In a lifetime

Chapter 44: Joseph Flores

For the first time in forever, I can wake up without worry. It feels like every supernatural thing that has happened was all but a dream. 

I relax and spend a few more minutes in bed before getting ready and going downstairs.

Brushing my teeth I hear someone yell "Joseph!" And I rush downstairs to check it out. I look around the room to see if anything is wrong but everyone is standing around as Eli says, "oh you're alive, good"

I look at him confused and say, "if you thought I'd be dead you could've just checked on me" he nods and looks a bit embarrassed and now the room is filled with silence.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Nessa speaks up, "how are you feeling? Anything we need to worry about?" I shake my head and say "I haven't felt this good in a long time but I'm fine, a little tired but fine"

I sit on the couch as Nessa continues, "Laurel is a bigger threat now more than ever so you all need to be careful" she slowly turns towards Eli and Veronica until I'm no longer in her focus.

Daniel sits next to me double checking if I'm okay and I smile at him for reassurance and turn back to Nessa, "I'm guessing that because I no longer have magic I'm not needed anymore" I say and he grabs my hand and I look at him as he says, "I'm sure that's not it and with or without magic you'll always be needed" he gives me a kiss before joining the group discussion.

I get comfortable on the couch and lean back to take a nap as I'm getting tired. I'm not one to take naps during the day only when I'm extremely exhausted I do and it's weird that I've only been up for a few hours and I'm still tired.

At least my body isn't in pain anymore but I still have this feeling that something is wrong.

I'm waken up by Daniel who says, "Hey you coming?" I nod while yawning and when I stand up I lose my balance for a bit, "sorry I got dizzy, I haven't really eaten anything yet" I say and I can see the concerned look on his face and Nessa walks up to me.

"Stay here and eat something, we'll let you know if anything comes up," she says and she and everyone leave me alone. I sigh and head into the kitchen to make something quick.

As I'm eating I hear a faint voice. The more I focus I can tell it's Laurel but she sounds like she's panicking. I don't have my magic anymore how is this even possible.

I focus more and she's actually trying to communicate with me, all I can hear is "I need your help I can't do this anymore, I'm at the abandoned house please hurry" I quickly text the others before the lights go out.

I stand up and notice what's going on outside. I walk outside to see that there are four different weather events happening across town.

One is going through a blizzard, the other looks like it's extremely hot with the sun beaming down, the other has extreme winds that are blowing everything away, and I'm in the section where it's heavy rain with a thunderstorm, just my luck.

I grab my raincoat and just before I step off my porch Lightning strikes in front of me, I groan as I realize that I'll have to run to avoid getting electrocuted. 

I take a deep breath and start running in the direction of the abandoned house on the hill, how convenient that it's the same place where she stole my magic.  

As I'm running I'm having close calls with the lightning strikes and I make it to the blizzard section of town, I fucking hate snow.

This is the only section I have to get through to make it to Laurel but due to the rain, I'm starting to freeze quickly. I'm trying to run through the piles of snow but they're too big.

I notice Eli on my right trying to get my attention and I make it to him and to the others. "What are you guys doing here?" I ask and they look at me confused and Veronica answers, "we noticed the weather getting weird so we tried to get everyone to shelter but it's different in every part of town" hearing her worry Daniel gets me to warmth with a fire they started.

"I think it's Laurel, she tried to talk to me and she sounded scared, I have to get up that hill," I say and they nod in understanding.

I know that straight down this road is a straight shot to Laurel but the blizzard will make it almost impossible to get through.

Talking about it we found a way through. We walk out and Nessa emits a force wave with Veronica that gives us a clear path, Daniel decided to stay and continue helping people while we fix this mess.

Almost running out of breath from all that running we finally made it up the hill and thank god this is the eye of the storm. I can see Laurel freaking out on the open field.

As we're getting closer to her, disaster events begin to happen. I turn around because Eli was freaking out and when I do I witness him get taken by a tornado.

I turn back to Laurel, "Laurel you have to stop this, you have to bring him back" I say and she looks up in fear.

She doesn't know how, I continue to walk closer to her and the wind picks up along with what feels like an earthquake. In a panic, I turn around to see Veronica and Nessa get taken by the ground.

Nessa already fell through but I make it to Veronica in time. I grab her hand and I'm struggling to hold on, with the wind picking up I watch as fear sets in on her face as she slips through my fingers and the ground is sealed. 

Enraged I continue walking towards Laurel with tears falling down and fighting the wind. I stand in front of her but I no longer feel angry, this isn't her fault. She looks up thinking I'll hurt her but I offer my hand instead.

She takes it and I take back my magic, we both groan in pain for a few seconds and then it's just peace.

We both open our eyes and I can feel the magic run through me once again. figere quid infectum fieri, I say and slowly the weather goes back to normal and Eli, Veronica, and Nessa are brought back. 

They run towards me hugging me and I'm glad I got them back. I turn around to talk to Laurel but she's gone. Nessa asks what happened and I look at the house and back at the town.

"She couldn't handle that large amount of power, I don't think anyone can at least not now, there's a reason why each of us have separate and different capabilities and if one of us were to absorb the magic within, it would be too much and it started to hurt her but your right, she is more dangerous now, I know I have my magic back but she got a taste of it being whole and she'll come back to get it again" I sigh and Veronica gives me a side hug.

"Alright well that's over, I'm going to go home and sleep so if you need me I'll be there," I say leaving them, and even though I'm back to being a target I realize that this so much more bigger then them and that I'm possibly the only people who can really put an end to this.