Part 14 (1/2)

The garden is a beautiful place, said Annie. We have a lot of happy times there, and we grow things there. The energy is very positive. I want the negative energy I put into the rock to be changed”to be transformed”by being in that place. But mostly I want to take it out of me so that I can feel more balanced, like the circle.

Becka nodded. Annie clasped her hands around the stone and closed her eyes. Im picturing all of the negativity in me pouring into the stone, she informed Becka. I see it as a kind of sickly green color. I let it flow out of my hands and into the rock.

She sat for a few minutes, letting the feelings of unhappiness inside of her well up and pour into the stone in her hands. When she felt as if the last bit of it was gone from inside of her, she opened her hands and lifted the rock up.

Touch it, she instructed Becka.

Becka put a finger out and stroked the stone. Its so cold! she said. But you were holding it in your hands. It should be warm.

Weird, huh? Annie said. Now we can go stick it back in the garden. Theres a place right by the lavender plants that I think will be perfect.

Becka started to get up but Annie stopped her. We need to open the circle, she said, and Becka resumed her spot.

Picture the two energies swirling faster and faster, said Annie. Imagine them running together like *

water going down a drain. Picture them both sinking into the ground.

As she told Becka what to do, Annie did the same thing. She saw the purple and the gold energies circling at greater and greater speed, then spiraling down into the ground. When the last of the energy was gone she said, The circle is open but unbroken.

Were done? asked Becka curiously.

Were done, said Annie.

They stood up and Annie blew out the candles. Then she picked up the rock. Lets put this baby outside, she said.

Wait a minute, said Becka. You havent told me if it helped or not.

I feel better, said Annie. Whether or not it will last, I dont know. But I feel better.

Becka looked at the rock. Now, dont you go telling anyone what you know about this, she said.

Annie laughed. Come on, she told Becka. Lets get down there and see what the two mad chefs have done.

As they left the room Becka paused and remarked, You know, the more of this Wicca stuff I do, the more I like it.

Uh-oh, replied Annie. Now were all in trouble.

CHAPTER 13.

Kate, would you put this on the table?

Mrs. Morgan handed her daughter a bowl of gravy. Kate took it and plopped it unceremoniously on the table. A little bit of it spilled over the side and splattered on the linen tablecloth. Kate looked at the ugly stain and thought, Thats exactly how I feel.

Nothing was going right. Cooper and Annie had acted strangely at cla.s.s on Tuesday night. Tyler had seemed distant. And Kyle was being totally not cool to her. Instead of listening to her and accepting that even though he didnt understand it, Wicca was something that was important to her, he had decided to make a joke out of it. He didnt do it in front of their parents, because he was smart enough to know that it would make them angry, but whenever he could he would make little remarks to Kate. The night before, when shed spilled some milk on the floor in the kitchen, hed leaned over and said, Why dont you just wiggle your nose and make it disappear?

Kate knew that he was being that way because he didnt understand. But she was angry at him anyway.

Kyle had always been her ally against her parents, ever since she was old enough to need someone to take her side. It had been Kyle who had argued successfully for Kate to be able to get her ears pierced.

It was Kyle who had convinced Mr. Morgan that Kate should be allowed to go with him to her first rock concert. It was Kyle and Kate”as a team”who had once gotten the familys summer vacation destination changed from the Grand Canyon to Disneyland.

But not now. Kate looked at her brother. He was sitting on the couch, watching TV and eating all the olives out of the dish Kate had placed on the table fifteen minutes earlier. I wish I was magic, Kate thought to herself. Id turn you into the little rat you are.

Kate?

Kate turned around and saw her mother looking at her. Did you hear me? Mrs. Morgan asked. I asked if the salt and pepper were on the table.

Oh, Kate said. She scanned the table. No, theyre not. Ill get them.

Something wrong? Mrs. Morgan asked as Kate went to the cupboard to find the missing condiments.

You seem angry.

No, replied Kate, trying to sound fine. Im okay.

Youve barely said three words to Kyle since he got here, Mrs. Morgan said.

Thats because he hasnt stopped eating since he got here, said Kate, rummaging behind the cinnamon and the paprika and seeing the pepper but not the salt. Its hard to talk to someone whose mouth is always full.

Mrs. Morgan sighed. In other words, youre mad at him and youre not going to tell me why?

Kate found the salt but pretended that she hadnt. She wanted to keep her head in the cupboard long enough to avoid answering her mothers questions. The fact was, she would have loved to tell her mother why she was upset with Kyle. She would have loved to be able to talk about things with Tyler. But she couldnt, because her mother was one of the people who was part of the problem. So instead she just kept rattling the jars of spices around to make it look like she was occupied with more important matters.

I smell turkey!

Kate banged her head on the cupboard, but she didnt care. Thank G.o.ddess, she thought. Im saved.

The voice belonged to her aunt Netty. Kate ran from the kitchen and into the hallway, where her aunt was taking off her coat and hanging it up. Kate ran to her and embraced her.

Youre just in time, she said.

That bad already? Aunt Netty answered. What happened? Did your father eat all of the cream cheese out of the celery sticks again?

I wish, Kate said. Ill tell you later, she added as the rest of her family charged into the hallway to say their h.e.l.los.

Dinner was a grim affair for Kate. Luckily, everyone was so busy chewing and talking that no one really noticed Kates unusual silence. Kyle chattered on about his cla.s.ses at school, Mrs. Morgan told Aunt Netty about the last party shed catered and how the hostess had drunk too much champagne and started singing Over the Rainbow, and Mr. Morgan grumbled about the after-Thanksgiving sale he was going to have at his sporting goods store and how it had been a slow year for tents. The only time Kate was even slightly interested in the conversation was when Aunt Netty told them about her latest series of *

tests related to her cancer and how shed come away with a clean bill of health.

And, of course, Im still going to the healing circles, Netty added, winking at Kate from across the table. They have a lot to do with this.

Kate saw her parents exchange a glance, and she saw Kyle frown, but no one commented about Aunt Nettys p.r.o.nouncement. That made Kate feel a little better, but she still wanted to get Aunt Netty alone and talk to her about some things.

She got her chance after dessert. Kyle and Mr. Morgan sat on the couch to watch football and almost immediately fell asleep. Mrs. Morgan was busy putting away leftovers, and waved them away when Kate asked if she wanted any help. Go, her mother said. Talk. You just mess up my system anyway.