For My Mother (Preview) (Patreon)

Intro preview from the next story, For My Mother. Thankfully I've earned a bit of wiggle room, so I can shuffle projects a little bit this month.

"Wandering into the strange knickknack store the young Zoey made her way through the shelves. It was strange that this place seemed to have popped up downtown overnight, but the blonde wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. That was what she was hoping for after all, a gift. As her browsing continued she decided to give a cute little heart necklace a closer look.
“I'd be careful touching things in here,” a woman’s voice startled the blonde, making her jump and immediately turn to the counter.
There sat a buxom redhead, her arms folded over one another as she rested on her elbows. Under the hem of her wide brimmed witch’s hat a pair of golden eyes seemed to pierce not only the shadows, but into Zoey's very being. Like she could read her very thoughts and feelings.
The golden eyed mystery leaned forward, breast flesh spilling through her arms to highlight their sheer size. “Welcome to Madam Materia’s Magical Menagerie,” she smiled, “I am Madam Materia, though for customers just Matty is fine. Something I can help you with?” the witchy woman asked.
The blonde’s own smile was a bit more nervous in nature, as those gold orbs seemed to look right through her. “Just browsing,” she answered, turning back to the shelf, “Trying to find something nice for my mother’s birthday.”
One of Materia’s purple painted nails flinched, though she kept her composure. “You must be very close with your mother for you to have come here to find her something,” she suggested.
What made this place special? Zoey couldn’t help but wonder. The redhead was right; ever since her father left when she was young it had been just her and her mother. Not that it was a bad thing, her mother had done a fine job raising her by herself.
The blonde knew though it really hurt her mother when her dad left, and it was becoming hard for her mom to fill the gap. Now that Zoey was cresting twenty five, and the end of her college run, there was also going to be her own leaving home adding to the problem. Her mother had done so much, spending so much of her life devoted to her daughter, that she barely even had friends to fall back on. The woman that deserved everything was soon going to have nothing.
This was likely going to be her mother’s last birthday with Zoey at home, and it had been a struggle to find something that would really express everything her mom meant to her. Nothing seemed good enough to give someone who gave you everything already.
With a small smirk Matty shimmied her shoulders, watching the contemplation on her guest's face. “Well, let me know if you need help,” she offered, “I know finding the perfect gift for someone who’s always been there for you can be hard.”
It was unnerving how on the nose the witch was. The blonde was getting nowhere on her own though, so she couldn’t deny some help was appreciated. “Did you have something particular in mind?” she asked the peculiar shopkeeper.
The redhead was already on her feet, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she walked over to the shelves. “Hmm, what to give Zoey's mother for her birthday?” she mused aloud.
That was spooky, “I never told you my name,” the hazel eyed blonde pointed out, taking a cautious step back. Was this weird woman some sort of stalker?
Materia just giggled, “You didn’t have to,” she told her, “Mortals are easy to read,” one of her purple painted hands plucked an item from the shelf; a stick about as thick round as a quarter and covered end to end in ancient symbols.
“Mortals?” Zoey asked, confused and scared at this point. This woman had to be off her rocker.
The redhead nodded, “Yes,” she replied calmly, turning those golden eyes onto the blonde once more. “This is a magical Menagerie after all. I don’t use the term for fun,” she teased, taking long steps towards her customer. “We specialize in giving people what quote unquote, real life, fails to offer,” she explained, holding the stick out for the blonde to take.
Of course she was still skeptical, looking at the plain looking rod on offer. “Look, I don’t know what your deal is lady, or how you know so much,” the hazel eyed girl countered, “but I-“
“’m not buyin' it,” Materia finished for her with a smirk. Again the blonde was taken aback, but “That was an easy enough thing to guess what I was going to say,” the witch stole the words from her mouth, making Zoey gasp.
Her hazel eyes wide the girl had to flat out ask, “How?”
And the witchy women of course simply gave the cryptic answer, “Magic,” as her gold eyes met with the blonde’s.
She supposed there was no getting around it. Looking once again at the rune covered twig. “So… What’s this then?” she conceded.
With a grin the redhead placed it in her guest’s hand, “Something that you can use to give your mother everything she deserves,” she explained, “You only need to wrap one of her hairs around the end, and then any wish you make with it will come true for her.”
There was no way. Then again, with all the weirdness Matty had shown her already, she couldn’t deny the possibility. As if to flex on her, as the blonde opened her mouth, the witch cut her off with the answer to her unspoken question.
“Free of charge,” she told the girl, “I love to see the reactions of those who get what they’ve always wished for.”
Nodding Zoey took the rod close to her chest, “Well, thanks,” she offered, turning to leave with the small hope that what the buxom woman was peddling was true.
Offering a wave the Menagerie owner chuckled softly, “It’s my pleasure,” she finished with a grin. " - "For My Mother" by Madam Materia