A Mad Time for Tea

By Stephanie Nichole

Allis has always been a little left of center. A tragedy leaves her nowhere to go but to her uncles in Mystic Hollow. She becomes even more secluded only to find peace at the drive-in movie theater that she owns thanks to her uncle. However, when strange creatures start to appear that she can only hear th

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kingston Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781645334521

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Copyright

A Mad Time for Tea is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A MAD TIME FOR TEA: A NOVEL

Copyright © 2023 by Stephanie Nichole

All rights reserved.

Editing by Pure Grammar Editorial Services

- www.puregrammar.com

Formatting & Cover Design by KP Designs

- www.kpdesignshop.com

Published by Kingston Publishing Company

- www.kingstonpublishing.com

The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Table of Contents

Dedication

Playlist

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Also by the Author

About the Publisher

Dedication

To all those who aren’t afraid to be a little ‘mad’.

"You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret:

All the best people are."- Lewis Carroll

Playlist

Mad Hatter by Avenged Sevenfold

Mad Hatter by Melanie Martinez

Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson

Voices by Motionless in White

White Dress by Halestorm

My Demons by Fight the Fury

Until the World Goes Cold by Trivium

Iris by Goo Goo Dolls

Big Bad Wolf by In This Moment

In the Dark by Ruelle

The Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson

Someone Anyone by Anberlin

Prologue

Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was an unusual girl who dreamed of strange things. Things that would frighten most people but they intrigued this young girl. She always felt as if she never belonged. Her only friends were her parents, but her mother was away on business the majority of the time, leaving her with her father. She never complained because he was a hero in her eyes.

They spent their weekends together reading and fishing along the banks of the river and horseback riding in the open land. At night her father would tuck her into her bed and read her a story in hopes to bring her a peaceful sleep. Despite her father’s best efforts, Allis would end up in strange and twisted lands that she had never read about in her books. She would inspect the world of her dreams, play games, have tea, and make friends. She liked these peculiar places because she felt as if she belonged. It gave her a feeling of acceptance she had never experienced in her small town in Georgia.

In her town, she was the girl who looked like a doll. She was beautiful to look at but never to be touched. With her long chocolate brown hair, pale iridescent-like skin, and stormy blue-gray eyes, she was often told how beautiful she was. Their reactions to her were different than their words. They left her feeling like a discarded porcelain doll. They would coo about her beauty to her face and whisper behind her back. Allis never felt beautiful except for in her father’s eyes. He did everything to protect her from the cruel whispers of the town. The whispers that spoke about her mother and how Allis was an unwanted child, but those whispers would eventually make their way to her little ears, filling her with doubt and leaving her with a cold darkness she wouldn’t be able to understand until years later.

On her twelfth birthday, she came home from school to find a surprise party. Her father scooped her up in his arms and told her how much he loved her. Over his shoulder, she saw her mother. Her beautiful, regal, untouchable mother. Her stormy blue-gray eyes that were a mirror reflection of Allis’ shined with emotion. She walked over and joined Allis and her father, wrapping her arms around them both, she whispered ‘I love you’ into her ear.

Later that night her mother tucked her into her bed and sat with her while Allis read to her mother her favorite book. As her eyes began to drift shut, Allis heard her mother apologize and whisper something in a language she had never heard before. Her mother pulled her against the warmth of her chest with gentle hands, careful not wake her. Slowly, with her mother’s hand behind her neck, she eased her onto the pillow. The next morning, she awoke from her dreamland with a jolt. After dressing for school, she ran down the stairs to greet her parents. However, all she found was her bloodshot-eyed father sitting at the dining room table with a cup of cold coffee in front of him. His shoulders slumped in defeat. Hair amuck, glasses missing, dark circles rimming the bloodshot eyes, yesterday’s clothes wrinkled and in disarray. Daddy?

Allis watched as her father swiped his long, slender fingers under his eyes, wiping away the tears she already knew were there. He looked up from his cup and gave her a small smile. Honey, you want some breakfast? he asked, as he got up from the table and began to move around the kitchen.

Allis strained to hear if any noise from upstairs could be heard, any sign of her mother, but there was nothing, just the cold, hard silence and along with it came the truth that numbed another piece of her heart. Where’s Mom? she asked, in a voice so quiet she was surprised when her dad stopped midstep. He hung his head in disappointment and heartbreak. Two things Allis knew far too much about at her age.

Without turning around, her father replied, She had to leave. His voice broke and it shredded Allis’ heart.

As her heart shattered, an unusual anger formed in the pit of her stomach. On business again? she asked angrily. Her tone biting out into the silence of the house.

Allis, please… her father pleaded, but Allis was tired of her mother disappearing from her life. She was tired of coming in second best to her mother’s work. She was tired of feeling unwanted.

Why do you always cover for her? she demanded. The simmer of anger very much alive in her veins. Feeding off the feeling of hurt and despair.

You don’t understand. Once you’re old enough you will, but not right now. You still have a year to be just a kid, so please take advantage of that and let this go, Allis, he begged, but Allis was stubborn and strong-willed. Fierce and feisty. Determined and independent. A force to reckoned with.

You are so cryptic when she comes around. I don’t get it. It’s like you’re a totally different person after she leaves, she raged on, throwing her hands up in the air. Her father sighed heavily and the tears began to burn the back of her eyes. Weakness. That’s all she could think. Tears were a sign of weakness. She was weak. Her father was weak and that’s why her mother had left. Her mother only cried when she thought no one would know. Before she could even realize it or stop it, a sob had ripped itself from her chest. Her father moved around the kitchen toward her but Allis screamed, No! as she turned around and bolted from the house.

Blindly, Allis runs until she is forced to stop. The sobs growing within her chest. Too much weight to bear. Allis bends over while resting her hands on her knees and trying to gain some control over the sobbing. Her father is close, his presence unwavering as he closes in on her. Lost in the swell of hurt and rage, she willed her feet to move again. To fight back against the burn of her lungs and the protest of her muscles. Allis starts to dart across the street when she hears her name being called from behind. Something in his voice pulls her back. When she turns around all she sees is a glimpse of a sleek black car. No time to react, no time to move, but suddenly she is pushed to the side as a sickening thud fills the quiet, early morning street.

As Allis pulls herself up to her knees, she turns around to find her father lying on the pavement, lifeless eyes staring into the sky and blood covering his body and the ground around him. She screamed and screamed until someone heard her pleas and called for help but it was too late. Her father was gone and so the last piece of Allis’ heart had been numbed.

One

Allis

Once upon a time, I had thought I was normal. I had thought I was just like every other little girl in the world. Then my mother disappeared, my father was killed, and my entire world was ripped away. I was sent to live with my father’s brother, Hutton. No one knew where my mother was and she had no family that anyone knew of, so the burden of me was left on his shoulders. My determined, business-minded, bachelor uncle. He packed up his life and bought a house, no scratch that, more like a mansion, in Mystic Hollow, Oregon. It’s just outside of Portland and with all of the small-town charm it’s easy to see why he chose it. But Mystic Hollow is not your normal small town, no it has secrets, lots of them. I should know since I’m one of them.

Now, I’m pretty sure my uncle doesn’t know about my differences as I like to refer to them. I assume they come from my mysterious mother since my dad and uncle both seem pretty normal. I know that if Hutton found out about my differences, he would still love me because that’s who he is. He uprooted his life to finish raising a child he normally only saw on holidays, at best. He took me in and showered me with affection and attention. He made sure that I knew I was wanted. Despite all of this, though, I keep my differences to myself except for when another unusual citizen of Mystic Hollow figures me out.

This town is full of unusual creatures. Angels, Shifters, Vampires, Werewolves, Hellhounds, Witches of all kinds, and then there’s me. I don’t fit into any of the above categories. Well, that’s not totally true, I do sort of fit into one of them but that’s not important right now. I sit up in my king-size bed that my uncle insisted on buying me, and stare at the dark walls of my room while I try to remember the strange dream I just woke from. I rub at the ache in the back of my neck and trace the outline of the keyhole in my skin. Cringing as my finger feels around the hollow of it. Goosebumps sweep over my skin despite the fact I’m burning up. I don’t know why it’s there or how it got there. It just showed up the day after my thirteenth birthday. Throughout the years, I have figured out that certain keys fit into it, but it wasn’t until a year ago that I realized that it actually worked like a keyhole.

A boy, a striking, beautiful boy I met in one of my dreams slipped a key in and turned the lock. The following day the boy was enrolled in my school. At first, I thought I was losing my mind but then he came up and thanked me. I have no clue how any of it works but he wasn’t the last one I let join this part of the world by using the keyhole. I keep it hidden the best I can because I mean, who can explain a hole in their skin in the shape of an old-fashioned keyhole?

I climb out of the bed and make my way to the windows and pull my eggplant purple curtains back. The sunlight comes blaring through, giving light to my dark room. I stare out the window to the trees of the woods that surround my sleepy, small town. My mind drifts to the last images of my dad, forever burned into my mind. They aren’t exactly the images you hope to hold close but somehow, as everything else fades away, those remain. With my seventeenth birthday tomorrow I knew this was bound to happen. It’s a reoccurrence I can’t avoid and no matter what I can’t prepare for it. I also know that when I go downstairs for breakfast before heading to school, I will find Hutton cooking away and birthday cake waiting on the table... My name will simply be written across since I’ve told him every year that I don’t do birthdays anymore. He still makes sure that I have one, although, he respects my decision and gives me my cake and gift the day before my actual birthday. I have no clue what to expect this year since last year he gifted me a new solid black Camaro. Black paint on the outside, solid black leather on the inside and black tinted windows. It suited me well, but I did try to give it back to him. The gift was amazing but over the top and not necessary. My uncle Hutton has already given me so much in life. He uprooted his entire career and life in the city to move to Mystic Hollow and be my guardian. He’s always done it with a smile on his face and kind words to boot.

I have a very distinct style, one that stands out from most in Mystic Hollow. I’m a bit of a rocker chick, a bit of a Goth some say. Either way, I like my rock music loud and I like my clothes black and different and maybe that scares some, but not me. It’s not my place to have to conform to make everyone else comfortable. With that thought, I head into my closet to pick out my clothes for the day. It’s starting to warm up again after our unusually, bone chilling, cold winter. I grab a black leather mini skirt, black stockings with skull embellishments, and a violet long-sleeved purple shirt with corset type laces going up each side. Once I’m dressed, I grab my black, wedge booties before tying my black ribbon choker around my neck. My choker is both a fashion statement and a way to conceal the keyhole. I always make sure to try and leave my hair down as much as possible. After applying my mascara and eyeliner I grab my backpack and head downstairs.

The house is quiet as I make my way down the grand staircase in the middle of our house. The left wing is my uncle’s and the right wing is mine. Hutton doesn’t like to hover, which I appreciate. For the most part, I’ve never given him much reason to worry and also it does make keeping my unique differences from him easier. The smell of bacon and eggs fills the entire bottom floor and as I enter the kitchen, I see my uncle Hutton standing at the stove, just as I predicted. He’s got a phone perched between his ear and shoulder and he’s talking angrily into it. He’s in business mode right now. His shoulders tense. Hutton’s already dressed for work in black dress pants, shiny black dress shoes, and a lavender dress shirt which he has rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. His tie is multi shades of purple and thrown over his other shoulder. The only thing that sticks out is the black and white apron he’s wearing over his clothes. It depicts the tea party from Alice in Wonderland. It was the last birthday gift my dad had gotten me. I’m not sure why, considering I’ve never even seen the movie, original or live-action version. Hutton kept ruining his work shirts with his insistence of cooking breakfast, so I dug out the apron and gave it to him. When Hutton notices me, he smiles and ends his phone call.

Busy day in the business world? I ask.

He chuckles. Always. How’d you sleep? I nod in reply while I pour myself a glass of orange juice. His ash-blond hair is styled perfectly, short on the side, long on the top, and slicked back. His face clean shaven and his brown eyes hint of intelligence that is undeniable. As I turn around and make my way to the breakfast nook in the kitchen, I see the non-birthday cake sitting on the table, again just like I predicted. Purple and black with a skull and crossbones and my name written across the top. Hutton steps up behind me and places our plates on either side then wraps an arm around my shoulders. Let’s eat.

We sit in silence for a bit while we eat. Hutton reads the newspaper while I read from my kindle app on my phone. Once we’re finished, I collect our dishes and place them in the dishwasher. When I head back to the table to collect my backpack I see a packet of papers lying on my side. I give Hutton a curious look and his smile widens. This is your birthday present. As I look over the packet I’m in shock. I can’t believe my eyes. I know how much the drive-in means to you, so I purchased it when it went up for sale a few months ago. Technically, it belongs to you but you can’t legally do anything with it until you’re eighteen. I’ll sign all the papers until then but all the decisions are yours.

Emotion crawls up my throat, clawing to get out. Trying to swallow past it is painful. Hutton, I say quietly, still speechless by his gesture. I don’t know what to say.

You don’t have to say anything, Allis. Hutton stands up and pulls me into his arms. I listen to the steady drum of his heart,