Tales of Aradia The Last Witch Volume 1

  Chapter Fourteen

  "So how goes the punishment parade?" Roy asked Aradia.

  She sipped her hot chocolate and stared at him from across the diner table. He had one arm propped against the window and the other draped atop the booth’s head cushion. He looked very at home.

  The two of them were sitting in the back corner adjacent to a side window at SilverMoon Diner. The SilverMoon was one of the most popular hangouts for Salem High students. It was located on Witch Lane, which of course made it the butt of many an Abbot-and-Costello-esque corny joke. It was smack in the middle of the city, three blocks from Salem High. The diner was close enough to cater to the high school students, yet far enough not to turn into an animal house.

  It was also owned by Roy’s family.

  "It depends,” Aradia responded before taking a bite out her cheeseburger. Through her full mouth she asked, “How should it be going?"

  The diner had two full menus. The first was a classic, with burgers, chili cheese fries, and milkshakes galore. The second was traditional Guatemalan food. Roy's family was originally from Guatemala, and they were proud of their heritage and culture. They couldn’t decide when they were opening shop which type of restaurant to open, so they did both. It seemed to work pretty well.

  Aradia was particularly thankful for that decision, for she practically lived off their burgers, no matter how much she was scolded by her mother. The fusion design also afforded her the opportunity to learn that she had quite an affinity for chuchitos.

  "What do you mean?" asked Roy.

  "I was stupid and I’m being punished. You don't expect me to be having fun, do you?" Aradia responded. She was mildly annoyed that he was broaching the topic, but she almost immediately regretted snapping at him. Annoying or not, he was being thoughtful.

  Roy hung his head sheepishly but then drew himself up straight. It’s amazing how readable he is, Aradia realized, then regretted that she was psychoanalyzing her friend rather than listening to him.

  "Excuse me for worrying about you, Aradia. Maybe next time I’ll know better.”

  Yeah, I deserved that, she thought. Though it was really passive aggressive.

  "Sorry, Roy. I guess I’m just a little upset. It’s like, I’ve learned my lesson, and I couldn’t possibly regret it more, but the punishment just keeps on reminding me, you know? So then I start getting mad that they’re still punishing me, but it’s kind of like, I did it to myself, so then I get frustrated that I got mad at them."

  Roy nodded and said, “I can understand that."

  After swigging down the last of her hot cocoa, Aradia said, "I’m glad you and your brothers got out unscathed."

  "Thanks to you, you mean,” he said. Aradia already knew the trio had avoided arrest and had managed to sneak into their bedrooms. Roy had shared that during their initial debrief the Monday after the party. Since then he’d consistently brought up the premonition she’d had. She made it clear she didn’t want to talk about it, but that hadn’t stopped Roy from mentioning it every chance he got. So far she’d evaded the topic successfully.

  "Glad I could help," said Aradia.

  Roy leaned forward.

  After a quick inspection to see if anyone was in earshot, he looked Aradia in the eye and asked, "How on earth did you manage to know beforehand that the cops were going to show?"

  Aradia choked on her mouthful of half-chewed fries. After Roy finished slapping her hard on the back, he returned to his seat to await her explanation. He wasn’t letting it go this time. Aradia was torn because she did not know what to say.

  I knew I’d have to deal with this eventually.

  If she lied, he would probably know. She ran through her options. She could say she had heard sirens. Then Roy would say, "You couldn’t hear police sirens three feet from the door between the music and the general clamor of everyone." He’d obviously be right, and she’d be a liar. She could say she’d called in a tip to the police. That would explain how she knew, but it was really much more trouble than it was worth.

  She could say nothing. Silence is honest. Of course, he would never let it go, and he’d probably try to find the answer on his own. Maybe he’d succeed.

  She could tell the truth. He probably wouldn’t believe her, and then she’d be back to being a liar. She could prove it, of course. Maybe not the precognition, but enough consecutive successful guesses at the pick a number game would probably convince him she had something special going on.

  Supposing he did believe her, though, what if he told someone? There was probably a pretty good reason why Superman never told his childhood friends what he could really do.

  Completely torn by ethics and a desperate need to survive, Aradia looked nervously at Roy who was eagerly awaiting her answer.

  Finally, she said, "Does it really matter now? I knew the cops would show up, and they did. I warned you, you and your brothers got out, and I was busted, kind of. So really, does it matter how I knew?"

  Roy said nothing, which made Aradia feel frustrated.

  Finally, in an angry huff, she stood up and said, "Well, if it bothers you so much that I can't explain everything I do to you, then maybe I should save you the trouble of wondering by leaving you alone!"

  She turned to leave, but in a flash Roy was at her side and grasping her hand.

  "Hey now, Aradia, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful, because I’m not," Roy said while giving a gentle tug on her hand. She responded and looked at him. "I was just curious, that's all."

  "Yeah, well, remember what curiosity did to the cat," Aradia muttered with her eyes lowered.

  Using two fingers from his free hand, Roy tilted her chin up. Turning his own head down toward hers, he looked her in the eye and very seriously said, "You might not know this about me, but I’m not a cat. More of a dog person, really."

  Aradia laughed, and soon they were both seated again. Aradia got the impression Roy wasn’t too happy that the table was back between them, but she resisted the urge to read his mind.

  "That’s a shame," she said winking. “I love cats. Always wanted one.”

  “Oh, well I…” he fumbled. “I don’t dislike cats,” he finished lamely.

  Aradia laughed and Roy smiled. For a while neither of them said anything, happily eating away at their respective meals, making small talk, and smiling when their eyes met. At some point Roy’s hand found its way back to Aradia’s. She hardly noticed when it happened, and she let him keep it there. Roy was happy as a clam, and Aradia considered it quite a pleasant afternoon, until the door to the diner opened and in walked Dax Dayton.

  Today he was wearing a green polo, khakis, and dark brown loafers. His blonde hair was perfectly combed and the reflected sunlight seemed to set it ablaze.

  Aradia yanked her hand from Roy's grasp and stared at Dax.

  Ever since the encounter at Jayce’s, Aradia's attitude toward Dax had changed dramatically. He’d been an utter jerk, and the relentless staring had an almost stalker quality to it. Yet instead of being dismayed, she found herself somewhere between flattered and excited by his attention. She could not stop herself from looking at him completely mystified.

  The reason why I am staring at him all the time is because he's handsome, Aradia thought to herself. And he stares at me because he lacks basic social skills. Yeah, that's probably it. No matter what she tried to convince herself, though, part of her knew that there was something much deeper involved when it came to her and Dax.

  Dax stopped by the counter, bought a glass-bottled Coke-Cola, paid the cashier, and turned to walk out toward the door when he saw Aradia. He froze. Since the party, they had not spoken a word, and this instance was no exception. Dax just stood there, looking right at her. For a brief few moments, Aradia felt the world melt away. There was only she and Dax left.

  Then he spun on his heel and took his leave of the diner. Aradia stared after him, still entranced, until Roy barked a gruff, annoyed c
ough.

  “So...” Roy began, voice dripping with disdain. "I guess you have a thing for one of the Coppertone boys."

  "The who?" Aradia asked.

  "Is one of the greatest rock bands ever?" Roy quipped with a smile.

  "No, no," Aradia responded with a few shakes of her head. "What I meant was...”

  "I know what you meant." This time Roy responded with a scowl, not a smile.

  "If you know what I meant, are you going to answer me?" Aradia snapped.

  Roy sighed and seemed to consider his options. Finally he explained, "We call Dax and them the 'Coppertone boys' because he and his kind always reek of sunscreen."

  "His kind?" Aradia repeated.

  Flustered, Roy doubled back by saying, "You know, I mean his friends, him and his crew, not his kind. Slip of the tongue, Rai."

  Aradia just nodded. She wasn’t sure what to make of the strange turn the conversation had taken. Picking an angle, she asked, "Why do they reek of sunscreen?"

  Roy shrugged and then said, "I guess they don’t want to burn."

  “I don’t wear sun block,” Aradia replied, “but from what I understand, it’s a good idea to prevent skin cancer and aging.”

  “Really not their concern,” Roy mumbled. Quickly he added, “Besides, they slather it on. Practically bathe in it. I can smell them coming a mile off.”

  "Your sense of smell is that good?"

  “Hyperbole,” Roy replied. “Extreme exaggeration to make a point.”

  Aradia said nothing.

  Enough pieces were falling into place that she could get an idea of the big picture. What she’d seen in the alleyway behind the Visitor Center, the overly attractive people staring at her, the Vampire Murders, and now what Roy knew about the Coppertone boys and their “kind” all seemed cut from the same cloth.

  The logical side of her mind argued that there must be a simpler solution than the path down which she was headed. Then the logical side of her mind admitted that the things she herself could do were supposed to be impossible, and maybe she shouldn’t rule anything out just yet.

  Roy certainly seemed to know more about the situation than she’d have expected him to.

  "I got to get going," Aradia said as she grabbed her backpack off the booth cushion.

  He glanced at his watch and said, “Hang on. I’ll ask one of my brothers to give you a ride home."

  Aradia shook her head. "I’ve got to stop by the forest. I need to gather some herbs for biology class. We’re starting the chapters on botany soon, and I wanted to bring in some interesting samples to show Ms. Flora. Isn’t that awesome that her name’s Ms. Flora and she teaches biology?"

  "The forest?" Roy's face became ashen grey. "But tonight’s a full moon!"

  "Yeah I know, that’s the best time to gather samples, by the light of the full moon at midnight. Sounds kind of mystical, I know, but hey, I guess Walt Disney had to get his ideas from somewhere."

  "You can't go into the forest at night."

  "Okay. Why not?"

  "Well," Roy paused, searching for an answer that would satisfy her enough to abort her plan. “There are animals out there, and…the full moon is... is... when the weirdos come out!"

  Aradia raised an eyebrow and said, "Roy, what are you really afraid of, a werewolf might get me?"

  Roy went from grey to completely white. The look he gave Aradia was that of a five-year-old seeing Bambi's mother being shot. Aradia noticed the change in Roy's demeanor. She realized he was holding out on her about a number of topics.

  She’d need more to go on before she sacrificed her grades just to soothe a friend’s nerves. Friends come and go, but my transcript will last forever!

  "Well, anyway, thanks for the concern Roy. I will keep it in my mind."

  "So you're not going?" he asked hopefully.

  "Of course I’m going."

  Roy's face fell.

  "Look, no offense Roy, but my GPA far outranks your fears of the woods at night. But I’ll look out for weirdos and animals, alright?"

  Roy looked as if he was about to cry.

  Aradia hugged him and whispered in his ear, “Don't worry, Roy. I’ll be okay. I’m a lot tougher than I look."

  Her parents were not happy at first about her plans for the evening, but after a little conversation they acquiesced. She pointed out that she was being honest with them, and part of rebuilding their trust in her was giving her the opportunity to earn it.

  “Plus,” Aradia tacked on to the end of her argument, “it’s for school, and I’d hate for you to crush my love of learning.”

  Full or not, the moon did not provide a lot of light. She had an idea of where to look, but finding the plants she wanted was still a challenge by flashlight. She honestly wasn’t sure why she did most of her collecting at night, but she’d noticed her plants did best when she gathered them under certain, odd circumstances. She’d studied a fair amount of literature on the matter, but couldn’t explain it.

  It was well into the night by the time Aradia had found and properly catalogued everything for which she’d come. Most girls, most people even, would feel hopelessly lost where Aradia was. She did not. She felt a certain calm come over her when she got away from civilization. It helped her relax and reflect.

  She placed her hand against a tree. She felt the cool, moist bark beneath her fingertips. Closing her eyes, she felt beyond her fingers, into the tree itself, down through its roots, into the very earth. She could feel the tickle of the swaying branches and the leaves whispering in the wind. She’d fought against her powers for most of her life, but in times like this, her abilities brought her peace.

  She’d been sincere when she’d told Roy not to worry. His concerns, no matter how poorly justified, were not to be completely discounted. She just didn’t imagine coming up against an opponent who could beat her in a fight.

  She could do so much, she’d half-considered doing the superhero gig. She smiled at the concept. She imagined she’d have a purple jumpsuit, a short yellow cape, and maybe a utility belt. That was never really an option for her, though. To Aradia, it was the role of the police and the courts to uphold the law, inflicting judgment and punishment. Anything else was vigilantism.

  After all, Aradia concluded, what’s the point of having laws if not everyone follows them?

  She couldn’t shake the notion, though, that with all the powers she had, there must be something special she was supposed to do with them.

  She let her arm fall, severing her connection. She had to get home. She made her way back to the road. It was a relatively lengthy drive to her house from where she was, but cutting through the forest a couple times would make it a fairly easy walk.

  Over the tops of some boulders on her left she saw the lights from the police station. She smiled as she briefly considered stopping by and asking Officer Ortega for a ride home.

  Nah, she decided. It's almost two in the morning. The skeleton crew is probably one officer and a janitor at this hour.

  Aradia stopped and froze. Just like the time on the way to Jayce's party, she heard heavy breathing and felt eyes on her. She debated how to proceed.

  A rustle of the underbrush directly behind her made her decision. Aradia turned. Prowling toward her menacingly was a big, black wolf. It growled at her maliciously, hungrily.

  When Aradia had considered what kind of opponents she might face, she had underestimated how terrifying an adversary could be.

  The beast was larger than any wolf of which Aradia had ever heard. It was so large, mangy, and ferocious that it seemed more like the crossbreed of a hyena and a lion.

  It was also wearing pants. That was weird.

  Aradia was petrified and didn't know what to do. She feared that any action she took might provoke it. Its muscles were tight and bunched. It was ready to pounce if she gave it reason. She suspected it was fast.

  For several long minutes, which were practically an eternity, the two of them faced off in complete silence.
>
  The wolf began to crouch lower and Aradia heard its breathing slowing down. Maybe it’s relaxing, Aradia hoped. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the animal finally did pounce.

  She was right that it was fast. Its monstrous jaw went straight toward Aradia's throat, but with her lightning quick reflexes she managed to dodge it. Pivoting quickly on her right leg, she kicked hard with her left, and used the beast’s size and momentum against it. The wolf slammed hard into a tree. After hardly a moment’s pause, it picked itself up and turned to face Aradia once again.

  Much to Aradia's amazement, instead of attacking, the wolf raised itself unnaturally upon its hind legs. It flexed its front legs and paws as if they were arms and hands. Aradia was positively dumbfounded. The situation was unheard of. Unheard of outside of horror movies. She did not have time to dwell on the thought, though, for the wolf again struck.

  She moved to dodge the blow again, but the creature anticipated her deflection. The wolf feinted to her right, then sunk its teeth into her outstretched left arm. It wasn’t fighting like a wolf.

  That was when Aradia finally lit upon the real truth.

  Holy crap, I’m fighting a werewolf.

  Aradia bellowed in pain as the werewolf’s teeth sunk into the meat of her left forearm. Using her right fist she beat at the wolf's face in an effort to force it off. She did not pull her punches.

  Every time her fist connected, she heard a heavy thud and felt the wolf recoil against her strength. It held fast, however, and using its greater weight forced her to the ground. This will not end well.

  Close as she was to the werewolf’s face, Aradia got a good look straight into its eyes. She was caught by them, surprised not only by their humanity, but also by their familiarity.

  Hoping she wasn’t making a mistake, and with the knowledge that she was gambling with her life, she grabbed the wolf by its muzzle. She wrenched the wolf's teeth from her arm, and both she and the beast yowled.

  With the creature’s head held fast, she stared into its eyes once more. Only this time, Aradia did more than just stare. Calming herself as much as she could, given the circumstances, she reached into the other being’s mind. Her psychic power usually just gave her visions but if necessary she could use it for things. Touching an animal’s mind had always been odd for her, but she hoped the fact that this wasn’t exactly your PetSmart type of pooch might be of aid to her.

  Contact. There was indeed a sentience in it. She searched the wolf's mind, and tried to soothe it. As often happened when using her powers in this manner, Aradia lost track of the flow of time. Seconds or hours might have passed as far as she knew.

  Then her mouth fell open in disbelief.

  "Roy!" she shrieked, “Is that you?"

  The wolf wrestled away from her grasp, and bore its teeth viciously. Roy was in there, she was sure, but the guy she’d had a relaxed meal with earlier definitely wasn’t calling the shots now. Aradia felt around quickly for a weapon. Her right hand settled on a tree branch. Her left arm hung limp, throbbing and seemingly useless.

  Once again, the Roy-wolf stood on its hind legs ready to attack its prey. Aradia backed up, slowly dragging the branch with her, and pressed her back against a tree. Her foe followed with her, measuring her actions. Carefully she inched herself up the trunk until she was standing, and looked the werewolf straight in the eyes. She hoped to get through to the Roy inside the monster, so that he might take control and cease the attack.

  Aradia was sorely disappointed.

  The wolf lunged at Aradia. With superhuman agility she darted to her side, and tossed the branch from her right hand to her bloody left one. With her injured left arm she swung the branch and knocked her friend out cold.

  At first, she contemplated just running straight home. After a bit of deliberation, she shook her head at that idea. She couldn’t just leave Roy here like this, for his sake and for everyone else’s. Resigning herself to the task, she retrieved her rucksack, bandaged her arm up as best she could with her first aid kit, and grabbed Roy by his ankles.

  Where to? she wondered. Her house? Out of the questions. There was no way she’d expose her parents to an out-of-control werewolf. Roy’s? Maybe, but if his family didn’t know he was a werewolf, she didn’t want to be the one to out him.

  Just then she again noticed the glow of lights from the police station.

  I suppose it’s worth checking out