Read The Hollow for Free Online

floor-to-ceiling windows, and a gabled roof. The outside was painted in several varying shades of green and magenta that complemented each other wonderfully, and I knew that this was the type of store I wanted to own one day.
    As we stepped inside, I saw that it was even better than I had hoped for.
    Not only did the store have plenty of herbs available, but there were jar and bottle sections, vials and sample kits, and packaging supplies of every kind. They also carried almost every type of perfume oil known to mankind.
    I was in heaven. I could have happily spent weeks here. They had almost everything on my list.
    After browsing for about forty-five minutes, I figured that I was probably treading close to Mom's patience limit, so I started narrowing down my choices. I picked up several sample-size tester vials, a couple of large amber bottles, and a new set of glass droppers.
    Mom finally caught up with me in front of the oil section. "What's the bergamot oil for?" she asked, watching me choose which size bottle I wanted.
    "You know that autumn harvest perfume I made for you last year? I want to make that one again this year, but with a more earthy tone to it." I debated between ginger and cranberry essential oil as I answered her.
    "I absolutely loved that perfume!" she said. "Can you make me one for winter this year too? Something with a Christmasy smell to it?"
    "Sure," I replied, adding peppermint, vanilla, and balsam oils to my collection. Then I grabbed small bottles of both the ginger and the cranberry and added those to my pile as well. The last thing I picked up, before tearing myself away from the shelf, was a huge bottle of jojoba oil.
    Now I had everything I needed.
    "I'm finally ready to go," I said, staggering under the weight of my selections as I led the way up to the front of the store.
    "This place is absolutely gorgeous," I told the lady standing behind the register, once I'd made it there. "The owners did a great job decorating it, and the supplies are amazing!"
    She laughed. "Well, thank you. I decorated it myself, and I appreciate the kind compliments."
    "Do you have a website that I can order some more stuff from?" I asked eagerly. "I usually get my supplies from a shop by my house, but they're really tiny and they don't have even half of what you have here."
    She laughed again and nodded, handing me a business card with the store name and website address boldly printed on it. I tucked it safely into my back pocket as she started ringing up my items. Mom surprised me by paying for my rather hefty bill without telling me to put anything back, and also picked up a classical music CD for herself.
    I grinned from ear to ear as we waved good-bye to the store owner and headed outside. "Thanks for taking me here, Mom," I said, piling the bags into the car. "It was fun."
    She just smiled at me, and we climbed into our seats. We didn't really talk on the way home, but she put on the CD she'd picked up at the register, and it filled the silence nicely. It was a calm and quiet ride back, and I actually managed to stay awake.
    Later that night, surrounded by my recent purchases, I was eager to finally get back into my work. Since Kristen's abrupt disappearance, I'd lost all of my passion for making perfume. My heart just wasn't in it, so I'd given up completely. But tonight it was different. I felt centered again, for the first time in a long time. I was ready to tackle a new project.
    I didn't have any worries about staying awake as I readied my work space. Every time I made a new perfume, it required steady concentration and copious amounts of note taking through-out the entire process, so I knew it would keep me busy. Midnight came and went, and I barely even noticed. By five a.m. I was surprised that it was already time for me to try to get some sleep.
    I slept soundly, and actually woke up feeling eager and excited later that afternoon. Creating new perfumes was a tricky business. It involved several rounds