To get the answers to my questions, I need to have my own circle.
“We ask that Earth helps Racheal find her home.” My mom calls. “Air, to blow away any leftover negativity and then wrap around her to keep her safe. Fire to keep her warm and comfortable through this next journey…. Water to cleanse her of the wounds that might’ve stayed with her soul as it left its vessel. And Spirit to bring the other witches’ souls to help carry her through to the next realm.”
Janice drops to her knees and cries out then screams at the top of her lungs. “Why?” She brings tears to my eyes, and that’s what helps me make up my mind.
I’ll get answers for her and Racheal.
CHAPTER EIGHT
~ The Circle ~
My mom walks in on me changing the next morning. I think she would’ve been less surprised if I suddenly grew a penis. I shrug, glancing over my shoulder at her. “Did I forget to mention I’m now Tinker Bell?”
Honestly, though? With everything going on, I forgot about my wings.
She insists on taking me to the doctor, to be more exact, to the morgue for her friend—I finally found out her name’s Patricia—to take blood and do a whole bunch of other tests she talked about that I ignored to study it. It, being me. Because having a healthy witch grow a pair of wings is not normal.
We pretty much stay the whole day there, so no school for me. I’m not complaining, but it is a little unnerving to be sitting in the same room as someone I used to know’s corpse.
FYI, they haven’t finished the autopsy.
Of course, when my mom runs out to get coffee and snacks for us, something has to happen. Patricia’s partner in cutting into people’s chests and breaking their rib cage’s comes in. Things get a little awkward. Patricia freezes, and I have to save her ass by saying that I’m interested in doing what they do, playing with intestines and innards and such.
He buys it and goes on to talk to her. I can’t help but notice her cheeks go pink.
Once he turns his back to both of us, I point to him and then to her and make a heart with my hands. She turns a bright tomato red, and then I slap an imaginary ass in front of me. My way of saying she needs to tap that already. Spitting out her coffee, she coughs and he’s there to slap her on the back, saving her.
It’s a good thing he’s there because I am too busy falling off my chair, laughing.
She isn’t too happy with me and once my mom comes back, she not-so-nicely kicks us out, saying she’ll get the test results back to us as soon as she can. I’m not expecting to hear anything from her anytime soon.
Tonight my mom and Billy are going out on their date night. Giving me the whole house to myself. Party, whoop, whoop!
Ha-ha.
When someone needs answers, my mom usually scries, which is staring into a mirror, water, or a flame and being able to see things. Or getting the answers you need. Something she’s been trying to get me to at least attempt for a while now.
After I told Mom my plan, she told Billy a movie she wanted to see was playing at the theater. Meaning I’d have plenty of time to do what I need to. She’s awesome.
After she hands Billy the shirt he’s hunting for, he turns to walk out of the room, and she hugs me and kisses my forehead. “I’m so proud of you.”
I’ve already texted the guys, seeing if they’d want to join me. Kyle’s the only one that directly responded, saying they’d be here. So, in other words, I don’t know who’ll actually show up.
As soon as Mom and Billy leave, I get to work.
I start with setting things up in our attic. Candles, incense, sage, and, of course, a bowl of water. Ever since my mom married Billy, we’ve had to keep things cleaned up and normal looking up here. Something I’m not a fan of. I’d much prefer to keep my circle up so I can walk into it and feel at peace. I’ve never tried it, but I think it’d be a good place to think without being disturbed.
My mom’s always taught me to do two protective barriers, one with blessed rainwater and the next with salt. We’re always getting bad seeds who want to come in and mess things up. I halfway make the circle, leaving the “door” open so the guys can come in when they get here.
As I’m going downstairs to get more supplies, someone knocks. Thinking it’s the guys already, I open the door to find Devin there.
“Uh,” I mumble, biting my lip, “Hi.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to take you home when you needed to go. I had to do that damn test.” He shoves his hands in his pockets when I sigh.
“Shit happens.”
“I was wondering if you’d let me make it up to you?” he asks with a somewhat sheepish expression.
“I don’t think now’s a good time.” It comes out a lot harsher than I meant it.
“Oh.”
“I’m just waiting on—”
“Nicks to come over?” he finishes for me.
“Nicks, Kyle, Jake, and Antonio, yes.” I give him a look. Although Antonio has never been really good in a circle—he always has trouble calling any element—he’s still nice to have around. He completes the inner circle.
“I should’ve been there to comfort you.” He goes on like I didn’t say anything. “And I feel really bad about it.”
“Dude, it’s fine.” I snort. “You don’t have to be my own personal savior every time something bad happens.”
His intense, beautiful eyes see right through me. “What if I want to be?”
Heat comes to my cheeks, “Um.” Scratching my head, I quickly attempt to think of something not completely idiotic to say. “Oh, looky there!” I gasp, pointing to the guys’ car pulling into the driveway. Only Jake and Kyle get out though. I’m two short.
“Hey, man.” Kyle slaps Devin on the back, interrupting our moment.
Silently Jake holds his fist up to me. When I put my hand on my hip, he grins and jumps at me. I hold my fists up in front of my face, ready to pound him to a bloody pulp. He acts like he’s going to punch me in the gut, and I zap him, not enough to really hurt him though. He goes to the left, tricks me then picks me up and throws me over his shoulder.
“This isn’t over!” I wildly kick my legs.
“It never is with you.” He slaps my ass. So I punch his ass cheek.
A familiar feeling washes over me. Like the one I had when I was in the woods by myself. Acting natural, I prop my chin on my hand and peek up at Devin. “Care to join us?” I ask sweetly. Once Jake finally sets me back down, I growl, “We’re being watched.”
“Wonder if she’s lost it?” Kyle asks.
“I have not lost it,” I practically snarl.
“What?” Devin gapes at me like I’m nuts. “Who said you lost it?”
“M-me,” Kyle stutters, “I didn’t actually say it aloud, though.”
“Hell, maybe I have gone bonkers.” I throw my hands up in exasperation. “But it’s freaking me out, now would you please get in here?” I ask yanking them all inside then shutting and locking the door.
“It’s probably just Nicks.” Jake reassuringly wraps an arm around my shoulders, “He said he’d be a little late.”
“Did you read my mind?” Kyle’s eyes fill with excitement. I don’t know, did I? It sounded like he was talking normally. Is that what it’s like? I open my mouth to say something, but I never get the chance.
“Whoa, what the fuck?” Jake exclaims, jumping away from me and sneering down at his hand in disgust.
He’s the one who’s lost it, “What?”
“There was a tarantula crawling on my hand.” He quietly explains, still watching his hand.
“What?” I yelp, brushing my clothes off frantically.
Someone knocks on the door. Jake and I jump. Kyle answers it and Nicks walks through the door, holding flowers, chocolates, and a huge…stuffed teddy bear?
“Aw, did your boyfriend get that for you?” Jake asks slapping him on the back, easily forgetting about his malfunction a few seconds ago.
“Um, hi,” he mumbles
ignoring Jake. Then his puppy dog façade is pointed at me. “Can we talk?”
“I do believe you are talking.” I give him a sneer.
“Nessa, please?”
“Whatever,” I growl and move into the living room, calling over my shoulder to the others. “There are snacks for y’all in the kitchen. Can you go ahead and take them up?”
Nicks isn’t far behind when I turn around. Flopping down on the couch, I impatiently wait for him to talk. He hands me the bear and stuff first, and I sit it down beside me without saying anything. Just look at him expectantly. He moves to sit on the edge of the couch and then jumps back up, starting to pace.
He roughly shoves a hand through his hair, “This is hard for me, ya know?”
“What is?” I question in a bored tone.
“Talking about…feelings and shit.” He sits down in the chair beside me. “I love you.” Is there something in the air today? “Calm down, not like that.” He snickers, “Recently, when you get pissed or surprised your eyes change more. They’re beautiful.” His face goes red. “Tell anyone I said that, and I’ll end you.”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Whatever.”
“You’re my best friend. You have been since we were kids.” He takes a deep breath. “And I guess I miss you. I-I’m jealous, damn it.”
“Was that really hard to say?” I attempt to hold back a grin.
“It w-was for me,” he stammers. I get up and hug him tightly.
“You’re my best friend, too, and I’m sorry it feels like I ran out on you,” I mumble into his shoulder. “But Devin’s my friend now, too. I’m just trying to make him feel a little more comfortable, and it’d be great if y’all could get along.”
“I don’t trust him,” he blurts. “He’s hiding something.”
“Well, he might be, but I don’t think he’s bad. He’s a good guy. He might tell us what he’s hiding when he’s ready.” When he still doesn’t appear convinced, I add, “This is me we’re talking about. I don’t trust easily but…I trust him.”
“Fine,” he says. “I’ll try to behave.”
“That’s a mama’s-boy’s face,” I grin, slapping his cheek twice, happy to see a smile there. “How about we go out for pizza tomorrow after practice? Us only?”
“Okay.”
I drag him up to the attic.
<<<->>>
Lighting the bundle of sage, I wait until it starts smoking profusely before I begin smudging them, cleansing them of all negativity. I turn the light off because it makes it easier for me to concentrate. As I head back into the circle, I run right into a wall. “Devlin,” I grumble, moving past him.
Kyle helpfully places the flashlight into my hand. I close the “door” and get in my place, behind the Water candle.
Kyle’s candle represents Air, Jakes’ Earth, and Nicks’ is Fire. Devin stands awkwardly. “Um….”
“Do you feel close to any particular element?” He’s so cute when he’s lost….
“Uh…no?” He takes a step backward, “Maybe I should just go.”
“Nope, sit it down.” I tug him down beside me. “You can be Spirit, but I won’t put you in the middle because someone might try to catch you on fire.”
“Why’re you looking at me?” Nicks asks innocently.
“Okay, are we ready?” My small coven nods. I find it weird calling my friends a coven.
Devin slowly raises his hand.
“Just follow along. You’re the last one to be called.” I pat his leg reassuringly. I realize I’m missing someone. “Where’s Antonio?”
“I think he said something about a family dinner he couldn’t miss?” Kyle replies.
“Well, all right.” I pass Jake the long lighter. Finally, it’s my turn. “I call Water to the circle. And—” I hand Devin the lighter. I’m used to calling two elements. Antonio usually just sits here with us and adds in his thoughts.
Damn, it’s weird not having him here.
“What’s mine?” Devin asks quietly.
I give him a reassuring smile. “Spirit.”
He calls the element, and, as soon as he lights the candle, I suck in a breath. A weird head-rush thing happens, and I feel the power of our circle. This hasn’t happened before. It’s so strong, it makes me dizzy.
“What?” Devin rubs my back.
“What’s wrong?” Kyle pauses in setting up the incense. Being the most mature of the guys, I imagine, while I’m elsewhere getting things ready, he has to constantly tell the others to stop messing around. So, I never question him doing his part a little late.
“Spirit is definitely your element.” I gaze at Devin in wonder, unable to hold back a shiver. “Do y’all not feel it?”
One by one the guys shake their heads. “I might…a little.” Jake frowns down at the floor, like he can see the energy vibrating through all of us and shooting into our circle.
“Weird, right?”
He nods.
“So, anyway, normal people—as in traditional ones—usually stand during a circle. We tried it the first few times but let’s face it, I’m lazy and these guys like to ask me never-ending questions about their futures. Like I can actually answer them.”
“Okay, then.” Devin picks at his fingernail.
“I do—”
“Yes you do, too, Nicks!” I glower.
He snaps his mouth shut.
“Now, where were we?”
“So…uh…are you going to tell them?” Devin nods toward my back. I’d actually forgotten again. Wow. Aside from little pains every now and then when I move, I don’t feel them.
“Tell us what?” Nicks voice holds suspicion.
“I jumped him and we had crazy monkey sex in a tree.” I give a what-are-you-gonna-do shrug.
Devin nearly spits his Coke out.
“Nessa.” Nicks frowns, knowing me a little too well.
“Fine, hmm. How to do this, how to do this….” I climb to my feet. “I think it’d be easier to show you ’cause I wouldn’t believe it for myself.” There are some murmurs of confusion. Ignoring them, I turn my back to them and start to pull my baggy band T-shirt over my head. “You better not be ogling, Devin.”
“He was.” Nicks snickers.
“No, I was not,” Devin snaps and, for that, I zap him, making him jump a little bit.
“What the hell are you doing?” Nicks voice shakes.
Taking a deep breath, I pull my shirt completely off and hold it over my chest. I’m still not wearing a bra. My mom said she’d take care of it, as in either make one or buy me a lot of ace bandages when she got back, and that scares me a little bit. Will I always have floppy tits?
Then I do something I’ve needed to do for a while now, stretch them out once again.
Just like with a cramped limb, they ache slightly when I extend them as far as I can. I peek over my shoulder to find their eyes hollowed out.
Ha, just kidding. That’d be so messed up.
But their mouths do flop open. Devin’s beaming up at me. What is this weirdo thinking?
“Freaky huh?” I ignore Devin because some weird longing feeling comes over me when I think about him.
“Really freakin’ cool,” Nicks exclaims.
“Okay. Now that that’s over with.” I fold them against my back, pull my shirt back on, and sit down cross-legged. Nicks opens his mouth to say something, but I hold my hand up. “Keep the questions for later. I have to focus, so, let’s get down to business.”
“Which would be what, exactly?” Devin asks.
I move the bowl of water closer to me and bend toward it. I hear Kyle explaining what I’m doing, but only in the back of my mind. In the water, I see younger versions of us, maybe around thirteen or fourteen.
Nicks was gawky and taller than all of us then. When the rest of them shot up, I pretty much stayed the same. We were casting our first circle without my mom there to talk us through it. We were munching on junk food, mostly joking around and talking about the future. Nicks s
aid something to make me mad, and I shoved him. That was when I learned I could zap people.
Those were simpler times. We didn’t have a lot to worry about. Sometimes I miss those days.
Okay, focus. Present, not past this time…focus….
It doesn’t matter how many times I yell at them to be quiet while we’re in here, they never do. Having Devin here changes nothing. At least they’re including him in on their jokes. I’ve just learned to ignore them. Taking a deep breath, letting their perverted jokes go into my subconscious, I try again.
This time, the image is dark and hard to identify. I make out a cloaked figure standing over an altar. Could we be anymore cliché? Then a flash of silver and the first image disappears, replaced by people clustered on both sides of a field.
One side has only a few members, pale faced and swaying. Like they’re exhausted, but they still charge toward the stronger side. Judging from the guns, grenades, and tanks, this isn’t something from the past.
Everything changes again, this time everything seems futuristic. A lab where people lie on steel tables with needles in their arms, their feet, some even in their necks, sucking their life blood out of what’s left of them. Others are chained up on the wall, and still others whose bones peek through their skin scurry about, serving a select few who appear to be in good health with porcelain skin, thick, long hair falling down their backs, and a predatory gleam in their eyes.
I quickly jump back when someone comes too close, and then I remember I’m not really in this bizarre world.
“Anything else, ma’am?” A frail girl with her arms full of what appears to be shopping bags hurries after an older woman. Spinning around, she backhands the servant, “I told you to call me Master!”
“S-sorry, M-master.” The young girl trembles behind the bags. “Please forgive me.”
The older woman sneers down at her, exposing her fangs. “Only this time. Now get up.” The woman jerks her to her feet and they keep walking. “You still have to cook before the children get home….”
Freaksville Page 7
