Spirit

Home Alone

"Play your cards right, girls, the plans might get pretty..."
- The Cast of "Girltrash: All Night Long"

It is now Wednesday afternoon. Goldenvalley is still freezing outside. My mom is on a date with Asher, the person she met at the gym. I am sitting on my porch step, burning sage. To any passers by, it may look like I am holding marijuana in my hand. That's because people are idiots, and they don't know the difference between a drug and an herb used for incense.

I asked Sarafina if she wanted to come over today. But she said she was busy. Her dad wants her to help him and her mom out with valentines decorations for St. Peter's Church. Surprise, surprise. The pastor's daughter is preoccupied with something church related.

I asked Carol and Leisha if they wanted to hang out, but they both bailed on me. Carol said she had "a family thing," and Leisha told me she was seeing some guy named Matthew. I swear, Leisha is so promiscuous! How many guys is she seeing?

So now, here I am, sitting outside in a Florida town, burning incense. All alone in the middle of the winter.

I inhale the air around me. I take it all in. Winter air has always had an appealing aroma to me. Sage is an awesome smelling herb, so it really adds something good to that atmosphere. It is like the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae.

I have never been on a date in my life. My mom hasn't been on many. This is her first date in years.

I wonder what Asher is like. What are their hobbies? What are their sons like? I want to know so many things about them. I want to know if they are a good fit for my mom.

I really hope my mom ends up marrying them. Having a second parent in the house would be awesome. I just really hope my mom casted the right spell last night. I want her to charm the crap out of Asher.

I see a black car driving down my road. It is heading to Sarafina's driveway, so it must be the Kairsons. I take my sage and put it out. I don't want the neighbors to know what I am doing. They may suspect me of witchcraft.

About a minute later, Sarafina runs over to me. She wraps her arms around me, and hugs me tightly. "Hey, girl!" She says.

"Hey," I reply. "Would you like to go inside? I have been out for hours. I am freezing."

Sarafina shrugs her shoulders. I open the door, walk inside, and she follows. We head to the kitchen. I take out a knife, and cut a gash in my wrist. It hurts like hell. I bleed a lot.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Sarafina screams at me.

"I am hurt," I say. "Heal me."

"What?!" Sarafina yells, her eyes as wide as gumballs.

"I told you how to use your energy for healing! Heal this cut!" I yell.

Sarafina nods obediently. She closes her eyes, and takes 2 deep breaths. A white light begins to surround her.

"Hurry!" I say.

She puts her hands over my wrist. Her bright white aura travels from her body to mine. Minute by minute, second by second, the cut begins to heal. The bleeding stops. There is no scab. My skin becomes intact. When she is done, it looks like nothing ever happened.

"Good job, Sarafina," I say.

"Thanks," she replies. "But don't hurt yourself again."

"No need to worry," I say. "I was only helping you practice using your powers."

Sarafina nods. "I could have just practiced on myself. I am still on my period. I still have cramps."

"Oh," I say, "I forgot about that."

"Anna, please don't do anything stupid like that again," She says.

"Okay, okay. I won't," I reply.

"So, what are we to do now?" Sarafina asks.

"I'm going to make you a potion," I say.

"A potion for what, exactly?"

"It will enhance your powers," I say.

I head to the kitchen. I take out a pot, and put it on the stove. I fill it with water, ground sage, basil, parsley, and tumeric. I boil the herbal blend for about 20 minutes. When it's finished, I fill a mug with the power enhancer. I walk over to Sarafina, and hand it to her.

"It's kind of hot," I say. "You might want to put an ice cube in it."

Sarafina nods. She heads to the freezer, picks up an ice cube, and drops it in her mug. "So, do I only use my powers when necessary?" She asks.

I nod. "Yeah. Healers are just like that. I mostly do divination, though, so I can use my powers willy nilly."

Sarafina and I sit down at the kitchen table.

"What is divination?" She asks.

"It's basically fortune telling. I use pendulums and tarot cards to tell peoples' future," I reply.

Sarafina nods, taking a sip of her power enhancer.

Then, my mom comes in. "Hey, Anna! Oh, hey, Sarafina. I didn't expect you to be here."

"Hi, Ms. Robbins," says Sarafina.

"Oh, please, call me Mayflower," she says. "Asher is a great person! We have a second date on Saturday!"

I look up at my mother excitedly. "Are you serious? This Saturday?"

"Yes, this Saturday! We are going ice skating!" She says.

"That sounds awesome!" I say.

"Congratulations, Ms---sorry, Mayflower," says Sarafina.

My mom comes near the table. "Girls, I need a glory hug. Bring it in!"

We engage in a group hug, and then go back to our seats. I am so happy for my mom.

I wonder if they will get married. That would be nice. I want my mom to have a spouse and step children. I yearn for a second parent and siblings. I cannot wait until I meat Asher.