Labor of Love

Three

It took a couple Days for Marissa and Richie to pour over the Ancient books she’d pulled outta that trunk, but they eventually hit paydirt. They turned up a spell that–if performed by an experienced practitioner and with the utmost care–would most likely work. And such a discovery came in just the nick of Time, too, considering how Bret’d deteriorated in just those couple Days.

        By that Time, he pretty much couldn’t stay awake, no matter how much coffee was poured down his throat. Unable to break down and use the sugars in what he ate and drank, he simply had no Energy to do anything. Even getting twelve straight hours of sleep didn’t help him, ’cuz he seemed perpetually drunk what lil Time he could stay awake.

        Setting up for the Ritual to take place took some Time, but luckily, the shorter blonde managed to hang in there. Given that his mother and sister both worked in healthcare, Bobby was better at checking for a pulse than anyone else. He’d also learned more pulse points, so if he couldn’t find it in one spot, he could try another. But every check of his friend’s pulse revealed the same thing–it was getting weaker and threadier with every passing second. Every breath and heartbeat could very well be his last before they were forced to start digging a hole.

        Marissa was soon set up for the potentially Life-saving Ritual, her own friend joining her. They’d set up a Circle around the shorter blonde’s cot, rather than trying to move him. It was easier and better, considering the downhill turn he’d taken and how weak he’d grown.

        “This is no doubt to take a couple hours, at the least,” she warned them.

        “We’ve to go slowly, or something could go wrong so that the spell only partially works,” Richie explained. “Or it won’t work at all, if we go too quickly and mess something up.”

        “Slow and steady wins the race,” Rikki said, somehow managing a chuckle through his obvious worry.

        “Yeah, something like that,” the young Witch agreed as she rose.

        “Wha–” he started when her hands moved to unbutton the shirt she wore.

        “Spell work’s best done Sky-clad,” her friend chuckled, unbuttoning his own shirt. “Nudity allows for Energy to move more smoothly, just like open Fields allow Wind to move more freely than a stand of Trees.”

        “Um, okay.” Bobby could feel his face heating up as he rose from the Horse hair sofa. “Just come get me when ya need his pulse checked again, or I’ma be at risk of doing something stupid.”

        Without waiting for anyone to respond, he high-tailed it out onto the porch, where he wouldn’t see a thing. He was too attracted to this young woman–too desperate after not getting any action in too long–to avoid making a fool of himself, if he’d stayed. The chances of him fuckin’ up the Ritual by interrupting were too great, and he couldn’t risk that.

        Part of him wasn’t surprised when the door opened again a minute or so later, then closed again. But that split second of Light was all that was necessary for him to make out Rikki’s features. He was the only other one with blonde hair since Bret obviously wouldn’t be coming outside.

        “You’re hot for her,” the drummer chuckled as he joined him.

        “Can ya really blame me?” he asked on a grumble. “I mean, it’s been months since I got my dick wet with anything other than Water.”

        “I know the feeling, dude,” Rikki told him. “I don’t normally swing for the brunettes, but I’d certainly take a turn with her, if she’d lemme.”