Dylan was now confused as he searched around. “Mine is missing, Claire.”
“And so is mine, Dylan. Our empty candy bags are missing, as well as our magic rings. This is not right. No, it is not right at all.”
Dylan began to cry. “What is happening to us, Claire? What is happening?”
Claire pulled her brother close. “Don’t worry, Dylan. Just calm down. We are going to figure out how to get out of this mess. Just calm down.”
But Dylan was inconsolable. He kept on shedding more tears.
Claire tried her best to console him. When she saw that he could not be consoled, she momentarily left him to continue to sob while she paced around, thinking of the solution to their problems. After a while, she came back to her brother and held his hand. “Dylan, listen to me. Stop crying and listen to me.”
Dylan sniffed his runny nose and nodded.
“We are going back to that candy store. That is our only way to get in touch with Raquetr now that we don’t have the magic rings, understand?”
Dylan nodded. “But do you remember where the shop was located?”
Claire smiled. “Of course I remember. Even though we were in traffic, with all the events that happened after Mom and Dad disappeared, I could never forget the particular environment.”
“Okay then. How do we get there?”
Claire glanced at their SUV. “Even though I can perfectly drive, I wouldn’t take the risk of driving and getting arrested by the cops for being underage. It would be safer if we got a taxi and rushed over there.”
They went to stop a taxi. In no time, they were being driven back to where they had come from.
After a while, the taxi pulled up by the side of a road and they got out.
“Is this the place?” Claire asked the taxi driver as she paid him.
The driver nodded. “Yes, miss. This is the place.”
Dylan looked around. “Claire, are you sure?”
Claire glanced around briefly. Almost immediately, she began to recognize some buildings and shops around. “Yes, Dylan. This is indeed the place.”
“But where is the candy shop? I thought that it was very conspicuous?”
Claire nodded. “Yes, it was. This is strange. I am positive about the location. This is the exact spot. Maybe we need to confirm from other neighbours.”
“We need to confirm the location of the candy shop again, Claire? But I thought you said you remembered where it was.”
“I did, Dylan. But obviously it seems like the shop is not here anymore. What do you want me to do, Dylan?”
Dylan shrugged. “All right. Let’s confirm with someone then. Maybe we can ask that newspaper vendor over there.”
Claire nodded and patted her brother’s shoulder. “That is good of you, Dylan. For once you are being a big boy.”
Claire walked up to the newspaper vendor. “Hello, sir. Please, can I make some enquiries from you?”
The elderly man smiled and looked at both Claire and Dylan. “Of course you can, kids. You want to buy a newspaper or a magazine?”
Claire shook her head. “No, not really, sir. Can you tell us how long you have been selling in this spot?”
“You mean me? Well, it’s been quite a while. And by a while I mean quite a really long while,” the man replied.
Claire glanced at her brother. “A while you said. Like a couple of days or weeks?”
The man shook his head. “No, much longer than that, miss. More like seven or eight years. Yes, closer to eight years now.”
“I see. And you have always been here on a daily basis?” Claire asked.
The man nodded. “Sure. Every day of the week. There is never a break for me. Everyone always needs to find out what is new in the news, you know?”
“Every day of the week? That means you were here today as well?” Claire asked.
The man nodded again. “Of course I was. I’ve been here all day. But wait a minute. Why are you asking all these questions?”
“I am sorry to bother you, sir. But we wanted to find out about the candy shop that was on that corner,” Claire said, pointing.
The man frowned and looked at the spot she had been pointing to. “What candy shop?”
“Sir, there was a candy shop in that place. We got some candies from there not too long ago. We just need to see the owner again,” Dylan said.
The old man frowned. “You kids must be mistaken. There has never been a candy shop over there, or anywhere close to here, for that matter.”
Claire gasped. “No, this is wrong! We are pretty sure of what we are saying. There was a candy shop there.”
“And I am pretty sure about what I am saying as well, miss. I know each one of the shops on this street. And there is no candy shop anywhere here or anywhere close,” the man replied.
“But there was a traffic hold-up earlier,” Claire protested.
The man nodded. “Yes, that was earlier today. I remember that it was a pretty terrible traffic holdup.”
Claire snapped her fingers. “Exactly. And that was when we got out of our vehicle and went to get the candies. And the shop was right there.”
The old man looked at her closely. “Are you sure about this?”
Claire nodded. “Absolutely, sir. I can still recall that when we were heading back to our vehicle we passed you.”
“You passed me?” the vendor asked.
Claire nodded. “Yes, sir. And you were in this same spot. Why do you think it was easy for me to recollect the exact location and come back to you?”
The old man shrugged. “I am sorry, miss. I really don’t know how to help you. You need to go elsewhere and search for a candy shop if that is what you really need.”
Claire was now in shock. She caught a hold of her brother’s hand. “There is no candy shop here. Where could it be?”
Dylan shook his head. “Maybe it is not where it could be, Claire. Perhaps we should be wondering where it could have gone to.”
“Or why it has gone to where it has gone to,” Claire said quietly.
“Perhaps Raquetr is angry with us,” Dylan said.
Claire nodded quietly. “Because we allowed adults to eat from the candies?”
Dylan nodded. “Yes. Because the adults took from the candies.”
Claire sighed. “We have to look for that candy shop.”
“But where are we going to find what was never there before?”
“We just have to keep on looking. Come.”
The old man watched them walk away. He glanced back at the spot where Claire had claimed that the candy shop had been and shook his head. “Funny things what kids these days can think about. A candy shop around here? What a crazy idea.”
The man sat down and continued to watch them leave.
THE END
The Circle of Friends
CHAPTER 1
“Are you afraid?” In response to the question, Michelle shook her head. She looked at the other people in the dark room. The only illumination was provided by the candles they were all holding. Like herself, they were all young girls. But whereas they were standing with their candles, she was the only one who was kneeling down.
Everyone was completely naked, and it created an eerie atmosphere in the dark room to watch their shadows seem to dance on the walls as the light, cool breeze of the night seeped in through the slightly open windows and blew against the open candles they were holding in their hands. From where she was kneeling down, Michelle felt that she was surrounded by the other girls.
She should be, she thought. After all, she was the only person who was kneeling down within the circle that had been drawn on the floor with what appeared to be red paint. The others were all standing and had formed a sort of wall around her.
Michelle tried to count how many people had encircled her. She glanced around, mentally taking note of each one of the female faces. But after counting up to thirteen, she got confused. Maybe she had double counted some people, she began to wonder. Cou
ld as many as thirteen people encircle her around the circle? she wondered to herself.
“Just relax, Michelle. We all have gone through the same process before. It is the only way that you can become complete like we are. It is the only way that you can become strong.”
Michelle looked up at the girl who had just spoken. She was the only one amongst them all who was not completely bare. Tied around her head was a piece of red scarf. And she was not holding any candle. Rather, she was holding a black clay pot.
“Are you ready to join with us, Michelle?” she asked.
Michelle nodded.
“You need to speak out, Michelle. Your words are what the spirit and we here are going to hold you to. Speak out your response; let us all know what your intention really is, Michelle,” the girl with the black pot said.
Michelle nodded again. “Yes. Yes, I willingly choose to be part of your sisterhood. I make this choice out of my own freewill.”
The girl in front of her now raised the black pot high above her head. She then looked up into the ceiling. “Ancient spirits of old, ancient spirits of beyond. Behold, we commit to you Michelle here. On her knees she lays, waiting with her heart and spirit open in freewill to receive from you the powers that you have once granted unto each and every one of us gathered in this room tonight. May you find her worthy to become one of us.”
Michelle glanced up at the girl in front of her. As she did so, she noticed that the black clay pot in her hand was now glowing. Its sides appeared to be orange in colour, as if something was being cooked within the pot.
Michelle frowned in surprise. The pot was not above a fire. It was being held high above the girl’s head. And yet it was glowing red-hot.
As if to confirm Michelle’s suspicions, the girl brought down the pot and clouds of smoke could be seen coming out of the top of the pot.
Michelle backed away as the pot was laid before her.
The girl with the red scarf smiled. “Do not be afraid, Michelle. The spirits have accepted the sacrifice that we gave to them. And the way they show their acceptance is by incinerating the animals that were within the pot. All that remains now is the ashes from their cremated bodies. In order to complete tonight’s rites, you are going to now bath yourself completely with this ash, as well as lick some of it.”
Michelle swallowed and then she started to blink her eyes rapidly. “Did you say ash? Ashes from animals?”
The girl with the red scarf nodded. “Yes, Michelle. Ashes from animals that we caught on our way here.”
Michelle glanced at the pot in front of her. Its sides were no longer glowing orange with heat. Rather, soft wisps of smoke could be seen rising out of it. “What animals were they?”
“You need not bother yourself with all that, Michelle. Are you still interested in becoming like us?” the girl with the red scarf asked.
Michelle looked around. Several pairs of eyes were staring back at her. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. Yes, I want to become one of you.”
“Then complete the rite, Michelle. Lick some of the ashes and rub your body completely with the remaining,” the girl with the red scarf commanded.
Without a further word, Michelle pulled the pot close to her. She made to dip her right hand into the pot but the girl with the red scarf stopped her.
Confused, Michelle looked up at her. She smiled back. “Use your left hand, Michelle. Your left hand is what you should dip into the pot, not your right.”
Michelle nodded. She transferred the candle into her right hand. She then dipped her left hand into the ashes. It felt warm to her hand, a confirmation of how recently the contents of the pot had been incinerated.
She scooped some of the grey dust and opened her mouth. Her mind suddenly became clouded with several thoughts.
Why did they refuse to tell her what animals had been incinerated? And how did the animals become incinerated? Maybe the pot was some form of an electric stove. But even if it was, how was it possible that the girl with the red scarf had been able to hold up the burning pot with her bare hands and still not get burnt?
“Michelle?”
She opened her eyes to see the girl with the red scarf watching her intently. “Are you hesitating?”
Michelle shook her head vigorously.
“But it looks like you are, Michelle. You have still not licked up the ashes in your hand. You do know the consequences of backing out at this point, don’t you?”
Michelle nodded. “I am not backing out. I am all right. I am ready.”
“Then complete the rites to prove your willingness and resolve to become one of us.”
Michelle bent her head backwards and raised her left hand. She allowed the ashes to fall into her mouth. She did not stop pouring in the ash until her mouth had become full.
She then began to swallow. The ashes tasted like freshly burnt wood. Somewhere in her mind, Michelle began to wonder if these really were the remains of some animals that had been incinerated.
The other girls watched her quietly as she ingested the entire contents of her left hand. When she had finished, Michelle looked up at the girl with the red scarf. She smiled back at her. “Now pour the remaining on your body and rub it all over as if you were applying a body lotion,” the girl said.
Michelle picked up the pot and raised it above her head. She closed her eyes and tipped the pot over. As the ashes fell on her head, they clustered into a heap on her head before cascading down to her shoulders and the rest of her body. When she was sure that the pot was empty, Michelle placed it back on the ground. She bent over to scoop some of the ash on the ground and then began to rub it all over herself. She rubbed it all over until she was completely covered in the grey ash.
Once she was done, Michelle looked up at the girl with the red scarf. “You have completely covered yourself with the ashes, both inside by ingesting and outside by rubbing it. You are now whole, Michelle. Reborn into our sisterhood. How do you feel?”
Michelle looked down at her hands and her arms. She could feel some kind of spark, a wave of energy flowing through her veins. Even in the dimly lit environment, she felt that she could see her skin glowing from underneath the dark ash that she had covered her body with.
She looked up at the girl with the red scarf, smiling. “I feel different.”
“Different?” the girl repeated.
Michelle nodded. “Yes. Different. And, and, and—” Michelle found herself stammering. She was suddenly overtaken with alarm and confusion. She was never one to search for words to say. She was never known to stammer. Yet, here she was, on her knees, covered in ashes, stammering, as if she had lost the words she wanted to say.
With fear in her eyes, she looked up at the girl in the red scarf. She only smiled back at her. It was not a smile of friendliness and warmth. It was a smile of determination and resolve. “Do not be afraid, Michelle. You must allow the spirits to completely take control of your entire being. They must possess your body, your soul, and your spirit.”
“What?” Michelle managed to ask in a voice that she could have sworn was not hers.
“The spirits, Michelle. They need to possess you completely. Do not try to resist them. Let them do their work. Just relax.”
“Relax?” Michelle asked. But how could she relax when her entire body now seemed to be on fire. The skin which Michelle had been admiring earlier as having a new sheen, perhaps even glowing from underneath the ashes, was now literally on fire. With eyes filled with horror, Michelle was watching herself burn up from within.
And the pain was excruciating and numbing.
Michelle doubled over and fell down in the circle. She lay there writhing and shuddering. She tried to scream out in pain, to beg for mercy and help. But all that came out of her wide mouth was a sinister hiss, followed by a croak and a rumble.
The other girls, along with the one in the red scarf, only watched with expressions of disinterest written all over their faces. It seemed as if they were watching some bo
ring play on a stage as they watched Michelle jerking, tossing, and turning on the floor. Her body was now a bright orange and red. It appeared as if the orange and red fire was burning her up completely. But the flames were not burning her up. She was aglow from the flames burning from deep within her. Michelle’s skin was merely containing the fire that was burning within, holding the fire from bursting out and consuming the environment around her.
Michelle could not think anymore. All she could feel was the searing heat of the burning flames. And as it burned, she struggled to overcome the pain. But it was useless. She knew that it was not going to be possible to overcome the pain. No matter how hard she tried, Michelle knew that it was useless trying to think of how best to stop the pain.
She should accept it.
Was that not the reason why she had offered to join them in the first place? Michelle thought to herself. Suddenly filled with a new realization, Michelle got up from where she had previously lain, writhing and tossing. This was not a normal process of pain and anguish, she said to herself. She had wanted to be with them, to join them, and belong to them. She knew what was entailed in the rites, her having to surrender her entire being to the spirits. She had wanted this willingly, and so willingly she was going to give in to the process.
Still engulfed by the consuming fire and the heat of the flames, Michelle struggled to kneel down and raised her hands high above her head, as if in total surrender and submission to her fate.
The other girls who had been watching with not much interest were startled at Michelle’s sudden behaviour. They all began to look at one another, wondering what to make of the new convert’s acceptance.
It was the girl in red scarf who called them to order. She raised her hand, motioning for all to be still and silent while Michelle underwent the process. They watched in disbelief, or intense interest, or both, as Michelle’s entire body changed. The transformation was rapid and immediate. From the pale orange colour of a fire that was just gaining its force and intensity, Michelle’s skin began to grow into a fiery, burning, deep red. As she burned up in hot, red flames, the girls had to step backwards because of the intensity of the heat.
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