Seven
I panicked then.
What if I only had days to live? I gulped. Who would take care of my brother? What would become of Janice?
This was all new to me, foreign, unacceptable. What was happening to me? I felt strange, as though I had to see him again. I didn’t want that. I gathered my things and left. The walk home felt longer. I needed to be next to someone else, somewhere I could forget. I made a left, walked for a few minutes in the dirt road and I was in the forest. I closed my eyes and leaned my back against a tree.
When I opened my eyes Benjamin was next to me. I didn’t hear him walk up to me. When he saw me, his face pained and he enveloped me in a hug. He didn’t say anything. He just held me and caressed my back brotherly. He occasionally ran his hands through my hair
It was hours before I fell asleep in Benjamin’s arms. When I woke up the sun was down. He smiled at me and offered me a bottle of water.
“How are you feeling?” concern was clear in his voice.
“Better.”
“Want to talk about it?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know.
“Is it your brother?”
I nodded. I couldn’t tell him the truth. I felt embarrassed. He seemed to be able to read me, to know when something was wrong with me.
“It’ll get better with time.” he reassured me softly. “You’ll see.”
“Darn, I’m dropping out of school. I need more money. I'll need to get a job.”
“Oh no, you can’t.” he said, horrified. “Your brother wouldn’t want you to. I don't want you to.” he moved to my side. “Tell you what; I have a plan that can make all your problems disappear.”
I was sceptical. “What.”
“You want my help.” It wasn’t a question.
I nodded.
“But first you need to promise not to freak out.”
I nodded.
“Is your silence guaranteed?”
I frowned.
“I’m a witch.” He gave me a sly glance. “I can give you everything you want.”
“And I’m half unicorn but thanks buddy for trying to cheer me up.” I tried not to laugh hysterically. “And besides if you were a witch you wouldn’t just tell me, we aren’t even close.”
“I need something from you,” He scowled me. "And you need my magical powers.”
“What’s the catch?”
“You just need to sign a contract.”
“Okay,” I suppressed a laughed. He was crazy.
“You’re wounding my ego,” The seriousness in his voice threw me back.
“Oh c'mon witches definitely don’t exist,” I said in a low voice trying not to hurt his feelings.
“I exist don’t I?” he smiled. “Yes, I don’t travel in broomsticks; I don’t need a wand to weave my magic.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Tell you what, go home. Your brother will be healed, all problems solved. Tomorrow you’ll sign the contract.”
“Suppose he is...” I wanted to slap myself for entertaining this. “I’m not saying I believe you, but suppose he’s healed. There must be conditions… terms, regulations.”
“None,” He promised. “You just need to sign in blood, taken from your index finger.”
“How will I know you won’t go back on your word?”
“I don’t have the power to do that.”
This time I laughed. “I need to get home.”
“Elizabeth, I’m giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity here.”
I wanted to roll my eyes. Witches don’t exist. Maybe he was trying to lighten my mood. “Okay then. You have yourself a deal.”
He gave me a stern look. “When school starts tomorrow, come find me. Bring a needle.”
“Fine,”
He nodded and reversed into the forest edge. “Anything else you want?”
I shook my head, tired of playing along to his childish game.
“Tomorrow,”
“Tomorrow,” I agreed. I had to wonder about his sense of mentality. Did he really believe he was a wizard? I laughed. Outrageous.
At home Janice greeted me at the porch.
“Elizabeth, you won’t believe what happened,” She was breathing heavily, her lips twitched at the corners, her eyes wondered all over our front yard. She was confused.
“You got a raise at work?”
“NO!” She screamed. “Your brother is home!” I couldn't tell whether she was excited or terrified or drunk – probably the latter.
“Zack,” I threw open the door and ran into the lounge. “Oh no, I thought we were covered for the next month.”
“We are…” she looked at me doubtfully and sighed. “We were.”
“What happened?” I don't know which happened first - the stabbing pain that began at my spine, travelled to my toes and finally settled on my chest or the raise of the fine hairs on the back of my neck or the need to use the bathroom.
“It’s very strange. I got a call from the hospital this morning,” She shook her head sceptically. “Apparently a tumour shrieked and they operated on him. I guess the Chemo worked.” Her eyes shone with mistrust.
I shook my head. “No no. that’s a lie. I was there. I saw the symptoms. He lost his hair. He had leukaemia. The chemo wasn't working.”
“He didn’t... have... um leukaemia, “Janice was trying to be calm, trying to convince herself more than me. “Apparently they mixed up the test results.”
“No!”
“I thought you’d be glad.”
And then it dawned on me. “You’re drunk.”
“What?”
“This has to be some sort of joke,” I said in disbelief. Was she in on the prank? Was she still mad at me about this morning? “Someone is playing a cruel prank on me.”
“I was just making soup for Zack.”
“Where is he?”
“Asleep,” She mumbled as we entered the kitchen. “He’s in the bedroom. You guys will share the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
I nodded. Still in shock, my brain was working slowly. I was still waiting for the second when someone would suddenly yell April’s fool that never came. It was the end of January anyway. She had to be lying. I ran upstairs to the bedroom and sure enough Zack was on the edge of the bed in a ball.
“It can’t be a mere coincidence that Zack’s home now,” I said in a small voice.
“I don’t follow,” Janice was suddenly behind me. I didn't know she had followed me.
"Benjamin?" I whispered suspiciously. Could it be? Could Benjamin be really a witch? Or had he known my brother was home and he was playing some kind of prank on me? Yes, that's it. He must've known Zack was back. But how?
"What?" Janice questioned, wearing one of her confused looks.
It had to be Benjamin, there was no other explanation.
She asked me if I’d be okay and if I wanted to be alone with Zack. I nodded. She went down to the kitchen to finish supper as I watched Zack sleep always afraid that he might stop breathing any second. He looked like he’d gained some weight, his head was still bald. His blue eyes had bags under them. A scar ran from ear to ear. I cringed. Apart from his long lashes and round chicks, he looked alien.
Later that night I called my uncle. It went straight to voicemail.
“Uncle Miles just called to let you know Zack is back home. Still haven’t seen him yet, though, he’s sleeping, I’m afraid to wake him.” And I made a deal with a witch. But he didn’t need to know that. “Call me as soon as you can. I love you.”
For the first time in two years I slept peacefully.
In the morning I felt energized and I actually made an effort to look nice.
Janice came down for breakfast with her hair still wet from her shower. She was reading the newspaper and she looked up, “You haven’t talked to your brother.”
“I will.”
“You fell asleep in the chair last night, you looked so peaceful,” she almost smiled.
I tried to smile.
She shook her head, “This is strange. Really.”
I shrugged.
“Will you be alright?”