A Witch Like No Other (3 page)

“
What?”

“
I’
ve moved on,” Dreamer
said coolly. “You
’
re in my past, ok? Don
’
t bother coming back
here to mess up my present.”

“
But- but
we’
re best
friends!”

“
I’
m
your
best
friend, but you
’
re not mine.”

“
You- you
liar!” said Miriam, voice cracking. “Don’
t lie, Dreamer!”

“
I’
ve got to go,” Dreamer
replied flatly. “Nice talking to you.”

Miriam couldn
’
t stop crying after that. Tears were a part of
her now. Her parents consulted a doctor and her tutor at her
college, both who came to see her. The doctor prescribed some
depression tablets while her tutor helped Miriam get back on her
feet.

“
Why
don’
t you try mentoring,
Miriam? It does help.”

“
I’
m not talking to a
shrink!” sobbed Miriam. “I want my friend, Miss!”

“
Where are
they?”

“
She’
s in England- and she
hates me!”

“
I’
m sure she
doesn
’
t,” her tutor said warmly. “And I meant studying the
profession of mentoring, not going to see a counsellor. It does
help you control your emotions- and you
’
re very good at talking
to people.”

“
Can I change
my course? Will you be tutoring me?”

“
No, but you
can come to see me anytime you like.”

After that Miriam knew what she wanted to do.
She
’
d
practice mentoring with her family, and then try the real thing
when she got back to England. The only snag was her aunt lived far
out in the country: it felt like Dreamer was on the other side of
Earth.

Still, they had things to sort out. Agnes called Miriam
over, much to Dreamer
’
s surprise.

“
When
did
you
get back in the country?”

“
About two
weeks ago,” Miriam said, gazing at her. “How are you?”

“
Don’
t give me that,”
Dreamer said coldly. “Why are you back here?”

“
Because I miss
you,” Miriam said slowly, carefully. “That’
s why.”

Dreamer
’
s mouth twitched as if she wanted to smile, and Miriam
saw.

“
Can we be
friends again, Dreamer?”

“
Ok,” Dreamer
said almost five minutes later. “All right then. But I
don’
t want you in my face all
the time like before. I
’
d rather see you once every three months or
something, because I have a new life and I have a husband and I go
to college and I have new friends, and-”

“
Dreamer!”
barked Agnes, making her jump. “Don’
t be so immature.”

“
I’
m not, Mama.
I
’
m
telling her how it is,” Dreamer answered, then she looked Miriam
straight in the eye. “Take it or leave it.”

“
Fine,” Miriam
said stoutly. “I’
ve got
studying to do anyway, so I wouldn
’
t be able to see you
much either. Actually, I just came to clear the air because I was a
wreck in America, I missed you loads. And now I
’
ve seen you, so
I
’
m
fine now. That
’
s all I wanted. Now I can move on with my life and
leave you behind. Bye Agnes, I
’
ll be going now. I wont
bother calling to say I got home, it
’
s not like she cares
anyway.”

“
Well…
it’
s going to take hours for
you to get back to that place.”

“
So stay here
with me tonight. Mama, can Miriam stay?”

Miriam smiled broadly as Agnes nodded; Dreamer smiled back.
Then they gave each other a massive hug and ran upstairs, talking
and laughing as if they
’
d just got home after school like the good old
days.

Dreamer wasn
’
t joking about having a long distance friendship,
but Miriam didn
’
t care. They were friends again. At least she could
pick up the phone and call Dreamer whenever she wanted, and Dreamer
could call her. Miriam still resented Ted Stone for changing
everything.

But there was something about Pandora that made Miriam
determined to know her. She telephoned Dreamer in the middle of the
night asking about her, and expected Dreamer to hang up and go back
to sleep. But Dreamer did something very strange. She made Miriam
promise- yes, promise- that if anything happened to her or Ted she
would look after Pandora and Marlon. And Miriam promised. She
didn
’
t
care if she was only eighteen and up to her knees in
coursework.

“
I want you to
be Pandora’
s godmother,
Miriam.”

Miriam was overjoyed: Dreamer must have known what she
thought of the beautiful little girl. Reverend John was more than
happy to give a private ceremony just between Dreamer, Miriam and
grandmother Agnes. Miriam knew from that day on she would play some
sort of role in Pandora
’
s life, but then Ted and Dreamer had moved away
to start their lives properly, now young adults.
They
’
d
done it on the sly, telling nobody, simply packing and leaving in
the middle of the night. Nobody knew their address, not even Agnes,
though Dreamer and the children visited every week and
weekend.

Miriam remembered Pandora
’
s fifteenth birthday.
She was in America at the time, and she didn
’
t know
Dreamer
’
s new address (they
’
d moved twice again in
the years.) Still, she called. Dreamer let Pandora speak, though
Pandora didn
’
t remember Miriam.

“
Hello?”

“
Happy Birthday
Pandora!”

“
Thank you!”
she said brightly, then she paused. “Um… who is this?”

“
Go and look
after your party guests, Pandora.”

“
Who was that,
Mum? Do I know them?”

“
Yes, but you
cant remember them. Go on now.”

“
Why did you do
that?” demanded Miriam, a little hurt.

“
Because now
isn’
t the time for you to
meet. It will be later this year.”

“
Dreamer, I…
you mean I get to see her in the flesh?”

“
Yes,
Miriam.”

“
Thank you,
Dreamer! It’
s about time! Have
you settled down, then?”

“
Westport’
s lovely,”
Dreamer said nonchalantly. “Very nice.”

“
Dreamer, is
everything all right?”

“
No,” Dreamer
said, voice cracking. “I’
ve
done something very wrong!”

Startled as Dreamer cried, Miriam tried to soothe her while
firmly reminding her that it was Pandora
’
s birthday party, and it
wouldn
’
t do for her mother to be crying at the event. Dreamer
didn
’
t
care.

“
I betrayed
Ted,” she wept. “God knows I didn’
t mean to, but I did!”

“
Do you want to
tall about it, Dreamer? Tell me what happened.”

“
His- his
friend Damon Stile-”

“
Ted’
s best friend? Wait-
Dopey Damon from high school??”

“
Yes, him! We
were… talking, and-”

“
Mum, Janice
and Marlon!” said Pandora, sounding near tears.
“They’
re kissing in the back
yard, Mum! She
’
s my best friend, how could he-”

“
I’
m coming,
‘
Dora.
Miriam, can you call me back on my cell phone?”

“
Of course,”
said Miriam, as if
she
made the call.

“
Dreamer,
what’
s going on? You and Damon
Stile, how-”

“
It was an
accident,” said Dreamer calmly, much more in control than before.
“We’
ve been close for years, I
never-”

“
Why?” Miriam
cut across, then she remembered her profession.
Never lose your temper with the client.
Miriam took a deep breath, then she
said “You told me you and Ted are made for each other. What
happened?”

“
Ted’
s hates me being a
witch now,” Dreamer replied. “And Damon- well, he loves it. He can
never get enough of a spell, Miriam, or a trick-”

“
You wanted Ted
to love you for who you are? What you are?”

“
Yes! Oh
Miriam, I’
m so glad you
understand.”

“
Tell me more,”
pressed Miriam. “That cant be all.”

“
Damon
confessed he loves me after I turned his hair blonde,” Dreamer said
flatly, as if the fact meant nothing to her. “He told me he knows
he’
s Ted
’
s best friend but he
doesn
’
t care anymore. He loves me and
‘
Dora-”

“
Pandora?”
Miriam cut across sharply, eyes narrowing.

“
As a
daughter,” Dreamer said, annoyed. “He was telling me he wanted us
to move in with him, but I refused- it was meant to be a small
kiss, nothing more, and then-”

“
Don’
t,” sighed Miriam.
“Spare me the details.”

“
Then I found
out I was expecting my third child-”

“
Dreamer!”

“
Damon was over
the moon- he just knew without me telling him- it would be his
first born- but I couldn’
t do
it, Miriam! I couldn
’
t!”

“
I understand,”
said Miriam gently. “Does Damon know you got rid-?”

“
Dreamer?” said
a voice in the background. “Are you all right?”

“
Teddy,
I’
m fine.” Dreamer sniffed
before repeating it. “I
’
m fine.”

“
Are you
sure?”

“
Yes,” said
Dreamer miserably. “I’
m on the
phone, Ted.”

“
Sorry.”

Dreamer waited before saying “Miriam, I feel that I…
I
’
m
going to die.”

“
What?!”

“
I’
ve been having dreams,”
Dreamer said sadly, “Ever since I got rid of the baby. Damon thinks
I
’
ll
give up everything and live with him, but I cant- I wont. I love
Ted and I always will- I belong to him.”

“
I’
ve been having
nightmares about Damon and Pandora,” said Dreamer quietly. “He may
have been- they could be just dreams, but-”

“
What, Dreamer?
What’
s been going on with him
and my- Pandora?”

“
He’
s been doing things to
her,” whispered Dreamer. “My little girl, and I
didn
’
t
even know. He
’
s been tutoring her since she was twelve- I
didn
’
t
suspect, nobody did. Maybe there
’
s nothing to suspect.
But my dreams-”

“
Ok Dreamer,
ok. What does that have to do with you dying?”

“
He’
ll find out I got rid
of the baby, and he
’
ll lose control.”