Witch Doctors Inc: SEASON ONE (Completed!)

Part 1.5

Onyx pokes and prods me for a bit. He wants to know all about what I saw, what I felt, what I feel now. The truth is I feel tired. This is a lot to take in. Part of me is still rebelling against it all. I keep thinking that if I go along with this, eventually I'll stumble upon a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything. That's what I want more than anything - my "oh, I've been so silly" moment. My "I can't believe I thought I was a witch" moment.

But I'm still a scientist. The evidence isn't pointing in that direction, and no matter how scared I am, no matter how frustrated I am, I can't ignore evidence.

Onyx is really interested in my ability to connect with other things. After the memory I feel connected again, but it still feels strange. It's not just that I can reach out and touch things with my mind...it's like I'm dispersed. Like I'm everywhere at once. I have a centre - my physical body is the point from which I radiate - but there is no boundary to "me".

Onyx wants to know if I can find certain things with my eyes closed.

I reach out to them with my mind. It's almost like I'm putting out feelers made of energy. I can sense the energy of different objects in my room and move my own energy closer to them. My cactus plants feel like hard spots of determination. My rug feels different - it's a puff of comfort, motherly almost. I find both of them with ease.

Can you find me?

Yes, I could find him, but I don't want to. He feels cold and distant, like the ghost of a star. He doesn't feel like the Onyx I know.

I return to normal after a while. Onyx is disappointed with this. He wants me to try the bracelet again. I get a little short with him. I only have so much space in my mind, and now I'm supposed to let a whole other person in. It feels intrusive. When I let Amarat in it's like forcing two similarly-charged magnets together. I'm thinking things that I don't agree with and feeling emotions that aren't my own. My instinct is something like repulsion, even if I don't object to the thoughts. They're just not my own. They're taking up a space meant for me. When I let Amarat in, I disappear.

I'm arguing with Onyx when there's a knock at the door.

If it's Ruby, quite honestly, she deserves to be murdered.

"Lily, I know you're in there. You can't hide away forever. And I brought cupcakes."

It's Addy. Somehow that's worse. Addy and I have been best friends since we were children. I've never hidden anything from her.

I look at Onyx. If you lose control, use the bracelet.

It's like they're all in on it together.

I open the door grudgingly.

Addy throws her arms around me. "Lily! I knew you'd let me in." She wiggles a box under my nose. "Don't look so surprised. I would never lie about cupcakes."

Onyx weaves in between her legs and meows insistently. Addy scoops him up in her arms. She nuzzles his forehead. That cat is shameless.

"So," Addy says as we tuck into the cupcakes. "Have you thought more about the resignation thing?"

I sigh."Still resigning, Addy. Big Boss has my notice."

Addy pouts. "There are still so many things we haven't tried," she insists. "I haven't tried watching you in the potions room - that would probably solve the entire issue. And we should run the diagnostics again, just to make absolutely sure we didn't miss any curses. Or you could have a medical problem that's interfering with your ability to work...or maybe there's something on you that's reacting with the fire quartz."

I grab the cupcake with lemon icing before Onyx can get his grubby paws on it. "It's safer to quit. Who knows how many more accidents I'll have before we find something useful?"

"But you won't be prescribing anything to clients," Addy argues. "You'd just be doing the spells while I watch you. If you miss something I'll spot it before anything happens."

"That's putting you at risk. Remember the frogs? What if it isn't frogs next time, what if it's knives? Or fire?"

"I'll watch you from behind a screen. There's a room in the basement with a window, they use it for interrogations. I'll even use protection spells just in case."

"You don't know how strong the effect will be!"

Addy puts her hands on her hips. "Now you're just being paranoid. You won't even try. I'm not leaving this room, Lily, not until you at least -"

"I'm a witch!"

Addy stops short.

"I'm a witch, okay? None of that stuff will help me. I'm...I'm a witch." I suddenly feel more tired than I've ever felt in my life. Those three words are heavier than lead.

There's a moment of pure silence. I can almost hear Addy blinking.

Then, suddenly, she laughs. The cupcake falls from her hand and hits the floor with a splat. "A witch," she gasps. "So Ruby did come see you after all."

"I'm serious, Ad," I snap. I tell her about the memories and everything Onyx told me. She listens with her head cocked. "Hmmm," she says when I'm finished. She fingers a golden curl. "Onyx told you this."

"You think I've been lying to you about him all these years?"

The cupcake in my hand starts to vibrate. I quickly reach for the bracelet. I see a sky of eggshell blue, and stone houses dotting the hills. They look like the dwellings in my history books. A ribbon of smoke rises from one of the chimneys.

The cupcake settles.

"I know you're not lying, Lil. If you think you're a witch...well, I'm your best friend and I'll support you no matter what. But whatever the problem is, we need to fix it. Why don't we try a few things and see if they work?"

I put the bracelet away. "Connecting with Amarat helps. The bracelet helps me do that, but it doesn't last long. Onyx reckons I'll have to keep trying until I forge a permanent connection."

"Great," Addy beams. "Then let's do that. Once you've made a connection we'll try a spell in the potions room. Sound good?"

I smile weakly. "Sounds good, Addy."

I slip the bracelet under my bed. Addy chatters on about cupcake flavours and new clients. She doesn't mention the witch thing again.

I find myself staring out the window. It's too hard to see the stars with all the light from the city's walls. I squint, trying to make out even one. Amarat fell from those stars a thousand years ago. Now I'm reaching out for them to save me.