Goodbye Normal (17 page)

“Let me get you better pain killers” she said ushering to her bedroom.

 Zack went to stand where his mother had sat and his veil of jokes was gone, he examined her, with really sad puppy face.

“Did they really hurt you?” Zack grimaced, his voice was small and affright.

Her insides swell, he was a just a sweet weird boy. “Not really, I beat one real good too.”

That charmed him a little “yah did?” he asked eagerly.

“Yeeah, I swung my finest punch at the guy and he went swirling down to the ground.” now that was too much exaggeration.

“I think I will enroll in karate classes, and I will make sure nobody touches you ever again.” he declared with determination. She then realized the incident had affected him deeper than she thought.

Sweet Zack, “why don’t you start by getting me that ointment you like scrubbing when you get bumps?” she asked casually.

“Okay” he skittered away. She looked after his back and smiled to herself.

Carol came back with a pill bottle on one hand and olive oil on the other. She placed the bottles on the table then went to the kitchen cabinet for a glass.

While filling the glass with tap water Carol said “From tomorrow, no driving alone at night, you are either with somebody I know or your home before sundown.”

WTF!!! I’m I in elementary school
!!! That had to be pressure talking, because if it was real talk there sure would be quite a number of unpleasant memories on the subject.

“Mom driving restriction plus baby class curfew really?? What happened to me, could have happen to anyone, It was all just a bad coi-”

“End of discussion Zoe” she cut her short.

 She shot a disbelieving glare at Carol that said
No mom, it has just begun
. Sometime it felt like the older she got, the more Carol got overprotective. She grabbed the pills and ice from the table then slacked off to her room. Carol was left standing with her glass of water midair.

“Come back here, we are not done jus yet.” Carol yelled then stared at the glass on her hand “Come get your water”

“Don’t need it!” she outraged.

 She bumped into Zack on the corridor walking towards the living room.

He looked up at her irked plus swollen face, not a good combo. And noticed the added emotional difference on it. He spiced his own small face with worry.

“Hey what’s going on?” he inquired, looking up at her.

“Mom’s going on” she reported.

“Oh. Here” he said handing over the ointment.

“Thanks” She said affably and he walked past her to the living room.

Zoe turned to her room, opened the door and signed to the delightful feeling she always got in her humble territory. She got the light and first stop was her mirror.

“ARGGH” she groaned, she was a mess. A pretty ugly one. She not only sounded like she had stuffed a potato in her mouth but also looked like it. Trying to support all the stuff she was holding on one hand, she hunched towards the mirror thoroughly scrutinizing her image then trailed a finger on the swollen area. She grimaced as she pressed gently over it. Not in the mood of staring at her ugly image any longer, she grumpily advanced to the table and placed her first aid properties on the table. Zoe threw her body on the bed, and with the calmness and stillness of the night she felt how starved and tired she was.  

She tumbled over and lay flat on her stomach facing the large window.

Danger filled eventful days were becoming her thing. Sadly it felt like they had just begun. Gratefully she now had someone to share them with.

Chris more was back. That was enough news to make her mother loose appetite if she told her during dinner, which won’t be long. She pondered on it and decided she would save the surprise for the morrow, when she could laugh without feeling like her jaw was getting pulled out.

She begun going through her long day, following the Channeler ritual she thought nothing would surprise her but she was wrong. Doomsberg was all together a new island. In her new eyes, she was certain her idea of Doomsberg would match that of a tourist in the island.

She was born and raised in that little island but now it felt like she was but a newcomer. The witchcraft, magic mansion, humeleons….just the mere thought of them gave her shivers. She responded to her ire by curling up on her bed.

 How will she survive the monsters that were meant to protect her and their town? The world didn’t need supernatural creatures roaming around the street. There she was, a witch, and didn’t feel safe! What of other ordinary people? She adjusted and lay facing the ceiling. What of her mother, brother, Liz, Josh, their families and friends. How would they react to the life threatening freakiness?

 The humeleons maybe just three in number, but they yield power equivalent to that of legions. The usual but subtle questions started knocking her brain off thinking mode. What if they got out of hand again? What will she do? Why wasn’t there any other nondestructive plan? That was already answered by Josh, there was no any other way around it.

 Why should she be the one to bestow apocalyptic sentence to her town?  That she knew the answer, but unleashing the monster will bring a terrible tide over Desolia. Contradictive to that observation was what they already started doing to her.

 That night she discovered without the pendant she couldn’t affect the ungifted. And so did Darkeel’s man. Which she guessed must be an advantage for them but a dangerous realization for her. But most of all who the hell is Darkeel? That last question got her nimbly out of the bed to get her journal.

Insomnia. This was a problem that needed quick attention. It was threatening to destroy the only part of her day that reduced the unusualness. Her nights were forcefully becoming contemplating sessions. All she did at night was think, question herself, thinks some more and once in ten questions, answer herself. Her thoughts were bigger than her, the kind that needed a wise head to meditate over. She could honestly try to believe all that had been happening but the reason for her getting chosen as Channeler was well…, one confusing mystery.

How was that life for a coming off age teenager? Wasn’t she supposed to be having beauty rests, do some healthy gossiping, shopping, and thinking of cute boys and collage preparations? Instead she lay awake pondering over how to safeguard her town. She kinda felt how it was like to be
really
responsible and it was
frustrating
.  

Fortunately, despite the lights out aftermath, the previous chaotic night had ended just fine. They had listened to a number of mixed jazz songs that Zack had helped Carol accumulate in her phone. Carol made her minced beef rice congee for diner and they’d stayed late rearranging the living room back to order.

During the little exercise they’d come to an understanding about the atrocious driving curfew. Carol turned a blind eye on her perspective and agreed to disagree with her on the matter.  Zoe gladly rewarded her wise decision with her lost but found wedding band. They also agreed upon her going to see a doctor for her jaw, and they all but one slept merrily.

Zoe had managed to fall asleep at four something o’clock, only to get distracted out of it after a short period of three hours. Both Carol and Zack went to check up on her recuperative speed plus remind her to see a doctor then left for school.

Motionless on her bed, she momentarily considered the prospect of going out for jogging and quickly decided against it. That decision was backed by an article she once read somewhere that it was unhealthy to work out after unhealthy sleep. And again convinced herself that she was more health driven and it was definitely was not laziness.

On that feeble excuse of a morning, her phone had three messages. Liz was first with an irrelevant number of shocking smileys informing her that she had seen Chris’s ghost in town. It was quiet a laugh for her when she thought of the truth behind it. Then came Josh, simple and forward
Goodmorning, hope your better today
. And last Chris…
Morning beautiful, gotta see you today, come over at the flower shop during my lunch break.

She dragged her feet to the mirror; thankful to find her form was back to Zoe. Though with the black spots under her puffy eyes, she looked sleep deprived and tired. She forced her way to the kitchen, poured cereals and milk on a bowl and sat lame fully on the dining table. She opened her moth for a spoon of cereal and then dropped it back to the bowl. Her jaw still hurt. She cursed under her breath and forced a number of spoons into her mouth.    

She forced out some spirit from her lazy body that got her doing some useful duties.  She did some laundry, showering then pulled out some more energy just enough to find herself a pair of jeans and t-shirt. It was eleven, late morning and she drove to the Flower shop Chris worked. The shop was near town, a colorful block two streets after Big Joe’s restaurant. She parked and looked up to see Chris at work with an apron and farmer cloves arranging some pots on the out front.

“Hey” she said, with high spirits.

“Hey” he replied with a broad smile. “Didn’t know you were coming this early.” he asked watching her lock her car.

 “I didn’t came for the lunch date, I came for flowers.” she replied unconscious of the ‘date’ in her sentence

“So we’re having a date?” he asked clasping his gloved hands together and a cute boyish grin covered his face.

She hesitated.

“Did I say that?” she asked honestly unaware.

“Would I make it up?” he asked promptly.

“I’m not very sure. Anyway for now get me a bouquet of yellow and white tulips.” She said following him inside the shop.

“Stop tripping Zoe, you said it yourself.”

“It was an honest mistake, now quit it. Will you!”

 It was as colorful as it was expected to be. There were lots of pots and vases on tripod stands and more pots and bouquets on shelves. She could hardly name a dozen of the flowers she saw. All she knew were the common charms. She could spot a variety of roses, a number of lilies. She saw a lovely arrangement of hibiscus and another eye catching placement of yellow and white jasmines. Chris was artistically preparing her bouquet meanwhile she surveyed the in house garden. Zoe found herself falling in love with a bright mix of primroses. They were in between dark crimson roses and Burgundy roses. She stepped forward to take a closer look and inhale their fragrance.

“Beautiful hah.” Chris startled her. He was holding her flowers.

“Very. I should get them for mom, make her forget tulips for a day.”

“How much?” she asked going for her pockets.

“In the house.” he gave a toothless smile and handed her the bouquet.

“You’re sure?” She said smelling them.

“Just this once.” he cautioned mockingly by narrowing his eyes.

“Will be back sooner than you imagine.” she said.

“I guess the owner will have sent me packing by then.”

“And where is the owner?”

“She’s out getting supplies. We have a big order coming this Saturday.”

“K then, see you in an hour.”

“Bye.”

Zoe slid in her car and pulled out thinking of her next destination. She was visiting her father at the memorial park. She had never liked the tract but having buried her dad there made her see the place as another home. When she arrived she took her flowers, clenched them carefully to her arms and then walked through the aisle of a sad number of graves to get to her father’s.

Zoe stopped, there it was, so gray and firm. She stood three graves before it. Then begun walking short tardy steps then made a dead halt when she got to it.

“Hey daddy.” she whispered dulcetly and placed the flowers against his stone. She sat cross-legged on the grass and stared sadly at his.

  “I missed you, I’m sorry I’ve stayed away for two months…. I brought you your favorites though.” she smiled lightly glancing at the tulips. Tulips were her mother’s favorite and somehow ended up being his favorite too.

Zoe had a tendency of visiting his grave once a month. She would sit and talk to him for as all as time would let her, informing him details of her simple life. Only now it wasn’t as simple anymore.

“So…everyone back home is great, Zack is fine, shrewdly with veggies, still spends too much time in his room but he is still fine. Moom is being mom…driving me crazy with her motherly outrageous acts but we survive each other quiet well actually. There are no major destructions so far. I know she is okay but she is kinda lonely you know…I also know she misses you so much but it’s been a while since you know who happened. So why don’t you do her a favor, could you do some magic and make her fall in love with some good guy this time?” She chuckled to herself then stopped for some seconds.

“I miss you so much daddy…”she muttered with a short sigh.

Zoe’s eyes harbored pain. “Dad, I am not fine… Alot has been happening to me, I’m confused and in very very big trouble. I’ve been a cry baby for a good number of days now….” she stopped and sighed again.

“Well… the thing is I’m a witch…Yeah I know, crazy right?...but true, So damn true. They call me the Channeler. It’s like some very powerful wizard fortune told about me, like a hundred years ago. I’ve been wondering is there a witch in our family? I have thought out all of them, Aunt Rosalinda, Uncle Mason even Uncle Bob but none of them seem to click in that category. No dad, I can’t do that! I can’t ask mom, you know how she gets when she panics? I know am lying to her but it’s so hard to tell her what has been going on, besides its kinda easier not to… If only I knew her reaction to this, ARRGGHH” she groaned.

“It’s stupid. I know, I have to ask to know but…but its mom we are talking about here. She doesn’t react so well to surprises let alone this kinda surprise. Okay…let me jump to the scary part… There is this immortal man, his name is Darkeel. According to the journal I read about him, In all the 400 years he’s lived after his famous curse, just a handful know his facial identity.  Very few witched get the chance to actually see his face. So he is a shadow plus immortal and powerless. I can imagine the frustration he goes through having been banned from his country by his own father and stripped off his rights and privileges in the wizardry world. Worst of all, his father who is said to be one of the most powerful witches to ever grace England was the one responsible for casting the powerful spell on his son which made him powerless but immortal, that I’m sure was a total killer and year worth gossip for the witch community.

“Unfortunately he was not son of the year material either.  Darkeel had committed a scroll full crimes that were forbidden in his coven. He also manipulated his powers by killing innocent people through sacrificial incantations. Worst of all, he wanted his father dead so that he could resume his position as coven head. How sick is that pops.

“I can almost imagine how much it infuriates him, to love power enough to want his father dead and only end up with nothing aaand for eternity! He must harbor so much hate and vengeance, and I’m certain he will do anything to have it back.

“The sad part dad, it looks like I have the power to restore his lost abilities. I’m scared that once he has them back, Doomsberg will be in world war three with a shadow…He would probably be unstoppable. So I came to this ultimate conclusion after giving it four good thoughtful hours. I decided to open the gate for some very dangerous creatures. They are kinda like the only ones able to safeguard our town from his wrath. I’m only hoping it’s the right thing to do dad…”

   Instinctively Zoe turned by impulse of an eerie feeling. It was as though somebody was watching her. She turned around to nothing but rows of graves and trees. She turned back briefly to her father’s grave then she felt the uneasiness again.

“Who’s there” she yelped searching around, her eyes met not one soul. All she heard back was the echo of her own voice, the silence of a calm noon and the swaying of tree branches.

Graveyard could get creepy; she thought dismissing it as false impulse and reinstated her concentration on her father.

“You see this pendent daddy…” she removed it from inside her t-shirt. “It’s the one that identified me as the Channeler, It even has ancient calligraphy of my name scribbled on the back…Fancy right.” she smiled sarcastically then before she could continue.

Zoe felt it again. The atmosphere had been still then all of a sudden she felt a very fast motion of wind pass behind her, like a ball thrown past her by a strong arm.

Zoe stood up “who’s there, stop freaking me out and show yourself.” she snarled, her voice slightly shaky. She peered around turning to view every visible angle. Some trees were blocking her view otherwise there was still nothing to create suspicion. Her pulse was racing with each passing second. She was sure about what she felt, it was real and freaking her out more than it should. She cautiously looked at her pendant. It was still there, that gave a sense of protection.

She could take any more of her psychological torture. She looked at her father’s grave and murmured “Bye daddy… I think I should really work on what I told you. Hope to come over soon. I love you.”

She walked hastily to the parking lot and turned once in a while to look around. But she felt pathetic at the same time, when she turned to nothing.  

Zoe slid into her car, with an impatient energy, she roared her engine to life and drove it away like she was in car rally.   

She got to Big JOE’s, there were few customers on the front, outside the restaurant. She got in and found Monica and Harry. She greeted them silently and walked to the furthest corner. She saw Harry coming to her and a smile automatically creep out. In her current situation it would have needed some major effort to pull of a smile but it wasn’t the case when Harry was concerned. He had a humorous appeal about him. Harry was black, mid height and a funny guy. Always managed to get her cracking up when she worked her shifts there. She noticed her edginess drifting away when she settled in. No one would dare torture her in public. 

Harry was smiling at her from the minute she spotted him. He came over to her table, all grinned up with his order pad by the hand and an apron neatly over his neck.

“Hey there gorgeous.” He said beaming.

“Hey Harry.” she replied fondly.

“What can I get you?”

“Water for now, I’m waiting for Chris so will order later.”

“Okay, right away.”

“Thank you” she called, he jerked his neck and replied with a wink.   

She smiled politely and got her phone then sent a message to Chris…
Emergency, meet me at Big Joe’s ASAP
.

She sat alone, fidgeting and playing around with her phone as her mind went few minutes back to the memorial park.

It had been very strange, how the strange strong wind past behind her back there. Zoe wondered if she had been daydreaming or if somebody was really there. No, she declined the possibility of a fantasy at that point.  I couldn’t have been dreaming she reflected, I felt what I felt she pondered wrinkling her forehead at it.

What she felt had been real and precise. It would be daydreaming if she perceived what she felt any differently.

What was making her question her intuition was how deserted the place had been, not unless the person went by foot. She could only remember seeing one car leave as she arrived.

Who could it be? What if it was Darkeel, no it couldn’t be, he has no magic. So she concluded, maybe it was just another black magic witch trying to win her pendant.

Somehow in between her cerebrations Harry got over to her again, with her glass of water on a tray.

“Sooo…” he began sliding over the seat opposite her “do you mind sharing those creasy lines on your forehead.”