BeSwitched, Paranormal Romance (15 page)

Chapter 2

The following Friday, Washington High was holding their Homecoming dance in the gymnasium. Cathy was sitting on the stage, wearing a sash with four other girls. Surla snuck into the dance at the right opportunity. She couldn’t and wouldn’t miss the announcement of who would be crowned. In her heart, she knew Cathy would win. Seeing her friend’s face when the winner would be announced, was something she was not willing to miss.

When Cathy first found out she was nominated, she bolted through the front door, calling Surla. “I’m nominated for Homecoming Queen!” she sang, picking up her friend and swinging her around in her arms.

It was easy to get inside the dance, although Surla had a nagging worry that someone would kick her out, since surely animals were not allowed. Luckily, she was just in time.

A teacher announced, “The winner of Washington High’s Homecoming Queen title is… drum roll! Miss Cathy Phillips!”

Cathy’s jaw dropped as she put her hands over her mouth. As her crown was pinned on her straight brown shoulder length hair and her bouquet of roses passed to her, tears came down her cheeks.

Surla had a twinkle in her yellow eyes. She watched further as Todd was announced as the king. He, being the star quarterback, was handsome as ever with his dark brown hair and dashing smile.

Sure enough, when it was time for the king and queen to dance together, a chaperone picked up Surla. She turned her head to look back at her friend, beautiful, holding her boyfriend close. She was then dumped out back by the trash cans with an order to “Stay out!”

As Surla walked the quiet wet streets alone, she wondered what it would be like to be a teenage girl again, to be able to hang out with Cathy like normal best friends. As a cat, she couldn’t go to the movies, go dancing, eat at a restaurant or shop at the mall. There were so many restrictions placed upon their relationship. What was left to do? They could stay in with a rented movie or go out to a park, and that was about it. The black cat sighed, passing by Revere Park.

That night, when Surla drifted off to sleep, long before her friend came home from the dance, she dreamed she was playing tug of war against Todd. Cathy was in the middle of the rope, watching. Gripping the rope with her teeth and pulling with all her might did no good. Todd had so much strength. She knew he was just being his nice self at the other end. If he wanted, in one swift yank, he could take her down into the mud. Instead, he smiled and waved to her, like a good friend, not pulling much at all. Cathy suddenly turned her back to Surla and started walking toward Todd, no longer in the center. With every step, Cathy was further and further away. Surla dropped the rope out of her mouth and mewed sorrowfully.

Surla wasn’t the only one with worries. Idis’s troubles worsened since she tried running from the security guard who zapped her into submission. She had been placed into a facility for the mad—Mercy Mental Hospital. Idis can’t say that she was innocent, when the first thing she told the police was she was a witch and her cat tried killing her. That was a quick ticket to a padded cell, or at least a small space called a “room” shared with Ruthie. Luckily for Idis, psychologists were able to soften her diagnosis from Psychotic to an extreme case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They knew she was declared dead at the park, because of the coroner’s report; they figured with enough pills and sessions with doctors, she would awake from her delusions.

Her Friday evening centered around Mercy Mental Hospital’s talent show. The residents were invited to share a talent, no matter how kooky, with the others. There were a lot of participants who thought they could sing and Idis took it upon herself to be judge.

“You sound like a turkey!” she said to one. “Who let the dogs out?” she said to a quartet. “You sound worse than barking dogs!”

A nurse warned her that if she didn’t stop, she would have to go back to her room.

Ruthie went up and showed how she could click her thumb back and forth, like it was broken and then fixed, broken and then fixed.

“Now that’s talent!” Idis stood and clapped in seriousness. “That’s my roommate!”

It was then Idis’s turn to go up. She made an announcement before she started—“Hello, fellow funny farmers. My name is Idis and I am a witch.”

Some of the residents made faces like they believed her.

“I know, some of you
don’t
believe me. That is how I got myself in here in the first place. I blabbed to the wrong people! I have a black cat, too. Or, I did… But anyway, I can fly on brooms, I eat some pretty strange stuff from caldrons, perform spells, and—best of all—I have a real talent, like Ruthie!”

An old man, grasping his walker in excitement, said, “Let’s see it, honey!”

“Thanks for the encouragement, Hermie…” She saluted him. “Now, if you have ever known any witches in your life, then you probably know they have this amazing ability to shake their eyes really, really fast. Come close and behold!”

Her glowy green eyes bounced around, just as she said they would, very fast.

She received some oohs and ahhs. Herman put his hand over his heart. “I’ll follow you anywhere. Better yet, let me take you to the mother ship.”

Idis sat back down. Herman took a seat next to her. He lowered his voice. “People have been talking.”

“There’s all kinds of babble going on in this crazy house,” Idis responded.

“But I know you want to break out of here; make a run for it.” He licked his dry lips, moving closer to her.

“Yes, I do. Do you have some insider information for me? Like an alarm code, or the night shift nurses’ schedule? If not, then you can’t help me, geezer.”

“Idis, my dear, what if I told you I don’t really look like this?”

“What do you mean?”

“This is just a disguise. The false teeth, toupee, and everything. It’s not me.”

“I would say you are a nutjob.”

“But, really, I am tall, dark and handsome. Back on planet Ploton, we look like people on earth, only everyone is beautiful.”

“Oh, really?” She sighed and looked at her long fingernails.

“Yes, I am told I resemble the Count Dracula character.”

Idis perked up. Even if she knew he was full of hot air, the story now interested her. “Really? Do you have black hair, sharp incisors for drinking blood and pretty pale skin?”

“All of that. Only, I can’t drink blood. I am not a vampire. They don’t have those where I come from.”

“So, Hermie—who really looks like Count Dracula under this amazing disguise of wrinkles, dandruff and hearing aids—tell me what interests an alien man from Ploton to be with a witch like me.”

“To be blunt, your magnificent vessel that breathes in oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide.”

“My beak-nose, you mean?”

“Yes… May I touch it, sweetie?”

“No!” She slapped his hand away.

“Alright, alright. Just hear me out, dear… I can walk through walls. If you hold my hand, we can walk through walls together.”

“Uh huh. Whatever. Why haven’t you already escaped, if it is that easy for you?”

“I was just here for a temporary study of Earthlings. Mental hospitals are filled with people who are different, like us, but are not understood or trusted. I trust you. I know you are a witch.”

“And how’s that?”

“Your trick you just performed.”

“Uh huh.” She wasn’t buying it. “Well, listen to me, little man. If you can really walk through walls, then tomorrow morning I expect you to wake me up at 5 a.m. sharp from my slumber. Because you would be able to walk to my room from yours, it should be easy for you.”

“Yes?”

“And, then, after you wake me up, we will walk out of my room to the open field outside.”

He nodded. “I will notify the mother ship.”

“You do that.” She stood up and walked off.

When Cathy told Surla she was going fishing early the next morning, she meant early. It was still dark out, around 5 a.m. Her movements around the room awoke Surla to the point that she couldn’t go back to sleep.

“
Are you sure I can’t come? I love fish! I won’t be in the way and maybe I could help you catch some.”

“
Sorry, Surla. You know I love you, but I think Todd and I would like to have a date alone this time.” Cathy wore a fisherman’s hat.

Cathy’s new cell phone
rang. Todd bought it for her, and even signed them up with a family plan and unlimited texting. “Hello… Hi! Yes, I’m ready… You’re here already?… Okay… I’m coming now. See you soon.”

She hung up and turned to Surla.
“Good-bye.” She kissed her on the forehead and said, “I’ve gotta go.”

“
Okay.” Surla put up a paw to wave good-bye. She watched her friend exit the room. “Miss you,” she added after the door shut.

Surla had a
sudden bright idea. She jumped to the windowsill, where the window was ajar. Just then she had a flashback of Idis’s window sill, with old paint peeling off, and a Hydrangea bush just outside. She had slithered through that opening not too long ago, and had jumped over the flowers at tremendous speed, so excited to finally have freedom. Surla’s flashback finished and she stepped out onto Cathy’s roof. Today, she had a different plan.

The black cat
walked to the edge and peered down. She had a good view of the truck’s bed. She saw a duffle bag and fishing gear.

She heard
Cathy greet Todd. “Hi! I’m so excited.”

“
So am I.”

She saw Todd, wearing his red letterman jacket, approach the truck.
Without another thought, Surla leaped down on top of the duffle bag, which was pretty soft.

“
This is going to be great,” said Cathy.

“
Our first fishing trip,” Todd said. He threw Cathy’s bag into the bed of the truck, accidentally whacking Surla on the butt.

Idis was sleeping away when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She rolled over and opened her eyes. It was Herman with his usual walker.

She popped up. “How did you get in here?”

“It’s time, dear.” He reached out a hand.

Idis raised her eyebrows, staring for a moment. “You just walked through my wall?”

“Yes. The mother ship will be arriving soon. Stand up.”

She threw her hands in the air. “Alright. What do I have to lose? I’m willing to try anything.”

Herman scooted himself to the wall that faced the outdoors. He watched Idis grab a pair of shoes. She was wearing her sheet nightgown.

“Boy, I must
really
be crazy.” Idis turned back to see her roommate still sound asleep. “Well, let’s get this show on the road. See if you are who you say you are.”

Idis watched in amazement as Herman disappeared through the wall. A wart-spotted hand reached back through for her. She didn’t feel anything unusual as she grabbed his hand and walked through to the outside.

“Oh my word!” She knew she was not dreaming; the morning chill was too real. It was dark out, and she could see the millions of stars shining above them.

Like little children, they ran as fast as they could across the open field and into the woods. Herman did a good job, pushing his walker through all the underbrush. Idis wasn’t sure what direction he was taking her; she was too ecstatic to care. They soon came upon a clearing and Herman stopped, looked up, then down to his watch, and back up again.

“Don’t tell me the mother ship is real, too!”

He didn’t say anything. He just continued looking into the night sky. Idis thought she saw a shooting star, but as it came closer to the earth, she saw it was an oval spaceship, casting a blue glow underneath. When it landed, a small door opened and a ramp lowered to the earth.

Herman grasped Idis’s hand. When he went to move forward to the ship, there was resistance.

“You
are
crazy if you think I am getting on that thing.” She pulled her hand away.

He cocked his head to the side, gazing at her. “It is time to go. I must board.”

“Then go! Get outta here!” Idis stomped a foot and crossed her arms. “I don’t need you anymore!”

He walked up the ramp and turned to see her one last time. “I’ll be back for you,” he said and then the door shut.

Idis was not prepared for what happened next. As the spaceship blasted off, fire flared out from its bottom, and the force of its boom caused her to fall backward on her rump. She hacked as a gust of black smoke enveloped her.

Laying in the bed of Todd’s truck, on her way to Lake Sequoia, Surla was feeling pretty smart and sneaky. She enjoyed looking up at the clear blue sky, spotting an occasional bird fly by and she especially enjoyed basking in the breeze as it tickled at her neck.

It wasn’t very long, however, before Todd was driving down a very bumpy dirt road, causing the cat’s little teeth to chatter. Suddenly one of the tires hit a pot hole, and t
he force ejected Surla out and away from the truck. As she was in the air, she clawed at the sky, as if that would help bring her back. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, until she finally landed in a nearby bush.