Legacy

by Gerald Pruett

  “Slow,” Felix replied. “Why are you here, Martha?”

  “Mrs. Anderson asked me to come by,” Martha answered.

  Felix looked at his watch before saying, “She’s picking up Alex, or should be anyway. So she should be getting home within the next ten… fifteen minutes.” Felix went to unlock the front door. “You might as well come in and wait.”

  “I’ll see you around, Martha,” Timothy said with a wave.

  “See you around, Tim,” Martha said as Felix opened the front door.

  As Timothy walked away, Martha entered the house followed by Felix.

  “Have a seat in the living room,” Felix told Martha. “I’ll join you once I change my clothes.”

  “Do you mind if I turn on your television?” Martha asked.

  “Not at all,” Felix said before he and Martha went their respective ways.

  Martha entered the living room and turned on the TV. Once she found a program that she could tolerate among the six channels, she took a seat on the couch.

  Felix joined Martha after changing into his everyday clothes, and within a few minutes after that, Gloria and Alexander entered.

  When Gloria saw Martha, she said, “When I invited you over, Martha, I didn’t mean soon after school.”

  “I thought I should get that sooner than later,” Martha told her.

  “Okay, what are you getting sooner than later?” Felix quickly asked.

  Gloria slightly sighed before telling Alexander, “Go to your room, Sweetie, and start your homework. I’ll be in soon to help you.”

  “You just want me out of this room so you can discuss things that you think I’m too young to hear,” Alexander accused.

  “Okay, Smarty-pants, just go to your room and start your homework,” Gloria ordered.

  “Fine,” Alexander grumbled before walking away.

  Once Alexander had left the room, Gloria turned towards Felix. “I believe that Vincentia is performing sacrificing rituals…”

  “You think she’s a part of that devil-worshiping cult?” Felix interrupted with.

  “No, dear,” Gloria quickly said. “Certain incantations require bloodletting, and I think she’s performing those incantations.”

  “So there’s no devil-worshipping cult?” Felix questioned.

  Gloria shrugged before saying, “I can’t say one way or the other about a cult being within the city limits, but I believe that Vincentia is solely responsible for those deaths, and I need to confront her about it.”

  “Is that wise?” Felix asked as he stood. “I mean if she’s out there killing then…” Felix stopped talking when he saw a serious expression on her face. Felix slightly laughed without humor before continuing with, “When you say confront her, you mean confront her as a sorceress.”

  “She has to be stopped,” Gloria said. “And the police will be no match for her.”

  “You had promised that you wouldn’t touch the witchcraft,” Felix pointed out.

  “I’m sorry, Felix,” Gloria began. “I can’t under good conscience keep that promise while knowing that I need to do what I can to stop Vincentia. And if you feel the need to leave me, I’ll understand. In fact, so you and Alex will be out of harm’s way, I’m hoping you will.”

  Felix pondered the situation for a moment before asking, “When will you be confronting her?”

  “The next full moon will be in three days,” Gloria began. “My—and unfortunately Vincentia’s—powers will be at their greatest by then.”

  Felix nodded before saying, “A couple of days ago, Scottie’s sergeant—Mac Robinson—had sent me a telegram…” “Did they find your brother?” Gloria interrupted with.

  “No, Scottie’s still MIA,” Felix said sullenly. “Anyway, Mac is from Kansas City, Missouri. He’s now out of the service. He started up his own business and he offered me a job. Tomorrow evening, I’m going to drive over there and meet with him about that job offer. I’ll take Alex with me and we will only come back on two conditions.” Gloria just gave him an inquisitive look. “This situation with Vincentia was handled and done with. The second condition is that you either destroy those Legacy volumes or bury them. Truthfully, I don’t really care what you do with them as long as they are out of this house and out of our lives.”

  “I actually kept the volumes around because there are wizards out there that must be dealt with,” Gloria said. “I didn’t expect one of them to be my sister’s daughter though.”

  “Yes, well, regardless to the reasons why you had kept them, my two conditions are nonnegotiable,” Felix assured her.

  “Okay, well, leave me the information to where I can reach you and I’ll contact you once the two conditions have been met,” Gloria told him.

  Felix nodded while saying, “Okay.”

  Gloria put her hand on Felix’s arm, and as she stared into his eyes, she said, “I love you with all my heart, Felix. You do know that, right?”

  Felix pleasantly grinned before leaning in and giving Gloria a kiss that lasted only a couple of seconds. As he pulled back, he delightfully stared into Gloria’s eyes while saying, “I know, and I love you.”

  Gloria and Felix stared delightfully into each other’s eyes for a brief moment before Gloria broke the stare. She turned towards Martha while saying, “Come with me, Martha. I’ll give you what you came for.”

  “And you never answered as to why Martha is here,” Felix prompted.

  “I’m giving Martha a minor incantation that will help her to get psychic visions,” Gloria was only able to say.

  “You’re involving Martha in this?” Felix demanded to know.

  “I’ve been involved in this from the beginning,” Martha quickly replied.

  Gloria stared at Martha as she told Felix, “Martha will not be confronting Vincentia.”

  “Martha shouldn’t be involved in this at all,” Felix insisted.

  “I want to help,” Martha strongly retorted.

  “Seers have been close allies to the wizard community even before Merlin’s time,” Gloria added. “And as I said, Martha will not be confronting Vincentia.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t like it,” Felix told them.

  “You don’t have to like it,” Martha retorted.

  “Martha!” Gloria called. When Martha looked, Gloria shook her head as if to say, ‘That’s not helping.’ When Martha timidly tilted her head downward, Gloria faced Felix. “Felix, there’s a good chance that whatever vision Martha sees from the incantation won’t have anything to do with me or Vincentia. However, any information on Vincentia that I can get prior to our confrontation would very much increase the chances of my survival.”

  “Survival?!” Felix echoed.

  “If I’m right about Vincentia, she had killed her family while using the Dark Ritual, and if that’s the case, she’s more powerful than me,” Gloria explained.

  “So one of you won’t be walking away from this confrontation,” Felix said while grasping the seriousness of the situation.

  “One of us—not walking away—is the most likely outcome,” Gloria confirmed.

  “I don’t like this,” Felix retorted.

  “Yes, well, as I said earlier, the police wouldn’t be able to handle her and she has to be stopped,” Gloria restated. “Otherwise she will keep killing.”

  “I still don’t like it.” Gloria had formed her mouth to speak, but before she could do so, Felix quickly continued with, “But I do understand why you believe that it is your responsibility to stop Vincentia, and…” Felix sighed. “And I won’t try to talk you out of it.”

  Gloria grinned before giving him a kiss. The kiss only lasted for a couple of seconds before Gloria ended it. After another brief moment of staring delightfully into Felix’s eyes she turned towards Martha and said, “Let’s get that incantation, Martha.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Martha said before following Gloria into the bedroom.

  Gloria went straight to her bedroom closet, pulled out her forty Legacy volume
s and placed them on the floor next to her bed. After choosing one of the volumes from the stack, she sat on the bed, opened the volume and flipped through the pages. Martha sat on the bed next to her and watched.

  It only took Gloria a few minutes to find the correct incantation and to copy it.

  The incantation was three pages long with the first page describing the incantation’s layout, and it required crystals and gemstones to work. Candles, incense, herbs, flowers, feathers and miscellaneous charms were recommended, but weren’t required. Gloria had all the items tucked away in her closet within a medium-size-box, and after Martha was handed the incantation, Gloria went back to the closet and dragged out that box.

  Once Gloria had placed the box on the bed she went back to the closet and grabbed a shoebox. She emptied the box by dumping the pair of black high-heeled shoes onto the closet’s floor, and then proceeded to transfer items from the medium-size-box to the shoebox.

  The items placed in the shoebox were a crystal ball that was five inches in diameter, six black candles, six white candles, some incense, an assorted bag of gemstones, a couple of trinkets, a short dagger with a jewel handle and a twenty-four by twenty-four inch light-brown silk cloth.

  Once the items were in the shoebox, Martha placed the folded papers with the incantation on it inside the shoebox as well before taking the box. Martha then said her ‘goodbyes’ to Gloria and Felix before heading home.

  Once Martha got home, she snuck the shoebox past her parents and into her bedroom. She then went about her normal evening activities.

  Once Martha, her younger brother and her parents had gone to their respective bedrooms for the night, Martha set everything up. Martha had put the candles and incense in place, but because the smell would alert her parents to what she was doing, she didn’t light them.

  Martha got comfortable next to the incantation’s layout and then recited the words. As Martha was reciting the last word to the incantation, she thought she saw the crystal ball and a few of the gemstones dimly light up from the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look at them, they looked normal.

  After shaking off what she thought she had seen, she moved the crystal ball and gemstones to her nightstand and went to bed.

  As the hours moved into the next school day, Martha went to talk to Gloria before the first class could start.

  As Martha was stepping up, Gloria asked, “Had any interesting dreams last night?”

  “Interesting and weird,” Martha replied.

  “How so?” Gloria asked.

  “I dreamed that Mickey Mouse and his family were spying on you, and Popeye and Brutus were turned into panthers,” Martha said.

  “Those are interesting dreams,” Gloria noted.

  “I’m sorry that I couldn’t be a better help to you,” Martha said sullenly.

  “Martha, you did help me,” Gloria pointed out.

  “Having weird dreams of comic strip characters helped you?” Martha asked incredulously.

  Gloria smiled before saying, “There is an incantation that allows a wizard or a sorceress to see what animals see and hear what they hear. In fact, within the past week alone, four mice were killed in our mousetraps at home.”

  “Okay, what about Popeye and Brutus being turned into panthers?” Martha prompted.

  “There is an incantation that will change man into beast. All Vincentia would need is the incantation—which as far as I know, our family had never had that incantation, so I don’t know where she would get her hands on a copy. Anyway, she would also need the blood of the specific animal… a few other essential ingredients that would be easy to get… I’m guessing anyway, and the full moon.”

  “And the full moon will be here the night after tomorrow,” Martha pointed out.

  “Yes, which means I’ll have to deal with her tonight or tomorrow night.”

  “Will you be ready to confront her?” Martha asked, worriedly.

  “No,” Gloria honestly answered, “but this has to be done, and I doubt Vincentia will wait much longer before striking against me… especially if she was using mice to listen in on our conversation last night.”

  “Mr. Anderson and Alex are leaving for Kansas City this evening,” Martha reminded Gloria. “If Vincentia knows that you’ll be alone in the house tonight, she might try something tonight.”

  “She might,” Gloria agreed. “Which is why I will only be home this evening long enough to get my Legacy volumes from the house. I’ll copy the incantations that I’ll be needing and then I’ll bring them to you for safekeeping.”

  “Will you be going to a hotel?”

  Gloria shook her head before saying, “Dennis… the building’s custodian owes me several favors. I’ll let him know that those favors will be paid in full if he’ll allow me to remain here tonight.”

  “You’re planning to sleep here at school?” Martha asked incredulously.

  “There’s a bed in the nurse’s office,” Gloria pointed out. “Plus Vincentia won’t know to look for me here.”

  “Sleeping inside a school building at night sounds… creepy,” Martha said while shivering.

  Gloria grinned before saying, “I’m used to creepy.”

  “Yes, I guess you are,” Martha agreed with a grin. “What about that message to Alex… the one that will tell him where he could find your Legacy volumes?”

  “I had hidden a letter within the lining of Felix’s briefcase. Hopefully Alex will find it.” Gloria then glanced at her watch before she continued with, “You had better get to class.”

  Martha nodded while saying, “Yes, Ma’am. Bye.”

  “Bye,” Gloria echoed before walking away.

  After school, Martha saw that her father was parked in front of the schoolhouse. After opening the car door, Martha asked, “Am I in trouble?”

  “Actually, I’m the one who’s in trouble.” Martha—while not attempting to get in—gave him a curious look as he continued to say, “An hour ago I remembered about your mother’s birthday today, and needless to say, I have no gift for her… nor do I know what she wants this year. So if you wouldn’t mind helping your old-man out, come shopping with me.”

  Martha grinned, and while climbing into the car, she told him, “Sure, Dad.”

  Martha and her father got home two hours later, and while Martha was stepping through the front door, her mother told her, “Mrs. Anderson came by earlier and dropped off some old books for you. I put them in your room.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Martha told her before walking in the direction of her bedroom. “Oh, and happy birthday.”

  “Thank you, Sweetie,” Martha’s mother told her.

  Martha went directly to her room, and to the Legacy volumes. As she picked one up, she was given a vision as soon as she took hold of one.

  Gloria sat alone inside the nurse’s office while learning offensive incantations. Suddenly her attention was drawn to the entrance to the room. She quickly got to her feet two seconds before Vincentia pushed open the door and stepped in.

  As Gloria—with clenched fists at her side—stared warily at Vincentia, Vincentia said, “I can tell from your facial expression that you know why I’m here.”

  “How did you know that I was here?”

  “I set loose a few mice here at school and at your home after I recited a simple incantation.” When Vincentia gestured towards the nurse’s medical cabinet Gloria followed her gesture. “The one I dubbed Mickey is right over there and watching us. Anyway, aren’t you more curious to know why I killed my family, my two uncles and their family? And why I’m going to kill you now?”

  Gloria shrugged before saying, “You’re evil. It happens from time to time among Merlin’s descendants.”

  “I’m no more evil than my mother,” Vincentia hissed. “Except she didn’t have the stomach to take a life that was born.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Didn’t you find it odd that you miscarried twice before Alex was born and another time after
wards all around being pregnant for six months and in the presence of my mom?”

  Gloria shot Vincentia a curious look before saying, “I just assumed that I had a medical disability that causes me to miscarry more times than not. And as far as miscarrying all three times while your mom was in the room… I didn’t even think anything about it.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you, Auntie Gloria… well, not currently anyway. My mom had just figured out a way to steal the powers from an unborn wizard or sorceress. Of course by doing so it causes an instant miscarriage and you would’ve miscarried with Alex if it wasn’t for the fact that she wasn’t in Saint Louis when you carried him. That’s alright though, once I’m done with you, I’ll take a little trip to Kansas City.”

  Gloria shot her an angry look before rattling off an incantation that simulated a powerful explosion without shrapnel around Vincentia’s face.

  Vincentia flew back in a way as if she was suddenly struck by an invisible-heavyweight-prizefighter at her left cheek. After landing on her back, she quickly rolled to her knees and rattled off the same incantation that she was attack with; however, Vincentia had more force behind her invisible punch that sent Gloria flying back twice as far…

  Martha was pulled out of her vision when her brother shook her while uttering, “Martha! Martha! Please don’t be a zombie!”

  “Zombie?” Martha echoed the only word she actually heard.

  “You blanked out again, Martha.”

  “I didn’t blank out,” Martha insisted. “I told you before, I see glimpses of possible futures and I just saw a terrible one.”

  While ignoring what was said, Martha’s brother continued with, “Dad wants us downstairs so we can wish Mom a ‘Happy Birthday’.”

  “Cover for me,” Martha ordered.

  “Cover for you?!” Martha’s brother uttered, confusingly.

  “Mrs. Anderson is in danger,” Martha explained. “That’s the terrible future I saw.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t get visions of the future, but I see a terrible future for you if you leave this house right now.”