***
The night air was crisp and fresh and steam rose from the breath of the boy who manned the drinks cart behind which Jake took his usual post. The drinks cart was the only place at the stadium where people could get drinks pre, post and mid game, so it was always busy, but Jake had chosen this spot several weeks ago so he could sit at the sidelines where he could watch Ashleigh cheer with her team. Cracking open a can of Coke he watched her, already set up and practicing before the teams came out on to the field. Ashleigh knew he was there. He always was, and she had taken a sideways glance to check he was there already. Jake wished he had the guts to say more than two words to her, but every time he thought about it, his heart seized in his chest.
Being honest to himself, Jake had thought about why he just simply found starting a conversation so hard. He didn’t have some kind of traumatic reason, no story behind his story. As far as he could tell, Jake had always been painfully shy, with an emphasis on painfully. His family were always supportive, and as an only child he hadn’t had competition for attention, or conversely any siblings to hold him back. Jake was just Jake. He had excelled in school, given he had made so few friends he could spend his time focusing on homework and study. What friends he did make tended to be introverted, book engrossed and non threatening from a social perspective. Being extremely honest with himself, he had not really cared about not being in the ‘in’ crowd, and certainly had not felt he was missing out on anything – that was until he met Ashleigh.
When Jake had first seen Ashleigh at a football game, it had been just like this one. The air had been crisp and his breath fogged out into the night, highlighted by the stadium lights. Ashleigh had just joined the squad and was still getting her bearings including her coordination. Jake had watched her trip, stumble and step on team mates feet, and laugh all the way through it rather than get frustrated or angry with herself. When he team mates had chastised her, she had batted the comments back with respect and humor, and she had gradually got better over time. It might have been obvious to everyone why he came to these games, it wasn’t for the sport, though he liked football, but still Jake couldn’t quite get it together enough to actually have more than a few words with her. Jake told her the squad had performed well, said how good, or disappointing the game was, or even managed to say a few things about classes they shared.
To be clear, Jake wasn’t staking her. He never followed her home, or peered through her windows, he just liked the idea of being close to her. He just couldn’t make it happen. Ashleigh was always responsive when he spoke to her, blushed when she caught him staring or someone made a comment like the night before at the ritual. He just wanted to be close with her. Like now. Jake watched her with a light smile on his face and she watched him back in between routines. The game was about to start.
In the locker room, Able sat looking nervous and uncentred. He sat on his own, his knee bouncing up and down as his foot taped. No one sat near him anymore, a side effect of the other’s disappointment with his recent performance. Abel found it hard to believe that he had become so desperate to go to the set up from the night before, but things were that bad. He just needed things to go well tonight. Abel didn’t notice, but the lights above him were flickering along with his mood.
The coach started yelling at Abel, whose attention returned from his thoughts to what was happening around him. The lights stopped flickering.
“Abel! I'm talking to you - have you got it together?” The coach shouted.
“Yes Coach!” Abel responded as confidently as he could as he stood to his feet, putting his helmet on.
Coach extended a finger into Abel’s face. “We are not having a repeat of the last time. One more piss poor effort like that and you are out. Got me?”
“Yes Sir.” Abel managed to reply.
The players donned their helmets, and started out on to the field down the long walkway. The crowds cheered as they arrived on the field, and Abel’s heart raced.
A short while later, the team was revising their strategy as the sound of the crowds and the cheerleaders rang out around them. “No way I’m passing anything to Abel.” Player 10 challenged the coach.
The coach gave him a shove on the shoulder. “We play as a team. I won’t take that kind of talk. Abel’s here for good reasons.”
“None I can think of.” another player mumbled under his breath, but loud enough for Abel to hear. Abel fought the anger and contained his emotions. He had to focus.
Minutes later they were on the field. A chance to get the ball to Abel for a shot at an early score presented itself. Abel saw it, and he knew the others did too, but they didn’t pass the ball. “I can do it!” Abel yelled out. “Pass me the ball, and I’ll show you.” The ball didn’t come to him. Abel stopped running and slowed. “C'mon.” he said flatly as he saw the player with the ball get tackled to the ground. No was one going to pass him anything. Abel looked up into the stands and saw an older man, concentrating with a notebook and pen. Just his luck. A scout, tonight of all nights. Abel looked back at the players with a determination in his stare. Running alongside the Player 10, who had possession of the ball, he spoke out loud, only audible to himself, and in a commanding tone. “Pass me the ball.”
Player 10 promptly passed Abel the ball. The crowd booed him, but Abel caught it and started running. Players from the other team came in, ready to tackle Abel. “Get out of my way....” he shouted, and the players headed for him suddenly suffered a series of trips, falls and heavy feet, allowing Abel to dart past them, and score.
Abel ripped off his helmet and threw it into the ground. “Hell Yeah!” he roared. Turning to the crowd Abel pointed at them, a wide grin across his face. “Take that! Boo me will you - I’ll knock you down – any day or night. Boo Ya!” The stands that the spectators were on started to crack and bend, and a sudden sinking feeling appeared in Abel’s gut. He looked horrified as he watched the metal buckling.
By the drink stand, Jake heard the bending metal before he saw it shifting. Jake looked towards Ashleigh who was away from her team rubbing her ankle with one hand as she held on to the scaffolding with the other. She seemed to be unaware, as she tested out her ankle as she placed it on the ground. Screams echoed out from the spectator stand and she looked upwards confused. She let go of the scaffolding that groaned as it moved and a few people jumped from the stand above her. She took shelter standing closer to the grandstand, but from where he was, Jake saw the structure was falling towards her. Ashleigh, his Ashleigh was going to be crushed.
Jake started running towards Ashleigh, as the stands started coming apart and pieces fell about her. Ashleigh put her arms above her head, bracing as she realized the scaffolding was about to topple over her, and people continued to jump from the stands above her.
Jake was running and nearly at Ashleigh when he realized he was not going to make it. It was going to be too late. He had waited and procrastinated too long. He should have asked her out, he should have said something about how he felt, he should have done a lot of things. “Stop!” he called out in desperation, in reaction to seeing the scaffolding falling on her, knowing he couldn’t do anything about it. As soon as the words left him the stands stopped as though caught on some invisible string. They moved and swayed, but didn’t fall towards the ground, and didn’t fall on Ashleigh. Jake reached her just as she was peeking out from her arms that she held above her face, bracing for impact. He grabbed her, pushing her out of the way and to the ground, but stopped, Ashleigh curled in his arms when he realized the scaffolding wasn’t moving either.
Hovering an inch away from Ashleigh’s face Jake was breathing hard. They simultaneously looked above them, both frozen in the realization of the impossibility of the structure hanging above them, defying physics. The screams and yells of people in the background faded away and they looked at eachother. Ashleigh smiled back at him. “You saved me.” she said softly. Jake stared back speechless, enthralled by the fact he finally
had Ashleigh in his arms, in spite of the context.
As Jake was distracted by Ashleigh’s eyes staring back at him, the glint of her lips as she smiled, the scaffolding started falling again. In sudden panic, the two of them closed their eyes waiting to be hit by the falling debris when they disappeared in to thin air. They appeared again at the entrance to the field by the team walkway and in the shadows of the walls. From the rush and the excitement, Ashleigh could barely keep her voice down. “What was that?!” The two dissolved into nervous laughter. In truth they were both stunned, but as they fought to stand on shaky legs a realization occurred. This was a very public display. Keterlyn had said to stay hidden, to keep the magic unseen.
Ashleigh stared out at the disarray. Julia, one of her friends and fellow cheerleaders was looking around, clearly distraught. When she saw Ashleigh over by the walkway, she bolted towards her.
“Remember we can’t say anything.” Jake prompted.
“What am I going to say?” Ashleigh replied rhetorically as Julia rushed her.
“Oh my God. I thought you were under that mess. I thought you were dead!” Julia gushed clutching Ashleigh so tight she could barely breathe.
“Jake pulled me out of the way.” Ashleigh offered by way of explanation.
“I….” Jake began but was cut off by Ashleigh’s friend launching into him with a bear hug. After nearly knocking him over in gratitude for saving Ashleigh, Julia pulled away and looked back out on to the field.
“What could have done this?” Julia asked, astounded as she looked over the rubble.
Abel appeared in the doorway looking distressed, and Jake and Ashleigh gave him a knowing stare.
The following night, Keterlyn, Daniel, Molly and Micala waited patiently for everyone to arrive. Lily was the first, and she stalked up the hill, almost looking angry. Her breath came ragged as she began to speak. “My mother’s walking. First time in 10 years. I don’t know what the hell you did to us, but I want to know more.”
Tempest, and Will arrived then, detracting from further conversation, followed by Ashleigh, Jake and Abel. Rebecca and Zara pulled up in separate cars next, and in barely any time at all, as though they were all attuned to the same time and place, the group was almost complete.
“Thank you for coming back.” Keterlyn extended.
Will stepped closer, concern across his features. “Anise is missing. I haven’t been able to reach her. Did something happen to her? Did you do something to her?”
Keterlyn closed her eyes, cocked her head and slid to her knees, digging her fingers into the dirt. Looking up, her eyelids opened and her irises glowed briefly. The ground cracked and rumbled before Anise appeared a few meters away from the group. Astonished as she looked around. Will ran to her side.
Everyone stood with a variety of shocked faces, and open jaws.
Ashleigh spoke, voicing the group’s thoughts. “How come you didn’t just show us this stuff before, no offense, but I think you may have had better buy in from the get go.”
“Because,” reasoned Keterlyn, “When the circle is broken, if I use my magic, I can be detected by a creature called Lormorian. Once I share it with you, I’m safe.”
“What is a Lormorian?” asked Jake.
“He is a demon.” Keterlyn began. She hated having to say what came next. “He’s my…I married him.”
“Your husband?!” Lily asked gob smacked. “Are you a …”
Keterlyn interrupted her. “I’m just a girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“You did this to save yourself? That's pitiful.” Abel accused.
Daniel responded on instinct. “Hey! It’s not like we don’t get anything. How’s your game doing?” Abel shrank back slightly.
Keterlyn brushed off the dispute. She was used to any and all comments, though admitted to herself this was the first time anyone had stood up for her like that. “Maybe Abel, but the alternative is too painful. And you will get plenty out of this. I mean besides the enduring health, youth, vitality…I expect you already have started experiencing some of those benefits.”
Rebecca was next to press for answers. “He’s chasing you. Does that mean he’ll come after us?”
Keterlyn shook her head. “He can’t find you while we are connected. But if you breach the rule of revealing yourself, you need to give up your powers. Once the connection is broken, we all become vulnerable.”
“That doesn't sound so bad.” Tempest said in response.
“It means they can find you and if they find you, they will kill you.” Keterlyn clarified for him.
“They?” Zara asked with a cautious tone.
“Lormorian and the creatures that serve him, his underlings. It won’t be a pleasant end, and I will not help you. Fate has it's heroes. I'm not one of them.” A silence settled over the group after Keterlyn spoke. She continued on, knowing she had their undivided attention, and their acknowledgement of the seriousness of the situation. “When we are together, our strength will be even more than when we are apart. That’s why it was important to meet monthly to reestablish connections with each other, exchange any concerns, and together we can work on big ticket items you might have.”
“How did you get away?” Lily had posed a question Keterlyn herself wanted to avoid now she knew what had happened to Eerie.
“I did what I needed to, to survive. But a friend helped me.”
“Where is this friend now?” Will questioned. Keterlyn paused unwilling to answer.
“Let’s begin.” Keterlyn said instead allowing people to read in to her absence of an answer as they would.
Molly stepped forward. She had waited every day of her life for this. An extravert who forged her own way, Molly had always pushed boundaries, and wanted to lead the way. In her last coven, which she had joined when she was just sixteen she had felt the energy, known it was there to be touched, but this was more than she thought she would have ever had the chance to know. Smiling, she stood, head held high, for the first time feeling like she had a calling. Summoning of energy had come naturally to her, unlike some of the other skills Daniel had mastered, or Micala had focused on. Molly felt she was standing on the precipice of her greatest realization, and she breathed deeply embracing it.
Coming from a working class home, Molly had always been taught to hold her head high, work hard and aim for what she wanted. There might be some things she didn’t talk about when she visited home, such as coven meetings and full moon rituals, but she knew what she wanted and right now, she knew she was willing to work hard to get the most out of it. As she inhaled the night air she could almost taste the insects, leaves, the essence of everything that kept the universe together. Smiling Molly readied a blue ball of energy in her hands, using all of which she had already been taught.
Keterlyn had trained Daniel, Molly and Micala well over the last two days. They had picked it up faster than any group before. Levitation, harnessing the elements, and drawing power from existing sources around them. They had performed well, and now it was time to get the others up to speed. Molly threw the ball of energy and it splintered as it hit the nearby tree. Sparks of light danced around the tree like fairy lights, providing illumination. In wonder, the others looked on. Daniel stood closer to then moved next to Keterlyn.
Ashleigh left the rest of the group who stood staring at the dancing lights. She moved forward staring up, almost breathless at the beauty. The dancing blue light reminded her of the fireflies near the lake at the base of the property she used to live on. She had always thought that there had been magic in the night sky, be it fireflies, be it comets streaking across the night sky, or the immense density of the milky way so clear in the country. She had missed the space, the magic since leaving home to study. In her heart she knew she carried the down to earth nature, the frank honesty she had been inspired to grow within her, but she missed the fantasy.
The fantasy of believing that fairies danced at the base of tre
es whilst she slept, that there existed chivalry, knights on white horses, or the endless possibilities of the universe, had always proved to make the best dreams Ashleigh had as a child. Tonight was a re-awakening. She didn’t fear it, she couldn’t. She could almost cry to see the magic come to life.