I Can See You | Reggie Peters

iii. i'm a what?

Katie threw the door of her house open with tears streaming down her face. Her hair and clothes were soaked with water from the rain. "You couldn't do it?" John asked, having returned from the night shift at his work. She shook her head with more tears falling. "She made it farther than I thought she would've." Bobby said, placing Katie's bag down on the floor. "I made it through the door but it was like everyone was staring at me and I couldn't handle it." Katie said, getting more choked up.

Kendra nodded at Bobby, telling him he could go. "I'll see you later." He said, kissing Katie on the temple. Katie barely even noticed him leave. "It was just too much, and then there was the memorial. And it's all just- ugh!" Katie screamed, and then all of the lights broke. Katie looked around in the darkness before they were all on again, almost as if they hadn't broken at all. She looked over at her mother. The tears stopped. "How did- What? What just happened?" She asked, more confused than anything. "Scream again." Kendra told her.

"Ah?" Katie tried to scream. Cordelia scoffed. "No, not like that. Put some effort into it." She said. "Ah!" Katie screamed, and this time, the lights and television went out, and there was also a crack of lightning. Soon enough, the lights came on and the tv was fixed. "How?" Katie asked. Kendra placed her hands on Katie's arms. "Focus, darling. Calm down, and see what happens." Katie closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. She exhaled and opened her eyes. The clouds in the sky had all gone away, and sun had come out, brightening everything.

Katie furrowed her eyebrows. "What's going on?" She asked. "Sit down, child." Cordelia said. John cleared his throat. "That's my cue to leave." He said, going into his home office and shutting the doors. Katie sat down, more confused than before. "Will one of you please tell me what's going on?" She asked. Kendra turned to look at her mother before holding out her hand. A blue flame appeared. Katie shot up out of her seat. "What the-" She started. She couldn't finish her sentence before Cordelia interrupted her.

"Katherine, you are a witch." She said. Katie's eyes widened. "I'm a what?" She asked. "A witch." Cordelia said. "Yeah, I heard you but how?" Katie asked. "Well, obviously your mother is a witch. And I am a witch. And my mother was a witch. And her mother before her. And her mother before-" Katie cut her off. "Yeah, I get it. I come from a long line of witches. But how come this is the first I'm hearing about it?" She asked. "We thought maybe you didn't have the gene." Kendra admitted. "You had never shown signs of having magic before now." She continued.

"Have you ever had any gut feelings? Like something was going to happen, and then it did?" Cordelia asked. Katie slowly nodded. Kendra chuckled. "It's a witch thing." She said. "How come nothing like that..." Katie gestured around the room and to the window. "Happened before then?" Cordelia stood up. "It was your grief that brought this upon you." She said. "This power has been building up inside you for almost sixteen years." She continued. "It needed something big to let it out." She grabbed Katie's hands in her own and closed her eyes.

"Close your eyes." Kendra whispered. Katie snapped her eyes shut. She felt a surge of power go through her. "Oh, yes. You are a powerful one, aren't you?" Cordelia asked, pulling away. "Um, sure?" Katie said, still somewhat confused. Kendra walked over to the china cabinet in the dining room and flicked her hand. A purple book with black designs on the cover flew out of it and into her outstretched hand. She walked over and handed it to Katie.

"This is yours." She said. Katie held it up and blew the dust off of it. "Sorry it's a little dusty. It's been sitting in there ever since you were born." Kendra apologized. "I've looked in that cabinet a million times. How come I've never noticed it?" Katie asked. Kendra shook her head. "You didn't have your powers. You wouldn't have seen it." She explained. Katie opened it. It was a spell book. She flipped through the pages. "Cooking spell?" She asked. "Your mother likes that one." Cordelia said. Katie giggled.

"Hair spell?" Katie asked. "Perfect for when you're in a rush." Kendra explained. There were tips on how to teleport, move things with your mind, control the weather. Katie's world had just changed. Again. She flipped to another page. "Slow aging spell?" She questioned. Cordelia sat back down in her chair. "How do you think I'm still alive?" She asked. "Wait, Granny, how old are you?" Katie asked. "A lot older than you think, dear." Cordelia responded. "Eighty?" Cordelia shook her head. "Ninety?" "Nope." "One hundred?" "Try again." Katie decided to shoot higher this time. "A hundred and thirty?" She asked. "A hundred and thirty seven."

Katie's jaw dropped in shock. "No!" She exclaimed. Cordelia nodded. Katie turned to her mother. "Wait, how old are you?" She asked apprehensively. Kendra scoffed. "I'm only forty four. Your grandmother was quite old when she had me." She explained. "Do not call me old." Cordelia scolded. Kendra rolled her eyes. "Wait, does Dad know?" Katie asked. "Of course he does." Kendra said. "Now, continue looking through that book."

Katie flipped the page again. "Death spell?" She asked. "No, do not use that one. It is very bad." Cordelia explained. Katie flipped the page again and paused. "Life spell." On the page was a spell to bring the dead back to life. Cordelia nodded. "I can use this and..." Katie trailed off. "It takes immense power to perform that spell. Many witches have tried and failed. But I have faith in you, my dear." Cordelia explained. "Well, I guess I have to start learning then."