A Witch to Live

by Glenn Bullion

  “Hi, Kevin,” she said, flashing a smile. “Can I talk to you?”

  “Uh, sure. I guess.”

  She sat next to him and flirted with her body language.

  “You still owe me a drink,” she said.

  “Huh? What?”

  “You dumped mine on my brother.”

  He was a second away from fishing two dollars out of his wallet when she cut him off.

  “Or we can come up with something else.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know Homecoming is next month, right?”

  He tried not to laugh as he looked at the huge banner advertising Homecoming on the wall behind her.

  “Yeah, I did hear that.”

  “Me and you can go to Homecoming instead.”

  He would have rather paid her the two dollars.

  “I thought you were going out with John Crowe?”

  “Not anymore.”

  Kevin somehow kept from shaking his head. He was surprised she didn't know he was dating Rachel. Or maybe she did know, and was playing with him. Gossip flowed fast through the school's halls, and Melissa was often at the center of it.

  “Thank you, really. But I'm not really a Homecoming kind of guy. And if I was gonna go, I actually have a girlfriend now.”

  Melissa was undeterred.

  “Well, what you should do is break up with her, and go out with me. I promise we'll have a lot of fun.”

  He noticed someone watching them out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see Rachel standing there holding her lunch.

  Kevin almost breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Hey,” he said. “Where have you been?”

  She shyly walked over to the table and sat next to Kevin, trying to keep her head low.

  “I was just getting my lunch.”

  “Melissa, you know Rachel, my girlfriend?”

  The cheerleader's jaw nearly hit the floor.

  “You're dating Rachel Evans?”

  “Yeah. Is that okay with you?”

  “But why?”

  “Because she's hot.”

  Melissa said nothing, then stood up and walked away. Kevin shook his head as she disappeared. Rachel watched the curvy blond until she left the cafeteria.

  “She has issues,” Kevin said.

  “Every guy wants her.”

  “Not me,” he said, flashing a smile.

  She smiled back, but he could see she was fighting with her self-esteem.

  “People just can't seem to believe me and you could possibly be together.”

  He kissed her, and didn't pull away. He wanted her to forget about the idiots in school. His own head went for a walk whenever their lips touched, and hoped hers did the same.

  He was right.

  Rachel lost herself in the kiss, scooting her chair closer to Kevin and putting a hand on his leg. She heard whispers and catcalls around her, but wasn't sure if they were directed at them or not.

  She didn't care.

  It was hard to catch her breath after he pulled away.

  “I think you have magic lips, too,” she said, then noticed the book on the table. “You actually brought the spell-book to school?”

  He never thought of it as a spell-book, but that was as good a name as any.

  She flipped through the pages, not seeing how he could possibly read it. It didn't look like any written language, just lines and symbols.

  “Yeah. I was doing some reading in class when I got bored.”

  “You're gonna go out tonight and hunt the werewolf, aren't you?”

  “I have to try.”

  “No, you don't.”

  “If someone gets hurt-”

  “Spending one day with a witch doesn't mean you can kill a werewolf.”

  “Keep your voice down.”

  “How do you know it's even a werewolf? Maybe Martha is wrong. Maybe it's just a bear. Listen, whatever is going on, you're not going out tonight without me.”

  “Can we talk about this later? Let's talk about something else.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like what we're gonna do for our first official date.”

  Her eyes lit up. “Date?”

  “Yeah. We have to go out and do something this weekend.”

  They laughed as they tossed ideas back and forth. She reached for his hand, not caring about the looks others gave them. They went through everything from a simple movie to a picnic in the park.

  Kevin was glad Rachel was with him.

  She helped with the fear that was building with every passing minute.

  She would be mad when he went without her.

  *****

  Rachel lay on her stomach on her bed, working on her math homework while music played through her computer.

  The setting sun outside her window was beautiful, but a sobering reminder that soon the moon would be full.

  She took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for the night that was in store for her and Kevin.

  They were going to try to track a werewolf.

  Mom stopped by her bedroom door with a laundry basket. It was great to see her walking around.

  “What are you working on?”

  “Homework.” She turned on her side to look at Mom. “Listen, I'm heading out with Kevin tonight. I might be a little late coming home.”

  Mom sat on the bed. A curfew was something they never had to talk about before.

  “How late?”

  “Uh, maybe one or two in the morning?”

  “To do what, exactly?”

  “Not that, Mom.”

  “You like him a lot, don't you?”

  She nodded, more than happy to talk with her mother about Kevin.

  “When he looks at me, I can see he actually thinks I'm pretty. He doesn't look at me like everyone else does.”

  “Well, you are pretty, Rachel.”

  “You're supposed to say that. You're my mom.”

  “Homecoming's coming up. Maybe you two can go together.”

  “I don't go to that stuff.”

  “I haven't been able to dance with your father for ten years. I didn't realize how much I wanted to until I couldn't. Don't let life pass you by, Rachel. And you can stay out till midnight tonight.”

  Rachel smiled as her mother left the room, knowing she'd stay out later.

  She grabbed her phone and called Kevin's house. Kristin answered.

  “Hey, Kristin,” Rachel said. “Can I talk to Kevin?”

  “He's not here.”

  “What?”

  “He left about an hour ago. Said he'd be back late.”

  She lost her breath for a moment. “Did he say where he was going? Did he take the car?”

  “What is this? Jeopardy? No, and no. What do I win?”

  “Uh, thanks, Kristin.”

  She hung up and nearly dove for her rock she kept next to the computer.

  “Kevin? Are you there?”

  She heard nothing, and once again felt silly for talking into a rock, no matter how magical it was.

  “Answer me.”

  She closed her eyes in relief when she heard Kevin's voice.

  “Hey, sexy girl.”

  “What are you doing? You said you wouldn't go without me.”

  “That's not exactly true. You said that. I didn't agree to it.”

  “You're gonna play with words now? Kevin-”

  “I'm sorry, Rachel. We can fight about this later. But this could be dangerous, and I'm not letting you come with me.”

  She clenched her fist, both angry and terrified.

  “Do you even know what you're doing?”

  “Not at all. I'm gonna listen to my instincts, like Martha said. She seems to think I'll do okay. I did take a knife. A silver-plated knife my father used to keep.”

  “This is crazy.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “If you get hurt, I won't forgive you.”

  “Yeah, you will. I'll talk to you later.”

/>   Her rock went silent.

  Chapter 17

  Victoria calmly sat on her bed, watching the security system on her laptop across the basement. There was a webcam in her living room, pointing at the setting sun. It was the only way she could see daylight without burning.

  The shadows slowly began to take over.

  She was dressed in simple clothes she wouldn't mind getting dirty. She had no weapons. No guns, no blades. Her claws and fangs were the only weapons she needed.

  Her body felt great from a quick drink at the bar the night before.

  She'd spent the past two weeks touring the town, learning the lay of the land, exploring the woods that surrounded Walton. She visited Lookout Point and the overlook where the two teens died. The police didn't release where the teens were murdered, but once Victoria found Lookout Point, it didn't take long for her nose to do the rest.

  There were no signs of the werewolf, only the faint smell of blood.

  She left her house when it was safe, and looked at the clouds as they floated through the night sky. A full moon would be joining them soon.

  Her neighbor stared and waved from his front yard as she turned onto the street in her Porsche. She gave a polite wave back and headed for Lookout Point.

  Her instincts and a few centuries of experience were all she had to rely on, but she had a suspicion the werewolf wasn't an evil killer. The teens were killed in a remote place in the woods. The werewolf probably roamed the woods on purpose, trying to stay away from people, but unfortunately found an unlucky boy and girl.

  Still, Victoria knew the creature had to be dealt with.

  It was early at Lookout Point, but there were cars lined up along the trail. She laughed as she parked next to a teenaged couple making out in the back of a Jeep. The boy stopped to give Victoria an appreciative stare, drawing the wrath of his girlfriend.

  With the murders, she was surprised Lookout Point was still seeing its share of teens.

  Everything sounded normal to her as she walked the dirt trail through the woods. The trees, bushes, animals in the woods, the dirt and rocks under her feet.

  She made it to the overlook where the teens were murdered, still hearing and smelling the teens off in the distance. The thought of using them as bait didn't sit well with her, but if the werewolf had decided Lookout Point was his territory, she'd be ready for him.

  This was the part she hated. The waiting. A werewolf could literally be anyone, from a young child to an elderly woman. It wouldn't do any good to randomly search the woods. The overlook near Lookout Point was a great spot. The wind hit her back and blew toward town. She would pick up any strange scents easily.

  Her gaze settled on the town below. The streetlights and neon signs carved their way into the night. A small town, but still a beautiful sight. It was surprising the teens didn't make the overlook their intimate spot. The trail wasn't that rough.

  Her thoughts drifted to her friends. She missed Alex, Cindy, Alicia, and Jake. Especially Jake. Talking with him on the phone every few days was nice, but that wasn't enough. She wanted to see him, feel him. She wanted to sink her fangs into him as he did things to her.

  A smile crossed her face as she looked at the full moon overhead. Only a year ago, they were enemies.

  It was tempting to ask him to join her in Walton, but the type of distraction he provided was one she didn't need.

  A smell touched her nose, and her fangs almost grew on their own.

  It wasn't a werewolf.

  She picked it up once on her first night in Walton, but not again since.

  Now it filled her nose, and she couldn't ignore it.

  Her entire body filled with dread.

  “Please, no.”

  Her nose led her back down the trail. Several cars had left Lookout Point, with others taking their place. Victoria felt young eyes undressing her, but the source of the scent wasn't parked along the trail.

  She walked along the road toward town. A man whistled at her loudly as he drove past. There were houses and cars up ahead. Thick woods lined both sides of the road. There was a break in the trees ahead, with a dirt road cutting through.

  The scent grew stronger.

  Turning down the dirt road, the scent of death touched her nose.

  A graveyard.

  It was an appropriate size for a town like Walton. The entire graveyard was surrounded by a heavy fence with the woods just beyond.

  A flashlight weaved back and forth, searching between graves.

  Victoria couldn't believe it.

  She hadn't encountered a witch in nearly a century. Many vampires believed they had died out. As rare as vampires and werewolves were, witches were even more so.

  Yet she knew as she stared at the young boy, that's exactly what he was. He couldn't hide his scent, even with magic.

  She peered through the darkness to get a look at him. All of a vampire's senses were keen, including eyesight.

  He couldn't have been any more than eighteen years old, just a fraction younger than Alicia. It was obvious he spent a lot of time in the weight room. He wore a black tee shirt and jeans, with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Nothing stood out as odd about the teenager, except that he wandered one of Walton's graveyards with a flashlight at night.

  Victoria knew she was looking at one of the most dangerous creatures alive.

  He noticed her, looking up from the other side of the graveyard to give a polite wave.

  She shoved her conscience aside.

  The boy never saw her coming as she sprinted across the graveyard. She grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against a headstone, breaking off chunks of it.

  “What is your name?” she asked.

  The boy moaned in pain. She extended her thumb into a claw and pressed it to his throat, drawing a bit of blood.

  “Name?”

  “Kevin.”

  “How many more of you, Kevin? Where's your family?”

  He blinked a few times, trying to see clearly, and gave Victoria a look of defiance she had to admire.

  “You're the werewolf, aren't you?”

  “Do I look like a werewolf to you?” She showed off her fangs, hoping to strike fear into him. “Where is your family?”

  He looked directly into her red eyes.

  “None of your damn business.”

  “Listen, Kevin. I am going to kill you. I can make it quick, or not. Don't make me ask again.”

  Kevin's hand fell on the flashlight he dropped when she attacked him.

  He shined it in her eyes, slipping his index finger in front of the beam.

  Victoria shouted in pain as everything went hot white. It was like being blinded by the sun, which she hadn't seen in four centuries. She had to let go of his throat to cover her eyes.

  The flash was quick, but when she stood up, he was gone.

  “Don't think I enjoy this,” she called, searching the graveyard for movement. “I'm very sorry, but you have to die.”

  Victoria made the mistake centuries ago believing that killing a witch would be easy. They were physically weak supernatural creatures, no stronger than a human. They bled and died like anything else.

  But getting through their spells, their potions, their annoying tricks, that was the challenge. Anything they laid their hands on was a potential weapon.

  He was nearby, as his scent was still strong.

  She listened for anything. Breathing. Footsteps.

  She reached over top of a headstone and felt a head. Wrapping her fingers in his hair, she lifted him up with one hand.

  He twitched in her grasp, and screamed in pain, but Victoria saw nothing.

  Kevin was invisible.

  She hid her amazement well. A century ago witches were just discovering some of their more impressive potions. Now a teenager wielded invisibility.

  “Nice trick.”

  She lashed out with her free hand, having already turned it into a claw. He shouted as she raked across his chest, slicing through
his shirt and into his flesh.

  The invisibility potion wore off. Pain would always shorten a witch's magic. His feet dangled off the ground as blood poured to the ground.

  “I'm sorry,” she said, swinging her claw for his throat.

  He held up a chunk of smashed tombstone, no bigger than his fist. Victoria's hand hit the stone, and she felt the bones break in her hand.

  She howled in pain and dropped Kevin to the ground. He crawled away as she cradled her hand. She noticed him drinking something as he shifted his backpack onto both shoulders.

  “I don't even know you,” he shouted. “What's your problem?”

  Victoria's conscience attacked her as she clenched her broken hand. She kept reminding herself she wasn't killing a teenager, but a creature with dangerous power.

  She grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him across the graveyard. He shouted as he soared through the air, hit the fence, and collapsed on the ground. His leg broke as it caught under him awkwardly.

  He was drinking from a bottle as she stalked him. She sprinted to him before he could finish. Grabbing his wrist, she gave it a slight twist, and heard it snap. He cried out and dropped the bottle to the ground. It looked like an ordinary bottle of water.

  “You're a full-blood, aren't you? No witch at your age is this strong. Where are your parents?”

  A tear ran down his eye, but it wasn't from pain.

  “They're dead,” he said, holding her gaze. “All of them are dead.”

  She let her guard down for a moment.

  “Now, get away from me!”

  He stabbed her in the shoulder with a knife. It hurt, but Victoria had been stabbed many times in her life, and by much stronger enemies.

  She was surprised when the pain grew worse.

  Her shoulder felt like the light of the sun was on it. She winced as she backed away from Kevin. The pain was so great she couldn't stand up.

  “What did you do?” she said.

  The pain only intensified as she pulled the knife from her shoulder and dropped it to the ground.

  Tasting her own blood, she thought she picked up the taste of sugar.

  Using a nearby tombstone, she pulled herself to her feet. She looked to Kevin to see him standing up as well, drinking his bottle of water.

  His leg and wrist were no longer broken.

  She remembered once again why witches weren't allowed to live. Magic was simply too powerful.