Breathe

-MAX WALMER

I am woken up when I feel as though I’m in a hot burning room and there’s no escape. I swipe my hand and the fire goes off and the light in my room goes on. I look around me and there’s no trace of a fire. It could only mean one thing, Joy. I rush out of bed and head down to my consultation room and all the candles in the room come to light. I pour water into a bowl and mix some herbs into it and then stir the water to show me what I need to see.

“I don’t know what happened, I didn’t mean for things to get like this” Joys cries out holding her mother’s corpse into her arms.

“I’m sorry mom” she cries, tears roll down her cheeks and I feel this painful stab right into my heart. I walk over to her and place my hand on her shoulder.

Everything that happened earlier on plays out like her movie, I feel every emotion she felt from the minute she confronted her mother and was not satisfied with the answers she got. Her magic is fuel by anger, as long as she is angry, she has no control over what she does.

“She needs you,” A voice says, and I turn around to see an old man. I frown confused “I’m her father, I used to be just like her. If you or Sybil do not get her before she does, she will be lost into the darkness” the man says and then he disappears.

“I didn’t mean to kill her Faith; I don’t know what happened” Joy explains to a distraught Faith.

“We need to find a way to cover this up, we need to be able to explain to the cops how you and I did not die in the fire!” Faith says and she kneels in front of Joy, “Joy are you listening to me? We need a cover story. It’s not going to make any sense that you and I got out of the fire alive and untouched by the flames” Faith says making Joy look at her, but Joy is too broken and hurt.

“I can help you,”

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-SYBIL

I wake up from a disturbing dream, it’s like my entire room is on fire. I open my eyes and there’s no fire in sight. I breathe in and out trying to make sense of the dream I just woke up from. My phone rings and it’s Max, I’d ask how he got my number but that’s beside the point.

“Max” I answer.

“Sybil, we are already late” Max says.

“What do you mean?” I ask him confused.

“She accidentally killed her father in a fire. She caused a fire, and it killed her mother, there’s someone offering to help her. I didn’t see her face, but her father warned me against her” Max explains, I get off the bed and walk over to wear my robe.

“What do you mean? I haven’t seen anyone. The ancestors haven’t showed me anything” I admit.

“We need to find her Sybil; you need to help her” Max says and then he ends the call on me.

I let out a breath and then make my way downstairs as quietly as possible and head down to the basement. I search through Nellie’s grimoires for a spell that could help me conjure up her father and seek answers because he is clearly the only person who can help keep his daughter safe. I pour salt on the lining of the circle on the centre so that whatever evil he may harbour, is contained inside the circle.

“Mr Sean Leiria hear my call. Come forth” I say with my eyes closed kneeling in front of a circle. Nothing happens. I let out a breath and try again “Mr Sean Leiria hear my call, come forth and help me help you daughter Joy” I plead, the room goes dead silent and then I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand as though there’s an open window. A wind blows the candles off and I open my eyes to find him trapped inside the circle and just then the candles go on again. He looks at me and I look at him.

“You late” he says, I look at this man before me.

“What do you mean? You are her father; your job was to protect her and guide her towards the right path” I say to him standing up.

“how do you think she has survived this long? It has been me this entire time, but my father and my forefathers are fighting me. Joy is not the last remaining of my bloodline, her aunty, my sister who I thought had died is alive and very much well. Her intentions are evil, she needs Joy in order to help her overthrow the regent and take over the covens. If Nala succeeds, she will taint every other bloodline under the leadership of the regent and turn factions against each other. She will erupt a war against the wolves, vampires and the witches.”

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-JOY

“Who are you?” Faith asks the woman before us; the sirens are getting closer.

“Do you hear that? If we don’t leave now, you will have to answer questions you have no answers to. Let me help you!” The woman says, I look at Faith and Faith looks at me.

“I asked who you are?” Faith repeats.

“I am here to help your sister control her magic. I am a witch, and she was shown to me in a dream. As long as she has no control over her magic, who knows who else will die because of her? Now let me help you” the woman says. Faith nods.

“Go ahead, I’ll handle everything else. You will buy a phone and call me first thing in the morning ok?” Faith says helping me stand up. She pulls me into her arms “I don’t trust her, don’t let your guard down, I will find you as soon as this mess is taken care of” Faith whispers and then she breaks the hug.

“I love you Faith and be safe” I say to her.

“I love you too” Faith says and then the woman holds my hand, and she clicks her fingers.

When I open my eyes, we show up in what looks like an old worn-out house. I look around and she clicks her fingers and the candles come alite, we are in what looks like a cemetery.

“Who are you?” I ask her myself.

“I am your aunty, Nala Leiria”