Serious Prepping Time

“Abrica, get out the strongest herbs you can find. We have to stop this witch before she either finds out about us or does something about it. I don’t want to die a mortal’s death…or death period!” I sat down on the couch and tried to breathe, freaking out wouldn’t help the situation.
“Ok, spells…spells. I’m not sure I know how to do combat magic, I was never taught.” I flipped through my proper spell book. My emergency book didn’t have any combat spells in it.
“If only there was a store that sold combat spells…” I sighed and looked at Abrica who was holding a map with something marked on it.
“Abrica, what do you have there?” I took the map from him and opened it up on the table. It was a map of the area and downtown labelling a dry cleaning store as a witch craft store. “How did you know that was there?”
“Meow!” Was all Abrica said before dragging my purse over to me.
“Ok, let’s go.” I grabbed my purse and made sure I had my emergency spell book, my proper spell book, my phone, wallet and keys.



I must say, if you want people to look at you all kinds of funny, sit on a bus and talk to a cat and then act like you can understand them. Of course the fact that I can understand Abrica doesn’t matter.
“I don’t know about this Abrica. Me, go up against Evil Witch Rowendra? I don’t know anything offensive…” I sighed and leaned back in my seat. As I did, my gaze fell on two little kids across from me; a boy and a girl. Not siblings but friends, best friends from what I could see.
“But…I have to, don’t I? I have to save Andrew…” I glanced at Abrica who nodded his head and purred rubbing against me, trying to make me feel better.
“Then, we’d best do this right.” I picked up Abrica and pulled the cord to signal a stop.

“Hello there Miss, pick up?” The old lady smiled at me from behind the counter. Spotting Abrica however, who meowed at her, her face fell.
“Oh, you’re not here for dry-cleaning are you…” It didn’t sound like a question so I didn’t answer it.
She shuffled from behind the counter and came behind me, locking the door and turning the sign to ‘closed.’
“So, combat spells?” She glanced me up and down as she said this and shook her head. “You’ve never used one have you” Again, it didn’t sound like a question.
“I have to. A witch has my best friend under a love spell.” It felt weird talking about this with someone other than my Grandma and Abrica.
“Then just break the spell. It’s easier than going to war.” She wasn’t looking at me as she spoke. Instead she was under the counter fiddling with something I couldn’t see. I heard her mumble a word and I almost jumped out of my skin as the shop morphed into a store that sold witch craft. It was dark and gloomy, with cauldrons in every corner you could see, it smelt really bad, like something had died and was rotting. Then again, that could just be the ingredients. The old woman said a word and flames all burst out of the cauldron lighting the room.
“So, what can I get you then dear?” She smiled, and in front of her on the counter were an assortment of spells. Now, what I mean by spells is not what you’re thinking. Our magic comes from herbs and words and thought. So, the spells in front of me were scrolls with one word written on them and instructions on what you need to do, if anything needs to be done at all.
“The witches spell is too strong for me to break…” I looked at a scroll that had a spell to vaporize someone’s blood instantly. I dropped it quickly and coughed.
“So, what makes you think you can defeat her in battle then? If one spell alone is too strong for you to break?” The woman put back the scroll I’d dropped. I sighed and looked at her.
“If I break her spell she will know I’m a witch and just replace the curse on him, but this time make sure he hates me as well as loves her. The only way to save him is to defeat her once and for all.” I took a breath and waited for her to say something.
“…That is very logical, I congratulate you. Most witches your age would just break the spell then come and yell at me when it doesn’t work or they just replace the spell but much stronger.” She smiled and cleared away the spells.
“Come with me, you not only need combat spells, but training in them also.” She took my hand and pulled me into the back of the store.
“Umm…ok?” I followed her into the back where I was surprised to find a shooting, or should I say, ‘spelling’ range.
“I know the perfect spells for you to use. I can also teach you how to cut out all the prep work and cast the spell quicker than most other witches.” She smiled and walked up to the range, saying a word and throwing out her hand. Nothing happened for a few seconds then all of a sudden the target burst into flames.
“How’d you do that?” I asked in awe. It took me a good five minutes to prep a spell.
“I can teach you, it’s not as hard as you think. See, when you first prep and cast the spell you do one extra thing that allows you to access it whenever you like. Only a few Master witches know this trick.” She smiled and put out the fire with a freezing spell.
“Why are you teaching me all this? You don’t even know me…” I looked at her suspiciously She sighed and sat on a chair.
“It’s time I tell you something your Grandmother should have told you a long time ago.” She sighed and pulled out a box from inside her clothes, I froze.
“You…knew my Grandmother?” I took a step back wearily, maybe I should have learned some combat spells before coming to see this lady.
“Yes, I knew you also, when you were a small child. You won’t remember me…she made it so.” She set the box on a table that had appeared out of nowhere. “Sit…”
“Ok…” I sat down slowly and moved my chair away from her slightly.
“Your name is not just Taylor…it is Amoris Witch Taylor the Great. This is yours…” She pushed the box toward me. I flinched but then found myself picking it up and opening it. Inside was the most beautiful pink sapphire pendant. The sapphire nestled in the material of the box was pink with silver bands crisscrossed, shining as much as the diamonds that adorned it glittered. It was simply breath taking.
“This is too beautiful to be mine…” I closed the box and set it down.
“It is. it’s your birth right. It belonged to your mother before she died. Now it’s yours. Your Grandmother tried to keep this from you, keep your life and destiny from you, but now that she is gone and you have come up against The Evil Witch Rowendra, I have to tell you.” She handed me the box again, it felt warm in my hands.
“How did you know…I am going against her.” I looked up from the box at her, she smiled.
“How do you think Abrica told you about where to come?” She smiled at Abrica who purred.
“You traitor…” I looked at Abrica who rolled his eyes at me.
“This is your family’s power pendant. It allows you to access any spell and use it without casting or prep work. It also increases your power.” She was pouring tea into a tea set that had appeared much like the table and chairs.
“Why did my Grandma want to keep this from me?” I looked up from the cake that had appeared also.
“Your mother tried to keep your destiny from you; she tried to do it for you…and failed. Your Grandmother did not wish to lose her daughter and granddaughter. She forbade me from ever teaching you combat spells…while she was alive.” A cup of tea was handed to me as well as a slice of cake. Abrica was given a saucer of milk as well.
“The Evil Witch killed my mother?” I guess any normal person would be very angry by this. But, my ‘mother’ dumped me at my Grandmother’s when I was a toddler and never returned for me, so I guess I was still a little bitter.
“Yes. It would be so easy to say that the reason she never returned for you was because she died. But, that would be a lie. She couldn’t handle the pressure of raising one so special, so she made her mother do it.” She sighed and sipped her tea, I frowned and shrugged. My Grandmother was more of a mother then she ever was.
“So, what’s this so called destiny that got her killed and that my Grandma freaked out over?” I sipped my tea and ate some cake.
“To defeat The Evil Witch Rowendra,” She sighed as I choked on my cake.
“Say what?” I gagged on my cake and drank the rest of my tea, Abrica pawed at me to see if I was ok. I waved him away.
“You were just bent on defeating her an hour ago…” She continued to sip her tea like she had told me to go get milk, not go kill the most powerful witch of all.
“Yes, to save Andrew…not cause of some destiny!” I yelled, I set down my tea and cake and got up.
“Either way she needs to be defeated! And you are the one to do it, with the pendant you are more powerful than her…because you fight for love, nothing else.” She nodded and waved a hand over the table and chairs which all disappeared.
“What love…I don’t love anyone!” I was pretty sure my voice squeaked by the end, she just smiled.
“Your love for Andrew. If not that, why are you so hell bent on defeating the, as you put it, ‘Most powerful witch of all?’” She smiled some more at me, all I could do was open and close my mouth repeatedly.
“I don’t…love… Do I?” I went to sit down forgetting the chair was gone and ended up on my back.
“Oh! Are you ok dear? I am so sorry!” She helped me up and checked to see if anything was broken.
“Why am I listening to you? For all I know you’re some crazy old woman who’s making up lies about me!” I pushed her away from me and backed towards the door.
“Yes, one who knows all about your family history?” She rolled her eyes at me.
“Internet? Just…just stay away from me…!” I turned and ran out the door, not looking back when she called at me to stop, I scooped up Abrica who was meowing at me loudly and ran as fast and as far as I could.
‘Me? Stop Rowendra?! Who was I kidding?!’