A Witch Like No Other

by Makala Thomas

  Then Ted felt sick to the stomach as he remembered Dreamer’s affair with the man they were talking about.

  “You want to go back to him?”

  “I wanted to know why he hurt Pandora,” Dreamer said softly, looking at him. Ted melted down a little at her innocent expression.

  “He didn’t tell the police why,” he muttered, rubbing his forehead. “Pandora’s scared stiff if you even say his name- she wont talk about him for gold dust. I don’t know why he- what did he say?”

  Dreamer took a deep breath, then she spoke.

  * * *

  “Stile! Get up!”

  “What for?” said Damon angrily. “I don’t want to talk to the Sergeant again, ok? I told him already I’m not talking-”

  “You’ve got a visitor,” snapped the officer. “Up.”

  * * *

  Damon stared into his former best friend’s murderous face, shocked.

  “T-Ted? What are you doing here?”

  “Sit down, Stile!” called an officer, and Damon sat quickly. Ted was his first visitor in a whole year- his mother was away to cope with the stress. Damon felt bitter as he remembered Mom asking him why he hurt Pandora, and when he told her she broke down in tears, slapped him hard across the face, was restrained by security, and then she left. She didn’t come back after that.

  Ted didn’t even blink. Damon swallowed, knowing this wasn’t good. Suddenly he found himself reminiscing about the past, having Ted Stone as his next door neighbour. Ted, two years his senior, saw Damon as the little brother he never had. Damon remembered asking Ted something that was really important to him.

  “How do you tell girls you like them?”

  Ted, who was busy reading a sports magazine, said “Talking to them in private is rule one. Girls have too many friends who love gossip.”

  “True,” said Damon, thinking of Miriam and her trying to get Dreamer to tell her about some mystery boy Dreamer met a while ago. Personally, Damon thought she was just making it up so the guys could leave her alone. How would he tell Dreamer she was his sun, moon and stars?

  “Rule two,” said Ted without even looking up, “Don’t start blubbering when you tell her. You know, the whole ‘I’m just telling you because blah blah blah, I’ve liked you for ages and blah. Wait for her to answer you.”

  Or hex you, Damon thought, wondering if Dreamer would hex him when he confessed how he felt about her.

  “Give her ten seconds,” Ted said. “Count the seconds too. If she talks by then and she says she likes you too, invite her to the movies. If she just stares at you but in a good way, ask her if she’s all right. If she gives you a dirty look give her one back and walk off. If she stays quiet the whole time, kiss her.”

  “Kiss her?” Damon repeated amazedly, and Ted grinned at him.

  “That should make her snap out of it.”

  Damon burst out laughing. “You’re so silly, Ted.”

  “Only to you, little brother. Who’s the girl?”

  “Someone in my class,” mumbled Damon, not sure he could tell Ted that she was the sorcerer’s daughter. He knew what Ted thought about magic.

  “Bet she’ll love you,” Ted said confidently, making Damon smile shyly.

  “You think so?”

  “Course! Hey, can you keep a secret?” Damon nodded. “I’ve got a girl.”

  Damon frowned. “You’ve always got a girl.”

  “Not like this one,” Ted said, finally putting the magazine down. For the first time he was real serious. “She’s a witch.”

  Damon’s jaw dropped. “What did you say?”

  “A witch,” Ted repeated. “Agnes and Paul Black’s daughter.”

  Damon felt his eyes pricking. “Dreamer?”

  “Yeah, you know her! How?”

  “She’s in my class at school,” Damon said, looking at his feet. “She’s one of my best friends.”

  “Great, so I don’t have to introduce you when I bring her over. My parents are going mad over me seeing her; you know, fraternizing with the evil.” Then Ted frowned at him. “She’s your best friend?”

  “After you, Ted. But I’ve known her since Year Seven,” Damon said defensively. “And I’m not scared of magic like some people. Me and Miriam go to Dreamer’s house all the time.”

  “Oh,” said Ted, picking up his magazine again. “You should’ve said.”

  “I didn’t say because you hate magic,” Damon said, feeling guilty now. “I’m sorry, Ted. But at least you like Dreamer, so-”

  “I love Dreamer,” Ted corrected, looking at him. Damon’s jaw dropped again, Ted nodding. “Yep, I love her. And I’m going to marry her as soon as I’m old enough, whether my parents like it or not.”

  Ted’s icy stare seemed to cut through his thoughts. Damon shivered, then he said “It- it’s nice seeing you again.”

  “You’re lucky Dreamer made me calm down,” Ted answered, “When she told me the reason you abused my child. Because I was so close to purchasing a gun and coming here to kill you, Damon.” He put a hand in his inside jacket and pulled it out, saying “That could’ve been a gun in my hand. One shot and you would’ve been gone. I would’ve gone to prison- not that I’d have cared. At least I got something out of it.”

  “Ted, please- we’re friends,” Damon said painfully, making Ted smile.

  “You got nerve, haven’t you? You slept with my wife and repeatedly abused my child right under my nose, across the road from me- you killed my wife. And you’ve got the audacity to try and worm out of this with that lame excuse? We’re not friends, Damon. Not anymore.”

  “Ted, I’m sorry- I really am. If I could go back in time-”

  “You wouldn’t have hurt Pandora?” sneered Ted. “I believe that part. You wouldn’t have killed Dreamer, I believe that too. But tell me you wouldn’t have had an affair with her, Damon- tell me.”

  Damon closed his mouth. Ted nodded, hands clenched into fists. Damon watched as he took deep, steady breaths to calm himself down. An officer watched them from across the room, knowing full well who Ted was.

  Finally Ted said “Is it true?”

  “Is what true?” Damon asked nervously, Ted saying “The reason you hurt Pandora. You was pretending she was Dreamer. Is it true?”

  Damon hesitated, then he nodded.

  “Damn!” Ted slid backwards on his chair, shaking his head. “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “No!”

  “That’s the truth,” Damon said calmly, Ted’s head in his hands. “Remember when I asked you about girls that day you told me about seeing Dreamer?” Ted lifted his head, Damon nodding. “She was the girl I was talking about. I wanted her for ages and she would’ve been mine, but you stuck your foot in it. You took her away from me.”

  “That’s not true,” spat Ted, glaring at Damon. “You’re talking crazy.”

  “Oh yeah?” Damon leaned forwards across the table, his anger matching Ted’s. “Before you came along I had a chance with her- before you went marching round to her house like an idiot. Paul should’ve blasted the frown off your face.”

  “Paul wasn’t there,” Ted shot back. “Dreamer was by herself. And if you actually was clever you would’ve told me you fancied Dreamer- I would’ve backed off.”

  “Yeah right.”

  “I would have,” Ted said angrily. “No girl was worth us breaking up.”

  Damon decided not to answer that. Maybe it was his fault?

  “Anyway, it’s all said and done now,” Ted said, getting up. “Bye.”

  “Wha- you’re leaving?”

  “Did you think this was a social visit?” Ted asked coldly. “Well it wasn’t. I just needed to hear you confirm the reason you hurt my kid. I needed to hear it from your mouth. And now I have-” Ted swallowed, hardly able to believe what jealousy had done to his best friend. It pained him to see him in this place, just like it pained him to see what he’d reduced his child to. “-So now I can go.”

  “Ted, don’t go. I know yo
u don’t hate me- I can see it.”

  “I don’t care,” Ted answered, turning and walking away.

  “Ted, don’t go! I’m sorry!”

  Ted didn’t look back. Damon slumped in his chair, crestfallen. Then he yelled “You cant forget the old days, Ted! You cant!”

  Ted stopped, looking back over his shoulder.

  “The old days are dead, Damon.”

  * * *

  Dreamer was waiting for him outside. As soon as Ted saw her he pulled her into a tight hug, then he kissed her fiercely. Passers by wolf whistled, grinning at the beauty in the gown and the hunk in the suit. They looked like they were about to attend an awards ceremony.

  “Give it to her, Mister!” yelled a group of teenage boys, eyes wide as an old woman batted her husband grumpily, saying “You never-”

  “I’m too old for that!” snapped the old man, glaring at the couple across the road. “They’re not even forty, the youngsters. Look at them!”

  Dreamer was stunned when Ted let her go.

  Staring at him, she lifted a finger and let his tear drop onto it. Ted wiped his face hurriedly, saying “Can you um… take us back now?”

  Before Dreamer could answer Sergeant Brown braked hard, startling them.

  The witch!

  “Freeze!” he yelled through his window, then Ted waved merrily at someone behind the car. Brown turned his head automatically to look- there was no one. Frowning, he looked at Ted- then he gasped.

  The witch was gone.

  “Freeze, Stone!” Brown shouted, stumbling out of the car. “Where’s the witch?” Ted frowned at him. “Don’t play innocent either! Where is she?”

  “Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about,” said Ted breezily, walking off. Brown followed furiously, saying “She was right next to you!”

  “Who was?”

  “The witch!”

  “What witch?”

  “Dreamer Black!”

  Ted gaped. “She’s alive?”

  “Where’s my gun?” said Brown furiously, realising he left it in his car. “Stay there, Stone!” Ted smirked at him. “I mean it- stay there!”

  Brown backed across the empty road, Dreamer watching him curiously. She didn’t understand why the man was slowly becoming obsessed with her. Touching Ted’s shoulder, she whispered “He’s nuts, Teddy.”

  Ted nodded, brow furrowed. “I know. Why?”

  “I’m not sure- should I teleport now?”

  “Wait until he turns his head.”

  Brown quickly turned and grabbed his gun out of the passenger seat- whirling around, he stopped dead.

  Ted was gone.

  * * *

  Laughing, Ted and Dreamer fell onto the sofa.

  “He’s going to come to the house next, Ted. Trust me.”

  Ted laughed, saying “He might try and arrest me for… obstruction.”

  “He might if he gets real obsessed- why is he obsessed?”

  “Europe hasn’t changed much, Dream. Everyone’s still scared of Agnes and Paul- and there’s been more and more rumours about you.”

  “Saying what?”

  * * *

  NoNonsense.Com Chatroom

  PeachyPat: Agnes and Paul combined- a power combo.

  DaveBrown: She’s evil.

  PeachyPat: She’s evil and powerful. Worse than her father.

  DaveBrown: Nobody’s worse than Paul Black.

  PeachyPat: Nobody’s come back from the dead either.

  Brown shivered, jumping as there was a knock on the door.

  “Sarge? Can I come in?”

  Brown quickly shut the computer down before snapping “In!”

  The officer came in nervously, saying “About Ted Stone.”

  “Yes?”

  “He came to the prison today, Sarge- visiting Damon Stile.”

  Brown frowned, asking “Did he throw a punch at him?”

  “Er… no Sarge. He left pretty angry.”

  “He was with the witch,” Brown said slowly. “No doubt she calmed him down- wait! Blonde, I need someone to watch Ted Stone’s house.”

  “What for, Sarge?”

  “I want this witch caught. I want her chained up. I want the evil woman’s wand in my hands- both of them. She has two, did you know that?”

  “N-no Sarge.” P.C. Blonde stared at him. “Is everything ok?”

  “No!” bellowed Brown, startling him. “She’s evil!”

  “I know Sarge, but-”

  “I want her burned at stake, Blonde! Europe’s just about got through the dark times. I remember everyone fearing Agnes and Paul Black-”

  “We still do, Sarge- but nobody knows where Agnes lives, or Paul.”

  “I know that!”

  “And their daughter- nobody really knows much about her. We only know about the showdown with Damon Stile; apart from that-”

  “We know enough. She came back from the dead.”

  “What about their grandchildren, Sarge?”

  “Pandora’s harmless,” Brown muttered, rubbing his forehead. “So is Marlon. No, it’s their mother I want. Get a private detective up here right away. Call the best we have.”

  * * *

  “There’s a car across the road,” Pandora said flatly, looking at her brother. “It’s been there since lunchtime. I swear it was there yesterday.”

  Marlon bit into his sandwich as he walked over, frowning.

  “Maybe they’re tourists?”

  “Or feds,” Pandora answered, twirling her wand musingly.

  * * *

  Click!

  Cruise lowered the camera, saying “That’s what we need for Brown.”

  Jules frowned at him, saying “It’s just a stick.”

  “It’s a wand,” Cruise corrected, shaking his head. Why did he always get goons for partners? The last idiot nearly cost his career chasing the target. Cruise Tyler knew exactly who Dreamer was, and wasn’t at all stunned by her beauty. He was a little, but the fact she was a witch kept his head screwed on tight. He wanted to see her burn as much as Brown did, and was determined to get both wands before making his move.

  “Come on,” whined Jules. “Let’s just forget it. We’ve been here a week and there’s no witch about- just her bratty son and daughter.”

  “And her boyfriend,” Cruise added. “I know, but don’t forget she’s Agnes and Paul Black’s child. I bet she’s invisible or something.”

  “You cant get invisible, Cruise. Use your brain,” snickered Jules, and Cruise slapped him across the head, snapping “She’s a witch!”

  “I forgot!” howled Jules, as Cruise pulled his ear furiously. “Sorry!”

  “You’d better be!”

  * * *

  Dreamer wrapped her arms around Ted from behind, murmuring “Are they still there?” Ted nodded. “They’re not going to go away.”

  “Yeah they will,” Ted answered flatly, as she rested her head on his shoulder. He stared down at the car through their window, saying “What do they want, anyway?”

  “Me.”

  “Well they cant have you,” Ted said roughly, and Dreamer laughed as she raised her head to kiss his neck.

  “I know.”

  * * *

  “There!” screamed Jules, pointing upwards. “Get the camera, quick!”

  Cruise glanced upwards, eyes widening in shock.

  “Damn it- where’s the camera?”

  * * *

  “They’re going to- to see us- Dreamer, stop-” Ted’s voice was smothered by Dreamer’s tender kisses. Little did they know a camera clicked with each kiss she gave.

  “Mum!” howled Marlon, at the foot of the stairs. “‘Dora ate my muffin!”

  Without letting her man escape, Dreamer pulled out her wand and flicked it carelessly.

  “Another one on his plate?” asked Ted, and she nodded.

  “You got it.”

  Below, Cruise started clicking like mad.

  “Atta girl Dreamer!”

  “Cast a s
pell, cast a spell!” said Jules excitedly, bouncing about in his seat like a baby. Peering upwards excitedly, they saw Dreamer pull Ted away from the window. Cruise smiled broadly, satisfied. Finally they got something worth showing Brown!

  “Cruise, did you see the stick? I mean the wand?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Gold,” said Jules greedily. “Pure gold!”

  “Shut up, Jules. You’d be crazy to steal it,” said Cruise, shaking his head. “That’d be your whole career gone in a moment of madness.”

  * * *

  “Dreamer, stop. I have to go to work,” Ted said desperately, feebly trying to pry her wanting body off his. “Pandora’s leaving soon to go to Miriam- I have to see her off. So do you.”

  “Mmm,” was only Dreamer’s response to his statement. She loosened his tie mischievously, Ted unable to stop a smile spreading across his face.