Esther left AnnMarie at the table, and walked back out onto the porch, where Peter was awkwardly waiting.
"She doesn't want you to go in." Esther said.
"Uh, oh." Peter said, his brow creasing.
"It's nothing personal." Esther clarified. "It's… for your own protection."
"From the curse?" He asked.
Esther nodded.
"Yes. From the curse."
"Understandable." He said. "But is it really so bad that I can't… that I can't even meet her? Even just once?"
"I can't really say." Esther said. "She won't hardly talk about it. Even bringing up the topic seems to set her off. But she seems to want to show… an abundance of caution."
"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter where we talk." Peter said. "Since I was still in town I thought I'd come by and tell you in person what I found out."
"What did you find out?" Esther asked.
Peter slipped his hands into his pants pocket, and fished out a small, folded piece of paper. He handed it over to Esther, and she unfolded it and glanced over the neat handwriting that she knew to be his.
"It's an address… in Tennesee?"
She looked up at him expectantly.
"It's the location of a Magick shop." He said. "With real witches, of course. I vetted everything. I think they're probably your best bet for getting more in depth information about breaking a curse of this strength."
Esther frowned down at the paper.
"Are you sure they'll be willing to help? I've heard that witches can be fairly secretive. What do you know about them?"
"Not much." Peter admitted. "I remember I tried to interview them a few years back, but they, quite understandably, didn't want to speak to any kind of Christian religious authority. I only really know for sure that they're siblings and they own a store at that location."
Esther sighed.
"It's worth looking into. I mean, if you don't have any other ideas, then I certainly don't. Thanks helping me out."
"No problem!" He chirped. "That's what friends are for!"
Esther felt flustered, and was suddenly glad she couldn't blush in any meaningful capacity.
"Uh— thanks again." She said, somewhat awkwardly. "I'll call you later."
"No problem! See you around!"
‐-------------------------
When Esther made it back inside, AnnMarie had stopped crying, but her face was still a Iittle red around the nose and eyes, and her cheeks seemed puffy. She held a puzzle piece glumpy, just sort of flipping it around in between her fingers as her mind seemed to drift into solem vagueness.
If she wasn't careful, Esther knew bringing up the curse would only make her shut even further. She would have to approach the conversation carefully.
Esther cleared her throat.
"How would you feel about driving to Tennessee?"
AnnMarie raised her head, and blinked up at her, seeming to enter back into reality once more.
"Are you asking me if I think it's something I could do, or are you inviting me to do something?"
"Well, both, I guess." Esther said. "I think it would be fun to go, but I wanted to know if you'd be comfortable driving us there, since I wouldn't be able to."
AnnMarie seemed to perk up the slightest bit, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards.
"You can't drive?" She asked.
"No."
"Even after two centuries?" AnnMarie quietly teased.
Esther smiled back.
"I prefer to walk. It passes more time. And to be fair, for almost the whole first century, there weren't even cars around yet."
"Fair. So what's in Tennessee that you want to go see?" AnnMarie asked. "I know you said that's where you were born."
.
"Uh, well, you see." Esther bit her lip "That's the thing. I really don't want you to be upset with me... "
AnnMarie’s tiny smile faded from her face.
"Upset? Upset about what?"
"Well, you see—" Esther started. "I have this friend. He's a priest who studies the occult and the paranormal. Well, I sort of mentioned your situation to him to get his opinion—"
Esther paused to gauge her reaction, but AnnMarie remained very quiet, her eyes still focused on the puzzle piece she twisted between her fingers.
"He told me that there may be someone in Tennessee who can help you." She continued. "What do you think?"
AnnMarie let the puzzle piece clatter onto the table.
"That's very thoughtful." She said in a small, still voice. "But I… well, I think it's hopeless."
Esther let a moment of quiet pass between them.
"Hopeless?"
"Yes." AnnMarie said. "The curse has been in my family for as many generations as I can remember. I would think someone would have broken it by now if it could be done."
"Annie…"
"I mean, what makes me so different than the rest of them that I could achieve a different fate? I'm probably the worst of all of them. I'm so far separated from the original magic that I don't know wha the point of even trying is."
There was look of content resignation on her face that told Esther she was already sure of how her life would play out. She was expecting to spend the rest of her life completely isolated from the oustide world. Completely alone. She had accepted it.
Esther knew that look well.
She didn't want to try for a better life. It didn't seem worth it to her. She just wanted to avoid pain.
"You don’t even want to try?" Esther said. Her voice came out strangely strained, tinged with sadness. It was a feeling she wasn't used to.
Annie blinked up at the sound of it, her lips parting slightly.
"Oh, I mean. Yes. I guess you're right. I should at least try." She said. She gave her a smile, but it seemed forced. "I don't mind at least trying, if I'm with you."
Esther gave her a small smile. "Okay. Should I go ahead and make plans then?"
"Sure." AnnMarie said. "I'll call my boss and see about getting some time off."
"Sounds good."
Esther watched her quietly as she left the kitchen.
Esther didn't know what compelled her to do whatever it took to help AnnMarie break the curse. Part of her thought maybe it was just another way for her to ignore her own problems. It wouldn't have been out of character.
However, there was another part of her that considered an insidious obsession was strating to form. That soon, she would be forcing her own desires onto AnnMarie no matter how selfish they were. No matter how much they harmed her.
She didn't want to fall jnto that again.
She didn't want the same thing to happen to AnnMarie that happened to Lucy.