The Familiar (15 page)

21

After lunch, we’ve been instructed to meet Jared at the Enchanted Meadow. When we get there, I immediately recognize it. Jared is sitting on the very same fallen tree I was on when Mom’s apparition visited me. He looking pensive, his knees are pulled up close to his chest as he stares out into nothingness. Once everyone arrives, he snaps out of it, and stands up on the trunk high above our heads. I meet his gaze, detecting a slight smile as the corner of his lip twitches.

“Today we’ll have a really interesting class, and hopefully it’ll help you to better understand the mindset that you’ll need to succeed in this program. We’ll have a guest, who’ll assist us with the exercise.” Jared points to a clearing surrounded by a small gathering of trees. Coincidentally, it’s the exact spot where I saw Mom’s apparition. The sun’s rays shine brightly through the trees creating a spotlight effect. “I would like to introduce you to Cassandra…” he says, as if he’s announcing the entrance of a pop star.

The sunlight flashes, looking warped as it begins to swirl into a doorway. Once the portal is open, a woman steps out, walking on air like there’s an invisible set of stairs leading her to the ground. She is older than Jared, maybe in her early thirties, and is stunning. Her jet-black hair cascades down her shoulders in soft waves, cutting through her strong jaw and long neck. Her eyes are abnormally large, almond shaped, in an unusual shade, somewhere between blue and green. Her pale skin has a rosy glow, accentuated by full pink lips. She’s wearing a simple, but exquisitely tailored grey dress that falls to her ankles. What is most striking, besides her beauty, is that her arms, hands and feet are covered with black tattoos that resemble ancient writings and symbols. Everyone stares at her in awe, until Jared breaks the silence. “Cassandra is one of the High Witches of the Light. I have been her familiar since graduating from Camp Chameleon five years ago.”

Cassandra hops gracefully onto the tree trunk, hovering next to Jared with a defensive stance. She looks at him adoringly, then, shifts her hypnotic gaze at us. “Jared is such a charmer, isn’t he?” Jared shifts his feet uncomfortably, blushing slightly at her words.

“I’m honored that I’ve been invited here to be part of your training. I hope that I can help you become as skilled a specimen as Jared.”

I wince at her usage of the word “specimen,” and I start to dislike her immediately. Louise would accuse me of being jealous, but what I’m actually feeling is protective. The emotion catches me off guard since I’m certainly not in any position to protect anybody.

Jared jumps off the trunk, and holds the mythical creatures book in front of him.

“I want you guys to line-up, and take turns opening the book. Whatever creature appears on the page, will be yours for today… Don’t worry, I won’t expect you to transform quite yet, instead, I will be the one transforming into your chosen creature.”

Jared gestures towards Cassandra. “It will be Cassandra’s job to cast an empathy spell on you. The spell will enable you to think, feel and experience everything as your creature without having to physically transform into it.”

I feel an inexplicable urge to go first, as if the sudden rush of protective emotions is forcing me to get closer to Jared. While I make my approach, I take slow deliberate steps, passing my classmates one by one. Cassandra meets my gaze, and I lock eyes with her. Jared frowns, but I can tell that he’s intrigued. When I reach him, I place my hand on the book, the tingle of static electricity snapping at my fingers as I close my eyes. I caress the pages with my fingers, and when the moment is right, I stop. My eyes open, and I meet Jared’s gaze, before glancing down at the page. The word “Manticore,” leaps at me, and I tremble, upon seeing the accompanying illustration.

The beast is a freaky hybrid composed of a lion, dragon, scorpion and god knows what else. Jared holds up the book so everyone can see. “The Manticore is of Persian lore… A creature long feared by everyone who crosses its path. It is a voracious man-eater, and can kill by slamming the human body in one blow, or poisoning one with its spiny venomous tail. The Manticore is known to devour its prey in one gulp, clothes, weapons and all.”

The courage I felt moments ago now seems to have disappeared, leaving me scared and helpless. I glance up at Jared, finding it hard to believe that he’ll be transforming into such a grotesque creature. He smiles at me reassuringly, and whispers under his breath, “Don’t be scared, Hazel… It’ll be okay.”

Cassandra eyes Jared curiously. “I never knew you were so nurturing Jared. It’s so very endearing.”

She waves her hand, and a shiny golden wand appears out of thin air. The wand is covered in engravings, much like those on Cassandra’s body. She sweeps the wand, and suddenly, there are branches, leaves, mosses and stones swirling in the air like a mini tornado. She makes several circular movements, until the tornado finally stops swirling. Once the dust settles, her creation is revealed: a cross between a coffin and a small bed, made out of the materials that were on the ground.

Cassandra regards me first, and then gazes out at the class. “This is where you’ll rest, while I place you in a trance. Your body will be in a sleep state, but your mind, will be at one with Jared’s.”

She walks over to the bed, and smoothes out the moss that covers the surface. “Hazel, please lie down.”

I look at Jared nervously, and hesitate, before inching towards her. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot my friends anxiously following my every move. When I reach the bed, I realize that it’s much higher than I’d anticipated. Cassandra sweeps her wand over me, lifting me off the ground, onto the bed. Once I’m lying down, with the moss cushioning my body, I feel Cassandra’s hands on my head, as she places them on my temples. Her eyes stare down at me. They look like bluish green whirlpools gazing into my soul. I feel warmth penetrate my head and it spreads over my body till it reaches the tips of my toes. As I begin losing consciousness, I hear a commotion at my side, and look. My classmates gasp as Jared transforms into a vicious looking Manticore. Despite the heat running through my body, I shiver at the creature as it emits a high-pitched shriek while flapping its large wings. Then, everything goes black.

Suddenly, I’m awake. I can feel the blood rushing through my body, like boiling water flowing through my veins. My heart beats rapidly, and I can almost hear its loud thumping. My limbs are strong and sinewy, and every muscle tenses as I move. My classmates stand away, stepping back even further as I move. They look frightened, as if they’re face to face with their worst nightmare. I shriek, and to me, it sounds beautiful and powerful, even though I see them cower and cover their ears. The sensation is addictive. Their hearts beating through their chests, like neon embers, glowing and flashing before me, pulls me towards them. I feel a hunger at the pit of my stomach, and seeing those hearts beating makes me even hungrier, as the desire to devour flesh gets stronger and stronger. The need to satiate my hunger makes me want to leap out and swallow my prey in one gulp. The sensation intensifies, and then all of a sudden it’s gone.

I’m suddenly falling through a dark tunnel. I no longer feel powerful; instead, a deep sadness penetrates me. As the tunnel gets brighter, I’m dropped in a windowless prison cell. It’s almost barren except for a small cot, a bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a pile of weathered books on the floor. I gag, smelling the old urine and mold that permeates the air. I hear a muffled cry, and move closer, until I find a small boy huddled in the corner of the room, hidden behind the small cot. He can’t be more than four or five years old, frail, and dirty, dark shadows hang under his eyes. The moment I stare into his blue-grey eyes fringed with thick, dark lashes, I realize that the little boy is Jared, and somehow I’ve entered a memory.

I hear a heavy, creaky door open. A woman enters. She’s willowy, wearing a threadbare, black cotton dress. Her long chestnut colored hair hangs down her back, lifeless and dull. She’s pale, like she hasn’t been out in the sun for ages, and she has the same blue-grey eyes as Jared. His face lights up when he sees her.

“Mama!” he shouts, climbing onto the cot and reaching his arms out to her. She runs and embraces him, glancing towards the door nervously. She puts her finger to her lips and whispers, “Mama’s missed you, Jared.”

He nuzzles his face in the crook of her neck, looking like he wants to cry. The woman points at the pile of books and says, “You want Mama to read you a book?” Jared smiles, and whispers to her, “Yes, Mama! Dragons!” She picks up an old book with a golden dragon on the cover and starts reading to him quietly until he falls asleep in her arms. She carries his tiny body and places him on the cot, covering him with a flimsy blanket. There are tears in her eyes, and as she bends over and kisses him on the forehead, a single teardrop falls onto his cheek. She wipes it off gently, and whispers, “Good night, my love,” leaving the room quietly, stealing a last glance before closing the door.

As I watch Jared sleeping peacefully, the vision begins to fade, until I’m once again in darkness. I can hear faint voices calling my name, and I wander in the shadows aimlessly, trying to find them. It feels like I’m going in circles, and every time I hear my name, the voices seem to have gotten farther and farther away. I spin and spin, until I feel so dizzy that the blackness completely engulfs my mind.

22

Everything looks blurry. I rub my eyes a few times, and sit-up. Things start to come into focus, and I look around and recognize the familiar furniture of the infirmary. It’s quiet, and I think I’m alone until I see Jared asleep on the armchair next to me. He’s leaning his head on a throw pillow so peacefully, that I almost don’t want to wake him. As the silence in the room hangs heavily, lingering questions burn in my mind. I realize I have no choice but to interrupt his sleep.

“Jared?” He shifts, and opens his eyes, squinting at the bright overhead light.

“Jared? What happened?” I say, as he gets off the chair and stands by my bed staring at me.

“You’re okay,” he says, looking relieved. I lean back on my pillow, feeling an unexpected surge of dizziness.

“Yes… I feel fine I guess, just weak… and confused.” I reply, my voice gravelly.

Jared places another pillow behind my back.

“I’m not really sure what happened. One minute, you were in my head… The next minute, you were gone. Cassandra and I tried to wake you up, but your body was just lying there, lifeless. Your pulse was so weak it was barely detectable. To be honest, we didn’t even know if you’d make it Hazel.”

I suddenly remember my vision of Jared as a child, and debate in my mind whether I should bring it up or not. I meet his gaze, and realize that there’s still a trace of that sad little boy inside, hidden behind the tough guy façade he’s putting on.

“Jared… I don’t really know how it happened. But when you lost track of me during the exercise… I saw one of your memories,” I reluctantly explain.

He looks perplexed. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how it happened, I swear, but it was like I just jumped into your childhood. I watched your mother read you the book about dragons, in that horrible cell…” Jared looks down at his hands, avoiding my gaze. His brows are furrowed and tense.

“I’m really sorry, Jared.”

He looks at me in awe. “I believe you, Hazel. I know you didn’t mean for it to happen. I’m just trying to figure out how you were able to do something like that.”

I shake my head, confused. “I honestly wish I knew, but I just don’t… Could Cassandra have caused it?”

“No, Cassandra doesn’t have that kind of power,” he replies.

I sigh in frustration.

“What was that place anyway?”

I can see him remembering, looking off into a faraway place in his mind.

“I was born there, and it was where I lived for a long time… Until I was ten, when my mother helped me escape.”

The heaviness in his heart is palpable, making the air in the room dense, difficult to breathe.

“Was your mom a prisoner or something?”

“In a way, she was. She never finished the program here at the camp. She left right before the Choosing Ceremony. She was impressionable and young. The classes where too challenging for her. She was overwhelmed; she just couldn’t make it through. And she was scared. She didn’t want to fight. At that time, there were so many witches, wizards, and familiars who were killed for one reason or another. She just wasn’t brave enough to martyr herself for the cause.”

“Someone from the other side recruited her. I don’t know who it was, but they offered her protection in exchange for her loyalty. All she knew at the time was that she would be safe working for them. I guess she just didn’t know any better.”

“And you never found out who she was working for?”

He shakes his head. “No… I was born in that cell, and for ten years, I only left it once. I was a prisoner, Hazel, and those books in my room, were the only link I had to the outside world. Those dragons, unicorns and fairies were my reality. They became my family. And I guess that’s why shifting to those creatures comes so naturally to me.”

I have a sinking feeling as he recounts his disturbing childhood.

“I’m sorry, Jared… I really can’t imagine what you must have gone through.”

The door opens, and Doc Alice walks in holding her clipboard and a glass bottle filled with a bright green liquid. She places the bottle on my bedside table, and frowns.

“I was hoping not to see you again so soon, Ms. Smith.” She taps on her clipboard a few times and squints while studying the screen.

“Well, luckily for you, no irreparable damage has been done. It seems the cause of your temporary blackout was a combination of fatigue and stress. Have you been having problems sleeping?”

“I’ve been dreaming a lot lately… I guess it’s been making it hard to sleep much,” I reply.

Doc Alice frowns at my vagueness and puts her clipboard down. She hands me the bottle of green liquid.

“You’ll need to drink this slowly. Take a few sips every ten to fifteen minutes until it’s all gone.”

I stare at the liquid and scrunch my nose. “What is it?”

“Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste so bad. It’s an elixir, a concoction of herbs, roots, and vitamins combined with a revitalization spell,” she replies ambiguously. I open the bottle, and take a cautious sip. It tastes a bit like seaweed mixed with mint and a little lime soda. I take a few more sips, and feel a bit more energetic, as the effervescent brew settles in my stomach.

Doc Alice taps her clipboard one more time, giving it a quick scan with her eyes. “Believe it or not, you should be okay for discharge in a few hours. You’re a lot tougher than you look, young lady…”

“Thanks, Doc,” says Jared gratefully. She smiles at both of us and leaves the room. Jared stretches his body languidly. He looks exhausted and rumpled, his hair tousled from leaning his head on the pillow.

“I have to go meet with Maya now.”

I cringe. “Sorry. I hope you don’t get into too much trouble.”

Jared walks towards the door, shuffling his feet as if he’s hesitant to leave. “Stop apologizing Hazel. Maya’s just following procedure. You know how she is about that stuff.”

I sip the elixir as I watch him leave, but suddenly remember something. “Oh wait! I almost forgot to ask you,” I call out. He turns, with one foot out of the door.

“I’m choosing you. For the one-on-one session, I mean. If that’s okay?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” he replies with a wink, his boots echoing down the hallway as he slinks away.