by Jo Ho
The sisters administered their healing to the sick or elderly. They ate with the families and danced with them around the fire at night as they played their fiddles, singing harmoniously. After the night’s entertainment, they retreated to the barn, making their beds amongst the cattle, and playful cats who kept the place free of mice.
One glorious day, a day filled with a breeze that eased some of the sun’s heat, relieved to have a respite from the horror of the previous village, The Four decided to go fishing. Mary had rolled up her skirt, letting her feet dangle into the water as her sisters chatted around her when, out of the corner of her eye she caught a hint of that black magic cloud. Startled, she did not move, blinking into the sun in case she had made a mistake. As she wondered whether she should mention it, something brushed by the soles of her feet. Looking into the deep blue water, she was horrified when a bloated face stared back up at her.
She shot up to her feet, calling for her sisters. Someone was practicing black magic and it seemed they were doing it around them. Mary did not want to confront the thought that entered her mind. Though the facts were mounting up, though Mary did not want to believe it, she knew why the black magic had followed them.
The killer was trying to make it seem that they were the ones performing the crimes.
Mary looked at her sisters shaken to the core by this revelation.
“Who would want to harm us so?”
Chapter 3
Her phone beeped on the bedside table, waking her from sleep.
Tyler woke instantly, the sharp claw of fear digging into her. The pre-dawn sky loomed pink and blue without any of last night’s red lingering, but that wasn’t what frightened her. It was too early for a message from anyone other than Ally, and she knew better than to text her this early unless there was a problem.
Sitting up in bed, Tyler picked up her phone to check her messages, instead of one from Ally, however, there was a text from an unknown number:
Tyler, it’s William from Star Market. We are down a worker due to illness so we’ll need you here today. Can you come at three pm?
Tyler blinked, rereading the message. Did managers usually text their employees? It seemed personal somehow like they were already friends. Still, she was thrilled: the sooner she started working, the sooner she’d be paid. With Ally’s birthday looming, she needed to make it as special as possible under the circumstances. She sent a reply confirming that she could start and was in the shower before she remembered she’d be missing Christian’s magic lesson. Her forehead creased into a frown, knowing he’d be upset with her but she couldn’t go back on her word now, not before she’d made a good first impression on the manager. She’d have to get the cliff notes from the girls when she was done.
Classes went by without anything of interest happening which Tyler was thankful for. After her chemical explosions previously, she now approached each lab class with trepidation. There was talk of last night’s strange light among the students though most reasoned it away with logic. Some blamed it on light pollution, others thought it was a phenomenon similar to the one Sydney had experienced recently, where hurricane winds had pulled up red dust from the Australian deserts casting the city in a bizarre red light.
Of course, no such desert existed on the East Coast, but no one seemed to want to consider that option. She wasn’t really surprised by this, considering how many adamantly denied climate change, even when the proof was impossible to miss. People were bizarre creatures.
When the time came for her to be at work, Tyler arrived with as much enthusiasm as a girl could have for starting work in a grocery store. It was a nice place. A warehouse-sized space, with colorful displays that brightened every corner and giant hanging signs announcing the deals for the week. The sensible prices weren’t just popular with students, they were also loved by local families who piled their shopping carts high with produce while pushing their toddlers around.
She was greeted by William, hovering by the cash registers. His plump lips spread into a wide smile on her arrival.
“There she is, our newest member of the team!” he announced to no one in particular. “Come with me, I have your uniform in the changing rooms.” He walked to a door marked with an “Employees Only” sign and opened it. Tyler followed after him as he led her through to a staff area, a lounge with tables, chairs and a tea/coffee station that also contained a microwave. A few employees had their breaks now, looking at her over their snacks with barely concealed boredom. New staff were a regular fixture here and not exciting at all it seemed. William guided her through the place, giving what was obviously a much-rehearsed speech complete with well-used asides that she found cringe-worthy but which he laughed at. The guy just had no idea how to be cool.
He explained what her role entailed which mainly involved stocking the shelves. If she was deemed a good worker, she would graduate to add cashier work to her description. Tyler took in his tour, trying not to compare her life now to how it had been just a few months ago, knowing her parents would roll in their graves if they knew what she was doing.
Not that there was anything wrong with this work: Tyler didn’t have a problem with it. It was just that all her life she had been wealthy — or at least, that’s what her parents had led them all to believe. They wanted the American Dream, to keep up with the Joneses and whatever other clichés were popular. They were already deep into debt before Ally’s health issues had even begun. Once that had kicked in, things had spiraled rapidly downhill.
Until she wasn’t just an orphan, she was broke too.
A picture of her parents flashed up into her mind. Her dad had his arms wrapped around her mom; both of them were laughing as they danced around in the kitchen before dragging Tyler and Ally in too. Their lives had been filled with silly, happy moments like that. The sudden pain that flashed into Tyler’s chest was so intense, she had to dig her nails into her palms. She wanted to curl into a ball, to let the world know exactly how she felt about all she had lost. Instead, she willed herself to focus on William’s annoying voice.
Oblivious to what was going on inside her, William grabbed some new clothes from a pile in the staff room and presented them to her with a flourish. “Your new uniform! Wear it well and with pride,” he said, not a hint of irony in his voice. Tyler took them from him and waited for further instructions.
“You can change into them right here,” he said, looking at her with a gleam in his eyes.
Tyler hesitated. Did he really mean right there, in the middle of the staff room in front of him? A few uncomfortable moments passed. When she didn’t speak he suddenly laughed.
“Of course, I’m joking. The female changing rooms are that way. When you’re done, meet me back here and I’ll start you on your first task.”
Not knowing how to reply, Tyler nodded, going into the changing room, but she could feel his eyes on her back all the way there. He was a little strange that was for sure. She put it down to social awkwardness; he didn’t seem like the kind of man who had many friends. She was pretty sure he didn’t have a girlfriend either.
Shrugging out of her clothes, she changed into the uniform then checked her appearance in the mirror. The striped shirt felt stiff with newness, its collar uncomfortable against her neck. The knee-high beige skirt was a little tight around her hips, hugging her butt a bit too much, but as she wasn’t here for the fashion, Tyler figured it would have to do. Folding up her own clothes, she put them in an empty locker but kept her phone on her. Thankfully, the skirt had pockets. At least whoever had designed them had thought to include those. She hated it when female pants or skirts didn’t have pockets. There were some occasions, like now, when a girl couldn’t carry a handbag but still needed to carry a few items on her person.
Making her way back to William, he appraised her appearance with another of those too-wide smiles that made her uneasy for a reason she couldn’t explain.
“Well, that fits you perfectly! Be careful now, you don’t want the oth
er women to get jealous and catty!”
Not knowing how she should take his comment, Tyler chose to ignore it. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he steered her towards the canned meat aisle. Handing her a pricing gun, he demonstrated how to use it then set her to task. He watched over her as she priced her first few cans, stacking them onto a shelf. After what seemed like a really long time — though was probably only a few minutes — he finally left.
It wasn’t until he was gone that Tyler relaxed into the job at hand.
Letting her mind drift, she tried not to feel overwhelmed by the ache in her heart that her parents’ death had left. At least she had the girls now; that was something she could be grateful for. Despite all that had happened, and all that was to come, at least she wasn’t alone any more.
She wondered how their magic class was going.
Chapter 4
“She definitely said she isn’t coming?” Christian asked Marley for what seemed like the fifth time.
The four of them were sitting inside Eve’s battered car, a 2006 blue Toyota Corolla that she shared with her brother. Other than a faded air freshener in the shape of the Jamaican flag that had expired long ago that hung from the rearview mirror, there were no other items in the vehicle. Wind whistled through a gap in one of the back windows that someone had tried — and failed — to fix with liberal amounts of gaffer tape.
“She can’t, she has to work,” Marley replied, wondering when he would finally accept her answer.
“But… you know, the end of the world,” Christian replied flippantly. “What’s more important than that?”
“You’ve never had to pay bills have you?” Marley asked, a little tired of his spiel. She was rewarded by his look of shame that proved her point. Apparently Guardians had their rent and everything else taken care of. It was an amazing deal… until someone killed you. “Of course she wanted to be here, but it’s her first day, she can’t not go, can she?”
The rest of the drive took place in silence as Christian sulked in the corner. He barked out the odd driving instruction but other than that, he was blessedly quiet. Eve drove through downtown, taking short cuts to avoid the traffic that only a native Bostonian would know. She was a careful driver, sticking to the legal limits and lights until they arrived at the waterfront area known as the Long Wharf.
The historic pier served as a dock for passenger ferries and sightseeing boats though the girls weren’t here for either. Eve parked the car and they piled out. Following Christian’s lead, Marley lead them down weaving paths behind several rundown buildings. The area consisted of dilapidated warehouses that hadn’t been used in a while it seemed. All in all, it was a bizarre place to base any headquarters much less the Guardians’ yet this is where Christian had insisted they go.
They finally stopped outside one of the worst-looking buildings. The loft style windows were painted black and the roof looked in serious need of repair though it stood soundly enough. Rusting steel panels enclosed the outside walls making the place seem even less welcoming than it already was.
“You’re sure this is where he wants us to go?” Cassie asked, eyeing the building dubiously.
Marley nodded. “This is it.” Moving to one of the steel panels, she reached into a rusting hole causing Eve and Cassie to grimace.
“I hope you’ve had your tetanus shot,” Eve warned.
“Relax, he says this is all for show,” Marley replied as she turned to look at the air beside her. “Right?”
Christian nodded reassuringly. “Just reach in, you should feel the numbered panel in a second. The keycode is: 100214.”
Blindly feeling around, Marley’s fingers could find only eroded metal until they brushed against the smooth edge of a number pad. Unable to see it, she had to rely on her memory for the position of the keys. Biting the corner of her lip, she pressed the numbers one by one, listening to the corresponding key tone. At the last number, a beep sounded and the wall of steel slid sideways revealing a dark hallway beyond.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Eve said arching a painted black brow.
Marley lead the way inside, the others following close behind. When they were all inside, the steel wall automatically shut behind them, locking them in. Eve spun around, not liking the closed quarters.
“How do we get out again if we need to?” she asked unable to hide the edge of panic in her voice. Marley was surprised she seemed so concerned and would have attributed her fear to claustrophobia if not for the warehouse being so huge. Its ceilings reached some three stories above them so that couldn’t be it.
Christian explained as Marley repeated his instructions. “You just have to stand in front of the doors and they should open. In case of a problem, the override button is over there.” She pointed at a small panel on the wall beside the door, half hidden by shadow.
Knowing she could leave if she wanted to, Eve felt herself relax, glad she wouldn’t have to explain herself. If they knew what she had gone through, they would feel the same way about enclosed spaces themselves.
Moving down the hall, Marley opened a door at the end then stood back, awed by the sight before her. A giant, fully-kitted-up training area stood before her. An Olympic-sized boxing ring sat in the very center of the room. The latest exercise machines and riot gear filled the rest of the place, there was even a wall lined with weapons of every kind. Along with the standard guns and knives one would expect, there were also wooden stakes, silver bullets and blades, and vials of what was probably holy water. Some of the weapons seemed like they dated back to medieval times, weapons such as engraved swords and rune-studded shields. There was pretty much the ability to wage war from this one room alone.
“Whoa,” Eve said, impressed beyond belief. “It’s like the Batcave.”
“This is where Eric and I trained,” Christian explained. “It’s where all the Guardians in the region trained.”
Something in his voice made Marley turn away from the kettlebell rack she had been studying.
“There are more than the two of you?”
“There were,” he corrected. “The rest are dotted around the country. I’ve heard a few work abroad, but there are none on the East Coast anymore. I’m the last of them.”
As always, Marley felt the crushing guilt that came whenever she was reminded of her part in his death. Swallowing dryly, she went back to her study of the room, hoping one of the other girls would change the subject. She was rewarded by Cassie’s question.
“Can we train in here now? Can we use this place?”
Christian nodded. “That’s why I’ve brought you. You should be safe in here. No one but us know it exists. Let’s get ready for your first lesson.”
Moments later, the girls were lined up several feet apart as Christian paced up and down the line, Marley repeating him word for word. In front of Cassie, they had placed a mirror so she could see herself. Other than that, there was nothing else to prepare for the lesson.
“That we know, the first time all of you connected with your power was at the church. Can you remember what you felt then?” Christian asked.
Marley closed her eyes, trying not to see him in front of that altar, right before she killed him. She trained her focus on the room instead, on what she could remember of the night.
“Fear. I was afraid that you were going to kill Michael because I didn’t know he was the bad guy at that time,” she said.
“What about you, Eve?” he asked, turning to her.
Eve’s eyes were also closed, but instead of being fearful, she looked angry. She dug her fingers into her hands, speaking in a clipped tone. “Rage. Anger.”
“Why?” Christian asked.
“I thought you were that serial killer we’d been hearing about. I was furious that you had hurt others, that you were about to do it again.”
“Hold on to that emotion, that might be what you need to manifest your power,” he instructed, making his way to Cassie.
“What about you, Cassie? Ca
n you remember how you felt that moment, right before the attack?”
“I was scared and confused. I didn’t know what was happening and it freaked me out,” she answered in a small voice as if she were afraid she had the wrong answer.
Christian nodded encouragingly even though she couldn’t see it.
“If that’s how you felt, recall it now. Picture yourself that night. What you saw. What you could hear and smell. Use every one of your senses to put you in the same emotional state.”
Channeling his words, Marley tried to feel the same as she had that night, but all she could see were her hands inside of Christian then his startled green eyes as they looked at her in betrayal. Guilt burst inside her chest, the only emotion she could raise.
With it came the sudden realization that she couldn’t do what he was asking.
What if that ghost woman came again? What would she do to her this time? Frustrated, she opened her eyes to see the others struggling too.
As Marley watched, Cassie’s lips suddenly blew up like they were injected by too much collagen. Her nose grew wider, then reverted back to its normal shape and size, as did her lips. She was breathing fast, her chest rising and falling quicker than usual at the strain this was all causing. She fought hard but she could not get her face to change completely or hold any of the changes for more than a second or two. Her eyes flashed open as she let out a frustrated sigh.
“I can’t do it!” she cried, upset with herself.
Only Eve still had her eyes closed. They moved beneath the lids, darting left and right as she swayed on her feet, caught up in the memory of that fateful night. Her lips moved as if she were speaking, though no words came out of them. Marley felt a tingle of static electricity surge through her then suddenly the air changed around Eve. Marley could see it clear as day, like it had grown thicker, lifting Eve’s curls so that they now swam through the air.
