A Witch Like No Other (10 page)

“
I know,
it’
s stupid now.” Pandora
wiped her eyes, then she said “There
’
s some other things I
want to tell you, if you
’
re not
scared.”

“
I’
m not scared of
anything,” said Alice boldly, and Pandora smiled.

“
Neither am
I.”

Alice was totally impressed. “So you
’
re a witch like
Dreamer?”

“
Yep.” Pandora
paused. “I’m not as powerful as her, though.”

“
And your
brother’
s a wizard- his
name
’
s
Marlon, right?”

“
Uh-huh.”

Alice counted everything off on her fingers.
“You
’
re a witch. Your big brother
’
s a wizard.
You
’
ve
got a wand, a spell book and a box.”

“
That’
s right.”

“
Your father
hates magic because your grandpa killed his parents-”

“
When he loved
it before,” Pandora added. “Go on?”

“
Dreamer’
s been talking to
all of you, Miss Hughes included,” said Alice. “And you lot was all
scared because you thought she was dead, but she
’
s alive-
she
’
s
been around for six months-”

Pandora didn
’
t respond to that. She still
couldn
’
t believe it.

“
And you and
Marlon performed magic right here in this park, in this spot- in
broad daylight,” said Alice, frowning. “Are you nuts?”

“
We
wasn’
t thinking,” mumbled
Pandora, and Alice looked at her. Then she said “How many spells do
you know, then?”

“
There’
s hundreds in the
spell book,” Pandora said cautiously, not wanting to give an actual
number. “I just haven
’
t practiced a lot of them.”

“
Ok, how many
have you practiced?” probed Alice, and Pandora mumbled something.
“What?”

“
Just one,” she
muttered. “I’
m only really
good at one of them.”

“
Can I see it?”
Alice asked eagerly, and Pandora smirked at her.

“
In broad
daylight?”

“
Yeah,
sure.”

“
Come on, let
me see it. What does it do?”

“
It changes
something into something else.”

“
Like bread
into toast?”

Pandora rolled her eyes. “Did I say I
’
ve got a
toaster?”

“
No,” said
Alice, face growing hot. “Sorry.”

“
My Mum turned
a guy into a frog once, at college.”

“
Wow! Stuff
like that?”

“
Stuff like
that.”

“
What’
s your favourite
animal?”

“
Bunny rabbit,”
said Alice happily, then she stopped as Pandora stared at her.
“What? Come on, they’
re cute!
And I love Bugs Bunny.”

“
I stopped
loving him when I turned thirteen- but I love Disney.”

“
So do
I!”

“
Are you sure
it has to be a rabbit, Alice?”

“
I’
m sure. Wait!” Alice
looked around, then she said “A blue one.”

Pandora smiled at her, saying “Now we
’
re talking. Ok, here
goes.”

“
They’
re all in the
water!”

“
I’
ve got some bread right
here,” said Alice, rummaging in her bag.

“
Alice. Why
exactly do you have bread in your shoulder bag?”

Pandora couldn
’
t help smiling back. “I like you.”

“
Ditto,” she
said happily. “I think we’
re
going to be real good friends.”

“
Don’
t throw all of it in
the water,” instructed Pandora, deliberately not answering that.
“Leave some pieces by the edge, let them come out.”

Pandora
’
s green eyes sparkled as she watched the birds swim
over.

“
Suckers.”

As
soon as a swan hopped onto the bank she flicked her wand,
saying
“Alterio!”

Passers by ducked immediately, while Alice squealed
“It
’
s
mine!”

“
Can I keep
him? Oh Pandora, let me keep him!”

“
Ask your Dad,
not me,” said Pandora through gritted teeth: people were beginning
to stare at her. “Where did you find it, Alice?”

“
What? Oh- by
the water,” she said, catching on. “Over there.”

Looking at the rabbit as it twitched it
’
s purple nose, Pandora
suddenly wanted one too. Alice sprinkled more bread a few minutes
later, tricking the birds into coming back.

“
Alterio!”

“
I’
m calling mine
Barclays,” said Alice happily. “Because he
’
s blue.”

“
Barclays?”
said Pandora, amused. “Shouldn’
t it be Sky?”

“
Nope! You know
that bank Barclays, it’
s theme
colour is blue, right?”

“
Oh,
right.”

“
I’
m calling him Shadow,”
Pandora said fondly, then she saw Miriam. “Uh oh.
What
’
s
Miriam going to say when she sees them?”

“
Tell her like
it is,” said Alice determinedly, and Pandora laughed.

“
Miriam, I just
turned two swans into baby bunnies.”

“
Did you
really?” said Miriam, not really focusing on the rabbits in their
arms. “We need to go to your house now, Pandora. Right
now.”

“
Why?”

“
We have to
tell Ted and Marlon Dreamer’
s
alive.”

“
Six months
ago? SIX FLIPPING MONTHS AGO?!!”

“
Dad, calm
down!”

“
I cant believe
it,” said Marlon weakly, staring at the screen. “Mum…”

“
Mama, stop
that.”

“
Now now
Dreamer, don’
t tell me to
stop. Take a break.”

“
But
Mama-!”

“
No buts,
Dreamer Black- go and make me some coffee.”

“
We’
ve got a phone call,
Mama. Hello?”

“
Hello Dreamer,
this is Mark.”

“
Hello Mark,”
Dreamer said warmly. “How can I help you?”

“
I’
ve been feeling really
depressed lately, and-”

“
You fell out
with your close friend?”

“
I- yes,” he
said shyly. “Good riddance-”

“
No darling,”
said Dreamer gently, Agnes scowling at her.
“She’
s your soul mate, Mark.
It
’
s
not me you should be talking to, it
’
s her.”

“
But-”

“
You both said
some things you didn’
t mean,
but the truth is you need each other the same way I need my…”
Dreamer paused, then she said “What you need to do, Mark, is hang
up right now and call Sarah before it
’
s too late. The
clock
’
s ticking. At eight o clock on the dot
she
’
ll
get a phone call from a previous lover- time isn
’
t on your
side.”

“
Thank you so
much, Dreamer.”

“
You’
re welcome. Goodbye
now.”

“
Bye.”

“
Isn’
t she great?” said
Alice happily as she cuddled Barclays.

“
Yeah she is,”
said Marlon wistfully. “Can we call them up, Dad?”

Ted didn
’
t know what to say. Yes, and talk to the woman
he
’
d
almost gone mad over he was so in love, or no and let the kids hate
him? Instead he glanced at Alice, saying “Thank you very much,
er…”

“
Alice,” she
said, at Pandora’
s side.
“You
’
re welcome.”

“
I
don’
t know how much longer I
could have-” Ted stopped abruptly, looking from Alice to Pandora
and back. “Friends, Pandora?”

“
I met her at
the clinic,” said Pandora shyly, and Marlon cheered.

“
Everything’
s going from
good to brilliant!”

“
Of course you
can,” said Ted warmly. “Pandora?”

“
We had fun
today,” started Pandora, “And I’
m glad I met Alice, but-”

“
But?” said
Marlon, heat rising.
“But?
‘
Dora, she
just gave us the key! Now we know Mum
’
s alive, ok? What more
you do want?”

“
She might not
like me after a while,” said Pandora flatly, as if Alice
wasn’
t even in the room. “You
cant say she will.”

“
You
cant say she wont,” Marlon shot back.
“Hermit.”

“
Camel
mouth.”

“
Enough,” said
Ted sharply, as Marlon opened his mouth. “Alice?”

“
I- I really
like Pandora,” stammered Alice. “She gave me Barclays.”

“
She did?” said
Ted, eyes narrowing. He knew what that meant.

“
So I cast a
spell. So what?”

“
Don’
t take that tone
with
me,
young lady.”

“
Pandora,
I’
d really like to see you
again,” said Alice cautiously, and Pandora
’
s green eyes flicked
onto her. “If that
’
s ok?”

“
Well, I… I
mean I just-”

“
Take my
number,” sighed Pandora, and everyone smiled.

“
Welcome to
the Amazing Agnes cabaret. You will be put through to Agnes in
exactly thirty seconds. Please choose now whether
you’
d like this call to go
live or be private.”

“
Private!”
hissed Pandora and Marlon at the same time, anxious.

“
For a private
talk, press one. For a live-”

“
Agnes
speaking. How may I help- oh Lord.”

“
Agnes, put
Dreamer on the phone,” said Ted desperately, knowing she was
shocked to find him calling. “Please- we need to talk.”

“
Of course,
darling. How are you and the children?”

“
We’
ve been better,” said
Ted, as Miriam pulled Alice
’
s arm.

“
It’
s time to go,
darling.”

“
Hello?”

“
Mum!” burst
out Pandora, as Ted said “Dreamer, how could you-”

“
You’
re alive!” said
Marlon furiously. “Come home right now, Mum!”

“
Marlon
sweetheart, you don’
t
under-”

“
Oh yeah I do!
You’
d rather talk to strangers
than your family!”

“
How could you
be around for six months and not call?” asked Ted, while Pandora
said “Playing with our minds as well- that was mean.”