Chapter 5 - Clara contd...
2065 Words
It was all too much. Bile swirled in my stomach, gurgling up into my mouth. I swallowed hard and pushed back from the table. On unsteady legs, I moved toward the sink and filled a glass from the tap. After a few gulps of cold water, my stomach settled and I sat back down.
Grandma looked at me. “The vision you had, Clara… You said it took place at school.”
“Yeah.”
“Was there anything else? Anything you didn’t tell me this morning?”
“At the very end, a voice said, ‘That’s her.’”
Mom’s hand flew to her mouth. Grandma bowed her head.
Frantic, I looked back and forth between them. “What?! What did I say?”
Grandma met my gaze. “You could be the one, Clara. The seer to break the curse.”
“What if I don’t want to be?”
Grandma sighed. “You don’t get a choice.”
“So, you’re saying these two angel guys are after me and will try to kill me.” My breath caught in my chest.
This can’t be happening. I don’t want the magic anymore. Sarah can have it. She can keep it in her grave with her. I thought it would be fun, exciting, not some angel assassins trying to kill me.
“Clara.” My grandma’s voice pulled me back to reality. “You’ll be okay. I’ve cloaked you, and the dark one had me remove his memories. They won’t find you.”
I glanced up at her, tears filling my eyes. “What if they do?” I choked out.
“Then we’ll make sure you’re ready. You come from a long line of very powerful witches. I’ll teach you about magic, how to wield and control it.”
I felt like the walls were closing in on me. I wanted to escape, to run far from here. When Mom placed her hand over mine, I jumped.
“Listen to your grandma. She won’t let anything bad happen.”
I nodded. The tears threatened to fall, but I wiped them away. My fingers touched the locket hanging around my neck.
They can’t find me. I’m glamoured.
Grandma excused herself to her office, and Mom started dinner. Everything looked normal, but inside, I was freaking out. What if they came and I didn’t recognize them? When would they come? The vision didn’t say. I didn’t see anyone else, so there was no way to gauge a timeframe. I was in big trouble and there was no one to help me. I sighed and got up from the table.
Grandma’s office door was closed, so I knocked before opening it. She was huddled over the table that took up most of the room. Thick, leather-bound books were spread open in front of her. The rest of the room consisted of floor-to-ceiling shelves. One side held books, the other consisted of jars of herbs and God knows what. When I cleared my throat, she looked up.
“What is it, Clara?” She sounded annoyed.
“I, um… I wanted to know what I should do.”
“Come in. Take a seat beside me.”
I’d never really been in her office before. It was usually off limits. My eyes took in everything as I sat beside her.
“You see all these books? They contain every spell your ancestors have ever used. The books on the shelves are journals detailing the lives of those who have gone before us.”
The black journal Meg and I had discovered in the sitting room popped into my head. “Do you have a journal, Grandma?”
“I do.” She picked up a black, leather-bound book and handed it to me. “Now you have one, too.”
It felt heavy in my hands as I turned it over. There was no writing on the outside. I opened it. The pages were blank.
“You must record every vision you have. As much detail as you can remember. It’ll help you when the time comes.”
“But what if it’s not me? You said you had the visions, too.”
“It might not be you, Clara. There’s no way of knowing for sure. I’ve had the visions since I was twelve. I thought it was me, but when I looked at the faces of those two angels…” She paused and shuddered. “I only saw their outward appearance.” She lowered her gaze. “I wasn’t the one, Clara, and because of that, I almost lost my life. You will need to see with your magic, use it to remove the veil from your eyes.”
“But how? I don’t have any magic, remember? It went to Sarah.”
“It seems not all did. Maybe not any.” Grandma tapped her fingers on the table. “Have you noticed anything else strange? Any new sensations in your body? Tingling, hot flushes, anything out of the ordinary?”
“No.”
Grandma sighed. Silence filled the room. I sat holding the black journal, waiting for her to say more, to help me make sense of all this. She didn’t. She went back to reading the books strewn across the table, flipping through pages and mumbling to herself.
“I’ll just go then,” I muttered.
“Yes. Tell your mother to call me when dinner’s ready.”
I shook my head and walked out, closing the door behind me. I was still as clueless as I’d been when I entered.
She’s definitely lost the plot. She tells me to come in, gives me a book, waffles on about using magic, then nothing. She just sits there reading. It’s not like my life is in danger or anything.
I huffed as I stomped up the stairs and into my bedroom. It was a mess. Megan had left a pile of clothes on the floor, and my jewelry box was still upended on the bed. I threw the book down and started scooping everything up.
How much jewelry does one person need?
I finished cleaning up the mess so my room looked somewhat normal, then sat down on the bed to try and write every single detail I could remember from my vision. I noted the pain in my head right up to waking up.
A light tapping on my door startled me.
“Clara, can I come in?”
“Yeah,” I said, closing the book.
Mom walked through the door. “I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s a lot to take in, and I know Grandma can be a little…”
“Freaky?” I finished for her.
She smiled. “I guess you could say that. Give her a couple hours, though, and she’ll be fine. She’s probably working everything out in her own mind first.”
“But she didn’t tell me anything. How am I supposed to protect myself if I don’t know how?”
“Oh, Clara,” Mom said, puling me toward her and hugging me tightly. “This is all one big mess. I was so relieved when you didn’t show any signs of magic. I thought you would get to lead a normal life.”
I looked up at her. “Didn’t you have a normal life? You have no magic.”
She straightened and looked at me. “Let’s just say my upbringing was…different. What did Grandma say to you in the office?”
I shrugged. “Nothing. She gave me a journal and told me to write everything down. She’s not herself, Mom.”
“I know, but just give her time. She’ll do everything she can to sort the mess out and make sure you’re safe. Make sure we all are.”
What could I say to that? Mom looked just as upset and confused as I was. “She will be okay, won’t she?” I hadn’t dared voice my concerns earlier.
“She’s a little shaken up, but she’s strong. You just wait and see. Don’t forget, Clara. She’s been waiting for them all her life.”
“Who?”
“The angel brothers.”
Mom sighed and pushed off the bed. “Dinner’s almost ready. Will you come down and set the table?”
“Sure.”
And, just like that, the conversation was over.
***
Dinner was a quiet affair. Grandma ate quickly and left the table without saying a word. I pushed the food around my plate. The atmosphere in the kitchen felt thick and dark.
“I’m going to do my homework.”
“Okay, love. Don’t stay up too late.”
I didn’t understand anything. Grandma had nearly been killed. I had a target on my back. But it was like nothing had happened. I may not have been born with magic, but I knew this wasn’t right. This wasn’t how normal people dealt with a crisis. They talked. We didn’t. Grandma hid herself away, and Mom… I actually had no clue how she was dealing with this. I could hear her filling the dishwasher as I walked up the stairs.
Homework was a welcome distraction…for about five minutes. My mind refused to let up. The vision, Grandma’s story. All of it swirled around like a cyclone. I shoved the books aside and texted Megan.
You get home ok?
She replied straight away.
Yep… What went down at yours?
Lots… Will fill you in 2morrow.
That bad?
Maybe… Did you find a top?
Yeah. Pink one, if you’re not wearing it.
You can have it. Not sure if I’m going.
WHAT? YOU HAVE TO!
How did I reply to that? If my life was in danger, I didn’t think going to a disco was going to help.
We’ll see. Talk 2morrow.
I flopped back on the bed. My life seriously sucks.
***
Dreams buried their way into my sleep. Grandma running for her life, Mom crying, dark shadows following me, a bright light that burned my eyes. I woke in a cold sweat more times than I could count. Strange words I couldn’t understand echoed in my mind.
When my alarm went off, I was exhausted and had to drag myself out of bed.
As I ate breakfast, Grandma asked about visions, seemingly relieved when I said there were none. A normal morning, a normal day.
When I arrived at school, Megan wasn’t at my locker. We always met there before class. The noise of bustling students trying to organize books for their classes filled my ears. The stale smell of the hall was exactly what I needed to ground me. School. Ordinary, everyday stuff. I kept watch on the doors, though, my heart leaping every time they opened. Would today be the day they’d come for me?
“Earth to Clara.” Megan stood beside me, waving her hand in front of my face. “Daydreaming about Scott again?” She laughed.
“No, I was…” I stopped.
What do I say? I was checking to make sure the two angels who wanted me dead weren’t coming through the doors? Get a grip, Clara.
“So…” Megan looked around to make sure no one was listening. “What happened yesterday?”
“I’ll tell you on the way to class.” I gathered my books in my arms and we started walking.
Megan’s face turned a sickly shade of green as I told her about Grandma’s escape and that I could be in mortal danger. I may have exaggerated a little, but I was allowed. I had two crazy, winged dudes looking to execute me.
“Th-That’s bad,” Megan spluttered. “No wonder you said you weren’t going Friday night, but you are, right? I need you there. Plus, Scott will be there. You know he and Lisa broke up last week. It’s your chance, Clara.”
Megan rambled when she was nervous. I let her today.
“So, you’ll come, won’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Friday night.”
“I’m not—”
“You will, and that’s that.”
I laughed and nudged her shoulder. “Okay, bossy boots.” The bell rang just as we walked into the classroom.
- Writer
