Time!

It was eleven, and the house had fallen silent. Mr. Maclay had shut his light off almost half an hour ago, Donnie had closed his door shortly after, and the television no longer flickered blue-green and white in the living room. Beth was all set up with pillows and blankets on the pullout sofa-bed. Tara rose from her bed, fully dressed in a pair of patch-covered jeans paired with a red thermal shirt beneath a pale blue tee. She knelt beside her bed, slipping her hand between the mattresses for the second flattened box she had stored there. She popped it back into its six-sided state, then stuffed a blanket under her door to both block light and muffle sounds. Flicking the switch, the blonde witch's room was at once illuminated in an artificial, yellow-tinted glow. As quietly as possible, this box was duct-taped closed on the bottom. Now it was time to unload the small bookcase.

Tara made short work of this, taking no more than ten minutes to place the shelf's contents into the bottom of the box. A pair of small photo books went next, followed by a tiny, framed picture of her mother beaming and holding an almost impossibly small Tara that was kept in the drawer of her nightstand. A bittersweet smile flashed across the Wiccan's face, and with a sigh was gone again as she returned focus to her goal.

Cassette tapes stacked neatly on top of the photo books, and then candleholders went back into their original bubble wrap and boxes. Taper and votive candles were wrapped in a pillowcase, along with a package of tea lights, a trio of incense burners, packages of jasmine and sandalwood. The pillowcase went into the box next. A second pillowcase was designated for wrapping her breakables, cushioned by mateless socks. A miniature jade Buddah, a small replica of Tutankamen's sarcophagus, and various animal figurines went into the makeshift bag. This bag was cushioned top and bottom with sheets and her knitted blanket. She finally gave the room another once-over, then taped the box shut and left it in the middle of the floor. Considering for a moment, she took up her marker and labeled this box "STUFF."

What else, what else? Tara had already packed the remaining bag, her backpack, with a new-ish paperback she was reading, her Walkman with fresh batteries and a good mix tape inside, and some food. A couple packages of Pop-Tarts, some Ritz crackers, Cheetos, various other junk. The kind of stuff she wouldn't normally eat but she could sneak bit by bit out of the kitchen without being noticeable, as she had done throughout the night. She also had three bottles of water for the trip. She figured she could refill them from drinking fountains, if she needed to. Her cash had also gone into the bag, which would be her carry-on for the bus ride. Very important not to allow the bag to get out of sight. Her tickets were in the side pocket, which was less visible than the front pockets. She still left room for her things from the bathroom in the bag's middle pocket.

Looking around, she realized that was pretty much all that was left. She shut the light off, then pulled the velux blanket away from the door as she let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Then she picked up the bag and headed for the bathroom, across the hall from Donnie's room. Here she packed her brush, dental floss, toothbrush, her remaining supply of monthly necessities, a pair of razors, shampoo, and her shower pouf with the fishy on it. Ooh, and the spare tube of toothpaste, can't forget that. She snagged a pair of towels and a washcloth almost as an afterthought, stuffing them into the bottom of the bag. It was pretty full, and she didn't see anything else she couldn't replace easily. That was it for this room. She glanced at her Mickey Mouse pocketwatch, seeing with surprise that it was already 11:50. Almost time to head out!

Tara flicked the bathroom light off, then slipped back into her room, replacing the blanket under the door before turning her room's light back on. She set her bag down on the bed and quietly wheeled the hand-truck out of the closet. The sewing bag suitcase came off the top, and the fair-haired girl carefully lifted the second box, placing it on top of the first and strapping it firmly into place. The suitcase went back on top of the boxes, also secured to the truck. A satisfied but slightly fearful feeling washed over Tara as she looked at her room, mostly stripped of its personality now.

She had decided to go ahead and write the note, just as an extra precaution to be sure she couldn't be taken back against her will. She sat cross-legged on her bed and wrote the note.

"Dad and Donnie, I've decided that I have to leave. I didn't take anything that wasn't mine. I know you will be upset, but I need to get out on my own. I am sure you will be okay without me. Don't worry about me and please don't come after me. Tara."

She sighed and set the note on her bed, then went to her closet to take her jacket out. She put it on in one quick motion, and slipped her backpack over her shoulders. She let out a long, calming breath and got ready to wheel the hand-truck over to the door to put her sneakers on. Just then, a quiet, almost hesitant tap came at her door. The Wiccan's eyes widened in horror and she set the truck back down, flicking her light off.

The tap came again, more insistently. This time it was followed by a feminine whisper. "Tara? Can I come in?"