It started with three: The puppet (7)

Submitted into Contest #105 in response to: Write a story from the point of view of three different characters.... view prompt

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Crime Fiction Fantasy

The grandfather clock in the longest hall struck midnight. While under the fluorescent shaking lights Maxwell tied up the intruder. Huffing and grumbling to himself. His plans had been ruined. Potentially any plans to date Vera were also thwarted. Begrudgingly Maxwell called Samuel only to receive an earful about what had happened. Maxwell laughed it off with a joke saying that this was fate's way of screwing with them. It took only an hour for the rest of them to get back to the house with the other assailants. Natalia set up a room and sealed it with many different spells. Making it virtually impossible to escape from. And just like that, they locked the bad guys up. Standing awkwardly in front of the door they waited for Natalia to emerge. It was Dimitri who told them that they were just wasting their time and that she would come out when she was done. 

When she finally exited the room she wore a sour expression that meant war. Demetri looked unnerved. It wasn't normal for her to look mad. After a moment of contemplation Natalia stood up. Walked over to Heather and eventually led Heather away to The back of the house where she tried to teach her how to mind surf; A very complicated and advanced technique for empathy and mind readers. It normally was one of the last skills learned. However, these were trying times; Natalia being old and wise didn’t want to alert the coven to more information. Heather eventually came back looking determined and confident. Sitting down on the floor in front of the tied-up boy, she cupped her hands around his face and leaned her head against his, waiting for their energies to merge. Nothing, not even a spark. Natalia watched with interest. First, she knew more than she was letting on. 

        Natalia had livid through it all. Her peppy features making her look young. She knew full well that the man on the floor was anything but human. Likely a demon. They were tricky. Dangerous and potentially lethal. Except inside their mind where they were powerless. Making a psychic one of their greatest enemies.

     After several failed attempts Heather stormed off to get a drink. It was there in the kitchen that she talked to Juliet who was watching from afar a smile on her face. 

“Jewels every time you smile I want to run for the hills”

“It’s going to be okay”

“Why what did you see?” Heather asked curiously eyeing her psychic, oracle of a best friend. “I saw you, in what I believe is the distant future controlling people like puppets”

“Puppets” Heather repeated with a grin. Taking a sip from Juliet's coffee she handed it back. 

“Better give it another go then” she commented running back up the stairs. Natalia entered from behind the door giving her a fond smile. “Your a doll” Juliet flustered looking away. “She will be okay right,” Juliet said looking up the stairs through the open doorway.

“Yes if something should happen, she should just wake up” The two made their way upstairs where a cluster had formed watching Heather practice.

      With determination Heather clung her hands right around the boy's head and tried to push her way into his mind but each time it field. Angrily she stormed from the room. Natalia told the others to give her some space and time. 

    Samuel however, knew that was the wrong way to approach Heather who had a short fuse and huge ego. After a small search, he found her sitting on the porch.

“Do you wanna practice on me?” He offered softly waiting for an answer he received two hands on both sides of his face. Determined she stared into his eyes only to become flustered. Embarrassed she quickly looked away and covered his eyes with one of her free hands.

“Keep them closed,” she said removing her hand placing them firmly back on his cheek so she began to use her ability and forced her way into his mind. It was a lot different than the man who had been laying on the floor. An yet it helped to make sense of how to get through what was like a door of the mind.

Stumbling around she marveled at the chaos that was his mind. Though as she stumbled through his memories she saw things she wasn’t supposed to see. Abuse, heartache, and loss filled his childhood. Pulling out of his mind. She stared at him for a moment before speaking. “I’m ready to try again” It was a sight to behold her determination. It marveled fascinating his mind at what she could accomplish. Demitri watched their interactions with interest. He had never expected for Samuel to have any form of a personality. From the rumors passed around the organization, Samuel was on the bad side of the wrong choice but everything he saw said otherwise. While in Demetri's eyes Sam was a jerk. He is a great leader. He just hoped they had what it took. That they keep going as a team. He had seen it much time, people get too big for their britches and fail miserably. The only reason he saw any hope for them was their stupidly innocent determination. It was almost admirable. Demetri set self-assessing each member of the house Samuel Turner was an odd one but reliable, slightly unpredictable. He also displayed little magical knowledge aside from brute physical strength. Heather Tompson was a wild card, a crude edgy empath with a severely loyal streak. A fine companion. Juliet Corey the anomaly the last known oracle and future head of the Corey fortunes. A powerful lineage and is such a kind person. The kindest however was Vera who saw goodness in everyone and had a high magical aptitude. Then there was Maxwell abused, tortured, and left with one eye. And somehow he was more vigilant than all of them put together. They were an odd random group. Yet somehow they worked. Apart they weren't much nothing special but together he could see the formation of what would be the future of magic. He could wait to write the book on it. The credit. He was slightly biased. The Witches would love it. Laying his head against the marble counter he drifted of into sleep wondering what was to come.

July 30, 2021 16:27

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