Siphoner

Chapter 7

~

Cari sat on the corner of the street, waiting for Kara to come to her rescue. Her tears were hidden by the pouring rain dripping down her face. Cari sighed in relief when Kara pulled up her 70's themed van up to the corner. Cari hopped in silently hoping to say that way for the rest of the trip. Knowing Kara, it wasn't going to happen.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking it would be fun. I guess I was wrong." Cari admitted.

"I kept telling you not to go. I told you that guy was trouble. Instead, you followed him to a concert in San Francisco." Kara took a breath to calm down, but it didn't help. "Only to get ditched and dumped. It's such a long car ride. Even longer walk. You're lucky you didn't get kidnapped. Or even worse, killed." Cari rubbed something in her hand as a comforter. She always got into trouble like this only for Kara to pull her out. Kara couldn't say no because if she did, she wouldn't be able to ridicule Cari. "You know I love you right? I only want the best for you."

"I bought something that made me think about you." Cari started. She handed Kara a ring with red jewel in between two clear crystals. Kara smiled. "I have one just like it, but purple. Since you like red and all. I love you too."

~

"So, how's that siphoning going, Adam?" Kara edged on with her arms crossed, pacing.

"It's a bit hard. I'm kinda rusty on this." He sat beside a circle with a star inside made of salt. On each point was a big candle glowing with fire. 5 minutes after Adam started chanting, he would pause and shake it out. The had been happening for a while and it the irritation showed on Kara's face as she waited. "I don't know what's going on!" He claimed.

"Me neither. Is this some weird sacrifice?" Joan asked lifting herself up from the floor. Kara dropped her arms in shock.

"What do you mean 'what's going on'? Every witch who has studied magic knows how to do a siphoning spell." Kara turned to Theo, "I read that in a witch history book." They exchanged a smile, but it broke when she made eye contact with Joan again.

"Real witches? You believe in those? I thought you were joking. I've studied magic, but I didn't say I was a witch. You all are crazier than I thought." As Joan tried to make her way to the wide-open door, Kara closed it without touching it. Her fury of being lied to tried not to tip, but it was brimming. She heard Theo say, "Breathe, Kara." But she couldn't. This was the closest she had gotten to getting her parents back and it was all a lie. Candles started lighting in a domino effect. Her feet stopped touching the ground which was when Adam went to take action. Joan began choking not from a strangled neck, but from blood catching it her throat. The blood overflowed her mouth and spilled down her neck. Theo's yelling was clouded over anger. Adam jumped in front of Joan to get Kara attention.

"Kara, stop! This isn't you!" She fell onto knees and took a breath. In the time that Theo and Adam dropped next to Kara, Joan was fully out the door.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. I don't even know if that was me." She admitted as she gasped for more air.

"It couldn't have been you in there, you don't know magic, remember? Someone was probably using your body, but who?" Theo grabbed something around Kara's neck she forgot was there. It glowed a bright red. "Did that... always glow?"

She took it from his hands to analyze it. The answer was 'no, no it did not.' The necklace that Kara bought to match Cari's never glowed before. Ever. Kara and Theo were silenced. As they listened to the wind, their eyes could fall from one another's gaze.