Marissa and Cindy have a ‘mother-daughter’ conversation. Marissa proves to be much wiser about things than was first indicated. Cindy comes to the conclusion that her mother is a witch, and just like Bobbie’s mother, Sally, something has happened to prevent her magic from developing. There are some problems at school. Three of the students are particularly bigoted, and don’t hold back about revealing their displeasure with Don’s racial origin. This is a project for The Wizard.

If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Part 1. This story, the twelve chapters, completes the Cynthia Chronicles, Volume 1.

Part 2 is almost as long as part 1. It is 12 chapters and 27,500 words long. There are many more stories out there, and bits and pieces are being discovered almost every day.

I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.

Holly really took me to task this time due to my poor sentence structure and punctuation. She wields a firm ruler and isn’t afraid to use it; my poor knuckles. Thank you so much, Holly, for making this more readable!

This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.

Chapter 3 — Mother daughter time, and bigotry shows up.

Cindy and Don knew that they would consummate their love for each other in the near future; however, there was no rush. They knew they were committed, and even if Donna’s transformation hadn’t happened, they would have been together for the rest of their lives.

Marissa wasn’t sure if she wanted to have more children, or not, but there were no signs that her child bearing years were close to being over. She was rather adamant that she didn’t want children younger than Cindy’s children; however, if that did happen, she probably wouldn’t mind. She knew that Cindy wouldn’t wait much longer before taking the final step with Don, and the thought of her making love with Don didn’t bother her that much.

“Mom, we need to talk.”

“Sure, baby, what’s on your mind?”

“First of all, I want to thank you for being so accepting of Donna, and now Don. I don’t think I know of very many parents who would have accepted Donna like you did, and now it’s as if there was no difference, in spite of the transformation.”

“It wasn’t difficult at all. We knew how you felt about Donna, and it was really none of our business about your preferences. I think we knew that it went much deeper than just a female/female thing. You and Donna were soul mates, and there is no reason for us to think anything different about Don.

“Knowing what we know about events, Bobbie would be a good example; the change from Donna to Don was a correction. I think that The Wizard’s cabal intended for a long time for you and Don to get together; except that Donna appeared rather than Don. They probably didn’t expect you and Donna to get along so well; however, that worked out well, because after the transition, Don continued to be the perfect person for you. I think they are letting nature take its course for now, but I think we are being gently manipulated in a kind sort of way.

“For example, the little alteration I went through, both physically and mentally, facilitated saving Randi. They could have done it differently, but I think they want us to be close together. That includes Bobbie’s family, too. The Wizard let something slip, and I mentioned it the other day. All of my daughters, if I have any more, will be witches.”

“Mom, were there any witches or suspected witches on your side of the family?”

“I don’t really have any way of knowing. As you know, I was adopted, and have no idea about my birth ancestors. I thought after Mom and Dad passed away that I might try to research my ancestry; however, it has never had a great priority.”

“Mom, whether you realize it or not, you are a witch, and dad has to have witches in his ancestry as well. Lore has it, and I think it’s pretty much established, that the witch trait is passed down through the female line. My biology and physiology classes pretty much back this up. The witch gene is carried on the X chromosome and it has to be a recessive gene. That is, it has to be paired with the recessive from the X chromosome donated by the father.

“Boys aren’t witches. They are sorcerers and wizards, and they have to be from a different combination of factors that might include the witch gene, but there have to be some other factors. I am pretty sure about this, and what you say about all your daughters being witches means that both of your X chromosomes have to carry the recessive. You are a witch, there is no other answer. Something must have happened so that the magic genes never kicked in.

“You’re like Bobbie’s mom.”

“Oh?”

“Oops, she doesn’t know it, and we haven’t told her. We’re still trying to figure out what to do about it. Gramma Naomi feels awful about it. She’s a witch, too. There was a little accident when Bobbie’s mom was growing up, and she erased her mind. It’s like losing a link in a computer program. The power’s there but we can’t figure out how to restore the link to get to it and make it work. This means that Bobbie’s dad is carrying the trait, too.

“I think these things will work out over the years. I don’t think there is too much concern on The Wizard’s part. He’s kinda looking out for all of us.

“Now here’s the other thing I needed to tell you. The Wizard gave Bobbie and me a couple of rather involved spells. The first one involved our ability to recognize female to male transgendered individuals. That’s working pretty well right now; however, that situation is not nearly as frequent as Bobbie’s and mine were, and we haven’t had much opportunity for practice.

“The other one is a spell that prevents ovulation. What it means is that I am now on birth control without having to use protection. One of the affects of the spell is that it preserves all the eggs. They are not lost or absorbed. Right now I have about 250,000 to 300,000 eggs. You have maybe 20,000. I think there is an implication here about extending our lives. I have found that this spell can work on any woman, but only those who have magic can implement it.

“We have a lot of time to work out many of the details, and I think that’s why Myrna is involved in this. She wants to be a research biologist specializing in human reproduction. I think one of the things she’ll be working on is this little phenomenon.

“Mom, you are 40. If I shut down your ovulation, it might appear you are entering menopause; however, we can keep track of your hormone levels and determine that your ovaries are still functioning. If you want another baby, we just turn the factory back on, and let daddy do his thing.

“Speaking of that, Don and I will be making love the way men and women do it, and I don’t think we will be waiting too much longer. It doesn’t matter whether or not there has been influence from elsewhere; we are so right for each other. I just want to assure you that we won’t be making any babies for a while. I think I want to get a degree in psychology or psychiatry. That means we are looking at six to ten years, or even more, before I finish school. Don hasn’t made up his mind yet; however, he is leaning toward law. He’s still thinking about professional athletics, but he admits that he may outgrow that.

“This whole tapestry is so interwoven. Bobbie wants to play professional golf, but she will retire from the tour when she is still young. She wants to go into youth counseling, and I think we will be working together.”

“So, do you and Don intend to get married some day?”

“I think Don feels even more strongly than I do about that, and I feel very strongly that we will; however, I think we will wait until close to the end of our undergraduate studies.”

“Well, my little girl is growing up, but don’t be in too much of a rush.”

“I’m not, Mom. I’ve been so blessed to be able to have lived my youth over as I have. This time, though, I am much better prepared to face adulthood.”

Their mother-daughter talk was interrupted by two seven-year olds bursting into the kitchen. “Mom, can Ginny and me have a snack?”

“Now, Randi, that should be, ‘May Ginny and I have a snack?’”

“Okay,” she responded with a bit of a vexed voice, “but, can we?”

“Sure, we’ll work on the grammar later.”

Ginny, with a wide smile, looked up at the mother and daughter. “You were one of Santa’s elves, weren’t you?” she asked Cindy. “You helped Santa a lot, and your friend did, too. Someday, I’m going to help Santa, too.”

They watched the two little girls rush out to the deck, nearly spilling their lemonade. “Do you think she remembers?” Marissa asked quietly.

“I don’t think so. The Wizard said she might when she reaches adolescence. It’s hard to say whether she remembers me from before or after the transformation. Hopefully, she won’t be burdened by those memories. Besides, she’s having too much fun being a little girl.

“It is interesting that Randi seems to know it all. We never told her, but she knew instantly what had happened when Ginny returned to school after Christmas. It’s just like when Don and I came to you in the kitchen that first day we got back together. She didn’t bat an eye when she saw Don. She just said she was glad he was back. She’s scary.”

“That’s all we need around here is another beaner. Those damn Mex’cans are taking over the country. They’re taking our jobs, and the next thing you know, they’ll be taking our women. This country’s for honest white folks.”

Cindy had just about had enough. She was studying in the library with Bobbie, doing some research for a combined project. She knew the conversation was pointed at her and her relationship with Don. As far as everyone at the school was concerned, Cindy had never formed a relationship with any of the male students before. She hung around with Bobbie and Myrna, but Bobbie and Myrna had boy friends they were deeply involved with.

Now school had started, and Cindy was seriously dating someone who hadn’t even lived in the area the year before. Not only that, he was ‘Mex’can’. He wasn’t even white.

“Do you know how many Mex’cans it takes to eat a ‘possum’?”

“No, how many?”

“Three. Two have to watch for cars.”

The three boys laughed uproariously.

The librarian had had enough. “Boys, any more noise, and you will have to leave.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the ring leader said while silently snickering. His name was Tommy Bolt, but everyone called him Terrible Tommy. The other two were Dougie Sanders and Fletcher McElroy. They came from working class families. Their mothers had tried to raise them properly; however, their abusive, hard drinking fathers had negated any efforts to make them socially acceptable.

“Did you hear about the Mex’can who tried to get a job rounding up cattle?” Tommy said in a not too quiet whisper. “They had to fire him. He was so greasy that he kept sliding out of the saddle.” There were a bunch of muffled snickers.

Cindy was fuming, and she had had enough. She quietly got up and approached the three.

“What’s your problem, bitch? You finally decided to find some real men rather than some greasy foreigner?”

“Tommy, shut your mouth and don’t say another word. That goes for you two as well. I think it’s time you learned some manners. For the rest of the hour you will study quietly. I will meet you at the mall after school by the Hallmark Shop.”

Cindy returned to her chair. “Bobbie, I don’t know what to do about them. If I just turn them over to The Wizard, he’s likely to turn them into bimbos. I don’t think that will do anyone any good. I know this; whatever The Wizard does, it will be final. Maybe we can come up with something that will be meaningful. I don’t think there is any hope for them the way they are now.

“I guess I could be accused of trying to get even with them. I could use more persuasion to keep them quiet, but that won’t cure their problems. I just haven’t had that much experience with this sort of thing. I know this. If we don’t do something, many bad things could happen. I don’t want to see Don getting into a fight over this. I think he can handle himself, but a fight isn’t the answer. No one wins in that sort of situation.”

Later that afternoon Cindy, Don, and Bobbie arrived at the mall to find three puzzled youths waiting for them in front of the Hallmark Shop. In a matter of seconds, the store shifted. Cindy opened the door and bade the youths to enter.

“I’m in the back, Cindy. Bring them back. Everything is ready.”

The boys, still silent, skittered away from the wolf when he snarled at them. The wolf wagged his tail as the other three passed.

“Boys, take a seat on that sofa. Let’s see: Tom, Doug, and Fletcher; you make quite the trio, don’t you?”

The three sat silently on the sofa, their eyes darting around the room.

“I’m sorry, Your Wisdom, I told them to be quiet, and didn’t take the spell off.”

“That was probably for the better after what I’ve found out about these hoodlums.

“Boys you may speak when spoken to. The rest of the time you will remain politely quiet. I’ve been doing a bit of research since Cindy called me, and I must say you are getting an early start for a disastrous life. Let’s see, Tommy and Fletcher, I see a little incidence of statutory rape here. What do you have to say about that?”

“She was begging for it, and Fletcher and me busted her cherry for her.”

“Hmmmm, and she was just 14. The complications of the early pregnancy could have killed her. It is ectopic, and she’s afraid to tell her mother. She’ll tell her now, but unfortunately, the baby will be lost. It never would have made it to term. There is nothing that can be done about it.

“I also see you’ve been selling a little pot at the park on Saturdays. Well that little venture ceases right now. Doug, tell me about this cross burning incident.”

“Yes sir, me and Tommy went with our dads over to the Willow Creek Division. There were some niggers who moved in there. They don’t belong in that neighborhood, and we were just encouraging them to move out.”

“I see you have some plans to do something similar to the Brewers. Why would you want to do anything like that to them?”

“My dad says that they’re here because the ACLU wants the Spics to move in, and those two Spic kids are just the beginning.”

“All right, that’s enough.” The Wizard turned to the others. “I don’t think you were aware of these other things, and believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Their mothers are good people, but they can’t overcome what their husbands have done. The husbands are going to be arrested later today on a huge list of federal hate crimes. Their divorces have already been finalized. They will be going to prison for many years and may not survive. I won’t assist that in either way.

“But, what do we do about these three and their families? Their mothers, brothers and sisters shouldn’t suffer for what those three men have done. Well, it turns out that their mothers are very enterprising ladies. They are going to start a very profitable cottage industry that will, in a matter of a year or so, bring in more money than they are getting now.

“These three are going to be very important in the success of their families. That’s what good daughters should do. They are going to be good daughters and mothers to be.”

The three boys began to look rather uncomfortable.

“I think you three are getting a bit hungry. Have some jelly beans. The pink ones are especially good. I want you to understand how wrong the direction you have been going is. I don’t want you dwelling on the evil you have done, but I want you to understand how bad it was, and I want you to make an honest effort to do the right thing. Obviously, being seventeen is not the correct spot to start. I think that going back before puberty will give you a good place to start from. That way you can unlearn many of those bad habits you picked up.”

The changes took place rapidly, and it wasn’t long before three ten year old girls were sitting there. Each girl was in awe of what had happened to the other two, not realizing that the same had happened to her.

“What I am saying now is for everyone’s benefit. This is not punishment. I could have let society punish you, the miscreants that you are; however, you would never amount to anything, and the life of crime you would lead would just lead to your early deaths and, worse yet, harm to many innocent people. This way, you will never forget what you did, but that life will only be a fading memory. You are going to learn how to be productive people. I am going to give you an opportunity. In seven years, you may come back to me. If you think the life you will lead during that time was a waste, I will let you go back to what you would have been had I not changed you. I don’t do this very often; however, I will give you that chance.

“Your mothers will be here in a few minutes to pick you up. I expect to hear good things about you.”

Sure enough, their mothers arrived to pick them up just minutes later. By that time, the shop appeared to be a beauty parlor. The girls had been getting a makeover for the formal tea they were going to the next day. They were positively adorable with their new make up and hair styles.

“So, will they come back in seven years?” Bobbie asked.

“Only Tommie will come back, more out of curiosity than anything else. I will show her what he would be doing if this change had never happened. She won’t be able to see anything, and will want to know why. It’s easy, I will tell her, there’s not much light inside a coffin six feet underground. She will rejoin her boyfriend and never question what happened again. What I will show her is the truth. He wouldn’t have made it through next year.

Next time: Not surprisingly, there is a small and decreasing population of witches in the New England area. Word about Cindy, Bobbie, and Randi is out there; thanks to publications like The Journal of Witchcraft and word of mouth, much initiated by The Wizard. The New England Coven holds a meeting in the girls’ home town, and they and their mothers are invited. Marissa and Sally find out who they really are, but Marissa probably knew for a long time. Maddy and her two students perform for everyone, and Randi is up to her usual tricks.