‘Please don’t tell anyone I said that. I shouldn’t have told you, but … well, I know that you’re different too.’
I decide she definitely must be joking, pulling my leg. Her sense of humour is really warped, but, well, I guess I can handle that. ‘Ah, black magic and all that stuff.’
I hear her suck in a deep sharp breath. Great. Now she’s mad at me. ‘Never black, Jarrod,’ she says in all seriousness. ‘At least not black in the traditional sense of the word when referring to witch practices.’
I stare at her and she says, ‘Jillian would never do anything to hurt anyone. She’s adamant about that. All her magic is pure. She’s a healer.’
I realise she is one hundred per cent dead serious. She notices my stunned-mullet look and spins around. ‘Look,’ she starts explaining, fast realising she’s losing me. ‘I wouldn’t be telling you any of this, believe me, I don’t usually encourage gossip, except I believe you have the gift too. I’m guessing you don’t know it, let alone understand it,’ she continues in one long rapid burst. ‘I can see all that, and I’m sorry if I’ve shocked you or anything, but you have to understand, the gift as strong as yours could be dangerous. Manipulating the weather is something …’ she hesitates, searching for the right words. I get the feeling it isn’t so much searching for an explanation, but trying to find words that won’t incriminate her sanity even more.
‘Look,’ she tries again, and I’m surprised to see her actually blushing. Her cheeks turn the colour of tomato sauce. ‘Usually only sorcerers can do this sort of thing, enchanted sorcerers, not ordinary people like us. D’you know what I mean?’
I stare at her even harder, my mouth hanging open. Is she really saying this stuff? I decide to see just how much she’ll admit. ‘So, both you and your grandmother are witches?’
She takes her time answering like she’s choosing her words extra carefully. ‘I guess you could say that.’
‘Jillian and Kate. They don’t sound much like names of witches.’
‘Well, what did you expect?’
‘I don’t know … Laeticia, maybe.’
She frowns at me, but a smile is pulling at her mouth. ‘Laeticia? Where did you dig that up? A grave or something?’
‘It was my grandmother’s name.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yeah, and she even looked like a witch.’
‘Maybe she was.’
‘I don’t believe that for one second. Besides, witchcraft doesn’t exist.’
She says softly, ‘It exists.’
‘No way. You would never convince me. It just …’
‘Doesn’t follow the rules?’
‘Not mine, that’s for sure.’
‘Look, Jarrod, I’ve seen your gift in action. And if you’re not trained to handle your skills, anything could happen. People could get hurt. Just look at your arm. What if it’d been your throat that glass had slashed?’
I stare at my arm. The white bandage has slipped again but it’s stopped bleeding now. I take this to mean I’m not about to drop dead at this strange girl’s feet, nor am I in desperate need of a transfusion. All the same, her fun with me has gone far enough. ‘What are you saying? That I caused that storm today?’
She nods and smiles and looks genuinely relieved.
I know for sure then. It hits deep in my gut. And it’s such a shame because I find myself attracted to her in a way I’ve never felt with a girl before. But this one is bad news. She’s crazy – in the head. There’s no other explanation. I start walking backwards, down the deserted mountain road, picking up speed with each step, calling back briefly, ‘I think I’ll take my chances with sick bay.’
‘Geez!’ she hisses between clenched teeth. ‘I’ve frightened you.’
I keep moving and hear her mutter something under her breath. I can’t be sure but I think she says, ‘Not that it would take much.’
She runs over, takes my elbow, crooning softly and patting my arm. I suddenly feel like an abandoned puppy she’s found on the side of the road. ‘It’s OK. Don’t worry,’ she says. ‘I shouldn’t have gone off like that. Jillian is always better with words than me. C’mon, Jarrod, come back with me. It’s not far now.’
Eventually I let her lead me. It’s easier to give in. My policy is to avoid scenes wherever possible. And I guess my curiosity has kicked in. Surely she can’t be too sick, at least not dangerously. She has to be about sixteen, like me. She’s in my class. And I imagine they don’t let delusional teenagers into schools nowadays. They have special homes for that sort of thing.
Don’t they?
Kate
I found out heaps about Jarrod Thornton really quickly. The scariest part is the fact that he has absolutely no idea of his talents. His gift I mean. And he lacks confidence in himself, badly. I wonder why? What sort of life could have reduced his self-confidence to zilch? Especially in the face of all that power he’s sheltering. I wonder what Jillian will think.
There’s only ever been Jillian and me. We keep mostly to ourselves, except for Hannah. And even though Hannah has no natural talent, it doesn’t make any difference to her enjoyment of the magical arts. I’ve only heard from my mother once, a brief note explaining she’s found happiness at last, living in Brisbane with a man with three grown-up children. That was a few years ago and the note was addressed to Jillian, as if she can’t acknowledge that I was actually born. I reckon the man she’s with has no idea I even exist. I should feel relief at this really ’cause I don’t ever want to leave Jillian, or Ashpeak, but sometimes I can’t stop thinking: what on earth is wrong with me that my own mother doesn’t want to know me?
Jillian too was a single mum, but she rarely talks about it. All I know is that her old folks turfed her out as soon as they found out about the pregnancy. She hooked up with an artist for a while, but he was so moody, she had to move out. She moved in with a couple of witch wannabees, both into fortune-telling, seances, materialistic spells for cash, and other stuff like that. They weren’t very good either, made their money from ripping off gullible members of the public. Once they distressed an elderly widow trying to contact her deceased husband, telling her his spirit was lost, that he was miserable without her and couldn’t settle. A couple of days later Jillian found out the woman had swallowed a whole packet of sleeping tablets, putting herself into a coma from which the doctors couldn’t revive her. This tragedy pushed Jillian to move out on her own. It ended up the best thing she ever did. She started her own business, selling her craft, herbs, incense, crystals and stuff like that, at a local market. She worked hard, saved her money, and now she has her shop – the Crystal Forest.
I never ask Jillian to tell me more than she wants to. Privacy I respect. It works both ways.
I lead Jarrod through the last of the three hairpin bends, the road ending in a private cul-de-sac. My house is now the only building in sight. There are other properties lower down the mountain, but mostly Jillian and I live by ourselves. Jillian likes it this way, and well, it suits me too.
The cottage is small, A-frame, mostly timber and a little brick around the foundations with an old detached garage on the side. The lower front half forms the shop. Standing here you can see straight through the full front glass windows where Jillian’s trinkets blink back the mid-morning sunlight. At the rear are Jillian’s rooms, and a kitchen-living room and bathroom. My bedroom is the entire top floor. It’s small but I love it there, even though I can only stand full height in the centre where the sharply angled roof is tallest. But it has privacy, and the sounds of the forest inhabit my room at night comfortingly.
I suddenly wonder what Jarrod thinks of my home. Strange, I’ll bet. I won’t dare probe his mind again, it only alarms him when I do. He’s not very receptive to new ideas. What he doesn’t understand straight off, what doesn’t follow his ‘rules of life’, scares the hell out of him. I’ll have to tell Jillian to take it slowly.
The door chimes ring as I lead Jarrod through the front glass door. J
illian is out the back, but comes through the timber-framed arch at the sound of impending customers. I smile at her. Even though it’s unusual to see me here at this time of day when I should be at school, I know she won’t be angry. That’s the way she is – non-judgemental.
My smile shrivels on my face. The second Jillian sees Jarrod her mouth drops open and her eyes squint like she’s trying to figure something out. We step closer and her eyes suddenly spring wide open in startled shock. She looks comical, but I’m not laughing. Something is wrong. She fumbles in her jeans pocket for her glasses in a mad kind of panic. She puts them on and starts screaming.
Her terrified screams hit a high pitch. I sense wildlife scattering at the sound. I can’t understand her reaction. She’s mumbling something about evil this or that, but it’s hard to distinguish any actual words.
Finally she stops but is still breathing hard, a hand splayed across her heaving chest. Of all the unexpected things to happen, today is definitely the day for it. First that bizarre storm in the lab, and now Jillian losing control. And it’s so out of character, I can do nothing but stand here stunned. Slowly, I slide a sideways look at Jarrod. This is all he needs. He’ll think we’re both crazy now. Predictably it’s written all over his face, scepticism, shock, and fear of being in bodily danger. His pathetic spirit makes me mad. Where is his backbone? Can’t he see the woman is upset?
‘What happened, Jillian?’
She points to Jarrod with a trembling hand. ‘Snakes. I saw snakes.’
Jarrod’s eyebrows lift.
‘On him?’
She nods, sucking in a deep gulping breath. ‘A vision. It must have been a vision. They’re gone now.’ Reluctantly she draws her gaze away from Jarrod, locking her blue eyes to mine. ‘There were at least twenty, Kate. Covering the top half of his body, green slimy things that weaved all around him, over his shoulders, his head, into his hair.’
I don’t doubt her for a second. ‘God, what does this mean?’
She shudders and slips her glasses back into her pocket. ‘I don’t know, darling. Snakes are vile creatures, indicating the presence of evil.’
‘We’ve only just met, but I don’t sense evil on him.’ I think about this and shake my head. ‘Nah, not evil, Jillian. No way. He’s more …’ I shrug as images waft across my subconscious, ‘kind of puppy-doggish.’
‘If you’ll excuse me,’ Jarrod’s placid voice unfolds between us. ‘This is all very amusing. If I ever get my sense of humour back, I’m sure I’ll laugh – in about twenty years. Right now though, I gotta go, get that Band-aid, y’know?’
Wonderful. Of course I know what he’s doing. Ignoring his obvious urge to get the hell out of here, I try pushing past his scepticism and mounting fear. ‘Wait, Jarrod. Let me explain.’
He adjusts his glasses, then points a finger with a negative shake of his head. ‘I don’t think I want to hear it. No offence, but … this isn’t my scene. You wanna know the truth? I hate snakes. I had an incident with snakes in my bed once.’ His whole body shivers. ‘Never ever again.’
He turns, but I beat him to the door. ‘While you’re here let’s just fix your arm. It’s the least we can do, really.’
‘I think the least you can do has already been done – to my sanity. Now, don’t bar that door, or I’ll take you through it with me, Kate.’
A strange breeze starts to blow, trinkets and wind chimes start dancing erratically. It hits my face and swirls my hair around and it feels sensational. It isn’t angry, like before in the lab. This wind is mystical yet tame, and it sings to me. I wish I could share it with Jarrod, ’cause he created it. I’m sure of this. And it’s such a beautiful wind, swirling around my feet, pushing gently upwards to the ceiling. I get so caught up in it I start to move, with it, through it, into it.
I almost forget about Jarrod and his urge to flee. But he’s noticed the wind too. He’s looking at me oddly, his head tilted, a peculiar expression on his face, like he’s intrigued against his will.
‘Ooh, how delightful.’ Jillian comes back in, her hands full of bandages and herbal antiseptics. ‘If you’ll just sit down for a minute … Jarrod, isn’t it?’
He nods, his mind momentarily distracted from running, and sits on the stool Jillian points to. I watch him peer through the glass windows at the stillness of the trees in the forest. He’s wondering how there could be such a breeze in here when outside is calm, almost still. It’s good that he’s wondering. I allow him to do this without jumping on his thoughts. I have just learned not to go too fast with him.
The breeze disappears the instant the first drops of antiseptic sting Jarrod’s open wound. ‘Hey! What the hell is that stuff!’
‘A tincture of St John’s Wort. A very good antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and sedative,’ Jillian explains. At least she seems composed now, that frightening vision hopefully gone.
‘Can’t you use normal antiseptic?’ he asks sarcastically. ‘Nothing on a supermarket shelf would sting half as much.’
Jillian keeps working gently. Her fingers, I notice, are still trembling a bit. A hangover from the vision. ‘There now, not too deep.’ She pushes his skin together where the wound is deepest, and sticks three adhesive strips over the top. ‘At least I don’t think it needs stitches,’ she says soothingly, in complete control now. ‘Are you up-to-date with tetanus?’
He nods. ‘Oh yeah, I would be. I’m always …’ He glances up quickly, his cheeks filling with bright colour. ‘Never mind,’ he mumbles.
‘Good,’ Jillian replies absently as she finishes working a sterile bandage over the wounded area. ‘It should be fine, but do see a doctor if it becomes angry.’
‘Angry?’ Jarrod asks, bemused.
Jillian starts putting away the bandages and bits and pieces.
‘Hot, red or swollen,’ I explain, having seen Jillian’s handiwork hundreds of times. The neighbours know her skills with cuts and stuff. And since it’s a good twenty-minute drive to the local hospital, and sometimes takes days just to get an appointment at the only medical centre in Ashpeak, she often has neighbours dropping by for little incidents. Not just human incidents either. Jillian takes care of injured forest creatures too, nursing them back to health then setting them free again. It’s not unusual for someone to call in through the night with a possum or koala they’ve found injured by the road.
Apparently satisfied with my explanation, and content with the first-aid job on his arm, Jarrod’s curiosity overtakes his fears. He starts browsing at the various bits and pieces of oddities Jillian keeps in her shop, mostly for tourists – crystals, oils, charms, New Age books. Jillian pulls me aside. I give her a brief rundown on what happened in the lab this morning. She listens intently, sometimes nodding.
‘He appears so gentle, yet …’ Jillian whispers, her voice trailing off. ‘I sense more. His aura is really quite spectacular.’
‘He’s filled with power, Jillian. I saw it. I felt it.’
‘It’s strange that he’s so unaware of it, Kate. Those that are born with supernatural talents either realise it early, or never at all. And so it can thrive – as in your case – or lie dormant. Those unfortunate ones who remain oblivious usually do so their entire lives. I’ve seen it happen so many times. Years ago, Denise Hiller’s baby used to pick the phone up every time someone was dialling their number. It used to annoy Denise when people would complain her line was always busy. She scolded her daughter continuously until the child learned it was bad behaviour. Now the child is grown, and there’s no way she will ever harness that strength of power again. She can do little things with a remarkable sixth sense. But that’s all. We’ve been trying to regain more, but most of it is lost.’
‘Jarrod’s power is immense, yet he’s completely unaware of it.’
‘That’s strange, like something’s triggered it.’
I try to follow her line of thinking. ‘Do you think there’s a reason his power is emerging now?’
She shrugs. ‘I don’t know
, Kate. Just guessing.’
I think about this for a minute, but something else is wrong too. ‘If Jarrod’s power is so strong that he can manipulate the weather, and he doesn’t learn how to control it, anything could happen. The science lab was nearly destroyed today. Sheer luck no one else was hurt.’
‘You need to hunt around in his past, see what turns up. Unleashed power can cause mass destruction, Kate. But go slow. He seems somewhat frail.’
She’s being subtle. He comes across as spineless.
We stop whispering as Jarrod comes back. He thanks Jillian and we go outside. But even the brilliance of the bright blue sky can’t stop Jillian’s warning ringing in my ears.
Jarrod
‘Not much point going back to school now.’
I look at her; she has to be kidding. We’re standing in the quiet cul-de-sac outside her grandmother’s whacky shop. I glance at my watch. 11:00 am. ‘That’s fine for you, but I don’t want to face a suspension on my first day.’
‘I want to show you something.’
‘Sorry, I don’t think so.’ I start down the road; and can’t seem to get away quick enough. Kate is definitely weird, her grandmother too. Now I know where she gets it from. Poor kid, she hasn’t got a chance. It’s in her genes. ‘Another time, maybe.’ Like never!
‘It’s not far.’ Her persistence is manipulative. ‘C’mon, Jarrod. Give me a break. I want to make up for what happened this morning, with Jillian and the … you know,’ she shrugs. ‘Snakes.’
The incident with her grandmother shook me up more than that unusual storm in the lab. That at least is a foggy memory. I try to look unfazed. ‘Forget it.’
‘You’ll love this place. It’s enchanted.’
Enchanted! That does it. ‘Uh-uh.’
She realises instantly her mistake and scrunches up her nose. ‘No, I don’t mean … You know, in a magical sense,’ she corrects quickly. ‘Just pleasant, endearing.’