Voodoo by Samantha Boyette

sat snuggled up against Stephen, feeling totally content in the moment. Because we happened to be traveling in the same direction as the wind, the air in the basket was peaceful and still. I was disappointed when the pilot stopped the engines and began slowly releasing the hot air.
    The balloon gently descended towards the earth. I risked looking out over the side again and saw we were headed for a balloon field similar to the one we had just left. There were only five other balloons below though. The earth seemed to be coming up far too quickly, but when we did hit there was only a gentle bump. The land crew tied up the ropes and the pilot lit the burner again to keep the balloon inflated for the next flight. We were ushered out of the basket before the balloon gained any more lift.
    “That was amazing,” I said as we walked off the field.
    “Best way to travel,” Stephen said. “Now, back to business.” He waved over an attendant and subtly handed him a coin. “Has a red haired woman and her crew been through here?” Stephen asked quietly.
    The man glanced around before leaning in to answer. “Early this morning,” he said in a hushed tone. “You'll find them in the old church on Main.” He tipped his hat to Stephen and hurried off.
    “Have you been here before?” I asked Stephen as we walked.
    “I'm not sure,” Stephen frowned. “It seems familiar though. We should have gotten a ride with that woman and her kids. There aren't going to be taxis like in Crescent.”
    “We can walk,” I said, unwilling to admit how nervous I was to see Clea in person. I took his hand and we began to follow the dusty road toward the city in the distance.
    “Were you and your sister close?” Stephen asked.
    “Not really,” I admitted. “We fought constantly. We used to be close when we were little. I don't know what changed.” That wasn't true; I knew what had changed. All of a sudden as we got older we were competing for everything: friends, boys, clothes.
    “Hannah and I fought,” Stephen said. “But at the end of the day she was my little sister. I would have stood with her against anyone.”
    “Yeah.” I nodded absently. I wasn't sure if that would be true about Claire and me.
    “You just have to remind her you are family,” Stephen said. “I mean if you can't count on your family to be there through everything, who can you count on?” I smiled and leaned into him, glad he had found me.
    “I would have been lost without you,” I said. “I never would have found Claire.”
    “Well I never would have gotten Hannah's soul back without you, so I guess we’re even,” Stephen said. He shook his head. “I still can't believe you took that chance.”
    “I thought I was going to be able to really play him,” I said. “I wasn't expecting a straight game like that.” Somewhere behind me a clopping noise was growing louder.
    “Still, it was amazing,” Stephen said.
    I stopped and looked over my shoulder. Behind us a horse and cart was drawing nearer. Stephen and I moved to walk along the side of the room, making room for the horse to pass. As the horse drew near, the woman driving pulled the horse to a stop. She was an older woman with a gray bun at the nape of her neck and tan, weather-worn skin. She smiled.
    “You two want a ride into town?”
    I looked at Stephen. “Sure,” he said. “Thanks.”
    “Not a problem,” the woman said. “Too far to walk on a day like this. Hop on the back.”
    Stephen and I went and sat on the back of the cart. “Okay,” Stephen called and the cart began to move again.

    9.

    We hopped off the cart at the city limits. The place didn't seem habitable; rubble littered the streets from half-collapsed buildings. Sections of the street were raised a few inches above the next, some at a sharp angle. Trees and other plant life had begun to take over the city, growing from the cracks in the road and on top of the rubble. A small girl stood watching us, fingers in her mouth,