Prologue

 

              Sometimes the craziest stories have more of a basis in reality than anyone ever wants to let on. But often, those stories are the best ones to tell.

It started out simply enough, innocently enough, never once did they dream of creating this conglomeration of individuals. At first it was just about a bit of practice. At first, it was little more than a way to grow and gain community. To be honest, even once this particular story is finished with, their true story will have just begun. This gathering of facts and trails of fiction is just the tip, the start of the adventure.

At first, this will seem like little more than a work of fiction. The setting is too ideal, the characters are too personal, and the events are just too coincidental for this story to be anything more than a work of fiction. If that is believed, it is the prerogative of the reader. However, take into account this one fact that rarely is remembered in the society of today.

Sometimes, reality really is stranger than the most outrageous of fiction, and the weirdest and most coincidental incidences sometimes are the ones that actually happened.

How else, then, would this tangled web of individuals weave themselves into the coven of the story? Remember, everything happens for a reason.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was just about one o’clock in the morning, and the night was something out of a fairytale. Cloudless sky complete with a glowing crescent of the moon, and it was warm enough that even after sweating for five hours over vats of grease one could still get away with wearing little more than a sleeveless shirt and a raggedy pair of jeans. Every so often, a gentle breeze would ruffle the leaves, as if announcing its presence to any who would listen. It was a nearly silent night on a small campus of a State school, and most of the students were already tucked into beds, their own or someone else’s, for the warm, August evening.

            The doorway to the basement of the campus center creaked open and knocked against the metal of the frame with a dull thud. Two voices echoed up the cement stairway and were lost to the starry, peaceful night as the voices gave way to the sound of sneakers on cement.

            He reached the top step first, a young man dressed in rumpled, black pants and a shirt that at the start of the night was white, before it became so covered in grease that it turned a dusky gray in the fluorescent lighting. His hair was black and kept short, a style that matched his goatee, and he had thin, wire-rimmed glasses slid halfway down his nose. In his hand he held a crunched baseball cap and a plastic grocery bag. He glanced back over his shoulder, pausing his statement, and waited for his companion.

            She was dressed in a white tank top and blue jeans that had just started to fray along the bottoms. Her hair, a mottled mix between dark and light reds and varying shades of browns, was pulled up into pig-tailed buns. Unlike her companion, her glasses, which were thick, green, plastic frames, were pushed close to the bridge of her nose. Though she slouched she was the taller of the two individuals, and in her hand she held a hat that was identical to that of her companion.

            Once they were both on level footing they began walking again, keeping their voices softer as to not draw attention to themselves as well as not disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the night. When they reached the end of the concrete walkway, just before the world turned to asphalt and tar, she sat down and tapped the vacant spot next to her, an open invitation to continue their conversation. With a soft laugh and a tired smile, he nodded and took the seat, dropping his hat and the plastic bag behind him.

            “So seriously, how are you? I haven’t talked to you all summer, and I know about the break up, but what happened? Are you okay?” she spoke quietly, but it was clear she was worried about the guy across from her. She shifted her legs, tucking them under her as she sat cross-legged on the chilly concrete bench, waiting for an answer.

            For a moment he was silent, instead of answering right away, he chose to stare at the black tips of his steel-toed boots. He cleared his throat and after another pause, he answered. “It was an interesting summer. Worked a lot, wasn’t around as much. As for that…” his voice tapered off for a moment as he glanced at his companion with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes, “it was a mutual decision, and one that needed to happen. The love wasn’t there anymore. It was just routine.”

            She nodded and leaned forward, placing a hand on his shoulder with a subtle squeeze of sympathy. “But Josh, you moved in with her. That’s going to be awkward, isn’t it? I mean, are you guys…” She stopped and smoothed her hair, a nervous fidget that already had occurred a good dozen times, “You aren’t doing that whole friends with benefits thing, are you?”

            He, Josh, looked comically scandalized and he shook his head with a laugh. “No. By my choice we aren’t anything but friends and housemates. Though, it isn’t for lack of trying on her part.” He shifted himself around so he could make eye contact with his companion. His hazel eyes, hidden beneath the stress of not only work but the starting of an old project as well as miles of personal problems and questions, locked onto the concerned, guarded blue and gray eyes of his friend. “Jenn, I am fine. I promise…”

            Restlessly, she tugged at the hem of her black hat, mulling over statements in her head before speaking them out loud. “But that’s the thing, Josh. It’s been over since before the two of you ever moved in. Were you just…?”

            “I’d been waiting for years to be able to move in, to be asked to move in with her. Truthfully,” he looked away, focusing on a speck on the ground, “I hoped it would have made things better.”

            Jenn looked amused and annoyed at the same moment, her eyes lighting with a certain kind of understanding, “Didn’t work though, huh? You going to move out now, or what?”

He shook his head and his reply was soft, “No. Not yet, anyway. I still care about her, just not…it wasn’t working out.” Jenn nodded at his soft-spoken words and recognition sparked in her swirled blue and gray eyes. He still loved his now ex-girlfriend, but the feelings of being in love had stopped a long time ago.

Silently, she mused, ‘Imagine if he would have given up the ghost a long time ago. He even seems free, happier than he’s been in a while.’ She removed her hand from his shoulder with a smile, “Okay, brief interlude of a new topic. Any ideas for the Pagan Student Union, Mister Advisor? And trust me,” she almost giggled, “we’ll go back to the previous topic in just a few minutes. I just, I’m excited and terrified for this thing to restart, so I figured, badgering you would be a good idea.”

He chuckled, this time the smile reached into his hazel eyes and wiped away at least a moment of the sadness, “Nice.” He shook his head and then spoke again, “I’ve got a few ideas…”

            Her eyes lit up with excitement and curiosity. “You know, rather than this whole Pagan Union thing, we should just practice together. I mean…”

            She stopped and it was obviously a topic that wasn’t often brought up. She had, for years, practiced as a solitary Witch and only rarely worked with others for anything in that field. Something about her companion was different, and it had sparked her interest. He was now her focus for magick, if he’d allow it. “I mean, we do it enough at work, why not do it outside of work, for a purpose?”

            She waited, her eyes focused on him as he rolled his shoulders to relieve tension. He was stalling, trying to buy himself another handful of precious moments before answering. She nudged him, almost playfully, with her foot, leaving a dusty footprint on the black fabric of his pants. “Stop stalling. I know you’re good at maneuvering around questions. Not this time, Josh. It isn’t a tough question.”

            He gave her one of his stern almost glare and then shook his head, clearing his thoughts, “No, it isn’t that tough of a question, for you anyways. It’s been a while for me, practicing has become a more recently restarted thing in my life, remember?”

            She laughed, tapping her toe against the side of his leg. “I remember. But don’t you feel better now that you’ve started up again? I mean, this is not something you want to swallow down and hide, now is it?” She gave him a searching look, silently refusing to back down from this discussion.

            With a defeated sigh and a suddenly sheepish grin he nodded, “Yes, I do feel better and no, I shouldn’t keep it hidden. It’s just…I’ve had other things on my mind lately—”

            “But this is starting to help you work through them. It’s a part of you, Josh…”

            He glanced back at her, a mild flicker of annoyance trailing through hazel eyes at her sudden interruption, but he shrugged it off with another roll of his shoulders. The crackle of bones realigning was audible in the still night air and his companion grimaced. “Do you ever relax?”

            This time, he laughed out loud and the rich, warm sound ricocheted against the academic buildings and the residence halls that framed the area. “Shut it. I’ve been getting better recently. Been going out with people more often. It’s easier now that people are back around here instead of off with parents.” He looked amused at the rolled eyes of his companion and continued, “Besides, since the break up, it’s been easier to just go. I’m finally getting my life where I want it. Starting over in finding what I lost years ago.”

            She looked at him, silent for the briefest of moments as a multitude of thoughts swirled in her head. Finally, she settled on the simplest and most ambiguous.  “Are you really alright?” Her words were soft and her eyes never strayed from his as she questioned him.

            Josh stopped himself in the middle of a nod and sighed, “No, not yet. But I’m working on it. Finally able to figure out all this in my head and now, I’m just trying to find a starting point, you know?”

            “Let this be your starting point then. We should work together; you already admitted it is a part of you, so why not start there?” It was obvious he wasn’t escaping that easily from the requests of the girl.

            “I’ve only ever practiced with one other person. And he’s my best friend, “he paused, “It would take some getting used to…” his voice trailed off as he began to think through the prospect.

            Footsteps echoed behind them, coming from the concrete steps they had so recently climbed themselves, and it shook them from their private thoughts. A light, feminine voice called to the two, “Still here? Waiting for rides or something…?”

            Jenn caught herself mid-grin and was about to speak, but Josh shook his head and answered for them both, “Just enjoying the night air and some talking. Good night for it…”

            The petite blond who had appeared behind them nodded, “Fair enough.” She began to walk away, heels clicking on the concrete. She turned when she reached the asphalt, “Have a good night you two…” Both of them waved a quick goodbye and returned to their hushed conversation with grins that would have made the Cheshire cat proud.

            After another half hour of quiet conversation, Jenn flipped open her bedraggled cell phone and let out a giggle, “What time do they start checking parking lots for illegally parked overnights? Cause, it’s just about two in the morning. We’ve been off of work for at least an hour, and we’re still here.”

            Josh looked surprised for the briefest of moments before he spoke, “Yeah, should probably move the cars. I think it starts at two…”

            Again, Jenn smoothed her frizzed hair; she looked as though she still had much to discuss with him. “Can we continue this conversation…? I mean, it’s far from over with now, isn’t it?” Hazel locked with blue-gray and he nodded as he reached into his pocket for the car keys. “My place? Long as we don’t talk too loud, my housemate’s asleep.”

            Josh stood first, his knees cracking as he straightened out, and gathered his hat and plastic bag. He gestured to the parking lot that was just across from their perch, “I’m over there but I’ll grab the car and follow you.”

            She nodded with a small smile. As he walked off towards his car, and she to hers, she smiled. “A lot to discuss and not nearly enough time to discuss it all. What the hell, I don’t need sleep tonight. Some things are just more important, and this…this might just be one of them.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

She met him at her apartment where their conversation turned from the outward of daily life to the inward, to the magick each held within their souls. Wordlessly, she sat in her cluttered room, a flowery box opened in front of her. The air was heavy with dragon’s blood incense; it was a subtle sort of sweetness that seemed to cleanse the room and set its’ inhabitances at a certain level of ease. From the box that sat on the floor in front of her she produced a deck of cards, larger than average playing cards, that held a strange set of symbols in each of the four corners.

            “Interesting deck, but I’m not great with those things…”

            The cards, with their sleek green backing, were snuggled into the Jenn’s hands as she loosely shuffled them. She closed her eyes, shuffling one more time in earnest before laying the cards out in an elaborate, but random, pattern. It looked as though it was a set of dominos that had been prematurely knocked to the floor, the way the cards were scattered on the floor between the two of them. Tapping the last card she set in the pattern, she looked up at him and her voice was strangely soft and without emotion, “Tell me what you see in them.” Josh looked taken aback, and he caught her eye for a moment before finally nodding and glancing down at the cards that were strewn out before him. She sat back, watching him study the cards for a few moments before she began to draw more items out of the box—a candle, as well as a small, smooth piece of quartz crystal and a round section of tiger’s eye, a few small satchels of herbs—peppermint, dragon’s blood, witch hazel—and a heavy wooden bowl all joined the growing pile on the floor.

            Josh’s voice was strained, barely a whisper by most people’s standards, as he pointed to a few of the cards. “Change,” he breathed out in a sigh, “Everything is changing…pushing me to changing something. A new start…?” he hesitated and looked back at the card in question. “What is it supposed to mean…?”

            The glasses caught her eyes as she looked back at him, mild annoyance in her eyes as she spoke, “The cards are supposed to mean whatever you take from them. They don’t have written down answers for everything.” She paused, drawing in a calming breath, “I mean, with this deck, I’ve got the book. I use it sometimes, but mostly Tarot is about what the questioner sees in the cards…not whatever answers are prescribed in a little book. Now look again and you tell me.”

            He frowned and looked back down, her words soaking in. He held up a card, The Emperor of the Major Arcana, “Change and a new beginning. Now I just need a starting point.”

            Jenn let out a short bout of laughter before settling herself again, “You’ve got a new beginning…. an old one, restarting anyway.” She quickly picked up the cards that were on the floor, shuffling them back into the waiting deck with a grin. She bound the cards in a thin, black material and banded them shut to keep them together before setting them down gently back into the purple, flowery box that lay in front of her. She leaned back, using her raised bed for a support and grabbed the quartz crystal and the tiger’s eye. She held one stone in each hand, quartz in the left and tiger’s eye within the right, and closed her eyes, murmuring wordlessly. Josh sat back, his eyes half closed as he waited; he knew better than to interrupt his friend. Finally, she opened her eyes and asked for one of his hands. When he stretched out his right one, she placed the quartz in it and closed his fingers over it.

            In the August heat, he shivered when his hand was closed around the stone and his eyes opened fully, focusing on his companion with a new sort of intensity, curiosity. When she smiled reassuringly, he closed his eyes and breathed in. The stone in his hand held more than just the chill of rock; it held a certain sort of energy to it, a certain sense of magick and rightness to it. When his eyes opened again, there was a sense of relief lurking within them and he grinned. “Nice.”

            “Feeling better?” she questioned as she searched under her bed for something.

            With a nod, “Much. Thank you. That’s a nice trick…”

            She turned and looked at him again, holding in her hands a stack of neon colored paper and a zipped, green bag full of permanent markers. “Give me a second…” she stood and crossed the room, stopping at her cluttered desk and rummaging through small balled up notebook papers. When she turned back to him she held a ninety-six count box of crayons. “This time, don’t just tell me how you’re feeling.” The crayons were set down to his left with a thump and she slid a bright red piece of paper onto a clipboard, offering it to him. “Show me. Draw it out. Use whatever you want, just express whatever’s going on in your head.”

            He looked confused and more than just a little alarmed at her request, and at first Josh made no move for the art supplies that lay patiently waiting for him. When Jenn offered no further explanation or instruction he opened up the box of crayons and the bag of markers. Jenn’s voice sounded as though it was far away, “Careful with those…normally I don’t share and you’re actually the first person to use those crayons. Feel special.” Josh laughed a little, felt some of the tension slip out from his own mind and nodded his thanks before looking back towards the waiting markers.

            The first color was red—darker than that of the paper—and he swirled it across the paper, his eyes closed tightly and his hand moving on instinct more than anything else. The next color was selected, and stark lines were doodled out. Watching his face for signs of worry, Jenn occasionally spared fleeting glances at the page between them, watching for anything truly significant to appear. When he finished, some ten minutes or so later, he packed away the supplies he had used and studied the paper. A worried, curious sound slipped past his lips and Jenn looked up, “This thing…everything’s connected, except for that little piece. That’s the thing that worries me. What does this mean? What happens now…?”

            Jenn offered the barest of shrugs and spoke, her voice catching in her throat, “It’s the first time I’ve ever had anyone try that. Guess it worked though, huh?” She gentle took the paper from him, and studied it with fascination before speaking, “It’s the part that bothers me too. Everything else flows, but that’s alone. Bet if you think about it it’ll make more sense to you, Josh…” With a smile she slid another piece of paper out and onto the clipboard. Grabbing a random marker, she swirled the lines once or twice before changing mediums and dotting the page with stray marks, “But no matter what it comes to mean, I bet you’ll never look at random doodles the same way…” She offered a grin and moved to catch him in a tight hug.

            With eyes that glimmered with a new start of understanding Josh accepted the hug and laughed a little, his voice low in Jenn’s ear. “Thank you. I know what it means…I just want to think about it a bit more.”

            “Bit exhausting, isn’t it…?” She smiled and passed him a small glass of water. “Though it doesn’t help that it’s four-thirty in the morning…Time for sleep. You okay to drive home, cause you’re looking like you’re ready to drop too…”

            Josh nodded and rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes as he stood up, “I meant it…thank you. This…it helped, a lot.”

            She stood as well, stretching and opening the door. “I know, and you’re welcome. Come here…” She offered him another tight hug, “Drop me a message letting me know you got home safe. And, sleep well.”

            With a nod and a returned hug he descended the stairs, keys jingling in his open hand, “Good night Jenn.”

            “Stay out of trouble, Josh.”