A Witch to Live

by Glenn Bullion

  They embraced and caught their breath when he broke the kiss.

  “You jerk,” she said with a bright smile.

  He laughed. “Watch some TV, before I pass out?”

  “Oh, sure. That'll cool me off.”

  They left the kitchen, and Kevin stopped when he saw the roses on the table.

  “Nice flowers.”

  “Yeah. I thought so, too.”

  They managed to watch about ten minutes of the news on the couch before they were on each other again, and lost track of time.

  Kristin stepped into the apartment.

  “Hey, guys, I'm back. Rachel, I hope you like Chinese food,” she said, and her eyes fell on the couch. “What the hell?”

  Rachel was straddling Kevin, her legs on the sides of his hips. They still had their clothes on, but Kristin wondered what the scene would have been like if she arrived five minutes later. They were both flushed, their hair a mess.

  Kristin burst out laughing. She was proud of her brother. Rachel was a sight, an odd mix of hotness and pure geekiness. Kristin could see what Kevin liked about her.

  Kevin gave Rachel a sheepish smile. She was embarrassed, but smiled as she buried her head in Kevin's shoulder.

  “I did not need to see that,” Kristin said, dropping the take-out on the dining room table. “I did not need to see my brother and his new girlfriend grinding on the couch that I just had sex on last week.”

  “You had sex on the couch? I sleep here, you know.”

  “Well, sorry. We couldn't make it to the bedroom.”

  Kevin winced. “I didn't need to know that.”

  Rachel leaned close to Kevin as Kristin went to the bathroom.

  “New girlfriend.”

  “I like the sound of that. Is that okay?”

  She smiled. Her first official boyfriend was the hottest guy in school.

  “It's very okay.”

  He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before she climbed off his lap.

  “We're gonna have fun together.”

  Chapter 14

  Kevin and Rachel ate shrimp fried rice at the dining room table while Kristin sat on the couch. Kristin was eating, watching television, and talking to her new man on the phone all at the same time. Oscar was asleep on the far side of the table. He seemed interested in Kevin's food, his nose twitching. Then he went back to sleep.

  “Kristin is really cool,” Rachel said. “If my mom caught us on the couch, doing what we were doing, she...actually, she'd probably be happy for me.”

  Kevin laughed. “My sister's great. We've looked after each other for years now.”

  Rachel leaned close. “Does she know about you writing papers?”

  “No. I never told her about that. Didn't want her to freak.”

  She smiled. “You make water turn blue, and you were worried research papers would make her freak?”

  “I never thought of it like that.”

  “How did you keep it a secret for so long?”

  He pushed his food aside and grabbed the laptop from the middle of the table.

  “I always knew there was a chance I'd get caught. Every semester I'd change the post office box I used. I'd setup a new email account. Word of mouth did the rest for me. All I had to do was check my email, and take whatever assignments I could handle.”

  He logged into his email to show her, and was in for a surprise.

  He had received one new email a day since last Friday. The emails didn't have a subject, and were all from the same person. .

  “Who's that?”

  “I have no idea.”

  The first email contained a name and address for someone named Martha Tomas.

  Kevin chuckled at the other emails from Martha. They all contained a variation of Why aren't you here yet?

  “Are you sure you don't know her?” Rachel asked, running a hand down his arm. “Everybody wants my boyfriend already. Even women in...” She studied the monitor. “Sanders, Virginia.”

  He smiled at her. “I swear, I don't know her. I've never even been to Virginia.”

  The last email made them both lean forward.

  It was a single sentence.

  Looks like you've been busy.

  Attached to the email was a scanned headline from the front page of Walton's local paper.

  Medical Miracle at Walton Hospital.

  Neither Kevin nor Rachel said a word for nearly a minute. Rachel turned to see Kevin's hands shaking, and grabbed them in her own.

  “Kevin?”

  “Someone knows,” he whispered. “Someone knows what I can do.”

  “Just relax.”

  He stood up and looked at Kristin. “I need some air. We'll be outside.”

  “Keep your clothes on out there.”

  Kevin took Rachel by the hand and led her through the sliding glass door. He leaned against the building, trying to make sense of what he just read. The thought of someone out there he didn't know with knowledge of his secret was terrifying.

  Rachel kept a level head.

  “Okay, do you know anything about your adoption? Could that have been your real mom?”

  He shook his head. “I don't know anything. Our parents couldn't have kids, so they adopted me and Kristin a few years apart. We never tried to find our real parents.”

  “And you don't know anyone from Virginia?”

  “Not at all. Our own parents didn't even know what I could do. I always kept it from them. Only Kristin knows, and you.”

  Despite Kevin's panic, Rachel felt warm inside.

  “Okay, so, what do you want to do?”

  “I guess I have to go there and meet this woman. She wants to see me, for some reason. It's probably not that far of a drive.” Kevin lowered his head, trying to think of steps to take. “I can pack a bag and catch a bus in the morning. Maybe be back tomorrow night. If not, then Sunday.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I've got a better idea. We'll drive together tomorrow.”

  “Rachel, I can't ask you to drive to Virginia.”

  She put her hands on his chest. “Pretty please? Wouldn't you rather take my Mustang than a bus?”

  He smiled. “Since you said please. But I don't know what I'm walking in to. I could knock on this woman's door, and her husband might shoot me.”

  “Then we'll keep some of your water close to us. Are you gonna tell Kristin?”

  He felt guilty, but knew he couldn't. “Not now. Not until I know what's going on.”

  She nodded, and gave him a kiss. Kissing Kevin was becoming very easy to do.

  “Then it's settled. One thing about you, Kevin Mishnar. You're not dull.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Great. Good for me.”

  *****

  Kevin glanced at the clock as he shoved a few Pop-tarts, some sandwiches, a few sodas, and directions to Martha Tomas' house into his backpack. It was eight o'clock in the morning. Kristin opened the bedroom door and stretched as she joined him in the dining room.

  He packed a few bottles of water.

  “You won't even get up this early on a school day,” she teased. “What's going on?”

  “Rachel and I are heading out. Gonna spend the day together.”

  “You really like her, don't you?”

  He zipped his backpack and looked at her. “Yeah, I do.”

  “I figured that part out when I caught her riding you on the couch.”

  “She was not riding me. We had our clothes on.”

  Kristin laughed and slapped him on the back. “Have fun. Call me the overprotective big sister, but give me her cell number.”

  “It's already on the fridge.”

  There was a knock at the door. He waved to his sister and grabbed his backpack.

  Anxiety set in as he crossed the living room. He didn't know what was in store with his planned trip to Sanders, Virginia, but he didn't think it would end in tea and donuts.

  All of his concerns flew away when he opened the door and saw Rachel.

 
; She leaned against the wall across from the door. Her hair hung in her face, as she went without the hairband. She wore a yellow dress that fit her perfectly, stopping at the knees and exposing her shoulders. A pair of sandals showed off her feet.

  “Ready to go?” she asked.

  “You look...wow.”

  She turned red. “Thank you. I'll be honest, I bought this on the way home last night. Hope there's not a tag on it somewhere.”

  He put his hands on her hips and moved in to kiss her, making sure to move slow, in case she had a change of heart from last night. He wanted to give her a chance to pull away.

  She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him eagerly.

  “Rach, you don't have to do that. You're hot no matter what you wear.”

  “I like it when you look at my legs.”

  With that, he looked at her legs, and she felt more confident than she ever had in her life.

  They held hands as they walked to the Mustang. Rachel had a cooler in the back seat that put Kevin's backpack to shame. Food, drinks, snacks, ice.

  Kevin took a breath as he sat in the passenger's seat, and grabbed her hand before she could start the engine.

  He didn't want to dump a ton of sappiness on her, but needed to tell her how he felt before he lost the nerve.

  “Thank you, Rachel.”

  She squeezed his hand and smiled. “Sure. You saved my parents. I don't think a ride to Virginia covers it.”

  “No, not just the ride.”

  She waited for him to continue.

  “Because of what I can do, I never thought I'd ever have a girlfriend. I never thought I'd be able to talk about it with anyone.”

  “I'm your first girlfriend?”

  “Yeah.”

  Rachel shook her head. They were such an odd, mismatched pair. Yet they fit together perfectly.

  She leaned across the seat and kissed him, tenderly touching his face.

  He had a feeling there was a lot of kissing in their future.

  “Well, you're my first boyfriend. And don't worry, your secret's safe with me.”

  He smiled, glad she didn't run away at his confession.

  It was a ninety minute drive to Sanders, Virginia. Kevin and Rachel talked, listened to music, and told dumb stories to each other. He caught her looking at him a few times, and was glad she found him as attractive as he found her. They ate a sandwich at a rest stop near the border to Virginia. She laughed when he almost spilled soda on himself.

  He grew quiet when they entered the town of Sanders.

  The place was friendly, almost oddly so. People waved at them as they drove by. A man walked two dogs down the street. An elderly couple held hands as they shopped at a lemonade stand.

  Kevin took a deep breath as they turned onto Martha's street.

  Rachel parked across from her house. It didn't look like the home of a serial killer. Neat lawn, cute little mailbox, some gnome figures scattered around.

  “She's probably not awake yet,” he said. “Maybe we should come back later.”

  “It's ten o'clock. I'm sure she's up.”

  “I don't see any lights on in the house or anything.”

  “Kevin, what's wrong?”

  “I'm scared.”

  “Of what?”

  “I don't know. What if this woman tells me I'm an alien or something?”

  She laughed and touched his shoulder. “You're not an alien. Most everyone in school thinks I'm an alien.”

  He laughed then stared at the house.

  “You'll be okay,” she said. “I'll be with you.”

  She gave him a bright smile. Kevin wasn't sure how after so many years, he'd gotten so lucky. It was always he and his sister against the world, until Rachel came along.

  “Okay. Let's get this over with.”

  It took a few minutes for anyone to answer the door.

  Martha Tomas looked to be in her sixties. Silver hair, bright blue eyes, a pair of glasses on the end of her nose. She shifted her feet to prevent a cat from escaping.

  “Sebastian, get back,” she said. “Yes?”

  Kevin said nothing. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

  “Are you Martha Tomas?” Rachel said for him.

  “Last time I checked. Look, tell the school to stop sending you folks over. I'll bake the cookies, I promise.”

  “We're not here about cookies, ma'am. This is Kevin. You sent him some emails.”

  “Is he mute?”

  “No,” Kevin said.

  “Ah, he speaks! Come on in. Watch out for Sebastian. I'm too old to be chasing him down the street.”

  They entered the house to see a tiny, cozy living room. A couch, table, but no television. Sebastian the cat circled around Kevin's feet.

  “Don't pay him no mind,” Martha said. “He probably smells your cat on you.”

  “How did you know I have a cat?”

  “We all do, dear.”

  Rachel and Kevin looked at each other as Martha went into the dining room, and gestured for them to follow.

  “I'm sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself,” she said. “Do you want anything to drink?”

  They declined, and sat at the dining room table while Martha poured a glass of water in the kitchen.

  “Wow, Kevin. The last time I saw you, you were just a baby. I know it's cliché to say you've grown, but what did you do? Eat a weight bench?”

  Rachel laughed, and held Kevin's hand under the table. Sitting closer to her made him feel safe.

  “And who is this?” Martha asked.

  “This is Rachel. My girlfriend.”

  “Nice to meet you.” She sat across from them, and studied them both. “I was wondering what took you so long to get here. I thought my internet was broken or something. Then I noticed you were playing hero at the local hospital. You're gonna have to learn how to keep a lower profile.”

  He put his arm around Rachel. “It was her parents in the hospital. I would do it again in a second.”

  Rachel squeezed his hand.

  “Okay,” Martha said, taking a drink of water. “Before we go any further, I have to ask you. Are you two close? Does she know...anything?”

  “She knows what I can do.”

  Martha held his gaze. “Kevin, after today, your life will never be the same. And if she stays here, neither will hers. Things will get...a little weird. I have some things I need to tell you. Do you want her here?”

  “Yes,” he said, without hesitation. He looked at her, a sadness touching his eyes. “But I wouldn't blame you if you wanted a more normal boyfriend.”

  She rolled her eyes and kissed him. “What does that tell you?”

  Kevin jumped in surprise as Martha laughed.

  “I like her,” she said. “What exactly can you do, Kevin? What have you found out?”

  He was quiet, then shrugged. “I can heal people.”

  “That's usually how it starts. Some of us are different. For me, it was the magic marker. You know, portals. For others, it's an obsession with cats. Let me see your cat. Do you have pictures?”

  Martha laughed and shook her head as she browsed through the various shots of Oscar playing and relaxing on Rachel's cell phone.

  “His name's Oscar,” Rachel said. “He's our kitten.”

  “An all-black cat. You're not even trying to break the stereotype, are you?”

  “Stereotype?”

  She reached out and grabbed Kevin's hand.

  “Kevin, you're a witch. Your parents were witches, too. So am I. And all of us end up having a cat, sooner or later.”

  He grabbed Rachel's knee under the table, hoping his meaning was clear. If they had to run, he wanted her right next to him.

  Martha was obviously crazy.

  “I don't blame you for doubting,” she said. She put a finger in her water and twirled it, watching it glow bright blue. Kevin had seen it countless times in his life, but never with anyone besides himself. “The older you are, the harder it is to acc
ept. You tell a five-year-old he's a witch, and it's all fun and games. You tell a young man ready to graduate high school, and he just can't accept it.”

  “A witch?” Kevin repeated.

  “Yeah. An honest to goodness, official witch. You're different than most. Both your parents were witches. Usually it's only one or the other. That will give you an edge.”

  Rachel scooted closer to Kevin. “You, uh, keep saying were?”

  Martha held up a finger and disappeared into the living room. She came back holding a few pictures.

  They were of a man and woman. The man looked just like Kevin. In one photo, he carried the woman in his arms in front of a tree. In another, they laid on a blanket in the grass with a picnic basket. They were both happy, full of smiles.

  Kevin's hands started to shake.

  “My parents,” he whispered. “My birth parents.”

  Rachel gently rubbed his arm.

  “They're gone now,” Martha said. “A long time ago. Their lives were in danger, and they gave you up for adoption to keep you safe.”

  Kevin dropped the pictures and held his head in his hands. Rachel stood up and rubbed his shoulders from behind. Martha looked back and forth between the two of them.

  “I know this is a lot to take, but come on. We're only just getting started. Don't get crazy on me yet.”

  “There's no way I'm a witch,” he said. “What the hell is a witch?”

  “You control magic,” she said. “Healing with water, that's just the beginning. Are you sure you don't want anything to drink?”

  Kevin didn't say anything. He knew he should have questions, but his mind was blank. He wasn't sure what he expected when he left his apartment with Rachel, but he definitely didn't think he'd be told he was a witch.

  “The world is full of the supernatural,” she continued. “Vampires, werewolves, hobgoblins, ghosts, demons. We're a part of it. We're witches.”

  Rachel thought of the video Tyler showed her many times over the past year. Vampires attacking Camden Yards.

  “When you say witches, do you mean pointy hats and cauldrons?” she asked.

  Martha laughed. “Ah, those were the days.” She looked at Kevin. “Didn't you ever question what you are?”

  Kevin looked up, and put his hand on top of Rachel's. “I used to, all the time. It was my sister who told me I should stop worrying about it.”