I pull the black dress out off of its hanger and lay it down on the bed, then I strip off my clothes and pull it over my head. It’s a beautiful dress, plain black with a circle cut out of the back to show off my olive, tanned skin. It only comes to a few inches above my knees, but it doesn’t look bad.
I hear a car beep outside. Guessing that’s my ride I grab my bag and rush downstairs and out the door, before my brother can question me on where I’m going. Dustin sits in his car, the same one he used to stalk me, pushing buttons on his phone. He looks up when I knock on the window, and smiles. I notice now that he isn’t that bad looking, with his short brown hair, and childlike features. I run around the front of the car, and plop into the passengers seat. “Do you even know where Drew lives?” I ask as he pulls out of the drive and onto the dark road, the only light coming from the headlights of the car.
“Of course I do, Drew texted me the deets.” He smirks. I sigh and slump down into the seat, my bag resting on my lap. I still don’t know if I can trust him. I mean, sure he’s my brother – probably – but do I really know this guy? No, not at all.
We arrive at Drew’s house not long after, and it’s already packed with people. A sign on the door says, ‘enter at your own risk,’ and right down the bottom of the door another sign says, ‘of getting drunk.’ Funny, I think bitterly. I bet Drew came up with that pun. The house isn’t quite as big as Annie’s, but it is still large.
People are passed out on the floor in his driveway, drunk, I’m guessing. A little group of people stand around a growing bon fire in the yard. Inside the house it’s even worse. People are dancing, kissing, drinking and smoking, God knows what. We make our way through the crowded house searching for Dustin, who is half asleep on a couch. I shove him, “hey jerk-wad.” I poke him until he stands up.
“Hey.” He smiles, seemingly sober. “I didn’t think you’d make it, seeing as you’re a good girl and all.” I scoff and glare at him.
“Excuse me?” He just grins and walks off to go play spin the bottle, never have I ever, or some other stupid party game. I escape the crowd into the kitchen, which is noticeably less packed with drunk people. Dustin trails behind me. “I don’t know why I came, I never go o parties.” I mutter. “It was a stupid idea.”
“I agree.” I look up, confused. “It’s dangerous, any of the people here could be a witch wanting to kill the millennium child. Did your precious grandmother tell you that when a witch kills another of their kind, they acquire all the powers of that witch?”
“Don’t talk about my grandmother like that. She’s twice the person you’ll ever be.” He touches his heart, and frowns as if what I said had hurt him.
“Sticks and stones, sister. Sticks and stones.”
“Don’t call me sister, my name is Riley.” I glare at him and then turn on my heels and make for the front door. I assume he already knows where I’m going, but I can’t help but get nervous when he doesn’t follow me or offer to drive me home. So I’m left walking the streets, while its pitch black, with no one around. Houses have lights on, only on the second story, probably parents reading before they go to sleep, or teenagers playing video games before their parents come in and tell them off. Although I doubt that there are teenagers anywhere but Drew’s party.
I’m pulled from my thoughts as a car, or rather van, screeches to a stop next to me, and two men jump out. Both are dressed entirely in black, just like everybody in this damn town. They seem middle aged, one in his forty’s and one in his thirty’s. One of them tries to grab me around the waist but I kick him where it hurts and he doubles over, the other one succeeds and hauls me up over his shoulder, I kick and shout, so he puts his hand over my mouth. I keep kicking him so he drops me to the floor, all the air knocked out of me. I’m basically unconscious, so they try and drag me to the back of the van.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Asks a deep voice. I open my eyes to see Dustin, looking ready to kick the crap out of these two guys. I see the men fling themselves at Dustin, and then I’m dragged out of consciousness.
*************
I dream about the man and my mother again. Standing in that cold, icy, empty room. My mother dressed more elegantly than I have ever seen before. For the first time, since the dream started, I can hear what they are saying.
“What if she finds out Darius?” My mother turns away from him, and puts her head in her hands. He puts a rough, old, hand on her shoulder.
“She is going to be sixteen soon, you cannot prevent her from finding out what she is.” He says, are they talking about me?
“But she’s still my baby, she’s not ready!” My mother shouts in frustration. This must have been not that long ago, because Darius said that I was about to turn sixteen. I assume they are talking about me finding out about what I am, a witch.
“Riley? Riley wake up dear.” I open my eyes to see Annie and Alex, leaning over me worriedly. I sit upright and instantly regret it. My vision goes blurry and I feel as if I am going to pass out again.
Alex instantly reaches out to help me, but I hold my hand up. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” Once my vision is back I have a look around to see where I am. The room is basically white, and so is everything in it. Great, I’m at the hospital. A slumped figure is sitting in a chair next to the bed.
Dustin. “He hasn’t left, says he needed to talk to you as soon as you wake up.” Explains Annie.
“Who is he, by the way?” Alex looks at me protectively and then at Dustin, angrily.
“He’s just some guy from school...” I say quietly, “did they tell you guys what happened?”
“Just said you had a bit too much to drink at the party that you went to last night.” Annie says knowingly.
I sigh and try to explain why I went. “It was a stupid idea, and trust me. I am never going to another high school party again. Ever.” I look back over to Dustin to see him staring back at me. “Do you mind if I talk to Dusting for a minute?” Something flicked over Annie’s eyes, something like recognition, but then it was gone and she and Alex were out the door.
“Those guys were trying to take you to Darius.” He jumps into a very long story about my father and what kind of a person he was. He wanted power, and told Dustin that I was going to help him get it.
“Me? What can I do?” I ask, confused.
“You can do a lot more than you think Riley, and Darius intends to make you aware of that.”
Question: Do you think Dustin is helping Darius?
YOU ARE READING
Magic (The Thornbury Chronicles Book #1) Being Edited
Ficțiune adolescențiRiley Wicker is a witch. She thinks she killed her parents, who got trapped in a house on fire. But little does Riley know, there is a whole world out there, full of witches, dangerous and wicked, waiting to kill her and every other person on their...
