The Non-Conformist Club

The Non-Conformist Club Part 6

Chapter 11--Stella

Everyone was gathered and pizza consumed by 10:00. I said, "OK, so what are we gonna watch first, Scream or The Exorcist?"

Eric grabbed the movies from my hand, "No way Queenie. I carried stanky underwear out of a locker room for this. I'm not waiting another minute."

"Alright then, Angela, Angel, go upstairs and get the vodka bottle and the beetle extract vial. I need them both. Boys, go to the garage and get the giant funnel. The new one that is still in the package, not the old, oily one. I saw it on Mike's tool bench." Tamarra and I went to the kitchen and grabbed the small kitchen funnel and a coffee filter. Once everyone had reconvened in the kitchen I took the large funnel, and covered the spout with the coffee filter. I'm not germ phobic, but I figured it would slow down the liquid to a drip, which would add to the suspense. I then unscrewed the vodka bottle and the mild scent of saffron and rot filled the air. The beetle wings were more potent smelling and hissed a little when I tapped them into the bottle. That was an unexpected touch of drama. I took the empty vial, and put the smaller funnel in the opening. I knew they would be stupid about it, so I took the underwear myself and stuffed them with my bare hands into the larger funnel. I had Tamarra hold the smaller funnel and vial, while Martin grabbed the bigger one.

I had the vodka bottle poised to poor when Jacqueline spoke up, "Shouldn't say we something? Like a spell or something?"

I scoffed at her, "Child, don't you remember what I told you? This isn't magic; this is science. I am not a witch, I am Vampir."

Angela looked at me quizzically, "A scientist vampire?"

"Yes, a scientist vampire," I said. "Anyone have a problem with that?" No one spoke, but no one was looking at me either. I sighed, a good Queen knows when she is beat, "OK, say your magic words. Bibbity, Bobbity, Boo, whatever."

I pulled up a chair as Tamarra squealed and ran to her backpack. She pulled a box of sea salt out of her pack and made a circle on the floor around the whole table. Jacqueline was surfing on her phone and by the time Tamarra was done she had the incantation ready. "Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East. We ask that you hear our plea and grant our queen the protection of the east and the healing power of water. Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South. We ask that you hear our plea and grant our queen the protection of the south and the creative power of fire. Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West. We ask that you hear our plea and grant our queen the protection of the West and the power of the earth. Hail to the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North. We ask that you hear our plea and grant our queen the protection of the North and the enduring power of the wind."

They looked at me expectantly but I just rolled my eyes. "OK, my little Angela Discord, since this was your idea in the first place, gimmie a poem or something, a little Hoo-Doo that you do?"

She looked shocked, "I don't know any magic words."

Tamarra smiled gently to her, "In real magic, the words don't matter. Your Queen is a scoffer, but I am not and neither are you. I believe in true love...do you?"

Angela visibly relaxed, "I do." Tamarra nodded; Angela closed her eyes and said, "Gods and Goddesses of the night, hear my plea. My Queen is in need. She needs to believe in true love. She needs the help of this potion to help her believe. Give her what she needs, by giving her who she needs." She opened her eyes to the rest of us staring at her. "What? What did I say?"

I cleared my throat. "That will do little vampirling. It was very...uh...heartfelt." I took the bottle and poured it into the funnel; it quickly saturated the cloth, but only dripped through the coffee filter. The drips went into the second funnel and filled the small vial in about a minute. I made Angela and Tamarra sweep the salt mess up; the booze bottle and big funnel went straight to a trash bag and was buried in the big cans outside. The smaller funnel went into the sink to be washed, and the vial went into my bra, where I knew it would reside until the time was right.