“He’s a fascinating person, there are not too many people who see the world the way he does.”
“Which date were you both on? The tenth date, twelfth date? What?”
“Tonight was our first date.”
“No freaking way!” Paris seemed surprise.
“Why do you say that?”
“His body language told a whole different story. It seemed like you two were real comfortable being around each other. That doesn’t usually happen until many dates later. And that was your first date? So where'd you meet him?
“The Internet.”
“Aw, the Internet. As much as it’s changed the world, it’s now the best way to get a date. Even for a witch.”
I laughed because she was right. It was unfortunate, the world we lived in, but that was the way it was.
I had no idea how large Lake Elsinore was, but I knew we were still driving around the dimly lit, sleepy town. To my right was absolute darkness, but with the occasional light reflecting off the water. The Lake was humongous, and our drive seemed to last forever.
I continued where I had left off, “We wrote emails to each other a couple of times and talked on the phone twice. Tonight, I just wanted to go out and meet a guy, have a few laughs. Nothing serious. But I’ve met a real interesting guy. I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever felt as comfortable with another human being before, besides my parents.”
“Wait, what? You mean he feels like your parents? Are you not attracted to him?” Paris said with certainty.
“No, I feel an attraction for him. It might not be as animalistic as some of the attractions I have had, but there’s something definitely there.” I thought about Robert and wondered what he’d be thinking if he knew I was in Lake Elsinore with a witch.
“How old is he”” Paris said.
“He’s thirty-nine!”
“How old are you?”
“How old are you?” I asked Paris back.
“I’m thirty-six.” Paris said without hesitation.
“Okay, I’m thirty,” I said.
“Are you one of those women who believe in true love?” Paris asked.
“Why not?” I said.
“Have you ever had it?” Paris looked at me and wanted to know my answer.
“I’ve seen it in others,” I said, “like my parents.”
“Have you ever fallen in love?” Paris asked me slowly.
I thought about it and, although I had said, ‘I love you,’ to a couple of boyfriends, I had never actually been in love.
I looked at Paris and laughed. She wasn’t trying to make me emotional. She was trying to make a point.
“So, you are saying with magic, I can have an amazing deep love with the man of my dreams?” I asked.
“Magic is whatever your heart desires. Anything and everything will be literally at your fingertips.”
“Call me romantic, but I want a guy to fall in love with me because he loves me all on his own accord. Why are you giving me this power?” I asked.
“It really isn’t my decision. Fate leads me to a place and then my intuition finds the person. You need to understand something, Sahara; fate led me to you. Fate had taught me to find you all these years, I didn’t know it would’ve been you specifically, but now that I know that is you, I feel overwhelmingly inclined to help you. For some strange reason, I care about you and your outcome very much
I looked at Paris and hugged her inside the car. She had spoken to my heart. She made me think and feel things I had never imagined were possible. Had I found that amazing friend I’d always wanted?
“Fate wants me to connect with you. Ask fate why she chose you,” Paris said.
“Fate is a she?” I asked.
“Everything beyond here, and us, is a she,” Paris said.
We were now going up a mountain, along a narrow road, and I feared if I continued to converse with Paris, I’d mess up her concentration. Her eyes needed to be on the road. So, I just quit talking.
After fifteen silent minutes going uphill, we reached a large group of cabins on the left side of the road. It was some type of church summer camp.
“Yeah, summer camp,” I joked.
“No, you are going to visit my coven: The Witches of Ortega Mountain.”
“Do you guys make that salsa too?” I asked.
Paris pulled my car into a dirt paved parking lot.
“In all seriousness though, is this where you guys coven?” I asked. I didn’t know if coven could be used as a verb, but it did sound better than witched.
“On the outside, it doesn’t look like much. That’s the way we like it. But once you open the doors, you see something quite different and it affects each person differently. Mother Earth shines on our coven with great delight. She is very proud of us. We see her blessings each day.”
“Is Mother Earth like God for witches?” I asked.
“God is whatever he means to the individual. Mother Earth is all her own. We are all part of a perfectly made puzzle and until we can make all the pieces face the same way, we will continue to use magic until each piece fits.”
“Sounds noble. I love it. I also love that all this seems like it’s for a great cause. It makes it more personal. It’s what I have always needed...a sense of positive community.”
“Hold on,” Paris said. “Let’s get out and go inside a few of these cabins and buildings. As I take you on this little guided tour,” Paris said to me, “I don’t want to talk. I just want you to take everything in. At the very end of it, I’ll answer any questions you might have.”
“It sounds hauntingly serious,” I said.
Paris smiled. “It’s a place that is special to a lot of people. I hope it becomes a special place for you.”
Paris seemed so authentic; I hope I wasn’t just another number for her and her coven.
We both got out of the car. It was still night, and I had no idea of the time. I just knew I was about to experience something I had never experienced before. Whether it was going to be glorious or the literally the end of my life, the comingling feeling of dread and excitement had me on edge.
Chapter Nine