Chapter Four
How to Lose a Shadow in Ten Easy Steps
"How about starting with why and how you got in my closet," I said. The girl known as Catty began to giggle a bit, and then stood up.
"The closet, right. Not exactly where I was aiming for, but I guess it'll have to do, right?" She asked. "So, what are the bowls for?"
"Oh, they're ceremonial bowls. You use them in Wiccan rites and such," I said, wanting to show off my knowledge. But I quickly stopped myself, and eyed her suspiciously.
"Don't change the subject," I said; my arms over my chest. She walked over and sat down on my bed, beginning to play with my sheet.
"Do you believe in the Greek gods?" Catty asked, looking up. There seemed to be a strange shift in the room. Catty must have felt it too, because she looked around nervously.
"Nessa?" She called. There was no answer, and she suddenly became a little frightened. She stood up, fists clenched, preparing to fight anything that may have come along. "Show yourself, Follower!" She shouted. This girl is crazy, I thought.
Mary K, hearing the outburst, opened my bedroom door. "Are you alright in here?" She asked. Then she caught a look at Catty. "Who's that?"
"She won't tell me," I answered. Catty looked at me.
"I told you, I'm Catty. Catty Turner to be more specific. Just give me a moment," She said. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but the air began to sparkle with energy.
"Don't tell me she's another witch," Mary K. moaned.
"Mary K., I think you should leave now," I said, suddenly getting a horrible vibe. I pushed Mary K. back and then slammed the door, locking it behind me. Then, I went to Catty and pushed her down just as something came snaking from the shadows. Whatever it was quickly spun back into shadow and flew out the window.
"What was that?" I asked. Catty looked up.
"That was a follower. And Serena's right – you're in trouble."
"In trouble with what? Am I going to get a few strait answers, or what? And how did you get in my closet!?" I demanded.
"I used time travel," Catty said honestly.
I stared at her.
"Morgan? Are you okay? What just happened?" Mary K. pushed into my room, to see me still pushing Catty away from whatever had just happened.
"A bird tried to fly in the window," I explained lamely. Then I stood, and looked down at Catty, who was now trying to stand.
"What were you saying?" I asked.
She looked confused for a moment. Her face squished up in confusion. "I can't remember? Where am I?"
You have got to be kidding me. "Mary K., please go downstairs. I need to have a talk with Catty," I said, trying to hold in my anger.
Hunter, I need you, I thought. I waited for a response, but it never came. Hunter? Still nothing. I began to panic. What was going on? Catty stared at me strangely.
"You never answered my question," She said, now panicking herself.
"You're in my house. I'm Morgan Rowlands, remember? You came here to warn me about something," I told her.
She looked confused. "How did I do that? Who am I?"
"You say that your name is Catty. That's all I've gotten out of you. Do you think your friends will be able to help? How did you lose your memory, anyways? You were just fine a second ago," I told her.
Catty's frustration was evident on her face. "I can't remember anything!"
Okay, she had been with those girls with Alyce. Maybe they would help me. "I'm going downstairs for a moment. Just stay right here."
I picked up the phone and called Alyce. She picked up after the second ring.
"Morgan? Are you alright? Is Catty there?"
"Slow down, and please explain," I said.
"Is Catty there?"
"Yes. How did she get here, anyways?" I asked.
"It's quite a long story. The girl's will explain when they get there. That should be any minute now."
"This avoiding questions thing is getting really irking; you do realize that, don't you?" I said.
"Everything will make sense, soon, you'll see," Alyce replied.
"So long as I can keep my sanity till then," I muttered. "Oh, could you check up on Hunter for me? He hasn't been answering my witch messages."
"I will. Be careful Morgan, you're in danger," Alyce warned.
What is it that she knows and I don't? "Goodbye, Alyce," I said.
"Goodbye, Morgan." I hung up just as the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Mary K. called. Good, I just need a moment to rest my head.
"Morgan! Your friends are here ... I think," Mary K. said.
Yeah, my friends my ... "Coming!" I called. I stalked into the living room and stared at the girls from earlier.
"She's upstairs," I told them.
"Catty!" The blond yelled as she ran up the stairs.
"First door on the left!" I looked at Mary K. "Don't you have a date to go on or something?"
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Is it working?"
"I was going to go to Alissa's," She said. I shuddered. I couldn't stand Alissa Soto. (Okay, I know Morgan likes Alissa, but I really can't stand her, so in this Morgan can't, either.)
"When?" A car honked outside.
"Just now. Why, are you going to hold one of your gatherings? Because if you are, I am so out of here," Mary K. told me.
"Yes, we're holding a gathering. You want to join us," I said, playing her suggestion to my advantage. Worry and disgust crossed her face.
"No," She said quickly. She made her way to the now closed door. "I'll be sure to pray for you while I'm out," She muttered to herself as she left. The girl with dark skin turned to me.
"Don't get along with your ... cousin?"
"Sister. Not exactly. The whole thing's a little complicated," I explained.
"And I thought Collin was bad," A girl muttered.
Catty and the other girl suddenly came running down the stairs. "We gotta go!" Catty cried.
"What? What's wrong?" I demanded, my arms dropping to my side.
"Car ... now," Catty said to Jimena. Just then a shadow drifted from my room and down the stairs. My eyes widened in disbelief as a girl took my hand.
"Come on," She said, tugging me towards the door.
"Oh no," I pulled away. "I don't even know who you are," I said.
"Tianna Moore. Now can we go?"
"Why? Where?" I demanded.
"Now!" Tianna cried. She pulled me out the door and we raced towards a car parked in my driveway. I barely saw Catty slam my house door shut behind her as we ran. The car had jerked out onto the road within a second. Everyone was breathing heavily, and it was fifteen minutes before I could manage to speak.
"What is going on?" I demanded.
I probably would have gotten an answer if a body hadn't emerged from the side of the now deserted road.
How to Lose a Shadow in Ten Easy Steps
"How about starting with why and how you got in my closet," I said. The girl known as Catty began to giggle a bit, and then stood up.
"The closet, right. Not exactly where I was aiming for, but I guess it'll have to do, right?" She asked. "So, what are the bowls for?"
"Oh, they're ceremonial bowls. You use them in Wiccan rites and such," I said, wanting to show off my knowledge. But I quickly stopped myself, and eyed her suspiciously.
"Don't change the subject," I said; my arms over my chest. She walked over and sat down on my bed, beginning to play with my sheet.
"Do you believe in the Greek gods?" Catty asked, looking up. There seemed to be a strange shift in the room. Catty must have felt it too, because she looked around nervously.
"Nessa?" She called. There was no answer, and she suddenly became a little frightened. She stood up, fists clenched, preparing to fight anything that may have come along. "Show yourself, Follower!" She shouted. This girl is crazy, I thought.
Mary K, hearing the outburst, opened my bedroom door. "Are you alright in here?" She asked. Then she caught a look at Catty. "Who's that?"
"She won't tell me," I answered. Catty looked at me.
"I told you, I'm Catty. Catty Turner to be more specific. Just give me a moment," She said. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but the air began to sparkle with energy.
"Don't tell me she's another witch," Mary K. moaned.
"Mary K., I think you should leave now," I said, suddenly getting a horrible vibe. I pushed Mary K. back and then slammed the door, locking it behind me. Then, I went to Catty and pushed her down just as something came snaking from the shadows. Whatever it was quickly spun back into shadow and flew out the window.
"What was that?" I asked. Catty looked up.
"That was a follower. And Serena's right – you're in trouble."
"In trouble with what? Am I going to get a few strait answers, or what? And how did you get in my closet!?" I demanded.
"I used time travel," Catty said honestly.
I stared at her.
"Morgan? Are you okay? What just happened?" Mary K. pushed into my room, to see me still pushing Catty away from whatever had just happened.
"A bird tried to fly in the window," I explained lamely. Then I stood, and looked down at Catty, who was now trying to stand.
"What were you saying?" I asked.
She looked confused for a moment. Her face squished up in confusion. "I can't remember? Where am I?"
You have got to be kidding me. "Mary K., please go downstairs. I need to have a talk with Catty," I said, trying to hold in my anger.
Hunter, I need you, I thought. I waited for a response, but it never came. Hunter? Still nothing. I began to panic. What was going on? Catty stared at me strangely.
"You never answered my question," She said, now panicking herself.
"You're in my house. I'm Morgan Rowlands, remember? You came here to warn me about something," I told her.
She looked confused. "How did I do that? Who am I?"
"You say that your name is Catty. That's all I've gotten out of you. Do you think your friends will be able to help? How did you lose your memory, anyways? You were just fine a second ago," I told her.
Catty's frustration was evident on her face. "I can't remember anything!"
Okay, she had been with those girls with Alyce. Maybe they would help me. "I'm going downstairs for a moment. Just stay right here."
I picked up the phone and called Alyce. She picked up after the second ring.
"Morgan? Are you alright? Is Catty there?"
"Slow down, and please explain," I said.
"Is Catty there?"
"Yes. How did she get here, anyways?" I asked.
"It's quite a long story. The girl's will explain when they get there. That should be any minute now."
"This avoiding questions thing is getting really irking; you do realize that, don't you?" I said.
"Everything will make sense, soon, you'll see," Alyce replied.
"So long as I can keep my sanity till then," I muttered. "Oh, could you check up on Hunter for me? He hasn't been answering my witch messages."
"I will. Be careful Morgan, you're in danger," Alyce warned.
What is it that she knows and I don't? "Goodbye, Alyce," I said.
"Goodbye, Morgan." I hung up just as the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Mary K. called. Good, I just need a moment to rest my head.
"Morgan! Your friends are here ... I think," Mary K. said.
Yeah, my friends my ... "Coming!" I called. I stalked into the living room and stared at the girls from earlier.
"She's upstairs," I told them.
"Catty!" The blond yelled as she ran up the stairs.
"First door on the left!" I looked at Mary K. "Don't you have a date to go on or something?"
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"
"Is it working?"
"I was going to go to Alissa's," She said. I shuddered. I couldn't stand Alissa Soto. (Okay, I know Morgan likes Alissa, but I really can't stand her, so in this Morgan can't, either.)
"When?" A car honked outside.
"Just now. Why, are you going to hold one of your gatherings? Because if you are, I am so out of here," Mary K. told me.
"Yes, we're holding a gathering. You want to join us," I said, playing her suggestion to my advantage. Worry and disgust crossed her face.
"No," She said quickly. She made her way to the now closed door. "I'll be sure to pray for you while I'm out," She muttered to herself as she left. The girl with dark skin turned to me.
"Don't get along with your ... cousin?"
"Sister. Not exactly. The whole thing's a little complicated," I explained.
"And I thought Collin was bad," A girl muttered.
Catty and the other girl suddenly came running down the stairs. "We gotta go!" Catty cried.
"What? What's wrong?" I demanded, my arms dropping to my side.
"Car ... now," Catty said to Jimena. Just then a shadow drifted from my room and down the stairs. My eyes widened in disbelief as a girl took my hand.
"Come on," She said, tugging me towards the door.
"Oh no," I pulled away. "I don't even know who you are," I said.
"Tianna Moore. Now can we go?"
"Why? Where?" I demanded.
"Now!" Tianna cried. She pulled me out the door and we raced towards a car parked in my driveway. I barely saw Catty slam my house door shut behind her as we ran. The car had jerked out onto the road within a second. Everyone was breathing heavily, and it was fifteen minutes before I could manage to speak.
"What is going on?" I demanded.
I probably would have gotten an answer if a body hadn't emerged from the side of the now deserted road.
