by Ho, Jo
Her words sent a chill into the room.
“But what does he know?” Cassie asked without thinking.
Eve knew the question would come up. She had been dreading it all the way here. But having realized what they were up against, she knew she had to tell her story.
At least some of it.
“I was in a relationship last year, but he wasn’t a good guy. He hurt me.” Her voice had lowered to a whisper as her own screams of pain echoed inside her head. “He’s gone now, but somehow, Michael found out and is using that against me. He’s making me see things that aren’t there and making me relive what happened last summer. I just don’t understand what he gains from doing that, but if he’s trying to exploit my weaknesses, maybe he’s going to try to do the same to all of us.”
Silence fell over the room as each girl considered what that might mean for them.
Chapter 20
The blond student, the jock, the one they called Trip sauntered into a bar without a care in the world.
Michael knew he was underage, but it wasn’t a concern of either of the two security men by the door apparently, though the hundred bucks he brazenly slipped each of them might have had something to do with that.
He had been studying the boy for several hours now, watching with seething resentment — resentment that life could have been so easy for such a lowly specimen whose only real claim to his ridiculous popularity was a not-so-hideous-face and his ability to run with a ball tucked under his arm.
Despite his afternoon spent flashing his charm at the girl, Cassie, here he was now, attempting to get the number of another one. It made his blood boil, not out of any care for the witch girl — she would get what was coming to her — but that he felt no responsibility or pressure and was simply able to flit around doing whatever he pleased.
Michael had never experienced that kind of freedom.
For all of his life, it was made very clear what was expected of Michael, what part he had to play in the world. There were those who had suffered because of him, and who relied on him now.
And he would not fail them.
Hearing his thoughts, the presence in his mind reappeared.
“No, you will not,” it said with the greatest certainty and only a hint of malice in its rumbling voice. Michael could feel himself tremble as he always did from its power.
The streets were beginning to fill with night-time revelers looking for a good time. Crossing over, Michael walked past the two guards and into the noisy bar. A flashing disco globe was suspended from the ceiling, casting irregular patterns over the room. Music played, of the thumping, headache-inducing type that made Michael think of childhood tortures that he had been forced to endure back home. It was strange that humans would willing listen to noise such as this.
He moved past a group of girls wearing next to nothing. Their faces were plastered with paint and fake lashes, as they studiously checked out every male who danced near them, desperate for their attention.
Humans were the same. Every one of them. Wretched, pathetic creatures who didn’t deserve to call this world home.
Michael found a spot in a dark corner where he leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest in the hope that he would seem unfriendly enough that no one would bother him. He stood, waiting, biding his time, his eyes pinned on the hapless boy.
He watched as the insufferable boy danced with the girl and bought her drink after drink, clearly hoping that she would become drunk enough to go home with him. They laughed, swaying to the ridiculous music, becoming more and more intoxicated, but just as Trip thought the girl would be going home with him, her friends detached the two, letting him know that they were taking her home.
Alone, left to his own devices he was easy prey.
Michael waited as Trip relieved himself in the bathroom. When he came out, Michael stepped out from the shadows.
“Hey, are you Trip?” he asked in a friendly voice.
Trip stopped, turning around, a confused look on his face. “Yeah. Do I know you?” he slurred.
“No, but Lisa said you should meet her out back,” he gestured to the exit behind him.
“She’s gone already…” Trip replied, eyes clouded over with puzzlement.
“She got away from her friends. She’s waiting out there for you. I’d hurry though, she doesn’t look like the kind of girl who would wait too long if you know what I mean,” Michael grinned, winking in the way he had seen Trip do.
“Thanks, man,” Trip said, shuffling past him. Opening the door, he stepped into a dead-end. The scent of rotting food and alcohol blew in from the dumpsters outside, assaulting Michael’s nostrils. Trip, however, didn’t seem to notice, craning his head every which way to look for the elusive Lisa. Slipping out behind him, Michael shut the door. Without the thumping music, the alleyway seemed suddenly dead. Unable to find the girl, Trip span clumsily around, almost tripping over his own feet — a play on his name that made Michael smile as he reached out with both hands…
And easily snapped Trip’s neck.
His body hit the ground with a thud. Casting a quick look around the area to make sure the coast was clear, Michael summoned up his magic. What he would do next would require every ounce of skill to maintain… and even then, the cost of using this magic would be dear.
Slipping his hands under the dead boy’s armpits, he hauled him into a standing position. Drawing in the boy’s life-force, he channeled it into his own magic, letting it bend and twist until he felt them combine into one…
And then he stepped into Trip’s body.
Opening his eyes — Trip’s eyes — he examined his strong, new, and young body. His own physical body was gone now. This body was where his soul now lived.
A wave of exhaustion came over him, so great that he stumbled and would have fallen if he hadn’t thrown out his hands to catch the edge of the wall. Like a depleted battery, his magic had nearly been used up by the takeover — he would need to find a magical artifact and power up.
Not that he was unduly concerned.
He knew where he could get one.
Straightening up, he started out of the alleyway his excitement growing, when he found himself suddenly stumbling again. It was as if his legs had turned to jelly and they were refusing to cooperate. The world swam as a crushing pressure built inside his head.
What great hell was this?
Confused and concerned, he forced himself to continue, the act of keeping this body alive taking a much larger toll than he had expected. He could not afford for whatever this was to happen. He had to be strong enough to proceed with the next part of his plan.
Or there would be severe consequences.
Tomorrow, he would acquaint himself with the weakest of the witches.
Tomorrow, he would be going after the one they call Cassie.
* * *
This is the end of book 6. Continue the story now with LEFT BEHIND!
Afterword
Twisted is a television series that I have been trying to make for coming up to eight years now.
I created it soon after my television series Spirit Warriors aired.
At one point I even had one of the producers behind one of the biggest film franchises in the world attached. We were trying to get it set up in the States but for a variety of reasons it just didn’t happen.
In all this time, and after so many other projects, I still haven’t been able to let this one go. I believe in these girls, their troubles, and I believe there are others out there who want to hear their story. Outside of the supernatural shenanigans are the problems so many girls face today. I know, because each of these girls is a part of me in some way.
I wasn’t one of the popular girls at school.
I was very overweight — one of the side effects of coming from a troubled background. I was bullied from students and a staff member who took great joy in belittling me in front of the whole class on a regular basis until I learned to be terrified of att
ending those classes.
I was also the girl who couldn’t bare to look at herself in the mirror as she saw nothing but ugliness, which wasn’t surprising as that is what the world repeatedly told me I was.
And I was the girl who looked for validation in all the wrong places.
So this series is important to me as I know there are millions more girls out there who felt the same way I did. The ones who aren’t “perfect”. The ones who are outcasts, misfits, geeks — insert any other insult here. To them I say, know that you are unique and special. Stay true to yourself and great things can come.
If you’d like to help me make this into a TV series, please leave your reviews for these books and help spread the word. The more love there are for these books and the more demand there is for this show, the more likely it is to happen.
My thanks go to my wonderful beta reader and grammar guru, Janice Harris for her support and insightful work. Thanks too to Dawn and Simon who also cast their critical and much-needed eyes over proceedings.
And finally as always, to my love Matt who brings joy to each and every day.
- Jo
About the Author
A self-taught screenwriter who learnt the craft when she locked herself in her room and binge watched studied her favorite genre movies and television shows, Jo’s writing life began in film and television, when she created the ground-breaking, critically acclaimed CBBC action fantasy television series, SPIRIT WARRIORS, which introduced leading actress, Jessica Henwick (GAME OF THRONES, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKES, and the upcoming Marvel/Netflix show, IRON FIST) to the screen.
Granted the biggest budget ever given to a CBBC show at the time, it was nominated for Best Children’s Programme at the 2011 Broadcast Awards, with Jo herself, going on to win the Women in Film & Television’s, New Talent Award in 2010.
Since then, Jo has worked with some of the most acclaimed producers in the world, creating big budget projects with even bigger ideas, with several television shows and movies currently in development including supernatural horror, BLOODLINES, and family fantasy, SKETCH.
WANTED, was Jo’s first foray into book writing. Next up, she will be working on the rest of the Chase Ryder series, followed by the YA paranormal series, TWISTED, where we’ll be introduced to four outcast girls who discover they command some super dark powers.
A self-confessed geek and video gamer, and champion of female driven stories, Jo lives in London and hopes one day to travel across America in a super kitted out, Zombie-apocalypse-ready RV, with her lovely fella, Matt, and three equally lovely kitties.
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For a complete list of Jo’s books, visit her website.