The Awakening (8 page)

I shrugged and let out a small strangled-laugh and looked at Gavin “I can’t believe I have just asked about children in front of your entire family. Its ok I’m not going to ask you to marry me and start a family just yet,” I continued feeling extremely embarrassed.

“That’s good to know,” Gavin laughed and hugged me, “Well at least we know why this has all happened then my witchy girlfriend,” Gavin said trying to make me relax and laugh.

“Hey I’m not sure I like that,” I replied smiling “So this has all happened to protect me,” I said feeling bewildered.

“To cut a long story short yes,” Annalise replied, “I think Elizabeth hoped your relationship with Gavin would end. But of course you weren’t sure what you were being warned about and couldn’t decipher the dreams so we have ended up here.”

“So is it my fault. Should I have understood? Did I do something wrong?” I said.

“Of course not Lauren, it’s not your fault at all. This is a very unusual situation and you are a young girl with no experience of paranormal activities. I think you have coped remarkably well. We just need to move forwards now and we are all here to help.” Annalise explained gesturing to Alice, Marcus, and Rebecca and gently held my hand again across the table.

“This is all so weird. What happens now with the witch stuff? I’m a bit worried about the light bulb situation,” I said trying to feel a little more positive,

“You definitely need to know how to control your powers as from what I’ve heard and seen you can draw energy from sources of fear and nature very quickly. You could be a very powerful witch young Lauren but one step at a time.”

“I’m not sure I want to be a powerful witch. I just want it to be under control and to be able to appear completely normal.” I replied with a shrug off my shoulders “I’m not sure I want the burden of magical powers and surely it will be harder to appear normal to my friends and family,” I said feeling the familiar sense of worry return.

“Lauren with some guidance it can be a blessing not a curse. I will definitely give you some basic guidance and you have a think about whether you would like to learn more about your skills and heritage.” Annalise said as she pressed a necklace into my hand. “This is the sign of the Wiccan,” she explained as I looked at the silver charm hanging of a long necklace. “It offers protection and also allows other witches to recognise the wearer. You may not feel you want to wear it yet but keep it safe and have a good think about things. I’ll come back in a couple of days to help you get your powers under control. Just remember Lauren this doesn’t have to change who you are just embellish you and make your life richer.” Annalise rose from the table and squeezed my shoulder as she went past with Alice. The four grownups left the room and were talking in hushed voices as they went into the hallway leaving myself and Gavin alone.

“Well that was intense,” I said as I stood up and went to the large windows along the back of house looking into the garden and longing for some space and quiet.

“Now we all know what happened we can start to get back to normal. Perhaps we should do something tomorrow. Something completely normal like going to the cinema what do you think?” Gavin said as he hugged me and gazed out into the garden too.

“I think that is a brilliant idea but we better go out of Northampton in case I bump into anyone. I’m supposed to be off work sick you know and I’m not sure being seen in the cinema with my boyfriend will go down very well.” I smiled and kissed him.

“Are you still glad you met me?” Gavin asked suddenly looking serious and anxious.

“Yes I am, it’s been different, but I think you might be worth it. I want a super brilliant Christmas present this year though.” I joked.

Annalise knew that to enable me to get used to a normal life again I needed some basic witch training and returned a couple of days later to give me my first lesson so I wouldn’t go around suddenly causing gusts of wind and bursts light bulbs every time I was worried or stressed. She took me to a remote house in the Northamptonshire countryside and sat me around a table in the kitchen; the house had a warm safe feeling and obviously was lived in by someone. “Whose house is this?” I asked Annalise as she busied herself making tea and getting out candles and dishes,

“A close friend of mine, she’s away at the moment but knows we are here so don't worry. Right I’m going to teach you the basic skills and words. If you want to further down the line you can learn more complex spells as I believe your strength is strong Lauren. You might want to take some time to think about things as sometimes the more you know the harder it can be to maintain a level of normality and wellbeing and I know that is important to you.” She lit some candles on the table and continued “Witches use nature to harness strength and commonly we use candles to magnify our powers, fire has a lot of strength as it symbolises light, as do herbs and trees which symbolises the earth.” I nodded and watched as she waved her hands over the burning flames of the candles. “Most spells are categorised by their element for example earth, wind, fire and water and most spells contain Latin words. I’ve brought a Latin dictionary with me and you will need to learn some of the basics and their meanings. Spells are often called incantations and the basics are Ardescat, Vente and Lux which in English mean Ignite, Breeze and Light the spell generates a small effect of whatever element is called for example a small flame, a sudden localized gust of wind, or a bright flash of light. The origins of the spells were to be used to distract someone who was trying to harm you for example the bright light could be used to temporally blind your attacker whilst you escaped, the fundamental basic of witch craft if not to harm and that is why these basic spells will not harm the attackers but purely give you a chance to get away from the situation. The other basics you should know are Cura which means to cure and will heal most small wounds such as a cut or bruise and Deflexio which means to shield and is a simple protective spell. With these basic spells all you need to do is say is a simple verse for example to heal you would say ‘Cura, I call on thee spirits, water, earth, fire and air to aid me in this healing’ it does help if you are able to light a candle or have an amber gem however it does depend on your strength and if you have assistance from a spirit guide. Many crystals have strengths but amber is a powerful stone and has links to health, protection and power, moonstone is also another crystal that has multi purposes and I have some of those for you too. I think for you Lauren one of the important lessons is that if you are feeling stressed by a situation for example if you unexpectedly bump into another vampire you need a calming spell as we can’t have you popping light bulbs all over the place.” She smiled at me and gave my arm a brief rub. “You could try this simple chant ‘In this time and in this place make this area a peaceful place’ or rub an amethyst crystal and say Pax which is the Latin word for peace.” Annalise stopped talking and looked at me.

“Um it’s all a bit earth motherish, I don’t want to turn into some hippy that talks about herbs and crystals all the time,” I laughed “I don’t mean to be ungrateful but I thought it would be more powerful and exciting than this,” I shrugged and smiled.

“Lauren you must remember witchcraft is an ancient gift and is meant for the purpose of good and was originally mainly used for healing that’s why so many herbs and crystals are used and everything revolves around the elements as nature is at the very center of witchcraft.” Annalise explained and took my hand. “Lauren there has been a lot for you to get used to and these are just the basic spells that I think will help you. Witchcraft has much to offer but it depends how much you want to embrace it, you could be a very skilled witch but it would take time and practice and really you might just want to know the basics and get on with being a normal 20 year old for a while.” Annalise smiled and rummaged in her bag. “Lauren I will always be here to help you and if you ever want to know more about witchcraft I will gladly explain but I don’t want to over burden you. Right here is your basic kit,” she said and gestured to an array of things she’d just got out of her bag. “We have a Latin dictionary, a sheet I’ve typed up for you with the basic Latin words, an amethyst, amber and moonstone, some candles, white are always best as it symbolizes purity and some sage, rosemary and thyme, I’ve also got you a little book telling you what each stone and herb can do.” 

“Wow thank you Annalise, you have been so helpful and kind to me,” I smiled and suddenly felt a bit teary.

“Hey its ok Lauren, you will be fine, Gavin is a fine young man and you will be safe and happy with him you just need a period of adjustment and then life can go on as normal, I’m always here though Lauren.” Annalise passed me a card with her contact details on and then handed me a box. “Final little present” she opened the box and inside was a beautiful necklace with a stunning gem hanging from it. I lifted it out of the box and watched the stone shine “Its agate and it protects against evil, it is just some extra protection in case any unknown vampires give you a fright, remember though times have changed and vampires are no longer a threat to anyone, but I understand bumping into one out of the blue may startle you so I thought this would give you some peace of mind.”

“Oh thank you Annalise its beautiful, will you help me put it on.” I lifted my hair and Annalise fastened the chain.

“Right do you want to have a quick practice of a simple spell?”

“Um ok what should I try a flame?” Annalise nodded, I circled my hands around the candle which was lit on the table and chanted. “Ardescat, I call upon thee spirits earth, wind, fire and air to help me with this fire.” suddenly the candle shot up. “Oh my god!” I exclaimed and dropped my hands; the flame instantly went out.

“Try again.” Annalise said with a smile “And remember to use slow hand gestures.”

“Ok. Shall I light the candle again?” I replied.

“No I think you can do it with words not matches.” Annalise smiled again so I chanted again “Ardescat, I call upon thee spirits earth, wind, fire and air to help me with this fire,” and the candle lit up. I kept my hands in the air and stared at the flame “Wow I did that.” I smiled staring in to the flame.

“Yes and you could make it bigger with large hand gestures and position it by moving your hands but be careful a small flame can quickly get out of control.” I lowered my hands and the flame went out.

“Well done Lauren you’ll be an excellent witch in no time.” We carried on chatting and I practiced a few more spells and then Annalise drove me to Gavin’s house where he and Alice were anxiously waiting for me.

Just as I was about to get out of the car I remembered something Annalise had said. “When you were talking about the spells you said candles and crystals can help but you also mentioned a spirit guide. What exactly is that? Is that what Elizabeth is?”

“A spirit guide is a guardian and is there to assist you through life and help with difficulties you may face. Spirit Guides are usually human souls who have reincarnated on earth many times, have reached a highly enlightened stage of development, and now work closely with humans on earth to help guide, teach, and enlighten us in our growth. To communicate with your spirit guide you have to be open and honest and fully embrace your witchcraft and it is usually called mediumship. Mediumship is the ability to sense your Spirit and decipher the messages they wish to share. This is not always an easy thing to do, but it is an ability that all witches have. Some are born with this ability already fully developed, while others have to work at it.” Annalise explained and smiled before continuing. “I have always known my spirit guide as a child my parents thought I had an imaginary friend as I was always chatting to myself but it was actually my guide who has been a great source of comfort and support to me. Elizabeth may well be your guide but it is difficult to tell now, as the communication is weak. Elizabeth was a very strong witch but gave up witchcraft many years before she passed away and as you are a new witch and have discovered your skill in unusual circumstances neither of you are able to communicate effectively.”

“Do all witches have a guide?” I asked.

“To a certain extent all witches can reach out to someone when they require help but not every witch has an assigned guardian. Some witches never learn the skill and do not embrace this side of witchcraft and others are happy with their life and do not require the support from the spiritual side. I can help you with mediumship if you are interested but it’s probably best to stick to the basics for now.” Annalise said.

“Yeah I’ll definitely stick to the basics for now,” I said patting the bag Annalise has given me “Thank you for your help today.” I said as I hopped out of the car.

“You are very welcome Lauren. I’m here whenever you need me.”

I waved goodbye to Annalise and walked into the house and quickly reassured Gavin and Alice as they both looked so worried “Its ok, I’m fine. It was quite interesting and I’ve leant some stuff. Hopefully no more bursting light bulbs. I think I’m going to be ok with all this, I just need a bit of time and then I’ll be ok.” I smiled and Gavin came over and hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head.

“I’m so happy Lauren, I’m so glad you have accepted all this stuff so amazingly,” he smiled at me and I could tell he was at a loss for words.

“It’s ok. I know you feel guilty but don’t. No one knew any of this would happen and you can’t help who you fall for,” I kissed him and smiled to reassure him “Would have been nice not to have turned into a witch but I think I can live with it.”

“Lauren I am so pleased you are adjusting so well and so quick. I do appreciate how hard it all must be and I just wanted to say it’s a pleasure having you here and part of our family.” Alice said smiling at me and Gavin “You can ask me anything and I will try my best to give you an honest answer and if you need any help with spell practice I’m here,” she continued and shrugged “not that I know how to cast spells but you know I could get you candles or whatever else you need.”

“Thank you Alice. I’m fine honestly Annalise has given me loads of stuff and I think I’m just going to stick to the basics for now and try to get back to normal for a while although she told me some really interesting stuff about spirit guides which I might look into at a later date. For now I need to get back to work and home and seeing my friends. I’ll stay here a few more days and then I think normality needs to start again.” Gavin hugged me again and then we all wondered into the kitchen where everyone settled down. Just to show them I was getting used to the whole witch thing I dug into the bag Annalise had given me and placed a candle on the table “Hey you guys look; you’ll never need matches again.” I smiled and placed my hands over the unlit candle. “Ardescat” I said, and the candle wick began to glow. “Wow!” I said with a big grin “I didn’t even finish the spell Annalise taught me.” I raised my hands and the flame grew and then I dropped them to the table and the flame went out.

“That’s pretty impressive,” Gavin said.

“You will be a fine witch Lauren, I’m very proud of you.” Alice said and hugged me and I finally felt like everything would be fine.