Melanie loved flea markets. Usually, she could find something to decorate the house with for a little of nothing, and besides, it was interesting seeing what people had to sell. There was always a huge mix of things, from antiques to old moldy smelling books, from barely used clothing to new things that came from China.
She went to them whenever she could, and she could go today because it was her Saturday off from her waitress job. Her husband hadn't liked flea markets, but then, he hadn't liked much of anything Melanie did. Before the divorce, she always went by herself because he said flea markets only had old junk for sale and they already had enough old junk.
As she drove, Melanie listened to the radio. The music was interrupted by the news, which didn't really interest her until the reporter told of a local college girl and her boyfriend. They'd been on a date the night before, and neither had come home. The police were asking anyone with any information about the two to please contact them. Her thoughts flew back in time to Granny McCabe.
Granny McCabe was already a very old woman when Melanie met her. Her body was frail, but her mind was still sharp, or so Melanie had thought until the old woman told her of how women sometimes disappeared in the woods.
Melanie had never heard of anything like that happening, and began to think Granny was a little off in her head. When the old woman had started talking about devil worshipers and human sacrifice and drinking of blood, Melanie listened, but left as soon as she could.
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Melanie would probably have forgotten about devil worshippers had this flea market not been the Saturday before Halloween. Half the booths had pumpkins carved into scary faces or witches riding on brooms or small coffins with skeletons rising from them. They caused Melanie to think about Granny McCabe years ago, but quickly dismissed that thought. Something like that couldn't happen today. The police would know about any devil worshipers who were in the area.
Melanie had walked almost all the way through one building when she passed a booth that smelled like fresh flowers. The sign said "All natural soaps and herbal remedies."
Melanie walked up to the display and was sniffing the various bars of soap when a voice to her left said, "You can't really smell them very well out here. This building is a cattle barn during the fair and it still smells a little like cow manure."
The woman was about fifty, perhaps a little older, with hair that was obviously dyed that shade of brown and a body filled out sensuously by her years. The little crow's feet in her eyes told Melanie she liked to smile and laugh. The freckles that showed through the open neck of the woman's cotton shirt said she liked the sun too.
The woman smiled at Melanie.
"Come on back here. My van is parked beside the door and I have all my stuff set up there too. You wouldn't believe what this soap will do for your skin, and I have some extracts for aroma therapy that I'm sure you'll like too."
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The van was one of those that at one time had captain's chairs and tables. Only two chairs were still there. The rest of the van was filled with boxes of merchandise except for a small table sitting between the two chairs. After Melanie climbed in, the woman got in and closed the sliding side door.
"Now, all we'll have is the smells we want to smell. I'm Serena, by the way. And you are?"
"Melanie."
"Melanie, I can tell you take good care of yourself. Your skin looks so smooth and your hair is so shiny. That's great, but have you ever looked at the labels on all that stuff you're using? I can't even pronounce three-fourths of what's in them, let alone know what they are. My soap and shampoo have only natural ingredients. I know because I make it all myself. Here, smell this."
She handed Melanie a bottle that said, "Rose Petal Shampoo". The scent of roses flooded Melanie's senses.
"Wow. That's just like fresh roses."
"That's because that's what they were when I picked and dried them this summer. Here, try the lilac. I pick the flowers from the wild trees at home."
Melanie found herself liking Serena. The woman seemed to know what she was talking about, but she did it in a way that was more entertaining than selling.
When she had Melanie try the lotion she made from honey and cinnamon, Serena chuckled.
"The first batch I made, Sam - that's my husband - Sam kept licking it off me. He said it tasted too good to be lotion. I'd put it about everywhere, and...well, don't let anybody ever tell you that doesn't feel really great. It's not like the real thing, but wow!"
Melanie laughed too.
"I doubt my husband would have ever done anything like that. He wasn't into anything kinky."
"You're divorced?"
"Yes, about three years now."
Serena giggled.
"Well, you should find a man who'll do that for you. It only kinky the first time. After that, it's just fun, and wow, is it ever great. Hey, want a drink? I have some iced peppermint tea. Most people drink it hot when they have a cold. It's good for opening up your nose then, but I just like it. It's really good cold too."
Without waiting for Melanie to answer, Serena opened a cooler by her side and pulled out a clear pitcher of pale green liquid. She poured some in a red, plastic cup and handed it to Melanie, then poured one for herself.
Melanie had tasted peppermint tea before, but not like this. The peppermint tea from the store had tasted more like peppermint flavored grass. This was like sucking on a candy cane. She drank a couple of swallows and then smiled.
"Mmmm. This is good. How do you make it so pepperminty?"
"Well, I cheat a little, I guess. The mint you buy at Walmart is mint leaves, but by the time they're dried in an oven, and then spend half a year in a warehouse somewhere, they lose a lot of flavor. I dry my own mint leaves in the shade during the summer, and when I make the tea, I put in a few drops of extract. Want some more?"
Melanie was half way through the second glass when she felt sleepy, then dizzy, and then lost the ability to sit upright. Serena caught her when she started to slip out of the chair, and laid her down on the floor of the van.
"Sleep tight, Honey. We have a big night ahead of us."
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Melanie woke to the sound of a crackling fire and the scent of flowers. As the fog slowly left her brain, she became aware of the feeling she was on a bed, and of the sound of women talking nearby. Was she in a hospital and the women were nurses? She didn't remember anything except drinking peppermint tea with the woman from the flea market -- what was her name -- Serena, that was it. Maybe she'd collapsed and Serena had called the paramedics.
