Heart and Soul: Witch.

Chapter One: Fire can be a dangerous thing.



The screaming sound of my mother reverberated in my head. It echoed until my head ached and tears streamed freely down my face. Still it continued on, mind blogging and heart breaking but I couldn’t do anything more than toss and turn in my sleep.



“Stop. Please, stop.”



It was all in my head and yet I still cried out for it to end, for the torture to finish. Nearly every night I dreamed of her voice, felt the sting of smoke in my nose and the red burning tongues of the fire etched under my skin. I was burning alive, still, they were the ones to die. I clenched the bed sheets in my hands, the sweat and moisture making them cling to me, and reached for something that could pull me back to reality. My head reeled over and over in the nightmare.



There was the big white manor where I used to live with the huge porch that stretched around the sides of the house and it’s glossy windows and doors reflected the sun’s radiance into the house, making it look like one big sun room. Now the sun was in it, the burning essence of it licking at the walls and ceilings. Flames, red and angry, ready to destroy anything in its path. I screamed for help, from my mum, dad, anyone. No one came and I was grateful. They must have gotten out safely. I huddled further into the corner of my room, clinging to me a snowy white bear. Smoke rolled of the ceiling and filled my lungs as I raked in every small breath. I could see every individual strand of the black wisps like skeleton claws reaching out to grab me. Beneath me the floor heated up, the fire getting closer. But then I heard it, the piercing clearness of my mum’s cry of pain. It was agonizing and I cried along with it. With a burst of flames, my skin started to decay, melting into black flesh right off the bones. My body blazed and soon I felt myself become ash, the snowy white bear forgotten, lying crystallised in perfect state in circles of fire, watching me with deep ebony eyes.

“Kaitlyn.” It spoke, although its fine stitching of its mouth stayed motionless.



“Kaitlyn, wake up. You’ll be late for school.”



School? How could that matter when I was burning? I wanted to say but the teddy bear and everything along with it disappeared as my eye lids fluttered open to the morning light drifting in through my bedroom window. That was the first thing I saw, the second was my Aunt Maya leaning over me with yet another disappointed look on her face, again. But if I recalled this was only the second disappointed look for sleeping in I’ve had. This week.



“Five more minutes?” Sounded more like a statement. A statement Aunt Maya wouldn’t allow. She was surprisingly strong for a woman, you know, being able to open pickle jars without the assistance of a male or mowing the lawn and running her antique store by herself. So I kind of wasn’t surprised when she grabbed the side of my mattress and lifted me, plus it, of the bed frame and onto the floor. Ok maybe a little. But I didn’t want to go to school, especially the last day of term two. Boring.



“Yes, five more minutes is correct. That’s how long you have until I kick your butt out that door,” she pointed in the direction of the front door with a slender finger, “and to school.”



“But, five minut-“



“That’s how long you wanted.” Aunt Maya said then wasted no more time arguing with me. She left without another word, picking up the dirty clothes on my floor on the way out.



“You know, I’ve never been late to school in my life!” I yelled out to her, picking myself off the floor then heaving the mattress, doona and pillows back onto the bed.



“And you’re not going to.” Her voice called from the kitchen down the hallway.



Groaning, I rubbed at my eyes, removing the sleep that lay in the corner of them and walked over to my windows. The curtains half covered them so I pulled them back and let more sun in. The street lay quiet and lazy, people only just as awake as I was which made me yawn, thinking about sleep. Couldn’t I just go back to bed? Then I cringed, felt the hotness of the fire and decided better on it. I leaned away from the sun and prepped myself for my daily routine. Grabbing a clean pair of jeans from my oak dresser by the door, I then scavenged for my white blouse and black tie I had lying somewhere under the pile of clothes Aunt Maya missed. I hated wearing school uniform but I usually got away with the skinny jeans and trackies I occasionally wore. I knew Aunt Maya could only be joking about the whole five minutes thing, with there being more than half an hour for me to get ready. Oh plus the fact that we lived around the corner from Charleston High was another plus. So I decided to have a long soothing shower. My nerves were still on end about the dream and every time I closed my eyes or blinked, I saw the same blazing fires around me and felt myself suffocating. What was weird about it though, was in my dream, Daniela my childhood bear was undamaged, not even scarred. Unlike I was on the inside, heart and soul.



I let the water drench me for a few minutes, just standing under the warm flow of water as it dripped down and off my body. I would of had it at boiling temperature to scare of the cold air that stung at my cheeks but it reminded me to much of the blaze. And thanks to Aunt Maya, we only get to turn the heater on when it got to dire stages, like when we’re about to freeze. So I was shivering. My naked body shaking under the stress of not being warm. Grabbing the conditioner, I squeezed a handful into my palm and scrubbed it a little too hard into my hair. Some of it painfully fell into my eyes.

Twisting the handle of the shower off, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. The mirror was fogged up so I wiped a hand across it and stared at the girl in the mirror. She looked scared, I could see it in her bright blue eyes which most of the time sparkled with excitement, not fear.



“Hey, it’s ok.” I reached out and touched the girls hand in the reflection. “We’ll be fine, we always are. Now put on your charming smile and getting ready for what people call that retched place, school.”



The girl gave a weak smile and dissolved as more mist swelled up against the mirror. I gave another wipe and now saw myself standing there. I was going to be ok. People always told me I was strong, especially after the fire that killed my parents, I became even stronger. I always looked out for myself which was another reason why people might’ve called me selfish or obnoxious but that was the least of my problems these days.



“Kaitlyn get out of the bathroom! You’ve been in the shower for over twenty minutes!” Ah, cousin Celia finally awake. I strolled over to the bathroom door and carefully open the door a peak.



“Your just angry because now you won’t be able to have your half an hour shower.” I replied. Our eyes narrowed as they met and her lip quirked into a sneer. I’d have to say that I never really like Celia, being all blonde and petite, and I hated her even more when she was in one of her ‘morning’ moods.



“That’s because I don’t want to smell, like some people.” She pushed past me and into the bathroom, stopping at the mirror above the sinks, still fogged up from my shower. She stared at the finger marks on it, from when I was wiping the perspiration of it, and smirked.



“Writing Jason’s initials again, are we? Hope you didn’t forget the heart around it.” Quickly she drew a love heart then the initials J.H. inside it.



I snorted. She should know better than that to taunt me. I could easily turn this against her. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, I stole to my bedroom two doors down and grabbed my phone. Oh I am so bad. When I got back Celia was still standing there, thinking I was watching, continuing to draw smaller hearts around the mirror. To make this memory perfect I unlocked my touch phone and went into the camera application.



“Say cheese Celia.” Click and the picture was taken. It showed her mindlessly creating hearts on the mirror and to my utter delight the clear letters of Jason’s name, right where her finger was. I knew she didn’t like him in that way and was still going out with Victor in my year, but it was still so funny that I would get this opportunity.



“Ugh, I hate cheese.” She muttered, totally unaware that I had taken the picture. “There. Finished.” She finally turned to look at me and I grinned at her. “What are you smiling at me so hugely? Don’t you have better things to do then ruin my morning?”



“Not really. It’s one of my hobbies.” I laughed. Her brow furrowed in that annoying way and her lip picked back up into that perfect sneer.



“What did you do?” She demanded. I just kept on laughing, making sure to back up a bit before I continued talking.



“Nothing, Except I was just wondering whether Jason likes cheese.”



She gave me one of her dumb blonde looks she does so well and followed in my steps. I know it might be stereotypical of me to think that but she sometimes she was oblivious to things. My back hit the wall of the hallway but I still kept on the face that said I thought this was all hilarious and started side stepping towards my room.



Celia asked, “What do you mean?” My next laugh caught me off guard as I was about to speak and I choked as tears began to well up in my eyes.



“Well, I guess you could ask him that when he comes up to you today.”



A few more steps and I was in the open door to my bedroom, one hand ready on the door handle to slam it in Celia’s face, the other holding tightly to the towel slowly loosening from my body.



“When he comes up to me?”



“Yeah, questioning you about your obsession with him.”



Slam and I was laughing so hard that I collapsed on the floor. That had done it. Celia finally figured it out and now she was banging on my bedroom door like the big bad wolf in The Three Little Pigs story. Not that I was a pig, quite the contrary unless someone were talking about how much I loved my food.



“That’s what that sound was! You took a picture, didn’t you?” I clutched my stomach as I rolled onto my side and went into hysterias. “You are so dead! If you show that picture to Jason I will personally make your life a living hell.”



“Like to see you try.” I muttered through breathes. She hmfed then stormed into the kitchen, probably to complain to Aunt Maya. I waited on the floor for a few minutes when I heard a beeping from her room.



“Celia you have a message!” I called out then added on the end, “Maybe it’s from Jason?”



I laughed again, something that I felt I would be doing all day, and waited until I heard Celia pass my door again. There was a pause then I heard the bathroom door shut. Jeez, what was her problem? But at least now I would be able to get ready for school in peace. My clothes hung on the back of my desk chair where I put them so I grabbed a bra and some underwear from my draw, put them on then chucked the blouse and my black skinny jeans on. I finished buttoning up the blouse and picked up the tie. I learned to tie a tie when I was young. Whenever my dad had to go on one of his business trips, mum would pick me up and carry me to his wardrobe allowing me to pick out a tie for him. I loved to choose all the bright ones with the cool patterns on them. We’d then go to dad who waited patiently in the bedroom.



“Here dad! We got you a tie!” I jumped out of mum’s arms and ran over to him, him picking my up and placing me on his knee. My mum followed me and kneeled down to my level.



“Do you remember how to do it sweetie?” I nodded and put the tie around my dad’s neck , the wide end on the right, and began.



“Cross and under, up and loop. Around, loop and down.”

It didn’t make sense to me at the time, I only liked the way the song went when I sang it, but I still managed to resemble a somewhat reasonable tie. Now that I had done my tie I stared at myself in the floor to ceiling mirror nailed to my built in cupboard, on the right side of my room. My hair was wet and clinging to my face, the natural waves of it only starting to bounce back up. I let my fingers trail through the black silkiness of it, letting the drip drip of the water fall from it onto the cream coloured carpet. I reached for my towel on the floor and start to dry my hair. It takes me a good five minutes for it to seem dry enough for me to brush it and put it up into a messy pony tail. I let my jagged side fringe fall to caress the side of my face after I apply mascara and with only one thing to do left; I take my favourite cherry lip gloss and smear it evenly over my pale lips. In the mirror, I watched as the sun shined onto my right hand, over the scar that laid unevenly across my skin. It was the only physical remind I had of that day. Everything else was emotional. There was a knock on my door and I half jumped, dabbing the lip gloss over my cheek.



“Are you done?” Celia’s voice asked from behind me.



I swirl to see her leaning against the door frame, an unconcerned look on her face and some of her make-up was smudged. Ha, she was trying to play it cool even though she probably knew I wouldn’t show the picture to anyone. She was already dressed for school, wearing the same white blouse except with a few buttons undone to expose an indecent amount of chest, and she was wearing her black layered skirt attached to black braces. All of this made her look like a dressed up doll, especially with the way she had curled her hair into little ringlets that framed her face.



“Yeah doll, what’s up?” I gleamed and cleaned the smudge off my face before I twisted the cap back on my lip gloss and stashed it away in my backpack. She looked at me without caring and turned away from me, her Gucci handbag slung on her shoulder and it jiggled when she left. I stored the last of my school books in my bag and followed her out to the kitchen where Aunt Maya sat drinking coffee next to her new husband, George. They had gotten married two months ago and I still wasn’t use to him. I had to even go through the torture of sitting through the reception while Celia paraded around thinking she was drop dead gorgeous and the centre of attention in her silk red dress. She still thinks she is, unfortunately.



“Good morning Kaitlyn, Celia.” George said, looking up from the morning paper. He was a man of forty-five with thinning brown hair and was starting to gain that unwanted man belly and boobs. He also had this weird way of looking at things too hard and he would go crossed eyed. But he was good for my Aunt, I guess. He brought in the money, placed food on the table and helped her out. That was much as I could ask for. He also kept some of those grey hairs from appearing, in my aunt’s pale blonde hair, whenever she got frustrated. Mostly with me, of course.



“Morning George.” I didn’t like calling him uncle. Just because I didn’t want to and he hadn’t been around long enough for me to get to know him yet.



“Uncle.” Aunt Maya corrected me just like I knew she would. I smiled over to her and pulled a bowl down from the cabinets, filling it over the top with fruit loops and milk.



“George.”



“Uncle George.”



“George.”



“Kaitlyn.” She growled.



“Aunt Maya.” I mimicked her tone and began wolfing down the cereal. She eyed me, giving me a warning look then turned to Celia as she sat down at the table.



“Good morning Celia. How was your sleep?” Celia stared, unblinking, at a spot on the table when Aunt Maya asked again. “Celia?” Her head lifted up in acknowledgment then she thought of something to say.



“Good. I had a ok dream I guess but, you know, the usual.” I didn’t know whether it was her tone or that fact she hadn’t gone right into the glory details of her dream, that Aunt Maya placed her coffee on the table and put her full attention onto her daughter. I, however, was having flashbacks of my dream and I cringed.



“Are you alright sweethe-“ Butting in like I normally do, it thought of something to add the the conversation that would piss Celia off, also to get my mind of the fire raging in my head.



“Aw, did you kiss Jason in it?” I said in a faked awed voice. She squinted and mused her lips, the first emotion I’d gotten off of her since she sat down at that table. “What? Aren’t you going to tell us how much you love him? Oh wait, I already have loads of evidence to prove that.” Celia glared at me then dropped her eyes to the table when her Aunt Maya saw us.



“Can you two please stop it? You’re acting like children.”



“That’s because she is.” I muttered. Slurping up the last bit of milk in my bowl, I placed it into the dishwasher and then swung my backpack over my shoulder. “I'm off. See you George.” I said ,only mentioning George to piss them off. Walking through the lounge room towards the front door, I hear out Aunt Maya call out from behind me.



“Uncle!” Yeah, whatever. I slammed shut the front door and bounded down the steps of the house porch, landing on the frost covered grass that sparkled in the morning light. My teeth chattered as the frost bit at my face and hands as I began walking down my street, Ketchler drive towards my destination at the corner of the road. I hear Celia’s feet fall into step behind me but I don’t slow down but instead grow impatient.



“What do you want? But make it quick, Mandy should be here soon.” I said. She fastened her stride and was soon walking next to me.



“You’re supposed to walk with me to school.” She said. We both didn’t like the idea of having to do it but it was Aunt Maya’s rules. Today was different however. I didn’t want to put up with Celia so I organised a lift with Mandy, my best friend since year three.



“Did you want me to hold your hand as well while we crossed the street?” Sarcasm rolled of my tongue. There was silence then her voice broke through in a quiet murmur.



“Don’t keep thinking that I'm a child. Soon it will all come back around to you and you’ll be treated as one.” I didn’t hesitate with my next comeback to think about why she had been so reserved.



“Woah, did the little doll get lessons in verbally attacking someone? Cause whoever taught you sucks, I would ask for a refund.” I stopped at the corner and turned to face Celia. She tossed her hair and seemed to find something interesting on the ground but payed no more attention to me. “Yeah, I thought so.” And then as soon as I said it, I regretted it. I always knew that I angered Celia but upset her? Made her lose her cool? She was always in control of her emotions and I felt sorry as I saw her lose it.



“Why are you always so mean to me?!” She hissed “I'm like, what? A year younger than you but you think I'm a kid! Well look in a mirror, you’re not so much an adult yourself.” For the first time in years, I watched as tears fell down her cheeks. I was numb struck, my body frozen and emotionless as she wiped her hands hastily against her face. She still wouldn’t look up from the ground and I was worried that her eyes would get permanently glued to that same spot.



“I-I'm...sorry.” Was all I could say, cause seriously, this whole thing was freaking me out. She didn’t look like that snobbish girl who I thought was always trying to ruin what I had left of a life, but almost like a distraught teenager looking for comfort. A comfort that I couldn’t give, no matter how sympathetic I felt towards her, it wouldn’t happen. Not in a thousand lifetimes even, because we weren’t close like cousins could be. “Celia?” I asked softly. She fixed her gaze on me and for another second I'm motionless. Her eye make-up was smudged again, which made me realise that she had been crying earlier. I tried again and gulped. “Celia, what’s wrong? I know I'm not the best person you could talk to but I'm still here if you need me.”



She snorted and I knew that a little bit of herself was still intact. Or maybe she was playing me for a fool and it had always been there?



“Your that last person I would want to talk to and you know it.”



“But I’ve never seen you like thi-“



“That’s because you think everything revolves around you and your oblivious to anything else.” She snapped. I realised she was right.

Like I had thought before. I always looked out for myself and became obnoxious and selfish because of it but I would hate to have to admit it in front of someone. Including Celia.



“That’s not tru-“



“Just drop it Kaitlyn. I don’t want to talk anymore, let alone to you.” She rubbed at her eyes again then, looking to check if there were any cars coming, crossed the road and started to walk the opposite side of me. I thought about calling after her as she strolled lightly down the path but decided against it when from the right of me at the intersection, Mandy’s car pulled up to the curb. I guess I would see her at school, I suppose. Actually I would, she wouldn’t shut me out on this one.



“Hey, sorry I'm late.” Mandy said as I opened the door. A hum of music met me as I got in and did my seat belt up. It was one of the new songs by Katy Perry, California Gurls. Like always, she too was dressed in the same uniform and even had matching jeans to mine on today. Her crimson hair was up in her artfully styled bun that I adored and she had painted her nails bright green to match her eyes.



“No worries.” Mandy pulled out of park and continued to drive down the main street to our school. Charleston High was not far off from being a private school and with the money entrusted to me from my parents, Celia and I were able to attend. It was one of the old schools that looked ancient on the outside with brick work and spiralling towers from a design of a church. But that was just first glance. It was really modern on the inside with high Tec gadgets and an updated library that stocked nearly everything. And frankly, I was a nerd when it came to books, I loved to read, something that I think my mum got me into when I was really little.



“So did you hear?” Mandy babbled, she was one of the best gossipers I knew and sometimes what she told me could be interesting. So I tuned into her and listened to the latest thing happening. “Mrs Andlors got fired! You know how my mum is on the parent council?” I nodded when she paused then she continued. “Well, she heard from some other women that the principle and Mrs A had an argument over something and he just fired her.”



“What was the argument about?” When you hear something like this, you couldn’t help but wonder if there was something going on between teachers when they’d whisper to each other, like a secret affair. That’s what my mind was reeling to, that something had been going on between Mr Darting and Mrs Andlors, who are both married.



“Nobody knows. But there’s a new teacher coming into today and mum wants me to be on my best behaviour, “she rolled her eyes, “because there will be a lot of pressure or something on him, filling in for the history teacher. I laughed, knowing how Mandy’s mum was, being all lady like and old style.



“When are you ever on your best behaviour?”



“I know right.”



We arrived at school in five minutes and Mandy pulled up into one of the schools parking spaces. I grabbed her shoulder as she was about to open to the door, to the flow of people, and pulled her back.



“Do you mind if I go find Celia?” I said and her eyebrows rose. She of course knew about my dislike for my cousin so she would find this out of the ordinary for me.



“Sure. I’ll meet you in second session, history.” That was the first class we had together on a Friday, my first class was English, hers art. She opened the door and got out, me following in pursuit, and we were greeted by Leah.



“Hey guys.” Leah said, giving us each a hug. I grinned, my mood slightly increasing from this morning.



“Hey.” It didn’t take me long to realise she had news to tell us, something big. I stopped her before she could begin bouncing up and down with excitement and asked her. “What?” She squealed and a few people turned around to glance at us.



“My parents have given me permission to go to Queensland in the holidays!” Now Mandy was squealing and bounding up and down but I just stood there and started to feel a little scornful. No way would Aunt Maya let me go. Even for a week.



“Kait?” I automatically turned to me name and stared into Leah’s hazel eyes. “Have you asked your Aunt?” I shake my head almost immediately and sigh heavily.



“Why bother? I know she would say no anyway.” We’re quiet for a few minutes then I remembered what I was going to do earlier. “I’ve got to find Celia. See you in English Leah.”



They both said bye as I walked away, through the school parking lot and down along the path to the main entrance. Celia usually hung around near B block and it wasn’t far from here, near the canteen. I passed the front double doors and saw Ms Mont at the reception desk through the clear glass. She talked to someone but their back was to me, showing only dark hair, almost black, and dressed in a leather jacket and Black jeans. Hmm? New student. I nearly forgot to walk again when the person spun around and came out the front door. He was definitely handsome with dark hair falling to his eyes and his body being muscular and lean. He noticed I was staring, and I knew it, so I kept my head down as I continued walking down the path, hoping he wasn’t going the same way as me.



“Hi, excuse me.” He’d seen me now and called out to me. He caught up to me quickly as I waited down the path. He smiled at me, flashing straight white teeth and held out his hand. “I'm Lucas Greyn, I just moved here from Darwin.” I shook his hand, trying to put my finger on the accent he had, even if he had moved here from Darwin, there was no way that guy was fully Australian.



“Kaitlyn.” I replied, and thought that his accent must be thick English or something.



“What? No last name?” He chuckled, finding something funny. I smiled too, trying to be polite but really I was in a hurry.



“Drakes.” He stopped laughing and nodded.



“Sorry, I was trying to make a joke. Guess it’s gonna be hard being the new guy” He raked a hand through his hair then remembered something important in his back pack, slung over his shoulder. “I saw you standing there,” He said pausing, as if he was letting the words sink in that he hadn’t said ‘gazing at me’, “and was wondering if you could show me around or something?” He pulled out a timetable and one of the school’s maps, kind of offering them to me so I could help. If I hadn’t been in a rush to find Celia, I would have so said yes but that wasn’t the situation. I bit my lip and felt the crease in between my eyes.



“Maybe later. I have to find someone.” Lucas gave a confused look as I backed away and followed the path once more.



“Couldn’t I be that someone?” He called out. I chucked a glance over my shoulder to see that he stood there, with puppy dog eyes

the ones you could only find on a kid that was pleading with their mum, and laughed.



“You don’t need to be found. You just need directions.” I remarked as I still walked, now backwards, facing him. “Also that was the lamest pick up line,ever.” I’d had my fair share of guys trying to flirt with me but now this amusing or so strange. I felt this automatic pull towards him that wanted me to be with him and forget about everything else. How weird.



“But I'm lost.” I burst into laughs and gave him a one eyebrow raised look. I didn’t even know him but the pull kept getting stronger and it took everything I had off my worried emotions to turn him down.



“See you later Lucas.” I said and reached the top of the little slope of path. At least I know he’s not a shy person. Should store that in my brain for later use.



A-C blocks were to the left of me down the path, near the gymnasium, so I casually trotted towards them, aware that I probably looked like an idiot with a huge grin on my face. But I didn’t care. Other than what happened with Celia, this was turning out to be a laughable day of fun to end term two.



“Oh hey, Jessica.” I directed this to the brown-haired girl. I had finally found Celia’s group of friends, hoping that I would find her too but I looked through the familiar faces none of which were my cousin. “Do you know where Celia is?” I asked. They all shook their pretty little heads and Jessica got out her phone.



“No but she sent me this.” She flipped the pink phone open and went into the messages. One had been sent from Celia about the time she had left me this morning.



Hey jess

Not coming 2 scool today

Victor dumped me!!!! I'm

really pissed at the mo, need

2 be alone but he is such a

jerk, I hate him and my stupid

ass cousin... wish I could run

away and be rid of this life

sounds like a plan but have 2

find somewhere 2 go first

xxx Lia



“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I growled. Great, Celia had probably ran away and she’s blamed it on me! Not that nobody else wouldn’t. Gulp, I am so dead when I get home.



“I didn’t know Victor dumped her. When did that happen?” It could’ve only been recently because she had been cooing over him yesterday.



“Neither of us knew.” Said one girl with think lashes and freckles covering her cheek bones. “But we figured it could have only been this morning. We saw them together yesterday.” Just what I thought.



“Wonderful.” I muttered. Not that their relationship was any of my concern but if she ran away because of it, it would so be on my head. Aunt Maya would kill me the second she got the chance.



“Well thanks.” I said dryly but not meaning to, “Keep me posted?” They nodded then the bell rang and we all went our different ways.



The fire that I had been so frightened about before, well I realised that we had something in common as I walked to class. We were both fuming and angry and I swear. If anything more happened today, or Celia wouldn’t show her freaking butt up to school, I might just start shooting flames from my fingers. And then we can start the real burning.