"Mara? Are you okay?"
"...Can I have the book?" I ask, pointing at that book she left on the table.
"S-sure..."
I grab it, and after whispering something like a good night, I go to my bedroom and close the door behind me.
I need to breathe. If I don't take a break, I'm going to cry, or scream, or something. It hurts. It fucking hurts. I thought Kelsi was the one I could believe. The one who had no interest in this, no side to take. I'm such an idiot, after all. I can't believe any of them, can I? Was she even my friend, all this time? Or just my sister's spy? I feel the fire burning in my fingertips, begging to come out, and I need to calm down. I can't burn this damn book.
I get down on my knees and open it. I try to push my bed and pull the carpet over as much as I can to see that circle. Spark sits on the side, watching me make all this ruckus with curiosity. I hope this leads me somewhere!
Chapter 10
I keep checking page after page frantically, making sure I didn't miss one, but it doesn't match. None of the circles are like the one painted on my bedroom floor. At best, there's a couple of similarities, but that's it. I don't even have one that looks close to it that I could use as a reference. Damn it. I'm not a bookworm like Kelsi, I don't understand half of this stuff... I'm a failure of a witch! I glance at Spark, who's crouched down, his paws under his body like he's some big bundle of fur with just the head sticking out. I frown.
"Are you going to help or not?"
He squints his eyes very slowly, almost as if he's about to fall asleep. I guess that's a no...
I really need to sort this shit out. What did Kelsi say earlier about these circles? Something about families of witches... Could it be, this one is unique to me, then? I scratch the mess that is my hair, trying to remember more. She said this power was transmitted through blood, that those magic circles were made to invoke the dead. I am not sure I am up for a medium session right now.
I sigh and push the book aside. I know I am not going to read this thing now, but that circle intrigues me. I roll my carpet back some more until I even have to push my bed against the wall. I guess it's useful to have a large bedroom, you can hide magic circles under the carpet... Once everything is out, I stand above the circle, at a loss for what to do. It is about my wingspan in diameter. What is the point of this thing? It doesn't look much like the invocation circle in the book. Does it really help to call the dead? Who am I supposed to call?
Next to me, Spark meows and stretches, but when I think he's about to do something interesting, he just sits. I pout.
"Don't get my hopes up like that if you aren't going to be useful, dude," I whisper. "It's mean."
After hesitating, I decide to step inside the circle and sit down. It fits me just fine, but now, I feel stupid. I really have no idea what to do.
"Alright... Spirit, are you there?"
Of course, nothing freaking happens. I wait a couple more seconds, but it's very quiet, except for Ben's snoring coming from the living room. I sigh and massage my temple.
"Damn, I shouldn't have drank that damn beer so fast. I'm going crazy... Hey!"
Before I could do anything, Spark suddenly jumped to scratch the back of my hand. I push him by reflex, but the cat has gone back to sitting right outside of the circle, and even licking his damn paw! He really hurt me, that stupid cat... The back of my hand has three deep scratches, all bleeding. I see a couple of drops fall on the floor as if the scene was slowed down and suddenly, something happens.
The circle. It started moving. I watch it spinning around me as if I had just unlocked a wheel. I don't dare move a finger, mesmerized by this thing. The marks are moving on my bedroom floor as if the ink has a life of its own. It keeps spinning at the same speed, and I realize it's waiting for something.
"Sh-... Show me the truth," I mumble, with no idea what I'm saying.
Around me, everything suddenly becomes gray. I freeze, completely taken by surprise. What the hell…? It's like I'm seeing everything through a filter, like in shades of gray, but not just that, as if there was some sort of disturbance. I turn to Spark, and instead of a cat, a large, red shape is there. I almost jump back, shocked by its size. Yet, it still has a cat form, just... much bigger. Like a tiger made of fire, but it's sitting just like Spark was seconds ago. What is this thing doing to me…? I get up and look down. My body... Something is different. My skin tone! What the actual hell, I'm whiter now? No, it's... changing. I feel like throwing up, but it's as if my body is morphing and can’t decide on which appearance to take. What the heck? I stand up and turn to the mirror on the wall.
Oh… Wow. I look different. My hair is much longer and falling on my shoulders, all over the place. My face... keeps changing, and I can tell one part is my face, but why is it trying to change like that? What is going on? Even my eyes look like they are trying to change color, they are turning more gray, or perhaps blue... More importantly, when I look down, there's something big radiating from my chest. It looks like a core, radiating in red. The same red as the creature in Spark's spot. What is that thing...?
Suddenly, I realize the reflection isn't just a reflection. She is moving when I'm not. Oh shit, this is getting into the real creepy stuff. I see her lips extend into a smile. It's not scary, it really looks like a gentle... smile. I don't dare move. I'm too shocked to move or react. Then, I see her raise her hand, and with a face that looks like mine, she puts an index finger on her lips.
I fall back on my rear, still in the circle but out of the mirror's view. What the fuck was that?!
"Meow..."
I fucking jump. God, I had forgotten about Spark being replaced by a giant fire feline or whatever that thing is! Did it just seriously meow like my cat? Take deep breaths, Mara, deep breaths... Oh, hell, this really turned creepy real quick. Plus, everything around me is still in that gray filter, how do I stop this?!
I look down. The circle is still there, except that it is now white for some reason. Is it because it's activated or something? Crap, I thought I was a crappy witch, but now, I may have jumped to level nine or ten without knowing how the hell to handle this thing! How do I stop it? I try to step away from it. I get both feet out of the circle, but nothing changes. Oh, crap, crap... I can't stay like this! Maybe if I'm far enough...?
I walk to all four corners of my bedroom, but it doesn't change a thing. Don't tell me, this is going to work everywhere? I go to my bedroom door and open it, very slowly. I grimace as soon as I hear Ben's snoring, but when I glance down at the couch, I see a big wolf sleeping on it. Did he go to sleep in his wolf form? Don't tell me that's a circle thing too? From the snoring, that definitely comes from human-Ben, not wolfy-Ben... What the hell did you do, Mara? I see the giant Spark following me, and his tiger size apparently doesn't care about my door frame. Guess it's just my vision, the real Spark has no issue going through that door... It's horrible to see everything in gray but the living beings in that room, I feel like I'm trapped inside some broken old TV screen...
Suddenly, I realize. If this shows me Ben's werewolf form, what about Kelsi...? I hesitate. That's probably not a very cool thing to do, but since I have a unique opportunity to check... What the hell am I checking for anyway? Kelsi is a human, what else is there to find out with this thing? I'm about to bite my thumb when I remember my hands can't decide on what to look like. Yeah, no, that's kind of gross to chew a finger that's not really mine.
