Love Without Magic Can Be Magical

I bent down at the sink to spit and rinse, and when I straightened out, instead of looking at my own reflection in the mirror, I was staring right at the face of the big bad witch. She was staring back at me with a smirk and narrowed eyes that were almost smoldering in intensity and hatred.

I gently closed the bathroom door.

She spoke, "So. You're alive. When I popped in ten minutes ago, I heard so much moaning that I thought Darrin might have been killing you."

While racking my brain in wonder of how she was doing this, I smirked back for effect, "He was killing me. In oh, so many wonderful ways."

She dropped her smirk into a look of disgust and anger. "I wish he had actually killed you, dead. It would have saved me the trouble."

I dropped my voice, now worried that Darrin would hear us and worse, step into the room and see her. "You can't have him back. He's mine now."

"I don't want him back. I just want you dead. How dare you cancel my spells."

"How dare you do what you did to him. Bitch."

She seemed unaffected. "Who are you calling bitch? You're a nothing. A nobody. You should get on your knees and beg for mercy. Now!"

I laughed, my temper redlined, "You're not the big bad witch you think you are. I ripped your Spell-Defender in half with my bare hands," I could see that got to her, "and I'll do the same to you if you ever get near Darrin or myself. Understand?"

She composed herself and screwed up her face in anger again, "You're from a loser family, you are no match for a Kavanaugh."

A Kavanaugh?! Oh, what have I done? One of the most venerable lines of very powerful and tenacious witches. The name was not unknown to me, or any other living witch.

I didn't falter and faked my courage, "Kavanaugh," I spat. "An old witch family, holding old spells. You're obsolete."

"Prepare to die."

"Bring it!"

The edges of the mirror seemed still intact, where behind the witch's face showed a nondescript room, separated by sort of a halo surrounding her image and in between. I quickly struck the edge at one of the lower corners with my index finger and intoned a quick inverse of a glass-restore spell.

The mirror first crickle-crackled and broke into hundreds of connected pieces before falling into an organized heap of tiny fragments on the vanity counter. Also breaking her spell and she was gone.

The door opened violently.

"What was that?!" Darrin asked in deep concern. He looked at my face and then down at the counter and saw the piles of broken mirror fragments.

He looked back at me and I apologized, "Sorry."

I was still trembling. Whether it was over my adrenaline rush in my fight with his ex or the fact that a Kavanaugh threatened to kill me.

"What happened," he asked.

"I must have struck it, and, well, I'm really sorry."

"Are you OK? Did it cut you?" Just like him, right?

"No. I'm OK. I really am sorry."

He let out a big breath and relaxed before wrapping me up in his arms. "Don't worry, I can easily replace it. I just could never replace you and the sound scared me." He broke the hug and lifted my chin up for a quick but reassuring kiss.

He turned and said he would get his shop vacuum to clean up the glass, but turned back and wrinkled his face, "Did I hear you shouting just before the mirror broke?"

I shrugged my shoulders in apology, "You know I like to sing in the bathroom. That doesn't mean I'm good at it." He chuckled and resumed his mission to find the vacuum.

I let out a breath in the form of a sigh. Yeah. What else was I going to say? The truth?! That I was shouting back and forth with his ex-girlfriend over which one of us was going to kill the other first?

*

We were sitting in one of Darrin's favorite places to go for fried food when it really dawned on me that he might be too into that. I wanted to keep this man and go some distance, the food he liked to put in his body was not good for the long play. I thought I would start cooking healthy for him more frequently and see if I could bring him around to liking that.

Those thoughts were simply to distract me over what I had to do.

There was a change in me. Brought out by Darrin, perhaps? Probably. Only it wasn't going to come easy to me. Forced right against the grain.

If we were going to have a long term, serious relationship, like normal people do, there is a component of honesty that would have to be bedrock. Though Darrin knew my biggest secret, I had still kept too much from him and when everything eventually came out, he'd know of my deceit. With new determination, I was going to start being honest with him even if it came with the chance it could all be ruined.

I waited until he swallowed his last bite before I asked, "Darrin, what was your ex-girlfriend's name?"

He did a double take and scrunched his face. "What?! Oh. Um. Trixie. Trixie Kavanaugh. Why the hell did you ask that?"

There was no way to dampen the impact of what the truth was going to wreak. "I had a confrontation with her the other day."

"No way." He leaned back in bewilderment and folded his arms.

"Yeah. She wants to kill me. I've known about that for some time, but we finally exchanged threats. She's mad that I removed her spells that she infected you with. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

He struggled to process that. "Why are you telling me now?"

"I felt I had to come clean and be honest with you."

With an understandable edge of sarcasm, "Um. Thank you?" He thought about things a little more while I waited for him. "What are we going to do?"

"We aren't going to do anything. I have a pocket full of spells ready to protect and defend us. We just have to be diligent for when she shows herself and throws down."

"When do you think that will be?"

"Soon. Real soon."

The concern on his face looked like it was chiseled in it, "How bad is it?"

I had to remain honest, "It could be real bad. But I have some really strong witches in my corner, and I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. I'm not going to go out looking for a fight, but when it comes to me, I'll be ready."

He suddenly read between the lines, "Is this why you wouldn't move in with me?" I nodded. "Then I hope we can get this over with. This just never seems to end."

"I know. Hey. I love you."

"I love you too. Do you think we'll ever get over this drama?"

"Probably not, but we'll take what life gives us together. OK?"

I let him ponder and process it for a bit before asking, "Would you like the rest of my fries?"

Slow to change gears, then he grinned like a little boy and dug into my plate. I'd work on the healthy food thing later.

*

I brought my hands to my face to hide my amusement. It's not every day that my boyfriend walks into our favorite establishment dressed like a carrot.

I couldn't stifle my giggle. "Put it on."

"No," he replied halfheartedly.

"Pleeeeeeease?" My grin had to have been ear to ear.

"No."

I made a pouty face. He rolled his eyes and then briefly put on his carrot styled hat with greens and all.

I almost couldn't contain myself. Some of the regulars in the adjacent tables laughed out loud too.

"Happy anniversary, lover." I said to him, totally heartfelt. "I love you. Happy Halloween."

"I love you too, babe. I like your witch's costume."

I put on an accent that I hoped sounded wicked, "Oh, this little thing?" Then I turned it around, "My, you are just the most handsome veg-ah-tobble in the house. I could just eat you up."

We laughed and he took his hat off to spare himself of any more embarrassment. He'd suffer enough of that when he had to pose with his department later as a vegetable platter for the group costume contest.

We finished our coffees while I gazed into his gorgeous eyes.

"Pick me up later?" I asked.

"Early. You're going to close the shop, right?"

"Yeah."

On the game board of my new existence, one foot was placed on the space that we'd have a great night on the anniversary of our meeting, even better now after months of expressing our love for one another. The other foot on the space that there was a good chance I'd die before the night was over. Fucking Kavanaugh bitch.

*

I was sitting next to Darrin on the stairs for about an hour before the flow of trick-or-treaters seemed to dry up. Gran was clinging to Darrin on one side of him, me on the other. Mom closed the door due to the unexpected lapse in the children and declared, "That's weird."

Only I knew better. Showtime.

The doorbell rang.

Mom answered the door and standing there wearing a piss and vinegar expression stood Darrin's ex, Trixie.

Smugly, she announced herself, "Trick or treat."

Mom backed up from the door and reinforced her spell.

Trixie tested her surroundings by running her fingers across the invisible door shield, elucidating some sparks.

The bitch responded almost playfully, "Are you not going to let me in?"

"Fuck, no!" Mom said sternly.

"Hmm." Trixie took a few steps back and looked the house over. "Shame I'll have to burn the place down."

Enough was enough. "Stop it." I declared loudly. "Back up, bitch." I walked by her and out into the street with everyone else following. I was able to breathe easier once I had the space.

In the distance, both up and down the street I could see the children in the form of shadows, still trick and treating. It was a good spell of Crowd-Clear she had cast, but not going to last very long. "Mom, Gran, the kids. Keep them safe."

They spoke in unison, "On it." I could feel the bubble of safety they put around our vicinity.

Trixie semi approached Darrin, "Aww. We had such good times. You wouldn't remember but we rocked each other's worlds. Best lover I ever had. I might even take you back for a spell. Won't that be fun?"

Then she looked at me in disgust and directed a finger at my face as she spoke, "I don't want him back forever, but you aren't ever going to be touched by him again. Your time is up, bitch."

She then squared up in front of me like we were in a western at high noon.

I was buzzing with energy, my temper rose to max, there was no way I'd let her put her hands on my Darrin. I would die first.

I brought my hand up and wiggled my fingers in a taunt. "Bring it."

She did. Sparks shooting from her fingertips, we circled one another in the street. She fired first. I shot it down while thanking Susan in my mind. Through my enchanted lipstick, while saying what sounded a little whisper of, "Who-oof," I was able to knock down all of her offense.

Suddenly, children and their parents were surrounding us as if we were performing in a show. Me in my kitschy but semi-sexy witch's costume, Trixie in her cloak.

Now I learned what her cloak was all about after she tired herself from shooting her spellbarbs. In her pause, I chanced a test of one of my own spellbarbs to see what would happen and to no surprise, her cloak absorbed and absolved it all.

She laughed, throwing her head back and shooting more sparks from her fingertips in a further show of strength.

The crowd, held at a safe distance by Mom's spell, shrieked in delight. Fools.

Preliminaries over, I was ready and didn't waste any more time. I had been working up to this, she'd be fucked and I don't care what family she was from. Only I had to let myself open first if I was going to get the ruse to work. I had to let her hit me. With a force-spell that took my legs out from under me, it knocked me down with a shout.

Darrin, in concern, bless his heart, tried to come to me in support but was stopped short. It was either Susan or Claire, but either way, I became aware that they were there in the background, locking Darrin's feet in like a tar, keeping him safe. Mom and Gran were showing signs of sweat and distress from keeping the crowd from getting too close and in harm's way.

I had to get this over with, even if I would die trying.

In my well practiced and presupposed act of super cleverness, I made a shadow-shift move. It was an old trick, learned when I was a little girl, known by every living witch. It shifted my position and left me standing suddenly behind her within arm's reach. She laughed as she met me simultaneously spinning and reaching for my neck while she shrieked, "Fool!!"

Only I wasn't there. My spell came with a twist. I had doubled down on my shadow-shift and was suddenly standing just behind her while the visage of my faux shift position dissipated in a poof. It was a simple but effective surprise and I wished I had been able to see it register on Trixie's face. My arm reached around her neck and under my elbow, caught her throat. Hard! Pulling her towards me with a crushing vice of a grip, she instinctively moved her hands to my arm to pull it away but I think her feet were barely touching the ground and she couldn't gain leverage.

My mouth was in her ear and I choked her harder, enough to make any potential incantation from her impossible. I intoned the words of the spell I had been working on for weeks, long and detailed as it was. I knew instantly that I had nailed it.

I felt the fight in her give way as the spell worked its magic so I cautiously let go but didn't let her fall to the ground. The crowd surrounding us cheered as if the show was over, and appreciated it.

Trixie craned her neck, looked into my eyes as if asking what happened though I knew she knew.

Mom shrieked from the sidelines, "Kill her! You have to, Claret! Kill her! You'll never be free if you don't!!"

"No, Mom. It's over."

I fully let Trixie go and in exhaustion, stumbled over to Darrin, "We're free. Finally."

He wrapped me up in his arms, whether it was my fatigue from the spell or the relief I felt from knowing it was over. It mattered not. His embrace was salvational.

Mom made her way over and didn't have to ask what everyone was wanting to know, so I spilled it. "I used a spell that would cancel her magic unless she uses it in a number of consecutive acts of kindness. The number of good spells is arbitrary, as with each act, it will become infectious, eroding the evil until all that's left in her are good intentions. We'll never have to worry about her again."

I looked around for Trixie but had lost sight of her. The Halloween revelers dissipated and resumed their trick and treating.

Susan made her way over to where Darrin and I remained clutched together. "I couldn't be more impressed, Claret. The big bad witch was just bested before my very eyes by the baddest ass witch I've ever seen."

Gran cackled in amusement and clicked her heels as no 93 year old woman should be able to do, "Damn right!"

We laughed at her antics and then Darrin got serious, his face inches from mine. "What do you want to do, baby?" He asked gently.

"I want to go home," I responded.

"OK. I'll take you."

He didn't get it right away, I didn't say it right the first time. "Darrin. What I meant is . . . I want to make a home. With you. Don't care where it is. As long as it's with you"

He smiled, getting it now. "I'm in. Love it."

I yawned a mile wide. I explained to him lazily, "Wiped out." I rested my head on his shoulder and may or may not have dozed for a half second.

"Hey," he asked, "would you even marry me? If I did it right with a ring and everything?"

I looked at him with loving eyes. He's so cute.

Mom shouted out though I couldn't gauge her level of seriousness, "Witches don't marry!"

I shouted back, "This one might!!"

I was just able to get out my final thought, "Please take us home. I want us to go home."

That's sort of the last thing I remembered, everything after just kind of got fuzzy.

*

I awoke tangled up with the most handsomest, beautiful man I'd ever known. Our skin on skin was something I'd want to know for the rest of my life. This was it. I was home.

I contemplated my future. Could I keep him?! Really keep him?! Yeah. I would.

My new life starts now. Our new lives start together.

I looked over at him, peacefully sleeping, watching his chest rise and fall. I stayed perfectly still so as not to stir him. I wanted to admire him a little longer and think.

I sleepily let out a pleased whimper over how my life had changed. I was complete. I was at peace. I was happy.

*

*

OK, so there it is. And I had to wrap it up somewhat short because I see my husband with my son and daughter coming back from the store, they needed some last minute things for their costumes.

We're going to have an early dinner to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Yeah, I married him on Halloween. Romantic, right? Oh. And then we'll take the kids trick or treating. They just love Halloween.

I would apologize for having laid all that on you, but, ha. I don't really care.

Life is good. I'm better than I've ever been and I really do appreciate that you heard me out. Just talking it all out like this really helped me feel the magnitude of my bond with him and that it is all real.

Unfortunately. For you. I have to wipe your mind of the whole thing. But I will also leave you with a spell of good luck. If you've lost anything that you've been looking for lately, you're going to find it. Hopefully something meaningful and not just the remote control.

You won't understand the locution, but I'm going to incant what I need to in order to give the gift of the luck spell and then erase our time from your memory. Pay attention to the following words if you can:

Seraph. Nocturne. Duleigh. Tzang. Altissimus. Cagiva. Erozetta!

*

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Fin.

Happy Halloween!

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I'll leave the comments open for a couple of days maybe and then shut that down per my usual.