Leah loved her training sessions with Caleb. It was not only a chance to better her skills but also a chance for them to spend extra time together. “Are you ready for the next training session?” Asked Caleb as he entered the store, excited to see Leah. “You bet your bottom dollar I am,” smiled Leah as she saw him walking towards her, “you know that I always look forward to our training sessions. Maybe this time I’ll get to kick your ass for a change.” They both laughed and Leah marveled at just how handsome Caleb really was. His bright blue eyes once again dark blue, signally trouble was on the horizon. “Then let’s go little Miss Smarty-Pants,” he teased as they said goodbye to Amber and headed for the door. Leah and Caleb took a leisurely walk toward to forest, in no rush to let their day together end. They held hands as they walked through the forest, knowing that no one was around to witness their display of affection for one another. Once they approached the clearing they mad
The day of the full moon came and Leah’s nerves were shot. She knew that she needed to return to the compound but was hesitant to go. Seth came to fetch her and Caleb decided to return with her as well. He wanted to be there with her for moral support. “I’m scared,” Leah confessed to Seth, “what if I don’t turn? What will happen to me then?” “Don’t you stress about that now. Everything will turn out as it should be. I do however have a feeling that you will turn. You are stronger than you think.” “Will it be painful?” Asked Leah almost shaking with nerves. “Yes, your first turn is always painful, but it isn’t anything that you can’t handle.” Seth had faith in Leah and knew that she was up for the challenge. “We best get going.” Said Caleb as he looked at his watch. “We don’t want to be late as there are still preparations back at the compound that need to be made.” Caleb knew that if he got Leah there a while before her turn that she would feel less stressed about it. Seth, Cal
Leah awoke frightened and disorientated, her nightmares seemed more frequent now and became more detailed. They always left her light-headed, breathless, and confused. Almost nauseous when she stood up. She had no idea what was going on with her. She had never suffered from nightmares before, so what could have changed?Leah Stardust was a senior at Birchwood High, who turned eighteen in the next few days. Her mother, Amber, was the owner of Silver Stardust, the esoteric shop in Birchwood that specialized in crystal, Tarot, and Wiccan workshops.Leah’s routine hadn’t changed since 6th Grade, every morning was the same. Wake up, get dressed, have breakfast, walk with her mother to her store and then and then the short way to school. The forest behind their home had always felt magical to her. That might be because it was her mother’s special place where she cleansed her crystals in either the river between their house and the forest or in the clearing in the forest itself. Her spec
Leah longingly passed the glass cabinet towards her mom’s office which was decorated with all things Wiccan. Leah marveled at the room every time she entered it. She loved its smell and all that it contained. There was always a new item added. One that Amber had either purchased or been gifted by another witch.Leah noticed that her mom had a new tarot deck sitting on a shelf in her office. “Where did you get this from, Mom? I’ve never seen it before.” Asked Leah intrigued to know its origin. Dying to take a look at it. To feel the card against her skin and to take in the intricate symbols and drawings.“I purchased it from an auction house. It was a steal as they had no idea just how precious it really was.” Answered Amber, she smiled fondly as she remembered the feeling of joy she experienced when she held the item for the first time. Its power hummed through her from her head to her toes.“What makes it so special, Mom?” Asked Leah, as she hoped to learn more about the special Taro
Amber decided to stay longer after the store had closed as there was some paperwork and arrangements that she wanted to take care of. Something that she didn’t want to leave until the next morning.Leah got home and went to lie down on her bed. She tossed and turned but couldn’t seem to fall asleep. She also felt bad for leaving her mom alone at the store to handle the load of paperwork, so she decided to go back to help her.Leah unlocked and opened the front door of Silver Stardust, causing the bell to tinkle, and noticed that her mother was not at the front desk. She must have been in the back getting the rooms ready for her workshops on Saturday. Amber always took such pride in her work and Leah had learned to do the same. She couldn’t have asked for a better role model. As she entered through the curtain separating the front and back areas, she realized that her mother was not alone. She could distinctly hear two voices. She tried to make out who was there with her mom, but all
She was running through a forest, it was dark and damp outside. The sky was crystal clear, the stars were big and beautiful. Her lungs were burning as she ran faster than she ever had before, and her legs were screaming for her to stop aching in places she never knew were possible. But she couldn’t stop. She had to find it. Something was calling for her, but she had no clue as to what is was. All she knew was that she couldn't stop running. The urgency of the matter pushed her faster and faster. Further into the forest. Further to what was calling her. Something she desperately had to get to.Wait. She knew this forest. It was the one behind her home. She looked down and noticed that she was wearing full leather fighting gear. Gear that she knew she didn’t own, hadn’t even seen in stores nearby. She’d seen similar outfits in the books in her mother's store but that was it. The books she loved to page through over and over again. Never getting tired of the imagery and stories. W
Leah woke up gasping for air, her lungs on fire. She was drenched in sweat from head to toe. She was so exhausted that she could barely lift her head. Where was she? What had just happened? She tried to calm down but she felt disoriented and extremely weak. "Leah! Love, are you okay?" Leah’s mom was by her side and so was Kamali. "We were so worried about you and we had no way of stopping your nightmare. You shook as I’ve never seen anyone shake before. It looked as if you were having a seizure." "Mom, where am I? What happened?" Leah spoke, almost in a croaky whisper. Her throat burned like fire and she was still out of breath. Whatever she’d just gone through had taken it all out of her. She felt empty and exhausted. "You passed out at the store. We were busy bandaging up your hand when you blacked out on the bed. We tried, but there was nothing that we could do to stop it." Her mom was shaking as she spoke. Leah had never seen her so concerned before, and it scared Leah t
Amber went all out and set up a special ritual for Leah’s birthday. It would be a celebration of her life and a spiritual rite of passage to her future. She had saged one of the rooms in the back of her store and laid out an altar in it. The altar sat upon a low black wooden table. The red silk cloth hung over the edges and upon it lay crystals, sage, moon water, and a scrying bowl. Amber was busy bringing in her grimoire when Leah arrived at the store. Excitement buzzed in the air. Amber had waited for this day for so many years and played out exactly what she wanted to happen a million times in her head. She had only one chance at this ritual and she wanted it to go on without a hitch. The store bell tinkled as Leah entered. The store was dimly lit by candles. Leah knew that no one else would be joining them so she turned and locked the door behind her, smiling when she took in the smell of Jasmine. Amber was busy laying the last items on the altar as Leah entered the room and ca