A Witch Like No Other Read online

“Don’t take that tone with me, young lady.”

  “Pandora, I’d really like to see you again,” said Alice cautiously, and Pandora’s green eyes flicked onto her. “If that’s ok?”

  “Well, I… I mean I just-”

  Ted glared at her. Marlon glared at her. Miriam pouted.

  “Take my number,” sighed Pandora, and everyone smiled.

  * * *

  “Welcome to the Amazing Agnes cabaret. You will be put through to Agnes in exactly thirty seconds. Please choose now whether you’d like this call to go live or be private.”

  “Private!” hissed Pandora and Marlon at the same time, anxious.

  “For a private talk, press one. For a live-”

  Ted pressed one before the operator could finish, heart racing. This was it. In seconds, he would be speaking to his wife.

  “Agnes speaking. How may I help- oh Lord.”

  “Agnes, put Dreamer on the phone,” said Ted desperately, knowing she was shocked to find him calling. “Please- we need to talk.”

  “Of course, darling. How are you and the children?”

  “We’ve been better,” said Ted, as Miriam pulled Alice’s arm.

  “It’s time to go, darling.”

  Alice nodded, whispering goodbye to Pandora. She hardly heard, not that Alice cared. The front door closed softly as Dreamer spoke.

  “Hello?”

  “Mum!” burst out Pandora, as Ted said “Dreamer, how could you-”

  “You’re alive!” said Marlon furiously. “Come home right now, Mum!”

  “Marlon sweetheart, you don’t under-”

  “Oh yeah I do! You’d rather talk to strangers than your family!”

  “How could you be around for six months and not call?” asked Ted, while Pandora said “Playing with our minds as well- that was mean.”

  “I wasn’t playing with your minds, Pandora-”

  “We thought you was dead,” whispered Pandora. “I had nightmares six months longer than I needed to-”

  “Pandora-”

  “I’m just glad you’re alive,” she muttered, more to herself than to her mother. “You’ll come home now, right Mum?” Silence. “Right?”

  “Sweetie, I’m helping your grandmother with her work-”

  “Do you need money, Dreamer?” Ted asked. “I can give you whatever-“

  “It’s not about money,” started Dreamer, but she was cut off again.

  “Come home.” said Marlon sadly. “Stuff the work, just come home.”

  Pandora turned and left as he spoke, going upstairs.

  Her bedroom door slammed shut as Marlon got up, leaving too.

  His door slammed shut seconds later.

  “This is why I didn’t come,” said Dreamer sadly. “Ted?”

  “I’m here,” he said quietly. “Dreamer, I… we need to talk.”

  “The past is the past,” Dreamer said just as quietly. “We need to put it behind us if we want to look to the future.”

  Ted smiled at that. Dreamer was full of logic.

  “But… I just want to know why.”

  “Why what?”

  “You know what, Dreamer. How could you betray me? I thought I was a good husband, I thought you loved me.”

  “You sound like a woman, Ted. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I- I sound like a woman?” spluttered Ted. “Dreamer, I-”

  “Be man enough to put it behind you,” Dreamer said. “Ok Teddy Bear?”

  “I will if you come home.”

  “I don’t have a key to your new house.”

  “You can get one when you get here.”

  Dreamer laughed. “I am here, Ted. Open the door.”

  Ted whipped round, staring at the front door fearfully. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Open the door, it’s cold.”

  Ted hung up right there and then, Marlon and Pandora walking down the stairs slowly, almost trance like. They could sense their mother’s presence.

  “Dad, open the door,” said Marlon, Pandora as well. Her eyes were red.

  Ted took a deep breath, then he opened the door.

  Though he had a deep voice, Marlon’s scream was high pitched. Dreamer Black laughed at his face, opening her arms.

  “Come here, Marlon.”

  Marlon sped down the stairs immediately, lunging for his mother. Dreamer held him like he was still ten years old, shushing him gently.

  “I thought you was dead!”

  “I was, darling.”

  “But you’re here! How?”

  Dreamer smiled. “A powerful woman never reveals her secrets.”

  Pandora hugged Shadow, backing up the stairs. She was dreaming.

  Dreamer’s eyes locked on hers, making her freeze.

  “Come here, Pandora. You’re not scared?”

  “I’m not awake,” mumbled Pandora, and Dreamer laughed.

  “Come here this instant, young lady.”

  Pandora handed Shadow to Ted before she did a Marlon, rushing at her mother. Dreamer held her children as they wept, her eyes filling over.

  “I’m here now,” she said softly, kissing them both. “I’m here.”

  Across the road, Miriam watched her friend reunite with her family. Dreamer was back after three years and one month, and one day.

  Miriam couldn’t help feeling bitter. It was all going so well! Now Pandora would forget all about her, and Dreamer would most likely keep her away just as she did before. And Marlon seemed to like Miriam too, but he’d forget as well. And Ted. The bitter feeling grew as his front door closed, Miriam walking away slowly. There could have been a greater friendship between them, but now Dreamer was back from the grave… Miriam chastised herself for thinking such selfish thoughts.

  “I should be glad,” she said to herself. “Glad for Pandora especially.”

  The words meant little to her right now. Miriam’s eyes filled as she walked back to the clinic in time for her six o clock meeting.

  When she got there Alice was arguing with her father.

  “I’ll keep him in my room, Daddy! You wont know he’s there!”

  “No pets for the last time, especially furry ones!”

  “Why not??”

  “Because I’m al- al- atchoo! Allergic and atchoo! I don’t like them!”

  Alice shielded Barclays as her father sneezed, Miriam handing him a tissue glumly.

  “Thank you, Miriam. How is your godchild?”

  “Pandora? She’s fine,” said Miriam sadly. “She wont be coming back.”

  “What!” exploded Tony. “Why not?!”

  “Because she’s just reunited with her mother,” sighed Miriam. “And her mother was the reason she had to come in the first place.”

  Tony frowned at her. “Dreamer Black is dead.”

  “Not anymore,” said Alice smugly. “She’s back.”

  “Nonsense,” scoffed Tony. “All of it. She died three years ago!”

  “She’s a witch,” said Miriam miserably. “Meaning she wouldn’t have been gone forever. It’s a pain, isn’t it?”

  Tony knew she was thinking of Pandora, and he let her go into her office without another word on the subject. Turning to Alice, he said “You can keep the rabbit if you go to college this September.”

  “I was going anyway,” smirked Alice. “Thank you Daddy!”

  “I want to see Dreamer,” said Tony, almost to himself. “I’ll call.”

  “Dreamer’s got a man,” Alice reminded him. “Don’t forget, Daddy.”

  Tony glared at her. “You sound like your mother, Alice. Get ready to go.”

  “I’m ready, Dad. Oh, wait! Can I call Pandora?”

  “No,” said Tony, thinking about the money he made from Pandora’s coming to his clinic. “If what Miriam says is true, then she needs to be alone with her family. Hopefully she’ll want to talk sooner or later.”

  * * *

  “Kids, go to your room,” Ted said a few hours later, and Pandora and Marlon got up obed
iently. Then they scowled at each other, thinking the same thing: now that Dreamer was back, they couldn’t listen on the stairs. Dreamer watched them go with a smile on her beautiful face.

  “They’ve grown so much.”

  “I know,” said Ted. “Dreamer, we need to talk.”

  “What about?”

  “Well… I- you-”

  “Ted, if I could go back in time and stop myself from doing what I did, I would.” Dreamer sighed longingly. “Mama wont teach me.”

  “It’s not that.” Ted hesitated, then he said “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  “Why didn’t you come six months earlier?”

  “I was afraid of giving one of you a heart attack,” smiled Dreamer, and Ted smiled back. “The days turned into weeks, then months.”

  “And Agnes didn’t even call.”

  “You told her you don’t want her near Pandora or Marlon, Ted.”

  “It was the magic phobia all over again,” said Ted, looking away as she frowned at him. “I’m sorry I offended your mother, Dreamer.”

  “She forgives you,” Dreamer replied. “Do you forgive me?”

  Ted knew the question was much deeper than it sounded. Dreamer waited patiently as he looked at her, not breaking the silence. Then-

  “Yes,” he said softly. “I forgive you.”

  Dreamer’s eyes filled over. “I’m sorry, Ted. I’m so sorry.”

  Ted pulled her close to him and held her, saying “It was partly my fault. Miriam told me everything-”

  Dreamer stiffened in his arms at her name. “Miriam?”

  “Yes, Dreamer. Your friend from school and college?”

  He waited fearfully, wondering if Miriam was a fraud.

  “Pandora’s godmother,” Dreamer said, sighing as she let him go. “She told you everything about Damon?” He said yes. “Everything?”

  “Yes,” he said painfully. It still hurt like heck. “Everything.”

  Dreamer decided not to take the conversation further, turning to look around the living room self consciously.

  “You have a nice house.”

  “We couldn’t stay in Westport,” Ted replied, a little colder than he meant.

  “Yes, I know,” said Dreamer. “A lot happened to the family in that town.”

  “To Pandora especially. Too much things happened to her there.”

  Ted stopped as Dreamer looked at him, pain in her expression.

  “I had dreams about it- what Damon was doing to her. I tried to tell myself they were just horrid nightmares, Ted- I tried.”

  Angry tears coursed down her face, Ted listening silently.

  “The dreams were getting worse, and then- then-”

  Ted knew Dreamer had suffered as much as their daughter did.

  “You don’t have to go on, Dreamer. But… I really want to know.”

  “Mama called me. She had the dreams too.”

  “Dreamer, I’m your husband. Why didn’t you tell me about them?”

  Dreamer gave him a look so cold Ted shivered.

  “Tell you, Ted? You, when you hate anything like that?”

  Ted immediately felt a twinge of regret. Glaring at him, Dreamer continued “It all came to me the minute Mama called. Why he was always asking for Pandora. Why he always wanted us over- just us two, never Marlon or you after a while. I came just in time: Pandora was against his wall. I was so angry, Ted- I shouldn’t have done it.”

  “Done what?”

  “What Papa did that night when we had dinner with your parents.”

  “Good,” said Ted fiercely, making her start in surprise. “What else?”

  “I was in such a rage I told him I never cared for him, a fling is a fling and nothing more.” Dreamer smiled, an evil smile. Ted swallowed as she said “I knew I was going to die that night- I even conjured the machete for him. I gave him a sporting chance, wanting to infuriate him- but suddenly he grabbed the knife and went for my baby.”

  “Pandora,” whispered Ted, Dreamer’s face still stone cold.

  “He was mad enough to slice and stab her, Ted. That angry.”

  “Pandora was…”

  “On the verge of death,” Dreamer said bitterly. “He had his chance to kill me right then.”

  “What happened?”

  “She was on the floor,” Dreamer said coldly, then she stopped as she sensed her children just outside the living room door. Pandora and Marlon had been listening since their father said Miriam’s name.

  Pandora was weeping silently, in her brother’s arms. Hearing her mother’s voice again brought the tears on, but having to relive the horror of Westport made everything worse. Marlon hugged her fiercely, desperate for her to stop trembling, but her body wouldn’t oblige.

  “Go on Dreamer,” urged Ted. “She was on the floor. Then what?”

  “I turned my back on him- I had to. She would have died before my eyes if I didn’t heal her- and then Damon stabbed me in the side.”

  Ted winced, as did Marlon and Pandora. “Then?”

  “Magic left my body for a split second,” said Dreamer sadly. “I lit up, Pandora screamed because she knew what just happened, and Damon realised if he kept stabbing me I’d be mortal for longer and longer-”

  “I told him to stop,” sobbed Pandora, not caring if they heard. “I told him, Marlon- I swear I told him not to hurt her- he wouldn’t listen-”

  “He wouldn’t listen,” Dreamer repeated smoothly, holding up a hand to stop Ted from rushing to their child. “He knew exactly what to do. He was so angry and hurt for what I did and said, and I was livid about what he was doing to Pandora, right under my nose. But I couldn’t defend myself anymore. My… my last thought was to help my little girl.”

  Pandora broke down, sobbing. Dreamer continued to talk as if she couldn’t hear her child, and Ted had no choice but to listen.

  “So I healed her with the last ounce of magic I had left: I knew that was it. I looked at my body, and I couldn’t do a thing. I was mortal.”

  “And Damon?” said Ted disgustedly. “What did he do?”

  “He stared at me, then he screamed like a girl.” Dreamer laughed derisively. “He realised what he just did, and he called an ambulance straight away for me and Pandora.”

  “What happened to Pandora?”

  “She passed out,” Dreamer answered, Ted saying “And Damon…?”

  “Kept telling me he loved me and he was sorry.” Dreamer laughed again. “He was saying he loved me, he’d make it all better and he was sorry for what he did to Pandora. He kept telling me to forgive him for everything…”

  * * *

  Far across the country, Damon Stile lay in his cell, staring up at the ceiling. Thinking about the love of his life and what he did to her.

  “Dreamer, I’m sorry!” cried Damon, grabbing her hand. “I’m sorry!”

  She didn’t respond, though she was still conscious. Damon squeezed her hand, saying “I love you so much, Dreamer! I love you!”

  “P-Pandora-”

  “Her as well, I shouldn’t have done it-”

  “H-how could you, Damon?”

  “I’ll make everything better, I promise,” he wept. “I’m sorry, Dreamer!”

  “S-sorry wont exactly h-heal me now, w-will it?”

  “I know, but… doesn’t it make the situation a little lighter?”

  If Dreamer had the energy she would have slapped him senseless. Instead, she glared at him as she said “You, Damon… are sick.”

  Damon flinched. “Dreamer-”

  She winced, but otherwise ignored him. “D-deluded tosspot-”

  “Don’t, Dreamer!”

  “Blasted evil s-son of a-”

  “Stop it!” he said, shaking her, making her cry out in pain. “Dreamer?”

  Dreamer turned her head to look at her child, who lay motionless on the floor. Her fingers twitched: she was coming round.

  “I thought you loved me,” wept Damon, and Dreamer
looked at him.

  “This is i-ironic. There’s an- an album Marlon has…”

  Damon rocked back and forth, holding her hand as he listened.

  “Called… Pain is Love.”

  She gathered enough energy to smile at him, a cruel smile.

  “You… you love me and I’m in s-so much pain. Get the joke?”

  Pandora’s scream made Damon jump as Dreamer’s eyes closed.

  “You killed her!”

  Before Damon could retort the front doorbell rang: Dreamer was unconscious. Pandora was too weak to get up: Damon staggered to his feet. The bell rang again, more urgently as police sirens sounded in the distance.

  “Ambulance! Is everything all right in there?”

  “Help us, help! Mum, wake up,” sobbed Pandora. “Wake up!”

  Dreamer didn’t respond.

  Seconds later paramedics surrounded Dreamer’s punctured body, some around Pandora. She was greatly distressed. Damon couldn’t answer anything, nothing at all. He stumbled into his bathroom, looking into the mirror- only it was Dreamer staring back at him.

  And she smiled viciously.