The Witch's Market by Mingmei Yip

sleep on the ground.
    â€œI need to get back.”
    â€œStay, so we can exchange knowledge,” Cecily said matter-of-factly.
    â€œKnowledge of what?”
    â€œWitchcraft, of course. Where do you live?”
    â€œThe Maiden Fortress.” Somehow I didn’t have the heart to use the castle’s other name, fearing that I might divulge some secret tragedy.
    Cecily scoffed. “You mean the Heartbreak Castle? I figured. Lucky girl, how do you know the owner?”
    I told them what had happened and that Alfredo Alfrenso was still basically a stranger to me.
    â€œHe is a stranger to everyone.” Cecily’s statement came as a surprise.
    â€œYou know him?’
    â€œHa, everyone knows him, but he doesn’t know anyone!”
    I didn’t know how to respond to this, so I changed the subject. “Why do you live so close to Alfrenso’s castle?”
    â€œMaybe I’ll tell you later. When the time is right.”
    I repeated my intention to leave and this time they made no effort to dissuade me but invited me to visit again anytime I wanted.
    â€œAnyway, maybe we’ll see each other at the Witches’ Market. I am sure it is our destiny to meet. You can teach us some of your Chinese witchcraft,” Cecily added.
    Both Angie and Mimi chimed in as they waved good-bye. “Yes, teach us Chinese witchcraft!”
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    The next day I slept restlessly, dreaming of being trapped in a deep, dark hole. I woke up quite late. I wondered if I was turning into a night person. It seemed that I was still tired from the ritual with the witches in Cecily’s underground home. Instead of going to the kitchen for breakfast, I stayed in my room to write down my encounter with the witches while it was still fresh in my mind. Just when I finished writing, there was a quiet knock on the door. I called for Maria to come in.
    Once she entered my room, Maria said, “Señor Alfrenso has returned early and will have a big party this evening. He hopes you will join him and his guests at the ball. I didn’t want to wake you before since you were so soundly asleep. But señor says that his guests will be very pleased to meet his beautiful young lady from America.”
    â€œA ball? But I don’t have a decent dress to wear!”
    â€œNo worry. We have many dresses here. Come and I will show you.”
    I followed the housekeeper down long corridors, past cavernous empty rooms, and around corners until I had no idea where I was. We finally entered a small room that clearly served as a wardrobe. One wall was covered with drawers and shelves, the others had long racks from which hung a multitude of gowns and dresses. Except in a department store, I had never seen such a large assembly of women’s clothes in my life. And in the home of a bachelor. I was already confused by all the twists and turns that had brought us to this section of the castle and began to have a headache.
    As I massaged my temples, Maria pulled open a huge closet revealing row upon row of silk evening gowns in a rainbow of colors, trimmed with lace and adorned with beads, pearls, and sequins. Styles varied: sleeveless, off the shoulder, plunging neckline, bare back, bare midriff.
    Tucked into cubbyholes were matching accessories such as shawls, handbags, and shoes. There was no jewelry to be seen, which I guessed was because it was locked away somewhere.
    Of course I was dying to know whose clothes these were, so I asked Maria, “Did these belong to Señora Alfrenso?”
    Maria avoided my question, and instead said, “You can choose whatever you want to wear for the evening.”
    The immense collection of clothes made me more eager than ever to find out more about Alfredo’s wife. Hoping to get Maria to tell me more about her master’s wife, I said, “She must have been very beautiful and had many parties to wear all these gowns.”
    Maria’s only reply was, “Yes, very