Of Witches and Ghosts

Hot to Touch

Sam sat cross-legged on her bed, in clean, dry clothes, as she finished towel drying her hair which was still wet from the locker room incident earlier that afternoon. Nyx sat comfortably next to her.

Her photo album lay open in front of her again. It probably wasn't healthy, remembering the past so often she was almost living in it, but Sam, being Sam, didn't care.

What she did care about was that dream she had a few nights ago. Zoey was dead. The chances that the dream was a real message from Zoey and she really was becoming a guardian were slim to none at best.

Five years... They had known each other for five years. Almost four and a half of those years they had lived in the same house with the Barbra, Selene and Hayley. A witch sorority Hayley had called it. Hayley had always come up with wacky words and odd names for things; it had been part of her charm.

Briefly, Sam wondered if Selene felt the loss of Zoey, even if she didn't remember, did she still feel an unknown sorrow? Like she had lost a family member she never got the chance to know?

Maybe the amnesia had been a good thing for Selene. Maybe now that her 'real' family was finally taking notice of her, and now that she didn't have to worry about demons, maybe, just maybe, Selene would put her old thieving habits behind her. Sam was sure Selene would retain her super reflexes, although they might not be at the same level she had trained them to.

Sam shook her head to clear her thoughts, then hopped off the bed to do her practice stretches like she had been taught for so many years of gymnastics.

Her routine incorporated gymnastic stretches along with tai chi and Martial arts moves. The ability to defend themselves had been crucial to the girls; there were more than a few instances when their magic had been blocked and they'd had to rely on hand-to-hand. Man, did she have nostalgia bad.

Well, she wasn't the only one who had something bad.

Her thoughts turned to Phantom She hadn't pictured him as a pervert. Still, something felt familiar about him. Normally, she would open her witch's senses to him, but she had given up casting. 

And yet, Danny was her charge and she had to protect him. What a dilemma she has found herself in.

Sam finished her stretches and climbed into bed, the energy required to regenerate had taken a lot out of her. She was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.

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Sam was running. The beast was close behind her; she was drying out.

Witches, where were the witches? Weren't they supposed to protect magical creatures like herself, surely they didn't think a wood nymph beneath them.

Unless what the Heat Fiend had said was true: witches only look after their own.

It didn't matter, Sam had to get away. She had to lose the Heat Fiend before it followed her to the forest and her and the other wood nymphs that lived there.

Sam thought she heard her name being called. She ignored it as she made her way to the Safe Haven; a fountain with a garden surrounding it. It was one of the many secret entrances to the forest and the beast wouldn't be able to follow her.

She had just made it to the Safe Haven, her bare feet slapping against the cobblestone paths. She heard the Heat Fiend roar close behind her and voices shout a warning.

"SAM! GET DOWN!"

Sam let herself fall onto the grass as she turned around to see the danger coming at her a pillar of fire at her coming straight for her blasted by the beast.  She felt the flames engulf her. Raging over her. Destroying her.