Authors: Makala Thomas

Tags: #love story, #romance novel, #sorceror, #fantasy novel, #fantasy about magic, #fantasy about a witch, #romance 2014, #a witch like no other, #makala thomas

A Witch Like No Other (22 page)

“
I was going
to!”

“
No you
wasn’
t! You said everything
for show, didn
’
t you?”

“
That’
s not true,
ok?”

Dreamer rolled off the bed and got up as
Miriam rose from her sofa.

“
And even if
you couldn’
t go, you could
have told him you don
’
t love him, Dreamer!”

“
I
couldn’
t do that to
him!”

Ted glanced at her sharply, realising he was
the subject on the line.

“
You’
ve done worse to me
in your time, haven
’
t you?”

“
I was upset!
How could I go anywhere when-”

Pandora and Ted leapt up at the same time,
startling Alice.

“
Come now,”
Miriam said firmly. “Tell him you have to go.”

“
But-”

“
Now,
Dreamer!”

“
Ted, I- I… my
friend needs to see me,” she said, turning to look at him, then she
took a step backwards in alarm. His face was murderous.
“Ted?”

“
That’
s the person who was
speaking to you last night, isn
’
t it?”

“
Yes. I- no.
Fine, yes.”

“
They was
telling you what to say, wasn’
t they Dreamer?”

Dreamer opened her mouth to say no, then she
nodded. Ted shook his head in disbelief: someone wanted him and
Dreamer apart. Dreamer probably did love him- now he was sure she
did. Pandora thought so too.
Ted looked Dreamer right in the eyes, saying
“Who are they?”

“
Ignore him and
teleport,” Miriam said, knowing if she didn’
t she
’
d never be able to leave. “Do it, Dreamer!”

Temper rising, Dreamer obeyed.
* * *

“
You’
d better explain what
the hell is wrong with you!” she screamed, appearing in a flash of
red light. “Now, Miriam!”

“
Have a cup of
tea,” Miriam answered, infuriating her. “It’
s still hot.”

Dreamer looked at the coffee table, tempted
by the little cakes and biscuits laid out for her especially.
Sighing, she sat down.
Miriam sat too, watching her every movement.
Dreamer refused to make eye contact, unable to believe what was
happening. Miriam had never been like this with her before in her
life. Giving orders etcetera. Dreamer guessed she had taken too
much, like filling a glass with wine without stopping. Eventually
it would spill over the edge of the glass. The glass was Miriam,
and the wine was Dreamer. Miriam had taken too much of her crap and
it was time to take control for once.

“
What happened,
Dreamer?” she asked calmly. “You was all set to leave Ted while you
was here yesterday, but you suddenly got cold feet when you got
back- probably when you saw him with his shirt off.”

Dreamer chose not to answer that, sipping
her tea in silence.

“
You know I
would have let you stay here, Dreamer. You still can.”

Dreamer reached for a cupcake in reply,
refusing to speak.
Her mobile rang, and she answered it
quickly. “Dreamer.”

“
Mum, is
everything ok?” said Pandora worriedly. “Where are you?”

“
I’
m with a friend,
darling.”

“
Are you coming
back?”

Dreamer looked at Miriam, who stared back at
her coldly, silently daring her to say yes. Unnerved, Dreamer said
“Put Ted on the phone, Pandora.”

“
You
aren’
t, are you?”
Pandora
’
s voice cracked. “Why not?”

“
Pandora-”

“
Is it another
guy you’
re with?” Silence.
“Mum, say something!”

“
Put your
father on the phone,” Dreamer said quietly, but she
didn’
t.

“
We tried hard
to make you stay, and you still went!”

“
Pandora,
I’
m not going to ask you
again.” Dreamer spoke calmly. “If you don
’
t put Ted on the phone
I
’
ll
to hang up, then turn my mobile off.”

“
Mum,
don’
t say that! I just want to
talk to you!”

“
And we will
talk, darling, but I need to speak to Ted even more.”

“
I heard you in
the kitchen,” Pandora said sadly. “You don’
t love him.”

Dreamer shot an accusing glance at Miriam,
as if blaming her. Miriam suddenly felt a surge of guilt, and she
opened her mouth to apologise but Dreamer shook her head
angrily.

“
It’
s done now,
isn
’
t
it?”

“
What’
s done now, Mum? Who
are you talking to?”

Dreamer opened her mouth spitefully, about to let Pandora
know that it her godmother who wanted to tear the family apart. But
she knew better, knew she wasn
’
t as low as
that.

“
That
doesn’
t matter, Pandora. What
matters is you
’
ve disobeyed me.”

Pandora flinched at her tone, and handed the
phone to Ted silently before leaving the room and joining Alice in
her own.

“
She’
s with another man,”
she announced bitterly, making Alice
’
s jaw drop. “Her and Dad
had an argument last night, and both of them were even crying and
stuff- but they were kissing this morning so I thought-”

“
I
don’
t think
she
’
s
with another man,” Alice said, shaking her head.
“Dreamer
’
s not like that.”

“
How do
you
know what she
’
s like? You
’
ve only seen her
twice!”

“
But
I’
ve watched her for six
months,” argued Alice, “And everyone got to know her through the
telly. She
’
s not the cheating type.”

Pandora scowled at her, saying “You don
’
t know a
thing.”

“
If she
doesn’
t love your dad you cant
be angry with her for that. People fall out of love all the time,”
Alice said matter-of-factly. “She
’
s been with him for ages
and a half, so-”

“
Listen, people
stay together for like fifty years,” Pandora said furiously. “And
before my Mum met whoever she was talking to-”

“
Shh!” hissed
Alice, hearing Ted’
s raised
voice. “Listen!”

* * *

“
Who is it,
Dreamer? Who are you with?”

“
Ted, if I tell
you you’
ll lose your
temper-”

“
Lose my
temper?” Ted repeated. “Lose my
temper?
Dreamer, my
temper got lost in the woods the minute you vanished. Where are
you?”

“
I cant say
that either.”

“
Don’
t play games with me,
Dreamer!”

“
Don’
t shout at me!”
Dreamer
’
s voice cracked. “I hate it, Ted!”

Miriam put an arm around her as she
listened, Ted saying “Who is he?”

“
Who?”

“
The guy
you’
re with!”

“
I’
m not with- you
don
’
t
know him,” Dreamer said, when Miriam shook her head.
“I
’
m
staying with him, Ted, and there
’
s nothing you can do
about it.”

“
You
don’
t mean that.”

“
I do,” said
Dreamer, eyes filling. This was going horribly wrong. “I
do.”

“
I know you
don’
t, because your voice is
so soft.” Ted shook his head. “If you meant it
you
’
d
be cold as ice, Dreamer, and you know it.”

Dreamer swallowed, tears falling. “I… I
’
m hanging
up.”

“
When I find
out who’
s making you do this,”
Ted promised her, “I
’
m going to kill them with my bare
hands.”

“
Try it,”
Miriam said coolly, making him stop dead.

“
It’
s a woman
you
’
re
with?”

“
She’
s a friend,” Dreamer
said, unable to stop the tears. “A friend!”

“
Is she making
you do this, Dreamer? This friend of yours?”

“
Ted, I have to
go, I’
m sorry.”

Ted took that as a yes. Pandora slowly entered the room as
he said “When you
’
re ready, Dreamer, come home. You know I can never
stay mad at you for long. Tell this woman I
’
m going to-”

Miriam snatched the mobile and pressed the
red button before he could finish, shaking her head as she said “To
think we were friends.”

“
I
don’
t want to choose between
the two of you,” said Dreamer sadly. “So I
’
m leaving both of you
for good. I
’
m going back to Mama.”

“
You cant!”
blurted Miriam, shocked at how desolate her friend looked.
“Don’
t get depressed over
this, Dreamer: you said you don
’
t love him.”

“
I said I
don’
t love him in the same
way,” Dreamer corrected, “And after today, I realise I was just
looking for attention. I do love Ted.”

“
Dreamer,
don’
t-!!”

But she
’
d already teleported.

* * *

Ted paced back and forth in the living room,
unable to relax. Pandora was drumming her fingers on the arm of her
chair, as worked up as her father. They were waiting for Dreamer to
come home, or at least call.
It had been an entire week, a miserable,
gruelling week. Marlon was back home, but he stayed shut in his
room all day and night, refusing to communicate, just like
Pandora.
Ted slumped on the sofa, saying “This is
hopeless.”
Marlon stomped down the stairs angrily,
storming into the living room.

“
I cant eat,
Dad! I cant sleep properly! I want my mother, ok?”

“
What am I
supposed to do, Marlon?” said Ted wearily, looking at him. “Her
mobile phone’
s turned off.
She
’
s
not with your grandmother. I
’
ve even asked Miriam but
she hasn
’
t seen her either.”

“
Everyone’
s real worried,”
Pandora said, averting her gaze to her lap before they saw her eyes
fill. “Nobody knows where she is.”

“
Don’
t cry,
‘
Dora,” said
Marlon gently. “She
’
ll come back soon.”

Pandora shook her head, not answering
him.

The family tried getting back to the life they had before
Dreamer came home, but it was impossible. Ted
’
s boss suggested he take
time off, but Ted refused. He needed to work to keep his mind of
Dreamer. Alice came over in the day to keep Pandora company, both
of them speculating over Dreamer
’
s whereabouts, their
guesses becoming sillier and sillier. Alice suggested she was the
couch in the living room while Pandora argued that she was
definitely Shadow the rabbit. They both laughed until they cried,
Marlon angrily telling them to cut it out. He even told Alice to
get out the house- only yesterday. He was taking
Dreamer
’
s absence very hard, as was Pandora, but Pandora seemed to
be dealing with it better than he was… on the outside. Ted and
Marlon both heard her sobbing into her pillow every night since
Dreamer left, but they didn
’
t dare confront her
about it.