"Happy Valentine's Day."
Sarah smiled when she opened her door at 6 a.m. and saw Caleb outside her door with flowers and chocolates. He was the only person in the world who would wake up as early as she did on a holiday just so every moment would be special. Kate shuffled in her bed and said something that not even the dog whisperer could understand, so Sarah stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door gently behind her.
"What are you doing here so early?" she whispered, taking a step closer to him. He handed her the flowers first, just a small bundle of handpicked garden flowers tied together by a twisty-tie. And then he handed her the chocolates, which was a small heart shaped plastic box like you can get anywhere in town; it was the most romantic thing he could do for her on that day.
"I just wanted to be the first person you saw today." Caleb said. Sarah's face looked like it was one the border of crying; she smiled and wrapped her arms around him, closing their distance with a kiss. A soft and tender kiss, which sent his mind into a frenzy of sparks. Though he would have loved nothing more than to get lost in the moment, he popped an eye open thinking that Chase might pop up and watch like some sort of sick voyeur.
"Caleb, what's wrong?" Sarah asked, annoyed. He shook his head, and rubbed her back.
"Nothing, nothing." He told her. The two stood in that hallway, talking about nothing for a while, the sun rising slowly and filling the halls with warmth. But Chase was nowhere to be found, and though Caleb was genuinely happy to be Chase-less, he wondered if there was something wrong.
"Caleb, I was actually heading out when you caught me," Sarah said. "I'm heading over to the library – you can walk me if you want to."
"Actually I've got some things to do myself," he told her. She nodded, though her face had dropped doing so. "Listen I want to take you out to dinner tonight." He said, her smile coming back. "So I'll pick you up around seven?"
"Okay then, seven it is." She said, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek and then turning to walk away. As he watched her do so, he found that something about the girl was irresistible. The way she smiled just right to make your heart sing was all that he needed.
"You know you can't make set plans and expect them to pan out. Not as long as monsters and such are going to be coming after you." Chase said, stepping up behind Caleb. Caleb sighed, and rounded on him.
"How long have you-"
"Relax, I just arrived at the part about dinner. You think I don't have better things to do than watch you and your pasty girlfriend all day?" Chase said, leaning his back against the door to her room.
"Well regardless of this whole trial thing, I plan on giving Sarah the best Valentine's Day of her life; she's never had a real Valentine's Day before." Caleb said, starting to walk toward the main entrance.
"Neither have I, I don't see you throwing any gestures at me." Chase said dryly, holding his arms out.
"Oh I can't imagine why, you're so charming." Caleb said, sarcastic levels off the charts. He pushed the door open with his back so he could face Chase as they talked.
"Yeouch, down boy." Chase said, mockingly hurt and clutching his heart, walking through the door as it swung back. As Caleb turned his back and walked toward his car, he looked up and across the courtyard he could see Sarah about to step into the library. He paused for a moment, forgetting his keys were in the door. Chase rolled his eyes and turned the keys to unlock it for him, his mind jumping back to his hand on the keys. He opened the door, and sat down behind the steering wheel, sitting there for a moment after he shut the door.
"You know, there was a time when I'd look at you that way." Chase said, propping his leg up on the dashboard and slouching into the seat. Caleb hadn't really heard what Chase said, because he was so lost in thought with the girl he loved. Finally his words echoed through to Caleb, and his eyes widened. He wasn't sure if he'd heard him right or not.
"What?"
"Don't act so surprised." Chase said. He didn't look at Caleb, but kept his eyes straight ahead, looking out the windshield. "I used to think about you and me, me and you, 'us'. Whether or not, if I didn't have that addiction problem, if you and me would've ever… Don't worry I don't think that way about you anymore, you're so obviously for Sarah."
"Why are you telling me this?" Caleb asked, not sure how to act. He wasn't comfortable with the thought that Chase had ever thought of him in that way, and he sure as hell didn't return the feelings.
"Because yesterday made me realize that I never did, and I might not get another chance." Chase said. Caleb looked over, and could have sworn that he was looking at a ghost blush. "I envy you."
"Why?" Caleb said, now getting more and more confused. This was, after all, a lot of information to take in thirty seconds.
"Because you went after Sarah the minute you knew you wanted her. You asked her to marry you… me, I've never really been the type of person to go after what I want."
"Right, and all of that shit you put us through six months ago was what?" Caleb retorted.
"Ha ha, very funny – I meant as far as relationships go… love… all that jazz…" he said. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Caleb thinking of what to say and Chase just lost in his own world of thoughts.
"Chase, did you mean what you said?" Caleb began. Chase looked up to his face, and wondered which part he meant. "About once you're human again, I mean." He told him. "Are you really going to start coming after us?" Caleb asked. Chase wondered why he was asking. He knew Chase when he was alive, so what made him think he wouldn't.
"Why? Doubting my cruel intentions?" Chase laughed. Caleb looked directly into his eyes with a serious and threatening look. Chase looked away, and sat up straight.
"Addictions change people, Caleb." Chase said. Caleb didn't make any motions, but a simple nod. "As does death."
"Which is why you're probably being so civil right now – you're powerless." Caleb smirked, knowing that the word powerless would really get Chase fired up. But it didn't; Chase sat there, hands locked on his stomach, and staring straight ahead.
"And always will be." He finished. Caleb nearly stopped breathing, he went so silent. Chase glanced over to him, and then back to looking straight ahead. "You heard me. Even if you get through this whole ordeal, and I get my life back, I'm still powerless. My offspring would get his share of the power, sure, but I couldn't get mine back even if you willed it to me."
"Chase, look, I didn't mean-"
"It's alright Caleb." Chase said. Caleb finally started the car, and took one final look at the Chase sitting next to him. Curled up in his seat, he looked like a lost and lonely child. "What you need to concentrate on is keeping your guard up. Anything and Anyone can be used against you, remember that."
Watching the Mustang pullout, Sarah stood watching from the second floor window. She figured he must have been talking to Chase, and whatever he was telling Caleb must have been paining him, because Caleb didn't look happy at all. Of course she could understand, since Chase was manipulative, not to mention purely evil. Why was Caleb going to let him get his powers back, just to start wreaking havoc again? She had to help him, and so she came to the library. There was no better place to find what she was looking for than here.
"Miss, can I help you?" The librarian asked.
"Um, yes, I'm writing a research paper for one of my classes on the history of witchcraft. I was wondering if you had any books about exorcising spirits, or banishing spells?" Sarah asked. The librarian was familiar with Sarah's work for the school newspaper, and never thought anything strange about the girl's book requests. She actually enjoyed reading the girl's perspective on the bizarre.
"It looks like we do have two books that describe those sort of details. 'The History of Madame Laveau', and 'How to Vex a Cross'." She said. Sarah didn't hesitate to tell her that she'd take both copies immediately. By tonight, come hell or high water, Chase would no longer be a factor in Caleb's stress.
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Reid glanced out of the busted window of the second floor. He wasn't sure why Caleb wanted them all to meet up here… again… The last time wasn't too much fun for any of them. The local news was saying that the black ash in the sky was due to a nearby volcano eruption, which everyone was just eating up.
"I can't believe this shit…" Reid said to himself. "I'm barely getting any action. If this were some sort of movie or story, I'd only be a supporting role…" he said, snorting at the thought. He was Reid Garwin, he would be no less that the leading role in anything.
"So you wish to raise the significance of your part in Act two?" Came a voice that flooded his mind, and surrounded his ears, echoing through the room. He turned quickly to see no one there. "I can help you, if you wish it."
"Who's there?" Reid called out, but saw no one in the room with him.
"Why is Caleb always the center of Ipswich? He hands you his sloppy scraps like some mongrel pup…"
"Hey I'm just as important as Caleb in this town; even more important than he could ever be, in fact." Reid replying, getting annoyed with his voice.
"Is that so? Then why is Sarah with him, and not with you? You desire her, do you not?" the voice whispered. "If you were the leading role, you could have her all to yourself, and that's where I can help you."
"How?"
"I can make you the leading man in this story. Let Caleb fall to his demise in his trial, and you will take his place as leader for your coven." The voice said, now focused in one area of the room. Suddenly, out of shadows, this voice finally had a face, and she stepped forward. "You wish to obtain the power needed to overthrow Caleb, and power most holy shall I grant."
Reid nodded, and as she held out her hand, he felt a surge of power through his entire body. It has so powerful that lightning struck through the roof, and held him in suspense, lifting his body from the ground. It was power unlike any he had ever felt before. Power to take the world into his grasp. And as the light disappeared, he fell to the ground, on hands and knees. He was weakened slightly, until his body was used to this newly housed force. He looked up to this woman's face, and marveled. Who was she?
"How easily strayed, you are." she laughed. "Just what I was hoping for, and you have delivered arrogance excellently."
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Kate finally awoke to a light tapping on the door. She rolled over, sprawled in her bed, and wrapped in her sheets, and glanced at the clock. It was 1:13 p.m., and she felt like she was still in need of a few snores. She rolled out of bed and stood up, almost losing her balance. She steadied herself for a moment, and then heard the door tapping once again.
"I'm coming, I'm coming…" she shouted groggily, and then opened the door, rubbing her eyes. It was definitely a Valentine's Day surprise, but not a very good one; it was Pogue. "What do you want Pogue?" she asked, leaning on the door.
"Can I come in for a second?" he asked. Kate glared at him, and she couldn't believe he'd just asked her that. Did he just expect her to let him in after their last encounter? Yet, she stepped aside and let him in, closing the door behind her.
"Just say what you want to say and then go." she told him, placing her hands on her hips and waiting. He sighed, and stood there, wondering how to go about this.
"I think before I start you'd better sit down."
"Why? Are you pregnant?" she gasped, making a mockery of him. He rolled his eyes and decided to just follow through with it.
"I know that one of our really big problems was the fact that you thought I was keeping a lot of secrets from you," he began, and she scoffed. "Okay, I was." he said. Kate finally sat down, seeing that this may take a while. He paced the floor, and then looked her in the eye. "I'm a warlock."
"A what?" She said.
"A warlock. You know, a guy witch, I can use magic-"
"I never thought you would stoop to this level." she said, standing up, and smacking him across the face. "I tell you why I can't trust you and then you make fun of me for it?" she yelled, and then stomped to the door. "Get out!"
"Kate," he plead, but she was already looking for something to throw. Then he had an idea. "Why don't I show you; throw something at me." he said. She was avid now, picking up a pump with quite a spike on it, and chucking it as hard as she could at him. His eyes went as black as coal, and the shoe stopped inches from his face. It floated there, and he grabbed it. "Throw something else." he smirked.
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