Behind Lock & Key

The End

I open my eyes rapidly as I feel the change of atmosphere like a hand around my throat, chocking me.
That, and the enormous crashing sound, I'm sure, woke the entire neighbourhood from their trance.

My heart jumps to my throat as I pull off the covers and step onto the floor. It is uncomfortable beneath my feet, and the air closes around my skin, sending shivers down my spine and spreading goosebumps across my back. I've had a nightmare, I think, but that's not quite right. I was about to have a nightmare I correct myself, that's why cold sweat is gathering in small drops at my temples and I can feel, like the ghost of the nightmare's hand, a drop of sweat running down my spine as well. The nightmare that never came is a sour taste on my tongue. Agatha's spell must have been broken. That's why my deep sleep turned bad. I know when she wished me a good sleep, she slit a comfort spell with me to bed.

The crash pulled me away from William's still living eyes and back to Westview, where the air is thick with chaos magic. I don't have time for a shower, so just this once, I let my magic rush over my body as I stumble out into the hallway and down the stairs. I sprint outside just as Agatha disappears, and two Visions fly off. One white, one red. I only thought there was one vision, but it seems I'm not properly caught up with what the Avengers are doing at the moment. Only that they brought a lot of people back to an otherwise quiet world.

As Wanda follows Agatha, I remind myself she got herself into this mess and that I do not wish to disturb Wanda's weird way of grieving. They have their own battle, and I'm not sure my magic is in position to help any of them. But I decide to follow them, I'm not going to let Wanda kill Agatha if she gets that idea, I'll just keep a low profile.

My magic swirls around me, jittery and gleeful it lifts me up in the air and spins me around. "Let's not have any accidents," I say as I test its eagerness by allowing it to move us forward. As expected, it moves at high speed, giving me no proper time to control which direction we're going, but I don't have to.

Despite the scarlet colour that mingles with my magic whenever Wanda is near, it is the lilac colour my magic, and I treasure the most. It is that colour we breathe in, love in, exist in, it is that colour we're in pursuit of, that feeling.

As I reach the middle of the town, Wanda has a chokehold in all of the people around her. Scarlet glimmers of magic hang around each and every throat; Dottie, who's actually Sarah, Mrs. Hart, who's actually Sharon Davis. All of them are gripping their throats while Wanda has no idea she's hurting them.

I swallow a lump in my own throat as I know perfectly well what kind of situation Wanda is in, what kind of uncontrollable pain she's causing. That's why it stings, burns like a sour, rotten apple in my stomach when Wanda stops her torture as soon as she realises what she's doing. I can't do that.

I stay in the shadows while I watch the scene in front of me unfold. I'm not going to interfere, I'm only here to make sure none of the witches are getting killed.

"Heroes don't torture people," Agatha says from above. Her words are meant for Wanda, but it's causing the feeling of the rotten apple to spread all the way to my fingertips. I've hurt so many people, caused so much pain without being able to control it.

My magic huffs, and it's right. I'm not a hero, I've never been one, and I don't feel like protecting the people who, for centuries, have made it a game to hunt down people like me, people like Agatha. I've only ever tried to survive and live in peace near a wood and a field where a farm stands nearby where Agatha and I could lay in the hay oblivious to the world outside. I'm not a hero, nor am I a villain, I'm a survivor just like any other witch.

But Wanda wants to make amends. She wants to take down the hex and let everybody get out. The town becomes chaotic, with people shattering to all sides running towards the nearest exit. But it's not that easy.