A Game Of Secrets

Season 4 - Ep TWO

Lin pressed the doorbell. Maggie was too disturbed to look out the window. She would have warned her mother that she didn't want any company. Celine opened the door. "Hey, Mrs Pitters", Lin wore a big smile, "I love your outfit. Is Maggie inside?" "Thank you and she is. Come in". Celine answered. "Allow me to say, your house looks amazing".

"Why thank you. But you have been here before, haven't you?"

"That was at night. I could barely see anything".

"Well, she's upstairs. Make yourself at home". Lin nodded and started climbing the stairs. Maggie watched the light dance on her hands. She stood up from her bed to the mirror. The leaf markings on her face were spreading like a virus. She placed the light at the top of the mirror and a flower blossomed from it.

"Hey Maggie, you said..." Lin didn't knock so Maggie didn't have time to hide. Lin was surprised but she was familiar with paranormal activity so she closed the door and said, "start explaining".

Mitchell crossed her arms. "I thought you were with Mrs Calley". She accused. "I was but I got a call from Connor that he was here and I just couldn't let him wait". Tatiana put up a defense. "What did he want?"

"Nothing. He just wanted to say hi".

"Him saying hi was not what I saw".

"We were in high school together. We were laughing about old memories. I did the same with Sophia".

"For high school pals, you were really comfy". "Where are you going with this?" Tatiana was tired of her indirect disapproval. "If you too were so close, what happened?" Mitchell asked a bit more relaxed. Tatiana paused to think. "I'm not sure", she said doubtfully, "we were dating one minute and the next, he was engaged to Nolan. I can't remember".

Mitchell sat down beside her Mom, "Angie and I have something serious going on", she said softly, "you know that right?" "Yes baby", Tatiana pecked her forehead, "and I would never wanna ruin it". "Thank you".

"You have a visitor", the nurse told Sophia, "you have ten minutes". "Thank you". Jo nodded. "Hey Mom", She greeted, "how're you feeling?" "Like I want to get out of here". Sophia sat up. Jo chuckled, "the doctors actually said you would be discharged soon", she informed her, "so don't worry". "I'm glad you're okay".

"I am so sorry, Mom". Jo's eyes watered.

"This wasn't your fault, okay?" Sophia gave her a weak smile.

"I should have fought it".

"I saw the reluctance in your eyes. You don't have to explain further". Sophia touched her daughter's face and wiped the tears. Jo sniffed and dabbed her eyes with tissue. "I'm a mess. But that doesn't matter anymore. You're alive". She said trying to boost her mood.

There was brief pause before Jo spoke up, "don't you think it's time you told me the whole story?" "It is", Sophia agreed, "just know that I was trying to protect you". "By telling me it's an evil game? Yeah... not exactly what you should tell teenagers".

"That is a part of it but I was mostly scared that the magic was going to call out to you".

"It definitely did".

"I didn't want you to express the pain, hurt, death and darkness that comes with it".

"A bit too late for that now". She laughed to ease the mood. Jo sharply remembered the whole legacy thing. They never got the full meaning. "An important person said Angie is a legacy", she said, "that can't be because of her mom if not, Lin and I would be one too". "Oh", Sophia cleared her throat, "Angie is actually the third in her lineage to posses the magic. Her grandmother locked the book and gave the key to Nolan as a parting gift. "I get it now", she nodded, "and erm, do you know a Daniel?"

"Daniel? Do you mean Daniel Robbins from the paper that you told me about?"

"No. Daniel Skewer".

"The name rings a bell but I can't put my finger on it". "Don't work yourself up. It was just a name we saw in the yearbook". Jo lied. "That reminds me, I hope you kept the hour glass back in the store. That thing is very dangerous and important". Jo choked on her saliva. She scratched the back of her head, "about that..." She started, "the hour glass kinda maybe broke? But we got back on time".

Sophia immediately felt lightheaded. She leaned back into her pillow. "Are you okay?" Jo was worried. "The hour glass was a tether which means that it was a door into the past", she explained, "it wasn't regulating how long you stay there. It was preventing you from changing history". "I am so lost". Jo confessed.

"As long as the sand didn't change sides or spill, no matter what you do in the past...it doesn't affect the present or future".

"I thought that was why we entered their bodies".

"That's just a side effect of time traveling when you separate during the journey". Jo took in all that she had said. "So you're saying that since it broke, something in history changed?" She asked. "Yes" Sophia replied, "and knowing magic, it's not something good".

Lin handed Maggie another roll of tissue. "Are you better now?" She asked impatiently. After her demand, Maggie burst into tears while calling herself 'a freak' countless times. "You weren't supposed to see me like this". She said before blowing her nose. "Well too bad". Lin snapped.

Maggie pulled herself together, "it started two nights ago", she said, "I kept tossing from one side of the bed to the other. Suddenly, I saw a light outside. I switched on my flashlight but I couldn't see anyone. The light never went away".

"I crept out to have a look. The light didn't move from the grass. Something compelled me to touch it and I did. Just like the mirror, a beautiful flower blossomed. I panicked and ran back to my room".

"The light followed me. It was actually more like, it came out of my hands. I switched on my room light and checked everywhere to be sure it wasn't a bad dream. That was when I saw her". Lin felt the need to interrupt her then. "Who?" She asked. Maggie shook her head, "I don't know. She was more like a silhouette", she stated, "she was whispering things to me. Bad things. I was about to run out when she grabbed my neck. I was struggling for my life. Her hands touched my chin and she let me go".

"She vanished like the wind but I could still sense her in the shadows. I started having nightmares from that moment. Even when I wasn't asleep, my mind would show the images. How all those people were murdered...was what I kept seeing". Maggie hugged her legs. She felt tempted to recline to a corner and cry.

Lin put a comforting hand on her shoulders. "We can help you". Lin said. She put her fingers together and slowly let an energy globe form. Maggie faced her fully. "You're like me?" She asked. "Not exactly but we can help". "We?" "Oh sorry. My friends and I. I thought you would have pieced it together".

"Is that why you all suddenly became close?"

"Yep"

"Was it after that night at the sleepover?" Lin nodded. "Angie wasn't wrong for freaking out", she said, "this is...mind blowing". Lin's phone suddenly started ringing. "What's up, Jo?" She said. "Angie and Mitchell are here too. It's a conference call". Jo explained. "You said it was urgent". Angie said. "Yeah. I just spoke to my Mom and she said the hour glass was never to make us stuck in the past".

"That's good news right?" Mitchell asked.

"No. She said it was supposed to prevent time from changing even if we did things differently".

"But the glass broke?" Lin was wondering where this was headed. "That's the problem", Jo emphasized, "something had changed and whatever it is, it's bad news".

Lin looked back at Maggie who had falling into a trance by using her powers. Lin's heart pounded. "I think I know what or who changed".