Later
that afternoon, Stephanie met Alison for lunch. It was a weekly ritual of
theirs. Wednesday’s at noon they’d meet at a little café on
Today,
Stephanie was a few minutes late. She walked in and saw Alison sitting at a
table by herself, sipping an iced tea. Her long black hair was pulled up in a twist,
and she had a black velvet top on, with faded blue jeans. She wore several
rings and bracelets, along with a pendant around her neck in the shape of a
pentagram. Alison turned her head in Stephanie’s direction, and her dark eyes
shone at her. She waved as Stephanie approached.
“Hey, sorry I’m late.”
“It’s cool. I ordered you a Coke,” Alison smiled.
“Thanks.” Stephanie sat down across from her. “So,
you’ll never guess who came by the shop this morning.”
“Um, Jason?” Alison offered.
“How’d you know?” She pouted.
“Wild guess. Besides, isn’t he like a permanent
fixture now?”
“Seems like. Should I be creeped out or flattered?”
Stephanie asked as she started looking over the menu.
“Well, it’s kind of cute. I mean, he’s not scary is
he?” Alison asked.
“No, he’s not scary. Just annoying. Can’t he see that
I’m not interested?”
“Well, why aren’t you?” Alison sipped her tea. “I
mean, he’s a nice piece of eye candy.”
“True. He isn’t hard to look at. If you like that
sort of grunge thing. But I told you how our dates went. He’s clueless. He
spent most of the time talking about how he dropped out of school and lived in
a Volkswagen bus for two years. He drinks too much, and he smokes and has no
real job. I mean if only he still lived with his parents, he’d have the whole
package,” she joked.
Alison had to laugh at that. She supposed Stephanie
had a point. “So why not tell him to get lost?”
“I have. Kyle offered to smack him up for me, but I
said that wouldn’t be necessary,” Stephanie told her. “Besides, I honestly
think he feels what he’s doing is supposed to be romantic. Like some kind of
loser mating ritual.”
“So he’s really just a hot guy without a clue about
what women really want?”
“Exactly,” she agreed. “Except now he says he has a ghost.”
“A ghost? For real? That’s the lamest excuse for
seeing you that I’ve ever heard,” Alison groaned.
“Well, maybe. But I think he’s telling the truth. I’m
supposed to go over there tonight and see what I can find.”
“It’s a trap! He’s going to seduce you,” Alison told
her.
“No, I told him it wasn’t a date. He said he
understood.”
“And you bought that? No, he’s just trying to lure
you to his den.”
“Well, if he is, I won’t need Kyle to smack him up.
I’ll do it myself,” Stephanie laughed.
“All men suck. We don’t need them anyway,” Alison
assured her.
Stephanie raised her glass, “I’ll drink to that.”
They clinked glasses and laughed. Then Stephanie asked, “so how are you doing?”
“Me? I’m cool,” Alison said dismissively.
“Met anyone interesting?”
“No. I’ve given up on that quest. There can only be
badness there. I thought about what Angela said and I’m considering becoming a
lesbian.”
Stephanie nearly spit out her drink. “What? For
real?”
Alison laughed at her, “oh please! I was joking!
People don’t just decide to become
lesbians. But I do think I’ve given up on men for good this time. It’s more fun
watching them suffer from afar.”
Something in the way Alison said that last part made Stephanie
uncomfortable. Suffer from afar? What
did that mean? She asked her.
“I just meant that I get more pleasure knowing that
James is miserable and lonely without me,” she explained quickly.
“How do you know that he’s miserable? Have you talked
to him?”
“No. But I have a strong feeling things didn’t turn
out for him the way he wanted,” Alison smirked. “Let’s just say my crystal ball
told me so.”
Stephanie decided to shrug off her uneasiness. She
was sure that Alison was just talking. It wasn’t as if she’d done something to
him, right? James had been her boyfriend for nearly two years. It had hurt a
lot when they broke up, but she didn’t think she’d do anything stupid.
At that point the waiter came by and took their
order. Stephanie noted that Alison couldn’t keep her eyes off of him. She
decided to tease her about this.
“So, he was pretty hot. Given up your no men policy
already?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Him? Please. He just had a nice body. I was
admiring,” she said flippantly.
“See, I knew you’d make a terrible lesbian,”
Stephanie said jokingly.
Alison leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially
to Stephanie. “Wanna see a little more of that nice body?”
“What?”
Before Stephanie could question her more, Alison
waved her finger at the waiter. His shirt flew open, buttons scattering
everywhere. Alison started laughing and Stephanie was in shock. The waiter
looked more than a little freaked out and kept looking around trying to figure
out who had done it and how.
“Alison!” Stephanie exclaimed in a whisper. “What the
hell are you doing?”
“Oh come on. That was fun! Look at him. He has no
idea what just happened.”
“You can’t use your magic like that,” Stephanie
scolded her.
“Why not? No one got hurt,” Alison shrugged.
“Yeah, but aren’t there rules or something? I’m
pretty sure stripping hot guys in public must be against at least one of them.”
“Don’t be a downer, Steph,” Alison said with
irritation. “That was funny. That was just me having a little fun. Lighten up.”
Stephanie looked around the café to see if anyone was
looking at them. They weren’t. All eyes were still trained on the poor waiter,
who was trying to pick up all the buttons from the ground, before retreating
into the back to presumably get a new shirt. She felt bad for the guy and told
Alison so.
“You feel bad for him? Why?” Alison was confused.
“Because. What did he ever do to you?” Stephanie
asked.
“Nothing. Come on. You’re acting like I just got him
fired or something. I just wanted a little peek at those muscles,” she smiled.
“But isn’t that like a violation or something?
Ripping his shirt open?”
“It isn’t like it was a woman, Steph. He probably
walks around shirtless all the time. Just not at work usually.” Alison honestly
didn’t see what the big problem was, and the way Stephanie was acting was
starting to irritate her.
“Fine. Okay,” Stephanie relented, not entirely
convinced.
Something
was off with her friend, but she just wasn’t sure what it was. She just chalked
it up to the fact that she was feeling a little scorned right now. The waiter
just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But maybe she would
try and ask Jax about it later. He knew more about magic than she did.
****
That evening, Stephanie cursed herself the entire
drive to Jason’s house. She’d been there once before on one of their ill fated
dating experiences. She swore she’d never go back, but here she was. She sat in
her car staring at the small one bedroom home. The front porch was filled with
various motorcycle parts, a rickety looking old chair and a small barbeque.
Empty beer cans lined the railing and a small coffee can served as an ashtray
for Jason’s nasty habit. She had lectured him about the dangers of smoking and
he had just laughed at her. He said that everyone had to die of something, so
if he was going to get cancer he’d at least enjoy the process. She didn’t
understand him at all and she didn’t really want to.
She opened her car door and took a deep breath. “It’s
just a quick visit. See what I can feel, then leave. Nothing more,” she
muttered to herself.
As she made her way up the front steps the door
opened. Jason stood there with a grin.
“You actually came,” he said with some amazement,
even though he knew she would.
“I said I would.”
He motioned for her to come inside and reluctantly
she did. The front door opened up into the small living room where she saw more
empty beer cans arranged in a pyramid on the coffee table. Books and magazines
were spread out on the floor and the television was on but the sound had been
muted.
“You wanna sit down?” He gestured to the couch.
She shook her head, “no. That’s fine. Just show me
where you saw the apparition.”
He pointed, “right there in the hallway.”
She walked over towards where he was pointing and
closed her eyes. She stood silently in the hallway trying to pick something up.
At first she felt nothing except the rapid beating of her own heart. She didn’t
understand why she was so nervous to be there. It was business. This was what
she did. She’d just never done it for
him before. After standing there for a minute or two, she opened her eyes and
looked at him.
“I’m not getting anything. Sorry,” she apologized.
“Are you sure this was where she appeared?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” he told her. “She was standing right
by the bathroom door.”
She walked over and put her hands on the door and
closed her eyes again. She was starting to feel foolish, wondering if he had made up this story in order to get
her to his house. She opened her eyes again and told him as much.
“Steph, this is not a ploy to get you into my secret
den of love. I really saw something,” he told her with some annoyance.
“Well, whatever it was, it’s not here now.”
“Maybe you’re just broken?” He offered. “Sixth sense
is on the fritz or something?”
“I am not broken. If anyone’s broken it’s you,” she
protested. “You were probably just really drunk and thought you saw something.”
“I wasn’t drunk.”
“Right, cause you don’t drink.” She gestured to his
empty beer can sculpture.
“I never said I didn’t drink. I just meant—” He
stopped his sentence when he saw something appear behind Stephanie. He stood
and stared at it as it moved closer to her.
She was annoyed that he didn’t finish his sentence.
“You just meant what?”
“Steph, turn around,” he instructed her.
“What? Why?”
“Just do it.”
She turned around and was hit with a wave of energy
that nearly knocked her off her feet. She held onto the wall as the apparition
of an old woman floated down the hallway and passed right through her.
“Holy crap,” she muttered in awe.
The
apparition stopped suddenly and faced Stephanie. “Help us,” it implored her.
“Help
who?” She asked with confusion.
“Save
us. You have to stop them.”
“Stop
who? I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Stephanie shook her head.
“You
will.” And with that the apparition disappeared.
Stephanie
was silent for a moment trying to absorb what had just transpired. And the fact
that Jason had actually been telling the truth. She’d felt a lot of spiritual
presences before and communicated with them, but it had never been quite like
this before. Usually the person was tied to the house, unaware that they were
dead, or needed to communicate something to a loved one before they moved
on. This felt different. Way different.
“Okay,
what the hell was that about?” Jason broke the silence.
Stephanie
walked slowly past him back into the living room. She slumped down on the
couch.
“I
don’t know,” she whispered. Then she looked up at him. “I felt her, Jason. I
felt what she was feeling. She’s terrified.”
“Terrified
of what? She’s already dead. It’s not like anything can hurt her now,” he
rationalized.
“She
doesn’t seem to think so.”
Jason
could tell that she was really shaken up about the incident. That hadn’t been
his intention.
“So,
I’m new to all this haunting crap. What happens next? Do I do some sort of
cleansing? Exorcism? Tell her to go away and follow the light?” Jason asked her
curiously.
“I’m
not sure.”
“You’re
not sure? Isn’t this what you do?”
“No.
I-I mean yes. I’ve gone to houses before, felt presences, and communicated with
spirits. But this is different. She’s not connected to this house.”
“Then
why is she here?”
“She’s
scared. Something is threatening her, but I don’t know what it is.”
“Well,
why is she in my house? Can’t you
just tell her to go be scared somewhere else?”
Stephanie
stood up and headed for the door.
“Wait.
Where are you going?” Jason went after her.
“I
need to go.”
“But
you just got here. And I’m still haunted. What am I supposed to do if she comes
back?” He asked trying not to show how nervous he was. He didn’t want her to
think he was scared because it’d ruin his reputation as a bad ass. But the
truth was he was a little freaked out.
“She
isn’t going to hurt you, Jason. That much I know. She’s more worried about
something or someone hurting her,” she assured him.
She opened the door and headed down the steps to her
car. Jason followed after her. He grabbed her arm and whirled her around.
“Let me go, Jason.”
“Not until you tell me why you’re running away. If
you’re scared of this, how the hell do you think I feel? I’m the one who has to
live here.”
“I’m not scared of your house. I just can’t help you
right now. I’ll need to talk to Jax,” she explained.
“So you’re running away from me, then?” He loosened his grip on her arm and she moved away from
him.
“I wasn’t running I was walking.”
“Do I scare you?” He asked softly.
“Of course not. Why would you scare me?” She scoffed.
“Because you like me and you don’t want to.”
“I don’t
like you, Jason. We’ve already been through all this. The only reason I came here
tonight was to help you with the ghost and I can’t do that right now. My work
here is done.”
“Fine. Leave then.” He motioned for her to get into
her car.
“I am.”
“Good.”
“Wonderful.”
They stood there silently staring at each other,
neither of them making a move.
“Well, go already,” he challenged her.
She turned and climbed into her car, fighting the
urge to throw herself into his arms. She was such a liar when she said she
didn’t like him. He knew it, and she knew it, but she’d rather rip out her
toenails than actually admit it. The question in her mind was, why? Why was she
so drawn to him? He was everything she’d never liked in a man, and yet just
being in his presence made her crazy.
****
Alison
sat and stared out the window of her tiny apartment. She saw the people passing
on the streets and wondered what it would feel like to have their lives. They
certainly had to be better than hers, she thought. She tried to play it stoic
and unaffected when she was around her friends. But inside she was in turmoil.
It had been three months since everything in her life had changed and no one
even realized the extent of it. But the thought of what she had done never left
her mind. She was the only one who knew what had really happened that night.
Logan
Winters had stepped into her life and now nothing could ever be the same. He
had charmed her in ways she hadn’t been used to. And although he wasn’t
classically handsome, he had a definite magnetism that drew her in. He knew
exactly what buttons to push and what to say. He was like a used car salesman,
she realized now. He told you exactly what you wanted to hear—what you needed to hear, in order to make you
trust him. He had put on this sensitive show for her, telling her how amazing
she was, and how he’d been looking everywhere for a girl like her. He just
wanted to settle down and share his life with that one special person. He
actually had her believing that she was that person.
When
he had asked her to come back to his place, she knew it was a mistake. But she
was drunk and he was convincing. He made her feel beautiful and desired again.
For a short time she’d almost forgotten the misery she’d been living since
James left her. She was utterly vulnerable and
Once
they arrived at his building, instead of going up to his apartment, he’d taken
her to the roof. In their conversations, she’d mentioned an interest in
astronomy. He told her he had a telescope and would love to share it with her.
They could go up there and look at stars and talk. She had agreed and followed
him up. At first everything was very pleasant. They talked for awhile and
looked at the stars. She was enjoying herself. When his hands slipped around
her waist and pulled her closer, she had allowed it to happen. When she felt
his lips brush against her neck, she allowed that too. It felt nice to be
wanted again.
Soon
his kisses grew more forceful. Before she knew it, his hands had traveled
underneath her shirt. He was kissing her roughly, squeezing at her breasts. She
quickly lost the fuzzy feelings he had invoked in her earlier. She tried to
push him away from her, but he was too strong.
“Stop,”
she uttered between his assault on her mouth. “No!”
He
wasn’t listening, and his pawing got more aggressive. He had managed to unhook
her bra and was fondling her roughly. He had her pinned against the cold brick
wall. She took all the strength she had to shove him away from her.
“I
said stop!” She had told him angrily.
“What?
Don’t tell me you didn’t like that,” he said slyly, pulling her towards him
again.
“Get
away from me!”
“Oh
come on. Don’t be like that.” He kissed her roughly again and was trying to get
her shirt over her head.
She
began to panic and feel helpless. He was nearly a foot taller than her and
certainly stronger. She tried to push him away again, but she couldn’t.
Finally, she brought her knee up between his legs sharply. He pulled away and
grimaced and she pushed him down to the ground.
He
lay there clutching his injured manhood as he groaned, “you stupid bitch! What
the hell did you do that for?”
“I
told you to stop!” She reminded him firmly.
He
stood to his feet and rushed towards her again. He grabbed her by the shoulders
and shook her.
“No
bitch gets away with doing that to me!” He growled into her ear. He pushed her
up against the wall again and tried to lift her skirt. “You like it rough? I
can play that game.”
“Stop!
Please just stop!” He was tugging at her panties now, trying to get them off.
“You
know you want it,” he purred into her ear.
“No!
I don’t want it! Let me go!” She was crying now.
“What?
Did you really think we were coming up here to look at stars?” He laughed at her.
“Please,
just let me go,” she begged. “I won’t tell anyone, I swear.”
Slowly,
he released his grip on her and let her skirt fall back down over her legs. He
looked at her with disgust.
“Won’t
tell anyone what? That you’re a little tease? A stupid slut?” He hissed as he
shoved her down onto the hard ground.
“I
am not a slut or a tease. I thought you liked me.” She wiped at her eyes and
tried to scramble to her feet.
“Whatever.
You know what? I’m not wasting my time with a freaky bitch like you. You’re not
worth it. You aren’t even pretty enough to fuck,” he said cruelly.
Alison
watched as he started walking away from her, and she could feel her blood
beginning to boil. Not worth it? Not pretty enough? No man was ever going to
make her feel helpless or worthless again. Not the way James had and not
She
called after him, “Logan!”
He
turned around and smirked at her, “what? You change your mind already?”
“Fuck
you,” she said coolly, raising her hands into the air.
All
at once,
Someone
in the building had called the police, and when they questioned her she had
told them that he had attacked her. There had been a struggle and he had fallen
from the roof. The story was half true, she told herself. It wasn’t as if it
were a total lie. They’d taken her statement, and urged her to go to the
hospital to be checked out. She refused, saying she was fine, just shaken up.
When Stephanie and Kyle rushed to her side, Alison had already taken measures
to conceal the truth from Stephanie. That was one of the problems of having a
best friend who was psychic. They could tell what you were thinking even when
you didn’t want them to. And Alison knew this was something that they could
never find out about. She used a masking spell to conceal her true thoughts and
feelings.
They
had assured her that she had no choice in what happened. They said she was only
defending herself. But Alison knew she did
have a choice.
This
was what weighed on her mind now as she stared out that window. She tried to
pretend that she was the same person she’d always been, but it was a lie now.
The last six months had been a whirlwind of emotion and confusion for her. When
James had left, he took a piece of her with him. A piece she didn’t know that
she’d ever be able to get back. Her magic and her power were getting out of
control. It was a comfort thing. Magic was like a Band-Aid that could fix
anything. Boredom, loneliness, heartache—it made all of it go away. And it had
begun purely for vengeance. She wanted James to pay for what he did. She wanted
him to lose everything so he would know how it felt. She had no power over her
own life, so she took his. It thrilled and comforted her to know that she
controlled every aspect of his life. But once she had gotten her vengeance, she
couldn’t stop. She was using it for everything. It was the only thing that made
her feel unique. She had this power that no one else had. Something that no one
else could ever comprehend. It was the only thing she had left now.
A
few weeks ago she had made a mistake, and Jax caught her performing a spell
against James. She had been in the back room of The Secret Garden when he had
walked in on her. She’d gone there to get some supplies and clouded by her own
arrogance, she didn’t feel like waiting until she got home to do what she
wanted to do. When he realized what she was doing, he went ballistic. He
lectured her and she swore to him that she would never do it again. She also
lied and told him that she’d never done anything like it before. She wasn’t
sure if he believed her or not, but he let the matter drop. She knew it was only
a matter of time before he suspected her again. She couldn’t have him prying
into her business.
If
her friends ever found out the truth about her, what would they think?
Stephanie was already freaking out over the stupid spell she’d done on the
waiter. If they knew about
****
The
next morning, Stephanie sat in the back office of The Secret Garden watching
Jax pace back and forth. It was a nervous habit of his that sometimes drove her
crazy.
“Jax,
sit down. You’re wearing a hole in the carpet.”
He
stopped and looked at her, unaware that he’d been pacing. “Sorry.” He sat down
across from her. “So she said that we have to stop them?”
“Yes.
But she didn’t tell me who ‘them’ was. It was way freaky, Jax. I could feel her
terror, like something was after her.”
“You
know it’s possible that she’s still thinking of whatever happened to her before
her death. Perhaps someone was chasing her? It’s possible she doesn’t realize
that she’s already left this world.”
Stephanie
shook her head, “I don’t think so. Usually I can tell when that’s the case, but
this felt different.”
Jax
rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. “I suppose we could
assemble everyone and go back there and see if we can make contact again. We
might be able to get more information out of her if we work together. Call
Alison and let her know.”
“I’m
not sure if we should involve Alison or not,”
Stephanie informed him softly.
“Why
not? Is she alright?”
“I
don’t know.” Stephanie fiddled with the zipper on her sweatshirt. “I think
she’s still really messed up over what happened with that
“Well,
it was a very traumatic experience. It’s natural for her to be upset. Have you
tried talking with her again?”
“Yeah,
of course. But she always tells me that she’s fine or that she doesn’t want to
talk about it.”
“But
you don’t think she’s fine?”
She
looked at him and shook her head, “would you be? I think she’s very not fine.”
“In
what way?” He asked.
“Well,
yesterday for example. We had lunch and she was telling me how she wanted to
give up on men. Then this cute waiter comes along and she used magic on him,
Jax.”
“Magic?
In what way?”
“She
made his shirt pop open just so she could see his chest. She was laughing and
said it was harmless fun.”
“Oh
dear…” Jax knew that Alison had been abusing her magic for some time now. But
he’d chosen not to share that fact with anyone. He had wanted to deal with it
on his own, but apparently he hadn’t dealt with it enough.
“That
was wrong, wasn’t it?” Stephanie asked him.
He
nodded, “yes, I’d say it was wrong. Did you say anything to her about it?”
“Yeah.
I told her it was mean, but then she called me a downer.”
“Perhaps
I can speak to her about this,” he told her worriedly.
“And
I also think she’s hiding something from me,” Stephanie informed him.
“Hiding
something? What do you mean?”
“I don’t
know. It’s just whenever I see her, I feel something is off. I can’t really put
my finger on it. Normally when I’m with someone, I can feel certain things. I
mean, I try not to pry into other people’s heads, but it’s hard to control
sometimes,” she explained. “But lately when I’m with her it’s like I’m getting
nothing. I can’t tell if she’s happy or sad or upset. It’s like a blank slate.
Completely closed off. It’s not normal.”
“Well,
sometimes when a person experiences something like Alison did, the only way
they can cope is to shut down. That could explain why you aren’t getting a read
on her.”
“But
what am I supposed to do? She’s my best friend and she’s totally shut me out. I
can’t help her if she won’t talk to me.”
“All
you can do is be there for her. If and when she’s ready to talk about it, she
will. Sometimes the only thing we can do is sit back and wait,” he explained.
“But maybe including her in this will be a good thing? Maybe getting her mind
on something else will help her feel better. Excluding her will only make her
feel worse, I’d assume.”
“Yeah,
I guess you’re right. I just don’t wanna stress her out.”
Just
then, the office door opened and Angela strolled in with a large package. She
plunked it down onto Jax’s desk.
“This
just came for you,” she announced to him.
“What
is it?”
“It’s
a box.”
He
sighed with exasperation, “I can see that, Angela. Who is it from?”
“Doesn’t
say,” she shrugged. “The postmark is from
“
“Maybe
it’s a bomb?” Angela offered.
“Let’s
hope not,” he said as he picked up a letter opener and began tearing through
the tape that held the box together. He peered inside.
“Well?
What is it? Is it a bomb?” Angela prodded him.
“I’d
say the fact that we’re not blown up right now means it’s not a bomb. It’s a
book, actually.” He pulled out a very old looking leather bound book.
“Oh.
Well, that’s anti-climatic,” Angela noted with disappointment.
“You
were hoping for a bomb, then?” He raised his eyebrow at her.
She
made a face at him and he smiled at her.
“What
kind of book is it?” Stephanie asked as she leaned over the desk.
“I
don’t know.” Jax reached into the box and pulled out a note. “Something you might need,” he read aloud.
“Something
we might need for what?” Angela asked with curiosity. “Who’s it from?”
“I
have no clue. The note isn’t signed.”
Stephanie
picked the book up off the desk and instantly felt something powerful. She felt
dizzy and tried to steady herself as she clutched the book tightly to her
chest.
“Are
you okay?” Jax and Angela looked at her with concern.
For
a moment, Stephanie didn’t respond. She was getting so much energy and
information from the book that she didn’t even hear them.
“What
is it? Do you feel something?” Jax asked.
Stephanie
sat back down and held the book in her lap. “It’s a book of prophecies,” she
informed them nervously. She hadn’t even needed to open it up to know what was
inside.
“Prophecies?
Like Nostradamus or something?” Angela inquired.
“Something
like that.” She was shaky and tried to steady her hands.
“What
did you see?” Jax asked.
“Darkness,
fire…I think I saw demons.”
“Demons?”
Jax was perplexed.
“That
can’t be a good thing,” Angela spoke up.
“It’s
definitely not good. It’s bad. Really bad. And I think it’s already started,”
Stephanie informed them direly.
She
couldn’t even put into words what she was feeling as she held the book. She’d
never felt anything like it. Suddenly she realized that her dreams of an
apocalypse might not just be dreams. Maybe they meant something?
****
Later
that day, Jax was sitting in his office looking over the book he’d received
earlier. He was trying to figure out exactly where it had come from and who
might have sent it to him. He didn’t know anyone in
Stephanie
had mentioned to him her dreams of an apocalypse. Now this book arrived,
possibly portending the same exact scenario. It was more than a little
disconcerting. He wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do. Whoever had
sent the book to him obviously felt otherwise. He tried to decipher some of the
text, which had been written in some form of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Angela
walked in and saw Jax sitting there. She noticed the way his brow furrowed and
the corners of his mouth turned down when he was deep in thought. She wasn’t
sure why, but she thought he looked kind of cute at that moment. Then she
realized that she had spoken the words out loud. Her eyes widened as Jax looked
up from the book and stared at her.
“I’m
sorry. What did you say?” He asked, shocked and also amused.
“I-I
just said it’s kind of cute the way your forehead gets all wrinkly when you’re
thinking too hard.”
Jax
couldn’t help himself. He had to smile. “Cute?”
She
looked down at her feet. “Yeah. Cute.”
Suddenly
the atmosphere in the room seemed to grow very thick. Angela was wishing that she
had never spoken the words out loud to begin with. But there they were. Hanging
in the air like a toxic cloud. Sometimes she hated the way she couldn’t hold
her tongue and lie about things the way regular people could. She was too
direct. She knew it, and sometimes hated it.
Finally,
Jax spoke, easing the tension slightly. “Um, I don’t believe anyone has called
me cute in a very long time. Possibly
ever.”
“Maybe
they should have.”
He
wasn’t sure exactly how to respond to that. He was completely taken aback at
this whole exchange. Apparently she was too because she suddenly felt the need
to leave the room.
“I-I
think I heard someone come in,” she said quickly. “I’d better go check.”
And
with that she was out the door, leaving Jax wondering what was happening
between them. It was true, he’d felt an attraction towards her. But it wasn’t
anything he’d ever dreamed of acting on, nor admitting to her or anyone else.
He also never in a million years thought she may be feeling that way about him.
It was startling and exciting at the same time. But clearly she was horrified
at her own admission with the way she ran out of there. He supposed he’d just
continue on as if it never happened. But he had to admit, it was making it a
little harder to concentrate.
****
Kyle
ran up the steps to Jason’s house. He was carrying a bag full of candles and
other magical supplies he’d gathered from the shop. He knocked on the door and
Jason opened it for him.
“Sorry
I’m late. There was an accident on
“We’re
waiting on Alison. She’s not with you?” Stephanie asked as she walked towards
him.
“Alison?
No. I thought she was meeting us here.”
“Maybe
we should call her?” Stephanie offered.
Jason
handed her the phone and sat down on the couch next to Jax and Angela.
“So
you guys do this a lot? Séances?” He asked them.
“I
used to do them a lot. But it’s been awhile,” Angela admitted.
“Why’d
you stop?” Jason wondered.
“It’s
very draining. Plus you never know what you’re inviting in when you open that
door. It can be dangerous,” she warned him.
“What
do you mean dangerous?”
“Sometimes
you make contact with spirits you never intended. Ones that might not be so
friendly. It’s a gamble.”
Jason
shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea? I mean
this old chick isn’t bothering me or anything. If she wants to pop by from time
to time, I’m cool with that.”
“Relax.
Angela knows what she’s doing. It’s perfectly safe,” Jax assured him.
“Okay,
Alison is just coming around the corner.” Stephanie told them as she hung up
the phone.
“Okay,
so what should I do with this stuff?” Kyle asked holding up the bag of
supplies.
Angela
took the bag from him and began setting the candles out, placing them in
strategic spots around the living room. At that moment, there was a knock at
the door. Stephanie went to answer it, presuming it was Alison.
“Hey.
You made it,” she smiled as she opened the door.
“Yeah,
sorry. I got a late start,” she apologized.
“I
think they have almost everything ready,” Stephanie told her as she walked her
into the living room.
Once
there, they lit the candles and set the appropriate crystals about. The coffee table
had been pushed into the corner leaving a nice large space for them to sit.
Angela got everyone’s attention.
“Okay,
I need everyone to sit in a circle right here,” Angela explained, as she
pointed to a spot on the carpet.
Everyone
moved into position except Jason. He stood in the corner, smoking his cigarette
nervously.
“Hey,
rock star. You going to sit or what?” Angela asked testily.
“Me?
I don’t think I’m qualified to do this. Doesn’t it take special training or
something?” Jason asked as he exhaled a smoke cloud towards the ceiling.
“All
you have to do is sit there and hold hands. I’ll do the rest.” Angela got up
and snatched his cigarette out of his mouth and crushed it out in the ashtray.
“Let’s get to work.”
“Okay
everyone, join hands and try to relax,” Angela instructed them again. “Breathe
deeply and concentrate on the white light that is surrounding us. Protecting us
from harm.”
Jason
glanced at everyone and wondered if they all felt as stupid as he did. He’d
never really paid much attention to things like this before. It wasn’t that he
didn’t believe in ghosts or anything. He did. He just never thought he’d see
one in his house. Or be holding a séance in his living room. It all seemed a
little ridiculous just because he’d seen some dead old lady in his hallway.
Angela
began chanting, “I call upon the Goddess of Protection to keep us safe. I ask
that you keep us from harm as we make this journey,” she began. “Does anyone
out there wish to say something?”
“Yeah,
is this really necessary?” Jason asked.
Everyone
looked at him with annoyance. “She wasn’t talking to you, you moron. She was talking to the spirits,” Stephanie hissed
under her breath.
“Oh,
right. Okay, then. Carry on.”
Angela
regained her focus and repeated her question. Nothing seemed to be happening.
The room remained quiet and Jason didn’t see any signs of the old lady or
anyone else.
“Is
anyone out there? Show yourself to us. We won’t harm you. We only want to help
you.”
Still
nothing. At this moment, Jason was about to tell them that it was okay, they
could stop. He’d just live with the ghost. But Alison had other ideas. All at
once she began chanting something in what Jason assumed was Latin. Wind began
swirling around the room, blowing most of the candles out. He wasn’t sure if
this was normal or not, but it was definitely cool.
“Alison,
what are you doing?” Angela asked, trying not to break the circle or her
concentration.
Alison
didn’t answer her, but persisted with her chanting. The front door blew open, and
books on a bookshelf came crashing down. She began speaking in English at this
point.
“Open
the gates, allow them to cross over. Show yourself to us,” she called out.
At
that moment, all the pictures in the hallway sprang off the walls. A white
misty figure appeared before them. But it was not the same lady that Stephanie
and Jason had seen before. This was someone else. A young girl who appeared to
be around the age of twelve or thirteen.
Angela
saw her and asked, “do you need help?”
“It’s
already starting,” she whispered to them, as if she were telling them a secret
she didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“What’s
already starting?” Stephanie asked impatiently, wanting desperately to know
what they were talking about.
“You
already know. You saw it. They’ve shown you.”
“What’s
she talking about?” Kyle asked her.
“My
dreams.”
“’They
aren’t dreams, they’re truth,” the girl spoke softly. “You’ve seen what they’ll
do.”
“How
do we stop it? There must be some way,” Stephanie questioned her.
“There
is only one way.”
“And
that would be?”
“It
lies among you,” she uttered cryptically right before she vanished.
The
door swung shut and the few candles that had remained lit were extinguished, plunging
them into darkness. For a moment no one made a move or said anything. Finally
Jason released his grip on their hands and went to turn on a light.
“Okay,
that was fucking cool!” He exclaimed with a huge a grin on his face.
“Shut
up Jason. That was not cool.” Stephanie gave him a hard look.
“Like
hell it wasn’t! I mean, I was scared shitless at first, but the thing with the
candles, and the little girl and the dire warning? ‘It lies among us’…which one
of us do you think she’s talking about? Me? I mean it is my pad she decided to
crash,” he rambled excitedly as he lit another cigarette and leaned against his
kitchen counter.
Stephanie
got up and walked over towards him. “This isn’t a game. This isn’t ‘cool’.
Something bad is happening. Don’t you even care about that?” She questioned
him.
“Oh
come on. How bad could it be?” He scoffed, exhaling smoke towards the ceiling.
“Bad.
I’ve had dreams. I saw what was going to happen. And yesterday we got a book at
the shop. It was a book of prophecies, and I saw it again,” she explained
heatedly. “So if death and destruction and apocalypse are ‘fucking cool’, then
I guess you’re right.”
Jason
looked at her and his demeanor changed. He had to admit that he did think the
whole thing was rather silly before. He was nervous some big bad Hell creature
would get summoned to his place and not want to leave. But when it turned out
to be a little girl, he thought the whole thing was just interesting. A bit of
entertainment. He wasn’t afraid anymore, but apparently he should have been.
“You’re
really scared over this, aren’t you?” He asked her seriously.
She
nodded her head, “we all should be.”
Angela
stood up then and glared at Alison.
“Just
what the hell was that exactly? What were you doing there?” She confronted her.
Alison
stood up slowly and returned her glare. “I was doing the job. You weren’t
having any luck, so I gave you a little push.”
“A
little push? You were using a dangerous spell. Don’t you realize that you can’t
just open the gates? There’s a process to this and that wasn’t it!”
“It
worked, didn’t it?” Alison shot back.
Jax
walked over there and tried to keep the peace. “Stop arguing, please.”
“Do
you realize what she just did?” Angela asked him.
“Yes,
I do,” he nodded. Then he looked at Alison. “That wasn’t the right spell to
use. Angela is right.”
He
knew that just because it got the job done, as she said, didn’t make it right.
She opened that door to any spirit,
good or bad, who may want to pass over. It was just the very thing Angela
warned them about earlier.
“You
both need to lighten up. I did what needed to be done. You got your info, the
spirit went away. I don’t see any evil beasts lurking around, do you?” She
asked.
“Evil
beasts?” Jason suddenly took an interest in their conversation.
“She
may have invited evil beasts to your house,” Angela informed him hastily.
“Whoa!
Wait. I thought this was safe. You said it was safe,” he reminded Angela.
“Well,
it is safe. The way I do it.” She
glared in Alison’s direction again.
“You’re
really just jealous because I’m more powerful than you are.”
“I
am not! You may be powerful, but you’re acting stupid,” Angela argued.
“Guys!
Stop!” Stephanie intervened. “This isn’t solving anything. Doesn’t anyone here
care about a possible apocalypse? Cause, I’m thinking it might be more
important than trying to one-up each other.”
“Yeah,
I’m gonna have to say that I’m not liking the sound of that,” Kyle agreed with
Stephanie.
Angela
and Alison calmed themselves down. Stephanie was right. The apocalypse was
probably the greater issue here. Assuming that was what was going on.
“So,
these dreams. They’re prophetic?” Alison asked curiously.
“Uh,
I hope not. But it’s looking like.”
“I’m
sure there’s something I could do. You know, there’s a spell for everything,”
she said flippantly.
“A
spell for stopping an apocalypse?” Stephanie asked confused.
“Sure.
There must be. I’ll look into it.”
“Just
because there are spells for things doesn’t mean you should do them,” Angela
muttered with irritation.
“Do
you have a better idea?” Alison asked.
“Not
really. But still. You’re getting a little wacky with your power. It isn’t a
toy.”
Alison
shot her a dirty look and started to say something when Jason interrupted.
“I
vote for whatever works,” he said.
“Me
too,” Kyle agreed.
Alison
smiled at them. “Fine. So, I’ll look into it. We’ll handle this. I have
everything under control.”
The
fact of the matter was, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Alison was
losing control completely. Angela could see it. And Jax knew it. He knew it was
time he spoke with her again, this time far more sternly. Obviously she hadn’t
gotten the message before when he talked to her.
****
Stephanie
stormed through her living room, tossing pillows off the couch, and throwing
magazines onto the floor.
“Where
the hell are they?” She mumbled angrily.
“Are
you looking for these?” Melissa asked from the top of the stairs, dangling
Stephanie’s keys from her finger.
“Ugh!
I’ve been looking for them for ten minutes. Where were they?” She asked
exasperatedly.
“In
the sink in the bathroom,” Melissa told her as she came down the stairs and
tossed the keys to her sister. “Strange place to leave keys if you ask me.”
“I
wasn’t thinking really clearly when I came home last night,” Stephanie
admitted. “At least they weren’t in the toilet or something.” She managed a
half smile.
“So,
I had to eat cold pizza again last night. For the third time in a row. Where the
hell were you?” Melissa questioned with her arms crossed.
“I’m
sorry, Mel. I should have called.”
“Yeah.
You think?”
“I’m
sorry. Look, something important came up and I just couldn’t get away,” she
tried to explain.
“It’s
cool. I understand. You’re in love. Love makes people crazy,” Melissa added
casually.
“In
love? What makes you think I’m in love? I’m not in love,” she protested.
“Well,
why else would you be out late every night? Sneaking around and not telling me
where you’re going? I’ve seen Jason Stark hanging around the shop.”
“First
of all, it hasn’t been every night
and I haven’t been sneaking around. And second, I am not in love with Jason Stark. Believe me,” she assured her.
“So
then where were you last night?”
Stephanie
smiled weakly, “Jason’s house…but not for the reasons you think. It wasn’t a
date.”
“Sure,”
Melissa said disbelieving.
“It
wasn’t. In fact everyone was there. Not just me.”
“Who’s
everyone? It was a party? I wasn’t invited?” She pouted.
“It
wasn’t a party. It was business.”
“Business?
You mean like psychic business? Does Jason have a ghost or something?” Melissa
was now highly interested.
“Something
like that,” she said dismissively. “It’s not a big deal. We took care of it,”
she lied.
“Who
was it? Like a dead relative? His grandma? Oh! Was it a demon? Was he
possessed?” She rambled eagerly.
“He
wasn’t possessed. It was nothing like that. It was just a disturbance. He was
curious about it, so we went over there and checked it out. It was no biggie.”
“Oh,”
Melissa deflated. “So you’re not back together with him?”
“Back together? We were never together in the first place. Thus
leaving no place to get back to,” she clarified.
“Why
don’t you like him anyway?”
“I
don’t ‘not like’ him. I just can’t stand to be in his company, that’s all.”
“There’s
a difference?”
“Yeah.
I mean, he never did anything wrong. But he never did anything right either.
He’s just so not my type.”
“But
he’s so completely yummy. I mean, all the girls at school think he’s like Johnny
Depp or something. When I told them that my sister was going out with him, it
was like drool city. I mean those arms! That ass…”
“Melissa!
Shut up!” Stephanie was shocked to hear her little sister using such words.
“Since when do you talk like that?”
“Like
what? Ass? Please. That’s not a bad word. You can say it on TV and everything.
Besides there is no denying he’s got a
great—.”
“Stop.
That’s enough. I’ve seen the ass, I don’t need it described to me.”
“I’m
just saying if I were a little bit older…”
“Well,
you’re not. So forget it. Jason is twenty-six, therefore making him completely
off limits to you and your school friends.” Stephanie tried to put an end to
the conversation.
“It’s
not like he’d notice me anyway,” Melissa shrugged.
“What’s
that supposed to mean?”
“He’s
crazy about you. Don’t you know that he drives his motorcycle past our house
almost every day?”
“So?
Maybe it’s on his way to work or something?”
“He
works out of his garage, remember? Our house isn’t exactly on the way to his
garage,” she pointed out.
“Well,
then maybe it’s on his way to somewhere else? Who cares?” She was getting
uncomfortable with the conversation.
“I
was just saying that I think it’s really sweet and romantic that he does that,”
Melissa sighed dreamily.
“Romantic?
Sounds stalker-y to me. Not romantic.”
“I
used to ride my bike past Matthew Stone’s house every day after school, even
though it was like five blocks out of my way. I just wanted to see if maybe one
time he’d be outside and I could pretend our meeting was just by chance. Then
he’d fall in love with me and we’d live happily ever after. Does that make me a
stalker too?” She wanted to know.
“Yes,
it does. Now can we please get going? You’re going to be late for school. Again.”
She grabbed her purse and headed for the door, effectively ending the
conversation once and for all.
****
Once
Stephanie dropped Melissa off at school, she headed towards the shop. She had
deliberately left out all the doom and gloom information when she retold the
account of last night to her sister. There was no sense in freaking her out.
Especially before they really knew what was happening themselves. She was a
little worried about Alison, though. She had never seen her do anything like
what she had done last night. Normally, séances were Angela’s thing. It was
unspoken, but she was sort of the leader. For Alison to barge in and take over
like that was just not normal. Plus the fact that she’d apparently done
something dangerous as well. Stephanie didn’t really understand too much about
magic, but whatever Alison did, was obviously not cool or Angela wouldn’t have
freaked out. Out of concern, Stephanie made a U-turn and headed over towards
Alison’s apartment. She just wanted to make sure that everything was okay. She
was already late for work as it is, she might as well just run with it. Jax
would understand.
She
pulled up out front and parked her Honda next to Alison’s VW Bug. She got out
and went up the stairs. She could hear music going so she knocked loudly. After
a moment, Alison came to the door in a bathrobe.
“Steph?
What’s up? Is something wrong?” She asked, surprised to see her.
“No.
Everything’s cool. I just thought I’d say hi.”
“It’s
kind of early to just drop by and say hi,” Alison frowned. “I was just getting
ready for work. Aren’t you supposed to be at The Secret Garden by now too?”
“Yeah.
I’m late. As usual. Can I come in?”
Alison
stepped away from the door and motioned her in. She shut the door behind her
and followed her into the small living room.
“I
was just going to make coffee. Want some?” She asked.
“Sure.
Sounds good,” Stephanie smiled.
Alison
went into the kitchen, which was still visible from where Stephanie was sitting.
Alison waved her hand in the air and two cups of coffee appeared on the
counter. Stephanie frowned and shook her head.
“You
didn’t have to do that,” she told her.
“What?
I thought you said you wanted coffee.”
“I
did. But I just meant I could have waited. You didn’t have to poof it into
existence,” she explained.
“It’s
quicker this way,” Alison shrugged. She handed the coffee over and sat down.
“So, why are you here really?” She questioned.
“I
don’t know.” Stephanie put the coffee cup down on the table and looked at her.
“What happened last night?”
“What
do you mean?”
“That
spell. You really pissed Angela off,” she reminded her.
“Oh.
That.” Alison took a sip of her drink. “I was just trying to be helpful. Angela
was struggling, and I knew a quicker way.”
“But
séances are Angela’s specialty.”
Alison
laughed a little and set her cup down. “Angela is good. But I’m better. The
only reason it pissed her off was because I made her look like an amateur.”
Stephanie
stared at her, trying to think of the right words to say. She was concerned
that all of this hocus pocus stuff was getting out of control. Alison had never
been like this before and it was unsettling.
“Don’t
you think that maybe you’re overdoing it a little on the magic tricks?” She
treaded cautiously.
“Magic
tricks? These aren’t tricks, Stephanie. It’s a gift. Power.
Just like your own,” she told her defensively. “Of all people you should
understand this. If you want tricks, call David Copperfield.”
“I
didn’t mean to make it sound like you were Siegfried and
“If
you don’t want the damn coffee, then don’t drink it.” Alison got up and stormed
back into the kitchen.
“Calm
down. Please. I’m not trying to be a bitch here. I’m just worried. I-I don’t
want you to do something…wrong. That’s all.” Stephanie attempted to smooth
things over.
“Something
wrong? What’s with you? Don’t you
trust me? Where is any of this even coming from?” Alison asked angrily.
“I
don’t know. Forget it. I’m sorry. I guess I’m just overreacting.” Stephanie
tried to dismiss her concerns.
“Yeah,
you are overreacting. Why would you
think I’d do something wrong?”
Alison
wanted to know if Jax had put her up to this. He had already been on her case
about the spells she’d been doing lately. If he told Stephanie, then it would
make sense. But he had sworn not to tell her, which of course didn’t mean he
hadn’t.
“Did
Jax tell you to come here?” She asked finally.
“Jax?
No. Why would he tell me to come here?”
“Never
mind,” she waved her hand dismissively. “I just want to know why you suddenly
don’t think I can handle myself.”
“You’ve
been through a lot lately, that’s all. I just worried that maybe you were still
upset and…look, just forget I came here. I don’t know anything about magic, so
I’m sure I’m completely off base.”
“That’s
right. You don’t know anything about magic,” Alison informed her. “If you did,
you’d know that what I’m doing is perfectly fine. The reason other people don’t
do it, is because they can’t. That’s all. There’s nothing sinister or worrisome
about it.”
Stephanie
agreed to let the matter drop. But it was far from okay in her mind. Alison was
not acting like herself at all. Little by little, pieces of the girl Stephanie
used to know had been slipping away. It started when James left, and after
****
Stephanie planned to speak with Jax again about
Alison, but she never really had much of an opportunity. Her schedule was
pretty booked most of the afternoon. She was giving readings to some of her
regular customers. She had to admit that her heart wasn’t really into it
though. But she went through the motions and tried to give them the insight
they were looking for. She was with a woman now, trying to explain to her that
the relationship she had just started was slated to be a destructive one. She
saw a lot of pain and heartbreak on the horizon and was trying to find the
gentlest way possible to tell her that.
“I sense
that this new person in your life might not be exactly what you were hoping
for,” she tried to convey what she was seeing.
“What
do you mean? Billy isn’t the one for me?” The woman asked.
Just
then, the front door opened and Jason stormed in. His hair was wilder than
usual, and something in his dark brown eyes made Stephanie take notice of him.
He saw her and ran over.
“You
have to help me, Steph,” he pleaded with her.
“I’m
with a client right now,” she told him hastily. “Can’t this wait?”
“No!
Something is happening at my house. Whatever you guys did, it made things
worse,” he tried to explain quickly.
Stephanie
realized now the look in his eyes was fright. Something had freaked him out.
She turned to her client.
“I’m
sorry. This will just take a minute,” she apologized.
She
stood up and grabbed Jason’s arm. She led him into a corner so they could have
a little more privacy.
“What
happened?” She asked.
“This
morning, or afternoon actually. I had a late night. Anyway, I woke up because I
heard some kind of weird humming noise. At first I thought it was someone’s car
or something. But it just kept getting louder,” he explained.
“Yeah.
And?”
“So
I got up and went into the living room.” He ran his hands through his messy
hair. “There were these lights floating around.”
“What
kind of lights?”
“I
don’t know! It looked almost like a swarm of bees. Only not bees, lights. Red
lights. They were humming. It almost sounded like voices. Then they apparently
noticed me and they all flew at me. I ducked and they were buzzing my ears.
Then poof! Gone! They just disappeared,” he told her animatedly. “What the fuck
did you guys do to my house, huh? I mean a dead old lady and a little girl are
one thing, but this wasn’t cool.”
“Calm
down,” she told him. “I have no idea what’s going on, but what makes you so
sure we did this?”
“It
had to be. That friend of yours messed up my house. Fix it,” he said. Then he
added pleadingly, “please?”
“I-I’ll
see what I can do. I’ve never heard of anything like what you described,” she
shook her head. Then she added softly, “you weren’t like on drugs, were you?”
“Drugs?
I don’t do drugs. You think I do drugs?” He was a little disappointed she
thought that of him.
“I’m
not judging. I’m just asking.”
“Well,
I’m not on drugs. I didn’t even have a beer last night.” Then he thought for a
moment. “Well, maybe one. But still! I wasn’t high or drunk. What happened was
real,” he assured her.
“Okay,
okay. I believe you. Normally I’d ask Alison what to do, but she seems to have
some issues right now.”
“Yeah,
like making my house more haunted.”
She
ignored that statement and continued, “or I’d ask Angela, but she’s kind of
touchy about what happened last night. I-I don’t want to get her more pissed at
Alison by thinking she did this.”
“She
did do this.”
“You
don’t know that. Your house was already disturbed. This might have happened
regardless.”
“Well,
either way, I want it gone.”
“Okay.
If you want, I can come over when I’m done here and clean the place.”
“Clean
it? You’re worried about my housekeeping?”
“I
mean clean it of evil things. I can do a cleansing. I’m not exactly Sabrina the
Teenage Witch, but I can do it.”
“Are
you sure? Because I’d hate for you mess it up more.” He was unconvinced.
“I’m
not gonna mess it up more. But if you don’t trust me…”
“I
trust you. Just fix it, okay?”
****
Jason
waited outside for Stephanie to finish up with her client. He didn’t feel like
going back to his house to wait. It might not be safe there. She told him she’d
be right out and then she then went into the back to let Jax know she was
leaving for awhile. He was studying the text of the prophecy book and looked up
at her when she entered.
“Yes?”
He asked.
“I
have to go out for a little bit. Is that okay?”
He
looked at the clock. “Where’s Angela?”
“She’s
out there. It’s kind of slow right now. She can handle it.”
“Where
are you going?”
“Jason
stopped by. He’s having a little more trouble,” she said cautiously.
“Trouble?
What sort?”
“I’m
sure it’s nothing. He thinks Alison—never mind,” she stopped herself.
“He
thinks Alison what?” Jax questioned her.
She
sighed, “he thinks Alison invited
something evil into his house.”
“What?”
“I’m
sure he’s overreacting. It’s just some weird lights he saw. I told him I’d do a
cleansing.”
“Weird
lights?” Jax was interested and worried now. This was just the sort of thing he
feared.
“It’s
nothing. Honestly. I think he was just seeing things,” she said dismissively.
She
didn’t really believe that, but she worried about making a big deal out of it.
Especially because Jason was blaming Alison. That was already tricky territory.
She didn’t want to cause any further upset.
Jax
studied her to discern whether she was telling him the truth or not. He
couldn’t decide. He rubbed his eyes.
“Do
you think it’s possible Jason is making up stories in order to…how should I say
this? Woo you?” He asked.
“Woo me?” She made a face at him.
“Yes.”
“How
is that wooing me?”
“I
just meant it might be an attempt to get you alone at his house again. I know
how he seems to feel about you,” he told her. “And he’s very persistent.”
She
sighed, “yeah, I know. He really is. But I think I’ll just check it out. I’ll
take the sage and sea salt with me. Smudge a little, sprinkle a little, and be
on my way.”
“Be
careful.”
“With
Jason or the light thingies?”
“Both.”
She
nodded at him. “I’ll be back in a little while.”
She grabbed
her things and walked out. She went outside and saw that Jason was sitting on
the curb smoking a cigarette. He looked over when he heard her footsteps. He
tossed the cigarette down and stomped it out. He stood up to face her.
“Ready?”
He asked.
She
nodded. “Did you walk here?” She didn’t see his motorcycle parked anywhere.
“It’s
only a few blocks,” he shrugged. Then he looked down at his feet. “Actually, I
locked myself out. I didn’t have the keys to my ride, so I hoofed it.”
“You
locked yourself out of the house?” She laughed.
“Hey,
I was in sort of a hurry. Be happy I had pants on,” he told her with an
embarrassed grin.
“You
were really freaked out then, weren’t you?”
“A
little,” he admitted.
“So
how are we supposed to get back inside?” She wondered.
“I
can climb through a window.”
“Okay.
Well, we can take my car.” She pointed across the street to a silver Honda.
They
walked over and she unlocked the car. They got in and she looked over at him.
“This
isn’t a trick right?” She asked.
“A trick?
What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I
just meant this isn’t like some warped way of wooing me?”
“Wooing you? Who says ‘wooing’ anymore?”
“Jax,”
she said softly, suddenly feeling like an idiot for even asking.
He
laughed, “yeah, this is my attempt at wooing.
I usually run out of my house scared shitless, without my keys, to run begging
the girl I like for help because I’m scared. It’s a great master plan of mine,”
he said sarcastically. “And hey! It worked! Cause here you are.”
“Jason,
stop.”
“What?
You asked me this the last time too. Maybe I do have a thing for you, but this
isn’t part of my game okay? If I was playing, I’d make up a better story than
this.”
She
sighed and turned the car on. “I just had to check. I didn’t mean to piss you
off.” She pulled away from the curb and started heading towards his house.
After
a moment, “you didn’t piss me off,” he told her. “You annoyed me.”
“Well,
then I’m sorry I annoyed you.”
“You
do it an awful lot,” he informed her.
“Yeah?
Then I have an idea. Stay away from me,” she suggested.
“I
can’t.”
“Why
not?”
“Because.
You intrigue me,” he admitted.
“Intrigue
you? How is annoying you, intriguing?”
“It
just is. You drive me crazy. But I’m compelled to seek you out. It’s a vicious cycle.”
He stared out the window.
“Well,
would it help break the cycle if I said nothing was ever going to happen
between us?” She asked.
“No.
Because I don’t believe that,” he smiled slyly at her.
She
groaned, “why? Why don’t you believe that? How many times do I have to beat you
over the head with it?”
“Apparently
a lot more. You know there’s something between us. You feel it too.”
“It’s
called revulsion,” she asserted.
He
laughed and shook his head, “now that is a lie. I’m not revolting and you know
it.”
“And
you’re not conceited at all either,” she added sarcastically.
He
looked at her with disbelief. “I’m not saying I’m God’s gift or anything. But
revolting? Come on.”
She
sighed, “fine. Not revolting, but definitely distasteful.”
“Why?
Because I’m a little rough around the edges? Because my hair isn’t short and I
have some tattoos? Or maybe it isn’t my looks at all? Is it because I’m not
smart enough for you? Is Ms. Snobby too good for me?” He asked angrily.
“I’m
not snobby! I’m just not interested. Get over it. You’re acting like it’s the
first time a woman ever turned you down.”
“It
is.”
She
laughed incredulously, “you’ve got to be kidding.”
“I’m
not,” he told her. “Well, not counting the first part of high school. But I was
a dork back then.”
She
glanced over at him. “You were a dork?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes.
I was,” he admitted. “But of course you still
think I am, so it shouldn’t surprise you.”
“I
don’t think you’re a dork.”
“Really?
Could’ve fooled me.”
“How
were you a dork in school? Glasses? Braces?”
“Pocket
protector?” He added. “No, that would make me a nerd. You’re forgetting I’m not smart.”
“I
never said you weren’t smart.”
“In
ninth grade I grew a mustache because I wanted to look like Magnum PI.”
Stephanie
started laughing. “Oh my God…Magnum PI?”
“He
was cool! He drove the fast car, got all the pretty women. Thought if it worked
for him, it’d work for me.”
“But
that show was ancient. Tom Selleck was maybe sexy in 1985.”
“Exactly.
That’s why I was such a dork,” he pointed out.
She
tried to stop laughing and she looked at him sideways. “Well, I have to admit,
you’ve improved on your image. Now you’re more Pearl Jam than Magnum PI.”
“So
you admit that I’m hot?” He asked slyly.
“I never
said hot. I said less of a dork,” she clarified.
“Yeah?
Well, it’s a start.”
They pulled up in front of his house and she turned
off the car. She grabbed the bag of supplies she’d taken from the shop and got
out. He followed. They walked up the walkway to the house.
“So,
where’s this window you’re climbing through?” She asked him.
“Around
back. I think I can get in through the bathroom.”
They
walked around the property until they came to a high, small window. It was
open.
“Here,”
he pointed, “I’ll crawl through here.”
She
looked up at the small window and made a face. “How are you gonna get up there?
More importantly, how’re you gonna fit?”
“I
can fit. I’m smaller than I look,” he told her. He looked around for something
to stand on. There wasn’t anything. “I’m gonna go grab the chair off the
porch.”
He
walked around to the front of the house and she waited for him to return. He
came back with the rickety looking chair that she’d seen before.
“I
don’t think that’s going to hold your weight,” she told him.
“Sure
it will. I park my ass in this chair all the time.”
He
put it under the window and climbed on. It was still a little too short, so he
tried to jump a little. That sent the wood on the chair splintering underneath
him. He crashed to the ground.
“Shit!”
He yelled.
“I
told you it wouldn’t hold you,” she reminded him.
“Yeah,
you’re the smart one,” he said bitterly.
He
stood up and brushed off his clothes. He kicked the remains of the chair.
“Stupid piece of shit,” he muttered.
“Maybe
I can just boost you up there?” She offered.
“Boost
me? I’m like six foot and weigh like 165. You aren’t strong enough,” he shook
his head.
“I
can try.”
“Okay,
if you say so.”
She
came up behind him and lowered her hands. She formed a cup with them and he put
his foot onto it. He jumped up as she attempted to push his legs at the same
time. He ended up falling, smacking his face against the side of the house in
the process. He also managed to crush her hands beneath his feet.
“Ow!
Crap! Okay, that didn’t work.” She danced around holding her smashed fingers.
He
rubbed his forehead and hoped he wouldn’t find blood. “I told you it wouldn’t.”
“Okay,
fine. So now you’re the smart one,
right?”
“Let’s
face it. I don’t think either one of us is very smart,” he smiled at her,
attempting to lighten the mood.
She
sighed, “Don’t you have a ladder or something?”
“No.”
They
stood there for a moment in silence. Finally, Stephanie groaned loudly.
“Okay,
fine. Get down on your knees,” she commanded him.
“Excuse
me?” He looked at her oddly.
“I’m
going to climb onto your shoulders and you can lift me up there,” she
explained.
“Oh.
Okay,” he said. “For a minute there I thought I was going to have to start
calling you ‘Master’ or something.”
“Yeah,
I’m a dominatrix in my spare time,” she said wryly.
“Really?
Because that’s interesting.” He raised his eyebrow at her.
“Shut
up. Just get down and let me climb on.”
“That’s
not sounding any less dirty,” he remarked with a smirk.
She
put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I’m getting pretty close to
walking away and letting the evil things kill you.”
“I’ll
shut up,” he assured her.
He
got down on his knees and she attempted to climb onto his shoulders. It was
awkward at first for both of them. She was silently hoping she hadn’t eaten too
much for lunch, and he’d think she was too heavy. She knew it was ridiculous
because she was a small person. At five foot four and 115 pounds she was hardly
huge. But every girl worries about stuff like that.
He,
on the other hand, was just trying to keep himself together. His face was in
very close proximity to the very pants he’d been trying to get into for months.
It was a little exciting and unnerving at the same time. But he knew this thing
with Stephanie was much more than a sexual conquest. He actually cared what she
thought of him. This only served to make him overly nervous and stupid most of
the time. No one had ever made him as tense and unsure of himself as she did.
Right now, he just hoped he didn’t drop her.
He
stood upright and she grabbed onto the window ledge. The trickier part was
trying to stand up on his shoulders in order to pull herself in. She hoisted
her weight up off his shoulders and tried to get her footing. In the process
she stepped on his head.
“Hey!
Watch it!” He shouted.
“Sorry!”
She moved her foot off his head and onto his shoulder.
He
then grabbed her butt to give her a push.
“Watch
your hands!” She warned him.
“How
else am I gonna get you in there?” He asked pushing her up harder.
She
wasn’t able to respond because he had managed to shove her hard enough that she
fell through the window. He tried to grab her ankles but they slipped away. He
heard a loud thud as she landed presumably in the bathtub.
“You
okay?” He called to her.
“Wonderful!”
She called back. “I just landed headfirst in your skanky bathtub. There are
things living in here.”
“Things?
Evil things?” He asked with worry.
“Um,
hard to tell. But you really should clean this thing once awhile. It’s gross.”
“You
don’t see any spooky lights?” He asked.
“All
I see in here is hair in the drain. At least I hope that’s what it is anyway.”
He
silently wished he’d cleaned his tub. But it wasn’t as if he were expecting
Stephanie to be standing in it any time soon.
“Go
open the door!” He told her.
He
reached down and picked up her bag and slung it over his shoulder. He walked
around to the front of the house. He waited for a moment and the door came
swinging open. She stood there rubbing her head.
“You
okay?” He asked again.
“Yeah,
I just whacked my head on that tub pretty hard,” she complained. “You suck at
boosting people through windows.”
“Well,
I’m sorry. It’s not a hobby of mine. I don’t lead a life of crime,” he said
dryly.
“Good,
cause you’d make a terrible cat burglar,” she informed him. “Give me the bag.
Let’s just get this over with.”
She
took out the sage and sea salt. She looked in her bag for some matches, but
couldn’t find them. She looked up at him.
“Give
me your lighter.”
“For
what? You need a smoke?”
“No,
I need to smudge the place.”
“What
the hell does that mean?” He asked.
“It
means I light this little bundle of sage on fire and walk around,” she tried to
explain as she snatched the lighter out of his hands. She lit the herbs and
blew them out so that they started smoking like incense.
“And
what does that do?” He asked. Then he waved his hand in front of his face,
“except stink, that is.”
“It
wards off evil spirits.”
“I
can see why. That’s pretty nasty.”
“Yeah,
and your cigarettes smell like a breath of fresh mountain air,” she said
sarcastically.
He
shook his head and stepped back, allowing her to do whatever it was she had to
do. He watched her walk around and make sure the smoke got into every corner of
the room. Then she ventured down the hallway into the bedroom. He merely followed,
thinking it didn’t seem like she was doing anything except stinking up the
place.
“This
actually works?” He wondered.
“I
guess.”
“You
guess?”
“It
works,” she stated more firmly. “I just don’t know how. But I’ve seen it done lots
of times and usually the people don’t complain anymore.”
“You
do this a lot then?”
She
shrugged, “more than you’d think. You’d be surprised how many people are
plagued by spirits.”
“Evil
ones?”
“Sometimes.
Usually not, but I’ve definitely seen it happen.”
“So,
a lot of people are haunted?”
“Yup.
Lots of people. Usually it’s a loved one who can’t pass on. Or sometimes a more
angry spirit is pissed that it’s dead and you’re living in their house. Things
like that.”
“And
you fix this?”
“Usually.”
She turned to look at him. “Not all the time. Sometimes I can’t help.”
“Think
this is one of those times?” He asked worriedly.
“I
hope not.”
She
finished her smudging and ran the sage under some water to put it out. She
placed it on the kitchen counter and went to get the sea salt. She held it up
to him.
“I
have to sprinkle this around the windows and doorways, so nothing evil can get
back in,” she explained.
“Salt?
Evil things are afraid of salt?”
“It
would seem so,” she said uncertainly.
“So
then why don’t they just throw salt on the monsters in movies? Maybe they’d
melt like slugs or something,” he proposed.
“That’s
a good point,” she said thoughtfully. “But, movies are never accurate anyway.
And that would be a really boring conclusion to a horror movie,” she decided.
“True,”
he agreed.
She
went around and finished her sprinkling and returned the salt to her bag. She
put it over her shoulder and looked at him.
“So,
my work here is done,” she announced.
“That’s
it? That’s all you had to do?” He was surprised.
“That’s
it. Told you it was easy.”
“So
what now?”
“Nothing.
That should take care of it.” She headed for the door.
“Wait.
You’re leaving? What if it didn’t work?” He wasn’t eager for her to leave just
yet.
“Well,
if something evil happens, call me. Otherwise, it worked.” She turned around
again.
“Steph,
wait.”
She
stopped and looked at him. “What?”
His
face grew serious and she sensed he wasn’t just trying to keep her around
longer to be annoying.
“Do
you really think the world is going to end?” He asked grimly.
She
stared at him a moment and wondered what she should say. She didn’t have the
answers. All she had were some cryptic warnings from dead people, some dreams
and a creepy book of prophecies. It didn’t make much sense to her yet either.
“I
don’t know, Jason,” she said finally.
“If
it is, you’ve dealt with that right?”
“Uh,
no. I think the fact that the world is still here means I’ve never dealt with
that,” she told him. “Besides, I’m psychic, not magic. I don’t fix things like
that.”
“Magic?
So then you think your friend Alison can fix this? Like she said.”
“I’m
not even sure magic will fix it,” she said gravely. “But if anyone can do it,
I’m sure she can.”
They
looked at each other and realized that neither one of them knew how any of this
was going to turn out. Stephanie had been trying not to think about it too
much. Mostly because she didn’t really know what was happening. It was too soon
to know if she should start freaking out or not. But she was definitely leaning
that way.
“Well,
if the world does end, and I don’t get the chance to tell you…I really like
you, Stephanie. I know you don’t like me and you think I’m a jerk or whatever.
But I do like you. A lot,” he said sincerely.
She
didn’t know what to say, as she hadn’t seen that one coming. She expected him
to say something suggestive or rude or irritating. But this was actually
sincere. Almost heartfelt. It made her squirm a little.
“You
don’t have to say anything.” He noticed how uncomfortable she seemed to have
gotten. “I was just telling you. So you’d know that this isn’t just a game for
me.”
She
nodded her head. “Call me if something bad happens, okay?” She avoided the
topic altogether.
He
wasn’t going to press it. He knew he’d probably just made an even bigger ass of
himself than he’d already been doing with her. He could have kicked himself for
saying something so lame. But he felt a sense of urgency suddenly, like he may
not ever see her again. He wasn’t sure why, but he supposed the threat of the
world ending was a pretty strong motivator.