A Girl Between

by Marjorie Weismantel

  “Why did you continue to see me?” I asked.

  “Initially, I had planned on just staying away from you. After all, I didn’t want any trouble from Tonya and her gang of crazies.” Ian stared into my eyes before continuing, “But when I saw you at the bonfire, I knew I wanted to see you again. In fact, that was why I went there. I just wanted to see you.”

  “Tonya was at that bonfire, too. You were with her there,” I asserted.

  “No, I just bumped into Tonya and her pals there. I took off pretty quickly because I realized how much I hated her. I didn’t want you to see me hanging out with her. I was also jealous. I didn’t want to see you having fun with any other guys.” Ian lifted my chin up, drew in close and whispered, “Tess, I just had to see you again. It probably wasn’t a wise decision but I’m drawn to something in you. Other than you being beautiful and unique and brave, I don’t know what the attraction is.” Then Ian smiled at me, gently pushing a strand of hair away from my eyes.

  I sat there and looked in his eyes. I only saw truth and sincerity. All I wanted to do was sink into his arms and breathe him in for the next six hours. Unfortunately, there was one more question nagging at me. I had to ask him before I lost my nerve.

  I pulled back from him and asked in a whispery voice, “Do you know about me, Ian? Do you know who I am?”

  Ian questioned sharply, “What did you say, Tess?”

  Louder, “Do you know who I am?”

  “Yes, I believe I do,” he stated calmly.

  “What do you know?”

  He sighed, “I know that you’re a good one, a witch. I figured that out when you recalled the voices of the condemned witches at the hanging tree. Only a witch could do that.”

  “So YOU knew, and I didn’t,” I accused.

  “Yeah, I’m aware of that. I figured out pretty quickly that you didn’t have a clue. I guess I could have told you, but I really didn’t want to. I thought that our relationship would be better if you didn’t know,” he said with his sad eyes.

  I asked softly, “So, Ian, how did you find out that you were a witch?”

  Ian paused. I could tell he didn’t want to answer. “It involved Tonya.”

  “Of course,” I grumbled.

  He continued, “When Tonya first moved to town she went after me because she knew I was a witch. Tonya always knows those kinds of things about people. I had a feeling that there was something different about me, I just didn’t know what.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “I didn’t like what I had learned about myself.” Ian shook his head. “I didn’t want to be a witch. I stopped seeing Tonya because I didn’t want anything to do with her schemes. Unfortunately, it was too late. Learning who I really was just opened the floodgates”.

  “What do you mean?”

  “My life hasn’t been the same since. I started having all these strange dreams of how I used to torment regular people and other witches. During the dreams, I seemed to get great pleasure out of hurting others.”

  “So, you’ve figured out what kind of witch you are?”

  “I know I’m supposed to be a diabole, and that’s bad. All I know is that I’ve never done anything harmful to anyone during this lifetime. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

  I sighed, “I don’t know, Ian.”

  47. What to Believe

  “So what do we do here, Ian?”

  “It’s up to you, Tess. I can’t help what I’ve been in the past. I also know that Tonya wants me to be on her side, but there’s no way. I don’t use any witch power, nor do I want to. ” Ian emphasized while shaking his head.

  “Ian, do you realize that I’m right in the middle of it all? Something BIG is going to happen and I know I’m part of it. I don’t want to be, but I have no choice. That’s why Tonya, along with her gang have been after me and as a result, people have died! I’m scared out of my wits. THIS,” I gestured to my bandaged feet, “is part of it. I’M SURE OF IT. I just have to figure out how.”

  Ian looked at me like I was crazy. “What do you mean, something BIG is going to happen? You actually think that the rats biting you were part of the witch trouble?”

  I glared at him, “Yeah, THAT along with the altercation in front of your house, the catastrophe at the Tri-Town Fair, and Bully, uh, I mean Jimmy, attacking me after the school bon fire. Those are ALL related to the terrible trouble that we know is coming.”

  Ian sat there in disbelief. “I guess I could see how some of the catastrophe at the Tri-Town Fair was related to the witch trouble. I knew that Tonya was enraged after she saw us together. I didn’t make the connection at the time, but I see it now. I don’t think she caused all of it, though. I heard they had major problems with their power source during the evening, which wouldn’t necessarily have anything to do with Tonya. She doesn’t have that kind of power anyway! I don’t know anything about the other stuff you mentioned. What happened at my house and with Jimmy at the bon fire?”

  I could feel myself losing it. How could Ian be so dense? Doesn’t he have a brain in his head? “Ian,” I cried, “your nasty brother attacked me in front of your house with the help of Tonya and another one of her cronies. I barely got out of there. Remember when James got singed by lightning? Well, that was done by ME!” I emphatically poked at my chest while glowering at him. He looked at me like I had two heads.

  “AND, remember the night of the bon fire? Bully Boy, your pal Jimmy, tried to stab me. Fortunately, I had some assistance. That’s why Bully suffered that setback and he ended up in the hospital. He got what he asked for! ” I continued to stare at Ian indignantly while adding, “If you remember, I had that little cut above my eye the next day. Bully got the bad end of that one.” Thinking about that brought a little smile to my lips.

  Ian was shaking his head, “I don’t know, Tess. Jimmy stabbing at you, and you fighting James with lightning in front of my house, it all sounds crazy to me.”

  My voice started to rise, “It sounds CRAZY to you? Are you saying that I’m crazy?”

  Ian remarked with a controlled smile, “Tess, I’m simply wondering if some of this is a little exaggerated. And what’s this about something BIG that’s going to happen. What does that mean?”

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen! What difference does it make? Something bad IS going to happen. That’s all I know.” I glared at him.

  “Who’s been telling you this stuff? Is it Will?” Ian asked. He didn’t look too happy.

  “No, but seeing as you don’t believe me, I don’t think that it’s any of your concern,” I stated bluntly.

  “Tess,” Ian took my hand. “I’m so sorry for all of this. I wish I could believe everything you’re telling me, but it’s just too much. I’ve lived for 18 years and until very recently I haven’t seen any witch activity going on. Why would all this witch stuff suddenly be happening out of the blue?”

  I stared at him. “I wish I could tell you, Ian, but I can’t. All I know is, something’s going to happen and I’m concerned that we won’t be on the same side.”

  Ian leaned in, kissed me lightly on my forehead and spoke softly in my ear. “Tessie, I would never, ever go against you in any way. I would never be on ‘the other side’. Ever.”

  48. Cats and Rats

  Annie let me off at Mercy’s house before going off to work. It was another crappy, gray day. I knew it was getting colder because I almost fell flat on my butt going up her icy steps. The silvery frozen rain was almost invisible to the eye and it was easy to get fooled, especially if you were distracted.

  I was thinking about Ian. I can’t be too mad at him because he really doesn’t seem to know too much. It’s either that, or he just can’t face up to what he is - a diabole. Eventually, he’ll have to figure things out and I hope he doesn’t get hurt doing it. I just don’t know how I feel about him right now.

  I also had mixed feelings about what was to come. I didn’t like regressing, but I understood the necessity of lea
rning the truth about myself. Mercy opened the door just as I was about to reach for it. “Tess, you’re looking better today,” she commented as she glanced down at my feet. They were feeling better, now in my fur lined boots. “Yeah, I’m OK. I’m just a little nervous about going through this again. After the past regression sessions, I always end up experiencing a series of bizarre flashbacks and bad dreams of other lives. It takes me a while to go back to my normal self. It’s not very uncomfortable.”

  Belinda strode in with open arms and gave Tess a big hug. “How are you doing, Tessie? It’s wonderful to see you again.”

  “Nice to see you too, Belinda.”

  She gazed at me with her intense green eyes. “I know it’s scary, but you will be fine, believe me. I know each session is difficult for you but in the long run it will accomplish two essential things. First of all, your special abilities that have been repressed for so long will fully emerge. Secondly, your true purpose in this life will become crystal clear. That knowledge will help us to challenge the upcoming catastrophe that has the potential to affect so many innocents.

  “I’m glad you believe in me because I sure don’t,” I grumbled.

  Belinda patted me on the shoulder. “Why don’t you sit down, Tess and I’ll make you a cup of your favorite, the Pu ‘erh tea. Then, you can relax for a few minutes before we get started.”

  I put my head back and closed my eyes. I would so rather take a nap then go through this. “Here’s the tea, dear.” Belinda set down the pot and the tea cup and then she sat across from me. She paused for a moment before adding, “By the way, Tess, before we get going, there is something else I wanted to talk about with you. It involves something that Mercy asked me about, the incident with the rats.”

  I looked at her sharply. “What do you know about the rats?”

  “I believe you are right to believe that those rats were going after you. It’s related to what you heard recently about cats. Mercy told me that when you visited the Petrov’s you learned how good witches may choose to reincarnate as cats.”

  “Yes, I did learn that. If fact, I’ve come to realize that my own cat, Beauty Queen, is a reincarnated witch.”

  Mercy jumped in. “You think Beauty Queen’s a witch? She’s certainly an in-your-face-cat and she talks enough, with that loud, obnoxious meow.”

  “I thought about it after we visited the Petrov’s that day and figured out that she must be a witch. Even the way she attached herself to me was odd,” I contended.

  “Why? How did you come to have Beauty Queen?” Belinda inquired.

  “Beauty Queen showed up at our old house in Colorado about a year ago. She actually climbed a tree outside my bedroom and scratched on the window screen in the middle of the night. I remember I opened it and she came right in, strolled over to my bed and curled up next to my pillow. She’s been sticking to me like glue ever since. At the time, I just thought she was just a very clever cat, but now I realize it’s more than that. Recently, I’ve been communicating with Beauty Queen about simple things. She’ll respond to my questions with her loud meowing or she’ll poke at me with her sharp claws. She’s acts like a cranky, overprotective grandma.”

  Belinda asked, “How has Beauty Queen been behaving since you moved to Woodley?”

  “She’s been nuts. She runs around my legs when I’m at home. She goes crazy any time I leave, jumping in front of me and meowing at the top of her lungs. When I’m hanging out at home, she won’t leave my lap. Sometimes, she even rides around hanging onto my shoulders. She didn’t act this possessive when we lived in Colorado,” I exclaimed.

  Belinda asserted, “She knows that something’s up, like all the other cats that have been showing up in town.”

  “In fact,” I added, “Grandma Edwina has been complaining about the cats hanging around outside of our house and the racket they’ve been making. When I heard it last week, I realized that the howling has been going back and forth between Beauty Queen and those cats. I wish I knew what they were saying!”

  “Mom, this is all rather interesting but it doesn’t answer your assertion that those rats deliberately attacked Tessie,” Mercy proclaimed.

  Belinda looked over at Mercy. “I guess we have gotten a bit off topic although it’s all related. What I have always known is that bad witches will also reincarnate into other animals, especially such nasty creatures as rats.”

  I had to sit there and think for a minute. What was she leading up to? Suddenly it hit me. “So, that’s why they were all after me!” I was suddenly hit by another thought that was even more repulsive. I looked at Belinda and Mercy, “Those rats aren’t done here. That’s why they’re flocking to Woodley and the surrounding towns. They’ll want to finish what they started.”

  49. The Last Woman

  “Tess, take another sip of tea and put the rats, cats, and all other troubles out of your mind. Sit back and think about one of your favorite, most relaxing places for a few minutes.”

  I thought about laying down in the hammock in our backyard with a nice thick book on a beautiful day. Now THAT would be relaxing.

  After a few minutes, Belinda quietly asked, “Are you ready, Tess?”

  I picked up the tea cup and took another sip and then I shifted around to make myself more comfortable. “Yes,” I sighed, “anytime you are.”

  Belinda stared into my eyes. “Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, close your eyes and feel yourself relaxing. Take another breath and slowly release it. Continue breathing, and with each breath feel your muscles become very loose and limp.” As Belinda droned on, I could feel the familiar sense of relaxation seep into my bones, from my toes to the top of my head. I just wanted to sleep forever…

  SNAP! I opened my eyes. I was back again living a dream.

  I could hear Belinda’s voice through a long tunnel. “Can you understand me, Tess?”

  “Yes.”

  “We will be going back further in your past, Tess, even further than before,” Belinda gently stated.

  “I know,” I whispered.

  “First, we’ll be talking about when you were born. Tessie, do you remember anything about your birth?”

  I felt myself slip back, back through my life, through my childhood and babyhood, back to the floating. I finally responded, “I remember floating. I’m floating in in the soft warmth, drifting. It’s peaceful, with the constant beating.”

  “How did your birth go?” she prompted.

  My throat started to tighten. I answered in a hoarse whisper, “Once the squeezing started, it never stopped. It just kept going and going. It hurt so much, and then my throat felt like it was blocked. Finally, I could see the big light but all I could think about was air. I needed air. I had to have air. I felt my heart beat faster. Finally, the air came in all at once. I hated it when the light came.” I was holding my throat, taking a deep breath.

  “Tessie, I want you to go back, go back to before your birth, back through The Between, then the blackness and the light. You have to go to your life before your time in Connecticut.”

  I sat there and watched my lives stream by like a movie reel. I went through the white light and The Between and then the blackness and the light. I awoke to an uneasy gray. I was immediately struck by the gloom, the human stench and my sense of terror. I was in a hellish place.

  I sharply drew my breath in. My arms and shoulders were in great pain. I started to cry.

  “What is it Tessie?”

  “I am not Tessie, I am Gysel. They have tortured me! First, they tied my hands behind my back. Then, they swung the rope over the beam and hung me there. It caused the bones in my shoulders to come apart from my body,” I moaned.

  Belinda asked quietly, “Gysel, why would they do such a thing?”

  I straightened my back and held my head up though it pained me greatly. “It is the archbishop. He is the embodiment of evil here in Trier. He made me confess to worship of the devil AND to bringing storm by the devil’s aid. Of course, that is not s
o! They also stripped me and used a needle to find the signs of the devil on my body. They wanted me to yield to them, to beg for their mercy upon my tainted soul.” I stared defiantly outward.

  “What is going on there, Gysel?”

  “It is the year of my death, 1592. We are here in The Burning Times in Germany. I am the last of the women here. There are no more left.”

  Belinda leaned in and asked, “What do you mean by ‘the last of the women’?”

  “Why, there are many towns here with no women left! The women were imprisoned and tortured until they accused others. Then, the accused were taken and they did the same. It went round and round. Soon, there was no one left to be accused. That is why I am the last woman of my village. I was the last to be accused. Who is there left for me to name? I will not name the children as some have.”

  Belinda softly asked, “What is to become of you?”

  “I proclaimed my innocence but it was to no avail. They are here to take me to the pyre. It is the executioner and those who examine and judge that gain in riches and status in this place. The children of the condemned are sent away for their own survival, thus leaving any property to be confiscated by those who practice the tyranny of the devil, but cloak themselves in the sanctity of their law.”

  Belinda softly asked, “What is next for you?”

  “I have sight of what is to happen. I see a ladder made of sticks leaning against a large pile of wood. That will be my death bed. There are three more wood stacks just like it, all in a row. Four of us are to burn today.”

  “Who are the others?”

  “We were at the same trial. Oggard was a simpleton from my village. He accused me only to stop his torment. The other two are old hags that were ragpickers from the village of Cuchme. They got arrested because they dared to curse the Burgomaster. He claimed they were followers of Satan.”