Strange Magic

Leah Dupont

Jenna felt scared and excited as she saw those red eyes. The tomboy. Leah Dupont. Leah's eyes widened at seeing Jenna there beside her.

"You?" She said.

"I need to ask you something," Jenna started, getting straight to the point.

"No you can't," she answered. "There is only one thing you need to know. You need to stay away from me."

Jenna stared in disbelief. Leah seemed friendly the first time she met her but now, she was acting just like Ivy.

"But it's important," she insisted.

"What's important is that you need to stay away," she said indifferently.

"It's a matter of life and death," Jenna persisted. She wanted to cry from frustration because she couldn't get any answers from anyone. "Please, you've got to help me."

She waited with a faint hope for Leah's reply.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you," Leah said, looking away from her. "Please leave."

That was it. Suddenly, Jenna felt hot liquid rolling down her cheeks. It was unlike her to cry but she was very frustrated.

"You don't even care if somebody's life depends on you, do you?" She shouted at Leah, without knowing what she was saying. "All you do is sit and tell people to stay away when they're hunted by something they don't even know and you don't fucking care to tell them what's going on. I lost Rose. Can't I know what's going on before I lose myself too? Why do you treat me like I'm a disease or something?"

Leah didn't reply or look up. Jenna was crying now and she felt hopeless. It was apparent that Leah wasn't gonna help.

"I hate myself for believing that you could help me," she said and ran out sobbing.

Just as she got to the door, she brushed against someone. A quick glance showed her Trevor staring at her in confusion. But she didn't care. Why should she when no one else cared? Now she didn't care if she lived or die. No one would care anyway. She was alone. The Duponts can well live in peace now without another disease to meddle in their mysterious life. She was done trying. Done fighting for answers.

She was still running on the road. A truck was coming. She didn't care. She might as well die in an accident than die in the hands of something she doesn't know.

"Come on, you fucking piece of junk," she yelled at the truck which was coming closer. "Hit me already."

The truck came closer, honking loudly. This is it. She closed her eyes and waited for the truck to send her flying to her death. She wondered how it would feel like to die. Would it hurt? Would it be painless? But before the truck made contact with her, she was yanked out of its way in a supernatural speed in nick of time.

"What the..."

She was on her knees. She looked up to see Leah glaring down at her. She looked frightening with her red eyes and pale face in perfect contrast with her black hair and clothes.

"What were you thinking?" She shouted at Jenna.

"Why did you do that?" Jenna yelled back. "Leave me alone."

"You could have got yourself killed," Leah kept yelling.

"Why do you even care?" Jenna shouted. "Didn't you tell me to stay away? Why are you here?"

Leah glared at her. Her red eyes seemed to glow brighter than usual.

"Get up," she commanded.

Jenna decided to continue lying where she was. No one can order me around, she thought. Not even Leah. Then she was made to stand up when Trevor suddenly appeared and pulled her roughly to her feet. Her arm hurt where Trevor grabbed her and she winced in pain.

"That will do Trevor," Leah said casually. "Now excuse us."

Trevor smirked at Jenna and walked away without another word. Now Jenna looked at Leah, who was brushing her arm lazily. The first rays of the sun on her face made her squint.

"Why do you have to keep saving me?" Jenna snapped. "Guess what, you don't have to when you don't care to tell me what's going on. I just wanna die."

"What do you mean 'keep saving you'?" Leah squinted at her.

"You don't have to act all modest," Jenna said, rolling her eyes. "I know it was you who took me out from that fire."

Leah didn't say anything. She looked at the sun rising on the horizon.

"Follow me," she simply said and turned away without waiting for Jenna.

Jenna rolled her eyes again. What have I to lose anyway? My life doesn't have a purpose anymore.

She followed Leah keeping a good distance away. Leah led her to an old unused garage. The air smelled musty and dusty inside. It was fairly dark. Couldn't she have chosen a better place? Leah kept walking without a backward glance and stopped in the middle of the space which made Jenna instinctively stop too. Then she turned around.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" Jenna said uneasily.

She glanced around. There was no escape. Her heart raced with fear.

"What I'm about to show you will change your life forever," she said calmly. "Are you ready?"

Jenna swallowed hard. She wasn't sure if she was ready. What could be so drastic as to change her life more than it had already been changed? Somehow she knew she would never be able to undo the decision she was gonna make. She didn't have an answer.

Leah saw the conflict in her eyes and gave a low chuckle. Then she walked closer.

"It's alright," she said to Jenna. "Don't force it. Time will come."

Jenna felt terrible. She really didn't want to back down like a coward but she really didn't want to be involved in anything. She only wanted to know the answers.

"You'll know soon enough," Leah said, leaning in so close to Jenna. "Before that, I can't help you."

Did she just read my mind?
She could feel her breath on her skin. It tingled her. A real charmer.