A fun, random idea and prolouge.
"Come on, Vicki, you need to hurry in." Mark called out to Vicki, who was getting high in the back of the Grill. It was a common sight, but not one he enjoyed... though nor was it a sight he had a problem with. Vicki's life was not exactly easy, what with paying all the bills, being treated like garbage by most of the town of Mystic Falls and having whore of a mother who abandoned her and her brother to a life of extreme poverty.
The girl turned to him, smiling with some warmth. "You are such a buzz kill, Mark." She put out her joint and hurried in, spraying herself with some perfume to mask the scent poorly.
He just sighed at her. "One of these days, they're going to fire you for that."
She sighed. "I know, but until then..."
Rolling his eyes at his friend, he hurried back to the floor. He was a busboy, working three days a week to save up for college and pay for anything he needed in life. Like Vicki and her brother, he lived alone and had no family. The Town of Mystic Falls, despite have enough money for lavish parties and celebrations, did nothing for the many that needed it. Those affected by poverty, abuse and drug use.
He could not wait to get out of the damn place.
Until then, however, he had tables to bus. He nodded along to the music, grateful that it was rather slow. He hated people, and would rather work as a cook, but they only had a busboy job for him and so he had no choice but to bus and endure the idiots about.
And so he bused and worked hard, at least until he saw someone, a grown ass adult, grab Vicki's ass making her recoil and something in him snapped. It was a literal snapping to, like a glass ball shattering in his chest, releasing a flood of warmth that moved through his body and into his eyes. He almost saw it moving like a wave of force that knocked the man's Pepsi over, straight onto his lap.
The man got up, cursing and shouting, but Mark didn't care. Ignoring his shaking, his fear that he had somehow done that, he walked straight to the man and said. "Get out, I saw you grope her. I don't care what you have to say, you are a grown-ass man! Grow up and stop assaulting people, you freaking pig."
The man turned to him, growling, only stopping when he realized he was making a scene. "She's like her mother, not worth the diseases she'd give me anyway." He stomped away, embarrassed.
Turning to Vicki, he smiled. "You okay?"
She smiled. " Thanks, you might be the only one who'd stand up for me without wanting to sleep with me."
"You're my friend, Vicki, you deserve better... now let's get back to work before Leslie kills us."
And so he put his terror on the back burner, waiting for the next two hours until he got home to do something about it.
"""
Focusing hard as soon as he got into his trailer, Mark looked at the little sand garden his therapist had given him. Remembering the snapping in his chest, he watched as the sand floated up, little by little until it all but danced around. Only to fall down as his energy failed and his nose started to bleed.
"What the hell was that? Lord Google, help me out..." It took an hour, but he found two things that made him smile. "Psychic or a witch...okay... a spell to start fire... let's see what I can do..." Turning to a candle on his table, he focused hard. "Incendia." he focused hard, with an insane focus that came from a lifetime of self-control. To his amazement, there was another surge of power in his chest, lighter and more pained, and a small baby flame erupted on the candle's wick.
And then he passed out, waking ( according to his clock) ten minutes later.
"Well, that was terrifying... witch it is... now, why is this so tiring, and am I in danger of dying from it?" Another google search, or well several lasting well into the night, he found a whole host of answers. He cross-searched many things and created a list of answers. "Okay, magic comes from within and extra sources like nature, the elements, and enchanted objects and sacrifice. Using too much renders you sick and even dead, which also means I am not very strong if I am suffering from symptoms so soon. Spells can be cast in any language but it is required to say the words right to invoke the energy properly and to understand what you are saying.. also witches are immune to mental magics cast by vampires, which is terrifying... Note to self, get a stake and some... vervain and I guess it is time to sign up for self-defense. Herbs and minerals are used to focus and harness magic, which means I need herbs and minerals to cast spells...
Ugh, this is going to be fun but also so badly suck. Why I am so weak is... wait, maybe there is a reason..." This time it only took a few minutes to find answers, this time on a forum about Wiccan culture. "What is a Traveler... also called Gypsies, they are weak witches cursed... to never tap into the earth for power and suffer horrible disasters when working as a group due to a curse placed on then two thousand years ago. Mentions of these disasters follow them like breadcrumbs... many witch bloodlines can trace their powers to the Travelers, who are not truly considered witches anymore due to schism created by the curse... when a Traveler stops practicing, the curse no longer holds power, and they can live a natural life...
So I guess that is the question, to practice or not... oh who am I kidding, I am going to practice, I have no one to practice with if I am a Traveler, so the curse should hold no effect. In theory at least... sucks that I might be cursed though, for something I had no part in... might as well make my own grimoire, testing out these spells, and my limits... thankfully I have off for the next few days and school starts on Monday. Thank you Leslie for letting me have off this weekend... and thank me for only having three classes each day since I tested out of them. Lots of time to practice and learn."
And so, with that, he dived into the craft with a passion that before had made him an AP student despite the bias Mystic Falls had for it's stupid Founders bloodlines...
Who knew what he would learn, discover and manifest over the next few weeks?
He could not wait to discover it all...
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a fun story and chapter. If magic existed it would be on the Internet. Shane the College guy found out so much through a life time of research, Bonnie's grams taught a class on it, so clearly, the knowledge is out there. This is the only way I can see someone not of a lucky bloodline to learn it.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.