Student Bodies

by Sean Cummings

  “I think he might be this wellspring of malice the Blessed Maven was talking about. There’s been an orchestrated campaign of harassment against this kid – at school, on Facebook, basically everywhere. You know that stuff we showed you? And it was planned by Travis Butler and Mike Olsen. Now Travis is dead and Mike’s mind is wrecked – the common denominator is Willard Schubert – you even told me that loneliness is crippling. That it can lead to envy and then to hatred, a perfect breeding ground for malice under the right circumstances. Willard is the missing piece of the puzzle and I need to find him and bring him to the Blessed Maven. Just… please tell me that no harm will come to him. I don’t trust that old cow, not even for a second.”

  Mom spun around and shot me an angry glare. “You take that back, Julie Richardson. The Maven is a cranky, miserable old woman, but you’ll not find a witch with a kinder heart. I know it’s hard to believe, but the Maven will lay down her life to save you – to save anyone. She will protect Willard. If he is the fuel for Adriel’s magic, then I suspect she’s going to try to put him to sleep until all of this blows over. It will have to be one hell of a sleeping potion and we’d better hope that kid doesn’t know magic because all those clouds of energy we saw hovering over the C-Train station and the McDonald’s? That’s his malice taken physical form. It’s all very clear now.”

  I blinked. “So, how do I get a distrustful teenage boy who has faced bullying on an epic scale to trust me?”

  Mom shook her head. “I don’t know, sweetheart, but you’ve got to find him fast.”

  “What are you going to do, Mom?”

  Her eyes moved over to look at the basement door. She let out another weary sigh and said, “I’m going to prepare a bunch of magic potions. I’m going to find my old Pentacle and speak a bunch of protective spells into the stitching. Come tomorrow night, I’ll need as much protection as I can muster. And I’m going to stitch new spells into your Shadowcull’s cloak. At some point I’ll manage to catch a few winks of sleep.”

  “You’re leaving me to find Willard on my own…? Um, wow.”

  She nodded. “It’s your task, Julie. As much as I want to go with you, the Blessed Maven charged you with finding Willard. Drink the potion. Stick to the shadows and if you get in too deep, wait for backup. Got it?”

  “I got it,” I said, literally beaming from the inside out. For the first time in my life, Mom was stepping back. She was giving me her blessing to act on my own and my heart soared, despite the fear that was churning away in the pit of my stomach.

  “And Julie?” said Mom as she took my hand. Her lips arched into a warm smile and I noticed her eyes beginning to well up with tears.

  “Yeah?”

  “Answer your text messages from Marcus. He’ll be worried about you.”

  Betty followed me up to my bedroom. I threw on a clean T-shirt and my Iron Maiden sweatshirt and then hopped onto my bed, my new phone in hand. My head was still spinning after meeting with the Maven and a sense of dread washed over me when I considered the dangers we all faced in the hours ahead. I’d overcome my fears in my duel with the Witchfinder General, but that was because I had skin in the game. Mom’s soul was on the line and I was willing to lay down my life to save her. But all of it had been a little bit unreal at the time. I was also dealing with a spiritual entity and not a black mage.

  And I’d let Marcus tag along for the ride. I’d watched him bear the full brunt of a death curse and the consequences of his involvement in my magical life never really registered until now. Christ, Marcus had sat in front of me inside the triage tent after we gave our statements to the police about Travis Butler’s death. He’d been visibly shaken, and because I just happen to attract bad juju like flies to honey, Marcus was always going to be at risk. He would always face the prospect of a violent death at the hands of rogue mages like Adriel or any other number of supernatural cataclysms, no matter what he said.

  But I was a Shadowcull now. As much as I adored Marcus with all my heart, he wasn’t a witch. Anyone with even a fragment of magical skill could squash him like a bug better than any asshole bully at Crescent Ridge High School. It was time for Marcus and I to have a heart-to-heart talk and it was everything I could do to stop myself from busting out bawling as I gripped my phone in my right hand. My heart didn’t want to end things, but my head was screaming at me to set Marcus free. I was a witch. I had responsibilities. I had people to protect and Marcus was number one on that list. The only problem was that my heart wasn’t ready to let him go.

  I pressed the text app and read through Marcus’s messages.

  HawkingFan: You there? Just wanted to check in.

  Thirty minutes later another message:

  HawkingFan: OK it’s like 10pm. Whatever is going down I hope that you’re safe.

  And then at 10.30pm:

  HawkingFan: Alright I’m worried. Just please text me when you get this so I know you’re OK.

  I quickly messaged back:

  Jules: Just got home. I’m safe and I want you to lay low until this is all over.

  I pressed send and then quickly opened the text message from Twyla Standingready. It had been sent more than three hours ago and read:

  TwylanotTwilight: A link was just posted to my wall on FB. It’s a clear threat to every single student at CRHS. One word – RETRIBUTION. Fake FB account. Everyone freaking. Txt me back.

  I gulped back a knot of fear and my phone buzzed in my hands. It was Marcus.

  HawkingFan: JESUS! I just checked FB and there’s some kind of threat. People freaked right out.

  I quickly replied.

  Jules: I’m here. Got your messages. Twyla just texted me & says it’s a fake FB account. WTF?

  HawkingFan: Glad you got phone working. WTF is right. RETRIBUTION. This is nuts.

  Jules: I know who is behind it.

  HawkingFan: I hear you. Willard Schubert. What’s the plan?

  I hesitated for a moment, holding my fingers just above the touchscreen. I should have known that Marcus – with his gigantic intellect – would be ten steps ahead of me in working things out. I knew he would try to help me figure out a way to get Willard Schubert to Coven House, that much was a given. The challenge would be to keep him away from me without blowing a major gasket. I chewed my lip for a moment as I considered the best choice of words.

  Jules: Marcus. I want u to stay at home. I’m serious. Mom’s coven is now involved & this is no place for a civilian.

  HawkingFan: ??? When have I ever not been there for you?

  Jules: I’m not saying that, OK? But this is way more dangerous than a bunch of poltergeists going apeshit.

  HawkingFan: This is BS Julie. It’s my choice to help you with this stuff. It has always been my choice. Don’t I get to have a say?

  I glanced at Betty and she cocked her enormous doggy head to the right. After a short moment, I punched in my reply on the keypad.

  Jules: Not this time. I’m sorry but u have to steer clear of me for now. L L

  I was expecting another string of words in protest, but nothing came. I waited a minute and nothing still. A further five minutes ticked by and still no message back from Marcus. Shit, I must have really pissed him off, hurt his feelings yet again or both. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: how much do I suck?

  A moment later my phone buzzed and I touched the screen to see what Marcus had to say.

  HawkingFan: OK. I’m sorry I got mad. I’ve always helped you with this stuff – remember? But I’ll stay away – I promise.

  I bit my lip and immediately burst out sobbing. Betty immediately hobbled over to my bedside and nudged her head against my thigh.

  “What’s wrong, Julie?” she rumbled.

  I shook my head. A series of tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped onto my sweatshirt. “Everything is wrong. I just hurt someone that I care about… Marcus. I told him to stay away for now, that it was too dangerous. Damn! I hurt the one person who has always stood by me no matter what a
nd even though I want him to stay away for the right reason, it doesn’t make me feel any less like the biggest ass in the known universe.”

  The Great Dane sat. “The boy cannot be with you. Your heart may well feel like it is breaking, but imagine what you would feel like if any harm were to come to him. Clear your mind of these intense feelings because I cannot go with you tonight.”

  I sniffed. “Why not? Betty, I can’t do this alone.”

  “These old bones will only slow you down, Julie. But you won’t be alone. You have another powerful friend – Twyla.”

  I hadn’t considered that Twyla would want to help beyond what she’d already offered. I also felt like I didn’t have a right to ask for her to come to my aid, but she was every bit as powerful as me and I needed someone else to watch my back. I stared at my phone for a long, painful minute and then I texted Marcus back.

  Jules: L L L

  It was all I could say.

  CHAPTER 18

  I’d just stomped all over the heart of someone I loved. Oh, that whole line about tomorrow being another day? Yeah, it’s BS. The clock on my phone read 3.01am and I still felt like the biggest ass in the galaxy.

  But I had to focus. I couldn’t let my emotions tangle up my judgement because Willard Schubert had to be found before Adriel could get her claws into him. The only problem was that I didn’t know where he lived. I decided to check the white pages and after a few minutes of scanning the app on my phone, I discovered there were more than twenty Schubert’s listed in the city and not one address that was anywhere near Crescent Ridge High School. I glanced at Betty and the dog emitted a loud sigh as she slowly dropped onto the floor and rested her head on her forepaws.

  I was just about to say something when my phone buzzed, so I looked down to see that I had a text message from Twyla.

  TwylanotTwilight: Hey. Grandfather says that video is a minion of some kind. What r u doing?

  Jules: Shadowcull stuff. I need to find Willard Schubert – will explain later. Can you help?

  TwylanotTwilight: Danger and the threat of winding up covered with supernatural larvae? Sure, I live for this stuff.

  Jules: Your grandfather will be cool with it?

  TwylanotTwilight: My grandfather would insist that I help you. Where do we meet?

  Jules: We’ll come to get you. My mom will pick you up.

  TwylanotTwilight: No. Gramps will drop me off at your place. Be there in 15min.

  I threw on a fresh pair of wool socks because, if I was going to be out all night, I didn’t want my feet to freeze. I tied my long red hair into a tight ponytail and then I headed downstairs and into the kitchen. Despite the crazy hour of the morning, there was a bowl of Rice Krispies and a banana waiting for me, so I sat down and peeled the banana. Betty lay down on her doggy bed near the back door and a moment later I heard Mom’s footsteps as she climbed up the stairs from the basement. I turned around in my chair and saw that she was holding my Shadowcull’s cloak.

  “I’ve spoken some new protective wards into the stitching, Julie,” she said wearily. “It’s strong enough to stop an artillery round.”

  I gulped back a mouthful of cereal and said, “Let’s hope I won’t need them. Twyla is on the way over. She’s coming with me tonight.”

  Mom shuffled into the kitchen and draped my cloak on the back of my chair. She knelt down on one knee and gazed into my eyes.

  “I came by to check on you and heard you crying,” she said quietly. “Listen, I know that things have been difficult between us and the last thing I want to do is add to the stress we’re both under. My heart tells me the reason you were crying is because you had a talk with Marcus. If so, then I want you to remember that you did the right thing. You’ve always done the right thing all your life when it comes to following your heart, and you’ve made responsible decisions when you had to. Sometimes those decisions carry with them a lot of heartache.”

  I could feel my throat starting to tighten so I gulped back another mouthful of cereal and forced my guilt down into the pit of my stomach. “I know, Mom. You were right and I’ve treated you like crap ever since you got out of the hospital.”

  She gave my knee a squeeze. “We’ve both gone a few rounds with each other. I wish that I could take your hurt away. I wish that you and I didn’t have to butt heads all the time. I see so much of myself in your eyes and part of the reason that I dig my heels in is because I don’t want you to feel the kind of loss that I’ve experienced in my life.”

  Well damn. My eyes started to burn as they began to fill up with tears. I didn’t want Mom to see me cry. I didn’t want her to see any weakness in me. I wanted more than anything to be hard and decisive. I wanted to be firm and brave and in that short moment of mother-daughter intimacy, I wanted so much to be as strong as Mom was.

  I burst out bawling again and then I buried my face into her shoulder. Mom drew me close and rubbed the middle of my back like she used to when I was little.

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” I sobbed. “I just want you to believe in me and I’ve made so many stupid decisions in the past and I always felt like you resented me because I wear this rotten stinking copper band on my arm. I just…”

  “Shhh, sweetheart,” she whispered soothingly. “Listen to me closely. You are my precious daughter. I’ve trained you the best that I could. I’ve tried to give you a strong sense of right versus wrong so that your heart would guide you when the time came for hard choices. This is one of those times, Julie, and though I don’t say it enough, I want you to know that I’m incredibly proud of you. When you go out tonight, be wise. Be strong, Julie. Be who you are and keep standing your ground.”

  That did it.

  I’d have started bawling again, but I didn’t have any more tears to cry. I stood up and Mom helped me into my winter coat. She draped my Shadowcull’s cloak over my shoulders and gave me another hug for good measure.

  “Thanks for that, Mom,” I said as she escorted me to the front door. My phone buzzed in the pocket of my parka and I glanced down to see a message from Twyla saying that she was waiting outside in the driveway. I peered through the peephole and saw her standing there in the glow of the streetlights.

  “Find that boy, Julie,” Mom said as she reached into her pocket. She pulled out a swatch of black cloth and handed it to me.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s a piece of the fabric from Willard Schubert’s backpack. I expect you’ll be using a tracking spell. Now get going. If you wind up in a situation that is too much for you, call me and I’ll come running. Got it?”

  I nodded. “Got it. Thanks, Mom.”

  And so I walked out the front door and as soon as I stepped outside, I took a deep breath of clear, cold air.

  This was going to be a dangerous night. I could feel it in my bones.

  “I thought that I’d be meeting your grandfather,” I said as I gave Twyla a hug. “We could have picked you up.”

  “You will when the time is right,” said Twyla as she stared at my Shadowcull’s cloak. “He sent me out to see if that big ball of energy was still hovering above the McDonald’s.”

  We started down the sidewalk as a chill wind blew against our backs. “It’s half past three in the morning, Twyla. Please don’t tell me that you’ve been out all night investigating this crap without any backup.”

  She shrugged. “OK… I wasn’t out all night investigating this crap. As for backup, I have a grizzly bear.”

  “Good point. Listen, is that cloud of energy still there?”

  She nodded. “Yep. I tried to find its source but wound up empty-handed.”

  “And did you do anything to mask your magical signature?”

  She shook her head. “Nope, I think there’s little point in my doing so since our encounter with that tar-creature thing. Whoever sent it knows who I am and what I can do.”

  I grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped dead in my tracks. “Good point. OK, so we need to find Willard Schubert as quickly as p
ossible and I have an idea.”

  “I’m all ears. What have you got?”

  I reached into the pocket of my jeans and handed Twyla the patch of cloth from Willard’s backpack. “There was a cloud of energy over the top of the Southland C-Train station. The station will be closed now, but I think we could use this patch of cloth and that energy to track Willard’s whereabouts. It’s worth a shot, right?”

  “Yeah… But there’s an alarm system. There’s also CCTV all over the place – how are we going to get in without being caught?”

  I pulled at Twyla’s arm as I stomped on through the snow. “We’ll figure it out when we get there. Let’s move.”

  The lights in the parking lot at the C-Train station were out and the snow glinted in the moonlight. Twyla and I stood behind a chain link fence gazing out over the open ground for any signs of security cameras. We spotted a pair of them; the first was high atop a light post adjacent to the main entrance and the other was on the east side of the parking lot.

  I shivered as I slipped my amulet into my Shadowcull’s band and I noticed that Twyla had a death grip on her deer skin fetish. “Are you any good at aeromancy?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “I’m more of a hit 'em hard and fast kind of girl. What’s your plan?”

  “I thought we might be able to create a bit of a snow screen to block out the cameras, but I’ll just hex them and be done with it.”

  Twyla’s eyes narrowed. “A hex will probably send the cops once whoever is monitoring the CCTV sees that both cameras are out. And there’s probably a camera or two inside the terminal.”

  I pointed to the platform. “We won’t go into the terminal. We’ll scale the fence alongside the tracks and climb onto the platform. There’s a camera above the doors to the terminal entrance, so I’ll have to hex that as well.”

  Twyla closed her eyes for a moment as she stretched out her right hand. She spread her fingers wide open and then said, “I can see the cloud of energy, and it’s just as intense as the one at McDonald’s. We’re going to have to move superfast with this tracking spell of yours.”