Don't Mess with Magic

I was dragged onto my feet and into another drug trip. What did I do to deserve this? Oh yeah, I messed with magic. I kept my eyes closed this time. I did not want to make myself puke again, it sucked that I did in the first place. We stopped again.

"OK, wait here for me?" the woman in red smiled at me.

"Where am I this time?" I demanded.

"Somewhere safe," she replied. "I'll be right back."

I nodded, there wasn't anything for me to do about it, either.

This time, I was in a room. With a couch. I laid down and let my stomach settle. I guess I still wasn't used to time traveling. Anyway, next to the couch was a coffee table and across the room was a small TV on a stand. I wonder if I'm at her place? I thought as I was looking around.

"Huzzah! A kitchen!" I smiled triumphantly as I shuffled to the small room. And then I cursed when there was nothing in it. "Why are the gods being so cruel to me, today?!"

"Because you're paling around with the Devil," I heard the woman say from behind me.

"Who are you? I just realized I came all this way without even knowing your name!" I confessed. "You're not really the Devil... Are you?"

She laughed. "No, no, I'm not the Devil," she stifled her laughing. "I'm I-No."

"I'm Jessica," I shook her hand. "Just... Where am I now?"

"My place," she said quite simply. "But I need you to come with me."

I didn't have time to reply as she grabbed me again and dragged me out the door and down a few flights of stairs. We were in some sort of city, going north, down an alley. I really hope she's not some sort of time traveling female pimp. That would suck, big time.

"Turns out I need a magic user," I-No said once we stopped.

"What would you need me for?"

"I have a problem with... an associate of mine. He's been very rude and unruly and magic is the only way to take him down. He's too tough for a physical attack," she told me.

"I-I don't think I could do that. I don't know the guy, and I'm not very good with magic."

I-No's smiling face turned into a scowl as she swung her guitar at me! I screamed and fell back. It felt like I threw something at her, and when I opened my eyes... She was putting out a purple fire on her jacket.

"Can't use magic, huh?" her smile came back. "And you use fire, that's good. Give him a taste of his own medicine."

She looked mad when she said that. Was she trying to get rid of an old boyfriend or something? I didn't want to be dragged into some lovers' quarrel. Especially one that involves magic.

Unfortunately, I kept following her. She stopped in front of a different apartment building. It looked kind of old and shabby, but that didn't stop her from going in. When I hesitated, she came back out and dragged me in.

"He's on the third floor. I'll surprise him and I want you to throw the biggest, deadliest fireball you can at him," she looked at me square in the eye.

"Ah..." I couldn't reply, she was all ready going up the stairs. She's crazy! She's insane! I was thinking, when I tripped on my skirt. I-No didn't even notice. I grabbed the damn thing and ran up the rest of the stairs as she kicked the door down.

"The fuck?" I heard a masculine voice demand.

"You're time is up, Badguy!" I-No shrieked, running into the apartment.

I was right behind her, trying to form another fireball when I heard I-No gasp and I saw a man holding her by the throat. He was tall, I-No was off the ground. He had long, brown hair, red and white clothes and a large red headband.

The little flame I had went out when he looked at me. His eyes... Gods, they terrified me, they made me freeze. One was as gold as the sun and the other was as red as blood. I stood there like an idiot as he dropped I-No and walked towards me. He was at least two heads taller than me. His eyes... His eyes held me there frozen. Gods, the way he looked at me still makes me shiver.

"You with her?" he asked, his voice was very cold. I couldn't answer. He kept staring at me, but he was talking to I-No. "Picking up children now, witch?"

"She's strong, Badguy! I'll use her to kill you!" she said from the floor.

I blinked. "What?! I don't – I don't want to kill anybody!"

"Then leave," the man practically growled. I couldn't move, no matter how I tried.

"Useless," I heard I-No growl. I heard a guitar being strummed, and the next thing I know, that cold, angry looking man was holding me, keeping away from I-No and her guitar.

She kept strumming and red spikes of lightning kept coming at us. The man pushed me to the side and turned back to I-No. He let her hit him with the lightning. She was telling the truth!! I thought, absolutely terrified. He kept walking towards her and grabbed the guitar. He yanked it from her and smacked her with it.

I shrieked when he did, it was such a sickening sound, I wanted to throw up again. I hunched over, preparing myself for it when I was pulled back up by my collar.

"We're leaving," the man grunted and started dragging me backwards towards the stairs.

"Hey – Wait!" I tried struggling, but he was too strong, he kept going on. I saw I-No laying on the floor, unconscious and there was blood around her head. "I-NO!!"

"Shut up. That witch could care less if you were alive," he said. "She called you useless, she would've killed you along with me if she could kill me."

I stopped struggling. Was he right? Or was he going to kill me? Was I-No dead?

He let go of me. "Walk," he said, going down the stairs. I grabbed my skirt and followed quietly. I guess I was in shock. She was nice to me, but she did call me useless. Would she really have killed me?