A Witch Like No Other Read online

  “I hated it,” said Pandora disgustedly. “I’m never studying it again.”

  “When you got an A-star in your Science GCSE?”

  “I got As in most of my other subjects,” Pandora pointed out. “Ok?”

  “Ok. Did Miriam call you back at all?”

  Pandora shrugged. “I didn’t answer the house phone. I never do.”

  “Then how can you expect- does she have your mobile number?”

  “No.”

  “Pandora,” started Ted, then he decided scolding her wasn’t necessary. He had learnt from Miriam that talking calmly and rationally was the best way to deal with Pandora.

  “At least you’re seeing her tomorrow anyway.”

  * * *

  James sped down the motorway, saying “You’ve got to help her.”

  “Who?”

  “Pandora,” said James. “She’s your sister, man. She needs you.”

  “You wouldn’t say that if I told you what she said this morning.”

  James grinned, sparing a glance at his best friend. “What did she say?”

  “She told me to flip you over and suck your… you know.”

  “Whoa! Are you serious?”

  “Yep.”

  “So she’s still Miss Feisty, then.”

  “Sure. She’s the same really, but she hardly smiles or laughs, she stays in her room to pretend she doesn’t exist and she hates socialising.”

  “I was close to her once upon a time.”

  “Yeah, when she was flipping ten years old.”

  “It’s not my fault she met Janice at high school and forgot about me.”

  Marlon glanced at his friend. “Why do you say it like that?”

  “Like what? Wait- no.” James shook his head. “Don’t get it twisted, Marlon, I’m not interested in Pandora. Nope. Never.”

  “You’d better not be.”

  “Hey, I’ve got a girl already. You know that already.”

  Marlon smiled. “I forgot. Cindy, right?”

  “Yup. Cindy.”

  Though it had been six months since James had actually spoken to Cindy, six months since they last saw each other. They split up ages ago, and James didn’t want to tell his best friend. Marlon would tease him and then suggest what went wrong. Nothing went wrong, not with him. Cindy was the one who cheated.

  “Pandora, though. Is she going to college this term?”

  “She is, but she’ll probably drop out again.”

  James was glad the night hid his scowl.

  “Don’t you have faith in your little sister?”

  “James, come off it. I love Pandora, but we have to be realistic. She left school with high grades and she ditched all her friends just before. She just wants to be alone; ever since Mum died she’s been like that. I try with her, but she shrugs me off. She hardly speaks to me anymore, except at breakfast. Seriously James, I’m the one who has to start the conversations, like all the time. And it always turns into an argument.”

  “Maybe it’s the things you say.”

  “She just doesn’t want to socialise. Stile’s lucky he’s in prison, because I swear I’d have killed him. He told her things, James- I know it. She’s scared of people because of what he said to her- did to her.”

  “It’s sick, man.” James shook his head. “It’s sick.”

  “I wont give up on her,” said Marlon heavily. “I promise.”

  * * *

  Pandora sat writing in her notepad when she heard Marlon come home with James, saying “Dad, can James stay over?”

  Pandora stopped writing as she listened.

  Downstairs in the kitchen, Ted shook his head.

  “Marlon, are you even thinking about Pandora?”

  “She was friends with James when she was ten,” Marlon pointed out, James nodding as he looked towards the stairs.

  “But that was many moons ago,” Ted said reasonably. “You know about your sister’s… socialising issues-”

  “It’s ok, I understand,” said James. “May I use the bathroom, sir?”

  Ted nodded, James leaving the kitchen to let Marlon try and convince his father to let him stay.

  * * *

  “Pandora?”

  She flinched at James’s gentle voice, not answering.

  Outside the door, James said “Can I come in?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Pandora, it’s been ages. Remember the fun we used to have?”

  Playing tag and hop scotch? Thought Pandora jeeringly. Sure.

  “Um… I know you hate people and er… don’t want any friends. You just don’t want to socialise,” said James, sitting down by the closed door. “But I uh… look, if anything remember I’m still here, ok?”

  Silence. James, being optimistic, took that as a yes.

  He scrawled his mobile number on a bit of paper he had and pushed it under her door as he said “That’s my mobile number.”

  Still she said nothing. James understood, having counselled Marlon on Pandora many times. There was nothing he didn’t know.

  “Call me anytime you want. Do you know what college you’re going to?”

  Nada.

  “Well, I’m going to Forest Academy. Maybe I’ll see you there, yeah?”

  Pandora hugged herself, simply listening to his voice.

  “James!” called Marlon, making him leap up. “Hurry up!”

  “Anytime you want to talk,” whispered James, “Call me, ok? Bye.”

  He scrambled to his feet and backed down the landing as Marlon came upstairs, making out he just came out of the bathroom.

  “Dude,” said Marlon in mock disgust, “Never eat egg rolls again!”

  James burst out laughing. “See you later, Marlon.”

  Marlon watched him go, then he knocked on his sister’s door.

  “I’m back, ‘Dora.”

  “I’m glad,” she answered sarcastically, making him laugh.

  “Can you at least try and get along with me, Pandora? For once?”

  “What’s the point? Since my seventeenth birthday you’ve been a-”

  “So have you,” he said, prodding the door as if it was Pandora. “Yes?”

  “I don’t care. You’re worse than me because you’re a guy.”

  “Well thanks for letting me know,” pouted Marlon. “Night, Pandora.”

  “Night.”

  Pandora crawled across the carpet, reaching out and picking up the piece of paper. James’s number? Whatever, she thought amusedly, turning to her golden box. She placed the paper in there by itself, then she grabbed the candle that materialised minutes later, lit it and placed it on top of the paper, then she closed the lid down.

  James Henbit was part of her past; there was no way he’d become her present. Never.

  Pandora climbed into bed, wondering if he was always so patient.

  * * *

  When Pandora woke up she could tell straight away something wasn’t right. She got up slowly as she always did, then went straight to her box on her desk. It felt warm. Curious, she opened it and looked inside.

  Pandora shrieked, stepping backwards. Then she reached out and picked the box up, staring down at it’s contents though there shouldn’t be any.

  The candle was gone, but the paper from James was still there.

  “Great,” muttered Pandora, then she looked at her mother’s picture. “Am I supposed to keep it or something, Mum?”

  Dreamer’s ravishing smile seemed to grow: Pandora smiled back.

  “I’d bet all my money you’re still alive somewhere, not joking.”

  Elated, she saved James’s number in her mobile phone.

  * * *

  “Pandora, can you pass the salt?”

  Pandora glanced at her brother, then she looked at the salt.

  “It’s in the middle of the table, Marlon. You can reach it yourself.”

  “Why,” demanded Marlon, “Are you so damn difficult?”

  “Don’t talk to your sister like t
hat,” said Ted warningly, as Pandora smiled before saying “Because that’s how I like to be. Problem?”

  “Go and see your shrink, you deluded little hermit.”

  Pandora slammed her glass down, making everyone jump as she stood.

  “I’m going anyway.”

  * * *

  Miriam eagerly waited for Pandora to arrive. She got the message from the receptionist, that Pandora called. That certainly was a first.

  You really love my little girl, don’t you?

  “Yes,” said Miriam happily, turning to whoever spoke. “I really-”

  She stopped dead, staring at her closed door. “Hello?”

  Silence.

  My little girl… Miriam shook her head, trying to reason with herself.

  “It cant be. There’s no way Dreamer can be-”

  She shrieked as Pandora slammed her fist on the door, furious.

  “Can I come in, Miss Hughes?”

  Miriam opened the door, shaken. “Good afternoon, Pandora.”

  “Sorry I’m late, but I went in the park for a bit and I- are you ok?”

  “No, not really. I- never mind me, love. How are you?”

  “I’ve decided I want to do a writing course at- at Forest Academy.”

  “Good for you,” said Miriam, pleased as she turned to her desk. “I’ve got the prospectus here somewhere, with some others-”

  “No, it’s Forest Academy I want to go to.”

  Miriam looked at her, surprised. “Why that particular college, Pandora?”

  “Because- this is embarrassing.”

  “No darling, sit down. Talk to me.”

  * * *

  “I think he wants to be friends with you again, Pandora.”

  “What about my Mum?”

  Miriam swallowed. “Well- you don’t know it was Dreamer who-”

  “It was her, I know it was,” said Pandora, eyes sparkling. “That box hasn’t ever done that before, and I swear her smile got bigger when I looked at her picture.”

  “Pandora, it’s just wishful thinking.” And unexplainable events, she added silently, hating Pandora’s disappointed face. “That’s all it is.”

  “But- but just say she was alive-”

  “She isn’t,” said Miriam gently. “You went to the funeral, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah I did, but they kept the coffin closed,” said Pandora, thinking. “And- oh gosh! Those guys carrying it said it was real light as well!”

  Miriam cringed as she remembered, hidden by the public who had come to pay their respects. She’d never cried so much in her entire life that day. She’d lost her best friend, didn’t even get to see her one last time.

  What if all that was buried was the coffin, nothing more? Miriam felt sick to the stomach. What if Dreamer was alive?

  “I mean, she’s a witch,” said Pandora. “You think she’d just go?”

  “I don’t want to have this conversation, darling.”

  Talk to her, Miriam.

  “What?” said Pandora, when Miriam leapt up. “What is it?”

  “Would you like to go for a walk, Pandora?”

  “Ok,” she said curiously, getting up. “How come?”

  “Because I’m your godmother, love. Come on.”

  “Wont your boss be angry with you?”

  “I’ll handle him.”

  Sure enough, when Tony Pets left his office to see Miriam leaving with Pandora, he marched up to them immediately.

  “What on earth is going on, Miriam?”

  “Nothing,” said Miriam flatly. “I’m just taking Pandora for a walk.”

  “To get some air,” Pandora added, and Tony smiled at her.

  “You would be good for my Alice, Pandora.”

  Pandora raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

  “His daughter,” Miriam said, amused. “Alice is your age, Pandora.”

  “Wow,” she said dryly. “Can we go now, Miss Hughes?”

  “Pandora, I’ve told you already you can call me Miriam-”

  “No she cant,” interrupted Tony, eyes narrowing. “Why can she?”

  Miriam glared at him. “Because she’s my goddaughter.”

  Tony stared at her, then he looked at Pandora. “She is?”

  “She is,” said Pandora cheekily. “Can we go now?”

  “Yes we can,” Miriam said, then she looked at Tony. “Unless you have an objection to me taking her for a walk in the park?”

  “I… no,” Tony said awkwardly. “No, not at all. But Miriam, if you’re a relative I think it’s best if we change Pandora’s mentor-”

  “No!” said Miriam, aghast. “You cant do that-”

  “If you change Miss Hughes I’m not coming back,” Pandora told Tony stonily. “My dad pays you big money, I know he does. If… if I have to change just because she’s my godmother, that’s out of order. I wont come back, and I’ll bully your daughter until she has to come here too.”

  “Now really Pandora, you’re overreacting-”

  “So you think,” Pandora replied flatly. “Can we go, Miss Hughes?”

  “Of course.”

  * * *

  “That wasn’t very nice, threatening him about Alice.”

  “He’s stuck up,” Pandora replied. “He deserved it. Who is she?”

  “She’s a lovely girl, but she has some issues of her own.”

  They sat down in front of the lake, cross legged on the grass.

  “What issues?” asked Pandora, and Miriam smiled at her.

  “I cant tell you that, love.”

  “Are you her mentor?”

  “No, of course not.”

  “Then tell me, Miss Hughes- please?”

  Miriam shook her head, amused. Pandora pouted, turning to look at the lake.

  “Swans,” she said musingly. “Mum loved swans.”

  “Did she?”

  Pandora nodded. “Especially the black ones.”

  Miriam felt her stomach drop. “There- there’s black swans?”

  “Sure,” shrugged Pandora. “Only nobody really sees them.”

  “Maybe because they don’t exist?” suggested Miriam, but Pandora shook her head as she said “They do, because Mum showed me one.”

  “I’ve never heard of or seen a black swan, Pandora.”

  “Because you haven’t seen something with your own eyes, does that mean it doesn’t exist?” asked Pandora, staring her full in the face. “Or because something seems impossible, does that mean it cant happen?”

  Miriam opened her mouth, then closed it. Dreamer had done a lot of impossible things in her time, including turning an annoying boy who was besotted with her into a toad, making her pen write lines by itself when they were in detention, bewitching the Head so that they had an extra week off, giving her rival chicken pox at college- talking to Miriam even though she was dead?

  Miriam shivered, Pandora gazing across the lake. Miriam looked too, smiling at the sight of the beautiful white birds.

  “They’re lovely, aren’t they?”

  Pandora nodded, eyes filling. “I want her back, Miriam.”

  “Dreamer? Of course you do- we all do, but-”

  Miriam broke off, staring at the water. Swimming towards them was a beautiful, elegant black swan, it’s beak ruby red.

  “Told you,” breathed Pandora, slowly getting to her feet. “I told you.”

  “Pandora, come back-”

  Pandora ignored her, walking towards the graceful bird. Miriam cursed magic under her breath: that bird wasn’t there ten seconds ago.

  “Pandora!”

  Oblivious to her godmother’s calls, Pandora crouched down next to the bird as she whispered “Hi. See what happens when they don’t believe?” The bird nodded. “You just appeared, didn’t you?”

  The swan crooned softly, Pandora reaching out to stroke it. Suddenly the bird made a weird rasping noise, like it was choking. Miriam leapt to her feet at that: “Pandora!”

  The bird heaved, as if it was trying to force s
omething up. Pandora’s eyes grew wide as the swan began to sparkle, Miriam grabbing her arm and pulling her back as she said “We’re leaving, Pandora-”

  “We cant!”

  “We have to! Something weird is going on-”

  “It’s my Mum, Miriam!”

  “She’s dead!” said Miriam angrily. “Dreamer’s dead, Pandora!”

  The bird gagged, something gold appearing in it’s mouth. Miriam stopped struggling with Pandora as they stared at it- the swan heaved again, whatever it was dangling from it’s beak- before Miriam could stop her Pandora darted forwards, grabbed the thing and pulled-

  “Pandora, no!”

  The bird shrieked, Pandora falling backwards- BANG!!

  Miriam cried her name as smoke swirled around her- she couldn’t see!

  “PANDORA!!”

  “I’m here, Miriam, I’m here!” Pandora grabbed her hand. “Look at this!”