Under My Hat

Episode 11

An Upscale Store

As Sonja neared the corner of Cauldron Court and Batwing Boulevard, she noticed a two-story dress shoppe. The sign read “Under My Hat” which Sonja decided was a catchy name. Exotic ball gowns filled the windows while jewelry, hats and lingerie filled the first floor. The owner of the shop was a very pretty blonde that resembled Kim Novak when she played the witch in Bell, Book and Candle. “I won’t find anything here that is on the list”, Sonja said to herself and started to turn toward the front door. Suddenly she noticed the stairs to the second floor. Climbing the stairs, first she noticed a fabulous display of fans. Next she observed a fashion show on going with a butler resembling Igor serving drinks and hors doeuvres.

Sonja sat down to view the dresses being modeled. As she sat back in her seat, she noticed that masks lined the walls. “Oh is there a jester’s mask?” she wondered. When she asked about it, the sales person replied, “I think I saw one upstairs on the roof in The Rack which is our sale department. If we have one, that’s where it will be.” Sonja couldn’t get there fast enough to see the mask in the hands of an admiring witch. Sonja screamed, “I have to have that” as she grabbed it out of the witch’s hands. I need it so Igor will help me return to my home town.” The witch from whom Sonja had grabbed the mask was not very happy but hearing Sonja’s story decided to give her the mask rather than fight over it any longer.

Sonja was ecstatic as she paid for the mask, put it in her shopping bag and headed out the door. Lost in her own thoughts, she again failed to notice Junior lurking about. Neither did she see the witch about to enter the shop through the side door with her pet spider on leash nor the spider wearing the fancy witch’s hat coming in the front door.

Sonja, now having some hope, had a smile on her face for the first time since she could remember as she turned the corner onto Batwing Boulevard. The first store on the block was Ruby’s Slippers.

EPISODE ONE

How it all began...

It was a strange Halloween day in San Francisco. The tule fog was so thick upon the ground that one could not see to the corner of the block.

True to the post-office motto, the mail carriers left the sorting station with their arms heavily loaded to deliver the day's mail. Sonja's mail cart was unusually heavy this morning. She huffed and puffed a little as she pushed it and began her delivery route. She smiled as she passed the Little Red Schoolhouse where the children, all in costume, were having the traditional Halloween parade, marching in a circle around their teacher dressed as the wicked witch.

After delivering to the first block on her route, she came to the block she disliked above all the others. Each house had 16-20 stairs to climb to deliver the bills, ads and small packages for each postal customer. Dutifully, Sonja climbed the stairs of the first two dwellings but as she turned to descend the stairs of the second house, a dog barked and she lost her footing tumbling down the stairs and landing hard on the cement sidewalk. Immediately, she fell into a state of unconsciousness. Hidden by the fog shroud, she was not visible to her co-workers or travelers on the street.

Sometime later, Sonja awoke to feel a sharp pain in the side of her head. Fortunately, she had no broken bones, so carefully, she began first to sit upright and finally to stand. So thick was the fog that she could see nothing of her surroundings. She could not see where to go! Sonja noticed that she was no longer wearing her uniform! Instead her attire consisted of jeans, a black turtle neck sweater and a beautiful silver necklace with a large attached heart. The worst thing of all was that her mail cart was missing. She could be fired for this loss. Sonja began to feel panic in the pit of her stomach. How long was she out? Where should she go and what should she do?

Slowly, she turned her sore head to the left side and felt some pangs of relief when she saw the hint of a light through the fog. She started walking toward it. She walked and walked. Again she began to panic, for she felt she was walking, but making no progress. Sonja was about to turn around when she noticed the tunnel. It seemed as though the light was brighter at the tunnel's end so she proceeded in that direction. Onward she walked with her eyes wide open, her head hurting and her heart pounding.

As she stepped through the distant opening of the portal, she could not believe what lay before her eyes. The fog had receded somewhat and she was able to read a sign which read, "Welcome to Spirit Hill Square- the Finest of shopping for witches, wizards, mystics and those with psychic leanings."

Shaking and suddenly very scared, Sonja saw a postal person riding a bicycle. She yelled out "Can you help me? I'm lost and can't seem to find my postal route. I'm from San Francisco, California. You know the Golden Gate to the Golden State!"

The postal delivery person looked at Sonja very strangely for he had never heard of San Francisco or California. However, genuinely wanting to help Sonja, he replied, "If you come with me on my route through the square, I will introduce you to the shop keepers and one of them should be able to help you find your way."

"Hop on the back of my bike. You look a little shaky. By the way, what's your name?" Rousting up all her bravado, she said, "My name is Sonja. What is yours?" She got on the back of the bike while he told her that his name was Lebec and that he was new on this route. Off they went: he to deliver the mail, she to find a way home.