Magic

"Mum! My head is killin' me!" I call for her.

"Lie down, sweetheart. I'll get you some Tylenol and a cold washrag." She calls back. What a great way to spend my 16th birthday, with a migraine and nothing to do.

She rushes in with a pill and a green washrag. I swallow the pill and she sets the ice cold rag on my forehead. I can't help but notice how worried she looks.

"Mum? What's on your mind?" I ask.

"I... Got you your birthday present..." She says, pulling out from behind her back a skinny, long package and hands it to me.

I rip off the wrapping paper and open the box.

"What.. Is it?"

"It's your wand." She whispers, on the verge of tears.

"What?"

"You're a witch. Me and your dad took you to get that when you were just a tike. That's your wand, one of two ways to channel your power."

I must be hallucinating.

"I'm a witch too..." She admits. "When I was your age I only got a tiny headache for a moment. I don't have much power either." She says, holding out her hand and creating a little spark.

"So my headache?"

"Power. Oh.. And one more thing before you black out..."

"What's that?"

She whispers in my ear, "Knowledge is Power."