| SORCEROUS SIGNALS |
| Written by Lindsey / Artwork by Holly Eddy |
| Make a donation to this writer |
| Apartment Tour |
The day my boyfriend piled my wardrobe in the bathtub and tried to set fire to it, I decided to move out.
Mitnal, Connecticut was a tiny town where keeping a secret was impossible, so I skirted the coast and headed north with
little more than the clothes on my back. Burned up my mind on the way trying to figure where I'd taken a wrong turn,
finally decided better now than later. Men...well, spilt milk and all.
I spent some time flipping through Yellow Pages ads in a drippy pink diner and found one that looked promising. Celestine
Apartments. Ocean view. Privacy, security, unique amenities - with the number of Indian casinos in the area, I figured that
probably meant slot machines in the clubhouse.
One phonecall later, I wandered up the gravel drive to the leasing office. Beach-white with maple accents, the apartment
buildings lay scattered like so many children's blocks on an artificially brilliant green.
A pink-nailed, pleasantly stout woman levered herself up from the office desk. "Oh, you must be Miss Ronat," she said,
showing all her teeth in a multi-volt smile. "I'm Alma. So pleased to meet you. Can I take your coat?"
"That's okay," I said, clutching it to my stomach. "I'll just hold onto it. Sort of nippy out there."
Alma clucked in assent and moved past me to open the door. I wrinkled my nose: she smelled like wet dog. "Come along,
then. Let me tell you what Celestine Apartments has to offer..."
She chattered merrily along as we walked, security features, the neighborhood, tennis courts, running trails. "What did you
say you do, miss?" She held open the clubhouse door for me.
"I'm a swim instructor," I said.
More approving noises from Alma. "We even have an in-house cafeteria with a very keen chef," she continued. "He has
quite a nose."
We stepped past the dining room, a long hall with cheery blue walls and robin's-egg tiling. The tables were set up
restaurant style: pepper, sugar, ketchup. I started to feel I might be on the right track.
"...all sorts of dietary restrictions," she was saying. "That really is a lovely fur coat, my dear. Wherever did you purchase
it?"
I paused at the bay windows, watching the tide. Rough waters. "It was a gift from my mother."
"Oh, oh. My mother used to buy me socks." A soft bark of laughter. "Said there was no point in anything you couldn't
wear traipsing through the woods."
I had to smile as we stepped outside again. "This would be rather useless for that."
"Here we are!" With a dramatic twist of her wrist, Alma threw open the door to the first apartment. "All the comforts of
home. This one is the furnished model--a sneak preview." She beamed as she said it.
The front room was airy, cream white. The furnishings were wicker and birch padded with floral cushions, all country
charm. The dark curtains caught my eye, and I drew one back with a questioning look.
"Some of our clients appreciate a robust shield from morning light," Alma explained. "The sun can be so troublesome
when one's not expecting it, yes?"
I thought about it for a moment. I realized all the signs were there, this was somewhere I could feel at home. I just had to
be sure. I rolled up my sleeve, effectively turning the fabric inside out. "It's kind of warm..."
"Oh, please don't do that, dearie. Some of the tenants get uncomfortable."
Our eyes met; an instant of mutual recognition.
"Sorry," I said, turning the sleeve back down. "All right, so you're equipped to handle werewolves, fairies and vampires.
What about selkies?"
Mitnal, Connecticut was a tiny town where keeping a secret was impossible, so I skirted the coast and headed north with
little more than the clothes on my back. Burned up my mind on the way trying to figure where I'd taken a wrong turn,
finally decided better now than later. Men...well, spilt milk and all.
I spent some time flipping through Yellow Pages ads in a drippy pink diner and found one that looked promising. Celestine
Apartments. Ocean view. Privacy, security, unique amenities - with the number of Indian casinos in the area, I figured that
probably meant slot machines in the clubhouse.
One phonecall later, I wandered up the gravel drive to the leasing office. Beach-white with maple accents, the apartment
buildings lay scattered like so many children's blocks on an artificially brilliant green.
A pink-nailed, pleasantly stout woman levered herself up from the office desk. "Oh, you must be Miss Ronat," she said,
showing all her teeth in a multi-volt smile. "I'm Alma. So pleased to meet you. Can I take your coat?"
"That's okay," I said, clutching it to my stomach. "I'll just hold onto it. Sort of nippy out there."
Alma clucked in assent and moved past me to open the door. I wrinkled my nose: she smelled like wet dog. "Come along,
then. Let me tell you what Celestine Apartments has to offer..."
She chattered merrily along as we walked, security features, the neighborhood, tennis courts, running trails. "What did you
say you do, miss?" She held open the clubhouse door for me.
"I'm a swim instructor," I said.
More approving noises from Alma. "We even have an in-house cafeteria with a very keen chef," she continued. "He has
quite a nose."
We stepped past the dining room, a long hall with cheery blue walls and robin's-egg tiling. The tables were set up
restaurant style: pepper, sugar, ketchup. I started to feel I might be on the right track.
"...all sorts of dietary restrictions," she was saying. "That really is a lovely fur coat, my dear. Wherever did you purchase
it?"
I paused at the bay windows, watching the tide. Rough waters. "It was a gift from my mother."
"Oh, oh. My mother used to buy me socks." A soft bark of laughter. "Said there was no point in anything you couldn't
wear traipsing through the woods."
I had to smile as we stepped outside again. "This would be rather useless for that."
"Here we are!" With a dramatic twist of her wrist, Alma threw open the door to the first apartment. "All the comforts of
home. This one is the furnished model--a sneak preview." She beamed as she said it.
The front room was airy, cream white. The furnishings were wicker and birch padded with floral cushions, all country
charm. The dark curtains caught my eye, and I drew one back with a questioning look.
"Some of our clients appreciate a robust shield from morning light," Alma explained. "The sun can be so troublesome
when one's not expecting it, yes?"
I thought about it for a moment. I realized all the signs were there, this was somewhere I could feel at home. I just had to
be sure. I rolled up my sleeve, effectively turning the fabric inside out. "It's kind of warm..."
"Oh, please don't do that, dearie. Some of the tenants get uncomfortable."
Our eyes met; an instant of mutual recognition.
"Sorry," I said, turning the sleeve back down. "All right, so you're equipped to handle werewolves, fairies and vampires.
What about selkies?"
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