Sotomancy

Sotomancy

“Hey, Dina.” A young girl in her early teens was approaching her friend who was sitting on the railing of a bridge looking down at the flowing water.

It was a late summer evening.

Dina, who was few years older, swung her body backwards. “Hey, Brie”, she said hanging upside down.

“Here I am. Came to see your superpowers.”

Dina sat back on the railing and span towards her.

“Supernatural abilities. Or better, call it sorcery.” She closed her eyes as if meditating and continued slowly, “I will demonstrate it to you when the time is right.” She reopened her eyes. “First, you need to be initiated as my apprentice. Did you come prepared?”

“Yes, I brought this.” Brie showed her a plush bunny toy.

“Is this it?”

“This is my most favorite toy. He’s been with me since I can remember”

“Does he have a name?”

“His name is Snuggie”

“Yep, that should work very well.” Dina crouched a little and addressed the bunny with solemnity, “Dear Snuggie, tonight you are going to serve a special purpose”

Brie pressed her check against Snuggie and smiled.

“Wait here”, said Dina and went behind a nearby bush.

Shortly she came back holding a crumpled piece of paper and an almost empty bottle of some liquid of amber color.

“Follow me”, she said.

They soon came to the middle of the bridge. Dina turned towards the river and looked ahead. Somewhere near the horizon the waters carried the last reflections of the setting sun.

“Briella”, began Dina. “Do you have what it takes to become my apprentice?”

“I do”, said Brie. Her name didn’t really have a longer version, but she thought that a correction would not be appropriate at this moment.

“There are three trials. You’ll need to complete all three to pass”

“I understand.”

“Are you ready?”

“I am.”

After a little pause, Dina snatched Snuggie from Brie’s embrace and threw him over the railing.

Brie let out a barely audible gasp and stood there for a moment frozen by disbelief and hurt. She slowly approached the railing and looked down.

Dina observed her for some time and said, “I can say with all authority that the first trial was a success.”

Brie turned to look at her, but heavy tears made everything blurry. A throat lump was breaking her voice, but she managed: “Why didn’t you warn me about this?”

“Because then you wouldn’t bring your favorite toy. You would bring something you won’t regret losing. It would make this whole thing ...”

“It's unfair and wrong!”, interrupted Brie. She then added with a sob: “Very wrong.”

“… pointless”, finished Dina. She went quiet for some time, looking as if caught up in a deep thought. “Brie, do you know anything about sorcery?”

Brie wiped her nose on a sleeve and gave a nasal “No”.

“Well, first and most important thing you should know about sorcery is that it starts with evil. You understand? With something wrong, bad, scary, and unfair. Trust me, you can’t even imagine how scary things can get…”

Dina paused to look around and said, “Dude, it’s getting seriously dark here. Hold on.” She turned on the flashlight on her cellphone and set it on the ground between them.

The distant surroundings became even darker.

Brie realized it was getting cold. She hugged herself and instinctively made a step closer to the phone.

“As I was saying”, continued Dina. “Powers of sorcery come from evil. But here is the good part. We get to choose how we use these powers, Brie! Are we going to make more of evil or are we going to fight it? What do you say?”

Trying to control the chattering teeth, Brie had to hold her breath. She spat out “Fight it.”

“Yes! Now, are you ready for the next trial?”

“Dina, I feel cold. Don’t you feel cold?”

“A little bit maybe.”

Dina stepped away from the light and reappeared with the bottle, pointing it at Brie.

“Here, have this. This will help with the shaking.”

“What is this?”

“What do you think?”

Brie let her nose inhale a little near the bottle’s mouth. The smell brought out memories of a pharmacy, her baby brother’s vomit, and her mother’s baking; all at the same time.

With her eyes bulging at Dina she whispered, “It’s alcohol!”  

“Yes, and you need to drink it. This is your next trial.”

“But I’ve never had it before!”

“This is the night to do it, Brie. Trust me, there won’t be a time more special. You are going to be fine. All I need from you is one gulp.”

Brie took the bottle and filled her lungs with air. The breath she exhaled was slow and quiet. Feeling unready, she stood hoping for a cue. A creak of the bridge, a bird calling or maybe a car honking in the distance; something to give her a push to make this leap. But nothing stood out in the monotonous ambience of the night.

Dina rolled her eyes. “C’mon, Brie!” She took the bottle away. “You know, for my first time I didn’t have a moment to think or prepare!” She took a gulp and grimaced.

With that reaction still on her face, she said, “Now tell me.” She pointed the bottle at Brie again. “Do you have what it takes to fight evil?”

“Yea”, said Brie feeling that she was letting Dina down.

“Then, drink!”

Brie grabbed the bottle and put it to her mouth. In one motion, she squinted, pinched her nose, and threw her head backward and forward.

First, she felt dizzy. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or her rapid head movement. Then came the warmth. It started in her stomach and spread radially to every corner of her body.

“How are you feeling?”, asked Dina.

“My face feels really warm.”

“Are your nerves down a little?”

Brie nodded and smiled, “A little.” Her eyes were half-closed.

“Good. You can put the bottle away now.”

“Now is the time for the third and final trial.” Dina took the piece of paper out of her back pocket.  “Don’t worry, this one won’t be as bad as the other ones.” She handed the paper to Brie.

Brie flattened it and looked at the handwritten text. “Oh, I know this song! But where is the rest of it?”

“That’s the only part we need. And you are going to sing it.”

“Okay, I can do that. And that’s all?”

“That’s all. But you need to sing loudly and with a lot of heart. You can start. It’s getting very late, and I still need to show you the power of sorcery. You still want to see it, right?”

“Yes, of course”, said Brie.

“Go ahead.”

Brie cleared her throat and began,

“Strangers waiting

Up and down the boulevard…”

Dina interrupted her, “Louder.”

Brie started over a little louder, conscious of her voice disturbing the unknown of the quite night,

“Strangers waiting... “

“Louder, Brie.”

“Dina, I’m afraid I will disturb someone or something, you know?”

“Let me help you”, said Dina. “Follow my lead.”

And she began to yell,

“STRANGERS WAITIN’

UP AND DOWN THE BOULEVARD

THEIR SHADOWS SEARCHING IN THE NIGHT...”

“This one together”, she piped up.

Knowing that it cannot get any worse, Brie joined her,

“STREETLIGHTS, PEOPLE

LIVIN' JUST TO FIND EMOTION

HIDIN', SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT…”

The song ended and it was quiet again. The trees continued rustling in the light breeze. Under the bridge, before it and beyond, the river kept on carrying its waters over rocks and debris.

The world around them remained unchanged, but Brie was feeling happier. She felt excitement again. The trials of initiation were over. She didn’t disappoint her friend and was undoubtedly soon to witness something incredible. She giggled.

Dina looked at her and smiled. “You did it.” Her face took a solemn expression again and she said with a strange accent which Brie assumed to be British, “Briella. You are now the sorceress’ apprentice!” And then added, “That is, the apprentice of me, of course.”

They both laughed.

“And now the final act of the day”, said Dina returning to her normal voice. “The demonstration of my powers. For that we’ll need to take a little trip.”

“Where are we going to go?”

“To my place. Come on, you take the phone to shine the light as we go. I’ll pick up the bottle.”

They started walking.

“Wouldn’t your parents be bothered with the demonstration?” asked Brie.

“Well, my mom works night shifts as you know. And my dad... Let’s just say, he will be participating.” She chuckled. “You’ll see what I mean.”

“Okay”. Brie chuckled too. She didn’t know what to expect, but the anticipation thrilled her.

They walked up a winding gravel path leading to some houses on the hill.

Brie was walking last, pointing an ellipse of light in front of them. She finally said, “You know, Dina. ‘Brie’ is my full name. It’s not Briella.”

“I know. Briella is much cooler though. Stronger.” replied Dina. “Don’t you think?”.

“Yea, you’re right.”

“I actually think that I am going to change my name to `Dinadriel` or something like that.”

Back from where they were standing, on the bridge, their laughter was barely heard. It was almost unnoticeable…

“Come on in”, said Dina as they entered the house. “Here, in the kitchen.”

Brie followed her voice and came to an unusual scene. Dina was standing next to a small kitchen table that was occupied by a large man who was deep asleep.

“Dead-drunk, in case you wondered,” said Dina.

Brie couldn’t apprehend what was happening. She never knew Dina’s father drunk that much. She had no idea how he’s going to participate in Dina’s demonstration.

“You can turn on the light. He won’t wake up,” said Dina.

Brie flicked the switch.

“You can even shout and scream. It won’t affect him.” Dina looked at Brie and smiled.

“Now, observe!”

With that she began slapping and punching him, everywhere she could reach. She twisted his ear and scratched his face.

Brie has never seen her friend so possessed with madness. She involuntarily stepped back.

Meanwhile Dina added verbal abuse to the physical. She growled and screamed, “You worthless, mindless, ballless piece of shit! When are going to have enough? When? You are a disgrace! I never should’ve married you! You are not a man!” She spat on him and began to drag his massive body of the chair. “Get up! Get up, I said. I can’t look at it you anymore! You bastard!”

Suddenly his body came to life. He stood up from the chair. His head was slightly raised, but the eyes seemed to look nowhere. As if he was a zombie.

Dina pointed to a doorway and yelled looking up at him, “Go! Go to the couch and don’t let me see you again until you are sober! Until you are ready to answer for yourself!”

Brie had her mouth wide open as she witnessed him slowly walk in the given direction until he disappeared from her view.

Dina gradually changed her facial expression first to a neutral and then to a cheerful one.

She smiled at Brie and said triumphantly, “Sorcery!”