WHAT THE SPELL?

Chapter Two

While I'd been gone, my mom had left the room to retrieve a few items of her own. In her hands was an oversize leather-bound book with yellowing papers sticking out of the sides. I'd read on magicking boards that families like mine often had spell books. I wondered if this was ours.

"Please, remove your shoes, socks, and any jewelry you may have on and then step into the water," my dad said.

Suddenly everything seemed so formal; it was a side of my parents I'd never seen before. I did what they said and hurried into the water, not worrying when a few splashes came up and over the bucket's edge.

"First, we'll add the peppermint," Dad said, placing the oil in the water. The aroma filled the air instantly and I inhaled the scent deeply. "To enhance your memory as well as soothe your stomach so you can always trust your gut."

I watched him bend down and pick up the bottle of red powder next. "Cayenne," he said, sprinkling just a little near my feet, "to add a touch of heat to your spells when they call for it."

It was more than weird to hear my dad talk about heat in relation to me, but I willed myself to stay silent so that he'd continue with the spell. "Rose petals to remind you to be gentle with yourself and others. The power that comes along with performing magic can harden a person and often sweep them up in the moment. Sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses. Try to find the beauty in life.

"A little dirt from the earth to keep you grounded and make sure you always appreciate the gifts that the universe offers," he said, dumping a fistful of the dark stuff right onto my foot. With a flick of his hand, he ignited a flame and lit the tall candle, placing it down into the bucket and away from my legs. It stood firmly in place, with more than half the pillar sticking out of the water. "And finally, a candle to light your way on all your journeys."

"What's the milk for?" I asked, noticing that it was still sitting on the table and hadn't been added to the mixture yet.

My dad looked at me and then down at the glass. He blinked. "The cake made me thirsty."

I rolled my eyes at him but didn't say anything.

"Okay, so now we're ready," he said. "Mabel, do you have the offering?"

My mom stepped forward and presented him with a piece of string that was tied in a knot. I stared at it, noting that it didn't appear to be anything special.

"Your father and I bound your powers when you were born, to ensure that you had a chance to grow up as a normal kid, free from the complications that magic can bring. As you know, we don't use our powers much in this house and we hoped that by the time you came of age, you would respect the gifts that you were given and make similar decisions."

In other words, they wanted me to choose to live a low-magic lifestyle. They hadn't exactly been subtle about these desires as I grew up. It's not like they'd hidden our gifts from me, but they'd made it very clear that I could live a normal life without using my powers. But all this did was make me feel like I didn't fit in anywhere. I didn't fit in as a normal teenager and I didn't fit into the witching world.

I was over a decade behind in honing my skills, since my 'rents steered clear of that part of our life.

Thank God for the Internet, because without it, I wouldn't know half the stuff I do about magic and casting. Through special message boards online called the witchboards, I was able to connect with other teen witches-nicknamed twitches on the boards-from around the world, so I wouldn't be totally hopeless when the time came.

"We hope that we've shown you that you don't need to use your powers if you don't want to. It's okay to be a normal teenager. You don't have to stand out. Life's a lot easier that way. And a lot safer, too."