Wild Magic 53

This is what I’ve always feared. I went in without anyone else and messed around in one of the least understood organs in the body, and now my fiancé’s father has lost the use of his legs! I’m so angry at myself! I got overconfident and now I’ve ruined someone’s life!

I should have known this would happen eventually. I can't handle this, I’ve got to stop it. Magic is just too dangerous, and with my strength, it’s unsafe to be around me. I've gotta go, gotta stay away from people as much as possible. I teleported home and quickly packed my backpack. I was crying my eyes out. I knew that I had to hurry, before they could find me. I just had to go, to escape!

More than anything I had to get away from Tim. I could just see his face, he would be so mad, and I couldn’t bear it. I didn’t want my last memory of my Tim to be one where he hated me! I knew everyone else would.

I put my backpack in the back of my truck, pulled all the money I had out of the bank and headed North. I didn’t know where I was going for sure. I had the vague idea that I would go up to the Upper Peninsula, then across to Canada at the Soo Locks, and after that, just straight north. I’d find a place away from people and hide, try not to use my magic, Maybe get a job doing something away from people as best I can.

I couldn’t use the main highway; it would be too easy to find me. I headed up M37 to start, but I would frequently change roads so they couldn’t find me. Yeah, it was a lot slower, but if I stayed on the back roads as much as possible, the police wouldn’t see me as easily. I worried about crossing the bridge to the UP. They'd probably have pictures of me and my truck, waiting to arrest me.

I thought about possibly trading my truck for a van, or maybe a 4wheel drive Suburban. I figured I would need something with off road capabilities but big enough to sleep in. These older trucks are becoming popular, and with that big engine under the hood, she’d probably bring a pretty penny.

Maybe I could find a camper top for the back? I could sleep in the back then, and let’s face it, if I got stuck, it was no big deal. With my abilities, getting it out would be easy. Yeah, that’s what I’d do.

I saw this house built into the side of a hill, and as I drove I decided that I would try to do that. Maybe I didn’t have to cross the bridge, where they would be looking for me. No, I’d just find one of the little towns I'd been going through that weren’t much more than a gas station and a little supply store for the deer hunters. I kept seeing signs with property for sale.

I figured I’d buy a cheap piece of land, maybe with an old mobile home on it until I finished my underground house, which shouldn’t take long. I’d build it kind of the primitive style, like some of the Indians did. Heck, I’d taken that old 40 footer and cut it into firewood in 15 minutes. It shouldn’t take me long to build a cabin!

I pulled into a little town that had a gas station, a kind of combination drugstore/ hardware/grocery store with a small restaurant built into it, and a couple of other little businesses I didn’t pay attention too. I sat down at the restaurant and ordered some chicken, fries and a soda. I was surprisingly tired, like I’d burned up all my energy.

I finished my meal, and I decided to park my truck off to the side of the drugstore, where I had some shade and could take a little rest. I pulled the truck in to a nice spot and leaned up against the door, falling asleep almost instantly.

I woke up and looked around, trying to figure out where I was and what was going on. I was in the living room at home. Mom held one of my hands, and Grandma was holding the other. Elisabette sat regally in one of the big chairs, Tina in the other. Jack sat in a wheelchair near her. The entire room was so filled with love, it made me cry.

“Sorry, honey,” Grandma said. “You’ve been poisoned sweetie, and we had to make you sleep without frightening you.”

“Poisoned? But I...”

“It‘s a kind of drug, honey, and it makes you very anxious and you start to doubt yourself. They’ve been sneaking it into your food for a while, and when you felt that you had injured Jack, it pushed you over the top and made you kind of paranoid.”

Tears filled my eyes. “I did hurt Jack! I know Tim hates me, that’s why he’s not here, isn’t it?!” I cried. “I should have waited for you and Grandma, I never should have gone in by myself...”

“Emily, you may have saved my life, little girl.” Jack said, from a wheelchair. “We’ll never know for sure, but that tumor was causing all kinds of problems.”

“But if I had only waited, maybe...”

“Maybe I’d be dead. Maybe I’d be a vegetable, just waiting to die, or worse, what if I was trapped in my brain, alive and aware, but unable to move or interact with anybody?” He shivered. “We’ll never know, thank God.

Your Mom told me you took out that tumor completely-one hundred percent, 'no bout adout it', as my Dad use ta say. It’s gone. There is no compromised tissue left. What you did not do was take out any healthy cells.”

What?

“It was the tumor, honey.” Mom told me. “It was already affecting his motor skills, and a few other parts. When you removed all the cancerous cells, it caused a few problems, but we’re working on it, and while I can’t heal like you do, I’ve been accelerating the healing process. Hopefully this is just temporary.”

“Was that an attack, too?” I asked.

“We may never know for sure. It just happened that Jack had cancer, and it was starting to spread. It’s highly suspicious that his symptoms were much like yours, only very exaggerated. The drug is no longer in his system, if it was the case.”

“Tim will be here in a little while, dear,” Elisabette said, smiling. He’s bringing your truck home, and it won’t take too long, he’s using a much quicker route than the one you used. It was too far for me to teleport, but he volunteered to drive it home.”

“How did you find me?” I asked. Heck, I had no idea where I was!

“I followed your Grandmother’s amulet,” Elisabette said. “On her advice, I made you sleepy, so that you wouldn’t panic and run away again.”

I looked at Jack. “If it doesn’t make you too nervous, would you please let me try to heal you again?”

“Emily, you did it right the first time. Of course I’ll let you see if you can finish it.”

“Mom, Grandma, and Elisabette, would you work with me?”

“I’m torn, dear.” Elisabette said thoughtfully. “I’m rather sure that you could do this without us, and I wonder if I don’t let you do it, will it hurt your confidence in your own abilities?”

Mom looked at me, and smiled. “She’s right, honey. You’ve made no mistakes. Yes, you left the full healing unfinished, but in truth, even that may have been the right move at the time. I have faith in you and your skills. Take your time, and let your magic guide you.”

“I agree.” Grandma said. “You can do it, Emily. I don’t have any doubt. Feel the magic work, let it find the wrongness, and make it right.”

Tina and Jack agreed. Tina gave me a hug, and in just that short time, I fixed the damage that Jack had done to her, and made sure everything was as it should be. Tina looked at me with love. "Thank you, saweetheart!" She hugged me again. They were right. I was ready.

I held Jack’s hand and closed my eyes. I felt for the wrongness, the place where his body had been damaged. Just like I had healed Debbie back when we learned I had magic, the energy flowed out me, drawn out by desire to heal. I rebuilt the parts that the cancer had damaged. I reconnected nerves and made everything feel right again. I knew I had healed him, I was sure of it.

I opened my eyes and let go of his hand. “All right, it’s done. Be careful, it hasn't been very long, but it still might be a bit weak at first. Your muscles haven't had time to atrophy, so that won’t last long.”

Jack locked the wheelchairs brakes and grabbed he arm rests. Tina pulled the footrests out of the way and Jack stood up.

“You’re right, they do feel a little weak, but they work. Well done, Doc.”

I suppose he’s right, in a way. I’ve healed cancer, mended broken bones, fixed the damage from a heart attack...I can pretty much do anything a Doctor can do, and generally faster. They should just give me a degree.

You know I’ll never get this big head in Mom’s little Smart car.

Yes, I realize that if people knew I could heal, I would be inundated with requests, even demands for healing. I’d never get a minute to myself, and every other witch out there would be in danger, even those that don’t have any healing ability.

It’s kind of funny, the world would probably be so much better if the general public didn’t want to kill all of the witches.

I heard a knocking, so I went to answer the door I opened it and my wonderful fiancé walked into the house wrapped his arms around me and kissed me like crazy. All of his love was in that kiss, and I just wanted cry from the joy of it.

“You know sweetheart,” he said, smiling at me. “Sometimes you drive me crazy, but I know that life is never going to be boring with you, and I love you so much!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, and ya know what else? That truck is a BLAST to drive. Wow!”

I smiled. “Yeah, ain’t she?”

“She’s just like her Momma. Beautiful, and lots of fun, but if you step on her too hard, she’ll kick yer ass!”

Wait until your warranty runs out on your Jeep. I bet it would be lots of fun with a Viper V-10."

"Oh crap!"

I laughed as we went into the living room to join everyone. Once again, the love that was directed towards us was almost overwhelming. There was only one chair available, but that was okay. I let Tim sit down, and then I sat on his leg, just like girls have done forever.

In among all the love and happiness though, I was planning, and thinking about the people who had caused all of this. I was beyond angry, I was in a whole new universe of pissed.

Somehow, someway, and someday, someone’s gonna have a really bad day.