Barbara — Devil

Barbara, or “Barb” to the few who dared use the nickname, was a slight woman with iron-gray hair and the posture of a question mark. She ran the town’s only taxidermy shop, “Stuffed Memories,” and she was a master of her grotesque craft. A raccoon frozen mid-snarl in her front window greeted visitors. A bass the size of a kindergartner hung on the wall, its glass eye catching the light with unnerving accuracy.

Not to punish.

Cole laughed. “The old witch? Get out of here, you crazy bitch.” barbara devil

“The bargain is already made,” Barbara said. “Not with me. With every living thing you’ve ever broken.” Barbara, or “Barb” to the few who dared