The Familiar Hearts (Formerly Known as The Familiar)

Chapter Two

None of this story is edited.                                      Alena (A-Lean-A)

      Soon the sun took its daily trip to slumber and the moon reawakened. I did not leave that time at midnight, I heeded mom and Andre's advice. I realized I would need the energy more than the extra training. Considering how much it took to practice simple spells and what I had to do tomorrow, it wasn't much of a choice.  When I woke on the nightly time, I drank sleeping tea and drifted off to dreamland for a while.

    As morning rolled around, I was the first to wake. It was very peaceful and quiet when no one was about. I decided to surprise my family by making breakfast. I did this also to have something to focus my attention on instead of The Call.  The funniest thing was my family's faces they came into the kitchen to me cooking. They were so shocked to see me awake. Well, except my mom. She sent me a nod and a prideful smile. I felt my spirits lift as I enjoyed breakfast with my family. It was the first time I had done this in quite a while.

     By seven o'clock we were finished breakfast and my worries returned. It got worse as the time slowly ticked past. The tick tock of the wall clock seemed to get louder and louder. I felt the rush of nervous excitement come over me. In just a few hours I would have to call my familiar. Leaving to the reserve came even sooner. I'm not ready, I thought.

     I was prepared. I had a good nights sleep and the bags I had packed the night before lay in my room. My mom and I made a checklist, which we had made sure everything was packed. Yet the nervousness came back. I couldn't shake it. The thoughts of failure and mistakes rolled in my mind. They tumbled around, whispering of disaster and striking me fearful. I started to pace the kitchen, attracting my mother's attention.

    "Hey Sabella, want to help me in the garden," she called," I could really use the help."

    I knew that was untrue. Mom never needed help with the, I mean her garden. That was her domain. She didn't even lets anyone get close to it. The garden was her precious jewel. I knew mom was doing this to have me focus on something else. She just seemed to know my emotions, and for that I was grateful.

    Even though everyone else was in deep conversation about something, they all heard what she said. Sharing an astonished look with one another they glanced between me and mom, then back again. When they glanced many, many times between us, with a shake of their heads they went back to their conversation. 

  I walked out with mom into the backyard. From there entered the separate natural wood gate and stepped inside. What awaited us was even more amazing than the photos mom had showed us once before. 

  This area was wide and open. Crisscrossing sidewalks of smooth stone paved the pathways between the rows of beautiful plant life. The plants were of all types scattered in patches; shrubs, flowers, roots, everything. The morning sun twinkled over the fence, making the beauties creations of nature glow and casting a stream of light towards us. It was the most perfect thing I had experienced.

  As my mom led me to a close by bench, I could help but notice the magic feel of the place and the types of plants. I saw ginger, sage, witch hazel, and dwarf shrubs of blue cedar. Sprouts of white Lillys and bushes of roses crept up the fence walls. Lines of  lavender twisted its way to the sky and clumps of catnip cluttered around the right corner. Even small pines of assorted species and a weeping willow or two were scattered about. I felt uplifted and a weird peaceful happy filled me to the brim. I was elated, hopeful, and proud. My emotions swirled and whirled about, a million miles a minute. Strange, but in a good way. The best way it was. Tears of joyfulness pricked in my eyes. The rare true peaceful happiness overwhelmed me.

   "Thank you, mom. I really appreciate this. Your the best." I gave mom a loving smile.

  " Your welcome, sweetie. Its no big deal."

    For the next few hours, mom and I cared for the garden. From weeding to watering, we did it all. I even learned some of the plants properties. I now knew why mom spent so much time here and why she kept us out to keep from ruining certain things. The most amazing thing was when mom told me that I did so well so she would bring me here again. I had such a wonderful experience, that I forgot about The Call. Soon it was almost time to leave for the reserve.

   At noon, I grabbed my bags and my family pilled into the car. I pushed away the nervousness as my parents navigated the long road to the reserve. First on the main tar road and within forty minutes we turned onto a barely seen deserted dirt path tucked in the forestry. Fresh marks of tires were imprinted into the soil. Dust spurred and sputtered around our truck as the shiny red automobile skipped down the trail.

  Pulling into the reserve I saw the other casters and their parents. They sat on dark wood benches, a little past the dirt parking lot, in a forested clearing. The branches of the trees created a canopy of leaves, casting shade and the spaces between swirled with streams of sunlight.

   My family and I walked over to the other participants of The Call. They glanced over to us and went back to what they were doing. Well, all but one. My only witch friend Helena RavensCrest waved back. With a smile she skipped over, her dark brown hair bobbling and snow blue eyes flashing with emotion. I could see she nervous but trying not to show it. Whether she was trying to reassure herself or me , I will never know.

   "Hey Sabella, you ready? When do you think they're going to start?"

  As I began to respond, the coven leader came into view. The talking quickly quieted and everyone directed their focus towards her. Evelynn, the leader, gave he casters a friendly smile. A genuine smile, one that reached her azule blue eyes and gave them a sparkle. Her black hair, tastefully curled and was put into a waterfall like up do, bobbed as she moved. Her familiar, a turquoise blue eyed, raven black panther, stood himself poised beside her.

   After a moment she answered Helena's question, " Hello everyone, in a few moments we will begin," she paused, looking towards us thirteen year olds, "Welcome to The Call."