THE INTRODUCTION
Chapter Eight
They all looked at one another. "That's kind of a long story," the cute guy named Marco said, "Well, actually it's a really long story. What say guys," he asked looking around at his friends and then me, "I think we should go somewhere more appropriate to tell this story." They all nodded, and Ax began to morph a human. When he was finished, I noticed that he had some sort of cheesy looking spandex clothes on. **I was right,** I thought to myself, **it has to be skintight.** "Alright you guys," Jake said, "Lets go."
A little while later we were in Cassie's barn. I looked around me in awe at all the wounded animals housed there. "Your dad's a veterinarian?" I asked Cassie, wanting to make sure I was right. "My mom too," Cassie replied, "Except she works at the Gardens." I nodded my head, I had been to the gardens before. Fun coasters.
Pretty soon everyone was seated in different areas, some on bales of hay. All except for Cassie that is; she was feeding a raccoon that had burn marks on it. I myself was seated on a particularly comfortable bale of hay, with another one to my back. It was like a grassy lounge chair. Turns out it was a good thing I was comfortable. Because that story did take a long time to tell. When Jake had finished, however, I was anything but tired or bored. My eyes were wide, having heard all that they went through, all the battles, the blood. "Wow," I said out loud, "You guys have been through a lot."
They silently nodded, Cassie seated by now. Then Rachel, the pretty blonde that seemed not to fit into the categorical blonde area at all, spoke up. "Explain to us," she said, a quizzical look on her face, "how exactly you found out about us." She gestured with her arms to indicate the six of them. I gulped. The secret that I kept within the walls of my home, the ears of my relatives, was about to be spilled to, as far as I was concerned, six complete strangers. The pause was immeasurable. Finally I got up the guts to tell.
"Well," I said, drawing it out as long as I could, "Actually, I'm a witch." I stopped at that. It seemed to be a prompt for the five of them, sans Ax, to start laughing. I crossed my arms and got all huffy; this was my life and they thought I was joking. When they noticed I wasn't laughing at all, they slowed and stopped. Marco, who seemed to be the joker of the group, sat up. "Are you telling us that you're like Sabrina on TV?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Something like that," I replied, "Except I have no witches council, nor do I have restrictions on name brands." Rachel seemed to perk up at that. "Really?" she said, her voice brimming with curiosity, "so, say I wanted the latest Gap outfit out there, you could make it appear?"
Now it was my turn to laugh. "Yep, that's what I'm saying." "How bout a car?" That question was from Marco, "Like a 2003 Dodge viper, complete with everything, and in the color black." I nodded, "I could do that to." "Do it," was the instantaneous reply from everyone but Jake and Ax. "Come on you guys," he said, talking to his friends, "This is like exploitation or something like that." I looked at him, genuinely appreciative for his concern, "It's okay."
We walked outside, Jake looking like he felt bad for me. I didn't mind though, its not like I was being forced into anything. Looking around, I discretely pointed to an empty spot in the dirt drive and muttered a rhyme while envisioning what I wanted. "No one near, no one far, Please give me this awesome car." The rhyme was lame, I know, but it worked. One second it was just an empty dirt and gravel drive, the next second a glorious black, shiny, chrome-rimmed, fully-loaded Viper sat where air had been before. Everyone just stared. All that is, except for Ax. "How exactly is it that you make things appear out of nothing? Or was this always here, merely cloaked? Loaked.clo..cloaked." I looked at him and shrugged, ignoring the fact that he kept going over the word, "I really don't know Ax, it wasn't here that's the only thing I know," I looked around me, then back to Ax, "What it is called though in today's terms is 'magic' or 'witchcraft'." Ax looked thoughtful.
"That is absolutely amazing," Marco said, walking up to the car, "Can I open it?" I leaned down and picked up the keys that had materialized at my feet when the car appeared. "Sure thing," I said, tossing him the keys. He wasted no time in pressing the unlock button on the remote, and opening up the car. Drivers side of course. "Rachel," he said, his voice in awe, "Have you ever seen this much leather? Or finish? This thing shines!!" Rachel was looking at the car very appreciatively too; she got in on the passenger side. Marco, in the meantime, had taken to pretending he was driving. "You're such an idiot," she said, rolling her eyes, "You have the keys, start the car."
Marco looked at me, eyes gleaming, "Can I?" I grinned at him and nodded, "Go ahead." He quickly put the keys in the ignition, and turned it, anxiously waiting for the sound of the engine. Nothing happened. "It's a standard, "I said, "Put your foot on the clutch all the way and try again." He did what I said and turned the key again. This time the engine roared to life with an appreciative growl. "Whoa," he said, "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Rachel hit his arm, "Like you know the first thing about how an engine should sound." He grinned sheepishly, "Well it sounds beautiful to me." Rachel laughed, listening to the engine, "I guess so."
"Hey kids." We all looked up in shock at the sound of a new voice. "Oh, hi dad," Cassie said, "Going to check the barn? I was just there, everything's fine." He smiled, "Nah, I wasn't going to check the barn, I know you're capable of caring for the animals Cass," He looked at the Viper, with it's engine still idling, "I just heard this beauty roar to life, and wondered what it was." Everyone looked relieved. "Whose is it anyways?" he asked, looking around to all of us. When his eyes settled on me, the new one in the group, he put out his hand. "Hi, I'm Cassie's dad, are you a new friend?" I shook his hand, smiling back at him, "Yes, I just met everybody.I know Cassie from school." He nodded, then looked around at us again. "Alright you guys, don't get into any trouble now, Okay?" We all just laughed, as if trouble was the farthest thing from our minds.
When he had left, they all looked at me, and Marco turned off the car, giving me back the keys. Jake finally voiced the question they all wanted to ask, "What exactly can you do with these powers?" I felt uncomfortable under all their intense stares, especially Tobias, because he was in hawk form, and lemme tell you, those eyes can stare. "I can do almost anything, under certain exceptions." Marco gestured, "Like?" I ticked them off on my fingers, "I cannot kill with them, I cannot raise the dead with them, I cannot make anyone fall in love, I cannot affect free will in anyway, I cannot create new life, and I cannot manipulate natural forces." "Wow," Rachel said, "That's a lot of conditions." I shrugged, "I've gotten used to the limitations, its more of a morality thing." They all just nodded.
Finally Jake spoke. "Well," he said, looking at everyone, "We have school tomorrow, and I think this is enough excitement for one day. (everyone nodded at that) Why don't we all get some rest tonight, and tomorrow after school, we'll make a trip to the gardens, Nicole will need some morphs." Then Cassie turned to me, "Eat lunch with me and Rach tomorrow?" I nodded and smiled, "Sure thing. You guys don't all eat together?" Jake shook his head, "Don't want to arouse any suspicions by hanging around each other all the time." I could see the logic in that, "True, true."
I turned to the car I had magicked into existence. "Well then," I said, looking at the darkening sky, "I've been gone three days, I guess I should be getting home." When I mentioned the three days, the whole group looked kind of abashed, and I laughed. "Don't worry about putting me through that, I understand," I looked them all in the eyes, "You can never be too careful." They looked slightly livened at that. I got into the car, rolled down the window, and started the engine. Waving at them, I put the car into first, and pulled out of the dirt drive. Once I got onto paved roads, I used the power that the car had and soon was soaring down the road in fifth gear, (I didn't use sixth gear on suburban roads) doing ninety. I prided myself on my driving skills, comparing them to those of stunt or professional drivers on closed courses. Using my powers to make sure that no cars, kids, dogs, cats, police, etc. would get in my way, I grinned as I sped home. Being a witch sure did have its perks.
Chapter Eight
They all looked at one another. "That's kind of a long story," the cute guy named Marco said, "Well, actually it's a really long story. What say guys," he asked looking around at his friends and then me, "I think we should go somewhere more appropriate to tell this story." They all nodded, and Ax began to morph a human. When he was finished, I noticed that he had some sort of cheesy looking spandex clothes on. **I was right,** I thought to myself, **it has to be skintight.** "Alright you guys," Jake said, "Lets go."
A little while later we were in Cassie's barn. I looked around me in awe at all the wounded animals housed there. "Your dad's a veterinarian?" I asked Cassie, wanting to make sure I was right. "My mom too," Cassie replied, "Except she works at the Gardens." I nodded my head, I had been to the gardens before. Fun coasters.
Pretty soon everyone was seated in different areas, some on bales of hay. All except for Cassie that is; she was feeding a raccoon that had burn marks on it. I myself was seated on a particularly comfortable bale of hay, with another one to my back. It was like a grassy lounge chair. Turns out it was a good thing I was comfortable. Because that story did take a long time to tell. When Jake had finished, however, I was anything but tired or bored. My eyes were wide, having heard all that they went through, all the battles, the blood. "Wow," I said out loud, "You guys have been through a lot."
They silently nodded, Cassie seated by now. Then Rachel, the pretty blonde that seemed not to fit into the categorical blonde area at all, spoke up. "Explain to us," she said, a quizzical look on her face, "how exactly you found out about us." She gestured with her arms to indicate the six of them. I gulped. The secret that I kept within the walls of my home, the ears of my relatives, was about to be spilled to, as far as I was concerned, six complete strangers. The pause was immeasurable. Finally I got up the guts to tell.
"Well," I said, drawing it out as long as I could, "Actually, I'm a witch." I stopped at that. It seemed to be a prompt for the five of them, sans Ax, to start laughing. I crossed my arms and got all huffy; this was my life and they thought I was joking. When they noticed I wasn't laughing at all, they slowed and stopped. Marco, who seemed to be the joker of the group, sat up. "Are you telling us that you're like Sabrina on TV?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Something like that," I replied, "Except I have no witches council, nor do I have restrictions on name brands." Rachel seemed to perk up at that. "Really?" she said, her voice brimming with curiosity, "so, say I wanted the latest Gap outfit out there, you could make it appear?"
Now it was my turn to laugh. "Yep, that's what I'm saying." "How bout a car?" That question was from Marco, "Like a 2003 Dodge viper, complete with everything, and in the color black." I nodded, "I could do that to." "Do it," was the instantaneous reply from everyone but Jake and Ax. "Come on you guys," he said, talking to his friends, "This is like exploitation or something like that." I looked at him, genuinely appreciative for his concern, "It's okay."
We walked outside, Jake looking like he felt bad for me. I didn't mind though, its not like I was being forced into anything. Looking around, I discretely pointed to an empty spot in the dirt drive and muttered a rhyme while envisioning what I wanted. "No one near, no one far, Please give me this awesome car." The rhyme was lame, I know, but it worked. One second it was just an empty dirt and gravel drive, the next second a glorious black, shiny, chrome-rimmed, fully-loaded Viper sat where air had been before. Everyone just stared. All that is, except for Ax. "How exactly is it that you make things appear out of nothing? Or was this always here, merely cloaked? Loaked.clo..cloaked." I looked at him and shrugged, ignoring the fact that he kept going over the word, "I really don't know Ax, it wasn't here that's the only thing I know," I looked around me, then back to Ax, "What it is called though in today's terms is 'magic' or 'witchcraft'." Ax looked thoughtful.
"That is absolutely amazing," Marco said, walking up to the car, "Can I open it?" I leaned down and picked up the keys that had materialized at my feet when the car appeared. "Sure thing," I said, tossing him the keys. He wasted no time in pressing the unlock button on the remote, and opening up the car. Drivers side of course. "Rachel," he said, his voice in awe, "Have you ever seen this much leather? Or finish? This thing shines!!" Rachel was looking at the car very appreciatively too; she got in on the passenger side. Marco, in the meantime, had taken to pretending he was driving. "You're such an idiot," she said, rolling her eyes, "You have the keys, start the car."
Marco looked at me, eyes gleaming, "Can I?" I grinned at him and nodded, "Go ahead." He quickly put the keys in the ignition, and turned it, anxiously waiting for the sound of the engine. Nothing happened. "It's a standard, "I said, "Put your foot on the clutch all the way and try again." He did what I said and turned the key again. This time the engine roared to life with an appreciative growl. "Whoa," he said, "That's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard." Rachel hit his arm, "Like you know the first thing about how an engine should sound." He grinned sheepishly, "Well it sounds beautiful to me." Rachel laughed, listening to the engine, "I guess so."
"Hey kids." We all looked up in shock at the sound of a new voice. "Oh, hi dad," Cassie said, "Going to check the barn? I was just there, everything's fine." He smiled, "Nah, I wasn't going to check the barn, I know you're capable of caring for the animals Cass," He looked at the Viper, with it's engine still idling, "I just heard this beauty roar to life, and wondered what it was." Everyone looked relieved. "Whose is it anyways?" he asked, looking around to all of us. When his eyes settled on me, the new one in the group, he put out his hand. "Hi, I'm Cassie's dad, are you a new friend?" I shook his hand, smiling back at him, "Yes, I just met everybody.I know Cassie from school." He nodded, then looked around at us again. "Alright you guys, don't get into any trouble now, Okay?" We all just laughed, as if trouble was the farthest thing from our minds.
When he had left, they all looked at me, and Marco turned off the car, giving me back the keys. Jake finally voiced the question they all wanted to ask, "What exactly can you do with these powers?" I felt uncomfortable under all their intense stares, especially Tobias, because he was in hawk form, and lemme tell you, those eyes can stare. "I can do almost anything, under certain exceptions." Marco gestured, "Like?" I ticked them off on my fingers, "I cannot kill with them, I cannot raise the dead with them, I cannot make anyone fall in love, I cannot affect free will in anyway, I cannot create new life, and I cannot manipulate natural forces." "Wow," Rachel said, "That's a lot of conditions." I shrugged, "I've gotten used to the limitations, its more of a morality thing." They all just nodded.
Finally Jake spoke. "Well," he said, looking at everyone, "We have school tomorrow, and I think this is enough excitement for one day. (everyone nodded at that) Why don't we all get some rest tonight, and tomorrow after school, we'll make a trip to the gardens, Nicole will need some morphs." Then Cassie turned to me, "Eat lunch with me and Rach tomorrow?" I nodded and smiled, "Sure thing. You guys don't all eat together?" Jake shook his head, "Don't want to arouse any suspicions by hanging around each other all the time." I could see the logic in that, "True, true."
I turned to the car I had magicked into existence. "Well then," I said, looking at the darkening sky, "I've been gone three days, I guess I should be getting home." When I mentioned the three days, the whole group looked kind of abashed, and I laughed. "Don't worry about putting me through that, I understand," I looked them all in the eyes, "You can never be too careful." They looked slightly livened at that. I got into the car, rolled down the window, and started the engine. Waving at them, I put the car into first, and pulled out of the dirt drive. Once I got onto paved roads, I used the power that the car had and soon was soaring down the road in fifth gear, (I didn't use sixth gear on suburban roads) doing ninety. I prided myself on my driving skills, comparing them to those of stunt or professional drivers on closed courses. Using my powers to make sure that no cars, kids, dogs, cats, police, etc. would get in my way, I grinned as I sped home. Being a witch sure did have its perks.