A Twisted Fate

Broken Promises

Stretching out her tight joints, Melinda listened to them pop and release as she stood up and made her bed before leaving her room. It was another normal day in New Orleans. Well, as normal as they get. Especially attending Miss Robichaux's Academy, a school for witches. She wasn't there by choice either. She was forced to go there. No other possible home to attend. Not after what had happened. Not after the accident.

"Ms. Cordelia, I'm going to out. Is that alright?" asked Melinda lowly.

"Of course," smiled Cordelia kindly as Melinda bowed in thanks and left before going to the butcher shop.

"Hey, Mr. Walter. Anything going toward Ms. Laveau?" asked Melinda happily as the black butcher/fisherman smiled at her shaking his head. "Maybe something extra from the back?"

"Ms. Laveau knows what you are, sweetheart. Why do you insist on going back?" asked Mr. Walter.

"I didn't choose it. And she... she tells me that I don't have to run from her," answered Melinda getting a sad understanding smile from Mr. Walter.

"Here you go darling," said Mr. Walter putting a chest onto the counter earning a smile from Melinda as she nodded in thanks and left.

Melinda entered into the restricted neighborhood that she knew was Voodoo territory. Entering the hair salon, she smiled at the ladies before moving toward the back.

"Ms. Laveau? Are you in today?" called Melinda before said woman appeared from the back. "Morning Ms. Laveau. I brought you some chops from Mr. Walter."

"Child, didn't I tell you that you shouldn't be coming over here," scolded Marie Laveau.

"You did... but I don't speak to anyone in the house and you're easy to talk to. I don't feel like a monster when I talk to you," explained Melinda earning a sigh from Marie as she opened the chest and smiled at the contents.

"What's this I see?" asked Marie looking through the contents.

"I asked Walter if he had anything extra... for him?" offered Melinda making Marie look up at her. "I know I'm not suppose to sense... It just... it just jumps out at me sometimes. I'm sorry."

"You ain't got nothing to apologize for, child. How many gifts you got hidden under all that dark hair?" asked Marie making Melinda laugh lightly and shrug.

"I honestly don't know. So long as I don't become this... Supreme they talk about," said Melinda stroking the skin of one of the snakes that were slithering by. "Is Bastian doing alright?"

"He's doing just fine," smiled Marie before taking the extra pieces from the chest and looking over at Melinda. "Best be feeding him before he gets cranky."

Melinda sat in her room tending to her nightshade and reading when her cell rang, a text message from her good friend Kyle. His friends were trying to convince him to get a tattoo and he needed a distraction. Calling him, she began talking to him as his friends teased him about having a girlfriend which wasn't true, no matter how much Melinda wished it were. He was her first friend here. He understood her. And she knew he was destined for great things.

"Don't do it. They'll understand," laughed Melinda as Kyle told the others having them agree. "See. Still your friends. How much more schooling do you need to become an architect?"

"Still got three years but I'm almost there," smiled Kyle as the last of the boys began getting their tattoos. "How are things in the girls' school?"

"Boring. The new students haven't arrived yet. Don't even know how many there are going to be. The Headmistress says they've been having less and less with our special talents," informed Melinda as she put her clothes away before getting a shiver in warning. "Uh-oh, think I might be in trouble. Speak of the devil and she shall appear. Talk to you later, okay?"