I had access to the swirling mass of thoughts coursing through her mind, yet I couldn’t manipulate a thing. It was as if I was Sam on autopilot. Definitely creepy, but I didn’t have long to ponder it before things sped right along.
Sam 1998:
I brushed my messy hair from my damp face and trudged forward. Trying to wipe away my tears and straighten myself up, I reached our rendezvous point.
It was dusk and the cemetery felt cold and uninviting. Dampness lingered in the air and all I could think about was the many rotting corpses below the surface. There were hundreds of souls just waiting for the wrong person to wake them from their slumbers.
A shiver passed through me and I tried to shake off the creepy feelings I had. I needed to focus. Shaken or not, I knew I had to go through with this. I was the big sister, so the responsibility fell to me. I kept trying to reassure myself, but it still just felt like abandonment.
I made my way through the faded gravestones looking for the fresh pair of new graves. My black heels were hell on this dampened earth. They sunk every so often and caught me off balance. I murmured a curse and continued on until I found the real graves of Rita and Jason Maristolla.
The crunch of leaves behind me signaled company. I whirled around to find Autumn. Her blond hair was tied neatly back in a simple ponytail and she was still wearing the tastefully slim black dress from the funeral earlier. She was the only other person in this world I trusted with our lives. I wrapped my arms tightly around her in relief.
“
I’m glad you made it. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to slip your tail.”
“
Nothing a misdirect spell can’t fix,” she replied while pulling me down to meet the cool ground below.
Then she looked at me with a solemn look in her eyes. “In all seriousness Sam, are you sure you want to go through with this? We can find another way. I swear I will do everything in my powers to keep you and Noel safe.”
Determination was thick in my voice when I responded. “It has to be this way and you know it. There is no other way of protecting her.”
Several moments passed as we observed the matching headstones with newly dug burial plots in front of us. The real Maristolla’s were buried there, hopefully resting in peace, out of the reach of PLI.
“
It just feels so wrong Sam. I can’t imagine a life without you here. Noel will never forgive you for leaving. If she is anything, she is stubborn.” Autumn finally said with a piercing look.
“
I know. I also know Noel won’t forgive me. That is why we have to strip her powers and her memory. I know it sounds cruel, but I want her to have a normal happy life while she is free and safe from this world.” I informed her.
Autumn hesitated before responding. “You know she will never truly be free of this world? As long as you are alive and out there, she is a part of it. You may not like it, but you are a liability if you strip her powers and her memories. She can’t guard herself against any type of attack.”
I formed a heart in the fresh dirt above my mother’s and father’s graves before answering her. “I am going off grid for a while. It is the only way to slip PLI. I won’t have any contact with you or the rest for the group. For all intents and purposes, I no longer exist.”
Autumn was pulling her black pea coat tighter around her slim figure. Tears were forming in the corners of her crystal blue eyes and I knew she was wrestling with this. I hedged forward, wanting to continue the momentum.
“
She will be safe with you. Change her name and move her to a stable urban community. Keep her close and she will be ok. Your magic is sufficient enough to keep her out of prying eyes. This means going deep under cover.”
I broke for a minute and then picked back up. “The best thing to do is for the two of you to hide in plain sight, drawing the least amount of attention to yourselves. Her safety means everything to me.”
“
Ok. I trust you Sam. I will do this, but not just for you. I will do it for Noels’ safety. If she has to be stripped of her powers, then I am the only one I trust to do the job.”
I wanted to reiterate the fact that we would both be defecting from our group before we went any further. “I know you understand, but it still needs to be said. We will both be defecting. They can’t know you or Noel’s whereabouts any more than PLI. It is too dangerous. You and Noel will have to be as normal as you can manage on your own.”
A cool breeze rustled the leaves around us as if the decision was causing a stirring in the etheric around us. Solemn, I nodded to Autumn. It was almost dark and the moon was full in the nearly pitch-black starless sky.
Autumn pulled out her pack and began unpacking it. She was going to be draining a lot of power tonight and blessing the graves of the newly buried was a good omen for such a power draw. I sat quietly as I watched her chant in Latin and anoint each newly packed grave.
When she was finished, I heard Autumn speak. “Earth, I call forth your healing powers through death of one’s flesh and blood as passage,” she said before lighting the black candle and faced due west.
She pulled out a cloth doll, wrapped it in yellow yarn and tucked with pieces of ivy while burning a stick of incense.
“
I bind thee Noel Maristolla to only earthly demands until such as to unbind thee.”
Then she buried the doll she had been holding between the graves and used a handful of the dirt to snuff out the flame of the candle.
“
I thank the powers that blessed this ritual tonight. Merry part and merry meet again.”
Stunned that it was over so quickly, I asked “Is that all?”
Autumn was calm and peaceful when responding. “Earth magic is gentle and healing. It is all I can do from the grave site. The rest requires my home alter and a blood chalice.”
I shivered as the knowledge of what I was doing truly sank in. I was condemning myself for a life on the run and my sister to a life of mediocrity. Just then, the wind kicked up and dust swirled in the air in front of us. The cloth doll uncovered and the dust settled again. Autumn smiled and retrieved the doll.
“
We should go before someone catches on. Powerful magic can leave a trace and I don’t want to be found when they come looking,” Autumn suggested.
“
Let’s go our separate ways and reconvene at my apartment in one hour. Bring Noel and her bags. I suggest you bring yours as well. You won’t want to go back after the spell is complete,” she continued as she tightened her smile and reclaimed her bag.
“
Ok and thanks. Thanks for everything Autumn. You are a true blessing to our family and we are forever in your debt,” I said humbly before turning to leave.
Paranoid about our plans, I took a taxi from a block away. I spent the ride observing the life I was voluntarily giving up. The trendy little trinket shops and culture driven coffee shops blink by. The tall sky scrapers looked almost endearing. The vibrant hued leaves clung to the shedding trees in my peripheral.
The hustle and bustle of a busy modern city flashed in the rear view. Remorse settled deep inside me as I knew this had to be the only way. My sense of duty was bigger than my pride this time. I knew the loss of my sister would be life changing, but knowing she would be better off eased the loss.
I stopped two blocks down and walked to our small brownstone in Buck town. It was chilly and I began to wish I was dressed in a warmer coat. The wind from the nearby lake cut like a knife this time of year. When I reached our flat, I sighed in relief once inside the door. I wasted no time tearing off my coat and basking in the warmth.
I knocked on Noels door but was not surprised when all I got was a sniffling “go away” from her. I entered anyways. There was no time for trivial bickering now.
“
Noel, I need you to pack up a few bags. You and Autumn are spending the week together while I get our affairs in order. Take anything important to you just in case please.”
“
Why? What is going on,” she asked with veiled suspicion.
I tried to downplay the situation as best as I could. “I don’t want you here alone and I have to go settle mom and dad’s estate and will. They owned some property up north and I need to get it on the market. I want you safe. Please just trust me for once. I promise when I get back, you can question me all you want,” I said, my fingers crossed behind my back.
“
Yeah, yeah I guess,” I heard her grumble as she began rustling around.
I sighed in relief and hurried to get my own things. I was not sure what to take, and what to part with. There were so many things that meant so much to me. I couldn’t get caught on the run with any ties though. Compromising with myself, I packed a small box for Autumn to keep somewhere safe just in case.
I put pictures of our family and trinkets of all my fondest memories inside. I even placed the ticket from our epic trip to Disneyworld when Noel was seven and I was ten. Then I placed the most important things of all inside. I positioned every magical aide left to us inside and closed it up tight. Noel might need them one day and they were hers by rights.
I wiped a tear away and started on my bags. This was much harder than I thought it would be. There were so many memories I had to leave as if they never existed. It was disheartening.
I felt like the items were more than just mere trinkets and wrestled with the loss of them. With a heavy heart, I shut off the light for the final time and closed the door behind me.
When I reached Noel’s room, I blanched. It was as if a tornado had been through it. Clothes were strewn everywhere and drawers were opened to varying degrees. I just shook my head and returned my focus to her.
“
Are you ready? I am pretty sure you can live without some of this stuff,” I suggested holding up a pile of tees and tanks.
“
I am just trying to coordinate outfits. How many will I need?” she asked.
“
Oh for Christ’s sake sis, just toss some in a bag and let’s go. This isn’t the red carpet. No one is going to care if your Jimmy Choos were last season or not!” I exclaimed in exasperation.
“
Gees, fine. Five minutes k?” she asked with a pleading look.
My heart melted knowing this could be the last chance for her to get her stuff and I bent. “Ok five, the cab will be out front waiting. Any longer, and I will make you walk with all your stuff.”
I knew the threat was empty but would never the less work. She was back to tearing through the piles of clothes and I headed downstairs to call the cab.
Seven minutes later, Noel was dragging her luggage down the stairs. It must weigh a ton because she looked exhausted and there were several bags.
“
Are you planning on moving into Autumn’s?” I said gesturing at the mass of luggage trailing behind.
“
Ha, Ha, You told me to bring everything imperative so I did,” she answered sarcastically.
I peered out the window just in time to see the cab pull up. “Let’s go sis, cabs here.”
I opened the door and watched her trail all her luggage before taking one last glimpse of our home. The place we always called home was now lost to us. I quickly locked up and joined Noel trying to shove her bags into the trunk of the cab. I could see she was upset and not just from packing. The deaths had been hardest on her.
When we settled into the back seat, I just wrapped my arms around her in a comforting embrace. I didn’t say anything and I didn’t need to. She was my little sister and she trusted me always. I knew now more than ever that I was doing the right thing.
We just sat like that in silence the entire way to Autumn’s. Once the cab stopped though, it was like a spell is broken, because Noel hopped out and began pulling out our luggage in excitement. I paid the cabbie and we made our way to Autumn’s small loft apartment she got for turning eighteen this year.
It was clear that even though she was dreading what must be done, Autumn was truly excited to see us too. She opened the door wider and flung her arms around Noel.
“
Nells honey, this will be such a blast!!!” she gushed.
“
Mm, it’s good to see you too Autumn,” Noel replied as she dropped her luggage inside the door.
Then Autumn shifted her focus on me and it grew somber. “Can I see you in the kitchen Sam?”
I nodded, and shifted to see Noel making herself at home on the couch and switching on the television as if we weren’t even there. Teenagers.
When I reached the kitchen, I smelled the incense and knew Autumn had been hard at work. There were supplies everywhere and I now noticed the tired lines in Autumns’ face. Pity swelled inside me as I realized how much she was also sacrificing just to protect Noel. I stamped it away and returned to the situation at hand.
“
Do you have everything? Are you ready?” I asked.
“
Her powers are gone but I can’t complete the rest until we are on our way out of here. We have to get away from Chicago. Any ideas how to do that?” she inquired.
A sudden burst of inspiration hit me just then. “I know! Tell her you are taking her on a girl’s weekend to the mall of America. She loves to shop!”