Chapter 9: Wherever There Is Life, There Is Hope
Emily's Pov-
"Just concentrate and you can do it." Grams said.
"I can't. This is impossible." I said frustrated as I held my hands over a flowerpot with a dead plant in it. Grams was trying to teach me a spell, and if I did it correctly the plant would come back to life.
"Nothing is impossible for a witch." Grams said. "Just focus." She continued.
This spell was different for the others I had tried, there was no spell I had to chant. I just had to hold my hands over the plant and concentrate on bringing it back to life.
I tried doing what Grams had said once again but nothing happened the plant was still dead and almost completely decomposed.
"Just focus, magic is nature, it surrounds us, it is everywhere. Feel it, use it to find the magic inside the plant and bring it back to life." Grams said.
I closed my eyes and focused as hard as I could, trying to bring life back into the dead plant, I concentrated so much I could feel something, it was a feeling that was new and unknown but it also felt safe and right.
"Emmy, you're doing it." Grams said and I opened my eyes to see that a few leafs on the plant had turned green and it was spreading. I smiled and tried harder and the plant slowly started to torn into a healthy green color.
Suddenly it stopped and then the plant started to return to the rotten way it was before I started at a very quick pace.
I had no idea what was going on, I just tried to stop the plant from dying again but now nothing I did helped.
Once the plant was completely dead I looked at Grams and asked "What happened?" And Grams put her arm around me. "Sometimes it's too late to save someone, no matter how much you wish you could."
"But I was so close." I said.
"Don't worry dear, it was just an old plant. Besides…" Grams said and then she chanted something too quick for me to keep up with and the dead plant ignited and burnt to ashes.
I looked at Grams and just as I was about to ask why she did that she pointed to the flower pot where a small plant was spurting.
"Sometimes one thing must end so something else can begin." Grams said. "And that new thing could turn out even better than what was there before, if only gets a chance." She said and started to water what would be her new plant.
"That'll be all for today." Grams said as she took her flowerpot and left me stunned, sometimes I didn't know if she was wise or just odd.
As I grabbed my phone to call the girls I suddenly got a text from a hidden number.
I gasped as I read the text:
Ashes to ashes, hold those you love close to you, I might take one from you
-A
I almost fainted, reading that text made me feel like I had seen a ghost.
I sent out a mass text to my friends to warn them that A was back and we needed a plan on how we are going to deal with a vampire who can walk in the daylight.
Hanna was first to respond to my text, she said we could all meet at her place since her mom was on a blind date with some man she'd meet online.
Later at Hanna's place:
"Who do you think A will target?" Aria asked as she read the text for what must have been the hundredth time.
"I don't know, it could be anyone, you guys, my family." I said worried over who A was going to go after, growing more concerned with each thought.
"We need to prepare ourselves in case A tries something." Spencer said.
"What can we do against a vampire?" Hanna asked and pointed back and forward between me and Spencer.
"You guys can defend yourself. You're a vampire and you're a witch. Aria and I doesn't have anything that gives us an edge over A." She continued.
"Well, there is one thing I found in Melissa's notes." Spencer said and opened her tablet to show a page she had taken a photo of.
"It says that Vampires are weakened by an herb called Vervain." Spencer said.
I coughed as I heard what Spencer said. The herb Grams had put in my tea for all these years was repellant for vampires, what else hadn't she told me?
"It says if a human wears vervain or has it in their system…"
"Wait, what do you mean in the system?" Hanna asked.
"If you or Aria eat or drink it somehow you're immune to vampire compulsion." Spencer explained. "And if we could trick A to drink it will get an advantage since A will get week, a large dose would even make a vampire pass out for hours." Spencer said.
"And then A will get too week to do anything against us." Aria said.
"And then all it will take is one stake to A's heart and our problem will be solved." Spencer said sounding very dark.
"Spence?" I asked.
"What?" Spencer said sounding like her normal self.
"You seem like you don't care about killing someone." I said
"A is a vampire so she is already dead. And don't forget that A killed me, I'd just return the favor." Spencer said as she picked up a blood bag.
I looked at Aria and Hanna, they both had the same worried look like I had. We were scared that Spencer would lose control and end up like A.
Spencer suddenly started to cough like she was choking on her drink.
"Spence!" We all yelled as Spencer dropped to her knees.
"Spencer." I said as I looked worried at her as she cough up some blood.
"Emily do something." Aria said but I had no idea what I could do.
Spencer slowly stopped coughing.
"Water." She said with a very dry voice. Hanna nodded and hurried downstairs.
"What happened?" I asked.
"I don't know… it felt… felt like…" Spencer said struggling to talk.
Hanna returned with a bottle full of water that Spencer quickly grabbed and she almost chugged the entire bottle in two seconds.
"It felt like my throat was dissolving." Spencer said then allour phones buzzed, we checked our text and we all got the same message.
Enjoy the taste of vervain bitches –A.
After I read the text I hurried to the window and looked out hoping A wouldn't stand on the street to mock us. I couldn't see anything out on the street.
"Spence. Is there anything else that can stop vampires?" I asked as I closed the drapes, knowing we'd be safe inside since A couldn't enter uninvited.
A few weeks later:
It had been almost a month since we last heard from A, which made us more worried by the day. Every time one of us would get a text we'd all jump worried that it was A.
Right now we were all sitting at the Brew trying to eat. It was broad daylight and as intimidating as A might be we knew not even A would attack us in a public place during daytime.
"So, how are things between you and Toby?" I asked Spencer to try to get our minds of A.
"It's ok, I was with him to the park a few days ago. I even got to push Alex on the swing." Spencer said smiling as she was clearly happy from it. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone showing a few pics, some of her and Alex, some with her and Toby and there were even some with all three of them.
"He is a cute kid." Aria said.
"And smart." Spencer said as she looked at a pic of her and Alex where Alex was sitting on her lap and they were high-fiveing.
"You almost sound like you wish you were his mother." I said slightly teasingly.
"He is a nice kid." Spencer said blushing slightly as she put her phone back in her pocket.
"Alex is cute, I wish Caleb and I will have a kid just like him someday." Hanna said.
As Aria and Spencer talked to Hanna about not planning too far ahead I grabbed my coke bottle and as I started to drink I spotted Paige standing across the street.
I could tell she was out for a jog judging from her tight purple tank top that stopped above her belly bottom and her black tights that stopped halfway down her shin. ¨
Her skin almost looked glistering from the sunlight and as she started to drink from her water bottle I could swear like everything was going in slow-motion.
As Paige continued her jog I couldn't take my eyes of her, I was mesmerized as I watched her. All I wanted to do was to run across the street and jump right into Paige's arms and kiss every inch of her hot body.
"Earth to Emily!" I was snapped out of my daydream as Aria snapped her fingers in front of my face.
I was about to make up some excuse about being too tired to focus on what they were talking about as Hanna said "Did you see something you liked?" raising her eyebrows ask she asked me that.
"What? No I wasn't." I lied.
"Please Em, we know you. You were totally checking someone out." Aria said as Spencer and Hanna nodded in agreement.
"I wasn't staring at anyone!" I said sounding annoyed so they would stop asking.
"Oh really? Then why are you 'party hats' showing?" Hanna asked.
I quickly moved my hands up to my chest to hide my nipples as I noticed I was wearing a hoodie without a zipper, I looked up embarrassed to see the smile on my friends faces.
"Busted or should I say Bust-ed." Hanna teased.
"Shut up." I said.
"So, who was the girl that was more important than listening to us?" Aria asked.
"It was…" I said as I looked around to see that Paige was out of sight now so I didn't had to make a full lie to them.
"It was a jogger, she is gone now." I said.
"Who?" Hanna said as started to look around searching for any girl in workout clothes.
"It doesn't matter Han, she's gone now." I said, still not lying since Paige was out of sight.
"Who was it?" Spencer asked.
"I don't know, couldn't tell." I lied.
"That's too bad Em, you should have run after the girl and ask for her number." Hanna said.
"Hanna!" I said across the table. "I don't know if this girl is gay or not and if she was wouldn't it just be strange if I just ran after her?" I said.
"Well, how about Spencer does it?" Hanna said and shoved Spencer.
"Why should I do it? Emily was the one ogling the jogger?" Spencer asked.
"Well you're a…" Hanna stopped in mid-sentence to look around the table before she whispered "Vampire." Then Hanna just remained silent.
"And?" Spencer asked as she gestured for Hanna to continue explaining her thought.
"Well you could compel the jogger to give Emily her number, maybe even… you know turn her if you have to." Hanna said.
"Hanna!" We all yelled and Spencer hit Hanna's arm.
"I'm not going to force someone to change their identity just to get a date." I said.
"Not to mention that it's just wrong to do that." I continued.
"Ok, bad example, but seriously Em, Spence." Hanna said as she pointed to the both of us.
"You should really try to take advantage over your new powers. I mean you can hypnotize people to do whatever you want and you are a witch who can use actual magic." Hanna said.
"She is right, you really could use your powers more." Aria said.
"It's not just about having fun, I's about being responsible." I said.
"Come on, when have we ever been one hundred percent responsible? Come on we're young we deserve to have some fun." Hanna said.
I was about to protest as I got a text
You shouldn't bicker with your love once, you'll never know when I'll take one from you. -A