by Jennifer Skogen
Oh, no need to thank me, I always make too much zucchini bread. Happy to share! You can return the plate any time.
You know, we were all just thrilled to hear that a family was moving in–and you have a little girl! Twelve years old, right? What a coincidence! No, nothing really, it’s just…of course you’ve heard the story. About the girl who used to live here? Little Hannah?
Yes, it had been on the market for a while. What was it, four, five years it was listed before it finally sold? Eight years, really? How time flies! But I assure you there’s nothing wrong with the house, I’d know. I’ve lived next door forever. You should feel proud of yourself–you got quite the steal. But you know how rumors can go. They take on a life of their own–sprout up like weeds. Make a place seem…well, anyway. This place has fine bones, so you have nothing at all to worry about. But I bet you’re going to want to do some updates. I just redid my kitchen a couple of years back–put in new counters and floors, and a nice, big stove. I know a great contractor if you’d like a recommendation.
And of course you’ll want a garden. I can give you some tips if you’re interested–I’ve always had a way with plants. My own garden is my pride and joy. Katie–that was the mother, poor thing–she never took my advice about her garden. She let it quite run wild! Little Hannah used to play back there with the other neighborhood kids. She’d turned the shed into her own little playhouse. They were always making so much noise, shrieking and carrying on. Katie let that child run wild, too. Quite out of hand.
They’re all grown now, of course, the ones who used to follow Hannah around like she was their queen. I’m sure your girl–what’s her name? Julie?–what a nice name. I’m sure Julie will make friends quickly. Plenty of nice, respectful children in the neighborhood these days.
Back then, Hannah was the ringleader of her group. Yes, she was the kind of girl who could rile things up. Always thinking of new ways to make mischief. Egging people’s houses. Trampling their gardens. Snapping the heads off my roses. She even stole my favorite gnome–I never did find it. She probably broke it, buried it somewhere out of sight. No consideration for other people’s things, that girl.
I’m sure your Julie is much more well-behaved. Respectful. I’m sure she would never make fun of an old woman. She had all the kids doing it, too, that Hannah, whispering when they saw me. Saying the cruelest things.
Honestly, you wouldn’t think a child that young could even think of the horrors that Hannah came up with. The rumors she started: that I drank frog’s blood at midnight. That I caught birds in nets, only to rip off their wings and use them for my spells. She said that I caught children, too, and cooked them into bread, just like some witch in a fairy tale. Can you believe that? How would a child even think of such things?
Of course we were all so devastated when Hannah went missing. The whole neighborhood searched and searched. We looked through all the houses in case she got stuck somewhere, playing hide and seek. One of her tricks that went wrong–that’s what we all thought. We always imagined we’d find her, no worse for wear. No harm done. That Hannah would sprout back up like a hardy little dandelion in spring.
I let everyone look through my house, of course, and all through my garden. Just in case she’d been back there again with her mischief and fallen or hurt herself. Gotten trapped somewhere. They quite destroyed my zucchini plants with all their stomping around, but they grew back…eventually.
Yes, everything grows so wonderfully in my garden–it’s quite the envy of the neighborhood. Like magic, they all say. I’d be happy to pass along some advice. You just have to know what to plant, and when. Be patient. Wait for the right moment.
Timing is everything, my dear.
© Jennifer Skogen 2026
Jennifer Skogen can usually be found on a hike somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, taking pictures of oddly-shaped trees (extra points for moss). Her work has appeared, or is forthcoming, in Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, Orion’s Belt, Factor Four, Luna Station Quarterly, Crow & Cross Keys, Trollbreath Magazine, Kaleidotrope, and more. She is sometimes on Bluesky at @jenniferskogen.bsky.social.
