The day started like any other day for Sarah Chesterwood. She had recently graduated high school and was working a part time job at the local bookstore to save up money. She planned to start college in the fall, majoring in teaching. She wanted to become an elementary school teacher, a role model who could help shape the next generation as humanity moved forward into the future. She had no reason to think that today was different but something felt off…
Sarah couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she stocked the romance shelf. Was it her imagination? Grandma had always said that when a witch feels a sense of dread, something horrible is on the horizon. Sarah snorted as she slid a paperback onto the shelf, the cover showing a nearly naked hunk of a man that was supposed to be a werewolf. Shaking her head at the ridiculous books that people buy she was interrupted by a phone call. Dropping the box of books on the floor, she eagerly fished her phone out and hit the answer button without looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?"
"Hey big sis guess what?" The cheerful voice of her younger brother, James Chesterwood, eagerly shouted into her ear. He was thirteen years old, five years younger than Sarah.
"You got your hand stuck in the vending machine again?" She was teasing him since James had actually done that a couple of summers ago when the candy bar he had attempted to buy got stuck on the way out. The fire department had not been happy with him or her for not keeping him out of trouble.
"No, I learned my lesson. Just shake the machine really hard next time. Anyway, I got us tickets to a local concert tonight!"
Sarah raised her eyebrows at that, what concert?
"James, first off what band are we seeing? Is it more of that doom metal stuff you swear you enjoy?"
"Doom metal? There are so many things wrong with that statement but I'm gonna let that slide because you're my big sis."
"Uh huh."
"Anyway, the band is called 'Stank Kitten' and they're a popular punk rock band that has been touring the east coast. They are stopping in Tyler tonight on the way to Dallas for their next gig."
"Okay, I can do punk rock."
"Great! What was the other question?"
"Other question?"
"Yeah, you said 'first off' which means you have something else to add?"
"Oh right! Where did you get money for concert tickets?"
"Grandma. I mowed the lawn, did the dishes, the laundry, and even cleaned the litter boxes. It was a rough trade but worth it."
Sarah laughed heartily at that, James was an avid fan of avoiding work whenever possible. He relied mostly on his intelligence and his magic was only just now blossoming since he turned thirteen.
"What time?"
"8 P.M. sharp!"
"Okay, I'll be home around six so that gives us plenty of time to get ready."
The excited squeal from the other end nearly blew Sarah's eardrums out. She rubbed a finger in her ear while grimacing. She went to scold James but she heard a clatter followed by a muffled, "goddamnit I dropped the phone."
***
Sarah waited in the living room, jingling her car keys nervously. She couldn't shake this odd sense of doom no matter what she tried. She had confided in her grandma who told her to simply keep her eyes and ears open. She had a magical charm, a bundle of rosemary wrapped in black string, in her left pocket to help protect her on tonight's adventure. She was so lost in her thoughts trying to figure out what could possibly go wrong that she didn't notice James entering the room. He cleared his throat dramatically which snapped her out of overly anxious thoughts.
"Seriously, bro, what the hell are you wearing?" Sarah had a look on her face that clearly said she was doing her best to hold her laughter in. James appeared oblivious to this.
"It's my punk rock outfit! You like?" James gave an exaggerated spin to show off his choice of concert attire. He had decided to put on a pair of blue jeans that he apparently had taken scissors to in order to shred the knees in an effort to look 'cool'. He had also put on a tank top that said, 'Ask me about my shrooms' that he clearly had stolen from Aunt Janice's closet. The tank top was a little too big on him but the caveat was the leather jacket. At least it was black and actually paired well with the blue jeans.
"James, have you ever done shrooms?" Sarah asked, still stifling a laugh.
"Are those the ones that make you see funny things?"
Sarah nodded, covering her mouth with her hand to help hide her expression.
"Not yet, grandma said when I'm sixteen she will brew me a tea made from shrooms so I can speak with the gods and grow as a witch."
Sarah shook her head and made for the door. "You do know Grandma was joking right?"
"Wait, seriously?"
***
The concert was loud, so loud that Sarah spent most of it with her fingers jammed into her ears. She didn't mind this though, the look on James face when the band started playing was priceless to her. Ever since their parents had died in a car crash when James was only five years old, Sarah had done her best to step in as the older sister and help her grandma raise him. She realized over the years that nothing meant more to her than her little brother, so she reasoned, an hour or two of suffering was a small price to pay for his happiness.
James was bouncing up and down, head banging and bopping around as the band thundered out what was allegedly music. There was a mixed response from the crowd, some loved it and some looked bored or even annoyed. After an hour of steady playing the band bowed and left the stage. James, his messy brown hair disheveled, beamed up at her. Sarah found herself smiling as she saw the sheer joy and excitement in his green eyes. Sarah, who had dressed in a simple grey tee shirt and blue jeans, was the exact opposite of her brother.
James enjoyed metal, dressing like a rockstar (whatever that meant), anime, manga, and video games. Sarah enjoyed pop music, reading, puzzles, and Hallmark movies. Her brown hair was kept at shoulder length and often placed in a ponytail. When she stood side by side with her brother they were a study in contrast.
"I take it you enjoyed the concert?"
"Hell yeah I did! When the guitarist ripped that solo…" James began playing the air guitar, mimicking the lewd behavior of the mohawk wearing guitarist.
"Okay rockstar, settle down. Let's go find the car and get back home before grandma gets mad and uses the flip flop."
James shuddered at the thought of his grandmother, angry about them being out past curfew. He had earned more than one whack from her deadly flip flops over the years. They hadn't parked too far away, thankfully. There was a large, fairly empty parking lot about two blocks from the venue. Sarah felt that they had gotten lucky with that parking space, James declared that the gods had gifted them a night out on the town.
Sarah was finally free of her sense of dread. The pounding, disorganized, chaotic music that James loved had been too loud for her own thoughts. She felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulder. When they reached the minivan that Aunt Janice had let them borrow for the evening, James had been bouncing up and down still replaying his favorite moments from the concert. It had happened so fast that Sarah hadn't even had time to process what just occurred.
She had pulled the car keys out and hit the unlock button when Jame's bubbly voice was suddenly cut-off mid sentence. Sarah looked up as a shadowy blur flew past her and James vanished right before her eyes. In a panic she dropped the keys and called out after him. The sense of dread came back, stronger than before, filling her entire being with the sense that something horrendous was occurring before her very eyes.
Her training as a witch kicked in and she quickly fished out a small safety pin she always kept on her. She pricked her finger and whispered, "blood of my blood, lead me to that which was lost."
A single, large drop of blood floated from her fingertip and hovered in the air at eye level. She began walking as the blood drop led her in the direction that James had disappeared in. As she followed the blood, her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts that depicted all manner of horrible events. She was in a near state of panic while she walked, unaware of how far she had actually gone while following the spell. It had led her into an alleyway near a dingy neon lit up bar called, "Chuggs".
The thought crossed her mind that she should call someone, but who? The police? What would she say to them when she didn't even know what had happened? Grandma flashed into her mind and she felt like an idiot. Of course she should have called grandma first. She had been too upset to realize how foolish it had been to just follow a spell into an unknown area of danger.
Her fingers quickly navigated the contact list but as she was about to hit the call button a strange sound greeted her ears. The best way that she could describe it was that it reminded her of a wounded animal. It was shrill before becoming gurgled and fading out. Her breathing became fast, too fast. Anxiety was setting in as she slowly crept forward, hoping against hope that it was a cat or maybe a dog eating another animal like a mouse or a bird.
When she reached the end of the alleyway fear and pain rooted her to the spot. Her mind went blank, the world faded away. A small part of her mind began reasoning with itself, 'surely this is a hallucination. Too many people smoking weed at the concert, must have gotten a contact high.'
That small part of her mind though was quickly silenced. James lay, his face towards her, on the ground. Blood covered the front of his shirt and leather jacket. His green eyes, once full of excitement and happiness, were now dim as if someone had turned off a light. His skin was waxy pale and a look of fear was plastered on his delicate face. Sarah's eyes moved from Jame's to the person standing behind him.
A large man, wearing biker leathers, was wiping blood from the front of his beard. "Can't go back inside looking like this, boss is gonna have a field day."