The Last Witch

Into The Tower - Ep 5

♪Santa Claus is coming to town♪
♪He's making a list. He's checking it twice♪
♪He's gonna find out if you're naughty or nice♪
♪Santa Claus is coming to town♪

Leati used to abhor the Holidays. He wondered how humans could find so much pleasure in beliefs such as an old man with a long white beard who lived in the North Pole and delivered presents on his magical sleigh tied to flying reindeers. Seeing the relief and joy on the faces of the people in town changed his perspective.

His Pride settled in Pine Ridge a century ago. Leati was born on their soil. While others were terrified of humans, Leati volunteered to gather supplies and monitor the activities of the other creatures. His super hearing tangled in words that were not of his concern. He could be waiting for the pedestrian traffic light when he would hear of a woman who's husband left her for her best friend or a man who got fired for refusing to add harmful chemicals to facial products or children who just lost their sweet grandparents.

The season of Christmas erased all frowns and worries no matter the current crisis. If an imaginary fat man brought that much happiness, he swore to respect the man. Leati bopped his head to the Christmas jingles that played from almost every angle of the street.

He was on his way to fetch some groceries. Kimmy was a vegetarian. On hearing that his Pride fed on squirrels and other little animals, she begged Aliss to order them against it. She requited money from her allowance each day to cater their hunger. Leati was uncomfortable with the arrangements but again, she was a Watcher. It was forbidden to challenge her.

"Attention shoppers, a little reminder that the canned brussel sprouts have been moved to aisle 6 and the deluxe turkey slices are out of stock"

The megaphones in the store echoed the message. Leati muttered under his breath. The turkey slices were Emmil's favorite. He moved to pick out uncooked sausages and ham. Almost immediately, a little girl screamed. It was a more amplified sound in his ears that made him growl and hold his head. Lynxes growled to expressed discomfort or discontent.

"You okay?" A soft voice asked him. Leati dropped his hand and looked at the stranger. An unsettling feeling overtook his feature. "Yeah thanks". He grabbed as many packs as possible and fled from the scene. His breath returned to normal once the male was out of sight. Something about those hazel eyes of the stranger sent his heart into overdrive.  Leati was referred to as a stoic man. Being rattled contradicted his character and mandated a keen investigation.

"Hey! You dropped something!" Leati's peace ended abruptly. He pushed himself into an alley and extended his claws. The guy from the store checked the alley but his eyes saw nothing. He scratched his head and left the chase. Leati sighed in relief and began a walk back to the Pride.

"Uncle!" Emmil dashed to the male, "did you get it? Did you get it? Did you? Did you?" "Emmil, don't be rude", Callisa tapped her foot, pointed an index finger at him and shook her head in a disapproving manner, "help him with the bags". Emmil bowed his head and removed the burden of the bags.

"How was it?" Callisa performed the duties of a mother to all of them since the true mother of the Pride was lost; not gone but lost in the world of man. "Emmil is going to throw a fit later", he sat on the snow covered grass. The cold had no effects on the Lynxes for they were hot-blooded beings.

"I wasn't asking about that...I'm talking about you. Call me obnoxious but each time Aliss winds up in trouble, you lose a part of yourself. You were miserable last night. Everyone could feel it". "I am not Emmil so don't act like my mother!" Leati had not intended to snap at her, he was just frustrated. Callisa nodded and left without another word. Great! This day just keeps getting worse!

        
                          * * * *

"I am not wearing this". Aliss tossed the red coat back to Kimmy. "Come on! We're going to be late!" Kimmy complained. Aliss yawned and shook her head.

She had been so stressed that she slept through morning. Kimmy bugged her severally before she woke and now, she was being forced to wear the most ridiculous costume to the party; a Santa Claus costume. "I won't and that's final!" She snapped.

Kimmy stopped hopping around. Memories of the old Aliss pestered her mind. Aliss sighed, "I'm sorry I yelled", she said, looking remorseful, "we have a million problems with no way to solve them and hiding the truth from my Dad is killing me. Maybe you should go without me". "The weight of the world isn't on your shoulders so don't act like it is. You can still have fun".

"That's rich coming from someone who wasn't kidnapped yesterday".

"Oh really? In case you forgot, an arrow almost had my head. I'm also having issues but I know when to feel sorry for myself and when to get back up".

"You have no idea what it's like to lose a year of your life only to have it get screwed up by things you don't understand!" Aliss blew a fuse.  "Are we really having a fight right now?" Kimmy's voice was dangerously low. "Maybe we are". Aliss looked away. "Okay".

Kimmy gathered the bottom flay of her ball gown and left. Aliss ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled loudly. Her words were harsh but it was too late to take them back. Aliss had tried many times to deny the dangers of being a witch more or less, a Watcher.

A rapt knock on the door made her roll her eyes. It was her dad checking in on her. "It's open Dad!" Aliss laid on her back and stared in to nothing. "Kimmy seemed upset when she left", Jim closed the door behind him, "did you have a fight?" "What do you think, Dad?" The snarky reply reopened a wound in Jim's heart. It's okay. You can handle this. He told himself.

"Honey, are you..." "Don't!" Aliss faced him with tears in her eyes, "don't ask if I'm fine. I'm not. I probably never will be". "If there is anything I can do to help, let me know okay?" Jim stepped back. He felt stupid for believing the amnesia could change Aliss. Little did he know that it changed her.

The flash of hurt she saw in her father's eyes was the same in Kimmy's. Aliss surprised herself by chuckling, "you're all the same", she said hatefully, "each time I act out, you immediately start thinking the old Aliss is bad. I don't know who that person is, Dad! I don't remember her! And even if I don't know her, I try so hard to not be her. I can't help if this is who I am and if you loved me, you'd understand instead of trying to control me".

Aliss pushed past him and ran out of the house. Her heart pounded as she ran but her feet refused to stop. More tears streamed down her face. In the span of weeks, she had been clawed, she had black out several times, she had been ambushed, threatened, kidnapped and almost killed. It was too much.

Strange voices dictated her abilities, duties and identities yet she was unsure. Every person in her life had an idea who she was or who she was supposed to be. She was the only one left in the dark. Who is Alissandra Patterson? Her body halted and Aliss fell to her knees. The big question loomed over her head. Who is Alissandra Patterson? She shut out every sound and every thought. All she wanted was to scream till her lungs were dry. A familiar bubbling of energy filled her chest and Aliss let all her worries travel out her throat. "AH!!!"

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Not gonna lie, I've been in Aliss's place before. I haven't had amnesia but I know what it's like to have people judge you for your past behavior. Each time my parents and I have a blow out, they immediately start thinking 'it's the trauma again' and I get sick of it! I know I suffered from PTSD and I know I said a lot of awful things when I was dealing with it but that's gone. I'm just me now and frustration gets me irritated is all. Sorry for the rant. Vote. Comment. Share.

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