Cast updates:
Rachel as Victor Conolly (in the body of Katherine Connolly)
Artie as Sarah Conrad (in the body of David Jansen)
Brittany as Serena Levy (in the body of Cassandra Martin)

"Blunt Spell Trauma"

7. What Magic Can't Do

The problems were starting to pile on, and this was bound to give voice to some. "I don't like this…" Cole spoke up. "You're messing with things that shouldn't be messed with. They died, isn't that trauma enough? Now you bring them back in bodies like… like this…" he gestured to David, hosting Sarah, and his 'niece' looked down at herself and squirmed. "And now you've gotten their memories wrong, too?" Caleb looked to the mayor, and as silent as he remained, it made it clear he had apprehension now, too, looking to his daughter move through his nephew.

"It's possible… What they've been through, they've blocked the event. This is as normal for them as it is for those of us still living… This is the biggest thing that could have happened, what did you expect?"

"I don't know… I'm sorry, please," the mayor nodded for them to go on. Caleb looked to the others in the circle, to the trio within.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Elliott was the first to speak up. The trio paused to think, though some needed more time than others to look past their present situation and focus on the task at hand.

"The mayor came, and we all talked," Serena began. "After he left, we continued. Things were not getting anywhere and we took a break," she went on.

"I remember that, too," Victor frowned. "And let me tell you, it would have continued that way if it were up to me. They may pretend like they're okay with us, but we all know it's a lie. Well I'm tired of playing pretend, we all are. This was our town and…"

"Victor, please," Elizabeth raised her voice. "It's not the time for that. You're dead…" she looked like she wanted to cry, and it made Victor/Katherine focus.

"I don't remember," he insisted. We were talking, like she said, and then… I don't know."

"Sarah?" Caleb looked to the boy who hosted her. She looked up. "What happened after you left here?"

"I wanted to see you," she lamented. "I snuck back here, and then… and then…" she shook her head, at a loss; she couldn't recall.

"So they don't remember. How about the rest of us? When did any of us see them last?" Jillian asked. "Did anyone see when Miss Conrad arrived?" Everyone shook their heads.

"It's no surprise, she does that a lot, sneaking around…" Caleb had to smile, though then it faded. "She did…"

"Caleb, I'm still here…" Sarah begged, moving forward.

"No, but you're not," he looked at her. "And as you are now, you won't be here for long," he told her, making her retreat in sadness.

"Okay, well then how about you two?" Marianne asked Serena and Victor. They looked to one another. Victor frowned, as he would.

"I spoke to Serena…" Bradley spoke up. "About forty minutes before we found the bodies." They waited for him to go on, to say what they had spoken of. "I told her she should be in charge, to make it… official." This sent up some noise from all those who saw things as Victor did. "We were doing fine!" Bradley turned to them. "Until you started making trouble."

"He's right," Eveline nodded. "We didn't need to hand out titles before, because everyone understood as long as we coexisted fine, but then you had to go and cause problems for all of us… and look… look where we are…" she gestured to the bodies.

"And that's our fault?" Elizabeth spat.

"Wouldn't be surprised at this point," Clara glared.

"Clara…" Caleb looked to his sister.

"I can't believe you'd even side with them. You're one of us, you're my brother, Cassie's brother," she pointed to their sister, presently hosting Serena.

"You wouldn't understand," Caleb wouldn't look at her.

"Yeah, apparently not," Clara stepped back with something like disgust.

"Leave it alone, okay?" Elliott looked to her.

"He's right," Joseph stepped up. "What's important is this, finding out what happened. The rest can wait. Anyone see Serena after Bradley? Anyone see Victor?"

"Last time I saw him was when they made us wake you up," Elizabeth pointed to Joseph with a smirk. "Did you always have a bumpy head or was that us?" she asked sweetly.

"So anyone see him after that?" Joseph glared at her. "Or Serena?" People shook their heads. "What about before that? Anything… odd, or important, that might…"

"It's been nothing but important," Jillian cut him off. "You act like we'll all just forget, because of what happened. But Victor was right, and so's Liz," she stepped up, pointing to each of them. Victor had a look of pride as he stood listening, while Elizabeth nodded along, and Caleb looked uncomfortable. "We were supposed to have a place here, but I know you see the way they look at us, treat us, because they'll have done the same to you."

"A man has a right to his opinion," Cole raised his voice, and Jillian glared.

"Yeah? Well so does a woman, now… shut it," she threw out her hand and he was hit with orange. He went to yell, but no sound came from his throat and he grabbed at it while Jillian smirked, and Elizabeth took up her arm, pleased as well.

"Thank you… so much," she told her, and Jillian turned her smirk to her.

"Stop, please," Serena spoke, loud enough to make them all turn. "If we want what we want, we have to find the answer first."

TO BE CONTINUED (SUNDAY)