A Witch Like No Other (16 page)

George was standing behind them, petrified as he looked
around. He shook his head violently when Sergeant Brown demanded
again what happened in the cell, scared that he
’
d throw up if he
spoke.

“
Smith, you
were right here!
What
happened??”

“
Come on
Damon,” a female officer said gently. “Up you get.”

“
He needs to be
checked by the doctor-”

“
I need an ice
pack,” Damon said throatily. “I… please.”

“
What happened,
Stile?” said Sergeant Brown for the umpteenth time.

“
I passed out
because I saw…” Damon stopped, looking at George. Beads of
perspiration trickled down his forehead, his large fist in his
mouth. George shook his head, Damon saying “I saw
blood.”

“
Blood??”

“
It’
s
Dwayne
’
s fault.”

“
Someone get
that cleaned up,” another officer said disgustedly.
“Now!”

“
Who’
s the Sergeant, me or
you?” Brown said coldly, then he repeated the line. “Someone get
that cleaned up.”

“
Yes
Sarge.”

“
George, did
you…? I mean, I wasn’
t-”

“
I saw her,
mate,” said George in a weird voice. “You wasn’
t dreaming.”

“
I knew she was
back,” said Damon, looking at him. “I knew it.”

George hesitated, then he said “She
’
s beautiful,
Damon.”

“
I know. But
she’
s got Ted and two kids
and-”

“
You told me
already,” George interrupted, having heard Damon ramble on about
the woman for three years straight. “I know everything.”

“
I wont be able
to sleep,” Damon muttered, rubbing his forehead. “Damn that woman.
She did it on purpose, knowing I’
d wait up hoping for her to come back or something- trust
me. I know how her mind works.”

“
How long have
you known her for?”

“
Since high
school, George. Since flipping high school.”

“
Longer than
this Ted moron.”

“
Exactly. She
met the idiot when we was fourteen. I knew him because he was my
next door neighbour and that. You know what, though?”

“
What?” said
George, suddenly eager to hear more about Dreamer.

Damon stared down at his hands, saying “I
don
’
t
think she wants him in the same way.”

“
How do
you
know?” demanded George. “You saw her for a split second-
you don
’
t know she doesn
’
t want her
husband.”

“
Why not?” said
Damon, secretly hoping that Dreamer would repeat the words like she
did before. George waited but nothing happened, so he said “Because
that was your first time seeing her in three years- and I think
she’
d prefer this Ted guy to
you any day, especially since you assaulted their daughter for no
reason-”

“
Maybe she came
to finish me off,” said Damon, suddenly afraid. “We
didn’
t exactly sort that part
out- any part actually. We was screaming at each other and then I
went crazy with the knife-”

“
You know
Damon, you’
ve been so normal
here I cant imagine you going crazy with anything,
I
’
m
sorry. Was it a pen knife?”

“
Ha ha,” said
Damon dryly, as George roared with laughter. “A
machete.”

“
You? A
machete?” spluttered George. “Never!”

“
Bet
I’
ll be able to do that
soon,
‘
Dora.”

“
In your
dreams,” Pandora retorted. “All you can do is splash
water.”

“
I was on a
walk,” Dreamer answered, unable to stop a smirk appearing on her
beautiful face. “I startled a lot of people, though.”

“
Why?”

“
They either
saw me as a celebrity or they thought I was dead,” Dreamer said,
amused as she left the room. “I’
m going for a shower.”

“
It’
s only James,” said
Marlon like he did before, though his voice was real gentle this
time. “He doesn
’
t even have to come in, I
’
m going.”

“
Five days, ok
son? That’
s what you
said.”

“
Five days?”
said Pandora, startled. “Where’
re you going?”

“
We’
re playing loads of
teams in different areas,” Marlon explained. “I
’
ll be staying at
James
’
s place till everything
’
s over.”

“
Oh,” said
Pandora, disappointed. “Well… you’
d better win.”

Marlon smiled, knowing his sister really meant
“I
’
ll
miss you.”

“
We’
ll win, I promise.
I
’
ll
bring the trophy back for you.”

“
Oh, and try
and talk to Alice,” he added. “She looks really nice.”

“
So did
Janice,” Pandora retorted, making him cringe.

“
True. Just
have a good time. And apply for college too, ok
‘
Dora?”

“
Which one
are
you
going to?”

“
Forest
Academy.”

“
That’
s where I want to
go.”

“
Great! Gotta
go,” he said as the bell ran a third time. “Bye!”

Dreamer picked up her mobile, dialling her
mother
’
s number.

“
Agnes
speaking.”

“
Hello Mama,”
she said breathlessly. “How are you?”

“
It
hasn’
t even been three days,”
huffed Agnes. “Why would you call me, little one, unless you want
to get something off your chest?”

“
I do. And
Mama, don’
t call me
‘
little
one.
’
I
’
m a grown woman.”

“
Thirty three
years old and still giving me heart attacks,” said Agnes, a little
fondly. “You haven’
t grown up
yet, Dreamer. Pandora is more grown than you are.”

“
That may be so
Mama, but I still don’
t like
to be called
‘
little one.
’”

“
Well you will
be,” Agnes retorted, amused. “What is your reason for calling me,
then?”

“
You already
know, Mama.”

“
Tell me
anyway.”

Agnes tutted. “Just couldn
’
t resist, could
you?”

“
We have a lot
of things to sort out, Mama.”

“
They’
re over with,”
scolded Agnes, wishing she could pull Dreamer
’
s ear and yell the words
inside it. “Over with, Dreamer. He hurt both you and Pandora and
he
’
s
suffering for it. Leave it at that.”

“
He still
hasn’
t told me why he did it,
Mama. I have to know.”

“
No you do not,
young woman. Don’
t even think
about-”

“
I have to go
back,” Dreamer decided. “We need to talk.”

Agnes was silent for a moment, picking everything out of
those nine words. The tone of voice, the words
‘
have
to
’
especially. No she didn
’
t have to. She
wanted
to. There was a big difference.

“
You’
re playing with fire,
little one.” Agnes spoke calmly. “I think you have developed
feelings for Damon Stile.”

“
I have not,
Mama!”

“
Don’
t lie to me,” said
Agnes wearily. “I hate the lies, Dreamer.”

“
We were
friends. I met him when I was just eleven, Mama.”

“
Yes, I know
that. He was round the house with that Miriam for as long as I can
remember. Nearly everyday for years.” Agnes
couldn’
t help smiling as she
remembered. Then she scowled. “Then you met Ted when you was
fourteen, got landed with Marlon at sixteen, Pandora seventeen-
your life was ruined in the blink of an eye.”

“
It was not,”
Dreamer argued, “Because I still did what I liked while you and Ted
looked after them-”

“
Oh yes, I
forget.” Agnes chuckled. “You’
re a handful, my girl.”

“
My girl, my
advice is to let things be. But if you simply have to see him to
put your mind at ease, then go. As long as you’
re going for Pandora.”

“
That’
s all
I
’
m
going for,” said Dreamer uncertainly. “I mean… I cant live not
knowing what made him hurt my child, Mama.”

“
I agree,” said
Agnes solemnly. “When will you go?”

“
Not for a
while.”

“
That’
s my
girl.”

“
Oh no- Mama, I
forgot all about Alice coming over to see Pandora.”

“
Well then go,”
urged Agnes. “That child needs a friend right now.”

“
What should I
make for dinner, Mama?”

“
Your mind is
on that boy in the cell,” said Agnes forlornly. “You have never
asked me what to cook in all your life, Dreamer.”

Dreamer was startled as she realised that. But her mind
wasn
’
t
on food.

“
Just tell me,
Mama!”

“
Why
don’
t you try some spicy rice
with curried chicken-”

“
And jalapenos
with vegetables! Thanks, Mama!”

“
Shall I call
the fire brigade?” said Pandora dryly, making the table erupt with
laughter. Dreamer handed Alice a glass of cold water, saying “You
don’
t have to eat those,
Alice. Some people cant handle them.”

“
I’
m ok,” said Alice,
gulping water. “I
’
m fine.”

“
Are you sure?”
asked Ted, and Alice nodded.

Pandora
’
s plate was empty like her father and
mother
’
s. Alice
’
s was empty too, with the exception of
jalapenos.

As
much as she hated to admit it, Pandora enjoyed Alice being here.
She couldn
’
t help smiling at her friend as she slowly ate another hot
chilli.

“
What college
are you going to, Alice?”

“
Whatever
you’
re going to,” she gasped,
reaching for her water.

“
I think
I’
ll go to Forest Academy,”
Pandora said, looking at her parents. “Miriam
’
s got the prospectuses
in her office.”

“
Haven’
t you got an
appointment with her,
‘
Dora?” said Ted, frowning.

“
Tomorrow,”
Pandora said, feeling guilty. “I’
ll go early though, and… well, say sorry to
her.”