Life Passed

A Transgender Paranormal Fantasy

From the Paranormal Visitor Universe

Chapter Seven: Laura's Friendship

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

Can Helen and Minuet form a new triad with Laura to protect the community?

Copyright 2008, 2025 by Sasha Zarya Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

Author's Note:

This book, in it's entirety, is available on my Patreon. BCTS will get weekly postings on Tuesdays to complete it here. Patreon Free Members can read my new complete book by chapters, Things We Do for Love

The resolution to Chapter Six's cliffhanger—the gathering of multiple Wiccan circles in our backyard and my preparation to face them as Minuet for the first time—had left me both nervous and determined. But as I stepped outside into the circle of flickering candles and concerned faces, I realized that my greatest challenge wasn't the supernatural threat we faced, but finding my place in a community I'd never truly belonged to before.

The assembled practitioners had formed a loose circle around the fire pit, their faces illuminated by dancing flames that seemed to pulse with their own inner life. Sarah from the Moonrise Circle stepped forward first, her silver pentacle catching the firelight as she studied me with kind but curious eyes.

"Everyone," Michelle said, her voice carrying clearly across the gathering, "I'd like you to meet my daughter, Minuet. She's... new to our community, but she carries the blessing of Helen's final gift."

"We felt the disturbance when Helen passed," Sarah replied, her expression growing thoughtful. "The magical resonance was unlike anything we've experienced. You must be very special, child."

"I don't know about special," I replied, finding my voice stronger than expected. "But I know that Helen gave me something precious, and I won't let anyone destroy it."

Marcus from the Oakwood Coven nodded approvingly. "Spoken like a true practitioner. The elemental may be ancient and powerful, but it's never faced a united community before."

"Actually," Tabitha interjected, consulting her notes from Ireland, "that's not entirely true. According to the Celtic records, the last time this particular elemental was active, it took the combined efforts of seven circles and a blood sacrifice to contain it."

The gathering fell silent at her words. Seven circles—and we had only three, plus a few individual practitioners.

"Then we need to find the other circles," I said, surprising myself with my determination. "And we need to find another way. No one else is going to die for this."

Laura's Arrival
As if summoned by my words, a car pulled into our driveway, its headlights cutting through the gathering dusk. A woman in her forties emerged, followed by a girl who appeared to be my age—twelve, with long auburn hair and eyes that sparkled with mischief and intelligence.

"That's Gladys Morrison and her daughter Laura," Michelle whispered to me. "They're from the Riverside Gathering. Laura's... special, like you."

The girl—Laura—approached our circle with confident steps, but I noticed she kept glancing at me with undisguised curiosity. When our eyes met, I felt an immediate connection, as if we'd known each other for years rather than seconds.

"Sorry we're late," Gladys called out, her voice carrying a slight Irish accent. "Laura insisted on bringing something." She gestured to her daughter, who carried a small wooden box carved with Celtic knotwork.

"What's in the box?" I asked, drawn to Laura despite my nervousness about meeting someone new.

Laura's face lit up with a grin that transformed her from merely pretty to absolutely radiant. "Family heirlooms. My grandmother always said they'd be important someday." She opened the box to reveal three more Celtic Triquetra necklaces, but these were different from ours—older, more intricate, with silver inlay that seemed to glow in the firelight.

Helen's spiritual form materialized beside the fire pit, visible to all the practitioners present. "The Morrison line," she said with wonder in her voice. "Laura, your family built the original altar that contained the elemental centuries ago."

Laura's eyes widened. "You're Helen! Mom told me about you. And you're Minuet." She turned to me with excitement. "I've been dreaming about you for weeks. We're supposed to be friends, aren't we?"

The directness of her question caught me off guard, but something deep inside me responded with certainty. "I think we are."

Instant Connection
As the adults continued their war council, discussing strategy and magical defenses, Laura and I found ourselves sitting together on the porch steps, away from the intensity of the main gathering. The Celtic Triquetra necklace around my neck had grown warm when Laura approached, and I noticed hers was doing the same.

"So," Laura said, swinging her legs as she sat beside me, "you used to be someone else, didn't you? I can see it in your eyes—like you've lived more than twelve years."

Her perceptiveness startled me. "How did you know?"

"My grandmother had the Sight. She said it sometimes skips generations, but I got it too. I can see people's true selves, their past lives, their spiritual ages." She studied my face carefully. "You were a grown-up who took care of sick people. But inside, you were always supposed to be a little girl."

The relief of being understood so completely by someone my apparent age was overwhelming. "Helen made it possible for me to be who I really am. But it's scary, being twelve again when I remember being an adult."

"I bet it is. But you know what? You get to grow up the right way this time. And you won't have to do it alone." Laura reached over and squeezed my hand. "I've been waiting for you, Minuet. My grandmother told me stories about the three sisters who would come together when the fire awakened. She said one would be wise, one would be strong, and one would be brave. I think you're the brave one."

"What about you? What are you?"

Laura's grin returned. "I'm the one who knows all the secrets. Like how to braid hair properly, and which lip gloss looks best with your skin tone, and how to talk to boys without turning red." She paused, her expression growing more serious. "And I know things about the old magic too. Things my family has been guarding for generations."

Sharing Secrets
As the evening deepened and the adult conversation grew more intense, Laura and I retreated to my bedroom, where she immediately began examining everything with the enthusiasm of someone making a new best friend.

"Oh, I love your room!" she exclaimed, spinning around to take in the lavender walls and Celtic quilt. "It's so perfectly you. And look—" She pulled out her own Celtic Triquetra necklace, holding it next to mine. "They're responding to each other."

Indeed, both necklaces were glowing softly, their intricate knotwork seeming to pulse in rhythm with our heartbeats.

"Laura," I said carefully, "can I tell you something? Something I haven't told anyone else?"

"Of course. Best friends share secrets."

The casual way she claimed our friendship made my heart soar. "When Helen transformed me, I didn't just get a new body. I got new memories too—memories of growing up as Michelle's daughter. But I can still remember everything from before. It's like having two complete childhoods."

Laura nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Magic like that has to create a complete reality, or it wouldn't hold. But you're worried about which memories are real?"

"Exactly. Sometimes I feel like I'm pretending to be someone I've never actually been."

"You want to know a secret?" Laura sat cross-legged on my bed, her expression growing conspiratorial. "I've been having dreams about you since I was eight. In the dreams, you were always Minuet, always twelve, always my best friend. So maybe the new memories aren't fake—maybe they're just the way things were always supposed to be."

The possibility sent shivers through me. "You really think so?"

"I know so. My grandmother said that when the ancient magic awakens, it doesn't just change what is—it changes what was, making everything align with how the universe intended things to be." Laura reached over and touched my hand. "You were always meant to be Minuet. The magic just helped you catch up to your true timeline."

The Warning
Our conversation was interrupted by a soft knock on my door. Michelle peeked in, her expression troubled.

"Girls, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need you downstairs. Gladys has something important to share about Laura's family history."

We hurried back to the gathering, where Gladys stood beside the fire pit with an ancient leather journal in her hands. The other practitioners had formed a tighter circle, their faces grave in the flickering light.

"The Morrison family has been the guardians of the elemental's prison for over three centuries," Gladys began, her Irish accent becoming more pronounced as she spoke of her heritage. "My great-great-grandmother was one of the original circle that bound the fire spirit to the altar."

She opened the journal, revealing pages covered in Celtic script and detailed drawings of the altar site. "According to our records, the elemental wasn't always destructive. Originally, it was a force of transformation and passion—the sacred fire that burns away the false to reveal the true."

"What changed it?" Tabitha asked, leaning forward intently.

"Centuries of imprisonment. The binding spell was meant to be temporary, just long enough to teach the elemental to control its power. But the circle that cast it was wiped out by plague before they could complete the ritual. The elemental has been trapped and growing more twisted with rage ever since."

Helen's spiritual form flickered with distress. "And now it's found a host in Elias Vire."

"Worse than that," Gladys continued. "According to the journal, the elemental will grow stronger with each act of destruction it commits through its host. If we don't stop it soon, it will become powerful enough to break free of Elias entirely and manifest as pure destructive force."

Laura grabbed my hand, her necklace pulsing with urgent light. "Grandmother always said that when the fire awakened, three young guardians would rise to face it. She said they would carry the power of the ancient bloodlines and the wisdom of the new age."

"Three guardians?" I asked, though I suspected I already knew the answer.

"You, me, and..." Laura's eyes searched the gathering. "The third one isn't here yet. But she's coming. I can feel it."

The First Test
As if summoned by Laura's words, the peaceful evening was shattered by the sound of sirens in the distance. The glow on the horizon that we'd noticed earlier had grown brighter, and now we could see flames dancing above the treeline.

"He's testing his power again," Helen said, her spiritual form becoming more agitated. "But this time, he's targeting something specific."

Michelle's phone buzzed with an emergency alert. Her face went pale as she read the message. "The community center is on fire. That's where the children's art classes are held—all their paintings and projects are stored there."

"He's destroying innocence," Sarah breathed. "Targeting the pure creativity of children."

I felt a surge of anger that surprised me with its intensity. The Celtic Triquetra necklace around my neck grew hot against my skin, and I could sense Laura's doing the same.

"We have to stop him," I said, my twelve-year-old voice carrying a determination that seemed to come from somewhere beyond my apparent age.

"Absolutely not," Michelle said firmly. "You're children. This is too dangerous."

"We're not ordinary children," Laura replied, her own necklace now glowing bright enough to illuminate her face. "We're the guardians. This is what we were born for."

Helen's spiritual form moved between us and the adults. "The girls are right. The elemental is drawn to power, and right now, Minuet and Laura represent the strongest magical forces in our community. If we're going to face Elias, they'll need to be part of it."

"But they're twelve years old!" Gladys protested.

"So was Joan of Arc when she first heard her calling," Helen replied gently. "And these girls have advantages that Joan never had—they have each other, they have our guidance, and they have the wisdom of the ancient bloodlines flowing through them."

The Bond Awakens
As the distant fire grew brighter and the sirens multiplied, Laura and I found ourselves standing together in the center of the circle, our necklaces pulsing in perfect synchronization. I could feel her thoughts touching mine, her courage strengthening my resolve.

"What do we do?" I asked, looking between Helen's spiritual form and the gathered practitioners.

"First, you learn," Helen replied. "Laura, your family's journal contains the original binding ritual. Study it tonight. Minuet, you need to understand the full extent of your transformation—you're not just a girl who was given a new life, you're a conduit for ancient magic that flows through the Celtic bloodlines."

"And second?" Laura asked.

"Second, you prepare to meet your third sister. She's coming, drawn by the same forces that brought you two together. When she arrives, the real battle can begin."

The fire on the horizon pulsed like a heartbeat, and I felt the elemental's rage calling to something deep within me. But I also felt Laura's friendship, Helen's love, Michelle's protection, and the gathered strength of our united community.

"I'm scared," I admitted, my young voice small in the darkness.

"Good," Helen said with a gentle smile. "Fear keeps you careful. But don't let it keep you from becoming who you're meant to be. You're not just Minuet anymore—you're one of the three guardians, and the fate of our community rests in your hands."

Laura squeezed my hand tighter. "We'll face it together. That's what best friends do."

As the gathering began to disperse, each circle returning to their homes to prepare for the battles ahead, I realized that my transformation from Marcus to Minuet was only the beginning. The real test of who I was meant to become was just starting, and I would face it with the best friend I'd been waiting my whole life to meet.

The Celtic sisterhood was growing, the ancient magic was awakening, and somewhere in the darkness, our third guardian was making her way toward us. The war for Cedar Hollow's soul had begun, and we three girls—bound by friendship, magic, and destiny—would stand at its center.

The fire on the horizon called to us with elemental rage, but we would answer with something far more powerful: the unbreakable bonds of chosen sisterhood and the ancient wisdom that love, not force, could transform even the most twisted souls.

Our real adventure was just beginning.