I stood in the middle of this room, it looked like an old basement, you know the type, with exposed piping and duct work, and it smelled musty. I started to walk around looking at all the stuff in the room, there were runes, crystals, incense, and a few brooms. When I saw the brooms, I started giggling.
"So, do we fly around on these under the full moon?" I said still laughing. Jessica Trudeau walked up behind me, put her hand on my shoulder and said,
"No, Raven. Those are for sweeping the floor after a coven meeting." The smile disappeared from my face as I bowed my head and said,
"Oh, I didn't know, so where exactly are we? And when we are done, I would much rather drive home than teleport please.
"Ok, Raven. You can drive home, and as to where we are, we are in the basement of the courthouse. This is a secret room we built and bewitched. We are the only ones who know where this is. From outside this door," My mom said pointing at what appeared to be just a regular wooden door, "on the other side of this door, it looks like a wall. If you don't believe me, go look. But you will need to remember the spell to get back in. Just place your hand on the wall and picture the door opening."
Shaking my head, I open the heavy wooden door and walk out into the hallway. I take four steps forward allowing the door to shut behind me, before I turn around to see, well, I was expecting to see a door or a wall. But what I saw was everyone standing inside the room. Like there were behind a window. How could I see them, this room was supposed to be enchanted. I reached out and grabbed the doorknob, twisted the handle, and walked back into the room. I didn't need to think of any word. I just walked in.
"Hidden room my ass!" I exclaimed walking up to my mom. Mom looked at me, then at the others and it was then I noticed that Marcus had a clip board and checked something off. Hold up, was that a test.
"Raven, please tell us what did you see out in the hallway, when you turn around?" Mr. Lorde asked.
"Um, was that a test?" I asked my mother. Looking at her intently. She just said to answer Robert's question.
"When I turned around and looked back at the door, you said there would be a wall. But it wasn't a wall, it was like looking through a window. I could see you all standing in here talking, I couldn't hear you, but I could see you. And you said I would need to think of some words to regain entry I just grabbed the handle and pulled, and it opened. So, did I pass your first test?" I said full of sarcasm.
"Ok Raven, do you see that pile of stones over there?" Robert said. I just shook my head, if they won't answer my questions, I was done talking to them.
"Ok I need you to move those stones for me, but you cant touch them nor can you use magic. I would like you to move them from where they are to over there." He said pointing to a container across the room. How in the hell was I going to move them from one area to another without magic or without touching them. Hmm...what the fuck. I stood there trying to figure out a solution to this problem, when I remembered that the Ranee had the ability to bend time, with out using magic. It was just something she could do.
I looked over at the clock on the wall and watched as the second hand stopped. I don't know how it did, but I wanted it to, so it did. I looked around at everyone and noticed they were all frozen in time, everyone but Blaze that is. So, I asked him if he wouldn't mind carrying the stones across the room for me and he shook his head yes, all while laughing.
He walked over, well more like floated, time was slowed down, but he was super-fast. So, it appeared he was floating, but it was more like the blink of eye, and he was done. I looked back at the clock and time went back to normal.
Robert turned his head back to where the rocks used to be, and his mouth flew open. He began to sputter, and stutter,
"How, when, wait, did any of you see, Raven how did you do that?" I shrugged my shoulders and looked over at Marcus who checked something else off that stupid little clipboard of his. Next to step up was Grandma Tessa.
"Hello Raven, sweetheart." She said with a smile. I always loved Grandma Tessa, she was small, around five foot tall, her gray hair pulled up in a tight bun on the back of her head, and she always smelled like snickerdoodle cookies. I manage a small smile and she nods at the others and proceeds with her test. She wanted me to find her in the room but wearing a blindfold, noise cancelling headphones and a nose plug. This was going to be impossible. I sat down in the center of the room. Closed my eyes under the thick black blindfold. I concentrated on the sound of my own heartbeat thumping in my chest. Lub Dub, Lub dub, over and over again.
Until an image popped into my head. It was the little room I was in. I could see, not really the people in it, more like their aura's. An outline of their bodies if you will. I was quite taken aback by the purples, blues, and green blobs around me. I knew Blaze the instant I saw his shining bright red aura. It was almost pulsating. I smiled deeply, as I walked toward him, the red intensified and starting beating faster. I giggled to myself, then out of nowhere I saw this gorgeous deep turquoise blob, it was like the ocean met the sky and were doing a tango. It was moving slowly, and elegantly. I was drawn to the coolness of it. To the overwhelming warmth it was emitting. Like I could wrap myself in it and just fall asleep. It was so peaceful, so gentle and kind.
I turned away from Blaze fast and hard and walked straight up to the elegant blob and wrapped my arms around it. I just wanted to hold it forever, or have it hold me. It was comforting. I feel my body lift in the air and float across the room. I landed back on the rug in the center of the room. I hear the collective around me mumbling to themselves as I take off the headphones. I slip my blindfold off, blinking a time or two to get readjusted to the light and stand up, looking at everyone.
"Well, how did I do?" I asked. My mother steps forward gesturing for me to sit. I pull up an orange plastic chair to the little brown table. I am super thirsty, and Blaze immediately brings me a diet Coke. I smiled thanking him. My mother grabs my hand as everyone else sits around the table with us.
"Raven, sweetie. What did you see, what did you feel? Please explain to us." Mom asked me.
"Well, I sat down and just concentrated on my own heartbeat in my ears. As it got more rhythmic, I looked up around the room and saw colors, purple, blue, green, and then this bright red, which I knew was Blaze. So, I walked to him, the closer to him I got the faster the red blob pulsated. Then, out of nowhere this turquoise shape appeared. It was gorgeous like the sky and sea had become one. It was welcoming, and warm. It felt like I had been wrapped up in the nicest hug and I never wanted to leave. I felt loved and secure, but the shape carried me back to the center of the room and then I removed all the things blocking my senses. And you were all standing there whispering to each other." I told them.
"Well, Raven. You found me but didn't move off your spot." Tessa said.
"How could I not have moved, I walked all over the room?" I asked.
"Well, you projected your aura out, to you it felt like you were walking around but you weren't. I was the purple aura if you were wondering. You came to me first, then to Lincoln, who was blue, then to Darius who is green, then as you started walking toward Blaze you switched direction and ran straight to your mother. Your aura's mingled, you were a mix of turquoise and gold. It was very beautiful to see." Tessa said.
"How could you see that?" I asked.
"My gift Raven is that I can see and sense auras. I can also control emotions. But I don't use that power often." She said chuckling.
"Mom? I ran to my mom. My mother was the most comforting space?" I asked. I would have never thought that ever. I mean we don't get along, and I am always trying to piss her off. But of course, she is my safe space. She has been my everything my whole life. I stand up off my ugly orange chair and walk over to her. She has tears running down her face. I wrap my arms around her as I sat down in her lap and whisper,
"I love you mom. I am sorry for being such a brat. You are my whole world. Well, you were my whole world." I said looking at Blaze. She hugged me tight, kissed my right temple and twisted my hair in her hands and said.
"My baby, I love you more than the moon and stars. I am so proud of what you have become."
Giving her one last squeeze I pop off her lap, and say,
"Ok, what's next?" as I wiped the tears from my eyes.
After what felt like hours more of these so-called tests, I look up to the wall by the kitchenette and the clock says 11:45am. Time moves normally out here apparently. I wonder if they would notice if I stopped time and ran out to grab a burger and some fries, I thought to myself. Blaze started to chuckle, and I elbowed him in the ribs and said what, I am starving to him in a whisper.
I looked across the room to see my mom and the other elders conferring over all my test results. Did I mention how much I hate tests? I watched as my mother looked me up and down and then walked over to the green phone hanging on the wall. It was one of those old phones with the spinning dial on it. But she didn't dial it, she just picked it up and said a bunch of uh huh, yes sir, no sir, yes ma'am and hung up the phone then walked back over to the elders and whispered something I couldn't quite make out.
What I didn't notice as I was trying to figure out what they were saying, was this white haired very handsome man and a silver haired beautiful woman walked, no more like floated into the room. When he spoke, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"ATTENTION!!!" he boomed behind me. My mother and the rest of the adults hit the floor, kneeling. My mother beckoning me and Blaze to do that same. I knelt only because this guy looked like he meant business.
"STAND RAVEN JAMES CADE!!" he announced loudly. I stood shakily.
"I am Samuel Paulson and this," he said motioning to the elegant elderly woman in front of me.
"This is Pearl Baker." This woman stood almost my exact height, with her silver hair in a long braid down her back and black horned rimmed glasses hanging off the end of her nose. She was in a long satin gown that was a light purple with black high-heeled boots. The wrinkles on her face told a story of how hard a life she had lived.
He was about the same height as her, with short white hair, a white shirt, black pants, black leather boots. His eyes were dark and deep set, his nose long and pointy and he had wrinkles just around his eyes. He looked like he could normally be a happy person but right now he had a stern look upon his face.
"We are the High Priest and Priestess over the southern United States. We have heard of your abilities Ms. Cade and are please to see that you have taken the test." He continued.
With a flick of his wrist, he motioned for everyone to stand. He started walking to the center of the room, motioning for me to follow him, as everyone else was directed to make a circle surrounding us by Pearl.
They formed a circle connecting hands leaving Samuel and in the center. Samuel grabbed my hands tuning them over, so they were palms up placing one of his hands over mine not touching, but just sort of hovering there. Pearl then placed one of her hands over my other hand, again not touching, just hovering. They then reach out with their other hands finishing the circle. As soon as the circle was completed, my head jerked back, and I was looking at the ceiling. But it didn't look like the ceiling anymore, it looked like the sky. I tried to look around, but my eyelids grew heavy, and I closed my eyes.
"It has begun!" I heard Peard say. I heard a loud deafening roar of voices yelling triumphantly it sounded like thousands of people. I felt what I can only describe as ants running all over my skin. And I was spinning faster and faster in circles, upside down, back, and forth continuously.
"I, Samuel Paulson, dohereby announce that we have a Ranee', our queen has returned!" All hail, allhail. I kept hearing over and over again. Then with a hard thump, I opened myeyes and was back in the ugly room, with just the ten of us. Samuel and Pearlwere gone, and I apparently was the new Queen of the witches. Oh, just fuckingfantastic. That's just what I needed. What the hell is going to happen next? Ithought to myself