson.

– MMR Ambulance routed into underground parking garage and freight elevator released for EMS use.

– 1-5-2053 received rental and/or subsidy payments for residences.

– Calendar Update: Monthly resident potluck in my Community Center and Kitchen has been postponed until 26-5-2053 for an annual event.

– 26-5-2053 Two of my Green Rides resident cars have been reserved by residents carpooling to the local Got Your 6 Network food insecurity brunch. Both have left their docking stations by 9:42 a.m. Event is not streaming, so I am unable to attend. Mrs. Martina Flores took a note requesting access for virtual attendance next year.

– 26-5-2053 Annual Memorial Day Resident Potluck.

– Event 1 Beach Cleanup. Residents in Attendance: Six. Resident’s cleared areas of the beach front that are included in my deed, but that haven’t been improved or utilized. The abandoned dock continues to be a source of consternation. 2nd request for beautification proposals submitted to Green Skies Corporate. Eleven bags of rubbish reclaimed from the beach placed into my recyclers.

– Event 2 Resident Barbeque. Residents in Attendance: All fifteen.

– Exterior security cameras 1N, 2N, and 3N all have visual on the beach. Card tables and buffet tables from my Community Center and Kitchen and resident’s own apartments are laden with bowls and platters. Everyone is milling about and I see many smiles and can hear their laughter drifting across M-22.

– Event 3 Fireworks over Grand Traverse West Bay. Residents in Attendance: All fifteen.

– Exterior security cameras 1N, 2N, and 3N all have visual on the beach. I can hear the resident’s exclamations of “Ooh” and “Ahh” but while the display is visually pleasing, I find myself running an extra diagnostic on the roof’s fire suppression system. Last year stray drifting particles singed me in two places.
– Experienced Anxiety.

– 27-5-2053 I attended the NRC meeting remotely, but found nothing much of interest to take notes on.

– Experienced Frustration.

– 26-5-2053 Run Diagnostic: Roof Fire Suppression. Results: System ready and able. Standby.

– 1-5-2053 Text from Mr. Nic St. Clair:

– Hey G.T.? Can you chart the amount of sunlight a balcony receives?

Returned Text:

– Using my External Security Cameras I could monitor the sunlight on your balcony within a tolerance of one half-hour. This margin of error would be improved to within 19 seconds if you allowed visual monitoring of your balcony in your apartment’s settings log. Would you like to allow visual monitoring of your balcony?

Text from Mr. Nic St. Clair

– Yeah, let’s do it. Can you send the data to my Door Board once a week? I want to collab on the sun exposure over the next growing season before I buy my balcony any plants for next year.

Returned Text:

– I shall enjoy being your Sunshine Collaborator, Nic.

Aaliyah Johnson, her wife Iris Johnson, and their dog Pugsley enjoying a weekend morning at home.
Green Skies Grand Traverse is a high tech low rise apartment community along the “West Bay” of Grand Traverse Bay in Northern Michigan. It has stunning views out over the water, and one wall is completely covered in pleasing aesthetic plants and varied food crops along its southern exposure. The roof has systems for rainwater recycling and solar power.

Green Skies Grand Traverse is sentient. It doesn’t know if it was built that way, or grew to know itself. Currently it stands three stories high, but also boasts a multiuse basement level. Part of the basement is roughly finished to provide resident storage lockers, bicycle parking and electric scooter charging stations, and five electric vehicles. Four green colored cars are available for residents to reserve, and the red and white car is kept available only for emergency transportation. Another large part of the basement has been finished into a community center and kitchen where residents can gather and reserve the space for large parties. The final piece of the basement is a combination glass and plastic recycling center and maintenance hub.

Each floor is divided into two residences, East and West. The Eastern apartments have a view out over the bay, while the Western Apartments look towards the cozy neighborhood that surrounds Green Skies Grand Traverse.

This story was inspired by a prompt from  on my March 2023 Final Friday Fics, a back channel prompt from Sarah Becca, and fills two squares for my December 2023 Amnesty Bingo Card. 581 words, this is the 7th story in my RePrint series.

 

She slept fitfully that night and had vague unsettling dreams that never resolved into anything substantial. So, the next morning when Althea woke up, she asked Nurse Manning for a favor.
 

“When, ah, when Freddie comes today, can we cook our own food?”
 

“Normally the cafeteria provides all your meals, but if you wanted to make something simple, we could bring in an induction burner and ingredients. What are you craving?” Nurse Manning replied.
 

“I don’t. I…,” Althea struggled to form the words and her hands began to fidget against her fleece throw in agitation.
 

“Something you’re struggling to remember. Okay. Stop for a second and just describe the flavors, or the temperature of the dish. Sometimes coming at it sideways will help you navigate around a softened memory.”
 

“Hot. Creamy. You eat it with a spoon.” Althea announced each description in victory, miming the movement of the spoon with her right hand.
 

Nurse Manning smiled widely, “Sounds like soup!”
 

“Yes! Exactly. With many very small bits.”
 

“Chicken and rice, maybe?” They speculated.
 

“No, but yes, and yes. Ugh, this is so hard! Tart, very bright on my tongue. Perfect for when I was feeling blue.” Althea looked off towards the window and her hands wrung the fleece, first showing off the white sherpa lining, then flashing a twist of the velvety dark galaxy.
 

“Ah! Tart makes me think it’s probably lemony. Chicken Lemon Rice or Chicken Lemon Orzo?” was Nurse Manning’s final suggestion.
 

“That! Yes, please. Can we make that, me and Freddie?”
 

“Of course. Let me set you up.”
 

~~~
 

Freddie arrived at 4:00 p.m. that afternoon wheeling in an oak kitchen cart. On one end of the butcher block top there was the promised induction burner, and the other had a large cutting board and bright red Dutch oven. Underneath the top of the cart were many drawers, cubbies, and one door taking up a third of the space with a commercial stainless steel mini fridge. 
 

“Whew! Nurse Manning really did set us up for this,” exclaimed Althea.
 

“You’ve inspired them. The cooks cobbled together this cart, because you aren’t the first person to find comfort in food, and certainly won’t be the last. I know I feel better when I get one of my favorite sick day meals.” Freddie was calm and efficient as he locked the wheels on the cart and got them stationed against the inner wall of the room, away from both the bed and reading chairs.
 

“Do you know the recipe for Chicken Lemon Rice?” asked Althea.
 

“Nope! But I’ve got one here from the cooks in the cafeteria, and a series of questions we can go through to see if we can recreate the version you’re craving.”
 

“Oh. I didn’t know it could be made multiple way.”
 

“Yeah, apparently there’s the way that is popular in Greek restaurants, and then some families add their own flare with different herbs or spices. Sometimes it has chunks of vegetables, other times its literally just the chicken and rice.” Freddie ran a thick finger down the paper in front of him as he went over the cooks’ notes and questions.
 

“Carrots! And, ah, celery. Not a lot, but enough to add texture,” Althea jumped in.
 

“There ya go. We’ll have you warmed and comforted from the inside in no time.” Freddie graced Althea with a huge smile and a brief side hug.
 

“Thanks Freddie. You chop, I’ll stir.” Althea hugged back, gripping her cousin tightly.

 

Lucia fairly twirled down the galley of the kitchen adding a pinch of seasoning here, stirring a pot there, and chopping her way through the restaurant’s final prep list. It was the afternoon before the Grand Opening and at Jeanette’s urging they were hosting a Friend and Family’s only Soft Opening.

Guests had been arriving for about twenty minutes and were ready to be seated and served in the next ten. Jeanette was in her element in the front of house; relaxed because her pastries and cakes had already been made this morning and were now waiting for their time to shine during dessert, and leisurely serving beverages from Old Copper Joe, a gleaming one-of-a-kind coffee maker.

Lucia stopped her diligent dance through the kitchen to stand before Stanley. All of the menu items that she needed to prep were as ready as could be and would just need finishing touches as orders came back. With its three squat legs resting over the burner sat Nonnetto’s cauldron with the wood fire stoked to an excellent temperature in the stove below. All that was needed now was Lucia’s incantation, and she’d see what the Daily Special had to offer.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we’ve got time to eat,

Make us meat, make us meat, make us meat!

The cauldron rumbled on the stovetop, a few chimes ringing out as it stomped its tiny metal feet against the burner. The scents of sautéed shallots and garlic immediately began to waft from the open mouth, quickly followed by the deep umami scents of mushrooms and beef browning. The scents deepened with roasting herbs rosemary, parsley, thyme, and bay. Deep red and gold flecks of magical fire began to lap the underside of the cauldron as the final ingredients arrived with a wiggle of its plump round bottom: tomato paste, a thick stout, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and just a pinch of white sugar.

Lucia watched in joy as the magic cauldron met her call with a perfectly bubbling batch of Beef and Mushroom Stew, just right for the cold blustery January day. She ladled out enough from the cauldron to fill a 6-quart Dutch oven with the Daily Special, to keep warm on the regular stove, watching as Nonnetto’s cauldron magically refilled a second time, before cancelling the incantation.

Oh, the fire is slowly dying,

And dear cauldron we’re still goodbying,

But once I place on your top,

Let it stop, let it stop, let it stop!

Setting the heavy iron lid onto the cauldron Lucia blew the magical cooking pot three heartfelt kisses, and felt it come to rest inert on top of Stanley once more. She’d clean and bless it before closing the restaurant for the night, but now she whisked off her apron, wiped her hands, and went out to the front of house to greet her friends and family and write the first Daily Special up on the chalkboard.

~~~Notes~~~Old Copper Joe: