The Sisterhood, chapter 3 & 4

Kari left a note for Rob:
Rob,
Since you can't control yourself, I have left. I'll be filing for divorce. I have moved to another town. I don't want much. I helped myself to the bank account. Don't contact me or my family. I have pictures of my black eye and statements from friends on file with my attorney and I will file an order of protection or worse if you bother me.

Kari
She left it on the refrigerator, the first place he always looked when returning home from band rehearsal.

Nick and Kari arrived at the flat and set up her things. Nick brought his futon for Kari to use until her bedroom set arrived.
"I'm going to stay here with you tonight Kari." Nick said.
"I'd actually feel better if you did, thanks Nick."
Around 9:00, they began to feel hungry so they called for Chinese food. While waiting for delivery, Nick set up the TV with rabbit ears. They could see exactly 3 stations. Son the doorbell rang and the food arrived. They ate right from the cartons and drank the cold beer that they had put in the fridge earlier. After some horrible sitcoms, and several more beers, they were both ready for bed. They made up the futon and quickly went to sleep.
Nick's cell phone alarm went off at 6:00. He showered, brushed his teeth, and took off.
"I'll pick up some breakfast on the way. Have a great day Kari,"
"Thanks Nick, love you,"
"Love you too."
Kari lolled around her flat enjoying the quiet. She showered, dressed and took Rudy out to do his business. When he finished, she took him for a walk. They walked down to the little town center at the end of the street. There was a movie rental place, a coffee shop, a market, a drycleaner, and antique shop. Everything looked like it did from the early part of the 20th century. As she turned the corner, Kari saw an adorable little stone church. She had recently yearned for a relationship with God.
A tiny woman with red hair called out to her from the doorway.
"Hello there. Say, he's a big boy isn't he? Is he friendly?" She said as she spoke from the doorway.
"He's actually a big baby."
"I'm Edith by the way" said the petite senior.
"I'm Kari. Nice to meet you"
"do you already have a church?"
"No, not yet, I just moved here"
"Please feel welcome to visit this Sunday dear" said Edith with a sweet smile
"I haven't had the greatest experience with religion"
"We're a different sort of church. Non-judgmental and down to Earth."
"Well, that sounds good. I'm going through a divorce right now."
"Oh men, they don't make 'em like they used to, they're useless now. All of us ladies here are widows. All of our members are seniors and widows now. Only 13 of us left. Our church used to be over 300. That was a long time ago though."
"Well, I'll try to make it on Sunday"
"We'd love to see you here dear. I'd come out but I'm very allergic to dogs."
Kari reached in to shake Edith's hand and heard a deep growl from Rudy.
"Rudy, be nice. He's not usually grumpy"
"Well, I'm a stranger. He's just doing his job dear. See you Sunday at 10:00"
"by now, I'll see you Sunday."
Kari nearly skipped back home. She absolutely loved her little village. It was so quaint and friendly. The church of little old ladies sounded so cute. Kari returned home to let the cable guy in for his appointment at 2:00. They hooked up her cable, inter, and phone. Rudy watched from the porch, wagging his nubby tail at the cable guy.
"He's a real killer there, huh?" laughed the cable guy.
"Apparently he's got it in for little old ladies." snickered Kari.
When he left, Kari made herself a sandwich and had some cookies for dinner while she listened to the XM radio that came free with her plan. There was a channel that was Mototwn and Stax. Rudy ate his food and then curled up next to Kari on the futon. Tomorrow the furniture would arrive. She needed some groceries too. Stuff other than the pre-packaged crap she'd bought at Wal-Mart. Kari watched a little TV and read Vanity Fair until 11:00. She took Rudy out once more and then they both curled up on the futon and went to sleep.

Kari started her usual morning routine. After taking Rudy out she grabbed her reusable grocery bag and went tot he market. She picked up some fresh fruit, salad stuff, pita bread, and 2 steaks for her new grill. She grabbed some artichoke and spinach dip from the cooler and a bottle of wine. She called Nick on her way home and invited him over for steak tomorrow. He said he would but it would be early because he was meeting a friend for a date. As Kari passed the church, she saw Edith and a couple of other ladies. They came out and greeted her.
"No dog today Kari?" said Edith.
"No, he's at home today. I needed to go to the market"

The other ladies were smiling at her. One was plump and silver haired, the other very thin and frail looking with an awful brown wig.
"See you Sunday"
"See you"
Kari watched as they turned the corner back into the sanctuary then bowed their heads together before looking back her way. Probably gossiping like old ladies do, Kari thought. Kari arrived back home at 9:30 and decided to go down to the basement to organize some things and wash the new sheets.
"Come on Rudy, let's check out the basement"
He galloped behind her always interested in going somewhere. The basement was typical; dark and a bit musty smelling. It was divided into 2 sides one for each flat and the other flat was unoccupied. Kari made her way to her side. She took the sheets from the laundry chute and placed them in the washer with detergent and softener. She moved some of the boxes over into the far corner. She noticed that the wall on the right didn't go back as far as the left side, which had an alcove that contained the water meters. Using the mini flashlight on her keychain she peered around the corner to find a hidden room! It was lined with shelves that once contained canning jars and there were still a couple of them there. They looked like they had cinnamon sticks and yarn in one, and herbs of some sort in another. Another small jar had a white substance that looked like rock salt in it. On the bottom of the shelves was a box. Kari had always had a curious nature so she couldn't resist looking inside. It was full of old fashioned dresses! They were all cotton and in different colors. They looked like they were about her size. She took a green one and held it up to herself, switched the washer to delicate cycle put them in the washer. Hopefully they wouldn't disintegrate. They looked old perhaps from the 1930's. This was so exciting! She ran back upstairs to set up things for the delivery of her furniture. She folded the futon and put it in the spare room. Nick wasn't using it right now and then he'd have his own room to stay in when visiting. She put her green lava lamp in there too, and added an old comforter from college. Everything was ready for the furniture. She yawned. She had gotten up so early this morning. The delivery would be anytime between 9 and 3 p.m.. It was now 11:00 and Kari felt sleepy. She called Rudy and they cuddled on the futon. Soon she was asleep.

Adi needed to protect herself. She went into the basement. Their magic was very strong and she was fearful. When first moving to the city from Kentucky she was amazed to find that folks didn't know anything about herbs, magic or spells. They told her it was superstition. She knew the power that could be used. Adi's mother had been a magic woman in the community and had taught her daughter to do the same. Adi had grown up knowing there is such a thing as evil and there were things to do to protect yourself; Her husband Henry had been promised to another girl when they were both 6. He had grown up in the same town. Hazel, his betrothed was a magic woman just like her mother. She had knowledge in herbs and spells. But Henry discovered that she used her power to control others. She was cruel and spiteful. He knew he could never marry a woman like her. One night at a dance held in the next town, Henry was introduced to Adelaide. He was instantly smitten. She was sweet, kind, and loving. He knew that she was from another "magic" family. They met several other times and soon it was obvious they were in love. Henry tried to do the right thing. He contacted Hazel's family to ask for permission to break their engagement. After all they were only children when this happened. Hazel's mother was inclined to agree but Hazel was enraged. She had set her sights on Henry and would accept no changes. She told him that she would curse him if he broke it off. Henry told her this exactly why he was breaking it off and left. Immediately, Henry asked for Adi's hand in marriage. Her parents gave their permission but with hesitation because of Hazel's anger. Henry contacted his cousin in Detroit. He asked if there was a job working for Ford available. He was told that something could be arranged and to start packing. There were a lot of nice apartments to stay in too. It was all set. They had the wedding and Adi's mother had placed a great number of protection spells on the couple. They had their satchels of herbs around their necks. They took off for Detroit on the train the next day. They arrived and Henry's cousin William showed them a place to rent. They spoke to the landlady and put down the deposit. The flat was furnished and very near a church and park. Then Henry went to Ford's to apply for a position. Being that he was highly recommended by William they hired him right away. Everything was set! Adi bought some fabric and made a dress and new shirt for Henry. She looked for work as a seamstress and was hired a few days later by a French family that owned a store in town. She would assist in sewing and do repair work a few days a week, so that the owner’s wife could have some time off with their 4 children. They seemed to be very nice hardworking folks. Adi and Henry settled into a comfortable new life together. Then Henry began to get sick. He was plagued by headache; blindingly painful that made him nauseous. Adi tried to soothe him with cool compresses and darkened rooms, but the pain never abated. She sent word to her mother and a week later received a reply that Hazel was up to no good and telling everyone that would listen that Henry would pay for breaking their engagement. Her mother continued her job as a seamstress and Monsieur LeBeau increased her hours so that she could have enough money to live on. She had found herself with child as well. No one else knew about this yet. They had only lived in their new village for 6 months and she was 3 months along now. She confided in the ladies at church. They were thrilled for her and began to help out by knitting and sewing things for the baby. They planned on helping with the care of her, as they were certain she would have a girl, so that Adi could work. The months passed and it was Christmas. She had sent word to her mother about the arrival of her baby, but she’d had no reply. Her baby was due in 4 weeks. A cradle was placed near her bed and one of the ladies had donated a rocking chair as well. She began to feel very frightened now for the first time since the death of Henry. How could she care for this little baby all by herself? She had sent word to her mother but hadn’t heard anything back in 4 months. She had begun to have fitful dreams all of them were of her looking for her baby. She couldn’t find her baby anywhere. As she drifted off to sleep she heard Henry call out her “Get away from them Adi. They mean to kill our baby.” This jarred her awake suddenly. She had never had such a strong message before. She cautiously went downstairs to the cellar. She went to the storage room and got the salt. She put the salt in all of the doorways and in a circle around her bed. She climbed into the bed and began to cry. She heard a scratching noise at the doorway. She held her bag of herbs close and trembled. The doll of herself and the doll of her baby were hidden beneath the floorboards covered in salt and the pouch from the ladies. She had cut a square of fabric from her old dress and a bit from one of the baby blankets for the baby. Since the baby wasn’t here yet she didn’t have a bit of hair or fingernail. Adi heard the door opening downstairs and heard Mary call up.
“I thought I’d drop in to see how you’re doing. Are you okay my dear?”
“Oh Mary, I’m so frightened. I had a dream that Henry told me someone meant to kill our baby, and heard scratching.”
It sounds like something is trying to scare you. We’ll pray my dear.
“Mighty Spirit, please protect our dear Adi and her little one. As you are in control of all of the sisterhood, we ask a blessing on this sister. Let no man take power from her and strengthen her for the task before her.”
Mary made some tea for Adi and soon she had drifted off to a deep sleep.

Kari woke up with a start. That had been some dream. It was so lifelike, almost like watching a movie. She washed her face in cold water and made some coffee. She seemed to be mixing up the book she was reading with the church ladies and she wondered what she had eaten to give her such weird dreams. Kari looked at the clock and was surprised to find only 45 minutes had passed.
She and Rudy went down to the basement to check on the clothes. The dresses were intact! She took them out to the back balcony and hung them on the drying rack. They had survived the washer but since they looked like cotton she didn’t dare try the dryer. She had a quick lunch of chicken and rice soup and made some coffee. The furniture arrived at 2:30 and she had the delivery men put the furniture in the rooms. She tipped them handsomely and they thanked her. She went into whirlwind mode. She made the bed with the new sheets, put up the last of the decorating items in the living room, set up her dresser with her clothes and before she knew it, it was time to start dinner. She started the grill and cut the pita into quarters. She fired up the oven and mixed olive oil and minced garlic and brushed it on the pita on both sides. She put them on a cookie sheet and baked them for 20 minutes.
After they were done she cooled them on a rack and made the salad. Then she seasoned the steaks and put them on the grill. Nick would be there in 10 minutes as he was very prompt. She set the table and placed the pita chips around a bowl filled with the artichoke dip. Soon Nick let himself in with his key.
“HI Kari! I’m starving”
“Help yourself to the pitas and dip”
“Yum”
Kari pulled the steaks off the grill and they were medium rare and perfectly seasoned with cracked pepper, sea salt and garlic.
“So tell me about this guy” Kari said as she rounded the dining room corner with the steaks steaming on the platter.
“His name is Marc. I met him at the gym. He’s a reporter for the Free Press and a part time psychic”
Nick was a personal trainer at a local gym. He also taught karate.
“Really? That is so interesting! Is he cute?”
“Well I think so. He has dark hair and green eyes. I’m meeting him at the coffee shop at the end of your street. He’s from this neighborhood originally. When I told him where you lived he knew right where it was. I’d like you to come down and meet him”
“On your first date? Are you kidding?”
”It’s casual. I’m kind of just getting to know him.”
“Oh I almost forgot! I have to show you what I found!”
Kari took Nick back to the balcony after they finished their dinner.
“Aren’t these cool?”
“Wow, those are vintage huh?”
“They were in the basement. I’m going to wear one to church tomorrow”
“Church Kari, are you kidding me”
“It’s not like Mom and Dad’s church. It’s run by little old ladies and apparently they’re very casual. I’m going with a open mind, just to check it out”
“Okay” said Nick, as he looked over the pink dress. “but you’d better not wear this one, there’s a hole in it. It looks like it was cut out”
Kari stared in disbelief. “Oh my God, It’s just like my dream!”
Kari told Nick all about her dream. His mouth dropped in surprise.
“You should tell Marc about this. Maybe it means something”
Kari loaded the dishwasher while Nick took Rudy out for his bathroom break.
Kari then filled his water and food dishes.
“We need to go now Kari” said Nick and they began the walk down into town.
“This kind of has me spooked, y’know?”
“Yeah, but I’m sure it’s nothing” They rounded the corner and there sat a gorgeous man. 6’ tall, well built, dark short cropped hair and green eyes that sparkled.
“HI there” called Marc
“Are we late? said Nick
“No, I’m compulsively early for everything” chuckled Marc as he sipped his coffee.
“Marc, this is Kari, my sister”
“Nice to meet you” smiled Kari
The waiter arrived and took their orders. The both had cappuccino.
Nick filled Marc in on Kari’s dream and the dresses.
“It sounds to me like you may be sensitive yourself, a little psychic perhaps?
“I’ve never had anything like this happen before”
“You’ve never come across old dresses in your basement before have you? Some people leave a very strong energy in their belongings and those of us tat are at all sensitive can often pick up on it. Since you don’t consciously realize it, your unconscious mind helped you to see it while you were asleep.” Marc calmly stated.
“Should I be worried about ghosts or anything?”
“Not necessarily. Have strange things been going on?”
“Nothing other then the dream, but I’ve only been there a few days.
“Ill come by next week and take a look around. Maybe I can pick up something that will give you some insight”
“That would be great Marc”
“No problem”
“Is there anything I can do to keep from feeling scared”
“Do you have any religious beliefs?”
“Nothing major”
“Just rely on your belief in yourself and your higher power. Pray or seek guidance from someone in the religious realm if you feel scared”
“Thanks so much Marc. Bye Nick.” Kari said as she kissed Nick on the cheek. She took her coffee and made her way down the street, back to her apartment. She got in her car and drove to a catholic store she had seen in the village. She bought a Jesus and Virgin Mary candle, as well as a Bible. They might giver her some comfort she thought.