Casters

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Truth

“You are not human Carmen, not entirely.” He mumbled the words out. If I wasn’t listening properly I wouldn’t have heard him.

“What? What the hell do you mean?!” I got myself off the floor and was pacing. I thought his lies earlier were bad but this, this was something else.

“I’m human. Look at me.” Robert was turning to walk away from me.

“I told you.”

I ran to him and looked him dead in the eye. I didn’t think he was lying but I didn’t want to believe him.

“What am I?” I’d always known I was strange, but not being human was impossible.

“There’s another soul in you, you were cursed to hold another’s soul.” He was staring into my eyes, trying to make me believe him.

“Another soul?” I know it sounds crazy but I believed this with every part of myself. I don’t know why I did. I just did.

“Yes, a soul, Amelia Maes.” As he said this it was as if someone had punched me in the gut, as if I had found something I had lost years ago. “Gybon’s true love.”

“What are you?” What had I just asked? I knew what Robert was. He was human. Wasn’t he?

“You already know the answer to that, you just have to let Amelia help you.”

“Huh?” I didn’t think I could ask so many questions. But if you had been told what I had that night you would be the same.

“Just let her help you.” I stood still and did so.

“Amelia?”  I thought to myself. But after awhile I realised it wasn’t to myself it was to her.

“Yes my child?” After I heard this woman’s calm and soothing voice in my mind I let out a scream. It’s not every day you hear voices in your head.

“A soul rests in another mortal’s before they are born. Only a certain types of souls can do this.” Robert explained not looking at me. “Witches.”

“I’m a witch?” I whispered the words and they hung in the air around us.

“Yes.” There was a hint of a smile on Robert’s face. However I could tell he was worried.

“He speaks the truth. You and me are alike. I can help you, if you let me.” Amelia’s voice whirled inside my head again, silencing everything else in the world so I could just hear her voice.

“No.” I ran as fast as I could, I had to get out  of there. I had to run from all of my problems.

****

I woke the next day not knowing whether it was a dream or not. Not knowing how I got home. What was happening to me? Was I going mad? I did believe Robert. I did believe Amelia was here with me now.  I got out of bed and went to my desk. After doing a quick search I found out that there were myths about souls inside other people. My Grandmother always says; “No matter how impossible it sounds, always look within and you’ll have your answer.”  Is this what she meant? My family always joked about Grandma being a bit delusional…

“You’re Grandmother is the key to understanding this.”

“Get out of my head!” I shouted. Throwing a glass against the wall. The glass broke into millions of pieces. I was going crazy.

Even though I didn’t want to listen to her I knew what I had to do, I rang Grandma saying I was coming to see her and I’ll be on the next flight to England. I packed my bag within ten minutes, threw on some sweatpants and a woollen jumper, got my UGGS, grabbed the remains of the money, called a taxi and locked the house up. I had to get away before I completely lost my mind.

Once I was in the taxi I texted Erin saying I was going back to England. Mum was the next person to text I told her the same and watched Beethoven pass by until I was at the airport. It seemed like moments because I was so deep in thought time flew past. The last time I’d been at the airport was when we went to Paris.

I brought my ticket and boarded the plane. I knew I shouldn’t just get on a plane and run away from my fears but so much was going through my head and the woman who spoke to me in my head sounded more sane than me. I was scared of her, I was scared that another person was inside of me. Hey, soon enough I’ll be in a straitjacket in an insanity ward.

The flight to England seemed the drag with all the worrying. I had made sure I had the key to the town house and the key to Grandma’s. When I was off the plane and on my way to Grandma’s I was trying to figure out what to say to her.

“Hey Gran, I’m hearing voices in my head. My boyfriend isn’t human and I don’t know what he is. Oh and I’m forgetting the best part, I’ve got a middle aged stalker who broke into the house. And Mum’s ran off with Martin again after he slapped me across the face. Oh yeah, and I’ve been told I’m a witch.”

Yeah, it wasn’t going to be easy to explain. At all. Lost in thought I hadn’t realised we’d pulled up outside Grandma’s. She was waiting on front stair with Granddad. Despite everything they made a smile appear my face. My short grey haired Gran in her classic outfit, jeans and floral shirt. Granddad was next to her. He still had his grey hair and he wore the same. Except the floral part. His shirts were plain and usually blue. I ran up the steps to them and was pulled into a  hug. The familiar smell of my Granddad’s aftershave made my smile widen. After the hugs and kisses we went inside and I asked to speak to Gran. It was as if she knew what I was about to say as we sat at the kitchen table. What I came out with was basically what I was thinking in the taxi. The whole stalker, boyfriend, witch, voices speech.

“So Carmen, you’ve figured it out?” Her face was full of warmth that made me somehow relax.

“No Gran, I haven’t. I don’t understand.”

“What that boy has told you is the truth. Remember what I told you… No matter how impossible it sounds, always look within and you’ll have your answer.”

“I know, but how can it be true? I don’t understand the whole thing.”

“Carmen, you are a witch. So am I. But our kind prefer the name Casters. Amelia was once in my mind too. She’s been in the Shaw family for years seeking help. However we have all failed her. But you won’t, I know you won’t.” I sat and stared at her open mouthed. I believed my Grandmother. Out of the whole family I had always been close to her. Even when Mum thought she was mad. I understood her.

“I will teach you Carmen, if you want me too?”

“Please help me.” Everything made sense now. All the memories came flooding back. How me and Gran would sit and talk about all the wonders of the world and how much magic was in it.

“We’ll start tomorrow. But now go to bed the spare rooms made up. Oh and Carmen, don’t tell your Grandfather about this. He knows nothing about it.” I nodded and made my way to my temporary room.

“Amelia, I’m sorry.” I said through my mind to Amelia.

“You took it well young Caster. Your Grandmother will teach you, just ask her to give you my last possession. You’re the Caster I want to have it.”

“Goodnight Amelia.”