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Dominic
I can’t tell what is real and what isn’t any more. My body trembles in the basement. Both from cold, and from withdrawal. Everything changed when Trinity died. Before her death, we were holding on as a coven. We were short our Air user, but we still all hung out. We were together for graduation. Then I disappointed her. We had all made a pact to not do drugs. We were all at different schools. I gave into peer pressure. I smoked pot and drank with friends. I’m a genius... I didn’t need to study. I needed to relax. I needed to be cool. I didn’t need my magic.
“Outside. We can talk outside so I’m not defenseless.” I murmur as my frozen body adjusts to the heat. That Aurora chick is not fun. I don’t like her. My mind has become clearer, and my empath power has returned. I hate feeling everyone's feelings. I’m only staying off the drugs for Trinity. Sophie had said she was still here. Still around. I don’t want to disappoint her again. Kitty Sue says there is a different future... a better one. One where we are all together and happy.
“Dom is a witch, Salem was one...” I hear Kitty explain to Aurora. As soon as I am outside, I concentrate on creating a wall. A buffer between me and the emotions. A way to hide. Like I hid in the forest when Sophie died. Poor Sophie... she was all alone. I didn’t want to be in that barn. I don’t want to be at this house. I want to die. I want to be with Trinity, or just alone. My wall gets higher, a box forming around me. My safe space. The other’s voices move away.
“We’ll be right back.” Salem says to my wall. I don’t care. They could leave me here forever and I would be happy. I had already pulled out my book, the book I stole years ago. It’s not the book Salem had given me. The one that had belonged to Trinity. Another way I have disappointed her. I lost her journal to the Demon and the Wanna-be. This book is different. It had belonged to the Demon. Not a journal, but a spell book. Not just any spell book either. This one brought with it demonic happenings. How Cyrana had become a Demon. How we could possibly kill her. I don’t want to share it with the others. I’m not sure if it is even possible yet.
“Dominic?” The voice on the other side of my box sends a chill straight to my soul. I don’t look through the branches, I just send them all out as sharp spikes. They move in all directions. I don’t care who they hit, I just hope they hit him. That damn Wanna-be demon! How the hell did he find me? Is this stupid book being tracked? I should have known better. “Mother Fucker! I’m not here to hurt you!” Shit... I must have missed. My magic feels sluggish like peanut butter or molasses. I don’t want to yell for the others, but I feel panicky and worry creeps up through the ground. I try to concentrate on digging a hole. Maybe not to fit me, but at least the book. He must not get it back. It must never make its way back to that Demon. It must stay safe and be given to Kitty Sue. Rocks form in the hole, protecting it from dirt and bugs. I throw the book in, making sure to keep my wall up as well. I used to be really good at this. I used to be a master of my magic.
“Master, Loki can open it.” I hear a screeching voice. That damn Imp is with the Wanna-be. I can feel my anger, feel the hate, and feel the want to run. My flight or fight is honed to fleeing, but Imp magic is much stronger than mine.
“No. We aren’t here to fight.” I can hear the voice of someone that used to be my friend. “In the woods, near the fire, is a diary that used to belong to one of your friends. When you find it and read it, I’ll be at her house,” He’s found the diary. He’s read it. The pages I could never finish. I hear a small pop sound, and chance removing some of my vines to see. On the ground near my box is a crumpled paper. My hand snatches it before my weeds quickly close again. My hands are still shaking from either my fear, my withdrawal, or from the encounter with that witch who was trying to freeze me to death with Kitty Sue. The paper has some writing on it. A spell and information about time travel. There’s even a picture of a charm depicting the different cycles of the moon.
“Dominic?” Kitty Sue’s voice sounds muffled as it passes through the walls of my vines. She’s back from talking with that witch. I hate it here. I hate this place. I miss my apartment, as unsafe as it was, it was mine. “Sweetie, are you ready to come out? Aurora wants to apologize.” I don’t want apologies. I want this fear to be gone. Fear of everything. I need to find that book. If Wanna-be is being honest, I need to go back to the barn. My magic will help me find it.
“I need to go back to the barn” I remove my vines, standing from my place on shaky legs. Kitty Sue takes a step back in what I presume is shock at my sudden outburst. The Demon book is now safely hidden in the ground, deep, protected. I hand her the paper, not wanting to be in charge of something so important. She was the one always talking of time travel. She will know what to do with it.
“Dom... I don’t know if that’s...”
“I need to go now. Please take me.” I cut off her complaint. I don’t want to go back there. But I need to see if Trinity’s book is indeed there. I need to get it back and finish reading it. Kitty Sue sighs, looking to Salem. Salem’s emotions are all over the place making me very uncomfortable. Salem only nods, heading for the car. I follow quickly, wanting to get this over with.
THE SKY IS ANGRY. THE ugly clouds that have been a constant over our city have made it to the barn. The Demon must be mad as lightning flashes in accelerated bursts. Kitty Sue is huddling in a borrowed hoodie, Salem is in the car smoking again. I walk around the charred remains of the barn where Sophie had died. None of her family are around anymore. No one to mourn her loss except us. I don’t have time for that as I listen to the Earth. Listen to the trees and grass, the flowers and dirt.
“You are destined to be an amazing witch. All you have to do is listen.” Trinity used to tell me that when I would get upset with my magic being sluggish. She was teaching me to be patient. She didn’t mean to listen with my ears. She meant to listen with my soul.
“I’m listening.” I whisper, wishing Trinity could hear me. The trees rustle with the wind, but I ignore it. They aren’t asking me to go to them. I move toward my left, heading deep into the foliage. Something is there that shouldn’t be. Disrupting the natural surroundings. I move closer, using what little magic I have to guide me. I trip on an exposed root, landing hard on my chest. When I open my eyes, I see the book... her book. I snatch it up, holding it close to my heart. The residual magic left behind from Trinity warms me. She had given the book to Salem not too long after Kitty Sue had left, but in Salem’s anger, she thrust it to me. She didn’t care about the book. She only cared that it once belonged to Trinity.
“Dominic?” I can hear Kitty Sue yelling for me. I open the book, flipping through the pages, noticing so many dog-eared ones. So Wanna-be did read it. I never made it past the halfway point. I didn’t want to read more after she died. I had tried, but the events didn’t make sense to my heroin brain.
March 8:
Dominic is so much fun to hang out with. He’s really blossomed into a good looking guy. I know that whoever claims his heart is going to be one lucky person. I feel bad since he was nice enough to take me out dancing to get my mind off things, and then I left with Tobias. I think Dom planned this though. He used his magic to change my clothes in the car, making me laugh. I’m so proud of how much he has come into his magic. He used to get so upset about his progress, but I knew he would master it. So then after the dancing...
I don’t keep reading. This doesn’t make sense as this time has not happened... How could it when she is gone? How can I have mastered my magic as she said if she’s been gone for so long? I don’t like what is happening around me. I don’t like the unknown.
“Where did you get that?” Kitty Sue’s voice sounds by me, making me jump, a small yelp coming out of my throat. “How did you get that?” She sits next to me, acting as if I’m some kind of scared kitten. I hate being treated like a child.
“Trinity gave it to Salem shortly after you moved away. Salem didn’t want it and gave it to me.” I answer, hesitating to give it to her. She shakes her head, not wanting to take it from me, but I can see tears glistening in her eyes.
“I know what it is. I just don’t know how it got here.” Kitty Sue says, looking around the forest. “Something is wrong.” She whispers, putting me on high alert. The trees are still, as is the air around us. “We should go.” She says standing, offering me a hand to help myself up. I take it, struggling to my feet. We quickly move back toward the car, taking care to walk around the barn. I feel like I’m being watched as I get into the car and we drive back to Aurora’s house. I don’t want to go in. I don’t want to stay at this house, but we don’t have a choice. With the Demon out to get us, we are limited on places to hide. I desperately want to go make my little hidey-hole in the grass, but Kitty Sue doesn’t let me. Instead she moves me into the house, to the door that is Aurora’s room.
“We aren’t allowed to go in here.” I whisper as Kitty Sue rolls her eyes and walks into the room. It’s a large room, either a master bedroom, or it used to be a living room. The bed is against the wall, but my eyes land on the large ritual area. She has a beautiful rug with the Triple Goddess symbol in the middle. In the center of the pentagram of the carpet is a small altar. Behind that, against a wall, is a book shelf full of books and different objects. My eyes widen looking at the necklace hanging on display in the center of the middle shelf. I pull out the crumpled papers from earlier.
“You know what it is, don’t you?” Kitty Sue asks. I look to her, shocked, before realization dawns on me.
“You’ve been reading my thoughts?” I want to get mad, but at the same time I feel like I can’t.
“Not on purpose. This version of me is not as trained on blocking as I used to be. When I heard him in your mind, I panicked and went out to keep you safe, but he was already gone. Then I saw flashes of the charm in your mind.” She shrugs, still looking at the necklace. I want to ask about him, but I don’t. I’m sure the diary will tell me if I can get up the nerve to keep reading it. I was never one for Fiction stories, preferring history books and computers. However, if I think of it as a Fiction story, then maybe I can get through it.
“What’s it like in the better now?” I ask, trying to flatten the paper on my thigh. I desperately want to know what is happening. I want to make sense of the chaos. I want it to not be like this. Kitty Sue chuckles lightly.
“Not like this. We are a tight knit group in the real future. No demons roaming crazy as far as we knew. We were all pretty happy. At least, I was happy. I’m pretty sure everyone was. If you all weren't, you hid it really well.” I hand over the papers, having flattened them as much as possible.
“He gave those to me, but I don’t know why. Said I could find him at Trinity’s house.” I say, fidgeting with my hands. The withdrawal is still working its way completely out of my system, but it’s the cleanest I’ve been in years. Kitty Sue looks at the papers. Her eyes skimming the words.
“Would you like them back?” She asks, moving to hand them over. I shake my head. I didn’t want them to begin with. She keeps them, walking to the necklace and removing it from its place.
“You shouldn’t take things that aren’t yours.” I whisper, looking around in a panic to see if Aurora is going to start freezing us again.
“When you were outside, Aurora showed this to me. She told me that a ghost gave it to her. She said it was for me.” Kitty Sue says, placing the necklace around her neck, then hiding it in her shirt. She folds the papers up neatly and places them in her back pocket. Then what she says registers with me.
“A ghost?” The prickle of tears hits my eyes again. Kitty Sue sniffles, whipping her eyes.
“Sophie’s ghost from how she was described.” So she’s still around, like Trinity. Still stuck here watching the world go to hell. “I need to make it right. I need to figure out this spell and get back to the correct time.” I can’t take the emotions in the room, feeling too claustrophobic, I rush back outside. To my spot on the lawn. To the hidden book. I work quickly building my enclosure. I can hear Salem arguing with someone as I make everything deeper, safer, my safe place.
“Dom, come out. We promise to quiet our emotions.” Salem’s voice is muffled. I’m mad at her too though. Mad that she’s choosing to use her steroids instead of her magic. Mad that she’s dragged me into this, and is unwilling to help.
“I want you to stop being selfish.” I yell, feeling everyone’s rage join mine. I throw out the vines as spikes again, hearing Salem scream. I don’t care. I don’t care if I hurt her, or anyone. I want everyone to go away.
“Dominic! You need to stop. You’re hurting people.” I hear Kitty Sue’s voice next. I take a couple breaths, trying to calm my anger as I retract my magic. Once everything is gone, I see the damage I created. Salem is holding her stomach, blood seeping out of a hole I must have created. I can feel the blood drain from my own face knowing that I hurt her.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I pull at my hair as Salem is trying to breathe while Kitty Sue and LaDay try to stop the bleeding. Kitty Sue is yelling for Aurora. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” All my anger vanishes into panic and regret.
“It’s...it’s okay... Dom.” Salem is trying to talk while the others are working on her. “My...my fault. I... I made... you mad.” She tries to smile at me. I can see the others freaking out. Hospitals don’t exist anymore, so calling for an ambulance won’t work. She reaches a bloody hand out to me, and I fall to my knees grasping it as tight as I can.
“You can’t die. Not another person... not my fault!” I keep saying over and over again. The others can’t get the bleeding to stop. The steroids she has been using have thinned her blood, making it difficult for clotting to happen.
“Not your... fault.” She whispers, not bothering to look at any of the others. “My fault. I... I should have... stopped sooner. Should have... supported you. Help Kitty... Sue. Help her... make it better.” I can feel the tears falling down my face like a stream.
“Sal... you can’t leave us. We need you.” Kitty Sue is crying, trying to put more pressure on the wound I created. Me! I did this to her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” I keep saying as Salem smiles and coughs a couple times. Her blood staining the green grass.
“Please... Please fix this.” Salem smiles before her eyes close and her hand goes limp in mine. Another friend dead, this time it’s my fault. I feel myself move backward... farther and farther from her body.
“Dominic...” Kitty Sue is standing in front of me. Grabbing my hands and pulling me back to Salem. “You are an Earth user. You can give her the most beautiful resting place. Make it better.” She whispers. I look around at the tear stained faces. They want me to do something pretty. I nod, swallowing my sorrow. I’m no better than that Demon now. I’ve killed someone. Moving my hands I let my magic flow, thinking of flowers and something comfortable. Her body sinks into the ground, tulips and roses blooming where nothing should grow. Forever to bloom in this place.
“We have to fix this. We have to get things changed.” Aurora says this time. I look to the ground near me. Moving the Earth again, I bring up the book. I grab it, handing it to Kitty Sue.
“You will need this.” I hand over the book. Then I think back to what I remember from my small interlude with him. I have this weird feeling that Kitty Sue will need his help in order to make this work. “Mr. LaDay, I know I have no right to ask for favors, but could you take me somewhere?” LaDay only nods, not a man of many words.
TRINITY’S PARENT’S house looks as it had, except everything is overgrown and the house could use a good wash. I don’t know if I’ll die or not, but maybe I can make things better. In the car I had finished the diary. I left it with LaDay. When I knock on the door, it creaks open easily. I look down and around for any sign of the Imp or the Wanna-be. I can hear clunking in the kitchen, so I head that way. All the photos have been removed, nothing but a dust outline in their place.
“Master, the Earth one is here.” I can hear the Imp screeching as I move closer to the room. I wish I was outside to have better access to my magic.
“I’m assuming that if Dominic wants me to know he is here, he’ll announce himself.” Sebastian grumbles as something on the stove sizzles. It smells oddly like bacon, but our city hasn’t been able to get provisions like food for a while. Most people have been eating canned foods.
“I am here. I just don’t know why.” I say, stopping by the kitchen island. “Why did you want me here? Are you going to kill me?” Sebastian chuckles, placing whatever food he was cooking onto a plate.
“You know, I had thought about it, but then these damn feelings started popping up, so now I’m finding it harder and harder to actually want to kill you.” He admits. That makes what I have just done to Salem even worse. If someone evil like Sebastian couldn’t kill someone, how am I any better?
“Maybe you should. Get it over with. End this nightmare.” I say, watching him eat his food. I have no idea where he managed to get real food, but I’m a bit jealous.
“Want some?” Sebastian offers, but I decline. I don’t know if my stomach can handle that kind of rich food right now. “I want to talk to you about that diary I found. There are some accusations in there that don’t settle right with me.”
“Why don’t you ask your Demon about it?” I counter, wondering what has woken him up so much that now he is actually seeing what she is capable of.
“Can Demons alter memories?” He asks and he seems genuinely curious. I’m on guard now. Very concerned about where this conversation is going. Apparently I do have a death wish if I’m standing here instead of back at Aurora’s house.
“Demons can do a lot of things. I have no doubt that she could take memories if she wanted.” I look to the Imp, noticing it is a lot plumper than I remember. Sebastian follows my gaze, rolling his eyes as he hands his plate over to the Imp. I watch in fascination as it eats quickly, cleaning the plate in seconds.
“Why would she want me? What do we have to do with anything?” I don’t understand this level of questioning. How would I know the answer to any of this?
“Those are questions for someone else. Not me. I don’t know anything. Up until a short while ago, I barely knew my own name.” I reply. I feel like this is a conversation for someone like Kitty Sue. She knows everything that is going on. “You want me to take you to her.” It dawns on me that Sebastian knows I can’t answer him. He knows he needs to talk to Kitty Sue, and he knows that there is no way she can get close to her.
“If that diary is right, then something happened, and I want to fix it. That diary says that I obtained real magic. Not like I’ve been trying to do for the last few years, but magic that was mine! I want it. I don’t want to keep killing people for magic. I don’t want to have to rely on some Demon!” He’s getting angry, his emotions all over the place. His lust for power, outshined by his hatred for himself and what he had done.
“I’m not taking you to them. I’m not putting any more people in danger.” I say, about to leave the room. I knife flies past my head, sticking into the molding of the door.
“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” Sebastian growls out, moving closer to me. “I said I didn’t want to kill you, but I’ll do it and use your magic to get what I want.” I can feel that sliver of fear move up my spine.
“Everything works out as it should. Sometimes, we are the ones carrying it out, sometimes we need to step back and watch.” Another moment of clarity and advice from my long dead friend. I’m not meant to fix things. It’s not my destiny. I can feel my magic flow through me, bringing the dead flower boxes to life. Using the vines of weeds crawling up the house to my advantage. I don’t hold back, using them as weapons against Sebastian, but he’s fast. Quicker than I am. I feel the cold sting of the blade seconds before he plunges it into my heart.
“Deorum ptentiae vim dea servieritis incantare potestas mihi.” Sebastian whispers the incantation in my ear, pushing the magical blade farther. The incantation to steal one's magic. This is how Trinity died... how her parents died. I had thought it would be quick and painless, but in fact, it’s slow, torturous even. I can feel my magic move from my body, through the blade, and into Sebastian. I can feel my heart accelerate as it tries to pump around the blade lodged in it. My vision is turning blurry, my body cold. Sebastian is the one holding my weight as he allows all of my magic to flow into himself.
“I didn’t want to do this.” Sebastian says. My mouth moves, but I don’t think I say anything. The moment my magic is gone, so am I. I can feel the disconnection from my body. My soul almost floating away. I look down at my body; skinny and pale, blood pooling on the floor. When I look out to the yard, I see them... Trinity, Sophie and Salem. They look beautiful; Goddesses in ghost form.
“I’m dead then?” I ask. They look at me, coming into the room as if Sebastian and the Imp are not also there. They can’t see us anyways.
“Everything happens for a reason.” Trinity smiles. She moves to me, wrapping her arms around me in a hug and I cry. I can feel her hug, even though I shouldn’t. I can feel her soul and mine connect. “We will have to watch how this plays out.”
“We will have to listen, and maybe things can change for the better.” Sophie chimes in. She hugs me too, and I turn to look at Salem. She rolls her eyes at me, smiling.
“It wasn’t your fault. I’m just as surprised to be able to be a ghost as you are. I didn’t think I was worth saving.” She whispers, as if she can read my mind. I nod as Trinity takes one hand, Sophie the other, and Salem behind me... leading me out of the house and to a light. Not the light as I want to watch and listen... as Trinity taught me to do. This wasn’t over... at least not yet. Kitty Sue is still alive. There is still someone that can make everything right!
