BRUJA

by

Cindy Rosmus

          “Shhh,” Jessie said. “Someone might hear you, baby.”

          For spite, Hector rattled the keys louder. “I live here, don’t I?”

          Not for much longer, Jessie thought, smiling. Soon he’d be all hers. No more bruja wife, in their way. A pit stop here, to get all his shit, and they’d be off.

           His key didn’t work. “What the . . .” he said.

          Jessie got closer. “You don’t think . . .”

          “She changed the locks? Bitch knows better.”

          Jessie shivered, deliciously. What a temper! Hector was a bad boy who never grew up. Lean, and mean, with a dick that just never quit! Like, on their way over here…

          Shocked, Hector stared at the locked door.

          Suddenly he attacked it, fists pounding, like he’d break it down.

          “Hector!” Jessie said. But, as early as it was, no neighbors came out.

          The door opened by itself.

          He shook off her arm, pulled out his cell.

Inside the apartment, the phone rang once, twice. Six times, before voice mail picked up. Liliana, the bruja wife.

Jessie cringed. Hearing that voice—even on a machine—made her so jealous.

 “Liliana is a witch,” Hector had told Jessie. “With a witch’s cat. Bruja, its name is.” He shuddered. “My wife’s into weird shit. Claims she put a love spell on me.”

“Did she?”

“Fuck, no!” He seemed amused. “Hot as she is?”

Jessie really hated her, now.

“But she makes shit happen.” Hector actually looked scared. “Says she can send her . . . soul . . . all over.”

Jessie felt a chill.

“And that cat . . .” Hector shook his head. “Sometimes . . . she says they switch places.”

Right now, Jessie wasn’t thinking about cats, or spells. She wanted him inside, packing his stuff. His, and anything of that witchy wife’s worth hocking.

Instead, he was calling her. Sweat beaded on his face as he waited for an answer. “She should be at work.”

Jessie shoved the door open, and went inside. Hector lagged behind.

What a sty. Like someone had already ransacked it and walked off with the good stuff.  But . . . “It always looks this way,” he said.

On the wall was a framed photo . . . of them.

Jessie stiffened. Hector’s smirk said he wished he were with Jessie. But Liliana looked like she had Hector wrapped. A bottled blonde, she was, but beautiful, green-eyed. Sensual enough to keep the man she loved. Her smug half-smile said she had it all.

 Love spell, my ass, Jessie thought.

On the living room windowsill, the cat lounged.

“Stay away from her,” Hector warned, on his way into the bedroom.

“She might scratch?” Jessie said, but he didn’t hear her.

The cat was a gray and white, long-haired, with green eyes that held Jessie’s. Its mouth looked crooked, unlike your typical cat’s. Even from across the room, Bruja’s expression intrigued her.

Jessie had never been a cat-person. She didn’t even like kittens.  But there was something special about this one that made her creep closer. Despite Hector’s warning, Jessie was dying to pet it.

Timidly, she reached out.

They were face-to-face when she realized why Bruja was special. Bruja had Liliana’s smug half-smile.

But Bruja’s vanished.

THE END