𖣔The Skull Of Water𖣔

𖣔𝕻𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖔𝖓𝖊𖣔

𖣔𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖔𝖓𝖊𖣔

𖧷𖧷𖧷

Cane Driscoll sat at the kitchen counter eating a slice of her mother's famous, homemade Apple Pie.
She knew why her mother's Apple Pie was so famous to those who lived in the small town of Santino's Creek, located along the border of Alberta and BC.
The homemade Apple Pie was loved by the townspeople because of a common spell her mother, Nita, used on it, which her mother, Dorthea, had created.
It was special to her family because of all of the good, and wonderful properties it brought to those who ate it. Because of the pie being famous, Cane's mother had been able to open a bakery on the first floor of their home.

Cane got down from the stool and walked down the hallway toward her bedroom; she carried with her another slice of pie.
The bakery was closed for the day so she had the time to (as everyone at her school would say) chill while her parents were out getting groceries.
She sat down on her bed and opened up her laptop.
After logging in, she saw "Help me" written across the screen. Coming from who she thought it was, everything was most likely fine.
Cane had lived 10 years of her life with only her best friend, Jayden Reed.
They had met in grade one: when Jayden stole a white crayon from Cane; it didn't end well since she ended up with a bloody nose, but after having to fix the problem, her and Jayden had become good friends.
Jayden had left quite a few messages she had discovered, including the reason he had asked for help.

"Mom made me help sew again."
Cane rolled her eyes. "Did she now? She made you?"
"Yes she made me." He scoffed. "She guilts me by sharing her birth story with me. Listen, it was bad; I had to sew something feminine."
"How could it not be feminine? It is your mother you were helping." Cane chuckled while fixing the phone so that she could hear him better. "What even was it? A skirt?"
"Nothing like a skirt." She could hear his shiver from the phone. "It was something every woman wears."
"A shirt? Pants? I don't see the big deal here."
"Something under the shirt."
Cane paused with a long sigh. "Was it a bra?"
"Yes, and quite a few of them." He answered.
"Jay, it is just a bra. Can you grow up already? Just be glad it wasn't your mom's panties."
"Please don't talk about that."
"Whatever, just stop freaking out about it. You are probably going to be involved with a lot more panties in the future."
"Can we stop this conversation?" He pleaded.
"Yes yes, fine; but we have to continue once you get here."
"What do you mean once I get here?"
"Don't ask questions, just get over here when you can." Cane quickly pushed 'end call' before looking out the window to watch for him.

"Hello Jayden! How's your mother today?" Mother asked from kitchen. "I made Apple Pie again! You should take her some, I know how much she loves it."
"That's amazing that you can make this pie even during your busy schedule. My mother is doing great, thank you for asking."
Cane could hear her mother's delighted laughter. Her ear was pressed up against the door. This wasn't something new, she did this every time Jayden had come over.
"Go on ahead to her room. I'm fairly sure that she's in there."
"Thank you."
She jumped away from the door and dove onto her bed; she then snatched a book just before the door swung open.
"Sitting like that must be comfortable."
Cane laughed as she examined the way her legs had crossed over while she was lying on her side.
Jayden laughed with her, and she felt the bed press down beside her as he sat down.
She inhaled slightly as she sat up, letting the scent of Jayden's cheap cologne fill her nostrils.
Cane was well aware of her feelings for her best friend, but she preferred to squash them down out of fear that she'd lose him.
"So, Apple Pie."
She sighed. "Again. This has been the fourth time this month that she has made it."
"Ok, I know it's the best Apple Pie in the world, but this is getting a little distasteful." Jay said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"She would be heartbroken if she heard YOU say that, but I have to agree with you; I'm quite tired of it at the moment."
"I see you've gotten another crystal."
She giggled as they both looked at the giant Rose Quartz sitting on a shelf, surrounded by many other rocks. "Yeah, I saw it in the market today, I just knew it was meant to be in my collection."
"What are they even used for?" Jay asked.
"Oh not much, just a little healing, luck, prosperity, protection, and even a dash of happiness."
"Oh, so they're just for decoration."
Cane nodded with a large smile. "Of course, I'm not crazy or anything. Why would crystals have healing properties."
"Listen, if you do believe in all that, I won't judge you." Jay assured her. "There are so many people into it all that I'm just used to it by now."
She wanted so badly to believe that he wouldn't judge her, but she had known him her whole life, and he had always been distant from the thought that magic was real. "I know, but, I don't believe in that. I just think crystals are pretty and I want them in my room as decoration." She explained.
"You sure?" He was frowning. "I've seen your house millions of times. What about all that weird stuff in the office?"
She gave him a quizzical expression. "Office?"
"The one down at the end of the hall."
"You went in there?!" Cane cried. "No one is allowed in there!"
"Woah, calm down. It's just an office, it's not like your mom was hiding a dead body or something." Jay looked suspicious. "Why is no one allowed in there? What's the big deal?"
"Nothing. It is just an office, but my mom likes her privacy." She answered.
"Ok but, why does she have so many candles, four times as many crystals as you, a wand on the wall, and a cloak hanging in the closet?"
Cane didn't know what to say, she was so surprised that she even had to discuss what her mother had in her office. "My mom has a secrete obsession with candle making, she likes crystals even more than me. The wand is there because she bought it for Halloween and she just thought it looked really pretty, so she put it up. And the cloak is just in the closet, also meant Halloween." She explained. "Stop snooping. Do you know how rude it is to go through people's things? Not only did you go into my mothers space, but you went out of your way to search through the closet."
"I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't have snooped." He still looked suspicious. "And I guess that makes sense. Your mother does like making things."
She to tell him everything, but he made it so difficult for her to trust him when he did things like this. He would never understand her life.
He looked so uncertain that everything was as she said, she wished she could share this part of her life with him.
"Jay, I-
Jayden's phone rung in his pocket; he quickly fished it out to look at the screen. "It's my mom." He sighed. "I'll be back in a minute." He walked out into the hall, leaving Cane alone with her thoughts.
She let herself fall forward onto the bed with a groan. "Damn it." She whined before pushing herself back up. She didn't know why she felt so upset at the moment; it wasn't like she was going to confess her feelings to him, but she felt that every time he left she had lost another chance.

"My mom made dinner. I'll see you tomorrow?"
Cane nodded with a small smile. "Tomorrow."
Jay smiled back at her before returning to the hallway. It wasn't long before Cane heard the slam of the front door.
Nita Driscoll slowly and gracefully walked into the room, a frown plastered onto her face. "I heard what you two were talking about."
Cane covered her face with her hands and groaned as her mother sat down beside her.
"It's good you didn't tell him."
"Why?" Cane asked.
"No humans should know of us." Her mother answered.
"I shouldn't know." Cane hissed.
"Cane darling, we both know you aren't entirely human. There's more to you than you know."
She glared down at the bed. "I have no powers, and hardly any trace of magic. I may not be entirely human, but I'm not entirely a witch either."
"You are just as much a witch as I am." Her mother sighed. "If you told Jayden about us, he would bring you down. Human's just don't understand magic, it scares them. He would judge you."
"I know." She sadly looked back up at Nita. "I just wish I could share what I know."
"Yes, but it is better this way. The human side of you needs this stable friendship. Who knows what would happen if Jayden found out. Maybe he would make things difficult for you."
Cane nodded to show that she understood. "Mom?"
"What is it?"
"Why does it hurt every time he leaves?"
She shrugged. "You like him, and when he doesn't show the same affection before leaving, you feel as though you weren't really there at all or that he didn't actually see you."
"Why is everything so complicated?"
"It really isn't that complicated darling."
Cane hugged herself and glared down at her bed again. "Why doesn't he like me back?"
"Never assume someone doesn't like you back unless they've proven it with hatred. You will know when someone dislikes you." Her mother explained.
"I know he likes me as a friend, but what about something more." She sighed.
"You can't assume he doesn't like you that way either; unless he tells you he doesn't, and even then, sometimes they do like you when they say they don't. Love is a very complicated thing."
"Doesn't seem complicated to the other girls. Seems like they're getting a new boyfriend every week." Cane grumbled.
"Well you aren't "other girls", you are Cane, and those are girls who can't make commitments; they probably break many hearts." Nita held her daughters hand. "Just be glad you're nothing like them."
"I am." She replied. "But, still. It really doesn't seem like I have a chance at getting a boyfriend."
"You don't need one right now."
"Yeah I know I don't need one, but I want one."
"Just focus on other things, like working on your magic." She gently lifted her daughters chin. "Prove to our ancestors that we are worthy of the powers we were gifted."
Cane smiled at her mother. "I will, don't worry."
Nita Driscoll let go and stood up. "Good, now wash up for dinner. Dad is cooking tonight, so I would fill up on water if I were you."
She laughed. "Why do you let him in the kitchen?"
"He has good reasons for what he chooses to do, it is just a slight inconvenience to us. The best we can do in the situation is be supportive and go along with it."
"Ok."
Before her mother left the room she looked back at her daughter. "Do you feel any better about what we were previously talking about?" Nita asked.
Cane nodded. "Yes, though I just see myself as desperate now."
"Believe me, you are not desperate." Her mother giggled. "If you want to see desperate just go on and look up Marilynn Tridget."
She watched Nita go before giving one last glance out the window. "I Just have to keep myself busy, that's all."

𖧷𖧷𖧷