Chapter Twenty-Five




The next day, the atmosphere of the Summers house was slightly different. No one was fighting, especially not Darry and Kellie, no one was arguing and wishing that another person wasn't in the same room as they were. Everything was smooth and almost like any other household in America. Well almost.
"You're a werewolf?" Kellie asked her cousin as she poured a glass of orange juice.
"Yeah." Darry answered, looking over Kellie. She was surprised how well the girl was taking the news.
"That's cool." Kellie said.
"Not really." Darry muttered, Kellie really couldn't understand what it was like.
Kellie shrugged. "I wish I had super powers like you and Buffy and Willow." Kellie said.
"Well, Willow doesn't have any 'powers' anymore. She doesn't practice Wicca anymore." Dawn said, joining their conversation from her place at the kitchen table.
Kellie frowned. "That's too bad, I would have liked to see some spells." Kellie muttered.
Darry thought for a minute, she might know where Kellie could see a practicing witch. After all, this was Sunnydale; why not make the best of the oddities?

Darry and Kellie entered the Magic Box, which only had Anya in it; the girl was behind the counter asleep.
Kellie walked over to Anya. "Oh look, Anya's sleeping." Kellie said and smiled. "WAKE UP!" She screamed, loud enough to wake everyone, who was still asleep, in Sunnydale.
Anya awoke with a start and a yelp. "What the… oh Kellie and Darry." She said and took a breath. "Don't ever do that again." Anya said.
Kellie grimaced. "Sorry." She apologized.
Anya smiled and then looked over at Darry. "What's up?" She asked.
Darry shrugged. "I know this is a weird question Anya but will you take Kellie and I to Amy's house?" Darry asked.
Anya frowned. "Why would you want to go there? After what happened last time?" Anya asked.
Kellie became interested. "Did she do a spell?" Kellie asked. "Is she really a real witch? I knew it." Kellie added.
Anya frowned. "Yeah she's a witch alright. Nearly got us all killed." Anya muttered.
Darry rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't go quiet that far." She muttered.
Kellie's eyebrows rose. "Almost got you killed?" Kellie asked. "Cool." She said.
Anya shook her head. "Not cool." She said. "But, I'll take you there anyway." She decided and smiled. She decided and smiled. Anya, Darry and Kellie headed out of the Magic Box; Anya paused to flip the 'Closed' sign on the door.
"Where exactly are we going?" Kellie asked, looking over at her cousin whom she trusted more then the ex-demon.
"To this girl named Amy's house; I've only been there once, that's why we need Anya to take us there." Darry answered.
Soon, the trio arrived at Amy's house; Anya decided to use her better judgment and left Darry and Kellie there by themselves. Anya wasn't in the mood to mess with spells and magick at the moment. So, with Anya gone, Darry rang the door bell.
Amy answered the door, her hair looked slightly disheveled and she looked tried. She looked slightly surprised to see Darry standing there. "What are you doing here?" Amy asked, trying not to sound unkind.
Darry looked at the witch. "Did we come at a bad time?" Darry asked, looking closer at Amy.
Amy shook her head. "No, I'm fine. What's the occasion for dropping by?" Amy asked.
Darry motioned to Kellie. "This is my cousin Kellie; she wants to see someone do some 'real' magick. I knew that you were a witch." Darry explained.
Amy smiled, once again brightening at the mention of magick. "Of course, come on in. My dad's not home so we can have the whole house to ourselves." Amy said and stepped aside so the two could come in.
Darry and Kellie entered the house, surprised to see the shades drawn and the house dim. Kellie looked around, slightly surprised by all the weird nick-knacks that adorned the tables and shelves of the living room.
"So, you're a real witch?" Kellie asked, picking up a brittle flower off of the coffee table.
Amy snatched the flower away. "I wouldn't touch that; I'm sure nothing bad would happen but just to be sure." Amy muttered and tucked the flower into her pocket.
"What does it do?" Kellie asked.
"I know what that flower does." Darry said, entering the conversation. "That's Lethe's Bramble, it makes you forget things and stuff." Darry answered.
Amy nodded; Kellie grimaced and looked over at Darry. Amy walked away from the two. "So, what sort of spell do you want to do?" Amy asked and turned to a bookshelf.
Kellie thought. "Any spell I guess." She answered, not aware that there was indeed more then one type of 'magic'.
Amy pulled a leather-covered book of the shelf and began flipping through the papers. She carried the book back over to where Darry and Kellie stood and set it on the coffee table.
"I've never done this spell before, I don't really know what it does; let's try it out." Amy suggested and sat on her knees beside the table.
Darry and Kellie sat on their knees as well. "Do you think that it's a good idea then? To just try a spell, on whim?" Darry asked.
Amy nodded. "It'll be find, I'm a trained witch." Amy said.
Darry rolled her eyes, not aware that there was such a thing as a 'trained witch'.
Amy began to read the words in the spell; the words were in Yiddish so, once again, Darry couldn't understand them and she was sure Kellie couldn't either.
The second Amy finished reading the words in the book a bright yellow light engulfed the three at the table. Darry was slightly aware of a tingling in her arms and legs. She looked over at Kellie, who was looking confused and slightly frightened.
Amy seemed confused but not some much scared as Kellie did. Then, there was another flash of light and the tingling intensified. Then Darry wasn't aware of any feeling at all.

When Darry awoke (or it felt like she had just awoken, as though she had been asleep) she was more confused then anything. Then she was frightened and confused again; it was hard to get a grip on her thoughts. She realized that she could smell almost everything and hear rather well, almost as though she was in werewolf form. For a panicked moment, Darry thought she was in werewolf form. However, she realized that that wasn't possible; the first reason being that she could think, her own thoughts. When she was a werewolf, she couldn't think at all: everything was jumbled and confused and violent.
Darry opened her eyes and quickly wished she hadn't. Everything was very big and large and very scary. With a start, Darry jumped to her feet and for the first time realized that she wasn't human. She looked down at her arms and saw that they were paws. She attempted to turn her head to look behind her but all she could see was a long pink tail. And she saw Kellie, lying on her side on the ground. Or who she thought was Kellie; instead of a human Kellie lying on the ground there was a rat Kellie. A horrible thought suddenly dawned on Darry: what if Amy's spell had turned them all into rats? At the moment, that seemed like the only explanation even if it wasn't a very good one.
Darry scampered over to Kellie and placed her forepaws on Kellie's side and shook her. Darry realized that being a rat wasn't much different then being a werewolf. Except, rats were more scatterbrained and scared; right now, Darry kept looking over her shoulder and wanting to run.
Darry shook Kellie; the tiny rat awoke and blinked her eyes. Suddenly, with a start, Kellie jumped to her feet and took off running across the living room carpet.
Darry cried, realizing that she could talk in 'mouse language'.
The rat stopped in her tracks and turned around, regarding Darry. Kellie asked.
Darry shrugged her tiny rat shoulders. I wish I knew, but its okay. You don't have to run. Darry reassured her cousin.
Kellie slowly hopped/walked back over to where Darry sat. Kellie asked, looking over her shoulder.
Darry said and looked over at Amy, who was also in rat form and still lying on her side.
Kellie and Darry slowly walked over to where Amy lay. Kellie nuzzled her side. She yelled in the rat's ear.
Amy awoke with a start and then looked down at herself. Amy yelled and buried her head in her tiny paws.
Darry asked, looking at the rat.
Amy looked up at them. Amy cried.
Kellie looked at herself and then at Amy. Kellie asked.
Amy whined and looked herself over. Amy whined.
Darry glowed at Amy. Darry asked, frowning and wiggling her whiskers.
Amy nodded. Amy cried.
Kellie asked. Before waiting for Amy to answer, Kellie said, Kellie leapt at Amy and began clawing her. Darry watched her cousin attack the witch in rat form.
Darry muttered. Darry added.
Kellie stopped scratching Amy and backed off the witch. She turned to Darry. She apologized and backed away from Amy and went behind her cousin.
Darry asked, eyeing the rat.
Amy looked over at Darry and Kellie. Amy asked, swishing her long pink tail.
Darry rolled her eyes. Darry muttered.
Amy didn't pay attention to what Darry said. Amy said.
Kellie stood on her hind legs. Kellie muttered.
Darry had to agree with her cousin; mapping out going to the Summers house and getting Willow to change them back to people but the rat brain on overload. Darry said and looked over at her cousin.
Kellie nodded. Kellie said.
Amy muttered, joining the two. Amy asked.
Darry frowned, as well as rats can frown. Darry asked.
Amy lifted her head. Amy said. The other two rats lifted their heads to listen. Amy said.
Darry said. The rat suggested.
Kellie nodded. She agreed.
As the footsteps neared, the three rats scampered across the living room and toward the door, Amy was in the lead since she was more used to the rat body then the other two. As they neared the door, they heard a key slid into the key hold and heard the lock snap.
Amy advised and flattened her ears.
Darry couldn't help but feel herself tense, her little rat brain was registering the fact that something exciting and possibly scary was about to happen. The door opened and Amy's dad stepped in. Kellie bolted, running Darry over in her haste to get outside. Kellie ran past Mr. Madison's feet and onto the sidewalk.
"What the…?" Mr. Madison grumbled as Kellie-rat ran past him. Amy and Darry made to run like Kellie had but Mr. Madison stooped and caught the two rats in his hand.
Darry squeaked and clawed at Mr. Madison's hand the rat brain taking over completely. Mr. Madison cupped the two rats in his hands so that Darry and Amy couldn't escape.
"Amy must have let her stupid mice out again." Mr. Madison groaned and carried the two rats over toward the coffee table. "I don't see a cage." He muttered. He saw a spare shoebox and decided to put the rats inside.
"There." He muttered and put the lid over the cardboard sides. "Where is Amy anyway?" He muttered as he walked away.
Inside the shoebox, Darry couldn't help but feel that she was going to be a rat forever.