Dear Readers,

A couple of months ago, I uploaded a series of chapters that I titled "Witch." It received a strong response, so I naturally started writing more of the story. Since I'm about halfway done, I wanted to upload a second part.

It will be uploaded to Amazon as an e-book after I'm done posting it here for your reading pleasure.

Leslie
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Chapter Eleven
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Two days later, Becky insisted we take the L after practice, travel around, and hang out with her witch friends. She told me not to worry, that it would be safe. She reminded me that these women were all wonderful and said I’d get to meet Pumpkin.

Both of our Familiars hovered around us as we rode the elevated railroad. All of Chicago was new for me. It was the first time I’d ever traveled in a city. Of course, now I realize why Mom kept me a hometown kid where she could control everything. But this place was amazing. I couldn’t get over how big it was. And it was clean. No garbage, no bad smells. I imagined that this is what a city of the future would look like, with tons of people, rivers, cool high-rise buildings, and this elevated old-fashioned train running all over the place, which made me feel like I was a little kid. Everywhere you looked was another adventure to explore!

I found out later that the garbage, auto traffic, and big trucks were on a different level below where we walked. Whoever thought of that was a genius.

As we rode on the L, I felt like a kid at an amusement park. The train was two stories up in the air, suspended over sidewalks, streets, and waterways. As we rode along, I was looking down at all the people on the sidewalks. The L moved slowly, all rattles and squeaks. But it was fun.

Our first stop was a small bakery no bigger than the one we had at home back in Albany county. They had a sign saying bakery and a stripped awning. There was a long line of people waiting outside the front door and down the sidewalk. Looking at the line, I shook my head and turned to Becky. ‘Seriously, are all these people waiting to buy baked goods?’

‘Yep. The owners use a bit of magic to make things extra delicious. Over the years, they’ve developed quite a following.’

‘And no one knows that they’re Witches?’

‘Right. People believe it’s just a family business spanning five generations. No one worries too much because their stuff is so delicious. They’ve been written up in a bunch of magazines. C’mon, just follow me.’

We walked in the opposite direction from the storefront and up an alley. A very clean alley, not like my dream alley when my whole world fell apart. When I told Becky about my escape, she said all the cats I'd seen that night were my Coven’s Familiars, keeping us safe.
About halfway down the block, a solid steel door opened for us, and suddenly I was in the back of a large commercial kitchen. It looked just like the ones you see on TV, full of people in white coveralls, bustling around big ovens with large trays of dough and finished baked goods.

The smells were incredible. Sugar, fresh bread, donuts frying, fruit cooking down into glazes and fillings, pies, and I stared at something that smelled like pizza but looked like a cake with a thick crust and bubbling sauce.

Becky grinned. ‘Deep dish pizza, a Chicago specialty! And don’t start talking about that New York style thin crust. We’re not living in caves! You’ll think differently once you’ve tried it.’

I just shook my head. ‘Sure. All these smells are making me hungry.’

Becky got utensils, plates, and napkins. Then one of the bakers brought them a pie. We looked at the hot, melted cheese, the sausage, and the rich, thick sauce and I felt my mouth water.

“Let it cool or you’ll burn your mouth.”

I used a fork to cut into the crust, then blow on the small piece. After popping it into my mouth, I felt my eyes grow big. “Oh. It’s different, but so good!”

As we ate, I looked around. ‘Are all of these people Witches?’

‘Nope. Just the family that owns the business is enchanted. Everyone else here is a human, happily working and making a paycheck. They don’t know anything about the magic that goes into each sticky bun.’

A teen girl appeared. She was beautiful, with caramel-colored skin and dark, curly hair. She gave me a big grin and opened her arms for a hug. I didn’t realize how much bigger she was until her arms wrapped around and pulled me in closer. “Come here, girl. Becky has told me that she’s already in love with you and that you’re a great kisser.”

I looked up to see this new person. She had to be six feet tall and had the biggest smile I’d ever seen.

“Anna, this is Camilla Gonzales, and her family has run this shop forever.”

Camilla smiled. “Over a hundred years!” She laughed, then spoke inside my head. ‘Everyone in the family still comes to work every day. But we’ve kicked Gran out of the kitchen and made her supervise and handle all the office stuff. The fact that she doesn’t age would confuse the customers and our workers. We’ve celebrated her hundred and fortieth birthday.’

I watched our new friend grab a big cardboard box and fill it with all sorts of cookies and cakes. We were both wide-eyed over the pastries. Then, she signaled that we should follow her. She turned to me and smiled. ‘You know that Becky always starts the Witchy tour here with a special snack.’

Becky laughed, kissing Camilla. “You know I like to start with something delicious to nibble on.”

We followed Camilla upstairs to meet her grandmother. If no one had mentioned the word “gran,” I would have assumed this was her mother. The woman was fashionably dressed in a Dior grey business suit. Her hair was perfectly styled.

“Lois, these are my friends, Becky and Anna.”

She stood and smiled. “Hi, Becky. Back for the treats, I see.” Then she turned to me. “Welcome, Anna. I was looking forward to meeting Polly’s granddaughter. I knew your mom when she still lived at home.”

I was trying to swallow the bite of the chocolate chip cookie so I could talk and figure out just how old my Mom was. “Hi, Lois. It’s nice to meet you.” I’d already learned not to say mom, grandmother, or any other family titles, because it confused the humans around us. Lois kinda looked thirty-five. But she was the youngest, prettiest thirty-five you could imagine.

“Anna, I was looking forward to meeting you. Just remember that I said hi to Polly and your mom when you get a chance. You have the sweetest family!”

Sweetest? As in my grandmother, who looks twenty-one and has little patience with incompetent people. Not.

Lois smiled, probably hearing my thoughts. “Anna, my family has always been hamster-free. We’ve gotten along with everyone in the Chicago community. I think that treating people respectfully is important. But enough of having to listen to me talk. Camilla, take your friends and make the rounds. And don’t forget to share some sweets with everyone! Oh, and take a big box home to share with Polly and your mom!”

Becky and I followed Camilla out to a large SUV parked in the alley. A man stood there, waiting for us. He opened the doors, and we all climbed into the back.

As we drank soda and munched on cookies, we drove a mile or two and ended up in a cul-de-sac with four big homes staring down at us. As we were stopping, another girl flung a front door open and squealed her hellos. I got introduced to Audrey Dayton. I stared at her bright blue eyes and the palest skin imaginable. She saw me sizing her up and spoke inside my head.

‘Hi, Anna. My family originally came from Norway and then moved to Minnesota. That’s where all my genes are from. But now there’s a big family debate because my sister has fallen in love with a young Warlock from Jamaica. They make a cute couple. But there's a lot of friction because everyone in the family loves her boyfriend and wants to have babies with him. So we have a pool going on which of them gets to be impregnated and have those beautiful babies.’

I smiled and shook my head. ‘Oh, wow. Sounds like everyone in your family is having fun. Please forgive me. I’m just getting used to all this mind talking, and well, my head feels overloaded with so much conversation. Help!’

Becky laughed. ‘You’ll get used to it soon enough. Your brain learns to adapt.’

I looked at the driver. ‘Does he hear what we’re saying?’

Camilla shook her head. ’Nope. There’s a soundproof glass partition separating us from him. But we just have to remember that he’s human. We don’t do magic that he might witness.’

And reader, you’re probably asking yourself what do teenage Witches talk about? Well, if you guessed boys, you were right.

The conversation immediately turned our moms’ obsession with having Vampire lovers. I had to admit that the idea grossed me out until I came face-to-face with Derek, and I was immediately overwhelmed by the ghoul. I speculated on the effect a Vamp would have on a human.

Audrey shook her head. ‘Don’t laugh. But Vamps have no problem taking advantage of human women, too. Witches have a moral code, but the Vamps and even Warlocks just see everything as theirs for the taking.’

‘So you’re saying that Vamps charm human females for sexual favors! Well, I’m still having a problem dealing with Derek's overwhelming Mom. He seems so slick. I think he’s taking advantage of her.’

Camilla shook her head. ‘Come on, babe. Derek is five hundred years old and has had lots of time to practice becoming charming. I think that these days, he just does it naturally to any female.’

I was getting angry. ‘It just doesn’t seem right. I don’t like him taking advantage of her.’

Becky laughed and patted my shoulder. ‘Uh, your mom is one of the most powerful Witches everyone knows. Derek knows who he’s making love with. Your mom could end Derek’s existence if he displeased her. She’s just enjoying the ride he’s providing.’

Camilla shook her finger. ‘Don’t make fun of those women falling for a Vamp or a Warlock. They’re not being coerced or forced into some sexual slavery. Ask them, and they’ll admit it. Everyone loves the romance.’

Becky was nodding her head in agreement. ‘Camilla’s so right. There’s a real thing about falling in love with someone who has an air of power about them. Vampires have all that mystery about them. Remember, they are demons.’

I shivered with all the comic book mindset I grew up with. But I fist bumped her. ‘Hey, not me! After that first meeting with Derek, I’m doing my best to draw a line. No Vamp pheromones are taking over my brain!”

Audrey smiled. “Not! I’m sure you were doing your best to inhale anything he was offering when you were around him. You know just a few drops of his magic will give you sweet dreams for a month. Just ask Becky. She’s routinely exposed to that beautiful Vamp who loves her mom every night when he pleasures her.’

I suddenly shivered, realizing it was true for all our moms. Even though Derek was far away in another wing, I was getting wisps of erotic excitement as I slept. And I did sleep well. But here’s where the conflict came in. For fourteen years, I was a red-blooded American boy. A human boy! And should teenage guy get all sexed up over getting close to some GQ male model? ‘Uh, Becky. Do you think Derek’s presence will cause me permanent brain damage? Is this dangerous?

Becky laughed. ’Oh, honey. If that were the case, every Witch would be tipping over and spinning out. No! All our moms and all the Witches welcome Vamps into their beds. It’s the best way to enjoy a long life. Very few can flaunt it like your mom does because most Vamps are hard to control. But your family is so much more powerful than the rest of the Witches. Your mom controls Derek, not the other way around.’

Audrey smiled. ‘My Mom has a Vamp, but he’s a bit out of control. He’s always cheating on Mom, and then they have these great fights. I can hear them while they’re making love and arguing at the same time. It’s something else how they both love each other, but Vamps are just Vamps. Let me tell you. It’s a three-ring circus in my house. But I’m sure that they love their make-up sex.’

I noticed that we were slowing down and looked outside through the tinted window. It looked like we were parking. ‘Where are we?’

Audrey smiled. ‘We’re at the Oakbrook Mall. A nice place to shop for good stuff and to cruise around looking at the rich and famous. I need some winter leggings and maybe a cute guy to flirt with.’

Inwardly, I shook my head. This was all pushing me outside my comfort zone. Mom knew I was going for a ride and meeting with Becky’s young Witch friends. But cruising a mall and flirting with humans might be crossing a line. I wondered if I could handle strange guys coming on to Anna. ‘I think my mom would lock me away if she knew I was misbehaving.’ I was dead serious when I said that.

Audrey gripped my hand. ‘Oh, Anna. We all know your story. You need to get up on the horse and learn to ride, baby! You’re a fourteen-year-old Witch, and you definitely need some socialization. You can’t learn everything from your grandmother and your mom. We can teach you what your mom has forgotten. And as far as your family goes, we can give you a quick lesson in privacy shields.’

I knew I had a frightened look on my face.

Audrey took my hand and held it firmly. ‘C’mon, girl. Don’t close me out. I’m coming into your head right now to show you how to shield. Look out, girl. Here I come!’

One minute, I’m alone, and a second later, Audrey’s right there inside my brain with me. This was the second time that somebody had been sharing my head. Polly and I did it earlier so I could show her my Zone. Now, Audrey was in there with me. It was still the strangest feeling.

Audrey’s voice echoed a little as she talked. ’Now watch and feel what I’m doing.’

There was a humming sound that set my brain vibrating. There was a quick shift, and suddenly I knew I was shielded because all the background noise stopped. Once my shields went up, I knew that my thoughts were my own.

Audrey’s voice was still in there with me. It still had that echoing sound. ‘Now you have to let me out of your mind. You have to drop your shields to let me go.’

I did, and she left. Suddenly, I was all by myself again, but unshielded. I really liked the feeling of being shielded. I tried raising the shields, but then I realized I couldn’t hear what my new friends were thinking.

Audrey smiled. ‘You can adjust your shields. Open them enough to just let us talk to you.’

I played inside until it worked. There were no levers and dials, but it was just like adjusting the temperature of the water in the shower.

‘Now you can hear and talk with us and close your shields whenever you want.’

Audrey was all breathless as she talked to everyone. ‘Anna’s mind is seriously huge, and I could feel her power swirling all around. Compared to her, I’m a lightweight. That girl is packing a punch.’

Everyone was staring at me after Audrey made that pronouncement. I was blushing. I had no way to deal with that idea that I was Super Witch.

Before I could say anything, my cell phone rang. I picked it up. “Hi, Mom.”

Her voice was strained. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“Sure. Why?”

“You stopped transmitting. I thought you were hurt!”

“No. Just learning how to use my shields.”

“Well, stop that.”

I could sense Mom was talking to me like I was six. And I guess I responded stupidly. “No.”

“No! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just learning about my shields. I’m not trying to be disrespectful.”

There was silence. I realized my mom was trying to peer inside my brain to see what was happening. I tightened my shields like the six-year-old I was acting like.

Mom shouted through the phone. “You’ve done it again!”

“Mom, I’m safe. Luna is by my side. I’m with my friends. I think that I’m allowed to have my own private thoughts, too. I respect your privacy.” I opened my shields enough to flash her an image of Derek entering her bedroom.

Again, there was silence.

“Just leave your phone turned on.” Her voice sounded frosty. Then she hung up.

I looked at everybody. ‘Well, I think I pissed off my mom. She didn’t like me using my shields to shut her out.’

Everybody talked at once, but the gist of it was that they all thought that maybe my Mom should give me some leeway and treat me more like a young woman than a child. I knew they were right, but I knew that if I did that, I was losing the privilege of running to her whenever I needed help.

Becky spoke. “Hey. I get where her mom’s coming from. She was responsible for hiding Anna and raising her as Doug for fourteen years. Now, everything is out in the open, and she’s freaked out that Anna is becoming her true self.’

I spoke. ‘My Mom doesn’t have a mean thought about me. She’s been great. I think that you’re all right, and I really want to be able to make mistakes and learn. I don’t want to live inside a bubble. But everything is confusing, and I’m not sure what to do.'

I saw a lot of nods. ‘I’m really insecure about how I should be acting. Doug knew where he stood. Sure, he was a little nerdy, playing video games and getting all caught up in sports. But Doug didn’t worry about what everybody thought and having to please all these people. Everyone’s watching me, expecting something great to happen. I don’t think I can meet those expectations.’

I got a lot of pats on the back.

Becky wrapped her arm around my shoulder. ‘I’m here to help you get through the new stuff. And even if you trip up, no one knows you. We can always tell Luna to eat someone who’s giving you a hard time!’

All four of us walked in through the main doors, and I instantly heard the sounds of arcade games. My eyes lit up, and I got excited. I guess my enthusiasm spilled over because Carmella gave me an elbow. “Okay, hot stuff. You pick the game, and I’ll wipe your ass. You’re not the only one who knows their way around an arcade.”

The first thing I saw was Match Racing, two big race car seats, and huge video screens. I picked the Ferrari F-50, and Camille went for an open-wheel Formula One race car. She had big speed and handling on her side, but the Ferrari definitely looked and sounded cooler.

We raced, and I lost, but it felt so good to lose myself in the game. My worrying brain had shut down, and all I did was use all my senses to focus on the game. By the time we finished, we’d attracted a small crowd. I looked around and noticed Audrey talking to a big, handsome guy. She seemed really pleased with herself. Naturally, this guy had a friend, and Audrey and Camille said they’d find us in a while.

As the four of them disappeared, I talked to Camille. ‘You used magic to win, didn’t you?’ I heard her laugh.

‘Oh, course, I did, Rookie. You’re way too good otherwise. And I promised to beat the snot out of you, and a Witch always keeps her promises.

Becky heard what was happening and did her best to distract me. She whispered, “Let’s go try on some clothes. We can make out in the dressing room or a bathroom!”

I shrugged. My Doug brain would have killed to have Becky as a girlfriend. Besides being incredibly beautiful, she liked me, too. But it still seemed strange. I could have easily fallen for her. Inside, I was trying to decide whether I should say no. But then I decided I might need a break. “Yeah. Good idea.”

We shopped for lingerie, comparing the underwear we liked. I didn’t know much, but I tried to imagine Becky wearing everything. I told her, and she giggled until I realized she was doing the same. We looked through the sales racks and saw some cute dresses. After we picked out a few, we went to the dressing rooms only to find a sign, “14 and under need to be accompanied by an adult.” We left all our choices behind and just walked away.

By the time we heard from Audrey and Camille, they were ready to go. Camille said her driver would pick us up at the front entrance.

Well, so nothing terrible happened. Audrey bought leggings, and the two guys walked with them. After leaving Camille’s bakery, Becky and I took the L home. She ate at my house.

We did get to study in my room, which led to some kissing, decimals, and percentages. I knew all about that and helped Becky with her ratios. When her mom came by to pick her up, I waved as they drove away.
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Chapter Twelve
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The next night, I was making popcorn in the microwave. Judith, Polly, and Mom were sitting around, talking and getting ready to watch a movie. As I set the big bowl out on the table, I turned to my Mom during a break in their conversation. “Mom, what other haters do I need to watch out for? Who’s next on your murder me list?”

My Grandmother Polly’s voice grew low and seemed to rumble from her chest. “Anna, it’s only funny when it’s fantasy. But this is real. Probably, the worst danger is Demons. There are many supernatural demons and most contain incredible strength. Some are evil and hunt for sport. They don’t eat their victims, but absorb the fear and pain as their victims die. In the past, a demon would be known to track and observe a Coven for years until one day, it would attack and slaughter everyone.”

Listening to her talk horrified me. The girl side of my brain was taking control and getting upset. I knew Doug would have just said, Cool.

“Why would some demons do that? Isn’t Derek a demon?” I gasped.

Mom grabbed my hand. “There are some types that do it because they’re demons. They take pleasure in killing.”

“Why don’t they kill humans?”

“The answer is simple. Demons report to the Devil. And even the Devil has to answer to God. Humans are God’s project until they are judged. Then, they either go on to heaven or the demons lead them straight to Hell.”

“But my Familiar is a demon.” I looked down as Luna climbed into my lap, and I absentmindedly scratched her behind the ear.

Polly was quick to explain. “There are many types of demons. Luna is a protector and will give herself up to safeguard you. But she is smart and if she can help you flee and save herself too, that’s what she’d do. That’s what happened back in New York, even though you never knew she was there.”

Luna was batting my fingers with her paws. I heard her talk in my head. ‘Polly is right. Those demons your grandmother is talking about would kill me, too. Even though I’ve lived for thousands of years, all things can end.’

After that, I hugged Judith, then kissed my grandmother and mother goodnight. Walking to my room, I thought about how much had changed. Each day I’ve spent in Chicago has been a roller coaster. Even though it was only nine o’clock, I was tired. I stopped, turned, and smiled. “How about one more bad group before I go up?”

I heard Polly chuckle and say, “Here we go.”

Mom frowned. “Well, there’s a group made of scientists working with our military. They have a special department hidden deep within the Pentagon. Their mission is to search for supernatural powers that would give the military an edge. They chase after UFOs, aliens, Bigfoot, and the Yeti. And they include Witches. They want to capture us and use our powers as weapons.”

I smiled. “You touched on that earlier. That idea sounds like it’s straight out of a graphic novel.”

Mom shrugged.

“But has that worked?”

Mom looked at Polly.

I watched Polly smile and nod. “Go on and tell her.”

Mom took a deep breath. “There’s a Witch who’s joined in with the government secret lab. She jumped ship and joined up with the enemy.”

I was surprised to hear that. It seemed incredulous. “A Witch that works for the government in their hidden research lab?”

“Yes.” Mom had an uncomfortable look on her face.

I shook my head. “What happened after they captured her. Have they been able to control her powers?” I pictured a lab full of mad scientists in long white lab coats and soldiers in full-body armor dashing around deep limestone caves lit by huge halogen lights. Just another crazy lab scene gleaned from the movies. I was thinking of Marvel blockbusters.

Mom grinned at my vision. “No, she voluntarily does things for them and has made herself more valuable alive. It seems like she’s stable, maybe even happy.”

“How?”

“Well, we know that she loves to kill. The government treats her like royalty. Whether she eliminates groups of terrorists, insurrectionists, or enemies of the state, this Witch helps them strategize and carry out evil deeds. They love her.”

I motioned towards them. “How do you know all of this?”

Polly tapped her head. “We still have an open channel into her mind and see through her eyes. Her mind has been seriously fractured, but we get glimpses of what takes place.”

“Did this Witch help them locate other Witches?”

Polly shook her head. “No. She knows that striking out against her own kind would condemn her to a painful death. Imagine all the Covens in the world focusing all their power against one mind. No one could survive. She walks a very fine line. We believe she’s convinced them she’s the last Witch.”

“Why would she want to work for the government?”

“It’s a complicated tale that involves a very sad story. We believe she had a mental breakdown almost a century ago. That’s when she left her Coven, denounced all of us, and abandoned her Familiar. We thought she’d gone off and died.”

“Fourteen years ago, that same Witch resurfaced and joined the science group. They treat her well, and she basks in the adoration.”

I straightened up and looked at my grandmother. “You know the Witch.”

Polly nodded as she stared into my eyes. “Gladys is my sister. She’s chosen evil over good.”

This was really turning into a graphic novel. Of course, who was I to talk? I was just another cliché, a girl who was hidden at birth and disguised as a boy for fourteen years. Fourteen years? I closed my eyes. “Wait! Did my birth create all of this?”

I looked down at Luna, curled up in my lap. “Was Luna her Familiar?”

I looked down at the fancy long-haired cat sitting in my lap. Luna was purring, with her eyes closed. She looked content.

So now I realized that all this time, Polly had been witnessing her sister’s breakdown. “We shared a strong bond as sisters for about fifty years before she began to fall apart. I had heard rumors about her deteriorating mental health—some Witches just don't live very long. But when she vanished, I searched the entire world for five years, hoping to find some sign of her. But I came up empty and finally had to give up.”

I looked down at the cat and picked her up like a baby, gently rubbing her belly. She playfully batted at my hand.

Then Luna spoke to everyone in the room. ‘We all knew that your mom was pregnant with a powerful Warlock’s baby. There was a lot of excitement because you would need to be hidden away at birth. Polly sought me out and asked if I wanted the job. I hadn’t been anyone’s Familiar since Gladys disappeared. So I’ve been hiding by your side all those years, waiting to be introduced.’

I just stared at my cat and then at all the faces watching me. This timeline was coming at light speed. Gladys gave up her Coven. She disappeared. Then fourteen years ago, she reappears working as an assassin for the government.

I like history, but had trouble imagining that Polly had lived through the Civil War, and all of this happened a long time ago. I guess Polly was reading my mind.

Polly grinned. “Boom,” was all she said with a smile.

I shook my head. “All those years and no contact. Were you able to track other Witches, Warlocks, Vampires, or demons?”

“Oh, Anna. I lived through all of those times, but never kept track of Vamps and Witches. But I know some Covens that did, though mostly for self-protection. Finally, after butting heads and skirmishes, a peace was brokered. Over a hundred years ago, Vampires and Witches had a Council to find common ground between their kinds. By banding together, they hoped to keep demons at bay.”

“A question?” I waited for her to nod an okay. “If you get hazy glimpses of your sister, Gladys, now, why couldn’t you track her for all those years that you were looking for her?”

My Grandmother smiled. “That’s the million dollar question. And I don’t know.”

“If you can see her mind, can see yours? Or Mom’s, or mine?”

Polly frowned. “I don’t see clear pictures of her mind, just fragments. I don’t know what she sees. I do know that she’s not the same.”

Everyone got quiet and munched popcorn. We watched the movie. After it was over, I blurted it out. “Why do some Witches have Vampire boyfriends?”

Polly laughed. “Oh, Anna. We all do. They make the best lovers. And you know what?”

I shook my head, still trying to imagine this beautiful twenty-something woman was my grandmother, and talking about sex.

My grandmother grinned and shouted, “They can’t get us pregnant!”
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Chapter Thirteen
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I stood in the shadows waiting for Becky. I spotted her on the steps outside the school. I was excited because today was our first soccer game. We had to wear our uniforms. It felt good to be part of a winning team, even though I was just a substitute on the Junior Varsity. But I felt it was important to walk with Becky and not walk by myself.

“Hey, Anna!”

I looked, and it was Olivia, another striker on our team. I waved and walked over to where she was standing on the steps. I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I wouldn’t be the only one wearing a uniform. I knew I’d just die if I was looking like the odd one who didn’t know the rules. It was so strange to think like that. Doug never cared what he wore or even how he smelled.

As I got closer to Olivia, I saw Becky, too. My mind gave Doug another thought, and I tried to examine him. He was very handsome, but he wore rumpled clothes, and well, he did smell. Very boyish, with that sweaty, hygiene-lacking image. I was amazed that his girlfriend tolerated that. In the back of my mind, I remember Erica scolding him to clean up his act or else.

Mom had not mentioned the shields once since I came back from the mall. She never knew where we went, but it suddenly dawned on me that Luna was probably reporting back to my mother that whole time.

‘Luna, did you tell Mom what I was doing when I closed my shields, hanging out with the girls?’

I heard my Familiar sigh. ’I wasn’t aware of shields. I don’t think a demon has trouble reading your mind anytime. Why don’t we have a test? Put your shields up and name what you plan on giving me tonight for dinner.’

I closed all my shields and thought of the meal she didn’t like.

Luna looked at me and arched her back. ‘You know I don’t like liver. Ugh. Not something I relish. Think of something else.’

I thought of New York strip steak, medium rare, in a pepper cream sauce.

‘That’s so much better. And the cook does an excellent job. Now, don’t forget.’

I had a Familiar with gourmet tastes. ’I won’t. So what did you tell Mom about the girls’ trip to the mall?’

‘Oh, everything.’

‘Why’d you do that? I put my shields up so she wouldn’t find out.’

Luna stared at me. ‘I’m not a witch, and witches’ shields do not affect me. I see and hear everything. You are my charge, and your grandmother and mother are my queens.’

I realized Luna was my Familiar, but she treated my mom and Polly as her bosses. I should have figured that out, but I was naive. Then I realized that I could never go up against those powerful Witches. My Gran and Mom were forced to be respected.

‘Just out of curiosity, what did your last charge, Gladys, feed you?’

‘Nothing. She told me to feed on my own.’

‘No broiled fish with parsley or steak au poivre?’

‘Nothing. But for the fourteen years that I escorted Doug, your mother gave me whatever she fed to you.’

When Mom asked me what the best part of my week had been, I smiled. “It's been a long roller coaster ride that was pretty scary to start. But turned out to be okay. Everything I worried about never happened. And so many good things did. The team has been great, and no one has been in trouble. All I could picture were scenes from Bad Girls, where the school was run by jealous, mean-spirited, spoiled brats. And the new Witches I met were great. It’s fun to have someone who’s kinda like me. And I’ve found the best friend in Becky.”

It was so strange how much time I spent talking now. Doug never felt the need to share all his feelings, but Becky and I would talk for hours. It definitely was a girl thing.

“I’m very glad to see that you think you’re adjusting. It’s good to hear the positive tone in your voice. How are your classes?”

“Easy! They're doing the same stuff we did in Math last year. And the guy who teaches Literature is nice, but he might be a bit of a perv, always smiling at me. Becky is helping me with Chemistry, and I'm keeping up.”

“No problems?”

“Well, it's kinda strange. I've been accepted by everyone. It's like a little bit of magic is surrounding me.”

Mom smiled. “Well, we did put an aura around you to affect anyone who came in contact with you. It told their brain to behave in a friendly manner.”

I was nodding. “Wow! Thanks for that. And it’s working. Everyone has been nice. It was so strange starting a new school where everyone seemed to stare. And you know how nervous I was.”

Mom hugged me. “Well, I lied. There was no spell or aura. You did that on your own. I made up the aura thing.”

“So that was all just me? Nobody did anything mean or rude. Becky said that it was just cause I didn’t act all snobby. But honestly, I didn’t do much talking, just saying hi and smiling.”

“Was that hard? Did you feel like you were acting?”

I grinned as I shook my head. “No. Everything happened too fast to be acting.”

“You’re attractive. You’re friendly. You smile. That’s what caused everyone to be nice to you. People sense honesty.”

I shrugged.

Becky called me on Thursday night to give me a heads-up on what to wear for Friday's big soccer game. “You definitely have to wear your jersey, but I always pair it with a long-sleeve T-shirt. And yeah, those stupid pleated skirts. I wear tights under mine. And sneakers. Leave the pads, cleats, and all that in your locker.”

Dressing for school each day was a big puzzle. I did my best to dress like everyone else. I’d watch and copy the other ninth-grade girls. I checked out their makeup, jewelry, and hairstyles. I was getting used to asking my mom to help me with things I liked but couldn’t handle.

Finally, I’d reached the point of frustration. “Grrr. This is not easy. How does anyone expect me to master all of this?”

Mom hugged me. “Well, I agree that it’s all coming at you quickly. But it’s okay. You’re making a successful transition because you’re not fighting it. I’m watching. Everything you’re doing is becoming increasingly feminine. Your voice, your expressions, your manner are all falling into place.”

I was curious. “How’s that happening?”

Mom held my hand. “Remember that you’re biologically female. You’ve always been female. You might have been under a spell that disguised you as a boy, but your genetic history never got lost. Now it’s moving to the surface, and nothing is holding it back, especially now that the shields have been whisked off.”

I shook my head. “Fourteen years wasted.”

“Well, don’t get too full of yourself. Without your cloaking spell and without Doug, you would have been sought out and murdered. You would never have made it. Demons love to kidnap female Witch children. Witch Hunters would have been celebrating the chance to hold you as bait just to wipe out a whole coven.”

“Well, that’s reassuring to hear. So what happens now? Are those threats still active?”

“Well, yes. But not as much. Now you’re just a fourteen-year-old Witch trophy. On the surface, no one can see your potential or value. We’re all taking a deep breath, knowing you’re safer here in Chicago.”

“Great to know. I’m only in half the danger now.”

Mom laughed. “Wah! Poor baby. All Witches are trophies. Remember that Witch Hunters dream of burning me at the stake, too. But you’re learning to protect yourself and fight back. Just pay attention to what Polly shows you.”

In the meantime, Friday was fun. All the soccer players were wearing their jerseys in school. It was impressive to see the varsity girls and guys, all wearing their bold white numbers on their black jerseys. Even though I was just JV, I felt like I belonged.

Finally, the office announced that all soccer players needed to leave afternoon homeroom to get ready. By the time I changed, I had two knapsacks, one with my street clothes and my regular backpack full of workbooks and my computer. Becky and I walked out onto the field with most of our team. We gathered around the coach, and she named the starters. It was cool that Becky was starting!

We cheered. The Tigers from across town were evenly matched with our Panthers. I played for a quarter and had a couple of shots on goal.

The JV soccer field is on the other side of the school from the varsity fields. Our crowds are smaller, with parents, brothers, and sisters cheering us on. But speaking of brothers, one of our players’ brothers, Kelly, kept looking over at me. Her name is Olivia, and she’s real nice. She’s a striker, too. This Kelly guy seems a few years older and was there to watch his little sister play. But I knew I caught his eye.

I wasn’t quite ready to think about boys as dating material, but he was handsome. ‘Becky, Olivia’s brother keeps staring at me. He’s cute, but he’s human.’

‘That’s okay. Don’t count on dating young Warlocks. Humans are good training material for when you get your first Vampire.’

‘Are there any young Vampires?’

‘Hmm. Well, all the more reason to play with a human. If he has a friend, we can double date.’

‘Becky! No! That’s not for me. Dating?’

‘Give it time, girl.’

I looked across the field to the bleachers and saw my Mom talking to two men. I realized one guy was Derek, and the other was a stranger. It dawned on me by the end of the game that the other man might be my Father. I watched carefully to see if a Warlock and a Vampire might be getting all territorial.

Naturally, Mom read my mind.

‘Not around me, Anna. Both these guys listen and have pretty cool temperaments. They respect me.’

‘And my Father’s not jealous of Derek?’

‘No. Your Father and I chose our own paths almost fifteen years ago. We had our moment, and I got you. Richard is cool about it.’

‘So no ripping off limbs, throwing magic fire, or whatever?’

‘Sorry to disappoint. Come meet your Father when everything’s over. I’ve already read Derek the riot act. He will be on his best behavior. He knows.’

‘Are you always reading my mind?’

‘Well, unless you use your shields. But it was more fun when I read Doug’s.’

‘Luna confessed and admitted that she’s been telling you everything.’

‘Honey, I’m your mom, and well, maybe I’m being overprotective and too controlling. But considering everything that’s happened in the past week, well, I’m still nervous.’

‘You said it! I heard the words overprotective and controlling.’ And in turn, she glared at me.

‘Anna. Stop being a baby and try to see my point of view. I was overprotective of Doug for fourteen years. It’s a habit that’s hard to break.’

I nodded and promised to lighten up if she did. Then she flashed me a mental picture of me kissing Becky. Speaking of kissing, I didn’t want to say anything to Mom, but I was looking forward to the rush I got from being exposed to Derek’s scent. Even though Becky and I were going to the mall later for a movie date with those high school boys, I knew that the guys we were going to be hanging with were not going to do anything to rev my motor. It’s still so weird worrying about getting heated up over boys! So not Doug! Then I considered having a T-shirt made that said SO NOT DOUG.

‘Anna, sex on your mind? Young lady, please show some control!’

‘Grr. I wish I had the power to read your mind, Mom. I’ll bet you are having those same thoughts. And I’ll bet you had those thoughts when you were fourteen. I’m going to ask Polly.’

‘Anna, let’s change the subject. I’m not ready for this whole hormonal change that you’re going through.’

‘C’mon, Mom. I’ve only been Anna for a little while, but I am enjoying the attention I’m getting. Doug was never the center of attention.’

‘Well, enjoy it, but don’t succumb to social pressure and feel an obligation to lose your virginity.”

‘Gross. That part of my body is pretty private.’

‘And see, no one has questioned whether you’re female?’

‘Naw. You were right. I was overreacting and letting my fear control my thoughts.’

‘Are you feeling better now?’

‘Sure. The school thing is okay. I only have to worry about a few outside groups who want to murder me.’

‘Stop it. And here we come.’

I looked up and saw my mom and Derek. We’d already established that my mom is a ten and that Derek is movie-star handsome. Just the two of them would turn heads as they approached the team bench. But my father was even more beautiful. He was tall and rugged-looking. He wore cowboy boots, jeans, a Brooks Brothers dress shirt, and a dark-blue Chicago Bears varsity jacket. Now I knew where some of my coloring came from. We shared the same skin tone, eyes, and smile.

Becky immediately called me. ‘OMG, Anna. Your mom is holding two tornadoes by their tails. Both of those guys are too much.’
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Chapter Fourteen
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I reached out and hugged the man. After all, a handshake seemed too impersonal. And if what he said was true, and he couldn’t find me for fourteen years, then I would give him a pass on abandonment. Why not be the big person here? We both deserved a fresh start.

I introduced Becky and her mom, who said that she remembered my Mom from years ago when they were both growing up in Chicago. As we were standing around, my father smiled. ‘I’ve heard that Polly has started your training.’

I nodded. ‘She gave me a good report. Told me I had potential.’

‘Well, that’s good to hear. But you have Lawson family genes, too. And I would love to join you and Polly and see if we can unlock those powers. I keep trying to imagine the potential you might have.’

I smiled. ‘I hope that you’re not disappointed.’

Mom leaned in. She whispered, “I think we need to talk out loud when people are around. And that should help filter what we talk about.”

Derek was looking around at all the parents, and honestly, Becky was so right. He was like a bull standing in a herd of cows. The man looked alert, smiling, and ready to pounce. A hound. I smiled at Mom, and she shrugged. I saw her whisper in his ear.

He kissed her and smiled. Just watching the two of them together gave me a feeling of the current he was buzzing her with.

The Warlock and the Vamp were both teasing all of the soccer moms. Making pleasangtries, complimenting everything about them. They were having fun. Everything was fairly stable until the Varsity joined us. Now there were thirty juniors and seniors gravitating toward the two men. And more moms appeared, also seeming mesmerized.

Becky and I could both feel Derek dropping his shields slightly. But the impact he was having on the high school Varsity girls and their moms was noticeable. We looked at each other and laughed.

“Oh, he is so yummy. And all those females are going to stampede him.”

But then it all stopped, and I realized that my father had just put a shell around Derek and frozen his pheromones.

We knew what he’d done. Derek frowned and stared at my Dad. The Vampire had been having fun, and the Warlock had shut it down. My Mom came up and grabbed both their hands, pulling them both towards me.

“Say your goodbyes, boys. Neither of you is going to be turning these poor women into your sex slaves. No pheromones, no magic.”

Mom hugged me, and both guys smiled. As they were walking off the field, Becky whispered, “Your cred has just skyrocketed. All these women knew that you and your mom were beautiful, but your mom’s two escorts raised the temperature out here. All of them are going to want to know everything on both of them.”

I grinned and whispered to Becky with a smile on my face. “Those two should never be allowed out. Both of them are lethal weapons.”

As we stood there, suddenly we were surrounded by the varsity captain and her starters. They were all seniors and still staring at my Father and Derek as they walked away. Looking around at these sweaty women, I realized they were all ready to have a shot at both of these men.

The captain was the spokesperson. She came right up and stared me down. “Okay, Bradford. I'm Phoebee with two e’s.”

I’m sure she was showing off her status by emphasizing the special spelling of Phoebee. I didn’t want to sound smart and point out that her name used three e’s, so instead I nodded. Doug would have loved her immediately. She was very attractive, but she really emphasized the jock before the beauty. She even had tattoos! Since she was in charge, I shut up, wishing Polly would just turn her into a field mouse.

“Give me the rundown on those two guys hanging out with you. Now that I’m thinking, I realize that was your mom. Yeah, you’re both pretty.”

Phoebee, with three e’s, was saying the word pretty, dragging it out to make a point.

Phoebee was a hoot. She just kept talking. “Yeah, you must know them since they were hanging out with your mom. Is your mom like an actress cause she’s a Hollywood 10?”

I burst their bubbles when I explained. “Well, the cowboy is my Dad, and the other guy’s my Mom’s boyfriend.” I did spook them when I explained that my Mom never married.

They kept glancing at me, wondering just how strange my home life was. I smiled, thinking if I could just share! BOOM!

Phoebee laughed. “Well, Anna Bradford, both of those guys are male models, Hollywood stars, way too beautiful. But it just doesn’t seem fair that you know them both. I think the solution is that I become your best friend, and you invite me to family gatherings, like barbecues.”

I tried not to laugh in her face, which Becky was naturally doing inside my head, teasing me about suddenly being part of the elite.

I just played it straight and dumb. “Oh, that’s great. Give me your number. We live with my cousin Polly downtown. And the next time we have something going on, well, I’ll invite you and your friends over.”

That seemed to satisfy her, and Derek’s scent was rapidly fading. I knew she’d come to her senses soon. But of course, the Warlock and the Vamp would leave fragments of their presence inside each of their heads for a long time.

Becky was laughing. ’You could have so much fun with that. I’ll bet that Derek would love a romp with the soccer girls.’

‘Mom said that sex with a five-hundred-year-old Vamp would ruin me for life. Imagine the cruel prank we’d be playing on them.’

Unfortunately, Mom was still listening in on our conversation and interrupted. ‘You will do nothing of the kind. First, we are not going to have humans wandering around the house, sticking their noses where they don’t belong. And you know that Polly lacks a sense of humor when it comes to all of that. Imagine what she’d do to a horny Vampire or your father.’

I laughed. ‘Could we find the soccer team a young Vampire?’

‘Not funny. Your fourteen-year-old sense of humor needs to be reined in. And maybe you and Becky need to be grounded from this burger-and-a-movie thing you are sneaking out for tonight with those human boys. And remind Becky not to practice her magic on either of them tonight! Right, Becky?’

‘Yes, Mrs Bradford. We will curb our silliness. We will behave.’

‘Good. And I’d rather see the two of you kissing each other than with some mindless, clueless, horny human boy!’

After my Mom was done lecturing us, Becky looked pale. “Jeez. I hope that your Mom has a sense of humor about all of this. I don’t want to become a gerbil.”

I smiled. “Hamsters are cuter, and it would give Luna something to toy with before she gobbles you down.”

We needed to change, so we walked to Becky’s house first, since it was closer. We were lucky. Her mom was working, so I lay down on her bed and looked at my phone while she showered and changed. Neither of us wanted to fool around after talking to my Mom. It was like having a full-time camera following us.

Becky looked nice. She was wearing jeans and a cotton top. I looked twice and realized that she was wearing a padded bra. I looked at it and smiled.

She stared at me, then grinned. “What? Sure, it’s padded, but how am I supposed to compete with you, Miss B-cup? You know both those boys will be staring at you all night if I don’t enlist some help.”

I shook my head. “Hey, I had nothing to do with the body that was developing behind a spell. I just look at my Mom and figured that’s what I’m going to look like.”

Becky turned sideways in the mirror. She looked at me. “Is your mom using magic to enhance her beauty?”

I nodded. “I honestly don’t know. I wonder. But you should meet my grandmother, Polly. I’m supposed to refer to her as my cousin because she looks like a twenty-one-year-old.”

Becky frowned and shook her head. “I’m afraid to piss off your Cousin Polly. I don’t want to be a hamster for Pumpkin to play with. But seriously, do you think that she’d do it?”

I shook my head. “I just remind myself to be on my best behavior when I’m around her. You know that she’s training me in all sorts of Witchy things.”

“You learned anything yet?”

“Well, I have started to learn to control stuff, but Polly told me not to talk about it or demonstrate anything I’ve learned. She reminded me that everything we do still has to be stealth.”

Becky smiled. “Mom has shown me a few things, too. But she said I won’t come into my full powers until I’m eighteen. So I guess I’ll wait.”

I nodded and didn’t say anything about waiting until I was eighteen because I’d already left that rule behind. Deep inside, I wondered if these rules were made by Witches or nature.
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Chapter Fifteen
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Boys. Well, not really, boys. We were all ouside the mall. Walking along, I was a child compared to the size of these brutes. And I’m 5’7”! Upon closer inspection, they shaved and had serious muscles. When I leaned in to shake, I put my hand on Greg’s arm and got the surprise of my life. This guy was a solid rock. I think I might have shivered just being close to this much mass. I kept repeating John and Greg in my head so I wouldn’t forget. My guy was Greg. And John was just as big and broad.

I smiled at Greg. I read somewhere that the way to handle a guy was simply to get them to talk about themselves. “Hey, Greg. I’m hungry. Why don’t we go buy me a burger, and you can tell me about yourself?”

Greg steered us to a cozy diner that was attached to the mall. But before we went in, the guys bought tickets to a movie.

John turned and asked, “What would you ladies like to see?”

Becky chose a rom-com, which I thought was a mistake. I didn’t think it was a good idea to see a sappy movie that might put me in some romantic kissy-face kind of way. I was determined not to do anything that could send a message to Greg. I mean, seriously. I’d been a young woman for what, a New York minute? Just the idea of this Hulk perving on me was strange. But last week, Doug would have vomited on himself if he knew he was going to the movies with some big dude who was calling it a date.

Doug, Doug, Doug. My past fourteen years were just memories, and now Anna was the one going on a date. I kept reminding myself that I had always been female, just not raised that way.

After getting tickets, we went inside the mall diner. We got a booth and talked as we looked at the menus. So, while deciding what burger to eat, I found out that John and Greg had been best buds since fourth grade. They played football, wrestled, and played baseball. I really wanted to talk sports, but sensed it would be better to ask girl-like questions.

Becky was funny. She asked the dumbest question. It was so phony, I was surprised neither of them knew that we were spoofing. “I’ve watched a lot of football games, but never understood why so many players go on and off the field between plays.”

This, of course, was a ridiculous question, but it seemed like a way to get them all mansplaining about their love of sports. And as I pretended to listen, I was talking to Becky.

‘So we’re going to a rom-com and my hormones are all going to be pumping thanks to my exposure to Derek. I’m afraid of what might happen. I don’t want to get all soft and girl-like for this guy. I know he’s going to see an opening and slide himself in there.’

Becky swiveled her head and laughed. ‘I hope you don’t really let him slide in there!

Becky was smiling and nodding her head. She was saying so many stupid girl remarks like “Oh, wow! You know so much about football, and I don’t know anything about it.”

I almost wanted to slap her. ‘Stop it! You are acting like it’s the 1960’s and you’re just a stupid girl!’

‘Well, he’s buying me a burger. Does that deserve a kiss or two or a snuggle up during the film? I really like cuddling, and this guy certainly fits the bill. He’s all big and hunky.’

‘No, no, no. You’re saying you're going to make out with him?’

Becky was nodding. ‘Sure, why not?’

‘Aren’t you worried about your reputation?’

‘I’m not doing anything more than that. But I keep coming back to your image of wanting to sit in Derek’s lap and make out. Don’t you think that would be cool to do?’

‘Becky! Kiss a guy! A week ago, I was that guy who’d be creaming himself just to kiss you! How am I supposed to kiss another guy?’

In the meantime, my guy Greg was telling me about all the different teams within a football team. He was so proud to be a defensive back, guarding against the run and the pass. He was enthusiastic and really excited about football, and we hadn’t even started talking about wrestling or baseball.

I smiled, “What position do you play in baseball?” Well, you would have thought the guy was shot out of a cannon.

“I’m going to be the starting catcher, and I’m batting fifth.”

Of course, playing the part of the stupid girl, I asked, “Is that good?”

While he was brimming over with excitement telling me all about the batting order and how important he was, I talked to Becky. ‘He is cute when he gets all talking about sports. He reminds me of a big Golden Retriever, all happy and excited. But I am not kissing a dog!’

Our food came. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries. And when I started pouring ketchup on the burger and the fries, Greg got all crazy. He pointed straight at my plate, which I thought was rude.

“Wow! You must really like ketchup!” He looked excited, but very cautious, like I was going to put ketchup on him, too.

I smiled, remembering that Chicago is not about ketchup. I twirled a big fry and dipped it deep into the pool of ketchup that I made on the plate. “It’s an East Coast thing. Heinz Ketchup is made from Jersey tomatoes mixed with high-fructose corn syrup. It kinda becomes an addiction. Of course, I like mayonnaise, too.”

I twirled a fry in front of his face, dipped it into ketchup again, and dangled it in front of him. I watched him tentatively reach out and use his mouth to take it from my fingers. I smiled while I said to Becky, ’See, he’s a really well-behaved Golden Retriever.’

I smiled and made a kissy face. “Good boy. Want to try another?”

He nodded, and I repeated my doggie act. He was eating out of my hand. I patted him on the cheek and picked up my burger. I dipped it in ketchup and took a bite. I eagerly chewed it and then dipped it again. I held it out right in front of his face.

The guy shyly bent down and took a soft bite from my burger. I watched him chew and smile. ‘He’s cute. I want to scratch him behind the ears. He’s just a big, fluffy dog.’

Becky was laughing inside my head. ‘Stop feeding him. Pat his cheek and tell him he’s on his own. If you continue to feed him, he’s going to want to follow you home. Build some walls, girl. And watch your pheromones. I don’t want to see these boys acting all crazy in heat.’

I did pat him on the cheek and gave him a pinch. I realized that I was being such a girl that it frightened me. I looked at my burger and suddenly realized that I was becoming so female. I was watching Doug slip away. I looked into Greg’s eyes, and he was grinning. I dipped the burger into my ketchup and took another bite.

I finally took the paper off my straw and sucked down part of my chocolate milkshake.

Greg smiled. “You know, Anna. I’m so impressed with your appetite. I was expecting you to order a salad and tell me you’re watching what you eat.”

I shook my head. “Nah. I did a lot of running this afternoon with the JV soccer squad. I burned up some calories.”

Greg smiled. “You are perfect.”

I reached over and placed my palm on the top of his hand, which was resting on the tabletop. “Does that mean you’ll let me steal one of your onion rings? They look good.”

He smiled. “Only if you let me feed it to you.”

I shrugged and bit off pieces as he held it out to me.

Becky started laughing inside my head. ‘And you were worried about crossing the line. C’mon, honey. Feeding each other like you’re at a wedding party. Slow down, girl!’

I was having fun playing with the big teddy bear sitting across from me. ‘But, he’s just so cute, and we’re really getting along.’

‘Right. Until he’s French kissing you and cupping your boob.’

I didn’t want to admit that the same thought crossed my mind, wondering if he could make me feel as good as pleasuring myself in my bubble bath.

My phone rang, and I looked at the screen. It was my Mom. I smiled and picked it up. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
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Chapter Sixteen
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“What’s up! Well, I’m watching you from Luna’s point of view, and I’m not happy with what I’m seeing. You’re moving pretty fast on this muscle-bound jock.”

I shivered listening to her voice. Mom was throwing a bucket of cold water on me. “Uh-huh.”

“Are you going to do better, or do I have to come get you right now?”

“Right. Well, thanks for calling. I’ll see you after the movie.”

I got off the phone and stared off into a blank space where Luna was hovering. ‘Traitor. My Mom didn’t need to see a live broadcast. I was just having fun.’

I wasn’t surprised when Luna didn’t respond.

I calmed down after that. Or maybe it was just me taking a deep breath after hearing my mom’s voice after judging my behavior. I did occasionally pay Greg some attention and asked him lots of stupid questions. The big lunk never asked me about soccer or what I was interested in. I realized that I was setting myself up to get nothing from this guy except disappointment. He really had no idea who I was. He did learn about ketchup. I tried again. “You know I play sports, too.”

Greg stared at me like I was talking Chinese. “Yeah, it’s great that they offer girls' sports.”

I squinted. “Title Nine.”

“Title what?”

“A law that requires all schools to offer women's sports, too.”

“Really? I guess that’s cool. What sports did you say you played?”

I felt like screaming since I already told him once. Grrr. “Me? I’m playing soccer now and maybe some softball in the spring. We’ll have to see if they have room on the team for me.”

It was obvious that Greg was getting bored listening to me. I sighed and talked to Becky. ‘I’ve lost him. Should I pull up my top and flash him to get his attention?’

Becky looked at me. ‘Yeah, I get it. Your innocent fun sounds really good to you, but that big guy is thinking that you’re ready to wrestle. And once you get him all revved up, well, he’ll be impossible to turn off.’

I sighed inside. ‘Yeah, I guess you’re right. Maybe I should just date you.’

I was lost in my disappointment when Luna spoke to me. ‘Has your Mom or Polly taught you how to cloud minds yet?’

‘Becky, have you ever done that?’

After Becky shook her head, no, I called out to my Mom. I had to wait for her response. In the meantime, I listened to these two high school mutts ramble on about tomorrow’s game. I pretended to be totally engrossed in Greg’s every word. Just for fun, I stared at them both with big eyes.

Mom finally answered. ‘Yes, Anna. Luna was suggesting you could cloud the boys' minds. Why do you want to do that?’

I outlined what I had in mind.

‘The two of you are skating on thin ice. I’m not a fan of your idea, and clouding minds should be left to the experts. You just want him to have enjoyed his evening, but not remember you sitting in his lap, curling up, and making out. Is that what you’re saying?’

‘Yes, please. The guy’s a mutt, a nice big Golden Retriever, but not somebody I want to date. I want to get an experience making out with a guy, but not having him go back and ruin my reputation among his muscle-bound friends.’

‘Luna’

‘Huh? What’s that mean?’

‘Ask her nicely.’

‘Luna can do that?’

‘If you ask her nicely.’

‘Thanks, Mom. I can guess what you’re doing.’

‘Don’t get too carried away, young lady.’

‘Yes, ma’am. Thank you for responding. And tell Derek I said hi.’

After she broke the connection, I smiled at Becky.

Becky glanced at me. ’I don’t know if I could talk to my mom like that. I’m afraid of what she’d do if I just came right out and spoke truths.’

I shrugged. ‘I think a lot of it has to do with Mom turning my whole world upside down on Friday. I was a perfectly normal human boy who liked his life. Then, suddenly, I’m flipped, revealing me as a fourteen-year-old female Witch. There’s a lot of guilt involved.’ Turning my attention back to the pups, they were noisily debating how to defend against a quarterback who uses the run-pass option. I smiled and looked at them both. “Isn’t that usually when you power in at him from the corners, maybe a blitz, shutting down his options? You know, forcing a quick release or the obvious run up the middle?”

In the fraction of a second it took them to figure out that I said something intelligent about football strategy, Becky stood up. “Will you look at the time? We’ve got a movie to go see!”

Greg was nodding. “Okay. But how about dessert?”

I slid my hand into the crook of his arm and whispered. “Mmm. I was thinking that you would have me for dessert.”

‘Luna, are you going to help me out here?’

‘Quid Pro Quo, Anna’

I giggled. ‘Luna, what would you like in return?’

‘Larger portions.’

‘Done! Now, here’s what I want. I don’t want either of these mutts to remember details of our experience. They’ll have a feeling of an okay time, but overall, maybe a little boring because these two girls were beautiful, but only fourteen. They’re going to go off thinking what do fourteen-year-olds know?’

I felt Luna laugh. ‘Of course. All of your behavior will have been forgotten. The only problem will be that your family will know.’

Inwardly, I smiled. I was still fourteen, just starting to learn about boys and dating. I felt sorry for Doug. After all, this was not going to be easy for him to witness. But after Derek had opened his shields at dinner that night in the restaurant, I had left feeling so different. And ever since then, I’d been getting some bits of his pheromones as he and Mom had been making love each night.

I don’t think I wanted all of that, but it left me curious about how much power I had over human boys. I liked flirting, and maybe treating Greg like a test subject was a bit cruel, but I wanted more. I wanted to see if this could push my buttons and make me feel a little more turned on, the way I felt about being close to Derek. But then Mom spoke up.

‘Okay. Just remember that Luna and I are watching. After everything you’ve been through, I think you’ve earned the right to flex your powers. My advice is to go slowly and stay in control. After all, a movie theater is a public place. Luna is going to fog both those human boys’ minds. But Greg is still walking away from this, knowing he had fun.’

We got popcorn and sodas and snuggled in for a hundred minutes of rom-com warm feelings. I wasn’t ten minutes into the show when I moved Greg’s arm over my shoulder so I could get in closer. Then I discovered that this guy was a rock. It was like his chest was solid muscle, and well, it made me feel comfortable. I leaned into him resting my head on his shoulder and nuzzling his neck.

Greg got the hint and turned his head and kissed me. I really thought I’d be grossed out and Doug would vomit up the burger and fries, but Doug had disappeared. Instead, Anna kissed back and opened her mouth to receive my Golden Retriever’s tongue. He did a nice job of kissing without a lot of sloppy saliva.

We worked at that for a while, and I guessed I kinda forgot myself. I know I was getting warm and felt really good in a spacy way. Before long, I had slid into his lap and was cuddling against his body. I hadn’t heard from Doug and just assumed he was in the backseat napping.

Greg was starting to take liberties with his hands. I liked it when he squeezed me tightly. He was being careful and just cradling me and not trying to fracture any bones. I wasn’t watching the movie, but was starting to get warm inside. I wondered what would happen if we were on a blanket under the stars, instead of in the stale, air-conditioned movie theater. I also wondered how it would feel to have less clothing on, so I could feel his body everywhere.

At this point, Greg’s hand was rubbing my shoulder, and he was brushing his palm over my breast. He was being almost too gentle, and my first impulse was to get him to rub me harder when I realized that we were heading down the wrong path. The second notice I received was Greg’s member responding against my thigh.

Even I wasn’t ready for any of that. I think if I could have directed him, it would have been better, but red flags were popping up in my head, interfering with the fireworks that were also going off.

So, sadly, we had to go in the opposite direction and reverse course. I knew I could put out the fire quickly by letting a little soda and ice spill onto my Greggy, but that seemed excessive. Instead, I moved away and took a deep breath. This gave me a chance to tip the straw towards his mouth and he obdiently took a big sip. While he was drinking, I slipped off his lap and reached out for the popcorn bucket.

I started to feed him one kernel of corn at a time, giggling and kissing him after every couple of bites. He was behaving so well that I started kissing him again.

Okay, so I knew I was behaving poorly. But this was so much fun that I didn’t want to stop. I was teasing the poor boy, but knew that Luna was going to help him forget all the starts and stops.

‘Luna, will Greg remember kissing me?’

‘No. The whole experience will be clouded out from the beginning of the evening onward. I’m afraid that he won’t have any longing for you at all.’

Thinking about this, I guess Luna’s wisdom won over.

When the movie was over, we all meekly filed out, and the guys dropped us off and motored on their way. Luna had already done her job, and so Greg was content with a peck on the cheek. I was so engrossed in my experience that I barely had time to watch Becky.

The whole evening was a success. Becky and I both agreed that cuddling in the movie and a few kisses were okay. We both agreed that we’d had fun but not lost our minds.

Becky made a good point. ‘Human boys can be fun, but need to be kept under control. We should teach them the words No, Stop, and That’s Enough.’

I smiled and agreed. It was a fun time, but it was one-and-done. I think that my Mom was right. We’d be better off just making out with each other.

Both of us went to watch the football game on Saturday. Our school won. Can you believe that the other team turned the ball over four times? You’d have thought we had magic on our side! Becky laughed and said that Luna and Pumpkin should have been carried off on the team’s shoulders for their contribution.

Greg texted me on Sunday afternoon and thanked me for a nice evening. From then on, I’d smile or even occasionally stop to say hello in school. But the two of us were just friends.

I knew that Greg didn’t remember me flirting at dinner or climbing into his lap to smooch in the movies. I really expected to hear something from my Mom on Sunday after Polly had worked with me.

We were sitting together on my bed while Mom was helping me with the finer points of braiding my hair. At that moment, I turned to her. “Are we going to talk about Friday night?”

“What would you like to talk about?”

“I was thinking you’d be scolding me about my behavior with Greg.”

Mom smiled. “You want the mom version?”

“What’s that mean?”

“Okay. So it became quite clear that I have been overprotective of you. You realize that Becky’s Familiar was not reporting back to her mom, right?”

“Yeah. That came out. But Becky appreciated Luna’s fogging the guy’s brains.”

“Well, honey. I still want to make sure everything goes well for you. Your circumstances are different, and I’m interested in you making a proper adjustment. So, I’m going to stop spying on you. I think you’ve earned it by demonstrating that your brain came through all of this transition in good shape. I’m proud of you, more than you can imagine.”

“Thank you. I hate how I’m ready to start crying with happiness. This is so embarrassing. I hate acting like a baby!”

“You mean you hate acting like a fourteen-year-old girl?”

“Well, yeah. That too!” All I kept thinking was, where was Doug when I needed him? Then I realized Doug was still there but just holding his breath. Who knows? Maybe Doug was having fun being inside Anna.

“Well, you’re acting responsible. You behaved well among your new friends, and you and Becky get along well. And after seeing you toying with your food on Friday night...”

“What’s that mean?”

“Greg was on the menu, and you treated him nicely while you were testing the waters.”

“Okay. I see. Playing with my food, right? I guess he really was my test dummy.”

“Did you learn enough?”

“Well, it was fun to feel his hard body, and well, when he touched me, my heart started beating faster. But you're right. I just wanted to experiment without any strings attached. All these girls' feelings are confusing. How can I survive?”

Mom frowned. “You can’t expect to master everything instantly. Interaction with another person is complicated. When you and Becky play with each other, you’re both smart enough to understand what’s going on. Greg is not Becky.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I enjoyed myself, but Greg is…”

Mom filled it in. “Just a guy.”

I grinned, which was better than crying. “After Friday night, I gave it a lot of thought. I’m dedicating my life to others and joining a monastery.”

“Right. Good for you. Of course, if you think that playing with yourself in the tub or making out with Becky are exhilarating, wait until you have full-blown sex with someone that you’re attracted to.”

“Well, I hate to confess, but I like knowing that you and Luna are watching over me. It’s reassuring.”

Mom spoke calmly. “No one is kicking you out of the house. I’m just telling you that you’ve earned some personal freedom.”
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Chapter Seventeen
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On Monday, Becky and I were running laps at soccer practice and talking. ‘I gather that Pumpkin does not give your mom a full report about what you do.’

‘Pumpkin has never spied on me. Yeah, I was surprised how tight a leash your mom has you on.’

‘Well, evidently, I’ve earned my freedom. Mom and I had a good discussion on Sunday, and she’s taken the chains off.’

Becky laughed. ‘Knowing the Luna was going to fog the boys' brains made the whole experience pretty relaxing. I’ve never played around with a guy before, and well, that was my first date, too.’

I smiled. ‘Mom inferred that fooling around with you was much smarter than with a human muscle boy. I have to agree.’

Becky looked at me and smiled. She sent me a flash of the two of us in my bathtub together. I might have stumbled a little, but oh, wow. ‘You think of that, too?’

Becky laughed. “All the time, Anna. I want us to have a sleepover as long as Polly doesn’t hamsterize me.”

I started laughing so hard I lost my place. Fortunately, we were just finishing up.

The coach had us gather around and showed us some strategies we could use on the field. “Okay, today my strikers are going to be my defenders, and vice versa. I want to see you play in someone else’s shoes.”

We scrimmaged for thirty minutes, and I got totally soaked running around trying to keep the other squad from scoring.

“Okay, Anna. What did you learn?”

“I was wasting a lot of my energy running and not thinking. I was not being a team player, either.”

One at a time, Coach went around asking each of us what we learned. It was a good exercise.

After we all talked, Coach was grinning. “Good. I hope you all realized that a whole team is much stronger than a single individual. Also, you need to practice, practice, practice until everything becomes automatic. Now, time’s up. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Becky and I were walking away, the coach signaled us over. She turned to Becky. “Your friend, Anna, is going to start the next game with you. I know everyone realizes how good she is, and no one will mind her moving up. She’s earned it.”

Then she turned towards me. “Don’t get all swell-headed over this. If you’re starting, that means you need to play twice as well as anybody without becoming all full of yourself. Starters lead by demonstrating, not giving orders. You got it?”

I nodded.

When we were headed to the lockers, Becky gave me a big hug. ‘I am so glad!’

As we were hugging, another teammate looked at me as if to say we were queer and beneath her. All I could do was smile and start making kissy faces at her. She turned and stomped off. We laughed.

Back home, I showered and dressed. I was getting a ride over to Becky’s and told my mom that I’d be home before bed. “We’re going to study together, and her mom invited me to stay for dinner, if that’s okay with you. It’ll give Luna and Pumpkin a chance to hang out and hunt.”

Mom hugged me. “I saw how you’re bribing Luna with extra meals. She likes the love and attention. All Familiars need to be reminded how important they are.”

Polly had been doing her best to help me release my power but keep it under control. She’d been showing me how to throw electric. It made me feel like a double A battery, sending tiny sparks out of my fingers.

Polly loved teaching me. “Eventually, you’ll find more power, but control is important. When you start throwing lightning bolts, you’ll need to focus your charge and direct it.”

I never told my grandmother that I was showing Becky everything I was learning. The greatest thing was that my friend could do what I did. Her power wasn’t as strong as mine, but it encouraged her to keep going.

The first chance we had to test our powers came on a Saturday afternoon. We were on our way back from the mall, waiting for an Uber. Out of nowhere, an unmarked van pulled up, and three men jumped out and pulled us both inside. Luna and Pumpkin were ready to take them on, but Becky said, ‘Let’s have fun before we let our girls swallow these guys.’

We called off our Familiars and decided to give our powers a workout. I’m sure that none of our parents would have approved of our behavior, but we had two very powerful demons right there protecting us.

There were five of them, two up front driving and passing a liquor bottle back and forth. And the three in the back were latched onto us using their strength to restrain us. It wasn’t hard to figure out what they had in mind because one guy got directly in my face. “Behave, little girl, and you won’t have to die. We’re going to make it easy for you to walk away with your life.”

Another guy laughed. “Well, I don’t know how much walking away they’re going to do when I get done with them!”

Obviously, they had rape on their minds. I’m sure when they were done, they’d have to kill us so we couldn’t be witnesses. Of course, these guys never realized that the game was over for them before it got started.

After stuffing a rag in my mouth and tying me up, one guy started pulling my jeans off. I turned to Becky. ’Hey. I really don’t want to explain how my clothes got trashed. How about you?’

Becky laughed. ‘I’m just playing the role of frightened girl.’ She whimpered aloud. “Oh please don’t hurt me, mister. I’ll do whatever you want!”

At this point, the van turned off the street and into an open garage. I heard the garage door open and close behind us. There was a whole bunch of guys circling the van and eagerly trying to pull us out.

Maybe I panicked a little seeing so many men and took a deep breath. Luna entered my mind. ‘Let me help you a bit here.’ Suddenly, a few of the guys in the back shadows disappeared. Luna and Pumpkin were keeping the numbers down for us.

Becky gleefully shouted out to them. ‘Thanks, girls! Extra servings this week.’

I turned to Becky as two guys grabbed my arms and tried to lift me. ‘Uh, I want to try out some shock treatments. Let me see what happens!’

There were two guys gripping my arms tightly when I sent a shock their way. And suddenly they weren’t holding me! Then I smelled something. I looked down at their bodies. But they disappeared. Our Familiars were working hard to keep the numbers down for us.

After seeing what I’d done, I said to Becky, ‘I used too much electricity. I made a mess, and I was just trying to shock them.’ Even though I’d electrocuted both of them, Luna and Pumpkin were taking care of the evidence.

I looked over to see Becky grab the two guys who were trying to undress her. She reached for their arms, and suddenly, they lost their balance and crashed into each other. Their eyes rolled into the back of their heads as they fell out cold on the concrete floor. Becky pointed at them, and cold blue flames shot out from her hands, electrocuting them. Poof, a second later, they disappeared.

We looked at each other and smiled. I don’t think any of them sensed what was happening. There were only a few guys left when I spoke to Becky. ‘I want to try something.’ I mentally enveloped the big van in a cube of power and kept shrinking it until it slowly compacted. Because it was inside a cube of power, the crushing metal didn’t make a sound.

The remaining men stopped and watched their big panel van fold up and compact. The remaining guys froze. Their faces showed they wanted to run. I watched as Becky surrounded them with a wall of blue light. She shrank their wall until they were crowded there together, screaming their heads off.

Becky looked at the last of our group, smiled, and spoke. “Oh, please don’t hurt me, Mister. I’ll do anything you want.” And with that, she turned off her power wall. We watched as our Familiars swallowed them up.

The two of us looked around at the empty garage. Except for a small cube of compressed solid metal, the large garage was empty. We hugged each other, and suddenly both our brains were filled with voices.

‘I don’t know whether to applaud or ground you!’ That was my Mom.

‘Becky, your friend has been a powerful influence, and I’m not sure if she is doing you any good.’ Obviously, that was Becky’s mom talking.

But Polly stopped the discussion. ‘Well, I’m impressed with how your Familiars let you have fun without either of you getting hurt. I’m glad you took at least ten bad guys off the street, but I am a bit worried. I didn’t like you using yourselves as bait. And that three-ton block of metal you are leaving behind is too full of DNA and potential clues. Keep the shape but melt it down into a solid block and polish the surface clean. And thank your Familiars for covering both your butts while you tested out your powers. I’m sending a driver down to pick you both up so you can shower, and then we’ll all have a celebratory dinner. I’m taking everyone out.’

Neither mom said anything after Polly finished.
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Chapter Eighteen
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Whenever Polly spoke, it was more of a declaration or command. It was not debatable. So when Polly said she was taking everyone out to dinner to celebrate, she wasn’t kidding.

That night, we were all going to a private room at Sepia, a very upscale restaurant in downtown Chicago. Mom suggested how to dress and offered to help me do my hair and makeup. After I laid out fancy lingerie and a new dress on the bed, I thought about putting everything on.

I started having a Doug moment. Sure, I would look good, but inside, my Doug brain was shrinking. I kept getting flashes of Doug and how he would have reacted to wearing these clothes. To start, Doug was never a fan of clean clothes.

But all my thinking ended when Mom appeared. She looked so beautiful that she took my breath away. Her jewelry was all gold and diamonds. I was babbling about how good she looked and then realized why she was dressing this way.

“Derek’s invited, isn’t he?”

Mom hugged me and whispered, “Is that going to bother you? Polly has invited James, and I know that your friend’s mom is bringing her Vamp, too.”

I was having some self-doubts. “I don’t know, Mom. I worry about keeping myself in check. I have to be truthful when I tell you that I know when you and Derek are making love. His pheromones drift through the house, and well, I have the most wonderful, sexy moments.”

Mom smiled. “Sure, I get it. But we need to work on your screens. You were learning how to use your screens with your friends, but their instructions were sloppy. What you need to learn is how to open and close your screens to let certain things in and keep others out. You can be selective.”

I was nodding, half understanding what she was saying. “Can I learn this quickly because I’m going to need it tonight. Seriously, I’m worried about putting all those Vamps in one room. Don’t they get strange hanging around with each other like that? What keeps them from losing it and fighting each other?”

Mom smiled. “You still have that comic book brain. Vamps have no reason to fight. And they all know that having a Witch for a girlfriend is the best.’ She held out her hand to show off a tennis bracelet and smiled. Then she touched her necklace. I immediately knew who these were from. “Honey, if any of them were to start arguing or even raise their voice, well, Witches can take a Vamp down to their knees. Sure, they might be older and wiser, but no one is more powerful than Polly.”

“Okay, I hear you. But help me out. How do I get selective with what I want to let in or screen out?”

Mom took a deep breath. “Okay, time for a simple lesson. Let me in.”

When Mom arrived inside my head, her voice was soft and comforting. ‘Okay. What you let into your brain comes through your eyes, ears, nose, or mouth. But the brain processes it. Okay?’

‘Sure.’ I was trying to keep up.

‘Now, let’s make a physical path for things to come through from the outside. We’ll create a small window. Outside your window is the whole world, everything that you’d hear, taste, touch, and smell. But we’re going to have to include something else, too. Feelings.’

I just listened and nodded.

‘I’m going to use Becky as my example. See, all I have to do is say her name, and you immediately picture her. You know how she smells, sounds, feels, tastes, and thinks. Right?’

I nodded. Just by saying her name, my heart beat faster. I found myself crying. ‘Mom, you’re in here and can see that I’m in love with Becky. Does that make me gay?’

I heard her chuckle. ‘No, baby. First, you should love her with all your heart. Second, you have a big heart, and there’s room for love for many. Third, you’re a Witch. We’re different from humans and don’t try to fit their crazy cultural rules or perceptions.’

I took a deep breath. ‘Okay, thanks. But we were talking about filters.’

‘Look at that window we’ve just built. You can add curtains, shades, screens, and storm windows. You can open the window completely or just a crack. A regular screen filters about thirty percent of what comes through a real house window.’

‘I’m confused. This is all imaginary, right?’

‘Right. But it’s a metaphor. The window is the opening through which your mind takes it all in. You’ve already learned how to shut yourself off completely, right?’

I recalled learning that with the girls when we were going to the mall. I also learned to open it enough to communicate with them. ‘Okay. I get it. But how do I shut out Vampire pheromones and keep myself sane?’

‘Imagine putting a special screen on that window designed to keep out pheromones. All pheromones. You’ve learned how to control your own pheromones. Right?’

I remembered Polly and Becky helping me with that. I thought building those shields would be easy. ‘It would be great to experiment with that before dinner tonight.’

‘Sure. Derek’s on his way. We can test it all out with him.’

OMG, Derek. My brain immediately started spinning. My brain filled with questions. Where does he live? Did Mom call him? Did he fly like a bat through the air?

Mom laughed and ticked off the answers on her fingers. ‘He’s got a beautiful condo, he owns several vehicles, and I let him know what we’re talking about and asked him to come by.’

My brain was overloading! ‘I’ve got to go clean up!’ I hurriedly dashed back into my room to finish making myself presentable for Mom’s dreamboat. I heard her laughing as I ran back into my room. I was deciding what to do.

‘Take your time, honey. We’ll be downstairs waiting.’

Naturally, I was thinking of showering, washing my hair, and brushing my teeth. So I’d need toothpaste, conditioner, shampoo, and makeup. That’s when I wished I could do Mom’s trick with glamour.

‘It’s not a trick, Anna. It’s simple magic that only works on humans. You’re not going to fool Derek.’

Oh, my god. Derek. I lusted every time I thought of him. Sure, fourteen doesn’t mean much to an adult, but my contact with him bordered on shades of obsession. I’d given up trying to figure out how I’d lost Doug’s boy sensibility overnight and embraced something new and so dangerous. Every night, I sensed Mom’s lovemaking with him. Shades of their pheromones had crept into my brain and body. Nothing crazy, but just a constant reminder of what my new body was made for.

It was so much easier when I lived inside Doug’s brain and body. I loved the phrase, “rub one out.” These days, even a hot bath didn’t completely erase Anna’s lust. It seemed like I was affected down to my core.

So today, we’d be screening out the source of what was nibbling away at my brain. My big question was whether I wanted to or not. Derek was becoming my addiction. I wondered if I could just steal a bit here and there.

Thirty minutes later, a freshly turned-out me showed up downstairs to see Mom and Derek. The Vamp, always the gentleman, stood and shook hands. Even his touch made me shiver.

He smiled and wrapped me in his warm, hypnotic voice. “Viv tells me that you’re working on controlling your shields, and I’m your test dummy. I was told that my pheromones are making it hard for you to concentrate. So, right now, all my shields are in place, and hopefully they’re not interfering with your concentration.”

Derek was right. I was staring at his beauty and admittedly being turned on, but not into a pit of overwhelming, out-of-control lust. “Okay, thanks for the shield control. Now give me a minute, and I want to practice filtering and adjusting my screens.”

I visualized my window and closed it firmly. Then I installed a heavy-duty screen that would filter out more than fifty percent of what would come through. ‘Mom, can you hear me?’

‘Yes, but it’s a little fainter.’

“Derek, would you mind opening your screens to maybe a quarter of your usual power?”

I was immediately struck by his blast. I was the moth attracted to the bright light. So I went back and put on a thicker screen until his blast was acceptable and I could concentrate. ‘Can you hear me, Mom?’

‘I can still make your voice out. But I’m imagining that you’re clamping down pretty tightly.’

‘I think I’m about seventy-five percent shut down.’

I turned to Derek. “Okay. How about a fifty-percent blast?”

I braced myself, but was surprised that there wasn’t any difference between fifty and twenty-five percent. ‘Mom, Derek increased his strength, and I’m not being bowled over. Why?’

‘You’ve adjusted your screening to specifically stop Vampire pheromones. You simply have to memorize that setting, and you should be good for tonight against all the Vamps.’

I heard Mom look at her lover and speak. ’Derek.’

“Yes, Vivian?’

‘Give her your full power, please.’

When Derek opened his screens, nothing happened. Mom was right. I’d dialed in a screen to simply block his scent. I did a little testing of my own by thinning out my screen so I could talk to Mom and everyone else. Derek’s blast was still blocked.

‘Do you block Derek’s pheromones, Mom?’

‘When I want. But sometimes, I like him to bathe me in his power, and lose myself.’

‘Mom! I think that’s too much information.’

‘Well, now that we are done using Derek, I think he needs a reward for his work.’

‘Mom, what do you offer him?’

‘Darling daughter, that is a conversation for another day. Maybe when you turn eighteen.’

I watched the two of them holding hands and walking off up towards Mom’s wing of the house. As they got further away, I slowly lowered my shields until I could feel Derek’s power. But I noticed that there was another pheromone working that I never paid attention to before, and suddenly realized that Mom was stoking him with her power, too.

I gazed at them and wondered what power Mom held over Derek that made him so domesticated around her. I still didn’t know what was true or untrue about Vampires, but I assumed they must have had a reputation based on their power over the centuries. I still had visions of raging Vamps tearing limbs off, blood and gore everywhere, as they swallowed the life source from innocent villagers.

I was starting to wonder what was true and what was fiction about all the mythological creatures out there. I’d already gotten confirmation about Familiars, Vamps, and Witches, but I was interested in some of the others, like Werewolves, Shapeshifters, and Zombies.

Two hours later, we were all seated in a private room at an exclusive restaurant, where the staff called Polly by name, Ms. Bradford. I was surprised there were no menus, but the waitstaff kept bringing out delicious food and wine.

Becky’s mom and her boyfriend sat down next to my mom and Derek. The Witches talked about old times and were pretty engrossed with what Chicago was like when they were young. I watched the Vamps and wondered what they were thinking. I squeezed Becky’s hand. ‘What do you think the Vamps are thinking about while the Witches gab?’

Polly shot back. ‘Vamps have the ability to relax in a meditative state. For the older ones, this can replace sleep and allow their bodies to heal.’

I shook my head. ‘So no need for darkness and coffins full of dirt?’

Polly laughed. ‘Oh, honey. You are so brainwashed! Vampires are not human men who have been transformed. They are their own species and choose the form they present.’

So Vampires were Shapeshifters! Suddenly, nothing made much sense, and I felt panicked. Once again, I was ready to run to the bathroom and heave.

Then I felt a strong hand wrap around my wrist, and a voice entered my head. ‘Anna, with strength and power comes responsibility. I see that you’re having a tough time adjusting to the real world around you.’

I realized that Polly’s Vampire, James, was speaking to me. ‘I get how difficult it is to have to learn about another world that’s always been there. It’s unsettling, frightening, and you want to run away from everything that’s happening. Let me help.’

Suddenly, James shifted my mindset. Okay, so Doug had gotten high with the guys and could handle it. But this was different. My brain was still sharp and aware, but everything around me had stilled. I spoke to James. ’What’d you do? Did you freeze time?’

I heard James chuckle. ‘Just a bit. I removed the two of us and went backwards to a few minutes ago, before you started having a panic attack. Since you know what’s coming, you can choose what you want to do this time.’

I blurted out, ‘A do over!’

‘Yep. Do you really want to throw up, or can you ride this out?’

Suddenly, I was back where Polly was telling me about Vamps being a different species.

I swallowed and continued our conversation. ‘Vampires are more like Familiars than humans! Are they demons?’

Polly smiled as she leaned over and kissed James. ‘We are lucky to have good demons in our world. Now, I was telling you that they can hear everything, yet use only part of their brains. But they’re still able to respond much faster than we can.’

I looked at Derek, and he winked at me. I opened my screen a small amount, and he sent a blast at me that lasted for a millisecond. It was just aimed at me, and I know I dropped my fork. Fortunately, I didn’t spill anything or draw any attention. I watched my Mom look up.

She grinned, stared at me, and then at Derek. She shook her head. ‘Don’t poke the bear, honey. Even in a relaxed mode, Derek is well aware of what’s going on here and outside.’

When I opened my screens, I’d been blown away by an overwhelming body-slamming reaction. It was like all my self-stimulation experiments rolled into one mind-blowing orgasm. It felt like my underwear was drenched. And all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep.

Mom smiled. ‘I know you went looking. I get it. But Derek only sent you a tiny bump. He knows you think you’re hot stuff, and he wanted to remind you that he’s a lot more powerful than you believe.’

‘Mom, I only opened my screen a tiny bit and only for a millisecond. How’d he do that?’

‘You know that Vampires don’t live in a fixed timeframe. Derek saw what you did with your screen, then went back in time and waited for you to open it. He was prepared to release his power towards just you.’

I looked at him. ‘I’m sorry. It was stupid of me to think that I could take advantage of you.’

Derek smiled, and his fangs glinted. ‘Three years and two months from now.’

I was confused until my Mom kind of kicked me under the table. ‘Derek is waiting until you turn eighteen. You’ll be ready then.’

I know I blushed deep red with embarrassment. It seemed like everyone knew what was happening except stupid me.

In the meantime, my screens blocked out all their pheromones in the room. I watched three Vamps charm the restaurant people so that everyone couldn’t have treated the handsome men any better. It was true. Each of them was more beautiful than the other.

I wondered what their true form looked like.

I leaned over to Becky and whispered, “Mom showed me how to adjust my screens to filter out the Vampire pheromones. Now, I can just relax and enjoy these men for their beauty and not their bewitching powers.”

Becky grinned. “I just let a tiny bit of their scent in. No one really knows just how much fun a tiny little orgasm can be when I’m surrounded by these guys.”

I looked at her and grinned. “Does your mom know?”

Becky giggled. “I finally got permissions when I turned fourteen. Mom showed me what to do. She saw it as a learning process.”

I just shook my head. “Then maybe you can tell me about Werewolves and Zombies. Are they real?”

Becky shook her head. “No Zombies. Totally invented for the movies. I think yes on Werewolves, but they are deep-forest creatures and not civilized. I guess you’re already realizing that all demons are shapeshifters. But I’m surprised you didn’t ask about pixies, fairies, elves, and dwarves, too. You know, all of that Lord of the Rings stuff.”

I stared. “For real?”

Becky kissed my cheek. “Nope, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. It’s just that they haven’t been spotted. I think if I were an imp or a pixie, I would fear for my life and hide away forever.’

We ate, and everyone behaved. I was very interested in watching three Witches and three Vampires interact.

‘Mom, are you surprised that everyone is behaving?’

‘Nope.’

‘Why?’

‘Polly is here, and everyone knows her strength.’

The next day was a Saturday, and Polly called me directly. ‘Anna, are you ready to learn about casting spells today?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Good. It’s a nice afternoon. We’ll have lunch outside on the patio first before we head to the library.’

I immediately sought out Mom and told her what Polly had said. “What do I do?”

“Wear something that a fourteen-year-old respectful young lady would wear.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Skirt and blouse or a dress.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure. But you have a nice pair of dress jeans that Polly bought you. She’d like to see those.”

“Mom, Polly has bought all my clothes. And now that she knows my sizes buys me stuff regularly. They’re always on my dresser top when I come home.”

“Do you like what she buys?”

“Sure. But Becky says that the snobby kids are watching me carefully, trying to decide whether to start socializing with me because all my clothes are expensive.”

“Is that what you want?”

“I don’t think so. But I really don’t know anybody yet except for Becky and a couple of kids from the team to say hi to in class.”

I watched Mom shrug, turn, and walk away. I flashed back on standing there inside the spell, bleeding with my first period. I was doing the math, trying to figure out when the next one would arrive. ‘Mom, when’s my birthday?’

‘November twelfth.’

‘So I’m going to be fifteen really, really soon. Do I get some extra privileges?’

‘How about some extra responsibilities?’

‘What things can I do around the house?’

‘You can use your magic to keep the grounds in order. You can make sure you keep your wing neat and tidy.’

‘Wait! I have a wing?’

‘Look around. You have a study, a living room, your bedroom, and a small kitchenette. Open some doors and explore.”

‘Seriously? Do we have a swimming pool?’

‘Inside and out.’

‘Can I get an electric bike?’

‘No. No bike. This is Chicago, not the hills and valleys of upstate New York. Luna can’t protect you from bad drivers.’

I sat down to eat lunch out on the patio with my grandmother, Polly. I think she looked a little younger since we had our dinner together. Oh, yeah. Her boyfriend, James, helped me at dinner by helping me with panic. He gave me a do-over. He is gorgeous and really is more beautiful than either of the Vamps we sat with. He’s taller and more muscular, and he’s got an English accent! I definitely owed him for reaching out.

Lunch was grilled cheese with ham and tomato. Naturally, when you live in Chicago, no Ketchup bottle was in sight. At least there was brown mustard, not that bright-curb-color yellow stuff. And the chips were obviously cooked in-house and couldn’t have been better. I had to be careful not to plow into my meal and throw it all down. I took my time and appreciated that we had iced tea, too.

Polly looked at me carefully. “How is school going? Are you learning anything new?”

I shook my head. “No, but that’s a good thing. I’m not feeling any stress and can concentrate on the fine points of being a female ninth grader.”

“How’s that working out for you?”

“At first, I was frightened that I’d just be Doug and flounder through life. But it seems that my female brain is having no problem ruling.”

“I know you have a movie date with a sixteen-year-old human boy. How was that?”

“Well, it was okay once Luna promised that she’d be able to fog his mind. It gave me a chance to be a flirty girl without worrying about messing up or ruining my reputation.”

“Reputation?”

“Well, I’ve seen Becky a lot, and she’s on the soccer team and plays softball, too. So I guess everyone is just expecting me to be like her. Which is good.”

“And she introduced you to some young witches?”

“Yep. We all went to the mall together.”

Polly made a face. “I’m not a fan of malls. Too crowded, too loud, and no controls. Not for me, but it really is perfect for you high school kids.”

When we finished eating, Polly led me down a corridor and a flight of stairs. I sensed we were below ground because of the lack of windows. But the whole area seemed brand-new and in perfect condition.

Polly explained. “We run air filters and do a constant check on temperature and humidity. Some of the manuscripts we store here came from Europe long ago, so we are the keepers of the flame.”

I looked around and saw a lot of glass doors holding shelves of books, a lot of books.

Polly was still talking. “This afternoon, we’re going to test your power and potential. I’ve invited a reputable Vampire to assist us today. Anna, I’d like to introduce you to Walter Issacs.”

I reached out and shook his hand as I tightened up my shields. I’ve come to realize that Witches and Vamps share one common trait. They all look young, so it was hard to guess how old Walter Issacs was.

“Anna, it’s nice to meet you. Your grandmother has filled me in about some of the powers that you demonstrated last weekend. As she said, it’s been a while since we’ve had someone with your gifts in our midst.”

They led me into a side room set up like a medical laboratory. I got a chill wondering how they were going to examine me.

The vamp put on sterile gloves and picked up a needle. “This is not going to hurt, just a little blood draw.”

Walter was right. It was painless, and I watched as he took six large vials of my blood. I wondered how a Vamp could be around my life source and not be tempted.

Walter smiled and answered my thought. “It’s always been a challenge to keep myself calm when I do this part. Being close is very tempting, and that’s why I took the sixth vial.” He smiled and then swallowed it in one gulp.

Polly stood there watching. She looked at me and nodded. “Walter does earn his vial of blood, but young blood is especially sweet.”

I stood up and pulled my sleeve down over the bandaid. I was going along with the flow, especially with Luna left behind above ground on the patio. I knew that Mom and my Familiar were both monitoring what was going on through Polly’s eyes.

Walter put each of the vials into different machines for analysis. It never dawned on me to question Polly’s decisions as I watched the machines chugging along.

Polly smiled. ‘Ask anything. Walter is truly one of us. He cares.’

“Are we going to work on solving my Zone situation, too?”

Polly looked at Walter. “This young lady has the ability to go to another world that she calls the Zone. I went in there with her and have never seen anything like it. I was hoping that we could do a deep dive into the old books and see if we could find any references.”

Walter smiled. “In the old books, there are many references to hidden worlds.”

I watched him tick off some on his fingers.

Walter continued. “I’ve read references to an island passage, the center of another world, and many other places. But they are just references. I don’t think anyone has ever recorded a scientific exploration of an unknown world. It would be amazing to think that Anna has the power to go there.”

Polly was nodding. “She took me with her to the doorsteps, but we went no further. I wanted to read as much as possible before we went in there again. I want to make sure that we can return here and not be trapped over there.”

Suddenly, I got this chill all over. Never return? Lost forever? I wondered what passageway I had stepped into by myself and then with Polly. It was another world. Everything was so different. The air, the light, and those golden fireflies were all something new to me. The strangest thing that I could remember was that I wasn’t frightened or afraid of what was happening.

Polly turned to Walter. “Anna has a very interesting lineage. She comes from two different powerful families and it’s possible that she’s one of a kind. Even her upbringing as a human boy sets her apart from any Coven Witch. She is a blank slate.”

I’d once read about the Tabula Rasa in a fiction book. But when my grandmother called me that, I was quietly subdued, trying to imagine myself as special.

If we were to mount a scientific expedition into my Zone, and sacrifice me for the good of the Coven, my one last wish would be to have a night with a Vampire. I wanted to go out with fireworks.

Walter and Polly chuckled and I realized they had read my thought.

As we walked through this part of their collection, I discovered that the oldest books weren’t really books but scrolls of parchment or goat skin with ancient writing. We stood there for a minute staring at a wall of scrolls, that all looked like old diplomas. Before we entered, Polly insisted that I put on a Tyvek suit, gloves, and booties, and a breathing hood connected to oxygen bottles. Once that was done, we went through a chamber that was meant to decontaminate us completely from any organism that could further damage the scrolls.

After being sprayed with a fine mist and then dried with fans, we stepped into a second chamber that scanned us with ultraviolet light to see if we still carried anything. After that, the door quietly slid open, allowing us to enter.

We stood there for a minute and took in the collection of the most ancient documents on Earth.

‘Anna, do you sense anything? Are you drawn to any scroll or group of scrolls?’

Surprisingly, I was. And while I wished I had used the toilet before I suited up, I felt a strong magnetic pull behind me to a dimly lit wall of paper rolls. As I walked in that direction, Polly called out for me to stop.

‘Why? Is there something wrong?’

Polly shook her head. And when I looked at her face, she looked frantic and worried. ‘Those are the scrolls of the Damned.’

‘Damned? What does that mean?’

‘They are all the oldest, and each one is written on human skin. A lot of people feel that they are cursed.’

I immediately blurted out, ‘What if my powers were dangerous and I would lead our Coven towards black magic? What if my powers were wrong?’

Polly stood in front of me so that we could see each other clearly from inside our suits. ‘Well, we don’t know. And we’ll never know if we stop and run away. If this is your destiny, we will tackle it together. But we need to talk to your father and possibly your grandfather, who might give us more insight into all of this.’

‘Mom?’

‘Yes.’

‘I am glad that you’re listening. I need to tell you how much I love you and thank you for being my Mom for the past fourteen years.’

‘Well, I don’t feel like a great mom right now. I lied to you all your life and hid you inside a bubble. And now that the bubble broke, I can barely keep up with your power. I love you more than you can imagine.’

I turned to Polly. ‘Should we open the scroll that is beckoning me?’ Wait, did I just say beckoning me? This whole experience is starting to freak me out.

Walter interrupted. ‘Every scroll has been photographed and transcribed. If Anna tells us the number, we don’t need to touch it.’

A number immediately came into my head, and I blurted it out. ‘24UD.’

Polly looked at me. ‘What other numbers come to mind?’

The numbers flashed up so fast, leaving a burned imprint on my brain. ‘R788, GPQ1, and one that says the number ten on it.’

Walter spoke. ‘I will have copies of each of these out here where we can look at them without damaging the originals. While you are decontaminating, I will call them up from the files so that we can look them over.’

Polly spoke. ‘Walter, I want you to find out everything you can about where they were discovered, and any information. I’m wondering what these four scrolls are trying to tell us.’

When we took off our suits, I felt exhausted, as if I had run the track for too many miles and hit the wall. At least the bathroom was nice and clean.

Polly and Walter led me back to a very comfortable chair in front of a large touchscreen computer. We watched as Walter turned on the system and brought up the first scroll.

“This is number ten. The info tells us this was the first scroll found in the Karoo Desert, south of the Sahara.”

What appeared on the screen was a tiny piece of a larger document. I studied it and spoke. “What language is this?”

“We believe it’s in the Khoisan language. We do not know what it says.”

I stared at it. And words came floating up into my brain. “I think that it’s a recipe for a cooked liquid. I don’t know if it’s food or something to do with ritual magic.”

Polly and Walter both looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders as if to say that was all I knew.

For the next thirty minutes, Walter showed me a scroll, and my brain translated it. At the end of the session, I put my head down on the computer table and closed my eyes.

Walter shook his head and indicated that he’d send an audio file to go along with the photographs of the scrolls. Polly woke me and helped me back up to the outside patio, where we had iced tea.

Mom was there, and I was awake enough to tell her everything that happened.

I watched Polly shake her head. “Each of these four scrolls was discovered thousands of miles apart and in unique ancient languages. Yet Anna translated each one seamlessly. It was as if she fell into a hypnotic fugue before she read each one.”

“Did the passages mean anything together? Were there witches involved, maybe witchcraft?”

It was Polly’s turn to shrug. “We have no clue. Right now, the smartest Witches in the world are seeing everything we saw. Walter even sent them a transcript of our conversations.”

“We have no idea what we’re doing. But it will be interesting to see if anyone sees some sort of connection.”

“Anna?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“Please be cautious about what you do outside of school. And it might be good if Luna had some company. I might lend you Fluffy.”

“Your Familiar?” Fluffy is a short-haired black cat who has no patience. I think that her Familiar has been around my mother for so long that it’s affected its personality. I simply try to stay away from her.

“Yes. It’s okay, and I’m not going far. I’m pretty safe in here. Judith is coming for a long weekend. She’ll have Ruggles with her. I think one Familiar will be good enough.”

I turned to Luna and covered the phone. ‘Fluffy?’

Luna shrugged. ‘Sure, we can make it work. If it helps your mom feel comforted, send her along to watch over you; consider it done. I’ve known Fluffy all the time I was waiting for you to come out of the cloaking spell. We are fine together.”

Little did I realize that having both Fluffy and Luna watching over me would prove to save my life.
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Chapter Nineteen
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I forgot about the scrolls and everything else that went along with the Zone and the Library because we had a game coming up. Being a starter was so great. Back home, Doug was always a starter because he was good. But now, Anna had to earn her spot.

And it wasn’t that easy. Our coach was great and was always happy to show us how to improve. We had won more games than we lost, and at one point, Becky had told me that if we won today, we’d qualify for the tournament.

“How come nobody told me?”

“Doofus. ‘Cause everybody knows those things, and I guess they just assumed you knew. Why do you think you’re a starter now? We want to win.”

“But we haven’t won that many games. We’re like 7 and 5.”

“Right. But we play a lot of teams outside our division. We play a lot of better teams that do beat us, but it doesn’t count for our league record. We’re 7 and 1.”

I grinned. “Wow, that’s more like it.”

“No pressure, Anna. But from now on, we can’t afford to lose.”

No pressure, right? Becky was knocked down in the first minutes of the game, and I saw it happen. She was challenging their star scorer just past the halfway line. As Becky came up to slow her down, the older girl checked her with a hip, but then smacked her with an uppercut to her throat. I saw Becky drop instantly, and the girl went on to score.

Because of the penalty, it didn’t count.

Becky had to be helped off the field. I was supporting one side of her and using a little magic to heal her throat. All I had to do was touch it and apply a little heat from my palm to get her breathing back to normal.

I was cursing about how the girl was only called for a yellow card. It was a serious penalty, and she should have been ejected.

“It’s okay. I can play.” Becky shrugged off any medical attention. She was not going to let herself be intimidated. “I can show that cow she can’t hurt me.”

After the injury time-out, we all walked back onto the field. I whispered in her ear, “I got this.”

Becky grabbed my arm. “Don’t do anything stupid where you’ll get disqualified. We need you on the offense.”

I shook my head. “It’s good. I have a plan, nothing dumb.” I immediately called out to Luna. ‘Can you trip her?’

‘Sure. I saw what she did. Pumpkin was ready to bite the girl’s legs off.’

I laughed. ‘Nothing too obvious. I want her to break away toward our goal, but she ends up knocking herself out against the goal post. I’m thinking concussion.’

‘It’s done, Anna. I’m going to let Pumpkin trip her, and I’ll direct her into the post.”

As the brawler passed Becky again, she cursed and threatened her. I called her a few choice names, too. She was so pissed, she glared at me and said, “Watch this, asswipe.”

She leaned in and pushed me down with an elbow. I went down and rolled. But before the ref could warn her, she raced down the field singlehandedly to score. As she lined up to kick the ball, I guess she must have slipped. The ball went wide, and she plowed right into the post.

Everyone heard the thunk and moaned. She hit the post so hard that her forehead split and she started bleeding. She tried to rise, holding her forehead, and fell back to the ground. It almost looked like she was pushed down. Now, the back of her head hit the goal post. She got up to her knees, and her coach rushed out and wrapped her head in a towel.

The ref called a stoppage, and we all stood there and watched as they led her off the field. She kept telling everyone she was fine and that somebody had tripped her twice.

Of course, that was impossible because no one was even close to her when she lost her balance, and her face went directly into the post.

The game resumed with her sitting on the bench. I scored one of the goals that finally put us up 3-1 and sealed the win.

Becky smiled and, from across the field, talked to me. ‘Pumpkin and Luna should both be given some credit for the win.’

‘I agree. But now, with the concussion protocol, she’s out for at least two weeks. So that team will have trouble winning without her.
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Chapter Twenty
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As we were walking off the field and headed towards the locker room, I felt strange and suddenly lightheaded. I stopped for a minute and steadied myself against the cinder block wall that supported the bleachers and the public bathrooms. I took some deep breaths, thinking I was dizzy from all the excitement.

I closed my eyes to see if the dizziness would slow down, but suddenly everything started spinning around me. Not just me, but the air around me, like I was caught in a tornado. I reached out to steady myself against the wall, but it wasn’t there anymore. When I opened my eyes, that’s when it happened. I was moving rapidly straight up into the air. It was terrible, and I knew that if it didn’t stop soon, I would throw up.

I realized we’d move high and it was pitch black, no light, nothing. It wasn’t natural. And everything happened so fast, I couldn’t get my bearings.

I couldn’t move. My arms and legs were wrapped in bands that were too strong to budge. I tried to speak, and nothing came out, as if my mouth was paralyzed. For a minute, I thought maybe the other team was responsible for this, but I realized it was too magical for humans to do.

But just as suddenly, I was back under the bleachers. I heard a familiar voice. ‘Anna, can you hear me?’

I looked around and saw nothing but felt the presence of two Familiars, Luna and Fluffy. My mouth came unglued. ’What just happened?’

‘We think something tried to kidnap you, a magical spirit.’

‘What kind of spirit?

‘We don’t know. Whoever it was, they were trying to take you alive. You were already in their grasp when we snagged you.’

‘What did you see?’

‘I’m not sure, but Fluffy thinks it was a Witch. We were interested in getting you back, not identifying what creature was trying to get a hold of you.’

Fluffy spoke directly to me. ‘Hey, Anna. I’m glad we were able to free you and get you back so easily. When we got to you, whoever had attempted to grab you was fleeing. Neither of us saw anything, but I need to talk to your mom and Polly. I’m wondering if it was her sister who grabbed you.’

‘Gladys?’

Luna spoke. ‘I can’t be sure because she only left a faint signature when she ran off. I was her Familiar long ago, but this wasn’t exactly her scent, so I can’t be sure. We need to contact all our Witches.’

‘Everything was off. I sensed nothing while it was happening.’ I addressed my grandmother. ‘Polly, do you think it was your sister who tried to kidnap me?’

‘It’s a possibility, but I doubt it. Your Familiar worked with my sister for a long time and would have gotten a much stronger confirmation. And signatures are all unique, like snowflakes. Not that my sister is a snowflake. A flake, yes. And I have to ask myself why she would do that? What does she have to gain by taking you?’

‘My power?’

‘Yes, you are powerful. But so is my sister. It’s not like she could eat you and gain your power. And she has no purpose in killing you because it would enrage all the witches in the world.’

‘What’s your theory?’

‘Honestly, I don’t have one.’

And that’s where we left it. Becky called and wondered where I’d gone. I told her that there was an attempt to kidnap me, but Mom’s Familiar and Luna had interrupted it and brought me back.

“Back from where?”

“Luna referred to it as a void. She didn’t think that my Zone and this void were connected. But I don’t know much. I do know that it gave me a case of Vertigo and paralysed me, too.”

“Damn, girl! That’s harsh. Wonder what they would want with your ass?”

I laughed. “Maybe to get me off the team.”

“Doubtful. I don’t think they have any Witches on their squad. But they have that steamroller. I’ve decided to call her Red Card.”

“Good name, I like it. Will we see them again?”

“Nope. Our matches will be against tournament teams other tournament teams. Those other teams will be a challenge. Kidnapped! Oh, wow! I’m glad you’re still with us.”

“Yeah. Me, too. I can’t imagine being kidnapped. But what happened to Red Card?”

“After she hit her face and the back of her head, it was all about the Concussion Protocol. She’s done for the season. But next year, she’ll be coming for us.”

“Bring her on. I ain’t afraid of no bully.”

Instead of celebrating our win and moving into the state-wide tournament, I went home and took a bath. I ached all over and didn’t know whether it was from the game or from being kidnapped. It really didn’t make any difference. After soaking, I wrapped myself in towels and lay on top of my bed until my Mom woke me.

As she was helping me wash up for bed, she smiled. “You’ve come a long way.”

I realized that a month had passed since that first Friday when Anna had come alive. “This is great. I can look forward to another period and a birthday.”

“Your cycle will get easier to handle with experience. And we need to start planning a grand celebration!”

Throughout the weekend, we had visitors. Well, actually, I had visitors. A group came on Saturday afternoon to talk to me about the scrolls and my Zone. Polly had said that I shouldn’t offer to take anybody into my Zone.

“I’m not sure about any of what is happening. We know that you are unique. The fact that you are able to connect scrolls, even the damned ones, is a big breakthrough. My grandparents were the ones who gathered all the scrolls into one location and built a repository to hold them long ago in England. They came here just after the Revolutionary War. The story is that they bought the ship and brought all their people with them on several voyages. One of those adventurers, they smuggled the scrolls into the New World.”

“Your family must have been very wealthy back then.”

“My family were experts at predicting trends and investing. Even back then, Witches and Warlocks used their powers wisely. My family got rich and stayed rich. But the scrolls still belong to everyone. That’s why we’ll be getting a lot of visitors.

Dear Readers,

A couple of months ago, I uploaded a series of chapters that I titled "Witch." It received a strong response, so I naturally started writing more of the story. Since I'm almost done the novel, I wanted to upload a third part.

Feel free to voice your opinions and constructive criticism. It can only make the story better.

It will be uploaded to Amazon as an e-book after I'm done posting it here for your reading pleasure.

Leslie
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Chapter Twenty-One
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The following week, a dozen visitors came to Polly’s house to see me. Mom encouraged everyone to make themselves comfortable. I was asked to help. I brought out drinks and snacks.

The crowd was made up of Vamps and Witches, all were researchers from different parts of the world. Mom insisted that discussing my Zone was fine but no tours. Throughout their visit they all asked the same questions about my Mother and Father. Mom helpfully provided documents about both lineages, but no copies or files.

It became obvious to me that they were holding back, but it wasn’t my show. I was just the lab rat. Any time there was a lull, I asked questions. I wanted to know why the scrolls were scattered everywhere on the Earth, and why I could read them. I wondered what power I’d been gifted with to be capable of translating any and all of them. I asked them what they knew. They all shook their heads, and no one answered. This totally sucked, and I felt like a circus act to be stared at.

I looked at Polly and sent her a private message. ‘I wonder if these talents are a curse, and I’m uncovering the Apocalypse. Everyone wants more from me, but no one has any answers.’

I was losing patience and blurted out to the gathered crowd. “Okay. If you don’t have answers, how about theories?” That’s when I heard them finally speak.

The first words came from a Warlock who’d dedicated his life to the black arts. He came because he’d hoped some of the scrolls might have the answers he was seeking.

Before he spoke, he turned and faced everyone.“The scrolls prove that our kind lived side by side with different kinds of demons. The dark scrolls reinforce the idea that Humans existed, but not on the same plane. Those skins were remnants of wars between human groups, retrieved by Witches. The writing, the various languages, and the significant distance between discoveries only demonstrate that these groups were masters of time. They could travel anywhere on the planet and probably spoke many human languages.”

All the others were shaking their heads and mumbling their disagreement. I had to admit that his theory was pretty out there, and I don’t see where my big reveal helped his case.

Another scholar stepped forward, a Vampire. “I think Anna’s talent is that she’s a conduit connecting our present with the past and possibly the future. We need to be cautious moving forward. I wonder if part of her connection is her Zone. I’d like to visit there with her.”

Polly shut that down immediately. “Nope. The only passage we have found to her Zone is through her head. That’s off limits for now.”

After eating together, they all left. I found out later that Polly was limiting my exposure to all the scientists. And this group was her compromise, letting them prod and probe me for a limited time.

Sitting with my Mom and Polly, I asked them what they thought.

Polly shrugged. “When the smartest minds don’t have the answers, it seems like speculation is just letting all their imaginations run around in circles chasing tails. I wasn’t impressed.”

Mom was nodding. “I think that Anna deserves a life. I don’t want her to be a lab subject.”

I cheered. “I’m sorry I’m not more help. But I’m still in the dark here. And my Zone seems to be a link.”

“No one is going through your head. No one. We’re going to limit the visits. I do want to talk to Walter about the Zone.”

Mom agreed with Polly. “Well, I think that from now on, Walter will be our only conduit to the scientists. We’ll keep Anna close by.

I didn’t hear from Walter again, but assumed that he and Polly were heading up this big search and trying to make sense out of the dozens of scrolls I had translated. I would have liked to heard back if they found anything interesting.

But one thing stood out about whenever I translated a scroll. I fell into a fugue. I blanked out, and no one was filling me in on the details of what happened. Every time I’d translate, I fell into a dream state. I don’t know where I went while I was translating. It made me wonder if I was the only one inside my head.

I had this general idea of what happened to me when I read the ancient documents, but no one was ready to talk about it with me. I tried to keep some thoughts out of my mind, but I couldn’t. I’d watched the videos of me translating, but there were no apparent changes in my behavior after I woke up. But just thinking about it made me crazy.

Then I heard from my Mom. ‘Honey, I felt your heartbeat going wild just now. Wanna talk?’

I sighed. ‘Yes. If you can, how about my room in ten minutes?’ I thought I was being selfish, making demands on Mom like that. But I sensed that something was really wrong and I was scared.

‘Mom, since I woke from the trance translating the scrolls, things are different.’

‘Different?’

‘I'm feeling different. It’s like some change happened inside my heart and brain.’

‘Pain?’

I shook my head. ‘No. I’ve just got a bunch of different feelings running through my mind. I think whoever entered my brain when I was translating changed me. It’s not something I can identify, but I definitely feel like I’ve been given a purpose.’

Mom reached over and held my hands. ‘Was this feeling like a religious experience?’

I thought for a minute. ‘Well, maybe. But I really don’t know. It’s like, I’ve become a piece of a puzzle. I feel like I have a role to play. It’s just that I don’t know what it is.’ In my mind, I thought back on the movie, The Matrix. The main character turned out to be sent to free mankind from enslavement. In the last episode, he died. I shivered thinking about him being blinded and crucified.

And then something strange happened. Mom did not speak. As a kid, that’s a really unsettling feeling when your Mom just stares at you and then looks off into space. I realized that she didn’t have an explanation, or maybe something worse.

Mom took a deep breath and finally spoke. ‘Honey, can we involve Polly? She might have some answers.’

‘Sure.’

One of my favorite stories came from French history. I was starting to wonder if my life was predestined. All I could think about was Joan of Arc, who believed she received messages directly from God. She sacrificed herself for what she believed in, leading God’s army to save France and crown a king. Ultimately, when she stopped winning battles, France abandoned her, and she was captured by the British. They held a public trial, declared her a witch, and she was burned at the stake.

I pictured myself as a tool. I was being used by the Covens, the Vamps, and maybe even demons, like God used Joan. Solving the mystery of the scrolls was that breakthrough, or maybe there was more to do. After that day in the Library, I was given strict orders not to go anywhere without Luna and Fluffy. And after someone tried to kidnap me, I was grounded.
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Chapter Twenty-Two
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From then on, Becky and I rode in Polly’s limo every day. I noticed that our driver was armed. From that point on, there was no walking, no busing. My family worried about me being stolen. In my fantasy, I’d be an innocent school kid, kidnapped and held for ransom. Derek would rescue me, like in any good romance novel. His shirt ripped, revealing his muscular torso, torn by the monster’s claws. Naturally, I’d use my Witchy healing powers, rubbing myself all over his body.

Suddenly, Becky started laughing. “You’re sitting so close to me, I can see your fantasy in high definition. Is that the best you can create? Seriously, a heart-throbbing gothic romance or a silly Hallmark Movie? You’ve become such a girly-girl, all helpless and weak. C’mon, woman! How about saving yourself by using your own powers?”

Well, when Becky called me a girly-girl, it struck a nerve. Doug and I were both insulted. Girly-girl! Well, in a way, she was right. My crush on Derek had not waned. And Doug expressed displeasure when I dreamed of sitting in lab and making out.

Every time her Vampire snuck in to see Mom at night, I purposely opened my screens and took in all the pheromones coming from my Mom’s wing. Oh, the fantasies I had drifting off to sleep. We’d be making out, going hot and heavy. Then Derek would take control and I’d loose myself in waves of orgasmic pleasure. Doug stopped watching altogether.

But one morning, Mom pulled me aside. ‘Do you realize that the pheromones coming from the two of us are addictive, right?’

That stopped me in my tracks. Mom’s excitement? I was getting off on my mother’s pheromones! Whoa. That was so perverted to suck up my own Mom’s lust! So for several days, I swore off everything and closed my shields completely. It made it tough to sleep. I was stewing when I mentioned it to Becky. She laughed and got a big kick out of it.

‘Hey, Anna. Pheromones are pheromones. There’s no such thing as "boy" or "girl" pheromones! I can prove it to you. We can run a test!’

I was wary. ‘What kind of test?’

Becky blushed as she leaned over and whispered, ‘We can investigate my pheromones!’

I swallowed and nodded. ‘Sure. Come on over to my house, and we can do homework together. I’ll tell the cook to add another plate for dinner. Maybe we can get a little privacy tonight without setting off any alarms.’

That night, we tested Becky’s theory several times. She was right. Pheromones were pheromones. And Becky had some good ones.

Two days later, Mom pulled me aside. ‘You are still using pheromones,’ she said.

I didn’t say anything. You don’t have to when your Mom reads all your thoughts and hears everything you say.

‘Anna, it’s dangerous and can mentally paralyze you. Sex is a powerful addiction, probably the most insidious drug, because it goes straight to your brain’s reward center and immediately makes itself at home. Each time you flood your receptors, your brain starts to need more and more of it. You’re headed down a dangerous road because eventually pheromones become more important than life itself, and you find yourself struggling to function. It’s worse than becoming an Opium addict.’

I listened to Mom’s stern warning about pheromone addiction. It was hard to hear those words because I knew that nothing felt better than lying in a stupor where your whole body was floating in pleasure. I guess that an Opium den was a fitting description.

I nodded and shrugged. ‘Uh-huh. I figured something that good has got to be bad for you. But Mom. It’s a perfect escape, and no one gets hurt.’

‘Except for you. You’re thinking more and more about it and less and less about yourself.’

I knew that Doug had spent a lot of time “rubbing one out” during his life. Seriously, boys had it easy. In Anna’s case, I’d tried hot baths, showers, and simply playing under the covers. But I just couldn’t do it anymore without pheromones. Opening up my shields to Mom’s lovemaking left me breathless and very satisfied.

But Mom was right, and I needed to hear what she said. And my response wasn’t quite logical. ‘Okay, I hear you and agree that it’s addictive. But right now, everyone is depending on me, and I don’t feel like I’m getting a break. The soccer team wants to win every game, and I’m supposed to score goals. The scientists need me to read the scrolls. I’m supposed to be learning how to amplify and control my power with you and Polly. And everyone thinks that it’s easy to be a fourteen-year-old girl. I’m supposed to want to date human boys when Doug’s brain is in love with Becky! I can’t relax, and sleep is impossible without Derek’s pheromones!’

Mom hugged me. ’You know, he likes you.’

‘Who? Derek?’ Suddenly I was paying close attention.

‘He enjoys your innocent manner and your backstory. The fact that you are naive and gifted at the same time amuses him. He marvels at just how complex you are.’

I got angry! ‘He’s laughing at me! But how does he know all this?’

‘He can see you.’

‘See what?’

‘You have a powerful Aura that immediately draws attention.’

‘How come I can’t see Auras?’

‘Polly decides just how fast your training goes. She’s keeping your knowledge limited for now. I know she wants to keep control of your powers until she’s confident that you can survive yourself.’

‘What’s that mean?’

‘You have power, a lot of power. And you need to learn self-control, too.’

‘I’m under control.’

‘No, you’re not. Let me give you some examples. You toyed with those awful men who wanted to rape and kill you and Becky. You were torturing them before you fed them to your Familiars. And that girl on the soccer field who intentionally tried to kill Becky. You had your Familiars rough her up and incapacitate her.’

I felt defensive and angry until I realized that Mom was right. I had not even thought about the damage I did. I used power in anger.

From then on, I did my best to seal my screen so no pheromone could get past. I was shaking inside. I knew I needed to stop oversexing myself. ‘Mom, you know, I think I need help with my pheromone problem. But who could I talk to?’

Mom gave me a big hug and held me tightly as I cried into her shoulder. ‘Mom, I’m so confused. I thought everything was going okay, but maybe it’s not. I mean, hurting people is wrong, but I’m not having any regrets about hurting that girl on the soccer team and torturing those bad guys. And that’s not good thinking. Maybe I shouldn’t have any power. But yeah, it’s like, I’m strung out and can’t sleep unless I open my screens to Derek. Everything is driving me crazy.’ I really sounded pitiful.

As I cried, another body surrounded me with a second hug. I knew it was Polly and was shocked when she touched me. In all the times I’ve spent with Polly, I only got one hug when we first met. I continued to sob, but felt this warmth grow inside. As this feeling grew, I stopped crying. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by a deep feeling in my heart and mind. It was a lot more powerful than a hug.

I suddenly had clarity, and everything started to make more sense. Rather than having no powers, Mom and Polly were sharing some of their knowledge with me, and it came in the form of more power. My workouts with Polly were nothing compared to what was happening now. I was submerged in a bath of knowledge and power that energized me all at once. It was happening in a calm and controlled manner. As this power flowed through me, it changed me from head to toe.

I pushed myself back from their embrace and gasped like I’d been holding my breath. Staring at both of them, I could see them through magic eyes. Their Auras were amazingly complex and beautiful. Now I understood what an Aura was and how it helped to translate what was inside both of them. And I suddenly understood a lot more about the Coven in New York and the one in Chicago. I could see individual faces and now knew each Witch intimately.

I was trying to sort all this new knowledge out in my head. ‘Does everyone see what I see?’

Polly smiled. ‘No. Your Mom and I are the only two witches with this much ability. All Witches have power and see faint Auras. But our family has much more and we are definitely different. And of course, you share it. We just unlocked you to help your frustrations. It’s okay. This is not the time to question yourself. Sure, we all make mistakes, and you’re allowed to mess up, too. But you’re growing.’

Mom stared at me. ‘You were right about yourself. And you are part of a much bigger picture. I know you didn’t sign up or volunteer, but you’re part of The Plan. Your Grandmother and I are also part of it, too.’

Okay. Did anybody else wonder if I’d walked into some ninety-minute B-rated movie? We could call it The Plan, even capitalize the P, and suddenly, this naive kid is bathed in magic rays and gains immense power. So the movie would have capital letters: The Plan. I would be a hero and loved by all as I saved the world from a secret organization that was trying to dominate everyone.

‘Stop it, wise guy.’ Mom did not share my sense of humor.

I looked at both Mom and Polly, who were frowning at me. But I wasn’t done. ‘Okay, so I’m one month old, and you are both shooting me right between the eyes with all of this.’ I stared at Polly. ‘Seriously, maybe you should just turn me into a hamster and feed me to Luna.’ I tried to smile to show them that I was kidding and just being a smart ass. Hey, I’m not even fifteen yet, and they were laying it all on me when I was at my lowest.
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Chapter Twenty-Three
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At that point, there was a knocking at the front door, and Judith opened it. Neither my Mom nor Polly seemed surprised when my Father walked into the room and greeted them both. Then he turned to me. ‘Anna, you are looking well. I heard that it was time. Polly told me that you are ready to start. I am here to share.’

He looked at Polly. ‘How much?’

She must have answered him. Before I could say a word, Richard swept me up into his arms in a bear hug. Suddenly, my Father passed along something that heightened my awareness even more. His energy was different. I felt stronger, more confident, and better able to deal with my worries. And I knew, with certainty, that I was a lot more powerful. Richard Franklin’s family was powerful and wise. And they were strong.

The next thing I remember was Mom tucking me in. I woke up long enough to kiss her goodnight and fall back to sleep.

While I slept, I found myself back in my Zone. I stood in the archway and smelled that fresh air and marveled at the gold spots that I thought were fireflies. I looked down at my Familiar and saw that Fluffy, Mom’s short-haired black cat, sat with us, too. As I scratched the back of her head, I looked out and tried to understand the fireflies and what they meant. I started grinning when I thought maybe they’re just fireflies.

And maybe my Zone was just a peaceful place to catch my breath.

In the morning, I wanted to share. I told them about my trip to the Zone and the thoughts that I had.

Polly clapped her hands. “Well, whether it was caused by our sharing of powers or just your Zone calling, there doesn’t seem to be any pressing danger. But thank you for keeping us posted.”

I ate a spoonful of oatmeal. “Speaking of that, have you heard anything back from our visiting scientists about the scrolls?”

“Yes. Other scientists are interested in talking to you and having you revisit the Library. One Witch believes that you might find other scrolls that talk to you, too.”

Mom looked at Polly. “I wonder if we aren’t overloading her. Everything happening is new.” She turned to me. “I know you’ve inherited traits from two powerful families, but I think we need to let it all settle in. I think we are rushing everything along too fast.”

“Mom, did you have a baby with my Father because you wanted to make a super baby?”

I watched Mom wipe a tear from her eyes. “We talked about what you might inherit, but never thought we would create something dangerous or bad.”

“I’m not bad. I know that. I’m almost fifteen and really smart. But I’m still brand new. I want to call a moratorium until after my birthday. I want to just live my life, talk to my friends, play soccer, and love all of you.’

Polly looked at Mom, then back at me. “Anna, I think that you have a good point. We will give you a chance to digest what you have become. But I still want to train you on Sunday afternoons.”
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Chapter Twenty-Four
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On Monday, I downloaded my assignments and listened to my teachers go on and on all telling me the essential things humans should know. But my imagination kept interrupting me as I wondered about using human skin as paper.

And then there was gym class and running laps on the track. Half of Mrs. Cook’s class would be running again this afternoon in soccer and cross-country track. But warming up to play basketball was part of her curriculum, and that’s what we did.

As we ran, my mind wandered into a full-on fantasy. I watched as Mrs. Cook suddenly split open and a shiny gray eight-foot demon with six arms burst through as her dead husk fell to the floor. In my imagination, everyone watched in horror as it grabbed three students by their necks and opened its large mouth. But before it could eat them, Becky and I shot blue flames from our fingers and incinerated the demon on the spot. Luna and Fluffy had a big job: cleaning up the scattered demon mess and erasing all the students' memories. The hardest part was getting rid of the smell of the electrocution. But fortunately, there was a gentle breeze.

Becky smiled at me as we continued running the track. ‘Thank you for including me in your fantasy. I enjoyed burning that demon back to Hell. Fun. Of course, Pumpkin’s gonna be bent out of shape that she didn’t get to play.’

I smiled, noticing that Mrs. Cook was still standing there holding her stopwatch and clipboard. The gym teacher never knew that in my crazy, creative juices she’d been possessed by a demon, then saved by two teenage Witches.

Becky was laughing. ‘You think Cook will bump my grade up to an A, since I saved her from a demonic possession in your imagination?’

Laughing, moaning, and shaking my head, my feet continued to run laps. I was so bored.

After school, as we were running more laps before practice, I listened to Olivia talk about her brother. “Okay, so I’m supposed to be the messenger here. My brother goes to a different school, Maynard Douglas. Our parents sent him there for a Math and Science specialty. After he saw you at our last game, he asked me to ask a question. They’re having a Fall Dance at his school, and he wanted to know how you feel about going with him on a date.”

My first thought was to say “Thanks, but no thanks.” Then I remembered how cute he looked at our soccer game and how he kept trying to look me over. So I said, “Olivia, my first impulse is to say no, but then I had a better idea. Tell him that I want Becky to go, too. So he has to find another handsome boy, and we can double date.”

I watched Olivia smile. “I have the perfect guy in mind, and he’s Kelly’s best friend, Mike. I’ll text him when practice is over. Should I give him your number?”

I nodded while Becky was yelling in my head in the background. ‘Anna, how could you do that? You just arranged a blind date for me without mentioning it! You’re making me sound like your needy girlfriend. C’mon, you make me sound lame!’

I laughed at her. ‘Lamo could be your new nickname.’

Becky stopped and stared at me. ’Anna, I’m no longer your friend.’ But then she turned to Olivia and smiled. “I want to see a pic of this guy, Mike. I dunno, maybe he wants a date with me!”

Mike would have flipped if he'd known he was being given a date with a beautiful fourteen-year-old.

After our scrimmage, I apologized to Becky. “I didn’t think of it that way. I was just being selfish and wanted to be with you that night. You’re right. Saying it out loud sounds pretty gay, but if you say yes, maybe it will be fun.”

“Of course, it’s yes. I saw Kelly when he came to our game, and if Olivia says that Mike is good-looking, maybe it’ll be okay. It should be fun to go to a dance.”

Dance! I suddenly realized that I had no idea how to dance or whether I had two left feet. ‘Becky, do you know how to dance?’

‘Sure. Hey, tell me that you’re totally clueless. And now you'll have to be nice to your lamo friend if you don’t want to look too geeky on the dance floor. Hah!’

‘Becky!’

‘No, remember. I’m not Becky anymore, my name is Lamo!’

‘Becky! I’m really, really, really sorry. C’mon! I never meant to hurt you. Do you want me to cry out here on the field in front of all these people? You are my best friend, and I love you with all my heart! Please forgive me, please.’

‘Okay.’

Before I started another rant with the same begging theme, she let it go. “That’s it, you forgive me?” I realized that I needed to shut my mouth and just thank her for being my friend.

‘Becky.’

‘Anna.’

‘I’m sorry, and I need to get down on my knees and thank you for being my friend even though I have unresolved issues and a shitty personality.’

‘Yeah, well, I love you, and if you love someone, you can forgive them over and over again. So one stupid, dumb-assed insult rolled off my back because I have done everything to help you and I have succeeded in making you comfortable in this school.’

‘Huh?’

‘I cast a spell over you, shit head. I wanted everything to be smooth sailing for you, so I created a “Like Me” spell and cast it over you.’

I walked off the field and sat down on the bench. I couldn’t see very well because I was sobbing. Everything was a mess. I was a mess, my life was a mess, and my future was a mess. Everything that had happened since I became Anna has been unreal and scripted by a Witches spell. I never asked to be the center of attention and felt like everything was being piled on me.

I looked up and wiped the tears out of my eyes to see a figure standing over me.

It was Coach Howard. “What’s wrong, Bradford? Is it that time of the month?”
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Chapter Twenty-Five
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That was it! Just thinking about my first period had me spinning. Suddenly, I knew I was going to be sick and needed to find the bushes quickly, or I’d be vomiting right in the middle of the bleachers, on my shoes.

As I was vomiting into a small evergreen at the end of the field, I felt Becky’s presence.

“You know that bush you’re throwing up in the out-of-bounds field marker. I’m sorry, Anna. I didn’t mean to push your buttons and add to your misery. There’s no spell, I made that up.”

I looked back up at her while I was wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “Why’d you say that?”

“'Cause I heard your mom tease you with it, and I was just getting back at you for the lamo crack.”

“How’d you know that she said that?”

Becky shrugged. “When we’re close, I can see your thoughts and interactions, especially with your Mom. You keep rehashing everything over inside your head. I thought your Mom was making a joke, so I did, too.”

I stopped throwing up but started crying. “Becky, I’m so fucked up. Everything is crazy. I can’t keep up with all the shit everyone is tossing at me. It’s like I’m in some arcade game where all sorts of stuff is constantly being thrown at me, and no matter how fast I dodge, I keep getting hit smack in my face.” I sent her a list of everything that I had gone over with Mom that was killing me. “And now, they infused me with more Witch stuff and supercharged me. I thought that was pretty crazy. Then my Father comes by, and he powers me up with all the Witchy stuff he inherited.”

Becky looked at me curiously. “Wouldn’t that make it better since you got smarter and more powerful?”

We were walking back to the field together, so I switched back to talking in my head. ‘I don’t know. I feel like I drank a gallon of coffee and a dozen cans of Red Bull. I’m wired up on all this power that I haven’t digested. All I want to do is hide away somewhere. Mom said I’m not doing enough good stuff, and try to stop acting like a wise ass.’

‘So, how hard is that? You’re nice to everyone.’

‘I don’t know. Evidently, Mom says I’m making bad choices.’ I flashed her a mental image of me electrocuting the rape and murder guys and directing our Familiars to trip up Red Card. ‘Mom says I need to practice using my head before I harm any innocent people.’

Becky looked up and grabbed my arm. She pointed me toward Coach Howard and the team, then gave me a shove. ‘C’mon, let’s go get the ball rolling.’

“Good pun.”

“What?”

“You know, good pun. Ball rolling, soccer…”

Becky shook her head and looked at me. “Doofus. You’re still a doofus.”

I turned to her. “Doofus! I’m a doofus?”

Becky grabbed my elbow and leaned in closely. “You’re a doofus because you’re running afraid. Suddenly, you’re afraid of being beautiful, powerful, and a Witch. Afraid of dancing? Afraid of your own shadow? The next thing you know, you’re going to forget how to play soccer. That’s the definition of a doofus. At least, Doug had a pair of balls.”

I looked at Becky and smiled. “Balls. That’s it. I still have a pair of balls, I mean, not physically attached between my legs, but mentally, Doug is still me. So, maybe you’re right. I need to stop doubting myself. But…”

“But, what? Tiger?”

“I still need to learn how to dance.”

Coach Howard heard us and was laughing. “Okay, Anna. Did you clear your head and your stomach? Are you ready to scrimmage?”

I was ready and beat myself into the ground in a non-stop attack on Becky’s defensive squad. I was everywhere and scored twice. Afterwards, the coach reminded us that our game on Thursday was part of the big, city-wide Chicago tournament. She said she was giving us the day off tomorrow so we could step back and see what it would mean to bring a trophy to our showcase.

Becky and I piled into Polly’s car and motored home. We dropped Becky off, and as she got out, I whispered that I would be her doofus forever.

That night, after my shower and dinner, I spent some time online watching kids dance. I would single someone out and watch and watch and watch. Then I’d try it. I realized I needed to listen to more music and let it flow over and through me. I needed to find the rhythm and the beat.

After an hour of hopping around, I felt much better about the date. I was looking forward to an evening with Kelly.

‘Mom.’

‘Yes, Anna.’

‘Do humans give off pheromones?’

I heard her laugh. ‘Of course. But they’re not like ours. You have to search for them.’
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Chapter Twenty Six
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I looked up and smiled as Mom came into my room to kiss me goodnight. “I have a date with a boy named Kelly. He’s taking me to his school dance. His best friend Mike is taking Becky.”

Mom smiled. “Good. Naturally, you’ll both take your Familiars so everyone has a safe time. How’s the dancing coming along?”

I laughed. “Baby steps. I’m working on it. But it was never in Doug’s repertoire.”

“Well, good for you for teaching yourself. Are you going to Becky’s house to practice?”

“If you can let me out of my high security prison for one night?”

“Sure. I really like what Becky said to you.”

“What?”

“About growing some balls.”

Knowing there were no secrets with Mom, I just assumed she knew every word and every thought that was me.“She’s right. I’ve been playing the hurt little girl, and it’s not going to work. I need to start training with Polly more often, and I can talk my Father into sharing some time to help me, too.

“I’m sure if you asked him nicely, he would be delighted. He could even help you to practice dancing.”

“Father?”

“That’s one of the ways he swept me off my feet that night. He is very charming when he wants to be.”

I tried to picture my Mom being swept off her feet fifteen years ago by a Warlock. It was still hard to see Mom flirting that way.

Reading my thoughts, Mom chuckled. “Yep, your Mom is just an old woman. I guess that was a long time ago.”

I took a deep breath. “Mom, how old are you?”

I watched her hesitate, then smile. “I was one hundred when I gave birth to you.”

I was still coming to terms with everything around me. My world had changed so much in the month since Anna was revealed. Doug was just a placeholder. My mind quaked.‘Maybe we should give poor Doug a fitting burial. The guy never knew what hit him.’

Mom hugged me tightly. ‘Doug was just your chrysalis. He played an important role in your life. When Anna broke free from her spell, Doug came with her.’

‘Was he eaten?’ I pictured how some insects eat their chrysalis when they emerge.

‘No. No such thing. He was absorbed. Every bit of Doug is still there. Anna waited and lived inside Doug until everything changed. But you haven’t forgotten one second of those years. Those memories are part of what makes you so special.’

Special, I thought. Maybe I don’t want to be special.

When the whistle blew on Thursday, we faced a championship team from across town. This was a first-round elimination; the winner moved on, and the losers went home. We were ranked seventh, and last year’s champion Lions were ranked second because they’d lost one game this season. Everyone assumed that we’d get our asses kicked.

When the game started, our midfielder, Christina, passed the ball to our right wing, Olivia. I started running straight down the left sideline. Before I could be called for an offside whistle, Olivia passed the ball over my head so I could pick it up and dribble.

I was immediately swarmed by three Lions, so I hit the brakes and passed. Now, Olivia and River flanked me, and as we moved toward the Lion defenders, we were keeping the ball in front of us, carefully moving it back and forth. When I passed to River, the Lion defenders moved away from me to follow the ball. River immediately shot it back to me while the defender tried to backpedal. I took a long shot on goal, and their defender deflected it out of bounds, giving us a corner kick.

Becky was our best foot. She took the corner shot, and in the scrum around the goal, we scored. We celebrated, but knew a one-score lead would not be enough.

1-0

After that, both teams settled into a defensive battle in which the ball rarely entered our territory. At the halfway point, we were still leading 1-0.

The second half started out with a bang. The Lions came out on fire and tied it up in the first few minutes of the second half, but we came back and responded, going to our right side. Evidently, that was their weaker side. We worked hard and came back to take the lead with another score. And that’s how the game ended, 2-1.

Our team was overjoyed to win and move on to the quarter-finals. As we gathered around our bench, I saw my Mom coming over to greet me. She was laughing and shouting just like the rest of the parents.

“Mom, we did it! We won!”

“I was proud of you becoming a team player. I saw you pass it to that other girl who got the winning goal. You did great!”

“Well, maybe I’ll get the next one. But how about our defense and Becky? She was a monster!” I heard Becky’s laugh, then her growl like a beast.

I looked around for my Father and Derek. ‘Where are your men?’

Mom grinned. ‘I told them to both stay home and let me enjoy watching my daughter play. That way, I didn’t have to babysit my big boys.’

‘Mom, the whole team is riding the school bus over to get ice cream and pizza. May I go?’

‘Sure, you deserve a break. After being here for a month, what do you think of Chicago pizza? Have you adjusted to deep dish?’

‘It’s okay. But they frown on ketchup on their hot dogs, hamburgers, and steak sandwiches.’

‘I know. Heathens! We superior East Coasters know better. Now enjoy yourself and make sure that Fluffy and Luna are on guard the whole time. Tell them they can feed when they get home. I don’t want them distracted.’

‘I’m sure they heard you.’

It had been a while since I had ridden the bus. The best part was that we made it to and from Giordano’s without an incident. I had fun with the team and felt like I finally belonged somewhere. It was nice, and I wondered what Doug would have thought about hanging out with all the beautiful, sweaty soccer players. On the way out of the restaurant, I ordered a big bag of takeout, which I immediately shared with the Familiars on the ride home in Polly’s car.

On Friday, we were the school heroes. They even made an announcement over the public address system, lauding our victory over last year’s champions. It felt good that we’d played a fair and honest game without using any witchcraft or asking our Familiars to help.

Our next game was away, and even though the team bus was full of coaches, players, and cheerleaders, three invisible Familiars stayed close to our sides. This time, Polly asked Pumpkin to join us. Becky and I were the only ones to see our demons floating around.

As we all exited our bus onto their field, Becky grabbed my arm and whispered. “They have a witch!”

I immediately reached out with my senses and found her. She was the coach!

A strong voice entered my mind. ‘Hi, Anna. Nice to meet you and your friend, Becky.’

My initial thought was that she was going to cheat.

The same voice returned. ‘C’mon, Anna. I believe in playing a fair game. And all of my players are human.’

Becky and I looked at each other. I spoke, ‘Okay. So we agree to use no spells or powers.’

‘Seems only fair. Question for the two of you. Did you use any magic to beat the Lions?’

Becky’s voice was firm. ‘Didn’t need to. We just scored one more than they did.’

‘Well, good luck today. My girls are ready to play. We’ve actually studied film of your team. We are prepared to win.’

I held up my hand to Becky and touched heads. All I was thinking about was putting in a heavy screen so we could talk privately.

When I was sure that Becky was zipped up, I leaned close and spoke. ‘I still don’t trust her. I could feel it in her bones. She wants to win and sees our team as an easy victory.’

‘Well, maybe that’s good. Maybe we should play back on our heels and give them too much confidence. They’ll see us retreat, and then we can pass over their heads and catch them sleeping. We can wait until their offense crosses the midfield before we attack.’

When we went back to the Coach, I told our team about my idea to help whip a team that was too confident. Everyone thought it was a great idea.

“Uh, what happens if we let them cross and they come down on us while you're laying out your sneak attack? It could backfire.”

“Okay. Let’s play for a few minutes, and then we’ll signal each other with a clap. When everyone claps, we go to plan A.”

When the whistle blew, we tried the last game’s play of me running down the left sideline and Olivia and River flanking me. But this time, Becky charged down the right side instead of playing defense. Now our midfielders had a choice of left or right. And their team had an extra player to guard.

Their team saw me charging and immediately moved their forces toward me. Olivia and River checked out their defense and kicked it to Becky. As she dribbled toward the right, I stayed left and caught her eye. She timed the pass perfectly, and suddenly I was alone with the ball facing the goalie. I blinked my eyes and quieted myself. I found my Zone and saw the goalie favor the right side. I faked a kick to the right, then kicked it straight at the left corner.

I didn’t see where the ball went because one of their defenders, angry that they’d been caught sleeping, plowed into my back. For a second, it felt like I was flying until the same bruiser pretended to get tangled up with me and crash the air out of me as she fell.

There were many loud voices. Everyone had seen the low shot to my back and the fall. There were so many ways to interpret it that both refs called time.

They met both coaches out on the field and discussed keeping this game under control. Neither coach argued, as the defender was red-carded and sent off. Naturally, the goal stood, and we’d start with the ball at midfield.

1-0

We played a tight game for a few minutes until I heard Becky clap. Within a few seconds, everyone had clapped, and our player seemed to struggle, passing it back to the goalie to reset.

As planned, we let their offense come in and try to box the ball inside our own territory. As our defense did its job, our offense moved closer to the Panthers’ goal. A big kick from Becky, and again we caught them sleeping. We were able to push a kick through with overwhelming feet.

2-0

As everyone sat on the bench at halftime, I heard their coach admonishing her team for not playing their best. She then mapped out the following three plans, which our Coach was mapping out with us at that exact second.

Becky tightened her grip on her screen and brushed my shoulder. ‘She’s cheating and using her amplified hearing to read Coach Howard’s plays. She’s already creating counter-plays that will take advantage of our plays. She knows what we’re going to do.’

‘Cheating. She’s cheating ‘cause she’s losing.’

I went up to our Coach. “I think they know what we’re going to do. They’re seeing the plays you’re mapping out. I think they have someone, or maybe a drone, reading your lips and seeing your whiteboard.”

The Coach looked at me, totally rattled. “Okay. What do you suggest?”

I whispered and mapped out a play on the palm of my hand.

The Coach nodded. As we were finishing up with a last drink, we all played Whisper Down the Lane, whispering the play to each other. And you know that by the time the last ones got the play, it was different, defeating the Panthers’ attempt at cheating.

They started with the ball at midfield, and we let them come through. But before they could attack, Olivia slid and kicked the ball out from their player’s feet, sending it back to Becky, who fired a big foot to three of us running down the field. We didn’t know who Becky would pass it to, and when Yancy took the pass, and took a shot on goal. But that also meant two of us were there when the goalie had to come out to defend. I got the block, slammed it back to the goalie, and we scored.

3-0

At the end, we knew that we were headed to the championships for the first time in ten years. It would have been a pretty exciting moment if I hadn’t been kidnapped again.

This time it happened while we were all hugging and screaming together. As Becky told me later, one second I’m there, and the next second I’m gone. “You just disappeared.”
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Chapter Twenty-Seven
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I was chained tightly to a steel chair and couldn’t move. I tried tugging on my bindings to release the ties around my ankles, waist, or hands. As I pulled, I was trying to use my energy to heat the chains. That’s when I discovered they were cast with spells. Witch, I thought. There’s a Witch involved. I took a deep breath and tried to assess the situation.

It didn’t help that I was blindfolded, and a hood was tied around my neck, cutting off my sight and smell. The hood was made of thick black material that made breathing an effort.

I decided to find out who was out there holding me hostage. I yelled. “This is stupid. Hexing ropes, but using a blindfold and a bag on my head. Who’s the dumb ass who thought of this?” I was hoping to figure out how big the room was from the sound of my voice.

Someone hit me on the side of my head so hard that it caused my ear to ring and my jaw to hurt. “Oh, goodness! Dumb Ass is angry and hits a defenseless girl. Whoa, such power.”

I expected to get hit again. I was ready this time, and when the blow came to the side of my head, I turned and bit down hard on the hand through the bag on my head. Maybe I overdid it because I heard a bone crunch. The shriek told me that it was a man that I bit.

“What’s the matter, Dumb Ass? No fun when they hit back.” My senses were all back. Whatever they used to knock me out was gone, and I was alive with energy. Even though I was blindfolded, I could use my ears and nose to find him. A Warlock? I was about to throw some energy and cook my captor when I realized that there was someone else in the room. My senses immediately told me that it was not a person. It was a demon.

The demon stood back against the wall of this large room. It could have been a small warehouse. God, I thought to myself. This is really a cliche. Held captive in a warehouse, being beaten up by some human while the demon watched. I knew that by awakening my power, Luna couldn’t be far behind.

Then a female voice spoke out loudly. It was a voice that wheezed and sounded very old. I pictured a dying woman lying in a hospital bed, except this one came from the demon in the corner. “That’s it, Anna. Urge your Familiar in here so I can torture it before I end its existence, too.”

I wondered why a demon was using an old woman’s voice. Then it struck me. The demon was inside the woman, but not just any woman. It had to be someone who spelled these ropes that were binding me to the chair. Then it all came together.

I yelled out at the top of my lungs, “Gladys, welcome home. I’m your grand niece, Anna Bradford! We’ve never been formally introduced. Speaking of Familiars, your old Familiar is now mine. I call her Luna. She’s great!”

At that point, my hood and blindfold disappeared as if they were never there. I squinted until my eyes adjusted to the fluorescent warehouse lights. The man I bit was lying on the floor, bleeding out from where his head had been torn off. I realized Gladys and her demon lacked a sense of humor. But what really got my attention was the woman floating about eight feet off the ground directly in front of me. I didn’t recognize her, but knew pieces of her backstory.

I looked up straight into the eyes of this demon-great aunt of mine. “What happened, Gladys? When you left the Coven and disappeared so long ago? You know that Polly looked for you for years.”

“Polly is a self-centered know-it-all big sister who had no problem stealing all of my boyfriends from me. She always used her magic to make herself more beautiful, and I know she filled my boyfriends heads full of lies. I could never win because she was the older one. And when I complained to our mother, she told me to pay attention to Polly because she knew best. I can’t tell you how many times I heard that.”

“But why did you leave?”

“Leave? I was pushed out. Polly started bad-mouthing me when I was still in high school and before I grew into my powers at eighteen. All of the other girls in the Coven believed her when she told them I was crazy. They were lies, and Polly convinced everyone there was something wrong with me.”

She started flying around rapidly. I watched her grow agitated and wondered if she would strike out. I asked myself what I’d be able to do against a crazy old witch and a demon combo.

But she couldn’t stop ranting. I guessed it had been all bottled up inside over the years.“There was nothing wrong that a little love couldn’t have cured. Even my mother turned against me and listened to Polly. It was always Polly this, or Polly that. Then one night, in the heat of an argument, my mother questioned my sanity. I remember that moment like it happened yesterday. That’s when I left home. I said goodbye to everyone who hated and distrusted me.”

I decided to ask questions and stall for time. I figured that eventually I’d be rescued. “How did you allow yourself to be consumed by a demon? Did it promise you wealth, fame, and maybe a break from the voices shouting in your head?”

“Don’t be a wise-ass child. I could take you down to your knees in a wave of my hand. No, when I wanted to disappear, Hell seemed a good place to hide out. And then, I heard about your conception. That’s when the demons helped me hatch a plan to kill you. But then you disappeared. So I decided to wait and do a side job of working for the government.”

I tried to act respectfully, wondering what would happen. “Why did you kidnap me, Gladys?”

“I want to punish Polly. She’s tried too hard to create a legacy for her famous family. She’s had one child and now a grandchild. They knew to hide that child away because I would come back to kill it. Fourteen years ago, I rose from Hell to come back to finish my mission. I wanted to kill your mother and you right in front of Polly’s eyes. I really wanted her to know the pain she put me through for all those years.”

“How did you merge with a demon? Isn’t that dangerous? Aren’t you afraid that he’d kill you?”

“Hardly. I am a powerful witch and have made myself useful to Hell and this government by killing for them. And they have treated me very well.”

“But where does the demon come from?”

I watched her pause. “Long ago, I sort of went crazy and became a little self-destructive. But he stepped in and saved me. He cleared my mind of confusion and pain and let me rest until I got stronger.”

“That was long ago, wasn’t it?”

Gladys looked at me. “Yes. I rested for a long time. But he let me rest and recover in his own house.”

“Is that why Polly couldn’t find you when she searched all over the earth?”

“Yes. I was tired and rested for a long time.”

“Did you rest in Hell. Was the Devil your savior?”

“He’s a good one. He never said anything critical of me after he saved me from myself and brought me to his palace. He encouraged me to stay as long as I liked.”

I was wondering how involved Gladys was with the Devil himself. And who was the demon she was sharing her body with? If it were Satan himself, well, I’d lose that fight.”

“And then he woke me from my slumber and told me that you had been born. Now was the time to act. He even arranged for a demon to help me regain my strength. The two of us bonded, and I went out in the world looking for you and your Mom. But you had left Chicago and disappeared. So I kept the two of us together and went to work for the government. My demon loved the kills.”

“But a month ago, you appeared out of nowhere and came straight back to Chicago. I watched and waited until the right time. My first attempt was broken up by my own Familiar, but she didn’t recognize me because I had changed so much while I was with him. I shared my body with a demon to give me strength but I wasn’t the same Witch from long ago.”

“I don’t know, Gladys. I think that you’ve been duped. I think that this demon works for his master. His master doesn’t want to kill me; he wants to capture me and use me like a tool. I think that now that the Devil has me in his grasp, no one needs you anymore.”

Gladys shrieked, much louder than a witch, more like a demon who has finally gotten what it wants. It was a celebration for it and a death warrant for Gladys. The demon screamed again and released my great-aunt from its hold. I watched her flounder until she stumbled to her knees. Gladys was now a mere shadow of a Witch, without the demon keeping her vital. I only had a second to watch her before the demon rose to its full height and made itself known.

My demon was about ten feet tall. Broad shoulders, six strong arms, a head like a bear's, and a powerful body covered with red fur. It was a much better look than I could have ever imagined.

Suddenly my bonds were released, and I stood up to face this apparition. Then I felt an invisible hand folding me down to my knees and pushing my neck so that my head touched the ground.

The demon’s voice was heavy. “Respect, young Witch. First rule.”

The voice was deep and echoed through my head. But the whole thing was way too hokey. Seriously, other than pushing me down and holding me there, it had been a nothing burger - no meat, no cheese, and just a bun.

I was allowed to rise. I looked up at its furry face and gave it a little nod. I looked down so it wouldn’t see me laughing.

Suddenly, I felt like my whole body was being squeezed by a huge hand.

“Respect, not laughter.”
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Chapter Twenty-Eight
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I nodded my head and felt the grip ease. Then I spoke. I imagined myself as a big Hollywood, know-it-all agent. “Yo, buddy. This whole presentation really lacks everything that could make it great! Let's start over from the top.

The demon glared at me and looked puzzled. I wondered just how smart it was.

But I had its attention. “Hey, if you don’t want my help or advice, keep on, keepin’ on. I’m not the one with the image problem.”

“Image problem!” He roared so loudly, it felt like all the air in the room had been sucked out.

“Sure. I’m not the one who’s been hiding in an old witch's body for over a decade. Doesn’t look all that powerful on your resume to me. Not very demon-like, hanging out with God’s children working for the CIA.”

He roared again and continued to glare into my face. This whole time, I hoped that somebody was listening in and would come rescue me.

He kept shrieking and carrying on. I just stood there, wondering what I could do. Impulsively, I reached out and grabbed the demon, wrapping my arms around it. I knew it wasn’t expecting any movement from me. But as soon as I latched on, I started squeezing, reaching out with as much voltage as I had inside, which must have been a lot.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, and I was blown backwards. Whatever consciousness I had disappeared. When I woke, I was still lying on the warehouse floor. It took me a second to center myself enough to stand. When I did, I looked all around the empty warehouse. The beheaded man was still lying there. He’d bled out and was white as chalk.

I stepped around him until I found a big black mark on the floor. It looked like there was a pile of ashes all over it. I looked down and saw a slug crawling through the blackened mess. The slug was covered in red hairs and had six legs. Without thinking, I stepped on it, hearing the satisfying crack of its outer shell and a squish under my shoe.

My shoe. Ugh. I was still wearing my cleats, and this demon bug was going to ruin my equipment! Oh, well, I thought. And stomped as hard as I could until I was satisfied that the slug was reduced to a gummy, yellowish-green paste.

Within a minute, Luna appeared. I laughed. ‘Hey, Luna. I just saved your life. This demon was waiting to ambush you when you came to rescue me.’

Luna looked around, then chuckled, ‘Doesn’t look like you need rescuing. But what’s that smell?’

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think that’s what’s left when you electrocute a demon. I crushed a strange slug, too. Which I’m guessing was its essence.”

Luna smiled. ‘Our ride is here. Polly sent her driver.’

I heard a moan and remembered that Gladys was still here somewhere. I saw her trying to crawl, hurried over, and looked down at her body.

She glared at me. “Oh, fuck you, you little snot-nose thinking that you’re so hot that you could fry a demon.” I watched her cough. It did not sound good.

“Gladys, what can I do for you?”

“Just go away and let me die in peace. I spent almost a century in Hell waiting for a purpose. I’d promised the Devil loyalty in exchange for one last opportunity to make my mark."

I just looked at her. She really did look like she was dying.

She spat blood at me, and some of it stained her lips. “Yeah, it was gonna be great. One last blow against my sister and her whole fuckin’ lineage. If I destroyed you and your Mom, I could watch her suffer.”

I shook my head. “Guess it’s not gonna happen, Gladys. I’m encircling you in a spell that will hold you, but keep your powers neutralized.”

I heard her scream at me in frustration. She did know how to curse. And if she’d buy the nonsense about the spell that I couldn’t cast, it would give me some time to be rescued.

I heard a really powerful engine and figured that another car had arrived. I hoped it would be someone who could seriously neutralize my dear, great aunt. I wondered if she was going to die, or if it was just a witch thing. I decided to stall for time, hoping that no more demons appeared. “Hey, Gladys. What’s it like in Hell?”

She glared at me. “You little fuck. It’s nothing. No torture, no punishments, no nothing. I was bored shitless for all that time. My punishment was boredom. And I had no powers in Hell. You can’t hurt anyone or do anything. You just wait, wait, wait.”

“Are you sure that was Hell or just a mental institution?”

“Wise assed kid. Boy, I wanted to find you and your mother and kill you both. But after you went into hiding, and I needed the strength of a demon to kill. It was supposed to give me power enough, but that didn’t work either until we bonded.”

I watched her coughing so much that it hurt.

Then she spat at me and continued. “I made a deal with the CIA, and they gave me freedom as long as I killed a few humans once in a while. It allowed me to wait until you finally appeared.”

I shook my head. “This is so anti-climactic. That’s it? Not much of a plan, Gladys. Oh, yeah. I’ve never killed anything before, and now I’ve killed a demon, whew! Pretty cool. You know, Gladys. Do you think my soccer team misses me, wondering where I’ve gone?”

Then I heard a voice that I recognized, ‘No. That’s not happening. We’ve just sort of taken care of that time thing for you.’

I looked up away from my great aunt, and there were two figures just coming in. ‘Hey, Mom! Good to hear your voice. Who’s doing the whole time thing?’ Then it dawned on me. ‘Uh, thanks, Derek. Appreciate the help. Now, can we take care of Gladys so I can get back with the team? I’m sure we’re all going on the bus to celebrate!’

‘Sure. Don’t worry. I’ll tidy things up.’

As they both came close, I grabbed Mom around the waist and gave her the biggest hug. While I was doing that, I was staring at my dream man. I laughed and said, ‘Three years and one month.’

Mom smiled at Derek, then back at me. ‘Polly’s car is out there waiting to take you and your Familiar to the bus. Have fun. Oh, yeah. No time elapsed since your team was celebrating.’

As I ran out of the warehouse, I noticed Derek’s transportation. Doug would have shit to see that the Vampire drove a black Porsche GT-3. ‘Oh, fuck! What a nice set of wheels!’

‘Language, daughter.’

I laughed as I climbed into Polly’s big SUV and said, ‘Yes, Mom.’

I was sucking the bottom out of my double chocolate milkshake, making gross straw noises. Three Scoops of chocolate ice cream, big hits of chocolate syrup, and a grating of dark chocolate on top make it the best.

And once again, I was dipping my hamburger into a pool of Heinz Ketchup I had poured onto my plate. All my teammates kept telling me it looked disgusting, and I kept offering it to them to try. Of course, I was also acting like a total Doug, talking with French fries in my mouth.

But the best part was when Coach Howard called Becky and me over to a table away from everyone else and looked straight at us. “Okay, what was going on, and how did their coach really know what I was saying?”

Becky was fast and sounded really confident about her lie. “Parabolic mic. You know, the kind they use on TV for football games. Their coach was wearing an earpiece, and one of her assistants was pointing a directional mic straight at you.”

I was nodding and supporting Becky’s tale. “That’s why we had to change the plays and move on. It turned out that their team was trying to guard plays that would never happen. They were so busy thinking they knew what was going on that they totally missed what was really happening on the field.”

Coach Howard was laughing. “I love you guys. You’re both so talented and smart. I know you’ll both get invites to play Varsity next year. I’m going to miss both of you. It’s crazy to say this, but you two bring some real magic to this team.”
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Chapter Twenty Nine
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As we talked about our double date, Becky had a great idea.

“Cocktail dresses! Short and sweet! Block heels to match. Off the shoulders, nipped in waists, metallic finish. I’m going to wear my hair up to accent my neck.”

I thought about it and smiled. “You’re going to have to be my fashion coordinator on this responsibility. I’m not bringing a lot of experience to this project.”

Becky smiled and grabbed me tightly. “Of course! What are friends for? Arrange transportation and make sure you get your Mom’s credit card and Polly’s dress store recommendations.”

Mom was enthusiastic. “Getting dressed up for a fall dance! How wonderful! Let me know what I can do.”

I asked for advice. “Do you think cocktail dresses are too much for a school dance?”

Mom was grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, no. Getting all dressed up for a dance is part of all the excitement. It takes confidence to show off your beauty.”

I asked her for recommendations on where to get Polly’s dress shop for our hunt. An hour later, we were being chauffeured to a department store and to the teen and Junior’s party-dress section. I was glad Becky gave me a heads-up on the proper underwear.

I stood in front of the full-length mirrors and grinned. This was so not Doug! Anna was leading the charge on this event. And maybe I was ready to expose my bare shoulders to the world and Kelly. Yeah, I was doing a lot of daydreaming about feeling his hands caressing my flesh.

We had so much fun trying on dresses. After a few tries, we agreed on little cocktail dresses. I picked out a blue number and matching clunky heels that I’d never walked in before, but oh, they looked so amazingly cool.

Becky went with the ultimate LBD. It was deep, rich, and cut so perfectly to her excellent form. She also went with the stilettos.

We laughed all the way home. And then we walked, walked, and walked in high heels. And after we could walk, we danced.

Up until now, my only make-out session was with Greg, and it was okay. My big science experiment was good, but I was looking forward to trying it again. The best part was that Kelly attended a different school, so my limited experience wouldn’t be broadcast throughout my school when the evening was over.

Becky and I discussed all of this at great length. French kissing, how much tongue, no hickies! Hands. First base, maybe second base, but watch the short dress. Pantyhose to protect my virginal flesh. And pheromones. I never noticed any coming off of Greg, but maybe I wasn’t looking. Was Kelly going to be the sophisticated seventeen-year-old who would sweep me off my feet and lead me to start a real relationship? Then I thought of poor Doug, totally forgotten in all the excitement.

I was getting anxious and maybe had some cold feet. I was torn. I really liked how pretty I looked. Blue was definitely my color. But this was all too much. “I don’t know. What if this turns out to be a disaster?”

Becky grinned. “Nah. We’re going to make a big impression on our dates. Those boys will never know what hit ‘em.”

When Kelly knocked on the door, Mom answered. I was ready, but I was getting incredibly shaky, panicking over what I was doing. Suddenly, Doug entered my brain yelling at me, “What are you wearing? Is that a dress? And you’ve got makeup on and those shoes! Don’t they hurt your feet?”

I looked in the mirror and talked back to Doug as I walked into the living room, where Mom was entertaining my date. When I walked in, I wasn’t disappointed. He was taller than I remember and maybe even cuter. Kelly was wearing a grey suit, a European-cut tailored for a hip look. His shirt was buttoned up but open at the collar, and he had no tie. Oh, thank goodness that he didn’t look like a banker, but a really handsome high schooler.

Kelly reached out and took my hand. “Anna, you look stunning. I’d forgotten just how beautiful you were since the last time I was trying to catch your eye.”

He turned to my Mom and smiled. “Of course, then I was just a spectator coming to watch my sister Olivia play soccer, and there she was.”

Mom smiled. ‘He’s cute, but maybe too full of himself. Well, you’ll see. You do look good, and standing with a seventeen-year-old, you don’t look fourteen.’

‘A month from now, I’m turning fifteen, Mom. He is handsome and probably nervous about being examined by a beautiful Mom. It’s probably hard on him.’

Mom spoke. “Well, Kelly. I hope you and Anna have a good time tonight. When is the dance over?”

“Eleven o’clock, but if you have no objection, I was hoping Anna and I could get a bite to eat and talk. I promise I’ll have her home at a reasonable time, twelve-thirty?”

I watched Mom’s face and thought she was going to pop a blood vessel. “Well, Kelly. I’d like to see Anna home by twelve. And you are responsible for her safety. How long have you had your driver’s license?”

“A year, Mrs. Bradford. No points, no tickets, a clean slate. I’m driving my Mom’s Volvo station wagon, which is considered a safe car. And yes, Anna will be home before twelve.”

I kissed Mom on the cheek and smiled. ‘Wish me luck in those heels. Doug was flipping out earlier, seeing me all dressed up.’

“Bye, Mom. I have my phone and will text you every hour to let you know that I’m safe and haven’t been dismembered.” I smiled at Kelly. “Just joking. I wouldn’t have to break your arm with my Karate skills.”

Kelly held my hand as we walked out to his Mom’s car, which was very new and shiny. I looked at his car and wowed. “Jeez, Kelly. You must be rich! What do your parents do?”

“Mom’s a lawyer, and Dad is some financial genius with stocks and bonds. I’ve been lucky growing up.”

“Is Olivia your only sibling?”

“No, I have a younger brother and sister who are twelve and fraternal twins.”

At that point, Kelly’s phone rang. He held it up so I could see that it was his friend, Mike, calling. “Hey, buddy! What’s up?” He had it on speaker phone.

“Yeah, guys. Becky and I are heading over to the High School now and will meet you there. Yeah, we’re good. Anna and I were just walking out of her house. We’ll probably beat you there.”

I looked at Kelly and smiled. “I thought this was a double date. You know, the four of us.”

Kelly smiled. “Sure, babe. We’re going to meet up at the dance, and maybe we can do something together afterward. That’s why I’ve got my Mom’s Volvo station wagon. Seriously, look how big this thing is.”

It’s a shame he was holding my hand and I could see his thoughts as he spoke. Maybe because I had my arm looped inside of his. Good old Kelly pictured us all romping around in the back of the wagon together without clothes. He also pictured me totally out of it on drugs and alcohol while he got what he wanted. I gave it some thought and talked it over with Luna.

‘Is Pumpkin with Becky tonight?’

‘She is.’

‘Is she too far away for you to talk to her?’

‘No. I can always talk to the other Familiars. There’s no range.’

‘Okay. Please relay the message to Becky that I think these guys have other plans for us. I think they believe that we want them to take advantage of us and do bad stuff.’

Luna responded. ‘Becky is livid. She says that she’s angry that we went to all this trouble to look pretty, and all these guys want to do is wrestle. She wants to know what you want to do?’

I shook my head. ‘I don’t know. Until they overstep their boundaries, it’s just a matter of seeing how things work out. We can just wait and see. After all, we hold all the power.’

When we arrived at the school, I was introduced to Mike, and we went in. It was a pretty nice dance, which meant all the girls dressed up and the boys tried to clean up their acts. At least our guys wore suits.

Becky dropped back and gave me a look.

I shrugged and spoke to Becky. ‘I’m going to give Kelly the benefit of the doubt. That could be how he typically thinks but when he acts, I’ll be ready.’

Kelly smiled and offered to get us a punch. He opened up his jacket to reveal a pocket flask. They were ready to start drinking.

I spoke privately to Becky. ‘Eww. I’m not getting dosed with anything tonight.’

‘I don’t think that’s a problem as long as we don’t drink what they bring to us.’

Becky smiled. ‘I don’t want a drunk driving me around tonight either.’

Suddenly, I heard from Mom. ‘Hey, girls. Derek and I are driving around and heard you two talking. How about if we help you out? We can always give you both a ride home if the boys are drinking.’

I was shocked to hear Mom’s voice. But considering the circumstances, I felt better. When the guys returned with punch, they had written our names on the cups. Cute. ‘Mom, what do you suggest?’

‘It’s done, honey. Derek stopped time long enough to fill their cups from what they intended to give to you. Derek gave you straight punch. They have no idea that they got the ones that have alcohol in them.’

Becky fanned her face. ‘Thank goodness for your Mom and Derek. Thank you, Derek!’

After drinking some of the punch, Kelly confided in me. “My flask is filled with grain alcohol. It’s like three times as strong as whiskey but with no taste.”

I smiled and made a show of emptying my cup, and the guys did the same. “I want to dance!”

The four of us were out on the dance floor, and I had a chance to show off my hard work. I did my best to capture the beat in my head and actually had fun until Becky messaged me.

‘I think Mike has pills in his pocket and hopes to get us all sex crazed, too.’

‘Yeah, that goes along with Kelly’s plans to get us naked in his Mom’s car. You know, we definitely need to have fun with this. These bums' evil plans should backfire in their faces.’’

‘Do you think that your Mom and Derek will have a problem with giving us a ride home?’

I shook my head and smiled. ‘I’m sure that Luna is giving them a full view of what’s going on. It’s a shame that these human boys will never live this down.’ I flashed her a mental image of the two of them, drunk and stoned, standing naked in the parking lot next to Kelly’s Mom's car. My guy, Kelly, had parked close to the front doors of the school under a big light.

Mom reported to me. ‘Mike was already breaking open pills into your drinks. I did a quick analysis and saw that it was a barbiturate.’

I opened my phone and did a quick read-up. Then I told Becky. ‘Your date is slipping downers into our drinks, hoping to get us stoned enough to lose our inhibitions and cause some memory loss. Mom said that Derek was reversing the contents so that they would take them.’

Becky laughed. ‘I guess we’re going to have to dance with each other!’

After a few more dances, the effects started to show on them. ‘We’re going to have to sit them down, before they fall down.’

Kelly was pawing me while I got him seated. He kept trying to pull me onto his lap. ‘I think it’s time to exit before these guys are throwing up on us.

‘Oh, good one. But I think the boys should be getting it on when the dance breaks up, so everyone will see the action.’

‘Oh, Becky. Good one. Well, we might as well enjoy the party. I want to dance!’

For about an hour, I was having a great time. I noticed that by their third drink, the guys were having trouble with their speech. “Kelly, tell me what the alcohol is again?”

Kelly was slurring his words and grinning. “Pure grain. 190 proof. You have to watch yourself. Too much and you lose your mind.”

I won’t bore you with the rest of the evening. We all went out to the Volvo and insisted that the boys lose their clothes first, and we’d give them something special. They were both pretty wasted at this point. Locking two naked guys in the Volvo was easy enough to do. Their brains were so fried that when Derek opened his shields, I guess they lost their minds completely inhaling his pheromones.

By the time the dance was over, we sat in the back of Derek’s other car, some big Maserati SUV. We briefly watched our dates doing some pretty gross acts with each other. I guess that’s what they were hoping to do with us. Unfortunately, enough of their classmates saw our boys bareback having sex with each other. Not against the law, but not good for their reputations.

On the way home, I called Olivia and told her that the guys had gotten too drunk and stoned. I said that they were sleeping it off in their Mom’s Volvo station wagon. I told her that my Mom had picked us up and I’d see her at practice on Monday.

At practice, Olivia was apologizing and giving me the lowdown. “Anna, it turns out that the two of them were both naked and carrying on in front of all the school kids when the dance was over. The school called the police after they discovered alcohol and drugs in their possession. My Dad had to go down to bail them both out. I’m sorry I involved you in all of this.”

“Well, we were never connected with all of that, so it’s okay.”

“Well, it’s not okay with Kelly and Mike. They were both expelled from their school, and my parents are furious. I think the gay naked romance was forgotten after the barbiturates and booze got them arrested and expelled. Mom says she’s never going to ride in her car again and is selling it.”

Derek and Mom thought it was funny. After we were safely away, Becky and I were fine. I was disappointed because I hoped to try out the make-out skills I’d learned on our date with the Golden Retrievers.

Olivia couldn’t stop apologizing at practice on Monday. “I’m sorry that my brother turned out to be such a perv. I think it’s okay that he came out to Mike, but I’m sorry you were involved. Mom and Dad were furious when the police found the pills and grain alcohol in their clothes. I don’t think Kelly is ever going to get to drive again.”

I shrugged. “They both seemed like such nice guys, but they were all caught up in drinking and taking pills. In a way, I’m glad that they left us and went out to your Mom’s car. At least they finally unlocked their own desires.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “They both claim that they were only out to have a fun evening, and the pills and the alcohol were just offerings for the two of you. And as far as getting all loaded and going wild and crazy with each other, they both claim that they were set up.”

I shook my head thinking about a full dose of Derek’s pheromones power.

“Yeah. My brother said it might have been you guys who spiked their drinks. They’re claiming that Becky told them to take off their clothes, and that you girls were joining them. Then he admitted that all of a sudden his mind shut down, and all he wanted to do was have sex. Mike felt the same way, too. They’re claiming none of it was their idea. They’re even saying that you guys planted the drugs on them.”

I patted her on the back. “You’re not responsible for your brother’s behavior when he gets high. But I don’t understand how you get naked with your best friend and put your head between his legs. Crazy!”
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Chapter Thirty
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Our semifinal playoff game was set for Thursday. On Monday, we were practicing hard, hoping to hold our own in the semifinals. Coach kept schooling us in calling our own plays, too. She had no idea whether the next two games would be played fairly. After the last experience where someone was stealing her signals, she wasn’t ready to take any chances.

“I want Becky and Anna to be the play callers. It would be great if everyone contributed their ideas, but one person calls the offense, and the other calls the defense.”

And that’s how we practiced. Of course, Coach Howard had no idea that Becky and I were in constant contact during the scrimmage.

‘How can we make this look imperfect? We don’t want to make it look too good?’ Becky was smart.

‘Great point. But calling plays could be fun on offense, and my people are good at it. I think defense will be harder to call. Maybe draw up a slew of plays and give them all names.’

‘Colors! We’re going to use colors and maybe a subset of numbers, too. Like Red could be a formation and that kind of stuff.’

‘Sounds good, but I would keep it simple. Maybe three to five colors or three to five defenses.

I went over and talked to the coach. I explained our idea.

“Sounds good, Anna.” At that point, Becky came over, and we both listened. “How about if Becky gets the primary colors and you can have tropical fruits?”

I laughed. “Pineapple, raspberry, and banana. I can just picture myself yelling out names. Crazy!”

Becky was nodding. “But you need to have nonsense or throwaways, too. Seriously, if all you do is yell banana all the time, they’ll catch on. Like yell coconut or guava, which will just confuse them.”

All three of us were laughing as we brought everyone in and told them the plan.

Olivia was smiling. “Throw in some serious distractions like yell out baloney, hot dogs, and hamburgers, too.”

Somebody laughed and was giggling. “My stomach is going to start growling!”

We were both sending each other thoughts as we played. ‘Becky, do you think we have any chance of beating these next two teams?’

She was grinning. ’Well, the team we just beat was state champs last year, so I think we’re capable of playing the best teams.’

‘Technically, we didn’t use any magic on the field. We just kinda scrambled their plans. So you think that there’s hope?’

Becky was funny when she replied, ‘I HOPE so.’

We practiced again on Tuesday, and the coach gave us Wednesday off. Becky suggested we do some more Witchy Trail stuff.

Becky looked me in the eyes. “This time, we can add two more witches to the group.”

“Two more? Why’d you hold back the last time?”

“I honestly didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

So on Wednesday, I said hi to Camilla and Audrey and met Claire and Leigh. They were both nice, and while they seemed a bit quiet, Becky later told me they might have been intimidated by me.

“Why me?”

“Well, when Audrey went inside your head to show you how to use your shields, she was blown away by the size of your brain and the power that it was radiating. Naturally, she told all her Witch friends what she saw.”

“No secrets, huh? Yeah, I remember her saying something, but I just assumed she was giving me a compliment.”

“Do you want to let me in to see what she’s talking about?”

I shrugged. “Sure.”

When Becky was inside my head, she didn’t say anything and exited really quickly.

“You okay, Becky?”

Becky looked at me, and I watched tears rolling down her face. She hugged me and whispered, “I didn’t realize how much you loved me. You’ve been my dream girl all this time, and well, now I don’t have to be paranoid expressing the way I feel about you.”

I hugged her back. “My Mom said that it’s good that I should love you with all my heart. She also reminded me that I have a big heart and can love a lot of people.”

Becky was sobbing into my jacket. “Your Mom is amazing, Anna. She says and does all the right things.”

I squeezed Becky tightly. “Do you want to revisit my brain?”

Becky kissed me on the lips. “Yes, please.”

This time, she stayed inside and talked to me.

‘Anna, your mind is huge, and everything feels so powerful and alive, like you’re at least ten times as big as my brain. And you are keeping secrets from me about your strength.’

‘Yeah. Polly told me not to talk about that. I guess it’s just something I inherited. Neither Mom nor Polly can control the elements like I can.’

‘Elements as is…’

‘Uh-huh. Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water. Weird?

‘You’ve got to demonstrate for me, please.’

‘Of course. Polly was impressed.’

‘Oh, wow. Can I see your Zone? Will you take me there?’

I went in with her and showed Becky the door that Polly had discovered. ‘Invite Pumpkin in to join us.’ A second later, we had two cats walking around purring between our feet.’

‘Pumpkin just told me that she likes it here. She says she feels very comfortable.’

‘How about you?’

“Me? I’m scared to death. This is so strange. But if my demon likes it, well, it must be okay.’

I pulled on the brass knob that opened the door to the Zone. After I opened the door, I grabbed Becky’s hand, and we walked out together. ‘I’m not sure if you can enter on your own, but I knew it would work cause you’re here with me.’

I watched Becky look around. ‘Oh, Anna. This is amazing. It feels so magical. Everything’s so pure. The air, the sky, everything is perfect. And this is all in your brain. Wow.’

‘Well, we’re not sure if my Zone connects to someplace else. I’ve never gone any further than the threshold.’

I watched Becky reach out and touch a firefly. It landed in the palm of her hand and just stayed there. Luna and Pumpkin watched the firefly, too.

Becky spoke, ‘I just asked Pumpkin what they were, and she says that they’re Fairies.’

‘Oh. I didn’t know that! Fairies. Can you see any details, or are they just balls of light?’

In the meantime, more and more lights kept coming closer and surrounded both of us. I looked at Luna. ‘Are we safe?’

Luna gave me a cat smile and purred. ‘Yes. Becky is right, and they are Fairies. I’m glad that Pumpkin recognized them. I’ve never seen them before. But they are just looking at the two of you. I think that you two might be the first Witches they’ve ever seen.’

I looked at Pumpkin. ‘Can you talk to them?’

‘Sure, Anna. You can, too. Let me help you find the wavelength.’ Becky’s cat seemed to pause, and then she talked to me slowly. ‘Here. Now you can talk to them.’

I stared at one point of light. ‘Hi.’

I heard some giggling, and a voice came through. ‘Hi, Anna. We’re glad to finally be able to talk to you this way.’

I looked at the whole swarm of fireflies, well, Fairies. ‘Am I safe standing here with you? Am I interfering with all of you?’

‘Oh, no. We’re happy to finally meet two Witches who can talk to us. You are safe here. Fairies mean you no harm. There are other dangers out there, but you are very safe standing here close to the arch. It’s protecting you.’

‘I’m Anna, and my friend is Becky. Our demons are Luna and Pumpkin. Is there anything I can do for you?’

‘Salt.’

‘Salt as in sodium chloride?’

‘Yes, please. Do you have any to spare?’

How could I bring something back from the kitchen and take it into the Zone? I looked at Becky. ‘Do you have any suggestions on how I could bring salt in here?’

‘Can you use your mind to just make it? Oh, yeah. By the way. I’m digging this robe.’

I looked over and realized that Becky’s robe was the same deep red color as her hair. I started thinking about salt and imagined a bucket full of it. I looked down, and a large wooden bowl was filled with white crystals at my feet.

Suddenly, I heard a hundred voices all coming over and taking a share of the salt with them until the big bowl was empty. ‘Thank you, Anna. Can you make sugar next?’

All I had to do was imagine sugar in the bowl, and it appeared. The same thing happened, and it emptied out quickly. Soon, the fireflies filled the area all around us. I heard Luna’s voice. ‘It’s time to leave. Say goodbye and take Becky out. Pumpkin and I will follow.’
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Chapter Thirty-One
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I found myself still standing there, holding Becky’s hand. We were outside on the patio where my Grandmother did her training with me. I sent a message to Mom and Polly.

‘Becky’s Familiar was able to identify the bright points of gold light hovering around my arch in the Zone. They are Fairies.’

Polly immediately responded. ‘Fairies! Did they ask for anything?’

‘Uh-huh. They wanted salt and then sugar. After that, Luna said it was time for us to leave.’

‘Where are you and Becky?’

‘On your patio.’

‘And your Familiars?’

I looked around, and they both appeared in cat form. ‘Everybody is here and accounted for.’

‘Where did you get the salt and the sugar from to give to the Fairies?’

‘I just thought of it, and it appeared.’

Nobody said anything after that.

Later, my Grandmother spoke. ‘Stick around. Your Mom and I are coming out to talk to both of you.’

Becky and I looked at each other and watched Polly and my Mom come outside through the door. It was a bright, sunny day and quite warm for October. We just stood there. I wondered if I'd done something wrong.

Polly greeted Becky and told her to thank Celeste for the pastries. Then she looked at us both. “I’ve never met a Fairy, but I think that when you provide them with something like salt and sugar, they are supposed to offer you something in return. The next time you should ask them for gold, silver, or jewels in exchange.”

I looked at both of them and nodded. “Why?”

Mom looked at Polly, then spoke to me. “I think that is a tradition with a Fairy. I looked it up and asked Walter from the Library. He confirmed it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have something waiting for you the next time you appear. If they don’t say anything, you should ask them if that is their tradition and see what they say.”

I nodded. “Do you think it was safe to take Becky down there with me? She was the one who attracted the Fairies, and Pumpkin was the one who identified them.”

Polly turned to Becky’s big orange cat. ‘Pumpkin?’

‘Yes, Mrs. Bradford.’

‘How did you know about Fairies?’

‘Over the years, I have met Fairies many times. And they have always proved to be pleasant. And you are right. Fairies like the idea of an exchange. I am sure they will have something waiting for the girls when they return.’

Mom put her hand on my arm. “Would you let me know about the next time you go to your Zone?”

“Sure. How do you suppose the Zone connects with a place where Fairies live?”

Mom shook her head. “There’s more going on than we know about. I think we need to take our time exploring this connection. We have to accept the fact that you are unique. Whether your Father’s and my contributions make you special or being hidden away for all those years is what it is. I just want you to enjoy your life and find some happiness.”

“I’m scared. It’s so hard to take a deep breath just thinking about what is going on.”

“Are you in pain?”

“No physical pain, just worried about what my future is. What if I don’t want all of this? How do I say no?”

“Simple. You say that you’re not ready yet. I will support you and whatever you want. If you want to walk away, that’s how we’ll handle it.”

We left it that way, and Mom did all the talking. I talked to Becky and began shifting my focus. We discussed the upcoming game tomorrow. When I finally went to bed, I was simply Anna, a freshman soccer player, and crushing on my best friend Becky.

We wore our soccer shirts to classes on Thursday. It was strange not to see the Varsity in theirs. But they’d been eliminated in the second round, and their season was over. A bunch of them came up and wished me luck.

And we needed it. In the first ten minutes, we were scored on twice. They were just that good. But we settled in and slowed down their attack by controlling midfield.

0-2

Finally, we started to see cracks in the defense, and we threw everything we had into scoring. Before halftime, we’d finally scored a goal.

1-2

In the second half, their defenders took out River, who was heading in to score with a chop block to her back and a trip. She took a face plant and smashed her nose.

There was a time-out, and the Cheetahs received two yellow cards. As I was helping River off the field, I used a little magic to warm her up and loosen up the muscles that had been stretched on her tumble.

After a bit of time working out the kinks, she was back in the game. The refs awarded us a free kick, and Coach Howard signaled for me to take it.

I stood behind the ball and watched their goalie. I guessed she thought that I’d go right, and I could see her shift her weight. Instead, I faked a hard right and went up the middle just over her head. As everyone was cheering me, I was caught up in visiting the Zone. I’d missed it.

2-2

River finally scored her revenge goal, and Becky's defense girls were totally focused on calling out colors and having fun. And when the whistle blew, we had won.

3-2

After all the celebratory pizza and soda, life got back to normal. Yes, the public address system announced that we were in the State Championship finals, and for a brief moment, we all smiled. Except when I was walking down the hall, I found myself surrounded by Phoebee with two e’s and two of her friends. As I smiled, I was thinking about the movie Bad Girls, but then I thought of The Craft, a film about a group of teen witches. Obviously, that’s the kind of movie that filled my head with all the nonsense I thought I knew about Witches and their powers.

“Bradford, congrats on your win. It’s nice to see the JV shine like that. ‘Course, your competition is pretty thin at your age group. Just wait a couple more years when you’re old enough to play real soccer.’

I smiled. No words could match Phoebee with two e’s sarcastic dialogue. And I really had no desire to continue this conversation, so I said, “Thanks, Phoebee.”

Of course, Phoebee with two e’s couldn’t just walk away. She had an admiring audience and felt the need to perform. “You know, Bradford. You’ve never held up your end of your bargain. I said I’d be your friend if you’d invite me over to the next party that you’re having. And what? You can’t tell me that rich people don’t socialize.”

I smiled. “That was a promise, but my Grandmother hasn’t been feeling well, so the house has been quiet. But sometimes, we go out to dinner. Would you like to come with us?”

Phoebee with two e’s looked at me strangely. “Where do you go for dinner?”

I mentioned a few places that Polly has taken us. Too many lies are hard to cover.

Phoebee with two e’s got all wide-eyed. “Seriously, Bradford? That’s where the rich dine, huh? Well, since my clothes aren’t custom-made, I’ll have to pass. Just keep me posted. I just want to see your Father and your Mom’s boyfriend again. I felt a real attraction to those beautiful men.”

I watched them walk away and wished that I could cast some wicked spell over her. I briefly had visions of blessing her with a Venereal disease or some misshapen body part. But that’s not appropriate, right?

Becky looked across the room at me in our next class. ‘I saw you hanging with your BFF, Phoebee. I was so jealous that I was being replaced by such a great girl. You really know how to attract all the really cool seniors. But when they graduate, you’ll come running back to me.’

I laughed inwardly. ‘I wish I could perform curses or spells and make Phoebee with two e’s future life miserable, but she’s going to do that all on her own without my help.’
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Chapter Thirty Two
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But all the excitment ended when two e’s left me to get through a typical Friday. We didn’t even dress for practice on Friday. Coach Howard had film and whiteboards. We looked at who we’d be playing in the finals. And the game wouldn’t be the usual seven days apart. Instead, it will be twelve days of practice and preparation.

Coach Howard summed up her strategy. “We will scrimmage when we get closer to the game. In the meantime, we’ll do some running, stretching, and all the stuff it takes to keep us in top form.”

Over the weekend, Becky and I found time to hang with a few Witches. Four girls and four Familiars all got a ride to the mall in Polly’s big SUV with everyone’s blessings. It was more than fun. And this time, I was able to beat Camilla in a couple of the Arcade games. And after a while, we had a parade going, with a cluster of guys who always wanted to walk and talk with us.

I had a great time. I realized that I had the confidence to be myself, Anna Bradford. Yeah, Doug was still there, but had recognized that it was better to just ride along. So I was enjoying a little bit of flirting with strange guys and wasn’t worrying anymore.

On Sunday, Becky called and asked me if we could visit the Zone and see the Fairies. So, her mom dropped her off and we went off out on the patio. After we got comfortable, Becky came inside and we went out underneath the arch.

Within a minute, we were attracting Fairies. Before long, the fireflies had surrounded us. They were greeting us, remembering our names, and then asked where the bowl was?

“Bowl?” Becky looked at me.

“I know. The bucket that we’d filled with salt and sugar.”

“But they are asking for the bowl.”

I had no problem creating a bowl, and placing it at our feet.

We watched as the fireflies swarmed our bowl and each one brought a tiny reflective piece of metal. We studied the metals and guessed that they were precious metals, maybe gold, silver, or platinum.

‘Thank you.’

‘We have been told that you like shiny things. So we gathered these for you.’

Everything seemed to be going fine until we heard a thousand Fairy voices screaming to run!

Dear Readers,

A couple of months ago, I uploaded a series of chapters that I titled "Witch." It received a strong response, so I naturally started writing more of the story. Since I'm almost done the novel, I wanted to upload a fourth part.

Feel free to voice your opinions and constructive criticism. It can only make the story better.

It will be uploaded to Amazon as an e-book after I'm done posting it here for your reading pleasure.

Leslie
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The Hidden Witch. Part Four

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Becky and I looked at the fairies yelling and dashing away. One moment they are there, and with the blink of an eye, they were gone.

I reached for Becky’s hand. “What do you think?”

Becky looked at me. “Do you think we should be scared?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. What do you think could scare the Fairies?”

Becky looked around. “Obviously, something that makes them run for cover. Did they think they were going to be hurt? Is it like a Mom coming to spank you?”

I shrugged. “I really don’t know. They fled in that “run for your lives!” kinda move. So what kills Fairies?”

“So many ways to die. But I’m not sure it's wise to take the time to have this discussion. Maybe we should get back through the door.”

I nodded in agreement.

Becky looked at the solid door. “How about if I leave my iPhone set up out here and we can see what happens?”

“Will it even work here? And you might be out of an iPhone.”

I looked around. “Well, I get the feeling that we'd better move. Whatever scares Fairies is starting to scare me.” I helped Becky secure her phone and turn it on. I was surprised when she got a signal! We set it to record in FaceTime and slipped behind the solid door. Our Familiars came with us.

I looked at Luna. “No heroes. You stay with us. But what do you think it is that they are running from?”

Luna stared. ‘No clue. I can’t see eating them. They are so tiny. But ask those same questions to Pumpkin. She was the one who recognized them for what they are.’

I turned to the orange tabby. “Okay. What do you know about Fairies?

Pumpkin looked at me. ‘It’s been a long time since I saw Fairies.’

Becky blurted out. “Here? Where’s here?”

Pumpkin seemed to smile. ‘Your Zone seems to be attached to something bigger. And this might connect with other lands, like the Devil’s lands. A couple of demons and I went there on a lark, you know, just to see what it was all about. Everybody called it the Territory.’

Suddenly, a different voice joined us. ‘Pumpkin, when you were exploring, was there any danger?’

I looked around at the sound of that voice. ‘Hi, Mom.’

Pumpkin answered respectfully. ‘No, Mrs. Bradford. We were only on the fringe of this Territory. Back then, I wondered if the really bad places might be deep in the mountains. We could see that they were covered with dark clouds, storms, thunder, and lightning.’

I listened as Mom started cross-examining Pumpkin. Becky and I looked at each other and listened.

‘Mrs. Bradford, we only stepped onto that land a few feet. But that’s when the fairies appeared.’

‘Pumpkin, are these the fairies that we’ve been talking to?’

‘No. The ones that I saw were much bigger. The size of a softball.’

I wondered aloud. ‘If they have the power to grow, why did they shrink for us?’

Mom answered. ‘If they were bigger, they might scare you off. Instead, they’re tiny glowing dots that could be mistaken for anything. But certainly not frightening. You welcomed them to get closer.’

All I could do was shake my head. ‘Uh-oh. I can see where this is going. I started all of this by welcoming them.’

‘And they asked you for salt, then sugar.’

‘Right. But was this an elaborate con job? I don’t get it.’

As we were talking, I stood there and listened. I could hear the flapping of large wings, lots of them in the distance. I leaned against the door and heard scraping. Then everything was silent again.

I looked at Becky’s phone, and it showed the same view we had when we set it up. I opened the door a tiny bit. Nothing was there, and I poked my head out. Nothing. Just the fresh air and a soft wind blowing through the
trees.

Becky loudly shouted, ‘Anna, grab my phone, and come back in. Make sure the door is tightly secured. You have to see this.’

I did what she said and grabbed the phone. We restarted the transmission.

From what I could see on the little screen, those had been wings I heard. But they appeared as blurs in the video. “We need to hook this to a computer and study the images more closely.”

Mom sounded interested. “Let’s send a copy to Walter in the Library. We do know that there was more than one winged thing. What happened to your bowl and the shiny objects?”

I stuck my head out the door and looked around. “Nothing. Bowl and bits are all gone.” But then, when I turned back towards the door, I saw something. I bent to pick it up. It was a strangely shaped lump of silver. “Uh, I found one piece of what looks like tarnished silver. It looks like a piece of an old spoon.”

Mom immediately shouted. ‘Leave it! Don’t bring it in!’

I dropped it like it was hot. Shrugging, I went back inside. ‘We really don’t know much, do we?’

Mom sounded calm now that I was safely inside. ‘I’ll meet you outside on the patio.’

We stood there waiting.

Mom made a good point. “We know a lot. We know that fairies came to see you. We know that they wanted something from you, and in return, they brought you bits of metal. Based on the piece you found, it was old and tarnished.”

“Why’d you tell me to drop it?”

Mom shook her head. “If you brought it back inside through your head, it would have created a path inside for anyone who wanted to follow it. We need to ask ourselves who would want a direct connection into your brain?”

Walter and Polly appeared. Walter frowned. “Demons, possibly the Devil, would love a path deep inside your head. I think the answer is simple. The fairies robbed those bits of metal. Based on what Luna said about your door and arch being connected to other places, my guess is that whoever they stole from was reclaiming their treasure. Crows like shiny objects. We’ll have to work on your video and see what we can find.”

“Those sounded like pretty big wings.”

‘Some demons have wings. I’ve seen creatures like that.’ Pumpkin was turning out to be a wealth of knowledge.

Polly gave an order. ‘Bring up food from the kitchen. We need to feed our Familiars. They have earned it.’

It was finally game day. I proudly wore my soccer shirt to class. As I walked the halls, lots of kids wished me luck. My excitement built until I was dressed and on the field.

Becky and I did some warm-up laps. I was shaking. ‘I’m freaking out. Seriously, my nerves are popping.’

Before Becky could answer, Coach Howard called us in. “We’re going to do some drills and shake off our pregame nerves. Scream and yell all you want. We’ll get our heads in the game and be ready to go soon enough. Look around and see where we are.”

We looked at the stands and watched people choosing seats. It was unreal.

“We are winners getting ready to play. I want you to concentrate for every second. The winning team will keep their heads on straight and remember how we got here. We played our game.”

We drilled for fifteen minutes and then hydrated. We gathered around our bench. We were playing on the University of Chicago's soccer field. We were surrounded by students and parents. It was noisy.

The coach talked very quietly, so we had to strain to listen. “It’s a long game, so don’t blow up in the first minutes on the field. Play smart. If they try to blitz our goal, let them in, and we’ll be ready for a breakaway. Remember, they’re as nervous as we are. Let them tire themselves out early, so we’ll still have juice in the tank for the second half.”

I glanced across the field and looked at all the faces of the other team. But I sensed something unnatural. ‘Mom! What’s Derek doing?’

I heard her laugh. ‘He’s just opening up his shields a bit. He’s just focusing on their bench.’

I watched a number of them sit down on their bench or on the grass. ‘Ask him to stop, please. Let’s just see if we can win this on our own.’

They charged us hard when the whistle blew. We played one-on-one, slowing down the momentum and eliminating the big pass. Out of nowhere, Becky took the ball away and neatly passed it back to our goalie, who snapped it out over midfield. We had them scrambling backwards, while I passed to Olivia. As she moved forward, River, Becky, and I flanked their defense. We got off two shots on goal, but their goalie was amazing. It was like she was reading our minds. No matter where we shot it, she was there.

‘Mom, is she a Witch?’

There was silence. Then Mom talked quietly. ‘Her Father is a Warlock. Her Mom is human. It does look like she has some skills and reads your reflexes. But she can’t hear us talking.’

I sent my Mom a request.

We were playing a methodical defensive game. On our second attack downfield, I charged straight at her, using my calm to search out a weakness. She broke slower to her left. I acted like I was taking a shot to her left, but passed to Olivia, who rushed the goal with a short shot.

I was watching, watching for a rebound, when their goalie looked disoriented. If you hadn’t been looking in her eyes, you would never have known Derek had thrown a bit of his pheromones her way.

She was a half-step behind Olivia’s shot, and it went in.

1-0

I looked up at the clock, surprised that so much time had passed.

They came out swarming our defense again. Becky was amazing and anticipated their passing, stealing it away several times. We were already on a breakaway when it fell directly in front of River, who snapped off a shot that the goalie blocked, sending it back out to Olivia. She faked a shot, passing it back to me. Without thinking, I slammed the ball into the left side of the goal, watching as it went in.

Two of their defenders took me out, and I felt something bad happen behind my knee. I crumpled to the ground, rolling in agony. While they called time, I did my best to heal my stretched tendon and muscle. I stood with our trainer's help, trying to stretch it out. While the trainer kept telling me to take it easy, I was soothing the pain internally and was helped off the field.

I turned to the ref. “I want to keep playing.”

She shook her head. “You could do some serious damage to that knee.” She pointed to the bleeding. “Go get patched up and we’ll see.”

2-0

From my point of view of sitting on the bench, the second half was a disaster. They came back and scored three times. I was feeling helpless. My knee felt good enough to pace the sidelines.

2-3

Finally! The ref let me in, and we scored again on Becky’s corner kick. It was hard to give credit because we were all wailing away. I know I was pushed at the goalie in hopes of getting a stoppage of play. But the ball went in, and I hit the outside of the net pole.

3-3

A championship can’t end in a tie. Middle schools don’t have overtime periods. Each team gets alternative shots on goal, five in the first round. If one team has one more score than the other, the game is over.

River started, and their goalie blocked her neatly.

The other team was blocked out, too. This went on with Becky and Silver both taking shots. Becky’s shot went in, giving us one.

1-0

But their best foot scored on us, too.

1-1

Now, I was the fifth kicker. If I made it, we’d win. If I were blocked, we’d keep taking kicks. I secluded myself away from everyone behind the bench and closed all my screens, so no one could hear me.

I had an idea and got Doug’s attention. ‘Hey, little guy. How ya doin?’

‘Little guy! Why are you calling me little? Shut up, girl!’

‘Well, Dougie. When I turn fifteen next month, I can bring you along or leave you behind. You want to help us out today?’

‘Don’t blackmail me, Anna. I watched over you for fourteen years. Sure, I’m not happy being discarding like I don’t count. But the guilt is on you.’

‘Doug, I’m sorry. It was never my doing. And now I need your help. Their goalie has enough Witch blood in her to see what you’re thinking when anyone shoots a goal. I’ve studied her enough and she’s got a weak left side. She knows I’m going there to score. How about if you do the talking and I’ll take the shot?’

‘Huh? What’s that mean?’

‘She reads the shooter mind.’

‘Cool. What can I do?’

I outlined the plan, and then it was time to step up and take my shot. After the ref blew the whistle, I held back long enough for Doug to start shouting, ‘Left, left. Go left. Take her weak side. Left, left!’

I knew that she could hear Doug’s cries as I opened my screens and watched as she shifted her weight to defend to the left. While she was sure I was shooting left. I aimed into the right corner. I got it off quickly enough for her to wonder what happened as she watched the ball whip past her into the goal.

2-1

That was it! As we lined up to shake hands, their goalie held my hand a bit longer. She looked me in the face. “How’d you do that? I heard you thinking left, but you ended up going the other way. That’s not how it’s supposed to work!”

I shrugged. “Anticipating my shot is simply watching my tells and guessing a probability. It’s not like you’re a mind reader, right?”

She shrugged never wanting to admit that she’s telepathic and cheating.

I finished shaking everyone’s hand, and then we gathered around our coach, hugging and cheering. As we did, I said to Doug, ‘See. You were part of the game, scoring a goal. You are a champion, a state champion! How about that!’

‘Anna, thank you for asking for my help. I’ve been feeling pretty depressed since I was replaced. But I get it. Just don’t forget Big Doug.’

‘Okay, big guy. From now on, we’re best friends forever.’

When our parents swarmed around, my Father picked me up with a big hug and a twirl.

“Anna, I am so proud of you. You looked great out there. You really are an important part of this team. All the other players really respect and look to you for direction. You’re a leader.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you came to watch today. It was all pretty great.”

My Father smiled. “That was a very clever shot you had in the tiebreaker. I know that goalie’s father. It’s a shame she’s never met him. But that’s a rule. When a Warlock breeds with a human, they can never reveal themselves. So your goalie doesn’t know why she can read minds, nor that she’s half Witch.”

“Father, I guess I’m the lucky one because I know you and Mom.”

At that point, Mom and Derek also joined us, and then it became a love-in. A few minutes later, I waved goodbye to my family as we all boarded the team bus. We were going to go celebrate. Of course, I had to promise that Pumpkin and Luna would stand guard and eat later.

.
.

Chapter Thirty-Three
.
Because the game was played on a Friday, we really didn’t get to see anybody until school on Monday. As soon as I sat down in first-period class, a student handed our teacher a note. She looked up and smiled.

“Becky. You and Anna need to report to the gym now. Take everything with you.”

It didn’t take us long to gather the whole team in the gym. The Coach looked at us. “Follow me, champions.” Coach Howard led us to the auditorium and directed us to sit in folding chairs on the stage. I wanted to be in the back row. The curtains were closed, so no one could see us, but we could hear the auditorium filling up with students.

When the curtains opened, we were staring at the whole school, not just the ninth and tenth graders. The principal stood at a small lectern on the right-hand side.

He leaned over the microphone. “Students, it is my pleasure to introduce the Group A Ohio State Champion Junior Varsity Soccer Team. These young women bested all the teams to win the Roberts Trophy, which will now take its place in our beautiful showcase.”

Coach Howard, who’d been standing to our far left, smiled. “Okay, team. Stand up and wave. You’ve earned it.”

As everyone in the auditorium stood up and cheered, I turned to my teammates with tears in my eyes. This was the most amazing moment of my very short life. I shut my screens and talked to Doug.

‘This is for you, big boy. You earned it with your move.’

‘Thank you, sis. I appreciate you thinking of me. It’s pretty cool standing here with you. This is a big school. Wow! But you know something.’

‘What?’

‘I showed you my Zone. And look where that’s taken us.’

‘Doug, did you know all about how your Zone connects to other places?’

‘Nope. It was just a quiet place to settle my nerves and collect my thoughts. It’s turned out to be pretty special, huh?’

‘Uh-huh, it has. I’m glad that you’ve been with me for the whole ride. I really am. You’re good company.’

Doug laughed. ‘You know, no one else knows you like I do. And I’ve been witness to your whole life and all your thoughts, too.’

‘Oh.’ My make-out session with Greg came to mind.

‘Yeah, I was there. That was very strange. A bit uncomfortable sitting in his lap and feeling him press against you. But I knew how much you liked it.’

I was blushing. ‘How about when Becky and I make out and all?’

‘I like that. Becky is very beautiful and wonderful to you, too.’

At that point, Becky stood right in front of me. I opened my shields and hugged her. ‘I was just talking to Doug. He helped me fool their goalie.’

‘Hi, Doug. I feel like I know you really well. I love Anna.’

‘Doug can’t really answer. He’s just part of my mind and doesn’t have the power to speak independently. He did tell me that he thought you were beautiful.’

‘Thank you, Doug. You are very kind.’

At that point, Coach Howard led us out of the auditorium, and we headed towards the cafeteria. We never got there; instead, we walked into a carpeted, special area on the other side of the kitchen. We were lined up against the wall and shook hands with the entire school board, the Superintendent, and the Governor. He had two State Policemen with him as body-guards.

After the important people spoke, we were invited to have lunch. Becky and I sat at the table with the Superintendent and the school board president. The Governor came around and shook our hands. He waved goodbye and left.

Lunch was real food. Naturally, the ladies in the cafeteria showed off their skills with a big green salad, roasted vegetables, and chicken. I tried my best to remember to eat slowly and chew with my mouth closed. I jokingly said that I wasn’t used to eating without rushing to my next class.

“No rush today, Anna Bradford. After this, we install the trophy, and you’re heading to the sports center for a free afternoon of whatever you want to do.”

All I wanted to do was get into a batting cage and learn to hit a softball. I knew the transition from hardball to softball would be an adjustment. I wanted to be ready for tryouts in early Spring.

After getting hot and sweaty, Mom picked a bunch of us up and delivered us to our homes. Without a doubt, it was the best school day ever.

As we were pulling into the driveway, we stopped and waited for the garage doors to open. Mom turned to me. “They’ve analyzed the silver you found.”

“How’d they get it back to the Library without going through my head?”

Mom smiled. “Luna and Pumpkin brought it to the Library. Pumpkin gets around very well in the Territory.”

“What was it?”

“A button.”

“A button? How old is it?”

“Almost a thousand years ago. There were buttons or knobs just like this recovered from the Vikings. What the fairies tried to leave you is very old.”

“Where do you think they got a bowl full of metal trinkets?”

“Pumpkin says they stole them. She said that all fairies are thieves and don’t see property belonging to anyone. So they merely brought you what they thought that you’d like.”

I shrugged. “This is getting pretty complicated. It sounds like that beyond my Zone is a whole world.”

Mom looked ahead as she drove the car into the big garage. I heard the doors roll closed behind us. Then she turned to me. “It’s a mystery that Pumpkin knows more about than our scientists.”

“Well, we know that our Familiars are thousands of years old, and the silver button is very old in terms of human existence. I think Walter should talk to some of our Familiars to see what they know. Seriously, they have been around before maybe people existed.”

Mom smiled as we walked from the garage to the steps.

I turned to her. “No elevator?”

“I thought we could talk together for a little while longer, just you and me.”

“Okay, so I have a question. You said that Pumpkin knows another way into the Zone and then into what you called the Territory. Are the Witches going to venture into there, or is it more of a leave well enough alone type of logic?”

I watched Mom shrug. “We would have remained ignorant of everything without you exposing all of this through your Zone. We’ve talked to Pumpkin, and she’s shared a lot about those lands. But we’re wary of mounting an exploration, fearing we might be bringing something back that we’d regret.”

“So we pretend that it doesn’t exist? Like burying our heads in the sand.”

Mom looked at me sharply. “Well, I think the whole Coven has more to lose than a fourteen-year-old. I think they’re afraid to go too fast.”

I shook my head. “Okay, I get it. They’d rather be cautious than foolhardy. Makes sense to an adult, but a fourteen-year-old wants to leap forward.”

Mom took my hand and led me into a quiet area. “Right. Well, from what I’ve seen, you do a good job of taking care of yourself. I’ve never seen anyone roast a demon by squeezing it. And I’ve never seen the essence of a demon like the thing you stepped on. You have moved Witch science along pretty quickly. And those scrolls you translated, well, there’s more going on in your brain then we can imagine. When I saw you go into a trance and translate, it was clear there was more happening. I think that you are connected to a central hub that’ helping you.”

I found a chair and sat down. “Okay, so my fingerprints are all over these discoveries. And why is it that I’m so special that demons and I are connected?”

Mom sat next to me and wrapped her arms around me. “And I thought my life was boring, hiding for fourteen years in upstate New York. Doug was a great joy, but Doug was not enchanted. You are. And you seem to be connected to a lot more of the world than I ever knew existed. The oddest thing is that you seem to be doing okay.”

“When I hugged the demon who possessed Gladys, it was all over in a flash. I didn’t give it much thought, and the heat that cooked it just happened. I didn’t think about it. Do you think that other demons are starting to wonder? Am I a threat?”

Mom nodded. “I think that you scare demons now because they’re wondering what you can do. No demon wants to die, but demons have their own set of rules. And we don’t know how powerful that demon was. I think Gladys was in control.”

“Speaking of Gladys, how’s she doing?”

Mom frowned. “She’s on life support. Polly has brought in a lot of doctors, and no one seems to be able to bring her back to consciousness.”

I shook my head. “Maybe I can help.”

Suddenly, Polly’s voice rang out. ‘NO! It’s too dangerous! I don’t want my only granddaughter risking contact with her.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t know what the relationship with the demon was and whether she possessed the demon and used it, or it was the other way around. I don’t want to take the chance that Gladys could grab possession of you. She still wants to seek revenge.’

‘Polly, how do you keep her from taking over anyone that is in there to help her?’

‘We’ve built a modified Faraday cage to contain all her powers. She can’t use her strength unless we turn the cage off.’

‘What keeps her alive?’

‘Hate. She’s determined to destroy you. She had believed that by living with a demon, she would have more strength and could do whatever she pleased. You really struck a blow when she witnessed you destroying her demon. I know some of her died when you exerted your power.’

‘I want to see her.’

I didn’t hear anything back from Polly, and I finished on the steps and entered the big living room. Then suddenly, her voice rang out.

‘Okay. I’ll allow you to see her, but we still keep her contained. I don’t know what that will do, but it certainly will be better than just looking at her unconscious form. I’ll meet you at the doors to the Library.’

Mom and I walked down into the subterranean levels and saw Polly waiting.

She smiled and pointed. “This way. She’s far from the real scrolls and all our documents. We’re keeping her in a guarded area where she wouldn’t be able to escape.”

“I thought you said that she was unconscious.”

“Well, I don’t trust her. Her unconsciousness might be a ploy.”

I turned to Polly. “Is there a danger of the three of us going in there together? Isn’t that what she wants?”

“It is. We’re going to press her buttons and she if that doesn’t wake her up.”

“And this cage?”

“It’s the best we’ve got. But we have other measures that she doesn’t know about. So let’s see what happens.”

We all walked through large doors and massive walls. I knew there were cameras everywhere, and I imagined guards everywhere. “Who’s guarding her?”

“We’ve got a team of Witches, Warlocks, and Vampires helping us out here. Hopefully, that will be enough.”

It looked like a science fiction movie. The room wasn’t large, and the cage surrounded her on all sides, floors and ceilings, too. As we got closer, I could see that the cage was inside a thick glass prison, too. Polly saw me studying it.

“Everything we did is to keep her contained. We can even pump her cube with halon gas, which will eliminate her oxygen.”

Damn, I thought. This is real.

Gladys was lying on a mattress on the floor. There was nothing else in there. “Food? Water? How do you clean the place?”

“Well, she hasn’t been here that long, but we occasionally flood the place. She hasn’t woken up or drowned.”

I stood there in front of Mom and Polly. ‘Hi, Gladys. Remember me?’

Suddenly, we all heard her scream. ‘No shit, you little snot. Of course, I remember you. And while I didn’t kill you the last time I tried, I will execute you and your mother right in front of Polly!’

‘How about now, Gladys? No one’s stopping you.’

Her scream almost burst my eardrums. We all left the confines of her hospital prison.
.
.

Chapter Thirty-Four
.

After going upstairs and showering off the sweat of working out in the batting cages, I felt better. After our spontaneous visit to Polly’s sister, I was still sweating. I stood in the shower, letting the hot water run over me as I thought about my situation.

After I dried off, I called Becky.

We talked for a while about our day, I started telling her about my conversations with Mom and Polly and our visit to Gladys. “I think I need to solve some of these unknowns myself. Going out of my Zone and standing under the arch could still be dangerous, but I believe I need to go.”

Becky listened. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t there when you blew up the demon.”

“Yeah, well, it’s getting really frustrating. No one could definitively tell me what creature was flapping its wings and chasing my fairies. It seemed like answers could be found by going out and into the Territory. But that was also a big no from Mom.”

“Well, as far as school goes, everything is good. I’m glad you contacted me. Tuesday should be a normal school day. But I wanted to talk with you.”

“Why?”

“Boys! We are celebrities, and we’re going to be asked out. From now on I need to dress properly.”

“Properly?”

“Well, I guess it’s jeans and a top, but I want to look my best. I’m putting my hair up before I go to bed. And then I need to pick out the best underwear.’

“Yeah, great. I will, too. But…”

“But, what?”

“I’m getting worn out. I feel like I’m being pulled from all sides. Polly and her research team have been all over me, wanting to use me as a guinea pig. They want me to translate indecipherable scrolls from long ago. These things are so disgusting. They’re written in blood on human skin.”

“That’s so gross! Can you get diseases from them?”

“Fortunately, no. I don’t have other touch the actual scrolls. I just read from a photo image. They take a lot of precautions, not for me, but for the scrolls. And now, noone will tell me what they discovered or even what they think is happening. But that doesn’t stop them from using me to do more. I hate being lied to, and believe Walter is holding back. I hadn’t heard from anybody since I translated the scrolls. And even though more scientists and librarians have visited, nobody wants to share their hypothesis.”

“Totally not fair! “Well, I don’t have an answer for you. I think you should cut them all off. No more interviews, no more help, nothing. Just come out and tell them that there should be a two-way street of cooperation. They need you more than you need them.”

“Yeah. I like that. I can wield some power!”

“And then, each Sunday, Polly and my Father are training me to expand my Witchy powers. Which is cool but totally exhausting and scary.”

“And as much as I enjoyed it, the soccer team moved me up to the front and encouraged me to take a leadership role. I like it, but it’s so much pressure.”

“Yeah, but at least you like doing that, and you get some satisfaction. You should do more that you like and help yourself.”

“Hmm. Maybe you’re right. I should spend more time on my studies, dates, and maybe some more trips to the batting cages.”

“That’s the spirit. Now, here’s what I’m wearing tomorrow.”

Before I went to bed, Mom sat on my bed, and we talked. I shared how I was feeling and told her Becky’s idea of cutting off ties with all the scientists.

“Does that mean that you’re going to avoid the Zone?”

“No. I’m going to continue using the Zone, but I’m not going out the door under the arch.”

Mom nodded. “Well, here’s some news. You know that button Luna brought back for us?”

I nodded.

“Well, it’s in the Library inside a Faraday cage just like the room where Gladys is kept. There’s recorded evidence that it’s been visited several times a day by some form of demon.”

“Do they have video?”

“The video has been blurred. But they have sound recordings. No one doubts that it’s been demons. For some reason, the spirits just can’t let this go.”

“So there’s more to this button than we know. I say we dive deep into analyzing this button. Maybe there's a link
that might be important.”

Mom looked at me. “Do you want me to share this conversation?”

“Sure. Because what we have is a two-way street. You and I are talking. But tell them that I need to become a full partner in all of this, or nothing for them.”

Finally, a day in school quieted my nerves. And Becky was right. We were the stars of the day and lots of people were being nice instead of just staring. Between classes, an upper-class man approached Becky and me. He was smiling. We stopped, and he reached out his hand.

“I’m Bill, and I wanted to congratulate the two of you on winning the state championship. I play varsity soccer and understand just how hard you worked.”

Becky smiled. “You mean you’re not going to tell me that the girls have it so much easier?”

Bill laughed. “That’s rude. No, that’s certainly not true. I might have mass and bulk strength over you, but you guys are playing on a level field and beat out everyone. I even heard the rumor that their goalie could read minds.”

I laughed. “Obviously, not ours.”

Bill hesitated for a minute and looked at us both. “Hey, I know this sounds lame, but can we talk more about soccer after school? My treat for fries.” He turned to me. “And yes, we have all heard about your ketchup thing.” He grinned.

As the first bell rang, he waved goodbye, telling us where his car was parked.

As we walked to class, Becky looked at me. ‘I just hope it’s not another Volvo station wagon.’

After school, Bill and another guy were waiting in front of a dark blue Jeep. It was one of the older two-door versions, not the big expensive ones. Bill immediately introduced us to Phil and asked if we minded going together as a foursome. “Phil’s our goalie, and he wanted to pick your brain on how you managed to get past the championship team like that.”

Becky smiled. ‘Who do you want to sit next to? Personally, I like Bill, but I’m not choosy. I do think he’s going to be a good kisser.’

‘I know! Let’s blow their minds and tell them the truth. We’ll tell them that the goalie’s Father is a Warlock, and she gets her skills honestly. We should also tell them that we’re Witches.’

Becky was trying to suppress a laugh. ‘Love the idea, but are we looking to destroy their lives like we did Kelly and his new boyfriend?’

‘No, not really. But those guys deserved what they got. Any guy who underestimates me and uses drugs and alcohol to get in my pants needs to reevaluate his life choices. It’s a shame we couldn’t make them impotent, too.’

Becky shook her head. ‘Anna! You are cruel. Imagine never having an orgasm again!’

I climbed into the back seat with Phil. I have to mention that I immediately noticed that the back seat of this Jeep was much smaller than the front. We were squeezed together, but I hate to admit that I liked it. I tried not to sound like a kid, but I was getting off on the pheromones these guys were producing.

I messaged Becky. ‘Are you feeling their pheromones?’

‘Well, maybe a little. You?’

‘Yep. But I’m jammed in close to Phil. Maybe you should have chosen him before we started.’

Becky was laughing. ‘No trades, you whore. This one is mine!’

I had to stop talking to Becky and tune back into a conversation with Phil. He was telling me how he decided to be their goalie.

Bill drove us to a burger place, and we all climbed out and went inside. The place smelled good and reminded me of milkshakes and fried food.

“Oh, this place smells good, like onion rings.”

Phil looked at me carefully. “Hard to believe that you have a big appetite. You’re so delicate looking.”

I looked at him and laughed. “Nope. I’m solid. No bird bones here.” The two guys gave me my own plate for my pile of fries because of my ketchup addiction. I smiled as they watched me eat.

Phil was nibbling on his fries. I gestured to the pool of ketchup on my plate. “Wanna taste?”

Phil’s eyes opened wide, and I could see the look in his eyes. I knew that I needed to slow down before I gave him the wrong impression. “Ketchup, Phil, ketchup. This isn’t even a date.”

Phil smiled and dipped a fry into my ketchup. I watched him tentatively nibble on it. As he was eating, he smiled. “Uh, speaking of dates, how about going to the movies with me on Friday?”

Dang, I thought. And this was only Monday! I was interested in kissing those lips before that. But then, Becky injected, ‘Chill, girl! You’re going to frighten off the poor boy. He has no idea of what you’re capable of doing.’

I smiled. “Sure,that sounds like fun. But how old are you?”

Phil smiled. “Sixteen. And you?”

“My fifteenth birthday is next month. So you won’t be robbing the cradle.”

Becky chimed in. “I’m already fifteen.”

We did talk about soccer and swapped tales of what we looked for in our matches. It was fun, and I found those guys easy to talk to. When they dropped us off at Polly’s place, they were freaked out over how big and expensive the place looked. As I went to get out of the car, I wrapped my arms around Phil’s neck and kissed him. “Thanks. That was fun. Maybe this should hold you until Friday.”

Becky gave her guy a peck on the cheek. As we were walking up the driveway, she was laughing. ‘You really are a slut, you know. Maybe you need to have sex really soon. Get it out of your system!’

I laughed. ‘If it were only that easy. Wham, bam, over and out! But I wonder if it happens, and well, I'd love it and become addicted, or I hate it and am lost forever in my search for satisfaction.’

Becky wrapped her arm around my waist. ‘C’mon. I can talk you down.’

A third voice suddenly entered our conversation. ‘Nope. That’s not going to happen, and Becky, you are not going to be a co-conspirator in my daughter’s search to lose her virginity. Fourteen, girl!’

‘Fifteen next month, Mom.’

Becky looked at me strangely. She leaned over and whispered into my ear. “My Mom doesn’t talk to me like that.”

I shook my head, then shrugged my shoulders as if to say, what can I do about it?

Polly approached me on Wednesday. ‘C’mon out on the patio with me.’

I went straight there and waited. Polly appeared a few minutes later. She had someone bring out iced tea and chocolate chip cookies. They were warm and freshly baked.

As Polly was pouring me tea, she smiled. “Congratulations on the championship. That’s quite an accomplishment. Didn’t Doug play soccer, too?”

I nodded. “Yep. And he was hoping to try out for baseball in the Spring.”

Polly smiled. “Is Anna going to try out for softball?”

“I hope so. I think the skills are transferable. But Mom promised me some trips to the batting cages before that.”

“Good. Maybe we’ll have a batting cage built back by the garages. Now, here’s the news! I have to tell you that when we visited, and Gladys screamed, the doctors said that was the first time she showed active brain activity. So she did sense your presence.”

I shrugged and waited.

“And I’ve heard your declaration about not cooperating with the Library unless you are involved in the findings.”

I nodded.

“Well, good for you. Those ancient Vampires have forgotten their priorities and simply walk all over someone they perceive might get in their way. I’ve told them what you’ve said and how I’m going to help you stay silent. They were shocked when I took your side.”

I was shocked, too. “Thank you.”

“No, don’t thank me. I think that you have a lot to contribute, and well, look at how Pumpkin has become a valuable resource. We can’t afford to ignore anyone’s contribution. I’m tempted to just move forward on my own without their supervision.”

I looked at my Grandmother. “You go! Show them what a gifted Witch can do!”

Polly’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been thinking and want to mount a trip into the unknown lands, the Territory. I don’t think we need a large group, just a simple excursion.”

I nodded. “I agree. But let's make our first time a day trip. In and out. We don’t want to be noticed.”

“We?”

“Of course. A family trip. Home for bedtime.”

“Who are you thinking about inviting?”

“You, Luna, Becky, Pumpkin, Derek, plus your Mom and I will bring our Familiars. Oh, yes. I’m inviting my Vampire, James, too. We can cross into the Territory where Luna went in to retrieve the button.”

I was shocked, and my face showed it.

Polly smiled. “We’ll do it on Saturday, so you won’t miss school or your double date on Friday night. We’ll take my large SUV. I’ll have the cook prepare food and will buy pastries from your friend Camilla.”

Oh, great. On Saturday, we’re driving into the Territory, packing lunch and lots of living bodies. I remembered a sci-fi movie where the alien referred to people as ‘skin-bags.’ Nice, I thought. A car full of food.

Becky and I snuck up into my room and flopped down on the bed. It was nice to have a wing of my own where no one had to pass the door and see us fooling around. There was so much bliss just being in her arms and kissing her lips. It would be so easy to stick my hands in her pants and touch the familiar parts I now knew so well. But, no. I wasn’t going to take our lovemaking that far. It was so tempting, and I knew that we’d do it so well. But it was like pheromones. I was afraid of it becoming addictive all over again.

Friday night came around before we knew it. It was fun getting dressed up together at my house while we waited for our dates to pick us up. I’d already warned them that they’d have to pass the gauntlet that was Polly and Mom. I told them that they’d better be good listeners just to get us out of the house.

We were going bowling! Since I’d never been, I knew it was going to be fun, maybe even a lot more fun than dancing. And of course, that first date was a total mess. The real victim was Olivia because she felt responsible for her older brother turning out to be such a perv. And of course, the fact that his former school friends had all seen the two boys naked and performing acts you’d usually see on X-rated porn sites.

I wore soft Capris that would flow with my movements and still present a view of my backside to tempt my boys. They were soccer guys, and both had amazing bodies. And they were smart, making the dean’s list, unlike my make-out date with Greg the Golden Retriever.

Let’s see. Navy blue Capris, a white sleeveless shell, and a cute red hoodie gave me that innocent look that would pass inspection with Mom. The only bad part was the thong that I never thought I’d get used to.

Becky went the other route with thin summer tights and a skater’s skirt. She looked awesome, rocking the pastels right down to her pink-and-white sneakers. I loved her top and told her so.

When the boys picked us up, Mom was fairly gentle with them, knowing that our Familiars would keep them straight. I was looking forward to bowling, Cokes, pizza, ice cream, and making out. I kept picturing the backseat of that Jeep or maybe a blanket on the grass somewhere. I was confident that the guys would know plenty of picturesque settings for a romp.

Becky was laughing in my head. ‘You are expecting too much, hon. Don’t count on losing your virginity tonight.’

I wanted to smack the back of her head, admiring the ponytail she’d pulled up high on her head. Her red hair looked beautiful. ’Right, you are so experienced, so worldly. And let’s not forget that tomorrow we’re going to become demon hunters.’

Becky laughed. ‘With a catered lunch.’

Bowling is not that hard, but the ball’s too heavy. It’s impossible to release it where you want it to go, and it has to travel way too far before you hit anything. Other than that, simple. Except most of my balls were going into the half-pipe down each side.

My second game was better, and if my arm didn’t hurt so much, I would have mastered this whole sport by the end of the third game. Instead, I ate anything that was put in front of me. So by the end, my shoulder and arm ached, and my belly was too full. I was a slug just waiting to be picked up over Phil’s shoulder and taken out to the Jeep.

I found my second wind when the boys found us a place to park away from the bustle of Chicago. They found a nice, cool spot, where we could study the moon while Phil tried his best to get his hands in my pants. I will give him an A+ for determination, and he was a great kisser.

I sucked his lower lip and told him that his hands did not belong in my Capris tonight. But he knew how to move on the outside of my clothes enough for me to get overheated and moan aloud. I showed off my dexterity, too. I cooperated enough to keep his attention and wanted him to ask me out on a second date.

We parted with lots of kisses, but all I could think about was those onion rings lying in the bottom of my stomach, turning into a solid mass of grease. Becky’s Mom was in our house waiting when we walked in. All these adults were scanning our memories to see what had happened.

I hugged Becky goodbye and said that I’d see her and Pumpkin in the morning.
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Chapter Thirty-Five
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On Saturday afternoon, Polly announced that it was Safari time! “We’re all going to investigate the edge of the Territory where Pumpkin traveled to and came back.”

I overheard Mom questioning the safety of this trip.
“You want to go straight into the unknown. Shouldn’t we be taking precautions? Pumpkin had referred to this as the Territory. How are we going to prepare before we jump into the deep end?”

Polly had an answer. “It’s not going to be dangerous. Remember that Pumpkin is a thousand-year-old demon who has been in and out of there before. She was able to recover the tiny piece of silver from under Anna’s arch without going through Anna’s Zone. She brought it back safely, and we’ve analyzed it as a relic from our world. The scientists are holding back any more information, and I’m getting frustrated.”

Mom was the cautious one. “I think it’s foolish to go without conferring with the Library.”

“Nonsense. This is not rocket science. Pumpkin knows the way, and we’re surrounding ourselves with our own demons, too. I’ve invited James and Derek, and we’ll take our Familiars. Plus, I think it’s going to be a learning experience for Anna and Becky. And yes, I cleared it with Becky’s Mom.”

I’d forgotten that our Vamps were demons. And I knew that Mom wanted to complain. “Okay. And ultimately, exploring the Territory might further the Library’s efforts and advance their scroll investigation. “Just a day trip, in and out, right?”

Polly smiled, knowing that her daughter was finally onboard. Of course, I gave it lots of thought. I had already had a run-in with a demon who’d intended to destroy me. Just acting on instinct, our interaction hadn’t gone well. I didn’t know that I could blow up the demon by squeezing it, but evidently it had happened. It made no sense to me that something emanating from Hell could be cooked.

When I shared this experience with Polly and my Father, they thought it might be related to electricity rather than heat. We experimented with the blue bolts of electricity I could produce and wondered whether they were similar to cold fusion.

As they were going back and forth about all of this, I listened and wondered what effect it might have on me. Doug and I had become distinct personalities in my head. After I asked him to help me on the soccer field, we were talking as if we were two different people. It might have become a bit schizophrenic to be having conversations with myself, but I didn’t see any harm. But now, with me dealing with this new situation, I was being cautious.

I knew Doug was in there listening. ‘Doug, what are you thinking?’

‘I wonder about the potential powers that you haven’t discovered yet. None of it seems to affect you. So far, so good. And as far as exploring this Territory, I think it’s going to be fun. Seriously, you have the power to kill a demon. You can protect yourself and others. And now that we’re getting along better, can I ask you a question?’

I sighed. Even though we shared a brain, Doug couldn’t see my thoughts. He was just a spectator. ‘I know what you want to talk about. Sex, right?’

‘Well, sure. Let’s talk about your date with Phil.’

‘Doug, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s my life, and maybe I’m trying out new things. That’s not a crime to meet a normal guy and have a date. I did notice that you were silent all evening.'

‘Sure. I simply withdrew. Anna, there’s nothing I can add to watching you get all dressed up, put on your best underwear, dancing around, and then do all the hair and makeup stuff. It’s boring when your head is all full of boy fantasies. Just hanging with you is over the top for me. You’ve become a Hallmark Movie.’

After that, I started thinking about what Doug was doing when I took a bubble bath or fantasized under the covers before bed. ‘You’ve been spying on me, you little perv!’

‘Hardly. I can pick and choose what I watch, and honestly, your routine has become ho-hum. When you’re masturbating, you have the same fantasy every night. At first, it might have been fun to watch, but you are so Meh.’

‘And you know better about fantasies?’

‘Hey, porn is definitely a geeky guy thing! The internet provides a rainbow of stuff. You should check out Japanese adult anime. It’s called Hentai. Check out a woman making love with an octopus! All those tentacles!’

‘God! You are gross!’

‘Hey! It’s not me who’s dreaming about Derek every night. And how gross is that he’s your Mom’s boyfriend? Share that fantasy with a counselor that you want to take your Mom’s place in her bed!’

After that, I sent Doug to the back of my mind. I wasn’t ready to hear such harsh talk. After all, my fantasies were just fantasies!

It helped take my mind off what Doug had said when I helped pack for our day trip. We were headed into the Territory in Polly’s huge Lexus. It was crowded. Two Vampires, two adult Witches, and two inexperienced Witches, along with four Familiars. I laughed because the Familiars were in the way back, chowing down on whatever Polly’s cooks had sent along for them. It smelled like roast chicken.

We drove about thirty miles outside of Chicago. When we neared the shores of Lake, Pumpkin directed us to turn off the road and into a dense forest. There was no path, so we twisted and turned so many times that I started to feel car sick. When I was about to scream to let me out, Pumpkin announced that we had arrived.

Arrived? I looked out the window. We’d come through the forest, and it did look different. No tall trees, no sounds. No birds, no traffic, no jets overhead. We’d gone from a large city to empty space. It was eerie.

We stopped, and everyone climbed out. In front of us was rough, hilly, sandy ground with the occasional rock and stunted pine. But the lake was nowhere to be seen. It was definitely all alien-looking. The sky was different shades of grays and blacks. And didn’t help that it was misty. Polly handed each of us a thin raincoat, and we started to walk. Luna had informed us that no vehicles would work in the Territories.

We walked for a long time. Becky and I were used to running five miles each day with the soccer team. But here the ground was uneven and rocky, making it hard to find a rhythm.

After we’d walked for more than an hour, Polly signaled us to a stop. I saw a figure heading directly toward us. He was jogging.

As he grew closer, I could tell that he was big, maybe nine feet tall. And he was built like a weight lifter with sizable muscles bulging everywhere on his bright blue skin. I drew in my breath because it was no secret that this was a demon. My last contact with a demon didn’t go well. I was still thinking about how the last guy wanted to kill me. I heard Doug exclaim, ‘Hey, this is so cool. This guy is totally for real!’

I wasn’t ready to be a fanboy with little Doug. ’Shut up, dipshit. He’s a monster!’

Doug was making all sorts of noises. ’This is sooo much better than a video game. Great work, Anna!’

We all stood our ground and waited.

He stopped about twenty feet from us and waved one of his six arms. Then he spoke in perfect English. “Hey, gang. Which one of you is Anna Bradford?”

I tentatively held up my hand, thinking he was coming after me, yelling out some crazy thing like, “You killed my Father!” But he didn’t move closer.

“I’m Malfas, and before we start, I need to say that I’m not here to start trouble or threaten anyone. We all know what Anna did to Gladys’ demon, and I would prefer to stay alive and not be blown up and stomped to death.”

Everyone was staring at me. I shrugged and realized that I already had a reputation among demons.

My Grandmother stepped forward and faced Malfas. “I am Polly Bradford. We have no intention of threatening anyone. This is a fact-finding mission, and we are just here for the afternoon. After that, we are returning home.”

Malfas looked pained. “You’re just here for a few hours? You are not staying?”

“Correct, Malfas.”

He paused and stared. It looked like Malfas was relaying all of this information to someone else. Maybe he was just a messenger talking to whoever was making the decisions. “Fine. We will provide you with safe passage while you are here. Unfortunately, we do have a security problem. There are roving bands of demons who would see you as prey or toys, but we will discourage them from eating you.”

Polly crossed her arms. “And how do you plan on protecting us?”

Malfas pointed toward the sky. When I looked up, I could see six dragons flying our way, big dragons, like the size of dinosaurs with wings.

Derek stepped up to the front of our group. Then, he made himself known and stared at Malfas. “Tell the dragons to keep their distance.”

Malfas looked up at Derek. Suddenly, his eyes widened with recognition, then with fear. He fell to his knees and bowed his head. “I am sorry, Daeva. I did not see you there. I humbly apologize for any disrespect I might have caused.”

We all turned and looked at Derek. This Derek, who was called Daeva, was different. He no longer looked dashingly handsome like a GQ model. His features were more pronounced and sharpened. He looked much bigger, maybe seven feet tall, and much more menacing. I kept having to remind myself that Vampires were demons, too. And now, we discovered that he had a demon name, too.

All I could do was look. I was afraid of saying anything. First, I’d been singled out as a demon slayer, and now the demon was suddenly humbled by Derek, my Mom’s lover. Everything was different.

When Derek spoke, even his voice sounded different. It was deeper and more threatening. This was a real demon, not like the handsome Vampire I’d been having fantasies about. “Malfas, rise. Thank you for the respect, but you should know that you are also in the presence of Jahl.”

Malfas looked upwards and started to shake. Looking at him, it seemed like he was shrinking as he turned to James. James had stepped back to reveal his true form. He was much taller, maybe eight feet tall, and had huge wings sticking out of his back! Jahl was darker, looking like a devil, with horns protruding from his head. As he stared at Malfas, he seemed to be contemplating evil things.

Malfas prostrated himself on the ground and almost looked like he was weeping. “Please forgive me, oh masters! No one mentioned that true giants were accompanying the Witches and their Familiars. I beg that you end my life for my ignorance.”

I watched an evil look grow on James’ face until he glanced at me and winked. It was so crazy to realize that our Vampires were huge and evil-looking demons among their own kind. Around us, and with Polly and Mom, they were teddy bears.

James’ voice rumbled. “Rise, Malfas. You may live to see the next sunrise. Just remember that these Witches and their Familiars are my friends and deserve the utmost respect. You are to accompany them and ensure their safety.”

After agreeing and bowing repeatedly, Malfas began leading us inland towards the mountains. I realized the mountains were miles away. It was just how Pumpkin had described. The mountains were covered with thunderstorms. I could see the huge bolts of lightning. As we walked, Polly addressed the demon. “Malfas, tell me about the fairies’ shiny trinkets that they left for Anna.”

Malfas turned and nodded. “Yes, yes. The fairies snuck right into the dragon’s nests and stole their trinkets, which infuriated them. Some of the fairies were captured, and the dragons are holding them hostage.”

I interrupted, thinking about those little fireflies worrying they might get hurt. “What will happen to them? Were they killed?”

“The dragons will take the fairies to court and demand some form of compensation. They will probably hold the captured fairies until the court rules. After the court rules, they will make proper restitution and be set free.”

Mom looked straight at the demon. “The shiny trinkets, what is their source?”

“Dragons have always been attracted to shiny things. They still cover the Territory searching out and collecting what interests them. Long ago, dragons would venture forth into your world and steal from human beings. But those same humans started killing them, and they retreated back to the Territory.”

Doug was freaking out inside my head. ‘Oh, Anna! This is so cool. Huge demons, flying fire-breathing dragons. This place is awesome. Do you think we could ride a dragon?’

I was doing my best to shut him up. Doug was starting to remind me of a little brother that you had to babysit. ‘Enough! Stop being a pest.’

Mom turned to me. “This is a dead end. I don’t see any threats emanating from the Territory.”

Malfas looked frightened. “Well, we have no control over the outlaw groups that roam the Territory. No one can stop the bandits. But no one else sees a point in attacking your party. You are a strong, capable group.”

Polly looked at Malfas. “Is anyone else interested in talking to us?”

Malfas shrugged. “No one expected your group to arrive today. But a scheduling secretary will be coming out to greet you very soon.”

As he finished talking, a shadow appeared over their heads, and suddenly, a smaller bright yellow demon landed near us. He was four feet tall and had a long tail. He bowed to the visiting demons and nodded. “Greetings to all of our visitors. We are honored to see Jahl and Daeva. Please let us know how we can help.”

Polly looked at our Vampires waiting to see if they had anything else to add. After they both shook their heads, Polly turned back to the smaller demon who was folding his wings away. “We would like to understand the geography of the Territories. Do you have a cartographer who can provide us with maps and give us a summary of where we are visiting?”

The small demon was standing there relaying what Polly had said to someone else. “Yes, we will do that. While you are waiting, allow us to provide you with comfort. Would you like to try some of our local cuisine?”

Derek interrupted. “We would appreciate seats while we are waiting. Jahl will fly back to our vehicle and bring us food and drink.” He then turned to us. ‘I don’t know what effect their cuisine will have on your digestive system.’

Doug was getting excited. ‘Hey! I want to see what demons eat!’

I reminded him that our Familiars were demons and they ate anything with a pulse. ‘I’m not eating a rat, Doug!’

As we were standing there, two more flying demons brought us several cushions to relax on. By that time, James had flown back with snacks and drinks. While everyone was eating, I walked away with Becky and leaned in close to whisper. “It’s nice to know that we don’t have to go through my head to get here.”

Becky was grinning when she gushed, “Oh, my god! Our Vampires are so amazing and powerful, and they’re gods! I want to get naked with James! Those horns!”

I was surprised when an arm wrapped around my waist, and Mom’s voice carried to both Becky and me. “Okay, teenies, you are getting too carried away with your fangirl adorations. Our Vampires are here because they want to be. But remember that they’d rather be with us than living in the Territory.”

Naively, I asked, “Why?”

Mom smiled. “They’d rather spend time with a beautiful Witch than a demon.”

Becky and I moved away from everyone. I asked her. “How tight do we have to shutter ourselves, so no one will hear us?”

Becky shook her head. “I don’t think that we can. These are the most powerful beings that exist.”

Suddenly, James’ cultured voice entered our heads. ‘There are some demons that think they are more powerful than us, but other than the Devil himself, I think our group is pretty scary.’

Doug got excited. ’A demon fight? For real?’

‘James, do demons fight each other?’

‘A demon would only challenge something they think they could destroy. And when Anna disintegrated a large demon, they all witnessed it.’

‘How?’

‘Evidently, the demon was broadcasting the whole confrontation, thinking it would be entertaining. So all demons witnessed you commit murder.’

‘Murder? That was self-defense!’

‘Well, they all saw you attack and kill the demon. Then they saw you stomp and squash his essence. You scared them.’

No matter what I believed had happened, the demons feared me. I couldn’t win.

I watched Polly, Mom, and the cartographer talk for about an hour. When they finished, he handed them all the maps. After that, I asked him what he knew about the ancient scrolls stored in the Library.

The cartographer smiled. “We have been in the Library hundreds of times. The dragons collect ancient scrolls. If you want, we can arrange a meet and a swap.”

“Swap?”

“Of course. Shiny objects for scrolls. Just let me know when.” With that, he unfolded his wings and flew away.

I asked James. “Why was that demon small and yellow?”

“She’s female.”

After getting over my surprise, I realized what Mom meant.

We were getting ready to leave when Malfas asked us to wait. “A roving group of bandits has been spotted and will cross your path on your way to your vehicle. Three dragons will intercept them in a few minutes.”

We turned and watched. We weren’t close enough to see details, but three large dragons swooped down in formation and started burning up a circle about a quarter mile wide. Malfas narrated. “They’ve trapped the bandits and are forcing them into a tight pen until they will be burned to death.”

We watched, and I knew Doug was enjoying this the most. Burning demons were not that exciting anymore, and the smell was terrible. My last experience with burning Gladys’ demon ruined everything I wore, and it took a lot of scrubbing to get the smell out of my hair.
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Chapter Thirty-Six
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The ride home was quiet. Since Polly was pleased, we all celebrated. Becky and I were sitting all the way in the back seat with the two Vampires right in front of us. I kept staring at Derek and James’ necks and shoulders. From where I sat, the demons were gone, and they were just beautiful Vampires again.

An hour ago, they were neither beautiful nor men. They were demons, huge muscular demons. Did I mention scary? They were reading my thoughts, and finally Derek turned around and smiled at me. Suddenly, his eyes turned deep red, cat-like, demon eyes. And just as quickly as he did that, his eyes became normal again. He was smiling at me the whole time.

I pouted, leaned in to him, and whispered. “You’re a tease, Derek. You just enjoy twisting me all up inside, don’t you?”

He reached back with his hand and wiggled his fingers. He smiled at me, “You are your mother’s daughter. I love your mother very much. And it is hard not to love you, too.”

Mom was sitting in the front seat listening to our dialogue. “Derek, slow down. The three of us are not a family, and my daughter is not your child. I understand that you have a lot of love to share, but she is fourteen! That means hands off. But you certainly looked amazing today. I’ve never seen you in true demon form. I felt proud today that you are mine.”

I burst out in complaint. “Almost fifteen, Mom. Next month!” Impulsively, I reached out and touched the Vampire’s fingertips. With that simple connection, a rush of electricity ran straight through my hand, through my arm, and straight to my heart. Everything in my body buzzed, and I almost gasped out loud.

Suddenly, a slap roared through my mind, and my Mom shouted, “Anna! Stop this! Stop flaunting your precocious behavior and settle down. Do I have to lock you in the tower and throw away the key? We all know how you feel, and all of us have experienced the same feelings.”

I did not like being scolded and felt the tears forming in my eyes. Wiping them quickly, I shut them. I wanted to blame Derek because he was a tease. But I knew it was my brain that was short-circuiting. I don’t know if anybody else would have been able to handle all of this.

I looked at Becky, who was sitting next to me. She reached out and squeezed my hand. I was determined not to cry. Looking at her and not in my Mom’s direction, I mouthed the word, “fuck”.

Becky leaned in. “Anna, you definitely have too much energy. With soccer over, we have to find something to do every day to burn off all of what’s building up inside you. Let’s join a gym that has an indoor running track and weights. We can be workout partners.”

Suddenly, Polly directed her voice back to us. “Great idea, Becky. I know just the place for you, two. But you also need a trainer to design a program for you.”

I whispered, “I want to start going to the batting cages, too. But you are so right. We can hitch a ride straight to the gym after class.”

We drove away from the Territory and back into the forest. Eventually, we were back on the highway, cruising along like it was just another family outing. The only difference was the armful of maps Polly held tightly in her hands.

I heard Doug’s voice in my head. ‘That was great. So much fun. And did you see how frightened that demon was of you? I think he thought you might kill him on the spot, too. And then, when Derek and James just let it all hang out. Wow. Tell me how cool they looked. Great adventure, Anna. We’ve come a long way since you burst out of your shell.’

Out of my shell. Doug was right. I was definitely growing. ‘I’m glad you had fun, Doug. And thank you for keeping yourself under control.’

‘Hey, speaking of control. You really have it bad for Derek. What did you think of his demon form? And I saw the way he winked at you in the car. He really loves seeing how worked up he can get you. Does he have a thing for you?’

I tried to ignore Doug, but Derek’s demon form, well, did get me going. ‘I thought his demon form was scary, but so breathtaking. Do you think he never shows Mom his real form? Can you believe how huge he is.’

‘I wonder if he uses his demon strength when they’re together?’

‘Uh, Doug, stop. I’m already in the dog house talking about all this stuff, so we’ve gotta drop it.’

‘Later, girl, later.’

A couple of weeks later, I’d settled into a routine. School, Monday through Friday; the gym every afternoon; hanging with my Witchy women on Saturday; and training with Polly and my Father on Sundays. It was okay. I did have the occasional date with Phil. He seemed satisfied with dating his almost fifteen-year-old, even though he wasn’t getting into my pants. But we found other ways that could gross out Doug.

And the only thing that was going to break up this weekly routine was going to be the best birthday party ever! Polly said I could invite all of my friends, and I immediately thought of all the Witches we’d been hanging with on Saturday afternoons. And of course, they wanted to bring along some human boys, too.

I finally decided to invite Phoebee with two e’s. I approached her in the hall and found her and her three friends. As I approached slowly, one of her friends spotted me and gave her an elbow. I saw her turn and look down her nose at me.

I smiled and waited for her to recognize me. I took a breath and said, “Phoebee, would you and your friends like to attend my fifteenth birthday party? I was hoping you could invite some of your friends, too. Polly said that it was okay.”

She stared at me and frowned as if to say, " Who are you? But then, realizing who I was and when she heard the word “party," she paid more attention. “Are those beautiful men going to be there?”

I nodded. “Uh-huh. Mom’s boyfriend, my Father, and Polly’s boyfriend will be there, too.”

“Are they all that yummy?”

I grinned. “Yep.”

Phoebee frowned and made a face. “Do I have to buy you a present?”

“Oh, no. No presents. Polly doesn’t like it when people leave anything behind at our house. Maybe I should make up a gift bag for everyone who comes.”

Phoebee thought for a minute. “Okay, I’m bringing seven people. Can you handle it?”

I nodded. “Sure, it’s a big place. I’ll text you the address.”

She had already turned and walked away. As I watched her and her three friends, I smiled. They all walked like runway fashion models, lifting their feet like horses. I loved watching them prance. So pretentious. ‘What do you think of them, Doug?’

‘They’re hot, but so stuck up. I can’t picture them being much fun to hang with.’

When I told Becky, she reminded me to tell everyone else that we’d have more humans attending, too.

Mom insisted we have a cake and sweets. Polly wanted it catered properly with appetizers, beverages, and light fare. Mom wanted to hang a banner that said Happy Birthday. I did agree to all of it because they said it was okay to invite Richard. He and Polly had been getting along better since they’d both been tutoring me on Sundays. I was excited to have my Father there in a relaxed situation.

Polly and I went shopping, and she helped me pick out a party dress. Becky came along for moral support, and Polly even outfitted her with everything she wanted. I was glad Polly was behind my dress because it was much more sophisticated than I would have gotten on my own. It was a beautiful blue that accented my eyes and my skin tone. Polly said she’d make arrangements for Becky and me to get to the salon for the works.

On the day of the party, everyone attended. We were all inside the big living room. Polly had opened all the patio doors and put out big heaters to keep us comfortable outside. She had hired a piano player to play her baby grand. We had a bartender, several people walking around offering appetizers, and a buffet where this guy was making custom sandwiches. I was happy that all my Witchy friends brought dates. Becky and I suspected that they were controlling their dates using pheromones, which seemed harmless since they only had eyes for their Witch.

Doug was watching the Witches and the guys. ‘I don’t know, Anna. It doesn’t seem right that they’re manipulating those guys’ minds using Witchy power. Do these guys know that they are dating Witches?’

‘I doubt it, but I don’t know. I’ve never tried to keep a guy under control. What would I do with Phil? I already have my hands full just keeping him out of my pants.’

‘Couldn’t you control his mind?’

‘Maybe. But I don’t want to date a robot. I need a little spirit.

‘Oh, yeah. Phil’s agenda and yours are different. But I guess that’s the difference between a guy and you.’

‘Doug, are you sad that you’re stuck at fourteen and won’t celebrate your fifteenth birthday?’

‘Nah. Fourteen is a perfect age. All fun, no responsibility, and most importantly, I don’t get in trouble anymore. But Anna, did you invite Phil?’

‘I did. But we’re just dating. He’s fun to talk to and all. But I’m not feeling more than that.’

‘Well, maybe that’s good. You certainly can’t handle another Derek crush.’

Naturally, Phoebee and her gang arrived fashionably late. She’d brought four guys with her posse. James greeted them all at the door. With his English accent and his impeccable manners, all the girls were instantly smitten. I was sure that after they met my Father and Derek, things would get even more interesting. Phoebee was all eyes, looking everywhere. I’m sure Polly’s house left them breathless. And Mom had given the two Vampires and my Father permission to open their screens and release a bit of pheromones. Naturally, Polly was everywhere, dousing all the boys with her strong scent.

Phoebee came up and grabbed my arm to steady herself. “Oh, my God! Bradford, this place is an estate, and all these people are movie stars! Even your friends are all beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best!”

It was obvious that she’d already overdosed on pheromones five minutes after she’d walked in and would need to be chaperoned for the rest of the afternoon. Mom told me it was my job to keep an eye on her.

‘Anna, just keep her from taking her clothes off and doing lewd dances in front of everybody. Reading her mind, it’s obvious she’s going to be a full-time party girl when she’s done with high school. I’ll bet she is prenant twice before she’s twenty.’

‘Mom, can you help me here? I think all the humans are totally losing it.’ All of Phoebee’s girls were all over their boyfriends, and I honestly worried that this was going to turn into some kind of birthday orgy. The boys were all overdosed on Polly’s pheromones, and their eyes were already rolling in their heads.

Looking at my Mom, she smiled. ‘Ten minutes from now, they’ll all be exhausted and sleeping it off.

I looked over to see Phoebee dancing with Luna, swinging her around in the air. This was a great show. Two E’s was holding my fluffy cat and swaying in an open space. I think that Phoebee thought that they were waltzing together.

Luna caught my eye. ‘Oh, Anna. This is so much fun. I feel like I’m in a Disney movie with Cinderella. Look at us, we are floating!’

‘I’m glad you’re having fun, Luna. Just watch out. Phoebee could just pass out from overdosing on pheromones and drop you.’

‘Nah, we’re having fun. I’ve been very careful and only had to keep her upright a few times. She’s crazy wonderful!’

I could take a deep breath because Luna was chaperoning Phoebee and keeping her out of trouble. I smiled and tried not to laugh out loud at Phobee totally losing it. I wish I made a video to save for her. If she saw her glassy eyes and the bit of drool coming out of the corner of her mouth, well, I could have blackmailed her for life. I spoke to my Familiar. ‘When you’ve had enough, bite or scratch her.’

Mom immediately intervened. ‘No. When you are tired of being treated like a stuffed animal, I will come rescue you.’

‘Oh, no. Seriously, this is cool. This girl is so high that I’m getting a contact buzz. It’s great. I’ve never had my own human to play with. I like it. But she is going to be hurting for at least a week from this hangover.’

I watched Phoebee off in her own world, humming and waltzing with my Familiar. The other Familiars were all hiding or made themselves invisible. But Luna was encouraging Phoebee to feed her bits of the seafood appetizers as often as she demanded them. Phoebee was doing anything Luna asked. I wondered how much she’d remember about the party.

In the meantime, Doug was having a blast watching all the senior girls becoming wasted on pheromones. He thought it was hysterical.

Soon, the guys who came with Phoebee had fallen asleep out on the patio. They’d all overdosed on Polly’s scent and were sleeping it off.

Finally, Mom arranged for a stretch limo to take the eight humans home. I had to give the driver their addresses because none of them were in any shape to talk or drive. It was easy to pop into Phoebee’s head and get the addresses from her phone.

Polly gave the driver instructions to drive around with the windows open for an hour to let the humans breathe fresh air. Mom had assured me that their pheromone overdose was not detectable like drugs and alcohol, so even the angriest of parents couldn’t hold us responsible.

After the humans left, everyone relaxed and just hung out. My Witchy girls loved flirting with the men, but they understood what was happening. None of them was making a fool of themselves. They were enjoying the bliss.

The Witchy women let Polly have her way with their dates, and we watched them trip all over their feet trying to clamor for my Grandmother’s attention. Eventually, Polly tucked them in outside under the heaters and gave each of them a blanket.

We sat around and stuffed ourselves with party food and sodas. Everyone agreed that it was a great birthday party and a big success. But we all decided to invite Phoebee to every party and make sure we’d dosed her with pheromones as entertainment.