Angel Blackwood(80)

It was a late Sunday afternoon, the sun was setting early and the stars had already come out and were shining brightly. Every week our little family would take a walk down to the local park, where we’d sit and stargaze. It was my favourite day of the week, not only because we got to stay out later then all the other kids, but because Mom would tell me stories about her younger years. I would be enthralled as I sat listening to stories of when she had started to practise magic and learn the ways of the Wicca. I was months away from turning sixteen, so that meant I had only two more years until I was eighteen and would be allowed to experiment and practise my powers; I couldn’t wait.

My father had no supernatural powers whatsoever, but my mother was a powerful witch. Even though we were only allowed to practise magic after the age of eighteen, Mom was already teaching me spells and potions at the age of seven. She only taught me levitation spells for moving small light objects and a few herbal healing potions, but I still thought it was freaking amazing. I was sworn to secrecy though, I wasn’t even allowed to tell my best friend Noelle about it. She and I have been counting down the days till our eighteenth birthday since we were thirteen. There has never been a point in my life that I hadn’t known Noelle, she’d always been around and she always would. She was the only person that didn’t mind how sensitive I was, and I was the only person who didn’t mind her bluntness. We evened each other out, she made me a stronger person and I, well I made her rethink her words before she said them.





“Alex, James, are you two coming?” Mom calls out from downstairs.

Sitting in the middle of my bed, I put down my diary and race to my door. James nudges my shoulder as he walks out of his bedroom.

At sixteen, James is well sought after. Well, sought after by all the girls at school, including my friends. It doesn’t look as if he’s going to stop growing, he just keeps getting taller and taller and his shoulders get wider and wider. I’m pretty sure Noelle is even crushing on him now.

“Race you to the door?” He says. But he doesn’t give me a chance to reply because he’s already halfway down the staircase, making a loud racket as his bulk of a body sprints to the door.

“Son, not long now and you’re gonna be ducking your head to get through that door.” Dad chuckles, smacking James on his back affectionately as they exit the house.

Once I hit eighth grade my height also sprouted, I’m not a fan of it like James is though. I’m taller than most girls in my grade and it’s really hard being taller than most of the boys as well; I don’t feel very ladylike at all. Damn, I need to let up on all those romance novels I’ve been reading when my head isn’t in one of my mother’s Wicca books. When I’m not thinking about magic, I think of the day I’ll find a boyfriend that’s big and strong enough to protect me and keep me safe. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I’m going to him around here.

It’s not that I want a boyfriend right now or anything like that. I’m way too focused on learning the ways of magic and my people, but I’m at the age where all my friends have boyfriends now. I even think Noelle is seeing someone, she’s been rather quiet lately and she’s hardly around these days. I need to have a chat with her about that.





“Alex? You okay over there?” I shake my head as my mother’s voice filters through my thoughts. I look up to her and smile.

“Yeah. Let’s go, Ma.” She wraps her arm over my shoulders and I wrap my arm around her slender waist as we head out the door.

“You don’t want to ask Noelle to join us?” She asks.

James looks back at the mention of Noelle’s name and calls out, “This is meant to be a family bonding session.”

I frown at that and look to my mom. “She is family though.”

Mom doesn’t say anything, but James does, “No she isn’t.”

I don’t argue with him, I just continue to walk quietly alongside my mom. I’ll chat to Noelle later and ask her if something has happened between them. James has never said anything bad against Noelle before, something is going on and I don’t like it.



We find our usual spot in an open patch of soft grass. We laze around looking at the stars for an hour whilst listening to mom and dad talk about their week as well as talking about ours, chatting about the usual mundane stuff as we enjoy each other’s company.

A few hours later and it’s time to leave. I move to jump on dad’s back for a piggy back when a low growl filters through the quiet night. I look to my left and see the edge of the woods, shining eyes catching my attention. I’ve heard stories of wolves and other supernatural creatures that are out there, but I’ve never actually seen one.