The Bewitched

Episode 3: Something Different

    When Alexa woke up the next morning, she felt different.  Maybe it was just a new hope, or the possibility of a resolve to all the awkward moments of her long childhood, but whatever it was it putting a spring in her step.  She found herself laying in bed, drinking up the rays of the sun to hydrate herself for the day.  She stretched, got dressed, ate slowly, and waited.  It was a Saturday, but even if it wasn't Alexa wouldn't have cared.  She had all the time in the world to give to trying to finally understand herself.

    The morning passed uneventfully and Alexa began to grow impatient.  She fussed and fiddled with her phone.  She tried to sit down and enjoy a book.  She tried to watch TV.  Nothing.

    The world seems so dull after you see a ball of light come from nothing.

    But right when Alexa, burrito-ed in a blanket and comfy in her favorite chair, was ready to give in to another lonely Saturday, there was a knock at the door.  She slid out of her covers and gingerly opened the door.  On the other side of the door stood Elonwyn with a smile, followed by 3 others.

    The first person she noticed was a very masculine boy, with dark and smooth features, a stoic expression, and a grey toned wardrobe.  He had a dark presence that stood starkly against the bright afternoon sun.  His eyes were such a dark brown that they almost looked black.  There was a glisten to them that Alexa found it a little hard to look away from.

    The second person had long blonde hair and just a little bit of peach fuzz lining their chin.  They had bright blue glistening eyes that seemed very expressive.  Their over sized white shirt only exaggerated their thin frame, but they had the brightest smile out of all the bunch.

    And the last was a girl, who wore the Venus symbol all over her clothes and bag, was picking at her black painted fingernails.  Her facial features were a little shrouded by her initial inability to make eye contact, but ultimately Alexa found her more unsure than off-putting.  There was an awkwardness that surrounded everyone, and it was palpable.

    "Today finds you well?"  Elonwyn's voice broke the dry silence.  Alexa smiled.

    "It does!"  No one moved, but the mood felt a little lighter.

    "We... might not be back for a while.  Is there anything you need?  Something you can't sleep without?"  Elonwyn's words sounded teasing, but Alexa immediately thought of the amethyst crystal that she kept next to her bed upstairs.  A light chuckle rose from the group of them, and so Alexa tried to keep that mood going.

    "Maybe, a light jacket?  I'll be right back."  The group smiled and nodded, so Alexa turned around to run upstairs.  She grabbed her crystal, rubbing it quickly between her fingers before pocketing it.  She pulled a light jacket from her closet and was surprised to see Elonwyn had followed her up the stairs.

    Has she always had such smooth skin? Alexa's intrusive thought popped up before she could stop herself.  Elonwyn had somehow managed to get quite close to her without her noticing.  Her breath caught in her throat a little bit.  This girl was good at catching her off guard.

    "We will only be gone for one night.  We have a little far to go is all.  I hope we haven't scared you off at all?"  This was a strange change of heart to Alexa.  So far Elonwyn had been intriguing, but hadn't seemed to much to care about Alexa's feelings.  Who knew what her intentions were?  Was it smart to run headlong into an adventure with a stranger?

    "I'm a just little nervous," Alexa confessed, "I've never met anyone like you."

    This statement caused Elonwyn to raise an eyebrow.

    "Or your friends, I guess.  I don't think everyone considers me a people person," Alexa quickly added.

    "Well, hopefully you're in for a fun night then," Elonwyn motioned for Alexa to follow back out the door, "You'll find we are not so scary."  

    The three others were waiting over by an SUV parked out front of the house.  When Alexa and Elonwyn exited the house, Elonwyn nodded to the group and they all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.  It was then that everyone took a second to introduce themselves.

    "Sorin."  The stoic boy held out his hand in greeting but did not offer a smile or any additional words of introduction.  He nodded at her to indicate they should shake hands when she hesitated.  Alexa shook it in response, a little too hard.  He looked confused but said nothing else.

    "I'm Camilla," the girl with the black nails flipped her brown hair out of her face before offering her hand for shaking.  Now that she seemed a little more relaxed, she came off as quite friendly.  Alexa saw her eyes were a pretty hazel.  Soulful in the way they observed the world.

    "Don't forget about me!" The blonde person pushed their way to the front.  "Teal's the name, more of a color than a human."  Alexa and Teal laughed together, easing any remaining tension.  Their happy go lucky personality must have been having a hard time with the awkwardness.  The group was able to fall into easy conversation that brought them into to the car and onto the road.  They felt like a family, the way they spoke to each other.  And while Elonwyn spoke the least, everyone seemed to have a great sense of respect for her.  Alexa laughed with them, and the time passed quickly.

    It must have been at an hour before Alexa noticed something different about the land around them.