from our publisher, Heritage Press
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...book trailer...
PUBLISHER'S INTRODUCTION
I REMEMBER WATERCOLOR nights with my father and can still conjure up his
voice, creaky like an anise candy wrapper. Sometimes he’d shade my world with
his knowledge of birds, bats, and insects, or recite the lyrics to ballads
like, “To Know Know Know Him, is to Love Love Love Him.” When the wind howled
dad would say, “See little November, there is music everywhere.”
Come along on a magical and mystical literary ride, a coming-of-age story as
November Rainer Savitchian, a troubled twentysomething, encounters adventure
after musical and fantastical mythological adventure during the alternative
Celtic Hazel Moon Rock Festival, as secrets, love and truth are conquered in
the glamorous & rebellious American cultural landscape of 1984.
Hazel Moon unfolds over 24 hours on Earth, yet also Spans Centuries and
Travels the Universe. Hidden in the author's colorful prose are poignant layers
of profound Wisdom & Parable inspired by classic texts like Hermann Hesse's
book, Siddhartha.
By way of character background, Hazel Moon’s principal protagonist is a young and proud Armenian, November Rainer Savitchian. Although the authors, Lisa & Lori Minneti, are second generation Italian & German immigrants, growing up, one of their very best friends was an Armenian girl. From that close friendship and having learned much about Armenian culture and the Armenian Genocide, November Rainer Savitchian became the anchor for their coming-of-age story.
There are any number of references to Armenian culture, food, and the Armenian Genocide. November’s grandmother came to America as a result of the Genocide and could not stand eating rice because it reminded her of being force fed rice during her Armenian Trail Of Tears experience.
FROM THE BOOK
Her grandmother was a survivor of the Armenian Genocide. During that horrible period of ethnic cleansing, families of Armenians were rounded up and forced to relocate. During long death marches, many died from exposure and lack of adequate food and water.
There were some rest stops when rice was provided, but the starving children often gorged themselves and ended up gagging to death when their stomachs ruptured.
This was the traumatic memory that plagued her grandmother and followed November into her generation so that even thinking of certain foods, if not rice, even the color of rice, like white Italian cheese, could trigger a gagging reflex. The nightmare was passed down so that…No Armenian Would Ever Forget.
That said, November is the kind of girl, kind of person who will inspire any Armenian in the Diaspora, but especially Armenian teenage girls, to revel in their Armenian heritage while boldly facing all the normal challenges that have to be overcome while growing up in a new homeland.
http://hazelmoonlisaloriminneti.blogspot.com/2016/08/armenian-fest-book-signing.html
All their lives these two sisters, twins, have been figuratively joined at the hip, as if a single collective mind, one with right brain gifts, the other left, were sharing two bodies.
Blessed with open minds, they’ve welcomed the magic that continually enhances their individual life experiences, both personal and professional, and are willing to walk through most any open door that fascinates them creatively.
Music has always held a prominent place in their list of life’s important priorities. They’ve embraced the concert culture and all that goes with it, regularly attending live music performances of all kinds.
The magic of a live concert is that as it unfolds time stands still—no past, no future, just the now of the driving rhythms, there are no bills to pay, no divorce papers to sign, no worries that can’t wait until the band plays the last note of the last song of their last encore.
The experience can be both transcendent and addictive. There are, of course, many ways to Center yourself—medication, faith, yoga and others. One of the most effective ways to get there, according to our authors, is to take in a live concert!
Always with magic…Lisa & Lori Minneti.
Hazel Moon was inspired ultimately by our parents who always encouraged us to dream and honor the world around us. Our brothers, Michael & Mark, gifted souls, beacons of imagination and energy, who showed us how to believe that all things were possible, including apparently, becoming published authors! Besides our parents and brothers, giving birth to a book, we’ve learned, is a team effort with many contributors.
We would also like to thank our grandmother, Evelyn, whose eyes always sparkled with playful mischief, and our grandmother, Anna, for the example of her power.
A shout out to our hero, Kent Parco, a member of the band, Take Me. He will forever be a superstar in our hearts as he introduced us to the music of Echo and the Bunnymen, his favorite band. Going to Take Me concerts were some of the happiest memories of our lives.
Here are some bands we listened to live and several clubs that featured live music that shaped us and left us with memories that will last forever. Bands—Take Me, Wally Cleaver, Speed Kings, Fairies Wear Boots, Yipes, Spooner, Donnie Iris, Vapors, Romeo Void, Flock of Seagulls, Japan, Psychedelic Furs, Missing Persons, and Off Broadway. And, for the memories and magic, Clubs—The Palms, Pirates Den, Brat Stop, Secrets, Ron’s Rock Palace, and Papagaio’s.
We also like to thank our dear friends, David E., Nicole, Christine, Ellen, Stacey, Jimmy, Kelly, Kathy, Dianne, Sarah, Caroline, Karen, Becky, Casey, Caitlin, and Barb.
In addition, the members of our writer’s group, Lolly, who went through the Hazel Moon manuscript word for word with her eagle editor's eye, George, Carla, Jen, Steve, Shlomo, and Rufina, were always supportive as the seed of our dream to become published writers began to germinate.
We’d also like to thank the Racine, North Shore and Milwaukee Center Street public libraries, and one of our teachers, MJ. It was at the Center Street library about eight years ago where we saw a brochure about writing a novel and decided to begin drafting Hazel Moon.
And, we can’t forget our two-legged and four-legged significant others, Jeff and Jake, thanks so much for listening and being there through the daunting process of publishing our book.
Also, a humble tip of our hats to the providence of Mother Universe for arranging the fateful and improbable meeting with our editor and publisher, Heritage Press.
And, last but by no means least, to the unfolding magic of more Hazel Moons shining brightly on more live concert performances, all yet to come! And, about the book, this one’s for our angels, Kent and Mark, thank you for your eternal love and guidance.
For all you writers out there, coming up with a manuscript is only the first step in a long, but completely absorbing and satisfying process. As challenging as the writing stage may have been for you, finding your audience will prove to be even more daunting.
At every stage of publishing a book, the process must not only be respected, but cherished. If you have a passion for writing, every minute spent telling your story and sharing your book will be a delight, no matter where your title ends up on the New York Times bestseller list when all is said and done.
PROLOGUE
I REMEMBER WATERCOLOR nights with my father and can still conjure up his voice, creaky like an
anise candy wrapper. Sometimes he'd shade my world with his knowledge
of birds, bats, and insects, or recite the lyrics to ballads like, "To
Know Know Know Him, is to Love Love Love Him."
Now pushing seven years
old, I would often spend my days sloshing around swamps in my yellow
plastic boots searching for tadpoles and leopard frogs. When the wind
howled dad would say, "See little November, there is music everywhere."
That outdoor smell of
yesteryear permeates my soul, a fowl yet intoxicating aroma, kind of
like the musty scent of an old wet dog.
I was his dutiful
sidekick, think Tatum O'Neill in Paper Moon. Rainy days became
adventures exploring the fallow lands of the Midwest in a
mustard-colored station wagon, the Ford Country Squire kind, roomy yet
chock full of dad's things.
Glass vials, Marvel
comic books and orange spiral note pads lay loosely organized along with
hardcover books, paperbacks, and vinyl records way in the back, in the
odd seats other people used for kids and dogs.
Time breezed by with dad
driving. A thick flat pencil always seemed to be on his ear, and me
being useful, kept busy organizing bills and change for highway tolls by
date and denomination into plastic baggies neatly sealed with twist
ties.
Sometimes we would stop
at shady trailer parks, on display their long, neatly orchestrated rows
of almond-colored mobile homes. I remember how cozy they made me
feel—magical, really.
It was in such a place
that I remember hearing the sounds of voice and guitar that would change
my life while listening to dad's records being played on a stranger's
turntable, pumping out the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Ben E. King, and Nina
Simone.
Life changed again after
dad got married when everything in our world became blonde. I felt like
an egret whose long, thin legs were now too awkward to plod along in
the plastic boots of my past innocence.
He met her, Dawn Amber,
on a day of destiny at a park in Wichita, Kansas. Sporting irresistibly
styled sunrise-yellow Breck Girl hair, the rest of her ensemble was
accessorized with colored balloons and white Go-Go boots.
She worked for a singing
telegram service. I couldn't really get what dad saw in her. Bearing
her stained teeth when she sang, all I could think of was dirty
fingernails—yuck. Nevertheless, just past eight I had a new family; twin
half brothers, Stone and Sheppard, and of course, step-mom Dawn. They
were all second or third generation Americans. They did not look like
me.
Tonight, perched on
this godforsaken pier, I feel like me—November Rainer Savitchian,
proudly Armenian. Piercing through the mist, thickly textured like a
heavy fungus growing on cheese, I hear the black-billed magpies' raucous
calls, hauntingly forecasting a foreboding season of change.
It smells like fall even
though there are still seven days left in August. Tonight is creeping
up on me like a tragic memory. You try to block it out, but instead it
morphs into something gross and ominous like Boris Karloff's tree-trunk
thighs, his face and body full of scary scars and stitches, in the
classic Frankenstein film.
Tonight, Puget Sound's
rumblings remind me of the drama of opera—the peninsula's high tides
performing magnificently, the sky framing the waters as if in the deep
hues of lapis-lazuli blue velvet curtains. The relentless, pounding
waves were providing the same impact to the observer as Carl Orff's
impressive work, Carmina Burana, presented on a morning-dove colored
stage.
Unthreading the laces of
my Doc Martin combat boots, I hear his breathing . . . a simple enough
sound, but heavenly music to my ears, like the crying of a
desperately-loved newborn signaling the promise of life entering the
world.
Life here has been
simple, calm, and normal. Is that a good thing? Living in rainy Seattle
can saturate your world with a cornucopia of various shades of grey,
which sadly happens to be close to my dad's favorite color, muddy brown.
Ah, I have a new
companion on the pier, a small rust-colored fire ant dragging a fragment
of cheese popcorn back to his nest for dinner. Approaching his home, a
sandy mound between cracks in the pavement, I envy his sense of
purpose—so focused, so elegantly clear.
Looking down at this
tiny spec of vibrant life, I feel ginormous, yet at the same moment I'd
love to be small enough to follow him, to dig and scratch under the
pavement, see his family, and observe the reception he gets for bringing
home the bacon.
Somewhere in the foggy
distance I hear a harmonica playing. I remember that my dad was horsing
around with his at the RV park before I left, his face contorted as he
struggled to find the right notes from one end to the other and back
again.
I have a friend here who
plays the harmonica. His name is Marcus. He projects the cache of the
expensive Starbucks caramel lattes everyone seems to slurp around
here—well-mixed and stylish. His clothes take me back to the Jackson 5.
Marcus amazingly always smells like freshly-mown hay when he stops by my
stand everyday to buy incense. Tomorrow's Rainbow is his favorite.
Today I decided to
splurge two whole dollars and change at the coffee shop, an
orange-and-brown bookstorish place, '70s themed, the interior slashed
with slanted modern stainless steel absurdities. I walked in with my
muddy-brown glazed Hull mug, feeling earthy.
Welcomed in by all the
fixtures; the weathered chess table, the schoolhouse Cuckoo clock, and
my friend Marcus, I immediately felt even more at home hearing the
familiar voice of Tommy Bolin singing "Post Toastee" cranking from the
shop's record player. New stepmom, Dawn Amber, had a huge crush on
Tommy, but then dad would always say, "Who doesn't?"
"Hey Armenian princess," Marcus affectionately called out.
"You can sure pick the
day to stop in. Jacomo, your barista is at your beck and call," he added
while reaching down to pick up a cup holder he'd dropped.
Turning to the counter,
Marcus continued, "Start up her regular brew...you know the one you
always complain is a real pain in the ass to prepare."
"I started the Turkish
coffee when I saw her across the street . . . I know what she wants,"
said Jacomo, his words colored with his husky voice.
Marcus, with a slant
glance at the stout shopkeeper, went on, "Today, November my dear, we
are privy to something great. I heard this cat rock out at Enron's last
week, he rides motorcycles with Jacomo's brother Dominic and well, he's
here, we're here, and girl life is good!"
Marcus was pimped up in a
vintage newsboy cap. Sometimes I imagined him as a cartoon character,
like Top Cat, always wearing the same clothes, but somehow you could
easily alter his hat with your own pain; skulls, waterfalls, whatever.
We made it to the venue
just as the live music started. The musician was clad in jeans and
flannel. He was perched atop a wooden schoolhouse table sporting long,
wavy hair and holding a straw-colored guitar. He effortlessly sang in a
raspy Bob-Dylan voice about seasons and weather and change.
B-flat cord changes,
while cooing at times into a few a cappella lines, pleading but never
breaking as the steady guitar melody brought us back to calm waters. He
sang without apology or apathy. His voice impressed like a natural
wonder in this world full of magic and miracles and I felt blessed to be
part of it.
I remember searching the
faces of the crowd—Saturday's child, the lonely poet, the fisherman's
wife, and the young widow. At that moment a blurry feeling of family
embraced all of us, a wolf pack where we were finally safe and secure
with no need to talk. Life's demons took a rest at that memorable
moment.
At fourteen, I
remembered a similar feeling of familial bliss when my brothers and I
burned through a whole matchbook to light our aging gas stove and cook
everyone their own TV dinner—the good kind that included a desert.
How fast seven years can
pass by. Did I really learn anything? Did anything worthwhile even
happen? The only thing I care to remember is the musician at the coffee
shop this afternoon.
The gifts of music and
magic are best when such blessings are bestowed or inherited. The
shadowy scars on my soul remain cocoa-buttered by a sense that some of
my gifts have been stolen.
I've always brought my
darker elements forward while keeping the rest locked in the closet with
my rain boots. Everyday I struggle to be my authentic self. Oh yellow
moon, I'm still suffering the effects of the crimes from that night,
that misbegotten Eve of the Hazel Moon.
Luna where are you?
You were right about him, but then of course, you're always right.
WHITE CHOCOLATE
THE BATTERED BLEAKNESS of history will always ring true when it comes to a name's reputation. Such is the case for November.
The author, Mary
Shelley, who had her monster character, Frankenstein, come to life on a
dreary night in November, understood that, as did the tormented voyagers
on the Edmund Fitzgerald, when the ill-fated vessel sunk in a storm on
the Great Lakes in early November.
November, as a time of
the year, is a month where promises are forgotten and preparation
begins. Death will soon be everywhere and before the white of winter
recedes, life will resemble a graveyard.November Ranier Savltchian
always answered this common question just as she did when a mere five
years old.
"What day is your birthday?"
"July 25th," November
replied, her eyes peering down sheepishly at the white laces on her
child's yellow Keds, her legs crossed, before adding, "but I was
beautifully created near the stroke of midnight on November 10th!"
Sometimes she would get a
follow-up question, but as she got older people would just stare and
not say a word, or often just shake their heads and giggle.
LEAVING HER UPPER FLAT,
as she grasped the heavy, rusty latch of the Rococo iron gate, which was
part of a metal bar wall that entombed the area around the funeral
parlor grounds, and still looking down, November's thoughts slipped from
her childhood Keds to her snakeskin boots and the present—1984
somewhere in the Midwest.
The girls ran through
pewter-colored puddles, both high-fashion visions in black and white,
before crashing into the bucket seats of November's classic, fully
restored, 1969 Camaro Z28 with four on the floor and sporting 505 horses
of raw mechanical power under the hood.
Set up for racing right
from the factory, the deep purple Camaro was known for its stiff, steady
ride, but put November behind the wheel you'd better buckle up as she
loved to live out her NASCAR fantasies on the open road.
Late for work at the
mall, the ultimate muscle car began to rip and shake sending Angela's
cocktail du jour water-falling down the rounded contours of her busty
décolletage.
WHEN WHITE CHOCOLATE
burns, the masquerade is up, the imposter is revealed; white chocolate
is not chocolate. Because of morning smoke billowing overhead, the
indoor super mall was tardy opening its consumer-culture talons on this
Saturday to the dismay of many an addicted local shopaholic.
The Cherry Apple Mall
had always been the community's preferred destination on a dreary day.
The capricious sun was nursing a bad hangover and decided to take the
entire day off. After weeks of cloudless skies, the sun knew it was good
business to shake things up, let people down, ruin their picnics,
realizing that the human psyche thrives on contrast.
"These cookies are to
die for," said Jiffy, the cashier, her diamond-studded earrings
sparkling in the fake fluorescent ceiling light.
"They gross me out,"
declared November, attacking the dough with her long fingernails while
focusing on the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.
"They are bastardized and loaded with fat. I like the real thing...now Tollhouse, they're the real deal."
"Our white chocolate
cookies are packed with macadamia nuts from Hawaii, they're top sellers,
not to mention pure and wholesome," countered Jiffy, quietly wondering
why the odd shopkeeper from the weird neighboring store had been hanging
around lately. Jiffy opened the large commercial oven door, then,
slammed it in a brazen fashion after sliding in another tray of cookies.
"Truth be told," said
November, squishing a white chocolate chip with her thumb and index
finger as if it were a nasty bug, "I really don't care for cookies. Now,
the right bonbon is a different story. I mean they are magical...with a
chocolate cover surrounding a surprise center...hmmmm worth each and
every calorie. Besides they have a cool name. Hey Jiffypop, did you ever
in all your thirty-something years...have a bonbon?"
November looked at her
companion's puzzled expression, her doughy face punctuated with
confusion.Jiffy wasn't listening anymore, her mouth open and her
breathing irregularly heavy as she watched this strange girl pulling
hair after hair from the left side of her head. Then taking the wiry
strands and tying perfect little bows around the cookies.
WHEN THE MALL FINALLY
opened, it was a relief to everyone in town for whom going there had
become a ritual, the kind that throws you for a loop when you can't
carry on with your routine, like someone with OCD who forgets to face
all the cans in her cupboard forward, then frets about it all day at
work.
The local firefighters
who'd responded to the mall fire were dripping with perspiration after
finally knocking down the blaze in the oven at the cookie shop in the
North Food Court, not Jiffy's. They decided to take a well-deserved
break and drench their thirst with super-sized sodas. The group parked
themselves at the most popular kiosk in the mall; some standing, some
seated.
Merry-Go-Round, the
mall's hip retail clothing store, was pumping loud techno up and down
the hall to the delight of all the mall rats. One of them, a retired
police officer who was there every day, spotted the firemen and offered
to buy them all lunch as a token of appreciation for their efforts. You
couldn't walk past Merry-Go-Round and not stop in to have a bona-fide
first-person experience with the fantasy retail shopping world inside
the store.
The interior was a study
in the always classic yet cutting edge interior design concept of
playing black off of white. Add in sparkling chrome panels, headless
mannequins and sexy sales sirens and you soon realize it's not just the
trendy clothes that attracted a faithful clientele.
Behind the counter, but
not merely a cashier, stood November Rainer Savitchian, assistant
manager—actually assistant to the assistant, or to use the MGR term, a
Third Person position without much chance to move up in the
organization. Sporting an outfit of her own design, November reflected
the slick style of the Merry-Go-Round clothing lines.
She'd turned some of her
dad's old overalls into pattern panels and reassembled them into a kind
of tunic. She stood a modest but proud 5'2" while projecting striking,
almost anime features—her huge eyes protruding from a dominant forehead
and all sitting on top of a tiny body.
"What caused the smoke
this morning at the mall, honey?" asked a still pretty-around-the-edges
dowager while laying a pair of crimson parachute pants on the
counter."Do you think my grandson will like these? He's thirteen going
on grown-up, if you know what I mean," she quickly added.
"Those parachutes really
kick it," November casually quipped while perfectly folding them in
preparation for the sale. A moment later she decided to answer the smoke
query in a way that might shake up the old lady.
"Magic...you know,
unseen powers decided to celebrate tonight's performance of Echo and the
Bunnymen...that hot new wave group from London, and sent smoke signals
rising over the mall to get some attention for the band!"
Waiting to see if her
wry remarks would get the desired reaction, November narrowed her eyes,
pushed out her lower lip, and swept her long bangs to the left in a
premature victory stare.
"That sounds like
fun...maybe I'll go see the band," was her sassy and totally unexpected
comeback. "And, about the smoke, one of the firemen told me it was
cookies burning that started the fire," she added, answering her own
question with a pout, knowing she was being played.November nodded in
agreement; a little disappointed she couldn't rattle her.
Letting all that go, she
took a tiny sip of her Orange Julius through a chewed-up neon-colored
straw, popped a few vitamins, and jutted her chin out a little farther
before swallowing them.November's coworker, Marry-Go-Round weekend
warrior, Angela Gonzales, jogged over to the counter, her round face
disoriented, and seemed in a tizzy.
"Hey...you and Jiffy messed up our sales goals for the week, the white stirrup pants are for Saturday's sale."
Angela was modeling a
pair, showing off all her Pamela-Anderson curves, her nineteen-year-old
bright brown eyes buzzing with youthful energy. A teacher or two had
diagnosed Angela with ADHD, but to her family she was just
high-spirited.
"Wear them tonight, for
the festival, for Ian McCullough!" November's mind was racing with
anticipation as she applied a shiny top coat over her midnight blue
nails, the color chosen to exactly match the Z28.
"Tonight is really all
that matters—Echo and the Bunnymen, just think, right here in the
Valley!" she added shaking her head at the wonder of it all. November,
in an attempt to stay in the moment, turned on a hair dryer to give her
nails that salon finish. With her head focused down, she caught a whiff
of a familiar aroma and looked over to see an unfamiliar customer
standing in the What's-New area near the counter.
He had the look of old
family wealth, deep pockets, one of those guys who always walked around
with a wad of bills, ready for anything. After all...Money Talks.
"Go coax him over here,
Angela," November crassly ordered, a little too much like a boss for
Angela's liking. Layered over her words was the sound of the hairdryer
and the store's signature song, always in heavy rotation, "Round and
Round," by RATT. As the rock ballad burst into its catchy chorus, Angel
walked the tall stranger to the counter and raised up on her tiptoes,
like an intimidatingly tall stripper wearing elevated stilettos, before
turning to address him.
"My name is Angela. I'm here to help you spend your money.
"At first glance his
face seemed craggy, weather-beaten, but there was a captivating American
culture essence about him...part Clark Gable, part Clint Eastwood—all
man. He was not at all phased by Angela using her potent sex appeal to
build up the sales pressure.
"Actually, I have a
friend about your age, cupcake, but more the size of the little
snake-charmer behind the register," he replied, nodding to November as
she clicked off the blow dryer. "Yep, she loves this place. Am I in the
right store? Is this MGR? I was expecting to walk into a three-ring
circus."
His eyes quickly left the counter area and began prancing throughout the store taking in all of its entertaining eccentricities.
"Your friend,
then...someone you buy things for? Is she young and skinny?" Angela
questioned, serving him up her most intimidating flirty trapezoid smile.
"You know, I think a sassy peach navel dress just came in. I'll go
check and pass you over to our assistant manager, and my BFF, the
remarkable and talented, November...and don't worry she won't scratch
you because she just did her nails!"
As Angela left for the
storeroom, that's what the well-healed stranger wanted all along—not to
be scratched, some alone time with November.
"The name is Cash, Cash
Reynolds, and I'm in need of a special summer gift for a friend," he
opened while extending his hand. His distinctive voice carried a strong
Mississippi drawl, but hanging over his aura was a cloud of doomed magic,
like a hot fudge sundae destined to melt in the afternoon summer sun.
Shaking his hand,
November replied, "Charmed, Mr. Reynolds...what I need to know about
first, because it's where all beauty begins, is her hair. Tell me about
her hair."
"Well, dark chocolate in
color and striking, I mean everyone comments on her hair, and as far as
texture, think poodle," he shared while lighting a cigarette the John
Wayne way, striking a match right on the counter edge in one confident
swipe.
Slowly inhaling, then blowing puffy smoke rings up into the air, he turned to ask, "You girls want one?"
November dismissed the
question, opened her eyes wide, and gasped realizing she knew exactly
who Cash Reynolds' girlfriend was—Merry-Go-round's best
customer...spiral-permed, 90-pound Cola Canelli. So this soon-to-become
senior citizen was her boyfriend, she thought.
"I know exactly what
your special friend needs. Follow me, partner." Cash accompanied her
like a puppy on a leash as they strolled casually toward the stock room.
"We just got this new
shipment in from Thailand, a silk-like peach-colored rayon, drapes
beautifully, exposes her midriff, and is sexy short...and she's gotta
have our acid-blast raspberry-frosted jeans with the double bottom
zippers to go with the dress."
Just as she finished the description, Angela walked out of the storeroom with the gown.
"Angela...great," she said snatching the garment, "now go back and get those raspberry jeans."
"You mean the ones you were going to buy?"
November quickly dismissed the awkward moment and whispered sternly in Angela's ear, "Get the jeans...now."
November held the dress
up to her body, posing like a mannequin while Cash looked her up and
down. Before long Angela returned with the jeans.
"You know, I like the
slacks...but do you think she'll like the dress?"November's mood went
south. Sometimes she hated herself for giving a shit, especially when
her judgment was challenged.
"Trust me, Mr.
Reynolds," she spat out while holding in a possible rant, instead
thinking—when it comes to fashion I know what I'm talking about,
asshole.
Cash was nothing if not
observant, assessed the visuals, November's teary eyes, her forehead
vein pulsing, and figured he'd better act quickly. Cash Reynolds had
been around the block more than a few times and had learned the hard
lesson that life is all about timing.
Flashing his disarming
Cary-Grant smile, he pounded his fist on the counter, pulled out his wad
of hundreds, and declared, "You've got yourself a sale!"
NOVEMBER AND COMPANY
always seemed to be putting on a show as they went about their
Merry-Go-Round business, but this sales act had attracted a small
audience of patrons. When Mr. Reynolds finally flashed the cash they
all erupted into applause, the hard sell won by MGR, like a cowgirl who
wrestled with and finally roped a steer to the ground.
One of those cheering
who, by the way, could have been a stand-in for an aging Maggie Smith, a
still-attractive dowager, standing right there at the long counter, was
a touch flushed at being so close to the dashing Cash Reynolds, and
couldn't help saying something to him.
"You're not going to be sorry. Your friend is a lucky lady. I bought something here today, too!"
Angela sensed what was happening and turned to whisper in November's ear, "Cash is just a rock star, isn't he."
The other Merry-Go-Round
regulars standing there, the salad-bar queen from the food court, the
high school social studies teacher who'd actually been to Woodstock,
nodded their approval of Cash and his obvious charisma. He took it all
in stride, no stranger to adulation—just one of those souls destined to
lay down a big footprint during his journey through life.
NOVEMBER HAD a different
opinion of the Mr. Cash Reynolds situation. She didn't care much for
his bravado in taking over her store, the cattle-call applause, or
Angela's shameless flirting. She flipped him the bird, out of sight from
below the counter, focused on her perfectly manicured nails, and was
able to regain some composure during a moment of meditation.
"Gift receipt, sir?" spoken with no emotion in an attempt to restore some professional decorum to her domain.
"Why would I need that?
You insisted I could trust your judgment, didn't you?" Cash replied with
a playful, but challenging remark which sparked even more laughter from
the onlookers—exactly what November didn't want to happen.
Steam coming from her
eyes, November contained her building rage, folded the dress and jeans
neatly, and tied the perfect little bundles off with black MGR ribbon.
Then, she remembered a slogan from her childhood that often came in
handy in difficult situations.
"Thank you Mr. Reynolds and may you be always with magic."
"Really...," Cash
replied, his voice now as comfortable as on old gray cardigan. "But it's
me who needs to thank you both. Your sidekick told me you girls will be
at the Hazel Moon Festival tonight. Let me help make sure you have a
good time."
He reached into his back
pocket, pulled out the wad of bills again, slammed his hand on the
counter, left two hundreds as a tip, and said, "Have a drink on me
tonight, ladies!"
Again, November
contained her obvious upset, except for pulling out a few ill-fated
eyelashes, and sent Cash on his way with a suggestion.
"There's a maroon
Member's-Only jacket in the window at Pranges that would be perfect for
you.""Whoa peanut, how did you know maroon is my favorite color for both
jackets and cars!" Heading out the store entrance, Cash turned back to
gesture a solute back to everyone who had been so entertained by him.
Angela hustled right to the register where he'd left the tip.
"Give...what did he
leave for us?"She was panting like a hungry pup about to get a treat for
performing a double back-flip trick.
November ignored
Angela's antics, pulled her long bags from her eyes with her right hand
while her left was triple-folding Cash's tip.
"We won't be needing money at the festival tonight to have a good time—we've got Echo and the Bunnymen!"
Angela wasn't amused, but dutifully pulled out the record player they always revved up during the end of a shift.
"Yeah . . . sure, but
wasn't half the tip mine?" Angela blurted because she couldn't hold it
in, feeling a touch taken advantage of.
"Get the sweepers and
the vinegar," November directed as she reverently removed an LP,
positioned it, and switched on the turntable. The lyrics of a song
echoed throughout the store as the girls cleaned up.
Things are wrong, things are going wrong...can't you tell that in a song?
I'm jumbled up, maybe I'm losing my touch...won't you come on down to my...
won't you come on down to my...Rescue.
Angela danced with the
sweeper...think Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire circling around each
other in endless loops. As the record purred and hissed November, lost
in thought, methodically counted the till, then, wrapped the tip cash in
a note to the manager, all while chanting over and over an Echo and the
Bunnymen song lyric...is this the blues I'm singing...is this the blues
I'm singing.
NOVEMBER WAS BACK in
control, breathing easier, grabbed the Swiss army knife she kept behind
the counter for protection, and pumped up the volume on the stereo,
recalling fondly her father's dictum, I like my music loud!
The pulsating bass
line's notes pounded off the store walls as the girls finished cleaning
up. Before turning the lights off and the security system on, November
stashed the knife into her old hobo bag which was a vintage throwback
from the '60s, just like her Z28. It was made from a quilt, bold with
patterns of gold-flocked velvet and orange cotton ball stars. From deep
in her bag she pulled up an antique bronze baroque hour glass.
"What's that, some kind of crazy dumbbell," Angela queried, still catching her breath from all the hard work.
The way November was
holding it, with such pride and singularity of purpose, like a Catholic
priest holding a chalice containing Christ's blood, the hour glass meant
something to her.
"I'll tell you all about it when the last grain of sand falls to the bottom."
With that, with great fanfare, she turned the hour glass over and the sand began falling, one grain at a time.
"Oh...yeah...like Days of Our Lives, I get it, in one hour we'll be ready, rowdy, dressed smoking hot, and up for anything at the festival!"
"No, Angela...this hour glass is one of a kind. It counts down one full hour, six extra minutes, and a few seconds."
"Okay...now I have to know...how many seconds?"
"Six."
CHAPTER SUMMARIES FOR HAZEL MOON
PROLOGUE
Hazel Moon opens in 1991, inSeattle
CHAPTER 1
WHITE CHOCOLATE
The story then shifts to a small city in theMidwest in August of 1984. After
leaving her apartment above a funeral parlor and jumping in her ’69 Camaro, a
younger November, along with BFF Angela, are late to report to their local mall
where they sell clothes at the Merry-Go-Round store. The girls are anxious for
two reasons, one, there was a small fire at the mall, and second, the Hazel
Moon Music Festival will take place in only a few hours and the girls can’t
wait for the Echo and the Bunnymen concert to begin. A welcome distraction
strutted into the store. The name was Cash Reynolds. He pulled out a wad of
bills and declared he needed help to buy some clothes for his girlfriend, Cola.
Angela couldn’t help but flirt with him. Not so with November who thought he
was vulgar and pretentious. Before leaving Cash found out about the concert,
planned to attend, tipped the girls a big bill, and thanked them for their
service—all in the manner of a Casanova with ulterior motives. November was
offended by the tip, which upset Angela who wanted her half. Finally, the end
of their shift came, with a record player blaring the girls cleaned up and
locked up the store.
CHAPTER 2
THUNDERSTRUCK
After closing up the store, the girls both went home to change after which November jumped in her Camaro and headed to pick up Angela. While waiting for Angela, her father, Mr. Gonzalez, someone with experience in the role of a demon slayer, warned her to be careful of evil spirits on the Eve of the Hazel Moon, but consoled her with the knowledge that Angela had powers that would protect them both and that they should stay together. When Angela came out of her house looking frumpy, that wouldn’t do for two top salesgirls at MGR so it was back to November’s apartment to find her just the right dress. While there, and now worried about needing some protection for the night ahead, November looks for a magic rock of a certain magical color. November gave Angela a couture gown fromParis
CHAPTER 3
TOURMALINE
Luna scolded November for not being properly dressed to honor the special night ahead, the magical Eve of the full Hazel Moon. After November told her what Mr. Gonzalez said, Lady Luna also warned her about the dangers lurking in the hours to come, but promised the Hazel Moon’s light would watch over her. When Lady Luna left, the November jumped back into her car and they headed for the concert. Just before opening the car door, November saw a grizzly, ominous sight, several dismembered bunny carcasses, as if to reinforce the warnings about dangers lurking ahead. Before entering the grounds, November and Angela become Hazel Moon soul sisters during which Angela has to compose a ritual poem after which they mixed blood from their wrists. Angela wanted to hurry to catch the opening act, The Taken, but November is drawn to a pair of dueling harpists. Angela can only take so much of that before she notices a fortune teller, Mrs. Casimir, a friend of her families. Mrs. Casimir gives November a magic pendant in a small velvet purse after sharing the Celtic lore story of the Salmon of Knowledge with the girls. Mrs. Casimir, who also had a background in theater, recognized November as Sarkis Savitchian’s daughter as they’d attended some of her shows. Mrs. Casimir had backed salmon squares, selling them to passersby and with their purchase they were told the Celtic legend of the Salmon of Knowledge. Finally heading for The Taken concert, Angela reminds November that Dickey is holding spots for them at the Tampax Stage. November notices Lady Luna off in the distance, away from the crush of the crowd, sipping mead with a gentleman. Dickey had taken up a position right in front of the bass player, and the base player, Pauley, had taken an interest in November and shot her a guitar pick which after landing right in her hand, then, began glowing. The light from the pick was amplified by the moonlight and a beam encircled that couple as they were toasting glasses of a Celtic honey wine called mead.
CHAPTER 4
THE GUITAR PICK
It was Lady Luna. The Taken was playing their last song and November was losing it and in her overexcited state her eye began twitching. When the band left the stage the roadies crawled around the stage like army ants scooping up all the band’s equipment. The roadies always fascinated November—they weren’t the stars, but they were each important in their own unique way. Her hand was still wrapped around the guitar pick, afraid to let Angela see it because she worried she wouldn’t be able to control its power. She decided to put the pick in with the gift Mrs. Casimir gave her. Luna stepped in to counsel November about the power in the guitar pick. While the two were talking, Finn McCool walks up to interrupt them. Finn was November’s ex and they quickly slipped into a verbal tussle which Luna had to break up before things got ugly.
CHAPTER 5
MARLBORO GIRL
Meanwhile, at the Lizard Shack, Luke Castle was commenting on the turbulent sky to his trusty canine sidekick, Sonny. Luke was on a quest to find himself and had joined the carny circuit three years earlier and at each stop he managed to find reptiles for his show. Luke passed on a flirtatious offer from one of the cute Marlboro Girls hawking cigarettes, but they talked some about the festival bands. Luke, a Southern boy, wasn’t into the hard rock groups like RATT, which was in the lineup for that night. November had slipped on some mossy rocks and hurt herself. About to spend a quiet night with Sonny looking at the stars, he heard a scream.
CHAPTER 6
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
Just before the scream, November was in a tussle with Finn and upset, took off running, then slipped on some mossy rocks. Sonny arrived on the scene first and began licking her wounds. Luke wasn’t far behind and offered to clean up her wounds back at his Lizard Shack. November was miffed with Luke for referring to her as a gal, but Luke and November impressed each other with arcane knowledge of classic bands. Both ladies warmed right up to Sonny. Luke told them he found Sonny as a pup with a mandrake root tied to him. All patched up with Luke’s natural herbs, November wanted to get to the concert, but Angela, always playing the matchmaker, and sensing Luke was warming up to November, suggested they let Luke give them a tour of the Lizard Shack. Using the smell as an excuse to leave the two of them alone, Angela wandered off to the old glue factory. While talking to a few of the burnouts loitering along the wall, she heard a bloodcurdling scream.
CHAPTER 7
BANGS THE BUNNYMEN BUS
One of the big snakes attacked November and practically destroyed the shack by flailing its tail after wrapping itself around her. After gettingKent
Chapter 8
POMPEII
November, prone to mood swings, slipped into a dark, negative place, and suffered a paranoid panic that they might not be able to get through the thick crowd to the stage. The sun came out and the resulting steamy humidity brought November back to better days and a memory of going to a concert with her father and munching on greasy popcorn. The memory got November crying when Angela bumped into her from behind and to get her mind off of whatever was upsetting her, reminded her that Luke seemed to be interested in her, and that remark brought November back to the task at hand—getting close to the stage. A mob of bangers was blocking their way. Angela broke into her lusty cheerleader routine, distracting them enough so the girls could move forward. A nasty remark, however, stopped November in her tracks. It was her ex, Finn McCool, still upset over their breakup. When the rock band, RATT, hit the stage, Angela made her way to Finn and gave him a piece of her mind. At first, Finn wasn’t impressed until Angela began gyrating to the music, drawing even attention of the band members to her enticing curves and moves. Luna, always monitoring November’s comings and goings, began instructing her on the need to choose a special color to protect her on the mischievous Eve of the Hazel Moon. She didn’t have time to take in the advice as they finally caught up with Dickey who’d been saving spots for them right in front of the stage. He hoisted November up on his shoulders.
CHAPTER 9
THEMAGIC CIRCLE
Dickey, Angela, and November were in their element, they’d found their Nirvana, the concert fused their three souls into one live-performance-driven being. When a Bunnymen lyric mentioned the word color, November slipped into a loop of concerns of choosing her special color. Dickey was in a trance as well, but because November was perched on top of him while Angela was grinding right in front of him and the effects of all that stimulation were beginning to show. Without a cold shower handy, Dickey forced his mind back to a time when he looked like a monster because of a sun lamp accident. Friends since childhood, November knew what happened to Dickey and rode her bike over to his house with some ointments. Along with the medicine, she carried on an occult healing ceremony. The magic was potent and November kissed away the blisters on his face. A kiss right on the lips brought Dickey quickly out of his memory trance and back to the concert. Angela had been fixating on his RATT belt buckle and tried to separate it from the belt. Suddenly, Dickey lost his grip on November and she fell backwards, her blouse over her head, revealing a group of sinister self-inflicted scars from cutting episodes in her past. Dickey quickly pulled her blouse back up, but the damage was done. Lady Luna came to the rescue reminding November that those who really care about her won’t judge her because of the scars. Meanwhile, Luke Castle decided to look for November at the concert and showed up with Sonny. Lady Luna spotted him and told November she could build a good life with Luke. More cutting Bunnymen lyrics were competing with Luna’s imparted wisdom, only confusing November more. While standing at the top of the hill, Sonny ran off and Luke decided to take that first toward whatever destiny the Eve of the Hazel Moon had in store for him.
CHAPTER 10
MIDNIGHT RAPSODY
By the time Luke caught up with November, the Bunnymen were playing their last song of the concert. Luna, strangely sleepy, decided to make her way backstage to visit briefly with the Bunnymen before leaving the festival grounds. The concert was over for everyone but Luna. She was hearing music playing, a melody she recognized, Midnight Rhapsody. One of her loyal groupies had the band roadies play it for her. He also set up an old chair for her to sit in near the speakers. At first, Luna hated the rummage sale refuse, but upon closer inspection the chair had an elegant history. Deciding to finally sit down, the chair soon came to life, attacked her and transported her temporarily to another time where she relived some of the questionable choices she made in her youth during a past life.
CHAPTER 11
LYUDMILA
The voices from the past continued, urging her on to live free, like the birds, free of restrictions. Luna was revisiting Lyudmila, her German name, a 12-year-old girl trapped in a Middle Ages German orphanage run by strict Catholic nuns. She had no friends, wore hand-me-down clothes, ate food that was all white, and was virtually a prisoner inside the stuffy abbey when being free in the outdoors was the only place she was ever comfortable. Whenever the outdoors visited her in the form of winds or rainbow colors streaming in while passing through the warped glass windows, Lyudmila experienced a few moments of happiness. Every now and then she was allowed outside and was inspired to create art, drawings and sculpture, using whatever materials she found in the natural setting. She drew lollipop people with disturbing fingers. When the nuns went to bed, Lyudmila would sneak out to the hallway, mount the banister pretending it was a stallion, kick the side rail, and off she’d go. Bolstered by her banister adventure, Lyudmila could not resist the urge to escape into the outdoors through the back door. Finally out in her element, she finally felt free beyond the confining walls of the orphanage among the trees and critters which welcomed her. She felt their connection to the earth and craved that natural balance in her life. The Hazel Moon was shining and after forming a cross with twigs, Lyudmila channeled the moonlight though the cross and healed a wound on her finger.
CHAPTER 12
ENCORE
The Bunnymen had just finished the last song of their concert, but few if any of their hardcore fans left. When yelling, changing and applauding didn’t work, they soon stood up and began banging on anything available to get the band’s attention. The full Hazel Moon’s magic and mischief was being felt by all. Energized, they weren’t about to give up until the band returned, even though they all knew that an encore was a rare event for the band. Ian was usually the one to make the decision. He heard all the commotion in the crowd, but wasn’t about to make it easy for them. Finally, when the time just felt right he pulled the trigger and led the Bunnymen boys back on stage. It was that explosion from the crowd that snapped Luna back to 1984. November and Angela were both writhing with unbridled joy as the concert continued. For November, the band, the concert culture much more than merely about the music. Everyone seems to crave something to believe in and for November it was the Bunnymen and everything they represented. Wanting to be a proud statue standing tall as the band’s ultimate fan, November felt anything but because of the bloody, torn, disheveled mess she was in after her slip and fall. As the Bunnymen broke out into their first encore song, November locked onto the lyrics with all the reverence one would normally give to a well-known text from the Bible or Quran. Luke was looking for November and Luna had returned and could be seen stage left, but after a brief glance when their eyes met, Luna was next to him in a magical instant giving him instructions on where in the crowd he could find her. Finding November, Luke slipped into the vortex of the concert’s Hazel Moon magic right along with her. When the band played the last note of their last encore song, the spell that was drawing them together like two strong opposite pole magnets, was broken. When Luke abruptly left after November shamelessly came on to him, Angela stepped in to pick up the pieces of her broken spirit by telling her that RATT was about to blowout the crowd with their encore. Then, Cash Reynolds spotted the girls and came over. This time, when he offered them some stay-safe cash Angela grabbed it while November cringed as the girls prepared for the RATT encore.
CHAPTER 13
FOLLOW THE BRIGHT STAR
Before the RATT encore began, November once again slipped into a funk, wondering if her life had already peaked and it was downhill from then on. A gust of wind smacked November in the face, as if to say snap out of it. Another storm front was about to move through the grounds and Angela wanted to run back to the Camaro to get the umbrellas they brought, but November nixed that idea, wanting, needing to be jolted by the power of Mother Nature. When the RATT encore began, Angela wanted to dance, but November was determined not to be normal and instead posed like a statue, shifting her arms, head, legs, and torso from time to time. Stage left was Finn, rocking out with a bevy of blonds. Sensing the last encore song was coming, Angela was determined to make an impression and began her best impression of Gypsy Rose Lee, disrobing seductively one clothing item at a time and everyone noticed, including the band. Shortly thereafter, a roadie for the band tapped November on the shoulder, hinting she could come backstage if Angela would come too. November bristled with repulsion at the very thought of walking voluntarily into the band’s Sodom-and-Gomorrah den of debauchery. Angela was escorted onto the stage and soon the security guy offered her a backstage pass, but at first she said she wouldn’t go without November, who knew it was something Angela wanted, needed to do and convinced Angela to go without her. With Angela backstage with the band, November, now alone, was confronted by Mr. Gonzalez in the form of the Demon Slayer, who chastised her for leaving Angela alone after all his warnings about the potential dangers of the night. The drummer had his lecherous eye fixed on Angela who was about to pig out on all the courtesy food. Finn was also there and stepped in to stop her gorging on the spread in an unladylike manner. Meanwhile, on the festival grounds, November heard a wale and suspected it was Sonny and that he was in trouble and began heading in the direction of the sound. The Demon Slayer once again tried to get her to reconnect with Angela, then Luna also added her wise advice to look to Mrs. Casimir’s gift for help. Meanwhile the RATT drummer was hitting on Angela. Unable to think of anything else, November ran to help Sonny while Luna’s words, to follow the gold looped over and over in her mind.
CHATPER 14
WITCH’S BROOM
Luna wasn’t immune to disappointment and sorry in her long, immortal life, and worried herself and November when while perched on top of a towing willow, she saw her plodding toward another bout with destiny in the form of an orphaned bur oak. Luna paused to pray to the Spirit of the Hazel Moon to watch over Angela and November as they the dangers of the dark night. It seems to be the way of the world—for every blessing there is a curse. Resigned to allow fate to have its way with them, Luna was drawn to the carnival lights and made her way toward Luke’s Lizard Shack. Upon meeting, they flirted with each other before Luna got down to business, encouraging Luke not to give up on November. He paused to remember why he was attracted to her in the first place—her grit, independence, spontaneity, and most of all how unique she was. Cash was visiting a food stand nearby and called out to Luna prophetically suggesting it was a good night for a murder. He was hitting on Luna, but to no avail. Focusing back on Luke, and impatient with him, she used magic to implant a suggestion sending him to the same bur oak where November was headed. Luna brushed off a persistent Cash after spotting Ian McCulloch, one of the Bunnymen.
CHAPTER 15
THE ANCIENT OAK
Sonny had wailed again and November was in hot pursuit, but she could hardly see through the thick mist and fog until by accident she came upon an ancient bur oak. Could this be the tree Luna spoke about, she thought. She noticed an unusual spiral of limbs reaching up to the sky and branches that resembled witch’s hands. Channeling Sonny’s spirit, she got down on all fours and smell the bark and dirt around the tree’s base. She was considering the prospect of entering the tree’s inner chamber when a symphony of natural sounds began to play in what appeared to be some kind of guided arrangement. Pushing aside the brush and twigs barring her way, into the inner sanctum she went. Light was provided by fireflies and a fungus strain that glowed in the dark. It was a sacred Celtic bur oak whose purpose was to settle disputes and provide justice for the citizens of the natural world. For no real reason, November began to panic and scratched violently at the hard fungus with her bare hands, shredding her fingertips raw and bloody. Once again, it was Sonny to the rescue, licking her wounds until she calmed down, they lying down next to her. Following her heightened instincts, she pulled Mrs. Casimir’s gift out of her bag—a golden locket bearing an engraved image of a fawn which appeared to come alive. When Luke arrived, following Luna’s powerful suggestion, and yelled out for November, she put it back in the bag. Luke had found Sonny and November and wanting to show the locket to Luke, she removed it from her bag. Both in a trance over the magic, glowing locket November was about to suck on her finger, a thing she did for comfort, when Luke pulled her hand instead toward him and began licking her wounds and sucking sensually on her fingers. Instead of moving the romantic moment towards sex right away, Luke began tracing the symbols of Druid runes on her back. In time, though, the pull of their attraction mixed with the magic of the Hazel Moon brought them together body and soul. Afterwards, Luke wanted to talk—to share secrets. November began telling Luke about her love of stuffed pizza, and in particular Italian cheese, but as much as she loved it the cheese, any white cheese or food often made her gag. This reflex turned out to be connected to the Armenian Holocaust death marches when starving children were fed too much rice. Luke was leading up to telling November about a Druid ritual he learned from his people. It had to do with a woman and man bonding for a year after dancing naked around a sacred hazel nut tree. When she agreed to participate, the two new lovers set out to find the tree that was located on the grounds of the old glue factory. Arriving there, November was scared by the sight of a dead disemboweled bunny and didn’t want to go any farther onto the grounds.
CHAPTER 16
THE HAWK KNOWS
At the RATT after-party, something came over Finn and began to bellow a warning that death would visit someone before the night was out. Back at the glue factory, Luke suspected a hawk of killing the bunny. Luke could feel November pulling away, but gave her an excuse not to go ahead with their plans by noting that Sonny was also freaked out. The reverse psychology worked, and November was once again determined to do what was not expected, so through the gate and around back they went where they found a sturdy barn door. Horses and cattle were kept there—raw materials for making the glue. November began hearing harmonica sounds which seemed to be coming from inside the factory. After kicking the door open, Luke scooped November up in his arms and carried her over the threshold leading into the factory. The stench of death was in the air. Adding to her apprehension, stepping on the fragments of plaster scattered all around sounded like the snapping of bones breaking underfoot. Luke reminded November of his belief in a Celtic legend, a way to bond a man and a woman for a year by first both sucking on a leaf then dancing around a sacred hazel nut tree seven times. Instead of listening, November began hallucinating. She was being struck by broken, bloody limbs. When Luke pressed to find the tree, November was in a fearful panic. The hallucination intensified. Now she was being whipped, driven into smaller and smaller pens until her head exploded in pain and she lost consciousness, falling into Luke’s arms.
CHAPTER 17
GONE FISHING
November had passed out, a wild wind blew in debris from outside the warehouse, swirling violently as if somehow a tornado had formed. Sonny got scared, and ran toward the wall standing under an open window. At the same moment, a lightning bold snaked in through the window striking him. The lightning surge revived November, she opened her eyes, and saw Luke bending over Sonny’s remains. Finally realizing it was Sonny, November became distraught. Sonny’s departing spirit pulled November back to another time of tragedy at a warehouse. She was 15 and working at a bakery decorating cupcakes. Stroke after stroke with her pastry bag gave her mind time to wander. November began to fondly recall a time she’d gone fishing with her father when she was only seven. Her father took the time to explain to her child’s mind why he fled the tyranny of turn of the Twentieth Century Armenia to live in a free country. The fond fishing memory passing, November began preparing a special cupcake featuring a unique yellow-orange frosting to bring to her father. Pushing open the heavy door of the converted warehouse apartment complex where they lived, November thought it was strange that so early in the evening everyone in the building seemed to be asleep. Entering her apartment there were guests asleep on the floor but her father was nowhere to be found.
CHAPTER 18
HEART ECLIPSE
The tragic memory of her father’s death gave way to immediate tragedy, Sonny being killed. November was distraught and fought off strong impulses to harm herself. Unable to remain at the scene and blaming herself for Sonny’s death, November fled Luke, Sonny’s remains, and ran from the glue factory. In a state nearing delirium, November found herself by chance at the base of the great bur oak where this tragic odyssey began. Lady Luna joined her inside the oak and provided words of wisdom, reassuring November that Sonny’s soul was also eternal and would live on and that what happened was an act of destiny. November was still stricken with grief and regret when Luna brought up an even more important lingering issue—her father death. November still harbored guilt over her father’s death, believing that if she hadn’t stayed so late at the bakery or walked faster getting home her father might still be alive. Luna told her that she was with her the night her father died and that it wasn’t her fault. When she got home with the cupcake she heard sirens as a fire had broken out in the basement. When the firemen arrived after putting out the fire they opened up all the windows. The residents, including November’s father, weren’t sleeping—they were dead from carbon monoxide poisoning because of a faulty HVAC unit. About to give Luna a hug for helping her through another difficult time, November heard a loud honk. It was Angela and Dickey with his new Jeep. Luna made herself invisible and when November asked Luna what she should do about Luke, she was told to just let Luke go for now. November jumped in the back seat with Angela and they headed off for a Grand Slam breakfast at the local Sonic! Meanwhile, looking around Luke found Sonny’s right front paw and also took his collar before leaving the glue factory. Walking aimlessly, Luke was soon blinded by a car’s headlights. Finn McCool was leaving the after-party with one of the Marlboro Girls. She recognized Luke and eager to keep the party going they offered him a drink which he gladly accepted. Luna sought out the sacred hazel nut tree and showed up there wearing the garb of an 1800s French veterinarian. In the humid evening heat she slowly removed each item of clothing until she was naked. Down on all fours, the spirit of a wolf now sharing her soul, Luna became one with the tree and the earth. A familiar bark and Luna was joined with the Sonny’s spirit. Together they loped and pranced around the sacred tree seven times. As the magic spell unfolded, Sonny was gradually reunited with a new body and his missing paw restored.
CHAPTER 19
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
(a year later, 1985, late August on the Eve of another Hazel Moon)
Angela’s about to get married for the 3rd time. Dickey Gondola is the lucky guy. Angela is a little bit pregnant, but not showing much so her two-piece avant-garde wedding dress won’t be a problem. Her first dip into the wedding ring pool was with the RATT drummer, overwhelmed by the fluttering spells floating around on the night of the Hazel Moon a year earlier. An annulment and settlement soon followed. Next, a fun weekend in Vegas with Cash ended in her second ill-conceived marriage. Another annulment and cash settlement and Angela was once again marriage material that Dickey, still on the gender-confused side, decided to marry. Finn McCool was the surprise guest entertainer. A singer, he’d finally left the family business in search of a way to fill up the empty account in his soul. November, Angela’s maid of honor, made a fashion-forward statement by tinting the ends of her hair in blue and yellow while also wearing one of her handmade tie-dyed XL T-shirts she sold at fairs under bridesmaid dress. Mrs. Casimir was there, noticed November’s T-shirt, and ordered one in her, their magical color—Crayola yellow-orange. Lady Luna crashed the reception, drifting down on a beam of Hazel moonlight. The Taken was entertaining the reception crowd and as happened a year ago, Pauley pitched November another magical guitar pick which began glowing in that same sunset yellow-orange which she promptly put in her hair like a glow-stick barrette. Turning her head, she saw Luna with her white-gloved hand open, into which magically fell a bouquet tossed by the bride. Cash managed to catch the garter tossed by Dickey, so they led the next round of dancing. Some time later, November, feeling sad that something important was missing from her life, began walking on the beach. She stopped by a pier after hearing the ethereal sounds of someone playing the harmonica. As a fog lifted, there was Luna at the end of the pier. Joining Luna, she saw that Luna was accompanied by a chorus of angels. Then, she saw who was playing the harmonica—it was her father. Finally, a dog’s tail splashing in the surf joined the chorus of sounds. It was Sonny jumped right up into her waiting arms. November was then heard to say, “Now, that’s a good dog…”
CHAPTER SUMMARIES FOR HAZEL MOON
PROLOGUE
Hazel Moon opens in 1991, in
CHAPTER 1
WHITE CHOCOLATE
The story then shifts to a small city in the
CHAPTER 2
THUNDERSTRUCK
After closing up the store, the girls both went home to change after which November jumped in her Camaro and headed to pick up Angela. While waiting for Angela, her father, Mr. Gonzalez, someone with experience in the role of a demon slayer, warned her to be careful of evil spirits on the Eve of the Hazel Moon, but consoled her with the knowledge that Angela had powers that would protect them both and that they should stay together. When Angela came out of her house looking frumpy, that wouldn’t do for two top salesgirls at MGR so it was back to November’s apartment to find her just the right dress. While there, and now worried about needing some protection for the night ahead, November looks for a magic rock of a certain magical color. November gave Angela a couture gown from
CHAPTER 3
TOURMALINE
Luna scolded November for not being properly dressed to honor the special night ahead, the magical Eve of the full Hazel Moon. After November told her what Mr. Gonzalez said, Lady Luna also warned her about the dangers lurking in the hours to come, but promised the Hazel Moon’s light would watch over her. When Lady Luna left, the November jumped back into her car and they headed for the concert. Just before opening the car door, November saw a grizzly, ominous sight, several dismembered bunny carcasses, as if to reinforce the warnings about dangers lurking ahead. Before entering the grounds, November and Angela become Hazel Moon soul sisters during which Angela has to compose a ritual poem after which they mixed blood from their wrists. Angela wanted to hurry to catch the opening act, The Taken, but November is drawn to a pair of dueling harpists. Angela can only take so much of that before she notices a fortune teller, Mrs. Casimir, a friend of her families. Mrs. Casimir gives November a magic pendant in a small velvet purse after sharing the Celtic lore story of the Salmon of Knowledge with the girls. Mrs. Casimir, who also had a background in theater, recognized November as Sarkis Savitchian’s daughter as they’d attended some of her shows. Mrs. Casimir had backed salmon squares, selling them to passersby and with their purchase they were told the Celtic legend of the Salmon of Knowledge. Finally heading for The Taken concert, Angela reminds November that Dickey is holding spots for them at the Tampax Stage. November notices Lady Luna off in the distance, away from the crush of the crowd, sipping mead with a gentleman. Dickey had taken up a position right in front of the bass player, and the base player, Pauley, had taken an interest in November and shot her a guitar pick which after landing right in her hand, then, began glowing. The light from the pick was amplified by the moonlight and a beam encircled that couple as they were toasting glasses of a Celtic honey wine called mead.
CHAPTER 4
THE GUITAR PICK
It was Lady Luna. The Taken was playing their last song and November was losing it and in her overexcited state her eye began twitching. When the band left the stage the roadies crawled around the stage like army ants scooping up all the band’s equipment. The roadies always fascinated November—they weren’t the stars, but they were each important in their own unique way. Her hand was still wrapped around the guitar pick, afraid to let Angela see it because she worried she wouldn’t be able to control its power. She decided to put the pick in with the gift Mrs. Casimir gave her. Luna stepped in to counsel November about the power in the guitar pick. While the two were talking, Finn McCool walks up to interrupt them. Finn was November’s ex and they quickly slipped into a verbal tussle which Luna had to break up before things got ugly.
CHAPTER 5
MARLBORO GIRL
Meanwhile, at the Lizard Shack, Luke Castle was commenting on the turbulent sky to his trusty canine sidekick, Sonny. Luke was on a quest to find himself and had joined the carny circuit three years earlier and at each stop he managed to find reptiles for his show. Luke passed on a flirtatious offer from one of the cute Marlboro Girls hawking cigarettes, but they talked some about the festival bands. Luke, a Southern boy, wasn’t into the hard rock groups like RATT, which was in the lineup for that night. November had slipped on some mossy rocks and hurt herself. About to spend a quiet night with Sonny looking at the stars, he heard a scream.
CHAPTER 6
ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
Just before the scream, November was in a tussle with Finn and upset, took off running, then slipped on some mossy rocks. Sonny arrived on the scene first and began licking her wounds. Luke wasn’t far behind and offered to clean up her wounds back at his Lizard Shack. November was miffed with Luke for referring to her as a gal, but Luke and November impressed each other with arcane knowledge of classic bands. Both ladies warmed right up to Sonny. Luke told them he found Sonny as a pup with a mandrake root tied to him. All patched up with Luke’s natural herbs, November wanted to get to the concert, but Angela, always playing the matchmaker, and sensing Luke was warming up to November, suggested they let Luke give them a tour of the Lizard Shack. Using the smell as an excuse to leave the two of them alone, Angela wandered off to the old glue factory. While talking to a few of the burnouts loitering along the wall, she heard a bloodcurdling scream.
CHAPTER 7
BANGS THE BUNNYMEN BUS
One of the big snakes attacked November and practically destroyed the shack by flailing its tail after wrapping itself around her. After getting
Chapter 8
November, prone to mood swings, slipped into a dark, negative place, and suffered a paranoid panic that they might not be able to get through the thick crowd to the stage. The sun came out and the resulting steamy humidity brought November back to better days and a memory of going to a concert with her father and munching on greasy popcorn. The memory got November crying when Angela bumped into her from behind and to get her mind off of whatever was upsetting her, reminded her that Luke seemed to be interested in her, and that remark brought November back to the task at hand—getting close to the stage. A mob of bangers was blocking their way. Angela broke into her lusty cheerleader routine, distracting them enough so the girls could move forward. A nasty remark, however, stopped November in her tracks. It was her ex, Finn McCool, still upset over their breakup. When the rock band, RATT, hit the stage, Angela made her way to Finn and gave him a piece of her mind. At first, Finn wasn’t impressed until Angela began gyrating to the music, drawing even attention of the band members to her enticing curves and moves. Luna, always monitoring November’s comings and goings, began instructing her on the need to choose a special color to protect her on the mischievous Eve of the Hazel Moon. She didn’t have time to take in the advice as they finally caught up with Dickey who’d been saving spots for them right in front of the stage. He hoisted November up on his shoulders.
CHAPTER 9
THE
Dickey, Angela, and November were in their element, they’d found their Nirvana, the concert fused their three souls into one live-performance-driven being. When a Bunnymen lyric mentioned the word color, November slipped into a loop of concerns of choosing her special color. Dickey was in a trance as well, but because November was perched on top of him while Angela was grinding right in front of him and the effects of all that stimulation were beginning to show. Without a cold shower handy, Dickey forced his mind back to a time when he looked like a monster because of a sun lamp accident. Friends since childhood, November knew what happened to Dickey and rode her bike over to his house with some ointments. Along with the medicine, she carried on an occult healing ceremony. The magic was potent and November kissed away the blisters on his face. A kiss right on the lips brought Dickey quickly out of his memory trance and back to the concert. Angela had been fixating on his RATT belt buckle and tried to separate it from the belt. Suddenly, Dickey lost his grip on November and she fell backwards, her blouse over her head, revealing a group of sinister self-inflicted scars from cutting episodes in her past. Dickey quickly pulled her blouse back up, but the damage was done. Lady Luna came to the rescue reminding November that those who really care about her won’t judge her because of the scars. Meanwhile, Luke Castle decided to look for November at the concert and showed up with Sonny. Lady Luna spotted him and told November she could build a good life with Luke. More cutting Bunnymen lyrics were competing with Luna’s imparted wisdom, only confusing November more. While standing at the top of the hill, Sonny ran off and Luke decided to take that first toward whatever destiny the Eve of the Hazel Moon had in store for him.
CHAPTER 10
MIDNIGHT RAPSODY
By the time Luke caught up with November, the Bunnymen were playing their last song of the concert. Luna, strangely sleepy, decided to make her way backstage to visit briefly with the Bunnymen before leaving the festival grounds. The concert was over for everyone but Luna. She was hearing music playing, a melody she recognized, Midnight Rhapsody. One of her loyal groupies had the band roadies play it for her. He also set up an old chair for her to sit in near the speakers. At first, Luna hated the rummage sale refuse, but upon closer inspection the chair had an elegant history. Deciding to finally sit down, the chair soon came to life, attacked her and transported her temporarily to another time where she relived some of the questionable choices she made in her youth during a past life.
CHAPTER 11
LYUDMILA
The voices from the past continued, urging her on to live free, like the birds, free of restrictions. Luna was revisiting Lyudmila, her German name, a 12-year-old girl trapped in a Middle Ages German orphanage run by strict Catholic nuns. She had no friends, wore hand-me-down clothes, ate food that was all white, and was virtually a prisoner inside the stuffy abbey when being free in the outdoors was the only place she was ever comfortable. Whenever the outdoors visited her in the form of winds or rainbow colors streaming in while passing through the warped glass windows, Lyudmila experienced a few moments of happiness. Every now and then she was allowed outside and was inspired to create art, drawings and sculpture, using whatever materials she found in the natural setting. She drew lollipop people with disturbing fingers. When the nuns went to bed, Lyudmila would sneak out to the hallway, mount the banister pretending it was a stallion, kick the side rail, and off she’d go. Bolstered by her banister adventure, Lyudmila could not resist the urge to escape into the outdoors through the back door. Finally out in her element, she finally felt free beyond the confining walls of the orphanage among the trees and critters which welcomed her. She felt their connection to the earth and craved that natural balance in her life. The Hazel Moon was shining and after forming a cross with twigs, Lyudmila channeled the moonlight though the cross and healed a wound on her finger.
CHAPTER 12
ENCORE
The Bunnymen had just finished the last song of their concert, but few if any of their hardcore fans left. When yelling, changing and applauding didn’t work, they soon stood up and began banging on anything available to get the band’s attention. The full Hazel Moon’s magic and mischief was being felt by all. Energized, they weren’t about to give up until the band returned, even though they all knew that an encore was a rare event for the band. Ian was usually the one to make the decision. He heard all the commotion in the crowd, but wasn’t about to make it easy for them. Finally, when the time just felt right he pulled the trigger and led the Bunnymen boys back on stage. It was that explosion from the crowd that snapped Luna back to 1984. November and Angela were both writhing with unbridled joy as the concert continued. For November, the band, the concert culture much more than merely about the music. Everyone seems to crave something to believe in and for November it was the Bunnymen and everything they represented. Wanting to be a proud statue standing tall as the band’s ultimate fan, November felt anything but because of the bloody, torn, disheveled mess she was in after her slip and fall. As the Bunnymen broke out into their first encore song, November locked onto the lyrics with all the reverence one would normally give to a well-known text from the Bible or Quran. Luke was looking for November and Luna had returned and could be seen stage left, but after a brief glance when their eyes met, Luna was next to him in a magical instant giving him instructions on where in the crowd he could find her. Finding November, Luke slipped into the vortex of the concert’s Hazel Moon magic right along with her. When the band played the last note of their last encore song, the spell that was drawing them together like two strong opposite pole magnets, was broken. When Luke abruptly left after November shamelessly came on to him, Angela stepped in to pick up the pieces of her broken spirit by telling her that RATT was about to blowout the crowd with their encore. Then, Cash Reynolds spotted the girls and came over. This time, when he offered them some stay-safe cash Angela grabbed it while November cringed as the girls prepared for the RATT encore.
CHAPTER 13
FOLLOW THE BRIGHT STAR
Before the RATT encore began, November once again slipped into a funk, wondering if her life had already peaked and it was downhill from then on. A gust of wind smacked November in the face, as if to say snap out of it. Another storm front was about to move through the grounds and Angela wanted to run back to the Camaro to get the umbrellas they brought, but November nixed that idea, wanting, needing to be jolted by the power of Mother Nature. When the RATT encore began, Angela wanted to dance, but November was determined not to be normal and instead posed like a statue, shifting her arms, head, legs, and torso from time to time. Stage left was Finn, rocking out with a bevy of blonds. Sensing the last encore song was coming, Angela was determined to make an impression and began her best impression of Gypsy Rose Lee, disrobing seductively one clothing item at a time and everyone noticed, including the band. Shortly thereafter, a roadie for the band tapped November on the shoulder, hinting she could come backstage if Angela would come too. November bristled with repulsion at the very thought of walking voluntarily into the band’s Sodom-and-Gomorrah den of debauchery. Angela was escorted onto the stage and soon the security guy offered her a backstage pass, but at first she said she wouldn’t go without November, who knew it was something Angela wanted, needed to do and convinced Angela to go without her. With Angela backstage with the band, November, now alone, was confronted by Mr. Gonzalez in the form of the Demon Slayer, who chastised her for leaving Angela alone after all his warnings about the potential dangers of the night. The drummer had his lecherous eye fixed on Angela who was about to pig out on all the courtesy food. Finn was also there and stepped in to stop her gorging on the spread in an unladylike manner. Meanwhile, on the festival grounds, November heard a wale and suspected it was Sonny and that he was in trouble and began heading in the direction of the sound. The Demon Slayer once again tried to get her to reconnect with Angela, then Luna also added her wise advice to look to Mrs. Casimir’s gift for help. Meanwhile the RATT drummer was hitting on Angela. Unable to think of anything else, November ran to help Sonny while Luna’s words, to follow the gold looped over and over in her mind.
CHATPER 14
WITCH’S BROOM
Luna wasn’t immune to disappointment and sorry in her long, immortal life, and worried herself and November when while perched on top of a towing willow, she saw her plodding toward another bout with destiny in the form of an orphaned bur oak. Luna paused to pray to the Spirit of the Hazel Moon to watch over Angela and November as they the dangers of the dark night. It seems to be the way of the world—for every blessing there is a curse. Resigned to allow fate to have its way with them, Luna was drawn to the carnival lights and made her way toward Luke’s Lizard Shack. Upon meeting, they flirted with each other before Luna got down to business, encouraging Luke not to give up on November. He paused to remember why he was attracted to her in the first place—her grit, independence, spontaneity, and most of all how unique she was. Cash was visiting a food stand nearby and called out to Luna prophetically suggesting it was a good night for a murder. He was hitting on Luna, but to no avail. Focusing back on Luke, and impatient with him, she used magic to implant a suggestion sending him to the same bur oak where November was headed. Luna brushed off a persistent Cash after spotting Ian McCulloch, one of the Bunnymen.
CHAPTER 15
THE ANCIENT OAK
Sonny had wailed again and November was in hot pursuit, but she could hardly see through the thick mist and fog until by accident she came upon an ancient bur oak. Could this be the tree Luna spoke about, she thought. She noticed an unusual spiral of limbs reaching up to the sky and branches that resembled witch’s hands. Channeling Sonny’s spirit, she got down on all fours and smell the bark and dirt around the tree’s base. She was considering the prospect of entering the tree’s inner chamber when a symphony of natural sounds began to play in what appeared to be some kind of guided arrangement. Pushing aside the brush and twigs barring her way, into the inner sanctum she went. Light was provided by fireflies and a fungus strain that glowed in the dark. It was a sacred Celtic bur oak whose purpose was to settle disputes and provide justice for the citizens of the natural world. For no real reason, November began to panic and scratched violently at the hard fungus with her bare hands, shredding her fingertips raw and bloody. Once again, it was Sonny to the rescue, licking her wounds until she calmed down, they lying down next to her. Following her heightened instincts, she pulled Mrs. Casimir’s gift out of her bag—a golden locket bearing an engraved image of a fawn which appeared to come alive. When Luke arrived, following Luna’s powerful suggestion, and yelled out for November, she put it back in the bag. Luke had found Sonny and November and wanting to show the locket to Luke, she removed it from her bag. Both in a trance over the magic, glowing locket November was about to suck on her finger, a thing she did for comfort, when Luke pulled her hand instead toward him and began licking her wounds and sucking sensually on her fingers. Instead of moving the romantic moment towards sex right away, Luke began tracing the symbols of Druid runes on her back. In time, though, the pull of their attraction mixed with the magic of the Hazel Moon brought them together body and soul. Afterwards, Luke wanted to talk—to share secrets. November began telling Luke about her love of stuffed pizza, and in particular Italian cheese, but as much as she loved it the cheese, any white cheese or food often made her gag. This reflex turned out to be connected to the Armenian Holocaust death marches when starving children were fed too much rice. Luke was leading up to telling November about a Druid ritual he learned from his people. It had to do with a woman and man bonding for a year after dancing naked around a sacred hazel nut tree. When she agreed to participate, the two new lovers set out to find the tree that was located on the grounds of the old glue factory. Arriving there, November was scared by the sight of a dead disemboweled bunny and didn’t want to go any farther onto the grounds.
CHAPTER 16
THE HAWK KNOWS
At the RATT after-party, something came over Finn and began to bellow a warning that death would visit someone before the night was out. Back at the glue factory, Luke suspected a hawk of killing the bunny. Luke could feel November pulling away, but gave her an excuse not to go ahead with their plans by noting that Sonny was also freaked out. The reverse psychology worked, and November was once again determined to do what was not expected, so through the gate and around back they went where they found a sturdy barn door. Horses and cattle were kept there—raw materials for making the glue. November began hearing harmonica sounds which seemed to be coming from inside the factory. After kicking the door open, Luke scooped November up in his arms and carried her over the threshold leading into the factory. The stench of death was in the air. Adding to her apprehension, stepping on the fragments of plaster scattered all around sounded like the snapping of bones breaking underfoot. Luke reminded November of his belief in a Celtic legend, a way to bond a man and a woman for a year by first both sucking on a leaf then dancing around a sacred hazel nut tree seven times. Instead of listening, November began hallucinating. She was being struck by broken, bloody limbs. When Luke pressed to find the tree, November was in a fearful panic. The hallucination intensified. Now she was being whipped, driven into smaller and smaller pens until her head exploded in pain and she lost consciousness, falling into Luke’s arms.
CHAPTER 17
GONE FISHING
November had passed out, a wild wind blew in debris from outside the warehouse, swirling violently as if somehow a tornado had formed. Sonny got scared, and ran toward the wall standing under an open window. At the same moment, a lightning bold snaked in through the window striking him. The lightning surge revived November, she opened her eyes, and saw Luke bending over Sonny’s remains. Finally realizing it was Sonny, November became distraught. Sonny’s departing spirit pulled November back to another time of tragedy at a warehouse. She was 15 and working at a bakery decorating cupcakes. Stroke after stroke with her pastry bag gave her mind time to wander. November began to fondly recall a time she’d gone fishing with her father when she was only seven. Her father took the time to explain to her child’s mind why he fled the tyranny of turn of the Twentieth Century Armenia to live in a free country. The fond fishing memory passing, November began preparing a special cupcake featuring a unique yellow-orange frosting to bring to her father. Pushing open the heavy door of the converted warehouse apartment complex where they lived, November thought it was strange that so early in the evening everyone in the building seemed to be asleep. Entering her apartment there were guests asleep on the floor but her father was nowhere to be found.
CHAPTER 18
HEART ECLIPSE
The tragic memory of her father’s death gave way to immediate tragedy, Sonny being killed. November was distraught and fought off strong impulses to harm herself. Unable to remain at the scene and blaming herself for Sonny’s death, November fled Luke, Sonny’s remains, and ran from the glue factory. In a state nearing delirium, November found herself by chance at the base of the great bur oak where this tragic odyssey began. Lady Luna joined her inside the oak and provided words of wisdom, reassuring November that Sonny’s soul was also eternal and would live on and that what happened was an act of destiny. November was still stricken with grief and regret when Luna brought up an even more important lingering issue—her father death. November still harbored guilt over her father’s death, believing that if she hadn’t stayed so late at the bakery or walked faster getting home her father might still be alive. Luna told her that she was with her the night her father died and that it wasn’t her fault. When she got home with the cupcake she heard sirens as a fire had broken out in the basement. When the firemen arrived after putting out the fire they opened up all the windows. The residents, including November’s father, weren’t sleeping—they were dead from carbon monoxide poisoning because of a faulty HVAC unit. About to give Luna a hug for helping her through another difficult time, November heard a loud honk. It was Angela and Dickey with his new Jeep. Luna made herself invisible and when November asked Luna what she should do about Luke, she was told to just let Luke go for now. November jumped in the back seat with Angela and they headed off for a Grand Slam breakfast at the local Sonic! Meanwhile, looking around Luke found Sonny’s right front paw and also took his collar before leaving the glue factory. Walking aimlessly, Luke was soon blinded by a car’s headlights. Finn McCool was leaving the after-party with one of the Marlboro Girls. She recognized Luke and eager to keep the party going they offered him a drink which he gladly accepted. Luna sought out the sacred hazel nut tree and showed up there wearing the garb of an 1800s French veterinarian. In the humid evening heat she slowly removed each item of clothing until she was naked. Down on all fours, the spirit of a wolf now sharing her soul, Luna became one with the tree and the earth. A familiar bark and Luna was joined with the Sonny’s spirit. Together they loped and pranced around the sacred tree seven times. As the magic spell unfolded, Sonny was gradually reunited with a new body and his missing paw restored.
CHAPTER 19
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM
(a year later, 1985, late August on the Eve of another Hazel Moon)
Angela’s about to get married for the 3rd time. Dickey Gondola is the lucky guy. Angela is a little bit pregnant, but not showing much so her two-piece avant-garde wedding dress won’t be a problem. Her first dip into the wedding ring pool was with the RATT drummer, overwhelmed by the fluttering spells floating around on the night of the Hazel Moon a year earlier. An annulment and settlement soon followed. Next, a fun weekend in Vegas with Cash ended in her second ill-conceived marriage. Another annulment and cash settlement and Angela was once again marriage material that Dickey, still on the gender-confused side, decided to marry. Finn McCool was the surprise guest entertainer. A singer, he’d finally left the family business in search of a way to fill up the empty account in his soul. November, Angela’s maid of honor, made a fashion-forward statement by tinting the ends of her hair in blue and yellow while also wearing one of her handmade tie-dyed XL T-shirts she sold at fairs under bridesmaid dress. Mrs. Casimir was there, noticed November’s T-shirt, and ordered one in her, their magical color—Crayola yellow-orange. Lady Luna crashed the reception, drifting down on a beam of Hazel moonlight. The Taken was entertaining the reception crowd and as happened a year ago, Pauley pitched November another magical guitar pick which began glowing in that same sunset yellow-orange which she promptly put in her hair like a glow-stick barrette. Turning her head, she saw Luna with her white-gloved hand open, into which magically fell a bouquet tossed by the bride. Cash managed to catch the garter tossed by Dickey, so they led the next round of dancing. Some time later, November, feeling sad that something important was missing from her life, began walking on the beach. She stopped by a pier after hearing the ethereal sounds of someone playing the harmonica. As a fog lifted, there was Luna at the end of the pier. Joining Luna, she saw that Luna was accompanied by a chorus of angels. Then, she saw who was playing the harmonica—it was her father. Finally, a dog’s tail splashing in the surf joined the chorus of sounds. It was Sonny jumped right up into her waiting arms. November was then heard to say, “Now, that’s a good dog…”
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