Dreamlike State (The Magic of Black Forest Book 1)

by Macy Farmer

  I put my new photos in frames, and placed them around the house, putting the picture of Bradley next to my parents on the nightstand in my old room. This way I would see him every morning when I awoke and he’d be the last thing I saw before I went to sleep. I sat there staring at the picture until I remembered the note that accompanied them.

  Natalia… don’t stay away too long. You know as well as I that you belong here. Things will be as they should upon your return. Hurry home… Jesse

  Oh no! I forgot to call them when I got home. Darn. Immediately I dialed Jesse’s number.

  Before he had a chance to finish saying hello, I start talking. “Hello, Jesse, it’s me Natalia. Thank you for the pictures. I’m sorry I didn’t call you when I got here.” There was no response. – “Hello?”

  My heart sank as I heard Bradley say, “Jesse, it’s for you, she said something about pictures…” he didn’t even talk to me. I knew it was him. Just the sound of his voice caused my stomach to flutter.

  “Hey, Natalia, it’s about time you called us. We were all getting ready to show up on your doorstep,” I heard a sigh of relief. “What about pictures? Wait Colleen’s here let me put you on speaker.”

  “Sorry I didn’t call you sooner, I got in really late yesterday. I ache all over so it took me all morning just to get unpacked. That’s when I found the pictures and your note, which reminded me to call you. Thank you for the pictures, it means a lot.” I tried to sound as excited as I did when I first called but just knowing Bradley was there made it hard.

  “I thought you were on tour?” I wasn’t talking to Colleen or Jesse but Colleen tried to cover for him. “Colleen please don’t do that, I know what I heard.” When Bradley didn’t respond, I told them I had a lot of things to do and that they can call me later tonight. I didn’t want to call there just in case he answered the phone again.

  “Natalia… wait… please.” Bradley’s voice sounded as sad as mine, except this was his choice so he had no right to sound that way.

  “What?”

  “One second, Natalia, I’m going to take you off speaker.” After a brief pause I heard, “Hello, you still there?”

  “Yes.” It was all I could say. I didn’t want him to hear how sad and heartbroken I was. I didn’t want him to feel guilty. I wanted him to be happy, even if it was without me.

  “How are you doing? It must be hard for you to be home.”

  “I’m fine and you.” I ignored his concern about my coming back to my parents' house, trying to be cordial, but it wouldn’t last long considering the emotional turmoil I was under.

  “Not so good. When you didn’t call, I came back. We were going to go look for you. I-I-I was worried.” Hearing him stutter, his voice sad, I knew this was hurting him just as much as it was me. Again, he had the power to change it.

  “Well, Bradley, I’m no longer your concern. Like you said the past month was a mistake, I see that now. There’s no need to burden yourself thinking I’m pining here waiting for you. Oh no need to worry about Anthony either, I’m sure he’s lost interest in me as well... just another flatlander to mess with.”

  “Natalia, please…”

  Before he had a chance to say anything else I cut him off. My voice cracking and tears starting to fall I could only say, “Goodbye, Bradley. I’m sorry you felt that way. Thank you and I’ll always love you.” Then I hung up. I didn’t even give him a chance to reply, to change his mind, or defend his words.

  Seconds after I hung up the phone, it rang. It was Jesse’s number so I didn’t answer it. Instead, I cleaned up the kitchen and found the lawyer's number that Melissa had written down for me.

  Apparently, Mr. Smith wanted to see me, today if possible. I thought, why not? If I sat here, I would just pine over Bradley. Anyway, the sooner I got this over with the sooner I could move on.

  ***

  The office was in the city, on Market Street, and rumor had it that this was where all the good lawyers were, here or in New York. Unfortunately, I didn’t trust lawyers, no matter where they were from. Mr. Smith’s firm had its own floor. Not just an office on the floor, the entire floor. Immediately after I exited the elevator, the receptionist greeted me. She instantly knew who I was and greeted me as such.

  “Hello, Ms. Middleton. Please follow me.” She guided me to Mr. Smith’s office. “He’ll be right with you.” All the office furniture matched. It was made of mahogany, and was beautiful and prestigious. This firm no doubt was quite successful. The décor; warm and comforting, which was not at all what I expected.

  “Hello, Natalia… may I call you Natalia?” It was odd that he did not extend his hand to greet me. That’s quite odd for someone in this profession not to do.

  “Sure, no problem, Mr. Smith.”

  “It’s a pleasure to see you again. You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you… well before the viewing and all. I used to come to your birthday parties when you were younger you know, before you became a teenager and no longer wanted adults at your parties.” He let out a hearty laugh.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.” The situation felt very uncomfortable. I didn’t even remember meeting him at the viewing but there were many people there that I didn’t know.

  “Understandable. Well, let’s get down to business. Your parents’ Will is very straightforward. Everything they owned is yours. The house, cars, stock, retirement, and deposit accounts. Per their request, I will continue to monitor and invest the funds already in the stock market. The retirement funds are to remain as such. Those monies are to be used for your “official” retirement. As of today, it totals about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” – Official, what did he mean by that? – “The deposit accounts have been closed and combined, totaling just over two hundred thousand dollars. I will wire these funds into your current bank account. The funds will be available tomorrow.” – I gasped with disbelief. – “Yes that is a lot of money. You should be very careful with it. If you go too wild or don’t pay attention it will go quickly.” He paused at this point to let me digest it all.

  “They also had insurance policies that you are the beneficiary of. They total five hundred thousand dollars. Per the Will, I will invest this money in a trust account and deposit two thousand dollars a month into your account, beginning two years after their death.”

  I was unable to say anything. I had no idea my parents had so much money. We’d always lived comfortably when I was growing up, but still I had no idea.

  “It’s a lot to digest. They wanted you to enjoy life without having to worry about money. I have strict instructions to monitor your funds to ensure that their wishes are fulfilled. I loved your parents dearly and I will keep that promise to them. Natalia, they were never clients to me. They were my friends.”

  “Does that mean you’re waiving all the fees and your services are free of charge?” My goal was to lighten up this very intense moment. It’s overwhelming and a lot to digest.

  He laughed aloud then said, “You have your father’s sense of humor. He would have said the same thing, just to lighten the mood. I don’t charge my fees but I do charge the retirement fees and secretary fees. It will cost you about a thousand dollars a year for me to manage your funds. I promise to do it wisely and keep you informed, and when necessary, I’ll even make decisions on your behalf. Do you have any questions for me?”

  “No. Thank you. For everything.”

  “Wait. Your father told me that you didn’t trust lawyers and there was one way I could prove myself to you.” I swallowed loudly when I saw him extend out his hand for me to take. “Go ahead. Like I said, we were good friends.” I took his hand and I could see why my parents trusted this man. He was a good loyal friend that was all I needed to know. So as not to invade his privacy, I was about to let go but then I saw my parents. Harvey knew my parents all their lives. I saw their history together flash before my eyes. I even saw him holding me several times as a child and playing catch with me when I was older.r />
  As the tears started to fill my eyes, I pulled my hand from his. “Thank you for letting me see and hear my parents again. I truly miss them.” I took a tissue and dabbed my cheeks dry.

  We went over a lot more legal stuff before I left. It felt like I signed my life away. I was also amazed by how much money Uncle Sam was taking. Soon they’ll tax you just for dying. Unbelievable!

  ***

  By the time I got home, it was dark already. When I walked into the house, I was numb from all the news I’d received today. Harvey said that I should think about quitting my job to find something more fulfilling to do with my life, especially now that I could take the time to figure that out. That was one thing that I was going to do. I dreaded going back to work. I enjoyed the company I worked for, but I felt burned out before I went away, now I had no interest in going back at all. I will go back and give them sufficient notice, I owed them that much. They’ve always been good to me.

  After I got ready for bed, I called Melissa and told her about my appointment with the lawyer. She agreed and said I should quit my job to do something I would enjoy more. As of now, I had no idea what that was.

  I spent the next few days packing up my parents’ stuff. Melissa’s mom insisted I get right on it. If I didn’t do it now I never would. She said it was unhealthy to leave things the way they were. They both helped me pack up their stuff then move it to the garage. Before moving their stuff to the garage, I had to pack up my belongings so that I could move into the main house. It took us two days to get everything moved around. I appreciated the help. We took a lot of stuff to the local shelter and good will. Next week we were going to paint their bedroom and the living room.

  Even though I kept myself busy, I always thought of Bradley. Sometimes the thoughts were painful, but most of the time they put a huge smile on my face.

  The first day I returned to the office, I handed in my resignation. I gave two weeks’ notice and thanked them for everything. Due to the recent events in my life, my supervisor Rhonda was concerned by my sudden decision, so she had the human resource manager talk to me. I explained that although I enjoyed working there, I needed a change.

  The next two weeks went by quickly and before I knew it, they were having a farewell party for me. It was a lot harder than I thought, and of course I cried. Now that I was leaving, I was beginning to wonder if this drastic move was a good idea, and I was a little relieved when they told me I could come back anytime.

  On the first day of my unofficial retirement, I decided to give Jesse a call. I hadn’t heard from him or Colleen in over two weeks. When he answered the phone, I could tell I woke him but he was happy to hear from me. He told me that they weren’t able to come and see me anytime soon. There was some trouble on the home front that they needed to take care of. He said maybe after the holidays. We didn’t talk too long. I was disappointed that they weren’t able to come. Oh and let us not forget that my aunt was coming over. Over the last few weeks she called a couple times to arrange a meeting but I kept putting her off.

  I had put off her visit long enough. She sounded like it was important, mentioning that she’s not interested in anything that belonged to my parents. She made a promise to my mom a long time ago. My mom had never mentioned my aunt but I did have this sudden feeling that I should meet with her, like whatever she had to say would be important to my future. She arrived bright and early in the morning. I wasn’t even done with my coffee yet. I got her a cup of coffee and we just sat there at the kitchen table for a while, saying nothing. Awkward.

  When I couldn’t take the silence anymore I said, “Susie…” I had no clue what to call her. “…what do you need to talk to me about?”

  “Natalia, please bear with me, I’m trying to figure out the best way to tell you who you are.” – There was another long pause then finally she spoke again, this time really fast. – “Your mother was a witch and your father a wizard. They wanted to raise you ‘normal’ so they walked away from the coven but your twenty fifth birthday is coming up and your life is about to change dramatically, for the better, of course. I promised your mother if she wasn’t here to help you get through it, I would explain everything.”

  Freaked out and sure she was lying I was about to tell her to get out. She put up her hand to gesture for me to let her finish.

  “Your mother gave me this letter.” She held up an envelope that had my name on it and I could see it was in my mother’s handwriting. “It’s important that you read this letter before I go any further. If you wish, I can leave and come back later. This will be a lot to digest. Would you like me to leave?”

  My response bewildered me. As I thought the answer, I said it before I could stop myself. “No, please stay.” I have no idea why I wanted her to stay.

  The moment I began to read the letter the tears started to spill from my eyes.

  My dearest Natalia,

  If you’re reading this letter then we are no longer with you and you’re about to turn 25. I am so sorry you had to find out this way. Please know that your father and I never intended for this to happen. We intended to tell and teach you ourselves.

  You can trust Susie. She knows everything about you, from the day you were born. She will teach you everything you need to know. Be sure to listen and learn. For if you don’t, your power will control you, and you must control it.

  Do you remember when I told you the most important things are the wind on your face, the trees over your head and the dirt at your feet… that it will set you free, that when this happens your life will never be the same and to remember to embrace all of it? This is where your power will come from.

  You have magic in your blood. There is no escaping it. Both your father and I are from generations of…well people call us witches and wizards.

  On the day of your 25th birthday, your powers will be unleashed. Your Aunt Susie will be there to guide you.

  I have to go honey, you’re crying… you’re ready for your nap.

  Remember we love you with all our hearts. Most importantly tell no one and never let anyone see you perform magic. Some people still protest against our kind.

  Love, Mommy. XOXOXOXOX

  With tears still streaming down my face I said, “Aunt Susie, how old was I when she wrote this letter?” She smiled. Pleased, I’m sure, with my calling her Aunt Susie.

  “You were almost a year old. They were so proud. They wanted to prepare for the worst just in case…” She trailed off, there was no need to finish, the worst had happened. “It’s important that we prepare you for your upcoming birthday. Are you okay, Nat?”

  “Yes, considering I just found out I’m a witch.” I never really believed in that sort of thing. I mean, sure I had a gift, but anyone can do that if they were in touch with their inner psyche. For some people it just came more naturally. I mean witches and wizards… really how could that be real?

  “You’re not just a witch, Natalia. Your mother was a witch, your father a wizard and you were born on October 31st, Halloween. You’ll be much more powerful than any witch or wizard I’ve ever met.”

  I just stared at her, my eyes wide and my mouth agape. The last few days my facial expression had been the same. If I wasn’t careful the look may just become permanent. I giggled at the thought. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I was both intrigued and excited. My birthday is just around the corner. “Is there anything I need to do to prepare for my birthday?”

  “Yes.” She pulled out an old book from the bag she brought with her. She said a rhyme while waving her hand over the book. Then she took my hand put it on the book and repeated the same words. “I’ve temporarily blocked the spells so if you read them nothing will happen. Not until your birthday, at which time my spell will no longer work. Read through this, start at the beginning, it will explain your heritage, from both your father and your mother. Do not read any spells aloud on your birthday, not until you understand your powers. If you’re not careful you could hurt yourself and other people.�
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  I looked at the cover. It was old and dusty. I blew the dust off the cover and it read, ‘The Middleton’s Book of Shadows’.

  “Holy cow! Unbelievable! We have our own Book of Shadows?” I looked up at her waiting for her to correct me, to tell me I was wrong.

  She laughed. It was a soft gentle laugh. It sounded just like my mom's. I stared at her through a new set of eyes, appreciative and thankful to have her in my life, especially now. Before today, I had resented her so much.

  “I’m glad to be here too, Natalia. Yes, this is your parents' Book of Shadows. They created all these spells for you. Some are from our side, some from your father’s family and a few that they created together. They were both very powerful.”

  “Wow, did you just hear my thoughts? How did you know?”

  “We have the same gift. Well, sort of. I can control mine a little more than you can control yours. As the years pass, your powers will grow stronger. For example, I can shield myself a lot better and I no longer need to touch most people to see them. Moreover, when I do, I can see things they have hidden deep in their minds, things they haven’t even realized they know or have decided. The information is hidden deep in the depth of their psyche.”

  Her eyes turned mischievous while a huge grin spread across her face. Laughing she said, “Do you want to see how your mom and I used to do the dishes when we were kids and no one was looking?”

  “Sure.” It was hard for me not to laugh with her. She acted as though she was about to do something really sneaky. She looked over her left shoulder then over her right, as to check and make sure no one was looking, and while still giggling she chanted,“The dishes are dirty… the dishes aren’t done… wipe and clean until the food and dirt are gone…” She waved her hands through the air and the next thing I saw was the dishes being cleaned and then placed in the strainer to dry.

  “Get out! How cool is that?” I was in awe over her mantic abilities.