everlong| hocus pocus

015. book?

     JASPER AWOKE WITH THE SAME sensation she had felt when she drifted off to sleep. Max, barely stirring, shifted slightly to avoid disturbing her. Jasper's deep brown eyes fluttered open, the two exchanged a glance, and their smiles naturally formed. "Hi," Max greeted with a sleepy smile, his voice a husky murmur.
     "Hi." Jasper responded, her own smile mirroring his. Tatum tried to avoid his gaze as she felt different underneath it. She averted her gaze, feeling an unsettling mix of emotions under his scrutiny, as though looking into his eyes was akin to gazing at the moon. Slowly, she rose from the bed as Max stretched, conveniently wrapping his arms around her as she reached for the clock on the step of the stairs they napped on. Her smile faltered when she saw the time.
     "Oh, my god. It's 4:30." She shot up, detangling herself from Mad and hurriedly donned her worn out brown jacket. "I should go home."
     Max's smile remained, though now tinged with a hint of wistfulness. "I wish you could stay," he said, his voice carrying a subtle, unintended flirtation.
      Jasper hesitated, her mind racing. With Max's parents out of town, what harm could there be in staying a little longer? This would make quite a story for Allison. Did Max always look this attractive? Perhaps they should at least savor the last few hours they had left of Halloween.
Her gaze fell upon Dani, sleeping peacefully on Max's bed, and a pang of guilt pierced her. What was she doing? This was for Dani, not for Max. If those witches returned, she would be ready to stop them, just as Binx had urged. Her feelings of justice for Thackeray Binx was paramount.
     "Poor Binx." Jasper murmured, observing the cat curled up next to Dani.
     "Yeah. Poor Binx," Max agreed, joining her in her sorrowful contemplation. "we owe him a lot."
     "Yeah..." Jasper echoed, her eyes full of the same sympathy she had just shown Max.
     "Look, cou...could we find some kind of way to help him?" Max asked, swaying unknowingly. Jasper's attention was drawn to the book, forgotten until now. She moved toward it with an inexplicable sense of urgency, as if it were calling to her.
     "The book..." she suggested, retrieving it from its resting place. "the witches used it to put the spell on him. There has to be some way to undo it somehow." She settled beside a skeptical Max.
     "Mmm, I don't know. Binx told us not to open it." Max shrugged, eyeing the book warily. Ever since Jasper heard the story from fourth grade, all shes wanted to do was set the poor guy free. Now that he'd saved them, it's time for them to return the favor.
     "The witches are dead. What harm could it do?"
     Max mused, glancing once more at Binx and Dani. Though still apprehensive, he thought the risk was worth it for Binx's sake. Max furrowed his eyebrows, still cautious about the book. "Well, just be careful." Max advised, meeting Jasper's resolute gaze. He knew he would be unable to dissuade her, and he was determined to ensure no further harm came to Dani or Jasper.
     "Well, hold my hand if you want me to be so careful." She teased playfully. Max bashfully took her hand, setting it on his thigh while she began to unbuckle the book. She took a deep breath, preparing herself just in case anything did happen. As she flung open the book, its cover landed on Max's thigh, eliciting a light chuckle from him.
     "You scared?"
     "Shut up."
      After skimming the pages quickly to look for something helpful, a sentence caught Jasper's keen eye and stared in complete fascination at the page. "Oh, oh! Listen to this: Only a circle of salt can protect thy victims from thy power."
     An icy chill settled over Jasper, a sense of dread seeping into her bones and making her stomach churn. The thought of keeping the book, of any further interference, felt overwhelmingly wrong. She resolved to dispose of it—bury it, destroy it, send it away, whatever it took to ensure it was gone.
     But before she could act, Binx's screeching interruption startled her, slamming the book shut. "I'm sorry, Binx. We were just trying to help." Jasper pleaded.
     "Well, don't!" Binx scowled bringing his kitty paw up to the two. "Nothing good can come from this book. You got it?" The two teenagers nodded in understanding, their resolve firm. They would never open the book again. Binx, satisfied, stormed off, leaving Jasper and Max in a stunned silence as he returned to Dani, who remained obliviously asleep.
     "Maybe we should give him some space." Max suggested. Jasper nodded, feeling a deep sense of foolishness. A lingering unease remained as they left the room and descended the stairs, the weight of their actions settling heavily upon them.