Goodbye Normal

by Lily N Anderson

  “You did fine, congratulations.” Longwood beamed and the rest agreed with smiles and nodes.

  Smiling back politely, her blue gaze met the humeleons. They were wearing modern clothes. She then wondered how come they were not in skintight trousers and worn up collars with laced ruffs. Or better yet for the Korean a colorful piece of hanbok lying around would surely amount for her existence. Zoe instantly remembered the newspaper in the study and the glanced at sleeping potions and wondered again if the humeleons also had witchcraft abilities. “Are…Are they…how did they get it?” Zoe asked pointing at the potion bottle.

  “Teleporting.” Longwood said “Over the years, we have sent them essential needs like clothes, drinks and newspapers through teleportation and some few times sleeping portions to shorten their sentence. A drop of this portions, secures five years of undisturbed sleep.”

  Five long years! Something had to be done; they couldn’t wait for that long.

  “So we have to wait that long for them to wake up?” if so it would be absurd.

  “No, Turtlehead’s magic will work on them returning immediately.” Longwood assured.

  That was surely a relief. She stared at them again and thought out loudly

  “Does anyone know their names?” Zoe asked her eyes curiously holding on to the still lot.

  “The white male is Lonard Burton.” offered Fred as Zoe veered her attention to him “body of a 23 year old aged 210years old, the girl is Jin-joo, body of a 21 year old with 207 yrs and last is Clay Middleman, body of a 22 year old having 210 years.”

  “Hi greatgranpa.” Zoe said wittily.

  Fred chuckled “They sure are old.”

  “It’s very challenging to think about what they are capable of.” said Longwood with a serious face.

  “I hope these scourged years have been a lesson to them.” Maydith chipped in.

  “Virtue is not what I expect from them but control.” Longwood explained.

  Turtlehead strode inside with his potion case clenched tightly under is armpit. He looked older than he did the last time she saw him. It must be the light in the room. It was brighter now than it had been in his lab.

  He placed the plastic case on the bed, opened it carefully and wore his spectacles before observation. He checked them briefly then went back to his case and removed a glass bottle with green fluid.

  “How long have they been asleep?” questioned Moosemond who was standing beside Lonard’s head.

  “Three to four years I guess. I’m not very sure. But regardless the portion will work the same way to any number of years” Turtlehead replied inspecting Clay.

  “It will only take 10 minutes to bring them back if all goes well.” Turtlehead explained further going for his case.

  “What do you mean if all goes well?” Longwood asked with brows pulled together.

  “I mean it as it is Longwood.” Turtlehead replied sharply, going for Lonard’s head. He appeared morose. He was yet another fellow who couldn’t dissuade his hate for the humeleons.

  Carefully with Moosemond’s help, they dropped a single drib of the liquid in his mouth and the exercise was repeated for the rest of them.

  In ten minutes these monsters will be free again, how unruly. Zoe thought as she got hyped with anxiety.

  Searching around the room for Chris, she realized he had not returned with Turtlehead. Why not? Could he not handle seeing them? He was backing out when she needed him close.

  Five minutes, she read her watch. And noticed there was nothing more frustrating than a time limit. Being on the clock just gets someone on the verge of madness. She could almost hear her head screaming for time to stop. Then what?? she asked herself, the humeleons won’t have to be part of their lives. How idiotic, and pathetic! Three minutes.

  Please come back Chris, you have to come back. Her bravery was cooking away.

  Zoe wasn’t sure what they could do when awake. Probably kill them all and run free. Maybe they were more powerful than them. She consoled her fears whilst eyeing the coven heads. She turned away from the humeleons and her eyes met Maydith who stealthy walked to her side.

  “We will be just fine,” Maydith murmured. Great! She had noticed her nervousness. “We made them, we can destroy them”

  Dwelling in her words, they kinda felt like an energizer.

  They heard movements from the bed and both heads turned franticly.

  It was Jin. She shot up so fast, it was hard to believe she had just come from an year length of sleep.

  Jin looked around nervously “where am I, and who are you?” she asked.

  Maydith was just about to explain when both Lonard and Clay jerked up at a lights speed.

  “Hope I’m not dead, though this looks like the better version of the hell I envisioned” Lonard said in lazy husky tone.

  “Sad enough, none of you is dead, we finally found the Channeler.” Maydith said.

  “Finally! so who is my savior.” Clay asked, already pinning his instincts on Zoe. Both Lonard and Jin stared at her. Zoe slued away from their vague glares and walked out of the room not needing their appreciation. It was done out of necessity certainly no strings attached.

  Crowded with impatient heads, Zoe loitered around the lawn looking for her missing friend.

  Chris was perched on a bench, away from all the craziness around. He looked very much away from their world. Instinctively he turned to meet her lingering steps.

  He shifted from the bench and watched her fasten her pace prior noticing him.

  “Chris you’re so unfair, why did you leave me alone” Zoe complained.

  “It’s not always about you Zoe.” Chris gnashed sharply.

  “Oh.” She flushed and sunk on the bench beside him. He was right. “You’re mean too.” she compromised with a smirk.

  He sighed then bit his lower lip “I needed space before those things resurrected.”

  “They have.” she said bitterly, easing upon her seat.

  Chris cast his eye at her. He noticed she looked sullen “Are you okay?”

  She nodded “I’m okay, I’ve unleashed beasts and now all I can do is wait for whatever they pull off.” she said hitting her thighs with her palms in resignation.

  “I think we should give them the chance to prove us right or God willingly wrong.”

  “A beast is just a beast. I haven’t decided whether to think of them as human or not”

  “They could still be” said Chris.

  “Zoe, Chris, the humeleons are gone.” called Clarissa breathlessly.

  They both got up lithely and ran towards the commotion. There were more than twenty witches on the grounds, how did they escape that quickly. Worst of all, what were they doing? wherever it was they went!

  In the chaos of the dissipated crowd they first saw Maydith run around like a lunatic. She was shouting orders at Fred when they got to her.

  “I don’t know how! Do it, just do it now” she shouted at Fred’s back.

  “Chris. Oh thank God, can’t you find them in your head?”

  Chris looked at her like she was going nuts. “Maydith you know it’s impossible, they must be already too far”

  “Just give it a try” Maydith urged desperately. Zoe had never seen Maydith helpless; she always had the-everything is in control confidence vibe, now some threesome humeleons were taking her to zones uncomfortable.

  Chris sighed and closed his eyes. His face grew serious and crinkles formed on his forehead, then quickly he eased back.

  “Nothing”

  “ARE YOU SURE” Maydith asked.

  “Maydith don’t worry we will find them” Chris promised.

  “What happened?” Zoe asked.

  “I don’t know, we were giving them updates of tomorrow’s ball and told them about our expectations then we gave them restriction on how they will go about living freely again, when suddenly they fired away. They were so fast we could hardly register to what happened the minute they took of. When we were talking to them I
tried so hard reading their minds but I couldn’t.” Maydith said.

  “Zoe let’s go hunt those unruly beasts.” Chris told her, and they run off to the parking lot.

  Guided towards the town by the midday scorching sun, it was a blessing they were on a bike. As the wind cooled the temperature on her skin her mind mulled over the short stretched future. She was hopeful that they were clever enough not to massacre innocent people in broad daylight. Her thoughts saw her tightening her hold on Chris waist. Despite the slashing wind, she could feel her skin heat up inside.

  Chris halted at Joe’s dinner. They jumped out of the bike and Chris went to his pocket for his phone.

  “Shit.” Chris hissed.

  Zoe looked at him questionably.

  “They are at happy hour. Iann, the bar manager is a witch. He just texted me.” Zoe recalled the name from her mentor short list. Happy hour was a block away. They rode to the bar and were welcomed by Jin-joo’s annoying grin balancing her lean figure by the door.

  Jin-Joo slewed inside the bar “They found us” she said in an amusingly tone.

  Chris walked inside and Zoe followed, rolling her eyes at Jin-joo who made an annoying face at her. Inside the bar, they found few people seated but unmoving, completely motionless. They were like human statues. What have these monsters done! She panicked and threw an angry stare at her fellow blue eyed Lonard.

  What Zoe hadn’t noticed was that, all the statued bodies were gazing up at him.

  “Hey Gorgeous, you want a sip” Lonard asked in his lazy husky voice. He was standing on top the counter, clutching a bottle of scotch.

  Behind the counter was a broody looking Iann.

  “What did you do to these people?” Zoe fired.

  “You don’t know?” Clay chipped in, acting surprised. He was sitting among two still girls while playing around with a cigarette on his fingers “Don’t worry we didn’t kill them. We just froze their senses.”

  “Incredible huh!” Jin-joo said chuckling. “I used to really enjoy this back in the days. Right now they cannot feel us, hear us, see us, they can’t even smell us.”

  Zoe’s lour was piercing. If a look could slash somebody like a sword, Jin-joo could be drowning in her own pool of blood.

  “Little kids shouldn’t see what big people do now, should they?” quipped Lonard dropping down from his podium.

  “Can’t you just follow simple orders? Return their sense—” Zoe shouted exasperated.

  “Beauty with no brains, you are so pretty.” Lonard said scathingly, his husky voice getting to her nerves “yet so deplorably stupid to think that after almost two centuries of confinement I would follow petty etiquettes.”

  Zoe fumed as Jin-joo giggled.

  “Where did you get these?” Chris asked, his eyes showing a pile of expensive looking suits and dresses on an empty table.

  “We have a ball to attend tomorrow.” He inhaled his tobacco form the thin long cigar, blew out the smoke and added. “It’s only fair we have the required dress code” Clay said.

  “You stole them?” Zoe reasoned.

  “Eer, I would prefer to use borrowed.” Lonard uttered defensively “The owner saw us go in, she welcomed us sweetly. There was no breaking and entering, no struggles whatsoever. So when the event is over, I’ll be sure to return them, if they’ll be in an acceptable condition thereof.”

  “Unbelievable!” Zoe gnashed.

  “Return their senses. We are going back to quarters.” Chris ordered.

  “Ok pal.” Lonard agreed. That was too quick, Zoe wondered suspiciously.

  “No more funny business, or else this time I’ll be the one to freeze your senses.” she bluffed.

  Lonard eyed her impressively “Yes maam. Just a minute.” he urged with a finger as he walked towards a table with a young couple. He stationed the guys hand on her partner’s breast.

  “That’s a good one bro.” laughed Clay, placing his table’s partners hand affectionately over her friend’s thigh.

  Zoe rolled her eyes and suppressed a titter with a huff. Chris geared up his guts and walked towards the couple to rectify the prank but Lonard appeared in front of him on a heartbeat. Zoe couldn’t believe her eyes, he was incredibly fast. She almost gave in to the idea that someone shot an arrow.

  “I wouldn’t think about that. You don’t want to witness my kinda funny business. But you can always try me” Lonard threatened, in a crisply husky tone. It was so irritating to hear him speak. His voice was reason enough to feel humiliated.

  Frowning, Chris went over to Iann, he asked for his car so that he could take the humeleons back to DAW. With a sharp snatch Chris caught the keys thrown to him by Iann and advanced to the door.

  He glanced at Clay hatefully “Do what you have to, am waiting in the car”

  “You coming?” Chris asked looking at Zoe.

  “I think we are done for the day, so no.” she said.

  Lonard stood on top of the counter and stared back intensely at the bar customers. His eyes turned white and illuminated like a dim bulb. He dropped down and smirked.

  “It’s done in five seconds.”

  Five seconds later, everyone in the bar was back to life. The lady whose hand was on her friend’s thigh, removed it sharply with so much confusion and embarrassment. Same thing happened to the man whose hand was where it was not supposed to be. His date was so furious she ran out of the bar cursing. Zoe wiggled her head to understand everything that had happened that minute. Gazing at the customers, no on seemed suspicious of any foul play except the ones who had been played. It was as if nothing had happened to them.

  When the humeleons were gone, Zoe went to Iann.

  “Hello. I’m Zoe.” she said nestling on a high seat.

  “I know who you are.” Iann replied while wiping his counter.

  “Sorry about that” Zoe said.

  Iann shrugged “Can’t do nothing about it. So what does the Channeler want?”

  “I thought you read minds” Zoe mused.

  “Good for business, but try not when it’s unnecessary.”

  “How is it good for this business?” she asked with interest.

  “This is another kinda therapy session.” Iann said holding on to a table cloth. “As much as much people drink for pleasure, they also do it for their problems and since people like good listeners. I snoop around once in awhile to tell them what they want to hear.”

  “You are a con artist in disguise.”

  “I’d think of me as a therapist in disguise. I save a lot of lives you know.” he said, giving her a glass of red wine.

  She chuckled “I bet you do. So I was just curious, why were they looking at him when we arrived?”

  “For them to freeze someone, that person has to be looking them in the eye. So he came in the bar as a black man, but I already knew who he really was, because you know… am a witch. The black dude came in white and so did the Korean girl. When they pulled out their stunt they immediately changed back to their original bodies.

  “You really saw them change.”

  “In a heartbeat, they were completely different. I’ve never seen anything so incredibly occult.

  “Can it affect witches?”

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t looking at him.”

  Zoe scratches her scalp thoroughly and groaned angrily.

  “You know what I think, don’t push their buttons, don’t force them at all. They have been through hell you know. So I guess you should go by their rules”

  Zoe breathed out her day’s frustration and took sips of the wine as she factored in what Iann had advised.

  Later in the evening as much as Humeleons were on the loose, so were Carol, Zoe and Zackary. It was yet another family date day. They went out for movies then later had dinner at Joe’s with Joe himself. All her piled up stress was slacken off with Zack’s smile and Carol’s laugh.

  Iann’s definition of therapy was not for her. Quality time with her little family was all the therapy she nee
ded.

  12. LOST BUT FOUND

  To-do list for the day was both challenging and exciting. Below challenging were, getting Liz to talk to her, finding cover for her night life and mingling with the obnoxious humeleons. Factoring exciting was finding out which was the ball gown, meeting up with Josh and going to the DAW ball.

  Under the shades of her home’s porch, Zoe sat with curled legs dressed in jeans, a spagetti top supported by loose cropped top.

  Zoe was beyond redemption as she tried to canalize the artistic skills she possessed to write her thirtieth apology text to Liz. She briefly considered sending the text Josh had used to help her see reason but thought against it as Liz would eventually find out. All her strained brains could come up with was it’s a sad world without you…please tell me where you are.

  On deliverance of the devout message, she stared at her phone like it was now or never.

  Zoe almost dropped her phone when she heard a text alert.

  Josh, will pick you up at Joe’s. You cool with that?

  As her high hopes derailed she replied crestfallenly. Cool.

  Another beep, Chris…Morning beautiful, need your ride. Am stuck playing errands boy for the chameleons.

  She scoffed, misery loves company!…that’s awful. N no problem, I’ll leave it at Joe’s.

  Chris… Ur a life saver.

  Liz…Oh my God she has replied. Yesssss! Zoe cheered. She could feel her heart jump along with joy.

  Liz…M’ home.

  Grabbing the held on invitation to seeing things eye to eye, Zoe flew to her car and en routed her wheels to Liz. In no time her freshly painted feet were hitting the brakes at the Donaldsons. Bracing herself physically, emotionally and physiological to whatever bomb Liz would pull on her, she got out of her car and walked nervously to the front door.

  After a gaga amount of knocks, Zoe knew Liz had just played her.

  Zoe… I get it Liz, am at your place. I really wanna tell you everything.

  Liz….OMG, u poor thing I’m in town now. Learning from mistakes is a good thing…keep up.

  Zoe swallowed her pride then replied…. N so is forgiving. I miss you.

  Deliberating what her next move would be, she danced over going back home, then concluded it a waste of time. And decided she could just go to Joe’s and catch up while she awaited Josh’s company.