Witch Doctors Inc: SEASON ONE (Completed!)

Part 4.5

PRESENT TIME
LILY

The woman has hair of a deep jade. Shimmering crescent moon earrings hang at her chin. She ushers a small girl with magenta curls into a seat, then takes the seat next to her.

"You can share my seat, Tommy," the girl says, sliding to one side of her seat.

"I'm Amanda," the woman says. There's a tinge of nervousness to her voice. "I hope you don't mind me bringing my daughter. There's no one to watch her at home."

"That's fine," I assure her.

"Ara, say thank you to the lady."

"Thank you," the girl, Ara, chirps. "Tommy says thank you too."

I glance back at Amanda, confused.

She gives me a quick smile. "I had an imaginary friend when I was young too," she tells me.

I force a smile. I didn't have any need for imaginary friends as a kid. I had Onyx. But without him, being an only child would've been lonely. I feel for Ara.

"So, Ms Hannigan," I start.

"Call me Amanda. Everyone does."

"Alright, Amanda. What can I do for you today?"

Amanda winces. She lifts her left arm with her right one. When she lets go the left arm slumps in her lap.

"Mummy's arm is funny," Ara explains.

"I can't move it. It just...happened. The doctors can't find anything wrong with it."

I frown. "When did this happen?"

"Last night. But...I've been feeling funny for a while. I..." She bites her lip. "Sometimes I feel limp. Soft. Like I'm made of wool."

"Is it your whole body?" I ask. "Or just the arm?"

"Sometimes it's my whole body, sometimes it's a leg or an ear. I wake up in the morning and my hair's crisp, like I've been sleeping on a bird's nest."

"I see." It could be anything at this point. "Have you eaten anything unusual lately? Or do you know of anyone who would want to harm you?"

Amanda snorts. "I'm a single mother trying to survive one day at a time. I doubt anyone feels the need to make things harder for me."

"Alright. I'll need a blood sample and a skin sample. I'll run some diagnostics so we can get a better idea of what's going on. If you remember anything useful, let me know."

I seriously doubt the woman has no enemies. Everyone has an enemy. Ruby's mine, I guess. She may not want to hurt me, but she's determined to prove I'm a witch after the fire that destroyed the west wing of Witch Doctors Inc spat me out last of all. Amanda has someone who isn't entirely on her side, and they could've hexed her.

I flex the needle.

"Are you going to give Mummy an injection?" Ara asks me.

"Sort of," I reply. "I'm going to take some blood out of her arm. It'll help me tell if there's magic bothering her."

"Let the lady do her work, Ara," her mother chides.

"Tommy's the one who wanted to know," Ara insists.

I smile at Ara and move towards Amanda's arm with the needle. Ara's hand brushes my elbow as I go.

A flash of dark pain.

I'm somewhere else. A room, dark and quiet. Small people rest in the shadows. No...not people. Dolls. Five dolls, all limp, with button eyes and woollen limbs. But they are wrong, all five of them.

Everything about them is wrong. Their eyes, one above the other. Their smiles, half-sewed. And their limbs...their limbs. They hung from their sockets, legs where arms should be, and feet where elbows should be. Toes protrude from hip bones, legs and arms from the painful curves of abdomens.

Disjointed.

Disconnected.

Wrong.

I jerk my arm away, horrified.

The vision snaps out of existence.

Ara blinks at me curiously. "Did Tommy step on your foot?" she asks me.

Amanda peers at me with concern. "Are you alright? You looked dazed for a second there."

I draw in a shaky breath. "I'm fine," I lie. I turn to Ara. "No, Tommy did not step on my foot. I'm just a bit tired."

"Did you miss your bedtime?" She looks up at me with the innocence that only a six- or seven-year-old child could hold onto.

"I guess so," I reply. Something tells me I'm going to missing my bedtime tonight too.