Paranormal is Relative

undamaged although it had a large scratch on the passenger side.

  "It looks like someone keyed it," Nora said.

  "I'd say someone clawed it," Leah replied.

  "So, Maryann, where do you want to go?" Isabella asked.

  Maryann was already calling her brother. "Let's go to Case and talk to the spirits. I'm going to try Aadi next."

  Isabella drove them to Case while Maryann became increasingly hysterical. She couldn't get in touch with her brother and Aadi reported Jason had not come home.

  "Aadi's going to make some calls," she said. "He finally sounds worried too. He doesn't think Jason's still at the bar, but no one remembers seeing him leave and he got a ride with the guys so if he did leave he would've had to get a taxi."

  They parked on a side street and hurried to the main quadrangle. They didn't need spirit sight to see Charlie and the angels; they were making themselves visible.

  "You should not be here!" Charlie said. "The creature has crossed the boundaries. It's not safe here!"

  "Please leave now!" Sabrina said.

  They heard a low growl and the werewolf suddenly emerged from behind the guard booth.

  "Too late," Leah moaned.

  Isabella pulled a charm to ward off evil spirits from her purse. "Please stick this on its forehead," she said, holding it out.

  Kris took the piece of paper and moved forward.

  This seemed to anger the werewolf and it lunged towards the band.

  Kris stuck the charm right on its forehead as its claws passed harmlessly through the spirit's ethereal form.

  "Now what, now what?" Maryann shrieked.

  "That charm is not going to hold it!" Isabella cried as the werewolf clawed at its own face.

  "Where are we supposed to run to now?" Leah said. "The thing is unstoppable."

  "Why is it even after us?" Nora exclaimed.

  Charlie and the angels performed a quick magical ritual.

  "We have just learned his identity," Kris said.

  The auburn werewolf stared at Maryann, unable to get the charm off of its forehead.

  "His identity?" she murmured. "Oh, no, it can't be..." She suddenly understood the full meaning of the divination she had performed the night before and felt like she had been struck by lightning.

  "Yes," Kelly said. "This is your brother."

  "What?" exclaimed Nora and Leah in perfect unison. Isabella, however, did not look remotely surprised.

  "We haven't been close enough to identify him before. But he's a student and we cannot force him away from this place," Sabrina said. "But our protection spells make it difficult for him to stay when he transforms."

  "Then why did he follow us back here?" Nora asked.

  "He needs help," Maryann replied.

  "But Jason doesn't know about any of this," Leah countered.

  "No, but it doesn't mean he would not be drawn to his sister anyway. The werewolf is more in tune with such forces than the man," Charlie said.

  "Can you guys help him?" Maryann asked the spirits.

  "I'm afraid not. We protect and defend. The best we can do is prevent him from harming any of the other students, staff, or faculty while they are within the university's borders," Sabrina answered.

  "But we will have no power at all once he graduates," Charlie added.

  The werewolf looked at Maryann, silently pleading for her to help him.

  "I don't know what we can do, Maryann," Isabella said.

  "We can pray," Leah said.

  "You guys pray. I will too," she said, remembering the Hermit that had come up in the reading and her dream. She drew a circle around herself and murmured an incantation in Greek. There was an infusion of energy and the spirits suddenly drew back. Maryann was standing still with her eyes closed. Occupying the same space, as though superimposed, was a spirit of an old woman in a black hood and cloak.

  "Why have you summoned me?" the cloaked figure asked in a voice that was both Maryann's and not.

  "I need help, Goddess Hecate."

  The representation of Hecate looked at the werewolf, who was now whimpering in fright. "You wish for me to destroy this creature?"

  "No! That's Skipper, I mean Jason, I mean, that's my brother! I ask that you break the curse of lycanthropy on him."

  The deity appeared to contemplate this for a moment. "You know the price of asking such a favor?"

  "I would not call upon you if I did not know and was not willing to pay."

  "Very well, I will remove the curse upon this... Skipper Jason."

  "His name is Jason Skipper Gilligan now."

  "He changed his name to Jason and kept the rest of it?" Leah blurted.

  "This is not the time," Isabella hissed.

  "Skipper? Gilligan? From that television show?" the goddess asked, sounding somewhat incredulous.

  Maryann looked faintly annoyed. "It's a great show!"

  The goddess now almost seemed to shrug. "Mortals." She stepped forward while Maryann stayed standing still. "This is a magic not native to my lands," she said, looking at the charm. "But it is sufficient for the short-term for such a creature, although it is already starting to break down." She removed the charm and it disintegrated before it hit the ground.

  The werewolf dropped to the ground and tried to hide his face with his paws.

  She leaned over and put her hand on his head. The translucent spirit form and the werewolf both glowed with silver light. The light flashed brightly, and then both the goddess and werewolf were gone.

  In place of the werewolf was Jason, unconscious and looking unharmed.

  Maryann sighed and passed out.

  Charlie and Kris caught her before she hit the ground. "That was most dangerous magic," Charlie said. "Such a goddess is very dangerous indeed."

  Isabella knelt down to check on Maryann. She seemed fine, so she tried to gently wake her up.

  "Hey, Charlie, angels, could one of you tell me where I can find a pair of men's pants? Like now?" Leah asked, deliberately not looking at the unconscious Jason.

  "I will fetch something from the theater," Sabrina said, and vanished.

  "I thought you had everything in the emergency kit," Nora said, also not looking.

  "We've got a change of clothes in the van but I never thought I'd need guy pants. But I'll include a pair for next time."

  "I hope there won't be a next time," Isabella said.

  "Hey, it may not be a werewolf but it doesn't mean we won't need emergency pants," Leah replied.

  In a few minutes, Sabrina returned with some clothes and the spirits dressed the unconscious young man. "I couldn't find any pants I thought might fit," it explained apologetically. "This will at least cover him."

  Maryann slowly woke up, and then sat up and blinked. "He's cured!" she said, seeing her brother. Then she frowned. "But why is he wearing a dress that looks like some kind of costume?"

  "It's the best I could do," Kelly answered.

  "Oh, right, because the transformation left him naked," she said.

  "Thank you, Captain Obvious," Leah said.

  Maryann ignored Leah's remark. "Thank you very much Charlie and angels," she said. "But what are we going to tell him when he wakes up?"

  "That he had too much to drink and some of his friends played a pretty mean practical joke on him," Nora replied. "Believe me; this one is easy."

  "But Jason's not that kind of guy."

  "Every once in a while, everyone is that kind of guy."

  "Okay, but I don't think Aadi and the other guys are that mean," Maryann said.

  "Then we'll make it sound like some drunken frat boys picked him up at the bar and played a mean practical joke on him and we happened to find him," Nora replied.

  "Not all frat boys are like that," she said.

  "That's not the point!" She took a breath. "The point is we think of something to tell Jason's roommates so they aren't wondering why the hell we're bringing him home in
the middle of the night wearing Juliet's ball gown!"

  "Oh, right. Yes, you're right. We should get him home. I'll call Aadi and let him know we're on our way." She did just that while Isabella brought the van around to load up the still unconscious Jason.

  "Thank you," Charlie said when Maryann got off the phone. "But next time, please, please don't go seeking out such a creature. I can see what he did to your van. You would have fared far worse."

  "We didn't mean to," Maryann replied. "But we'll be careful. Thank you for trying to take care of Skipper-Jason."

  "I wish we could have done more," Kelly said. "Do you have any idea where he contracted the curse?"

  "His roommate said he was dating some girl last semester and she disappeared around Thanksgiving. Maybe she was the one," Leah offered.

  "Perhaps. That indicates she was not likely a student unless she left mid-semester," Sabrina replied. "But that is not your concern. He is cured and safe now. He will need much rest, but he should recover."

  "I, um, don't suppose you could help him out with this thesis defense?" Maryann asked.

  "That would be cheating," Kris answered sternly.

  "Yeah, I know, it's just I'm sure this whole werewolf thing is why he looked so sick and tired. I'd hate for him to fail his defense because he was cursed and all."

  "I’m sorry, but we can’t do that. We will watch out for him though, and give him what help we can where we can," Charlie said. "Thank you again."

  "Maryann, we need to go before security comes by," Isabella said. "I'm illegally parked here."

  "We'll try to stop by again. Thanks!" she called, getting into the van.

  Charlie and the angels waved at them as they left, and then faded from normal sight.

  The band dropped Jason off at his house. His roommates believed their lie about why he was passed out and wearing a dress. Maryann made them promise not to take