A Witches Grimoir

chapter 18: new discoveries

October 19th 2022

We sat, Evee fidgeting a little nervously, me trying to collect my thoughts. After what felt like hours and was most likely mere minutes i cleared my throat, running a hand over my face.

"Okay--so...that's...crazy and all, the fact that he's a changeling, but i'm confused on how that matters? And how you know it." i say, raising my gaze to hers. she seemed like she was trying to regain her lively confidence, and i let her. Finally, she spoke up.

"i'll tell you the story, i think it might be relevant to get you two on friendly terms again if you see him.." she said, her fingers running absent mindedly through her poofy blond hair that eerily reminded me of Amy's straight blond hair.

"AJ joined the OGRAF because he was a science nerd and Marcus saw his reports and grades concerning S.T.E.M and offered him an internship of sorts" she said, continuing to brush out her hair.

"Eventually, AJ just dropped out of highschool, told me his 'job offered him full-time pay but he would still be living in the dorms'" She used air quotations, something ive come to realise only humans do.

she takes a breath, to which i use the moment to bring myself down from my thoughts and anchor myself to retaining as much information as possible.

"Then, i made the STUPID decision to drop out too, and enlist in the growing army the OGRAF had" she said, her voice raised slightly and somehow her fingers once again found their way between her hair.

"And i noticed AJ started acting weird, and he always seemed uncomfortable and on guard when Marcus was around! And i thought it was just because he was the boss but i asked anyways and-" Her voice had been raising with each word she spoke, and it cracked on the last sentence. She took another pause and blinked up to the sky, blinking back tears, i realised. I looked around, i didn't know what to do, crying always made me awkward. What would Amy do? i thought, then, to my extreme discomfort, i held out my arms.

"you--uh--want a hug?" i said, wincing at my tone and what i was currently doing. She looked back down at me with wide eyes. Is she seriously surprised i would offer consolation?  I thought. Evee didn't respond, she threw her arms around me, hugging me like her life depended on it. Maybe it does i realised, not in a literal form, but maybe figuratively, her life depended on it.

I kept my arms from touching her at first, but seeing the way she hugged me, i let them relax and curl around her back. Despite the way i acted, and the way i tried to think, some small, shrivelled voice in my head spoke up. She doesn't deserve this, think of what she did for you, for AJ. She shouldn't be entwined with your turmoil, she should live her life like a normal teenager, not like you. You shouldn't be dragging her into what may lead in death.

my brow furrowed, pushing the odd thought away, trying not to dwell on it. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, finding myself retreating into my mind again until she finally pulled away.

"Sorry about that i'll--i'll get on with it" she said, wiping a few stray tears off of her reddened cheeks. I didn't know what to say, so i just nodded.

"uh--AJ told me that Marcus had found his mother, who he was trying to hide in her house. Apparently Marcus had his mother practically hostage and was using her to blackmail AJ into staying, and keeping his mouth shut" she said, sniffling and looking away.

"why did Marcus want AJ working for him?" I ask wearily, i needed to know, i had a feeling it could affect my plan.

"I'm not entirely sure, but i know AJ hinted to something about a device...to take down 'the witches' as Marcus calls them" she said, waving a hand.

"I don't think it's too important" she said, but i thought otherwise.

I hadn't noticed we'd continued walking until i heard the faint sounds of 'car' horns honking. i stopped and narrowed my eyes into the distance, i couldn't see anything yet, but i trusted my ears.

"do you hear tha-" i said, but cut myself off, scorning myself for my simple stupidity.

"hear what?"

"i can hear your species's car horns" i say, gesturing vaguely to the distance in front of the narrow deserted road. she leaned in and strained, but i waved an absent minded hand.

"special hearing, remember?" i scoff, running a hand through my hair like Evee, catching myself halfway and stopping. As emotional as she is, Evee really isn't much of a quick thinker, I've come to realise. 

"Ohhhhhh! Yeah! I think the town you're hearing is the town closest to the one we're looking for!" she said, her eyes shining like she wasn't just crying moments before. In a way, i guess i almost admired her ability to get so exited over absolutely everything.

The trees around us matched with the late afternoon sun cast a nice glow around us, and as we walked i took a few seconds to look around at the rocky elevated edges that surrounded us along with the pine. I had been observing human life despite all that has happened, and I've noticed that human landscapes are very similar to the landscapes back in town. I also noticed that humans seem to have a advanced technology base, but no magic clearly...hopefully, i thought with a shudder.

As we neared the town, and as night fell down upon the growing lights and scarce drunken people that littered the streets occasionally, one thought nagged my consciousness. And as i lay down on the cheap, thin mattress and the itchy bed sheets of the closest motel, i couldn't stop thinking of the one thing that had been plaguing my thoughts constantly.

Maybe you shouldn't be dragging Evee into your shit. Maybe you should leave her to live her life. Maybe you should be a better person.