*Thelma*The extraordinarily dense clouds of smoke approach like pillars, ready to flatten anything that lies in their way. Any sliver of daylight seems to be completely consumed by the fast-approaching darkness. All of my control is gone, replaced by a deep urge to hurt something or someone.The water in the creek begins bubbling and rising in angry waves. I feel a burning ache inside my veins, and a sharp stabbing pain in my temple, but I can’t stop. All the frustration I feel seems to be pouring right into the water.“Thelma, calm down! Remember to breathe, honey. Breathe,” Rhia’s voice pleads from somewhere in my head.I take a deep breath and exhale.Huge waves are thrown around and explode like lava from a furious volcano as a result of the ruthless winds that have gathered beneath me. I don’t have to look down to know that I am no longer on the ground but hovering somewhere in the air. I feel one with the raging water as it divides like a ferocious wild beast. With all of thei
*Thelma*“Are you okay, sweetie?”Hearing Ma’s voice on the phone fills me with sadness. I miss her so much and want to tell her everything that is going on, but that will just make her worried. I have to summon all the strength I can muster to put on a great performance.“I am fine, Ma. The people here are very nice.” I lie and swallow hard.Although there are some very nice people around here, like Rhia and Kim, some still eye me suspiciously. There are others who ignore my presence entirely, and then there are Yasmeen and Kyle who belong in their own categories.“Is Mr. Kyle treating you alright?”I clear my throat as a tear streams down my face. I’m suddenly grateful we are doing a voice call, because if we were on video, Ma would be able to call my bluff.“Yes. He treats me like a…princess,” I say, choosing to use the pet name he seems to have adopted for me.“That’s lovely dear. We have some of his men patrolling the house here. I don’t think your uncle likes them very much, but
*Thelma*Here I am again, sitting on the edge of Kyle’s bed, naked under my robe. I didn’t even bother noting the silk belt, as I know the routine. To him, clothes are just an unnecessary hindrance to his mission.I take a strand of hair and twirl it between my fingers. I can’t believe how long my hair has grown since I arrived here. I swear my hair follicles are receiving injections of steroids. I sometimes almost sit on my ends, but cutting or trimming my hair will be useless since it grows longer even as I sleep.I cross and uncross my legs impatiently. I am excited to see him, and maybe I shouldn’t feel that way, but I do miss his touch…Still, I am nervous as hell. This beast of a man probably killed my father, yet here I am, sitting pretty, waiting for him to give me the release I so ache for. Was I betraying my father’s memory by sleeping with his murderer?No. I am doing what is necessary until I find out the truth and am strong enough to take my revenge. At least, those are th
*Thelma*It’s late afternoon and I find myself sitting inside a carriage house behind the mansion where Beta Mathias and Rhia live. The renovated three-bedroomed home squats on a parcel of green grass surrounded by a white picket fence, camellia hedges, and an assortment of vibrant flowers.Rhia presses a glass of ice water into my hand and proceeds to take a seat next to me on the couch in the sunroom.“How did last night go?” Rhia asks.I can’t help but see a hint of mischievousness in her eyes. Kyle had mentioned that she had given him a magical wedgie; I really need to ask her to teach me how to do that.“He was quite the gentleman…although he still kicked me out after, again. Thank you, though, for giving him a stern ‘talking to,’” I say.Rhia nods knowingly and smiles. “I would have given him a wet-willy, but didn’t want to get my hand covered in invisible saliva. I had just gotten a manicure; also, magical humidity takes a while to dry.“How did you go about doing that?” I can’
*Thelma*Nerves grip my stomach as if in a cruel vice. Pacing back and forth in my bedroom, I wait for Hilda to bring me some of the things I need to execute my secret mission. Every so often, I glance at the LG TV mounted on the wall. I went through so many romance films just to get an idea of how to entice Kyle.Hilda walks in with a box; she smiles in my direction as she places it gently on top of the table. I waste no time walking over to check out what she managed to bring.“I found a sachet of purple dried petals and some red fresh ones. Maybe you can use both? I also brought some of Madam Flora’s scented oils,” Hilda says as she shows me what’s in her special package.I frown as I look at the scented oil. In these searing summer temperatures, I will be sizzling like bacon in a pan if I grease myself tonight. I am beginning to think Hilda has a weird fascination with oils. Maybe in her times being slippery was considered sexy….Or is it a magical realm thing?I take the bottle of
*Kyle*How dare the witch want to escape? I’ve given her nothing but the best accommodations here. At least, she could have had the decency to alert me of her departure. Kim had been frantic when telling of the witch’s plans to run away. Apparently, she is still in her room packing.I take the stairs, two steps at a time, with long, furious strides toward her room. The good news: she’s still here.What had caused her sudden desire to leave? Was it because she thought something messy was going on between Yasmeen and I? Why would anyone think anything was going on between us?I admit, Yasmeen has been acting very weird and clingy of late. She’s even dressing differently, wearing that stupid long-haired wig that makes her look like a sadistic clown d
*Kyle*“Cigarette or cigar, which one do you prefer?” Elsa asks me.The air in the murky small room behind the hair salon is cloudy from all the cigarette smoke. I watch as the curvy woman in front of me, who’s got a slim lit cigarette dangling from her lips, offers me a wooden box with the mentioned selections.“I am not really a smoker, but maybe a cigar will do,” I respond as I stretch my hand to retrieve a cigar from the box.Elsa nods, the action causing some ash from the cigarette in her mouth to fall onto her blouse. I am tempted to ask why it is important for us to smoke. I am not here for a social visit but rather for a reading.She takes a lighter from somewhere inside her blouse near h
*Kyle*As I run through the woods, trying to clear my head, the memories of everything that happened the last night I spent with Thelma rush back to me stunningly clear. Oh, gods. I can’t shake the look of hurt and embarrassment that was embedded in her teary eyes when I ridiculed her efforts in being romantic. Now, I look like the fool, returning with my tail between my legs, so to speak, to try and get HER to fall in love with me…Oh, how the tables have turned.I wonder how I can make it up to her. I really acted like an entitled jerk. Maybe I could take some vegetable oil from the kitchen and marinade my skin; I have seen how she always has oily skin each time we meet. Perhaps that is something she will enjoy?I hear shuffling in some nearby bushes, and I feel the fur around my neck stand