Do No Harm

TheVisitors

It had been 3 days since Andi cast the spell and nothing had pointed to it working, but her spirits were still high. She had recharged the spell many times and knew when it reached its target it would continue to do so until she saw the results. She went about her daily tasks as before, but with ease now with her freshly found positivity again. She had a new and improved outlook on life and just knew things were going to turn around for the better.

Andi's coffee was just finishing brewing when there was a knock at her door. She never got visitors that were unannounced. With today's technology, everyone always calls or texts to make sure you are home before they just show up. It could only be one person, she thought. A smile crossed her lips as she sat out another coffee mug for her visitor.

When Andi passed by her makeshift altar, she paused to recharge the spell again before heading toward the door. Her smile instantly faded as an eerie feeling hit her. She had been right. It was Daivik, but something was telling her this wasn't what she had envisioned. Hand on the door, the feeling in the pit of her stomach intensified as the wind picked up behind the barrier of the door, causing her to almost leave the door shut. The burning desire to see him won out over her instincts.

Andi barely had time to turn the knob before the door slung open. The wind swirled around her for a split instant, then died just as fast when his look of confusion and anxiousness was replaced with content and calmness. For a split second, the man in front of her had frightened her.

"Well, good morning," Andi said, forcing the smile back on her face.

"Hey there," Daivik greeted her, pulling into a kissing embrace, knocking her off balance.

Andi jumped when the door slammed behind her. Something was different. This wasn't right. It was off somehow, but she just couldn't put her finger on what.

"Umm," Andi stumbled over the words as she pulled back, catching a quick flash of anger across Daivik's face. Andi shook her head as if she was trying to clear her brain like it was an etch-a-sketch. She could have sworn that the sky darkened behind him with that flash of anger. It was way too early for this. Her mind had to be playing tricks on her.

"Coffee? Umm I mean... Would you like some coffee?" Andi offered. "I was just fixing to get my first cup."

Daivik just looked at her like she was speaking a foreign language, turned around, walked to his truck, and drove away. Andi slumped down on the swing, wondering what had just happened as she watched his truck drive off. She stared in awe as his truck disappeared from her view.

Something was definitely wrong. This wasn't the way she had envisioned this whole scenario going. And this was definitely not her intent. Andi shook her head like it was some kind of etch-a-sketch once again, thinking it would erase the confusion Daivik left in his wake.

She got up and headed back inside, passing her altar but without stopping this time. She picked up the extra coffee mug she sat out for Daivik and went to place it back in the cabinet when her front door flew open, letting in a gust of wind. The mug slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor when she caught a glimpse of Daivik's truck zooming by.

The eerie feeling returned with a vengeance, spurring her into motion. Andi hurried to the altar to retrieve the salt that had been placed there days before. Without even thinking, she bent over the threshold, pouring salt as she chanted.

Light as Day, Dark as Night.

Take evil from my sight.

Nothing can enter that means me harm.

Not beast, nor creature, nor charm.

As it is my will, so shall it be.

With that, Andi straightened and slammed the door as if to put an exclamation mark on the spell. Andi returned the salt to the altar, pausing and running her fingers over the items she had placed there. "Do no harm," she whispered to herself.

There was no harm done in the simple spells she had cast. It was evident that the spell was working by Daivik showing up to her house. The only thing that she didn't understand was the way he had acted. It was like he wasn't himself at all. Should she even dare to think, this version of the man scared her just a little. She shook her head again, trying to dislodge the thoughts this time. Positivity, she reminded herself. She would remain positive.

Andi turned from the altar and headed to the kitchen where she grabbed the dustpan and broom to clean up the fallen coffee mug before she started her morning. Stopping in front of the cabinet, she stared at the floor before dropping to one knee. She ran her hand over the hardwood floors and nothing. There was nothing. No glass. No shards. No nothing.

Andi stood up and faced the closed cabinet door that she could have sworn she left open in her rush earlier. She snatched the door open to find the shattered coffee mug in pristine condition, right where it was always on the shelf. Andi stumbled back, dropping her broom and dustpan. She falls into a chair at her kitchen table.

What in the world was going on? Was she asleep and dreaming all of this? She has had realistic dreams in the past, but nothing like this. She began to question her own mental state. She had to be dreaming. It was the only explanation for the strangeness of the morning. It would explain away Daivik, the coffee mug, and her mind skipping over events that must happen to make things make sense.

That was it. She was dreaming and would wake up any minute to start her day. A loud knock vibrated through the house and Andi into the reality that this was no dream. She leerily made her way to the front door. The knocking turned to frantic banging and the yelling of her name. She recognized the voice right away as she jerked open the door and stood face to face with Beatrice.

"What happened," Andi shouted just as panicked as Beatrice looked. "What do you mean what happened?" Beatrice shouted back.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"Umm... Because it didn't ring," Andi was beginning to become agitated with the whole event. Beatrice held her phone up in front of Andi's face, pointing to the call log displayed proving 10 missed calls to Andi. "Oh," Andi simply said. "You want some coffee? I haven't had my coffee yet. Do you want some?" Andi threw over her shoulder as she started for the kitchen again.

"Sure," Beatrice said as she shrugged her shoulders and started to follow Andi until she noticed the salt over the threshold. "Hey, how about we have coffee on the porch swing. It's nice out still and it won't be long before it will be too hot to sit outside."

"Sounds good to me," Andi called from the kitchen.

Andi returned with two mugs of coffee. The one she had sat out for herself and the one that she could have sworn was shattered earlier this morning. Beatrice was her oldest friend, but she was leery of repeating this morning's events to her. Mainly because she didn't quite understand them herself, but also because Beatrice would ask too many questions. Questions that would reveal too many of her secrets that she kept to herself.

Beatrice took the lead in the conversation as usual, to Andi's relief. Andi began sipping her coffee as Beatrice started prattling on about the nature of her calls this morning. The local gossip. It had a lot to do with "Did you hear" and "Did you know" stuff until Beatrice finally ran out of gossip and mentioned the "disturbance in the Gulf."

Here we go again, Andi thought. It's that time of the year when everyone seems to lose their minds. Hurricane season. It never failed. They always thought that any little disturbance was going to be the doom of all times. No matter how hard Andi tried to stay away from all the negative talk, it always seemed to find her.