Preparing the Herbs

 

Marian walked through the door of her neighbor’s house. The door was always unlocked on Thursday, and the smell of the sweet and spicy herbs filled the house. Marian tucked her crucifix into her shirt. She never denied being a Christian- but she wasn’t about to announce that in the house either. Her friends sat around a bowl of incense, with their legs crossed, hands on their knees and their eyes closed in deep meditation. She stood and watched for a moment as the smoke drifted from the bowl. She took a deep breath, anticipating the long night of discussion and conjuring up spells. Ah, her pastime in this neighborhood- doing good through unusual means.

 

“I’d love to say I do white magic,” Marian told her friend once, “but I screw up. I guess that’s why what I do is called gray magic, huh?” Her friend sighed understandingly.

 

“Well, kind of. You’re not perfect, Marian. Even your religion knows that, precisely why your God is ever forgiving. It’s your humanity that stops you from doing white magic. No human being has ever really been able to do white magic. I wouldn’t really say that’s impossible, though. It’s not so much that we’re human, now that I think about it. It’s our choices and our motives. Do you use your magic to do good? Or do you use it for ill? Do you use it to help people or to cause harm? Why do you conjure spells? To do what’s right or to get even? And even if all those things I mentioned…if you use your magic for nothing but good, there’s still a chance that you will mess up. And it’s not necessarily because of you. It’s other people. Even if you’re a champion for good, there are people in this world who aren’t. That’s why some of your magic fails. Sometimes when you try to use something for good, somebody who doesn’t understand or care and it screws the whole thing up. But honestly, somebody like you…a Christian…you’ve moved up so far in the ranks. Agent of Justice? That usually takes years to reach that. You did that in just one year! But it’s kind of based on personality and your growth in personality. I’ve never seen anybody in my religion move up that fast. But when you think about it, you’ve had it pretty good all your life- parents who are still together and are decent people, a Catholic school education and deep roots in religion. We’d love to have you in ours, but I know…every time we even MENTION it, you’re stuck to God like glue. And another thing? Even though you have so many advantages in life, you have still retained some poverty in spirit that doesn’t make you a spoiled brat. Maybe that’s how you did it- you’re poor in spirit, so I’ve heard your Book say. And that’s good. Maybe we should have more Christians in here more often. But then their parents would probably think that we’re corrupting them and worshipping the devil. We don’t believe in your God- but that doesn’t really mean we believe in your supreme Enemy either!”

 

Marian sat down next to Mahina. She was deep in meditation, as well as her boyfriend sitting across the way from her, Jacy. She placed her hands on her knees, entering into her own meditation. The smoke continued to drift its overwhelming essence over the three, none of which said a word. Part of what they did together was just reflection and explore the deep surfaces and layers of their minds and souls. Ten minutes had passed before the incense stick burned out and all three of them snapped out of their reverie.

 

“Something is troubling you, Marian,” Mahina said as she snapped her eyes open. “Oh yeah…the oceans of your heart are definitely ebbing a bit violently. What is it?”

 

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it all day,” Marian said in a deep and soft voice, still coming out of her meditation state, “it’s nothing too huge. Nothing that I can say will seriously disturb the universe, definitely.” Mahina looked at her suspiciously.

 

“Everything affects the future, Marian. Even down to what you eat and how you breathe. You’ve been in here long enough to know that.” Marian sighed.

 

“Well. It’s kind of weird. You see my friends Randall and Ann are totally in love with each other-”

 

“Ha, those two have been at it long since before we met them,” Jacy said, his voice deep and soft as it always was.

 

“No. I mean they’ve really fallen in love with each other. Ann says that she’s feeling something that she’s having trouble explaining. That’s grounds for it being true love when there really aren’t any words to describe it.” Jacy lifted an eyebrow.

 

“That’s strange how you’d know, Marian, knowing that you’ve never been in love yourself.”

 

“I don’t think I have to be in love to know that. I reflect on that and I come up with my own ideas. I match them up to real life and if it works, it works and I’m almost always right. At any rate, I have my examples in real life, you know,” she said, glaring momentarily at Jacy and Mahaina. They looked at her and then at each other knowingly and smiling.

 

“So what’s the deal?”

 

“Well, they’re planning on running away together after graduation-”

 

“So what? Let them. At least we won’t have them spilling the wrong herbs into potions anymore!” Marian shuddered. Her first attempt at making a spell worked went totally awry when Randall accidentally handed her basil instead of important leaves she needed (which looked a lot like basil). Instead of getting a laughing potion, she ended up getting hiccups that would not stop for a month.

 

“No! You still haven’t heard the whole story! God, can’t I get through ONE sentence in here without being-”

 

“Without being what?” Marian rolled her eyes.

 

“Never mind. The thing is, my other friend Renee is still in love with James-”

 

“Yeah, talk about love sick,” Jacy said to Mahina. She giggled and taped him on the nose.

 

“Oh yeah, much like you, my love.” He stared lovingly into her eyes and cradled her.

 

“How can I help that when I’ve got the most beautiful woman in the world here with me?”

 

“You are undoubtedly…oh, I don’t have any words to describe you…no words come close to you, darling. I guess Marian’s right, when you’re…truly in love…there are no words to describe it…”

 

“I guess the only way is to…kiss…” Jacy and Mahina began to close in for yet another one of their heart rendering kisses. Marian put her hands on her hips and stomped impatiently.

 

“This is why I hate talking about love with anybody! Everybody I talk to ALWAYS has a boy or girlfriend or somebody they like and they never stop talking about the apple of their eye! And I get ignored in the middle of my explanations!”

 

“Nobody’s stopping you from talking you know,” Jacy said, a little more interested in the feel of Mahina’s body in his arms instead of Marian’s friends. Marian rolled her light brown eyes.

 

“I shouldn’t have locked you two in that room that day…”

 

“Maybe,” Mahina said, brushing her lips next to his, “but I sure am glad you did…”

 

“I only did that to you two so you guys could talk about your issues! Not fall in love!”

 

“Believe me, Marian,” Jacy said, burying his head into Mahina’s neck. “I’d been in love with Mahina long before you moved here.”

 

“And I have always felt something for him, Marian,” she said, lifting his head so her eyes could meet his. “I never quite got it, but I got it now…”

 

“Hey. You guys can kiss, hug and…do whatever the hell your bodies please LATER, but right now, I need your help!!!” Jacy rolled his magical eyes that made Mahina swoon inside.

 

“You could say please, you know.”

 

“Ugh!!! Fine! Will you two PLEASE help me?!”

 

“Ugh!!!” Jacy mocked. “Fine. That’s all you had to do.” Marian sat down.

 

“Ok…here’s the rest of the problem…”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“…So James likes Ann now? Ick, never could picture those two together…that’s wrong.”

 

“Tell me about it,” Marian said, opening up an ice cream container. “It’s really sad how he’s always flirting with her and Randall always threatens to beat his brains down to his feet, but James…God, he just won’t stop looking at her.” Marian took a bite as Jacy rested his chin on his hands.

 

“Yes, strange indeed. I have always felt the energy of his love always pulsating for Renee. I don’t understand how all of a sudden it could just stop, just like that.”

 

“Maybe he was never really in love with Renee, although I’d hate to tell her that,” Marian said a little dejectedly. “Maybe it was just infatuation.”

 

“No way,” Mahina said, getting a spoon and dipping into Marian’s ice cream. “I’ve seen people in love. I’ve never met anybody that deep in love. James was in love with Renee, a longer shot than everybody else I’ve met who was in love.”

 

“Even me, my love?”

 

“Well, maybe not…”

 

“Ahem? You guys are doing it again.” Mahina leaned away from Jacy and stood up straight.

 

“Oh alright. Ok. So you think that he’s still in love with Renee, deep down inside somewhere?”

 

“It must be awful deep because he can’t stand the sight of Renee anymore. I just don’t get it. How could he just all of a sudden stop loving her if he was deep in love like you said he was?”

 

“Maybe he still is, my dear,” Jacy said. “But whatever is wrong with him must be dealt with. There is no real telling as to what is wrong with James, but that…well. It’s a bit of a mystery.” Marian stirred her spoon in her ice cream.

 

“It just doesn’t make sense to me, I mean, how could this guy, who I swear was almost ready to propose to her, and then feel all this love for a girl who he’s never had feelings for in his life-”

 

“Perhaps you are missing something, child,” Jacy said. Marian looked up.

 

“What could I be missing? I mean, I’ve been sitting and trying to figure out a rational reason as to why James could just fall in love with Ann-”

 

“Maybe that’s it, Marian,” Jacy said, pulling Mahina next to him. “You have never been in love. You have figured out all you can, which is pretty amazing with your position. But there is something you cannot grasp because you have never been in love. You know a lot about love, but since you’ve never actually been in love, you don’t understand a lot of things. One thing I have learned while BEING in love is this…love does not entirely escape reason. There is some undoubtable truth about love. One truth…that is rational…is that love is irrational in nature.” Marian sighed.

 

“Well. That might explain why I can’t figure out some things here.”

 

“Yeah. Well, when you fall in love, you’ll understand. But now, we need to get you a spell to help your friends.”

 

“What kind of spell?” Mahina smiled.

 

“I’ve been telling you that I can’t teach you how to perform this kind of spell, even though it goes under what you are in magic. I told you that you had to wait until you understood how the waves of your heart worked and why. I think you’re ready now. More than capable, really. Marian…I’m going to teach you the moon spells.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Alright. You sprinkle this on days or nights of a moon. Listen, though. Moon spells are difficult to conjure because of the moon’s orbit in the sky. The moon is inconstant, you know, with the phases and all. But it’s as easy as you make it. Look up the kind of spell you need and you apply it to the moon dust. Get all the herbs you need. There, on the shelf, that’s where you’ll find it. Under the, ‘M’ category, there you go. Mix the spell according to how the book tells you. No, no, stop. That’s enough of that one. Too much of that, and the next thing you know, it will all blow up in your face. Alright. Ah. Look at that. Tomorrow’s a full moon. You have perfect timing when it comes to conjuring spells. The stronger the moon’s light, the stronger the power of the spell. That’s right. Now…stand over the dust and put the potion in. Lovely how something watery can disappear into dust, isn’t it? Alright…now chant the phrase that fits the spell and what you think will fit the situation. That’s good…now concentrate…concentrate…keep going…that’s it! Perfect! Take the dust to school and sprinkle it. Too much will cause excess power and we don’t really want that. That will definitely look weird. And it gets all over the place, so be extra careful. If you threw it hard enough, you could cover the whole of Manhattan with it! Perfect. One more thing- the dust is going to float in the air for a moment or so until it wears off. On the person’s eyes the dust lands on, it will last and last until you get a reverse spell on it on the next moon you threw it on. Any dust that isn’t on somebody’s eyes will just fall to the ground as regular dust after one minute. Good night, Marian. You have done well. Merry we meet, merry we part, merry till we meet again.”

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

If I could have just one wish...it would be that no Wiccan is going to kill me or cast a nasty spell on me for jacking their greeting line.

Reviews

[Drew Wade]

okay okay, so what I was saying about dialogue, is that I think you're doing a lot of your storytelling through dialogue. here is an example.

'"Well, kind of. You're not perfect, Marian. Even your religion knows that, precisely why your God is ever forgiving. It's your humanity that stops you from doing white magic. No human being has ever really been able to do white magic. I wouldn't really say that's impossible, though. It's not so much that we're human, now that I think about it. It's our choices and our motives. Do you use your magic to do good? Or do you use it for ill? Do you use it to help people or to cause harm? Why do you conjure spells? To do what's right or to get even? And even if all those things I mentioned�if you use your magic for nothing but good, there's still a chance that you will mess up. And it's not necessarily because of you. It's other people. Even if you're a champion for good, there are people in this world who aren't. That's why some of your magic fails. Sometimes when you try to use something for good, somebody who doesn't understand or care and it screws the whole thing up. But honestly, somebody like you�a Christian�you've moved up so far in the ranks. Agent of Justice? That usually takes years to reach that. You did that in just one year! But it's kind of based on personality and your growth in personality. I've never seen anybody in my religion move up that fast. But when you think about it, you've had it pretty good all your life- parents who are still together and are decent people, a Catholic school education and deep roots in religion. We'd love to have you in ours, but I know�every time we even MENTION it, you're stuck to God like glue. And another thing? Even though you have so many advantages in life, you have still retained some poverty in spirit that doesn't make you a spoiled brat. Maybe that's how you did it- you're poor in spirit, so I've heard your Book say. And that's good. Maybe we should have more Christians in here more often. But then their parents would probably think that we're corrupting them and worshipping the devil. We don't believe in your God- but that doesn't really mean we believe in your supreme Enemy either!"'

for establishing character, I guess it helps, but it's really explaining a lot of stuff that you could explain in other ways to make it more natural. I just can't see someone saying all of this in real life. you know? the philosophy part of it could be added to a character description or a memory or something, and that way some of the dialogue could be cut.

that being said, it's a very interesting scene you've got going on here, with the wiccans and the christian palling around together.