Chapter 12 - Clara contd...
1689 Words
My hair was immaculate, glossy, like I’d just stepped out of the hairdressers. My skin was flawless, and my eyes were the brightest blue I’d ever seen. Slowly, I ran my hands over my hair. How was this possible? Then it dawned on me. The spell was broken, my magic awake. My teeth were white, my smile perfect. Everything about my appearance seemed enhanced, intensified. I did a quick check of the rest of my body before splashing cold water on my face. My skin was so smooth. No dry patches anywhere.
I’d just turned off the tap when I heard voices. Mom and Grandma. They suddenly became clearer, like I stood in the room with them.
“She’ll be awake soon. What do you think will happen?” Mom asked.
“I’m not sure, but you can guarantee that as soon as my protection spell breaks, he’ll know about it.”
“We should have wiped his memory at the time, like I wanted to. Removed all trace of me from his life.”
“You know we couldn’t do that. They knew about Sarah. If we'd erased everything, he’d have known. We did the right thing. He wasn’t foolish enough to brag when Clara came along. He didn’t tell them anything, too afraid of what would happen if he failed a second time.”
“So he’ll be coming for us, for Clara?”
“I imagine so.”
I gasped. My legs trembled. I grabbed hold of the sink to steady myself. This can’t be happening. They erased my Dad’s memory of me. That’s why he disappeared, why he never tried to see me. He didn’t remember I existed.
My blood boiled and anger curled in the pit of my stomach. I wanted to scream, to lash out. My hands clenched into fists by my sides, my nails digging into my palms. Blood trickled out. I caught my reflection in the mirror. My eyes had darkened.
I gasped and jumped back. I shook my head and looked at the blood on my hands. “What…”
Something had taken over, an intense anger I couldn’t control. I peered back at my reflection. Would my eyes turn black? Would I become twisted and evil, like my father? Was there something inside me that would transform me into someone else?
I closed my eyes and held my breath. When I plucked up the courage, I opened them. They were bright blue again.
I stumbled from the bathroom. Mom and Grandma stood in the middle of my bedroom, smiling. Grandma held a birthday cake with eighteen lit candles. I couldn’t help it. I burst into tears and ran into my mother’s arms.
“Clara, what’s the matter?” she asked, holding me tightly.
My arms wrapped around her, holding on for dear life.
“Clara.” She forced me to let go and placed a hand under my chin, tipping my face up.
I blinked back the tears. “It’s was awful,” I sobbed.
Mom looked to Grandma. “What was awful, honey?”
Grandma blew out the candles. Wax had started to drip onto the soft buttercream. She placed the cake on the dresser.
“I heard you and Grandma talking about dad, and…” I snuffled and sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t know what happened to me. I got so angry, and my eyes…”
I heard Grandma gasp.
“I couldn’t stop it, Mom.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” Mom said, folding me into her arms again. “You’re safe, Clara. I promise.”
We stood like that for several minutes until I calmed down. Feeling a little silly, I pulled away.
“Let me look at you,” Grandma said.
Mom’s hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. “Your hair.”
I reached for it and smiled. “It looks good, doesn’t it?”
She smiled, but Grandma frowned. “Wait… You heard us talking?”
I nodded. “Yes. I was in the bathroom. It was muffled at first, but then I clearly heard everything you said.”
Grandma muttered to herself as she walked toward the door. I looked at Mom, who smiled. “Let’s have some breakfast, maybe do your candles again.”
“Sorry I ruined your birthday surprise. It was a lovely idea.”
“We can relight them,” she said, picking up the cake and walking downstairs.
I followed and took a seat at the kitchen table. No one spoke, everyone wrapped up in their own little bubble. The silence became unbearable and I couldn’t stand it anymore.
“What happened to me?” I blurted out.
Mom practically choked on her coffee. Grandma raised her head from the newspaper she was pretending to read. She didn’t ever read the newspaper. “You got angry and didn’t know how to control it.”
“Why were you so angry?” Mom asked, coughing a few more times.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just was.”
“Lies don’t help, Clara,” Grandma said, eyeing me suspiciously. I lowered my gaze, embarrassed.
“I was angry with you and Mom for erasing his memories of me. He was my dad. I had a right to know him.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” Mom said, reaching across the table and squeezing my hand.
“It was for your own good,” Grandma snapped. “Your mother had no choice.”
I wanted to scream at her. Ask her why she let him remember Sarah and not me, but I knew she was right, even if it did sting.
“About your anger, Clara. You’re going to have to learn to control it. It won’t do you any good to act on it. You need to let it go.”
“How? It’s not like I wanted to be angry. I couldn’t help it.”
“I know, but if there’s anything else you need to get off your chest, now would be a good time. We’ve a lot to do today.”
I thought about Sarah, about all the anger I’d carried over the years. Should I say it? Should I ask them why I wasn’t ever as good as her? Why she was special and I wasn’t? I was about to when Grandma’s last words registered.
“Huh?” I asked.
“The spell has been broken. We need to talk about this, figure out what we’re going to do when he shows up.” She practically spat the word “he”.
“Not now,” Mom said. “It can wait. Let Clara enjoy her day.”
“It can’t wait. You know that as well as I do. Clara doesn’t even know what he looks like.”
“She’s not stupid. She knows not to talk to strangers.” She turned to me. “You’ll be extra careful, won’t you?”
I nodded. They continued arguing, as if I weren’t there.
I pushed away from the table. “I think I’ll get ready for school.”
“No!” they both shouted.
My hands gripped the back of the chair I’d been about to push in.
“You can’t go to school,” Grandma said. “You need to stay with me today, learn about your magic.”
“But I have school.”
“This is more important.”
I looked at Mom for support. “Your Grandma’s right. You need to learn to control things. What if you got angry at school?”
I recalled the swirling heat in the pit of my stomach. How it had taken over my whole body. I shuddered. “Fine. Only one day, though. I’m not locking myself up in this house just so you can keep me safe.”
“I can make a potion,” Grandma said. “Redo the protection.”
“No. I’m not taking any more potions. I want to know who I am, what I am.”
Grandma looked at Mom, but didn’t reply.
“I’m going upstairs. I need to call Megan and let her know I won’t be in today.”
“Clara,” Mom called as I opened the kitchen door. I looked over my shoulder. “Happy birthday, darling.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said and left the room.
***
Megan wasn’t one bit impressed when I told her I’d be staying home. “That’s so unfair. Why can’t I have magic and get to miss double history and home ec?”
I laughed. “Typical. Always thinking about history.”
It was easy to joke on the phone. Megan couldn’t see the panic written all over my face. I didn’t want to stay at home. I wanted to go to school, to forget all about what happened this morning.
“So, besides your Grandma insisting you stay home to learn about magic, what else happened?”
“Oh, you won’t believe it. My hair… I woke up and it looked like I’d just had it done. It’s so shiny and glossy. And my eyes… They’re so blue. I’m telling you, Meg. It was mad.”
Megan laughed. “So, you’re hotter than before. Typical. Any chance of passing some of that magic my way?”
“Yeah, right,” I said. Me? Hot? She must be joking. Megan was the hot one out of the two of us. She was the one who attracted the attention of all the guys. I was just her sidekick, the unimportant one.
“You still there, Clara?”
“Sorry. Just daydreaming.”
“I’ll come straight over after school. I want to see this transformation for myself. Plus, I know you. You’re hiding something.”
“No, I’m not,” I lied. “I’ll see you later, though. Mom has a cake here we can pig out on.”
“Yum. She you later. Wish me luck in history.”
I laughed and we said our goodbyes.
- Writer
