Chapter 43

50 YEARS AGO

JADE~~~~


"Rise and shine, Jaden," my mom said as she opened the door of the dark room. I quickly shielded my eyes as the bright sunlight streamed in, almost threatening to blind me.

"Could you at least give me a warning before you do this?" I asked as I walked out. "I stretched my body which had grown stiff from sleeping on the cold floor for seven days now. Thank God, this is the last day.

"Enjoyed your night?" she asked.

"What do you think?" I retorted and walked inside the house.

"Jaden," she called after me.

"Yes?"

"Have you been doing anything out of the ordinary lately?" she asked and I froze.

"Like what?" I asked without looking back at her so she doesn't see the nervousness on my face.

"I don't know either," she said. "I've been getting a weird feeling from you and around you lately. It might be that Ava girl you always hang out with. I really think you should rethink your association with her. She doesn't seem like a good influence."

"Mom, Ava is my friend," I said. "My only friend. I would not end my friendship with her ever, not in this lifetime."

"So you are going against my word now?" she asked. "I let it slide the first time but this time you are really getting on my nerves."

"I'm sorry, mom," I said. "I'm ready to take whatever punishment you give me, but I can't obey this order."

I walked away from her as quickly as I could upstairs to my room and let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding in once I was safe inside.

I immediately made my way to the bathroom where I freshened up and plopped on my bed once I was done, relishing the softness. I've spent a week sleeping on the floor in the dark room and it's finally over.

School was quite peaceful this week. Theo was a no-show all week which was a blessing in itself. We soon got used to the stares and my reaction towards Elsa sitting with us scared any others who thought of it from joining us. We spent our free time at her house studying books both me and she have gathered on witchcraft and the concept of chaos, but I still haven't been able to manipulate chaos.

The most troubling aspect of the week was Elsa. She knew that Ava was a werewolf and that I was a witch. She even knew of Isabelle who she hasn't met once. Her knowledge of Thomas was what put me and Ava on edge. We don't even talk about him in school. There was no way she would have heard it from us. The only valid explanation would be that she knew him personally and that begs the question, who exactly is Elsa?

She hasn't been to school ever since that day and we have decided to leave that for whenever Thomas visits. He would be in the best position to explain.

"Jaden," my mom called from downstairs. "I'll be going out today. I might be out until late at night so don't wait up for me!"

I didn't bother answering and she definitely wasn't expecting an answer because she left even before she was done talking.

It was surprising though. My mom never left the house. She ordered whatever she needs and makes me do the grocery shopping and others. She has never left the house for as long as I can remember. This was the first.

I sighed as I tried not to think about it. I have more pressing matters to attend to and too little time. I want to learn how to use magic as quickly as possible so that I can be sure I was a witch. I am beginning to doubt that already. There have been no signs that I possess any talent for magic.

"Do you need help?" a voice asked.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm in dire need..... wait, who's there?" I sprang up immediately looking around my empty room for the source of the voice.

"Who else?" the familiar voice said. "It's your favourite Elsa."

"Elsa?" I asked. "Where are you?"

"Somewhere around," she giggled. "Find me."

"I don't know who or what you are but I'm too busy to be playing hide and seek," I warned, glaring at nothing in particular.

"You were lying on your back a few seconds ago," she said. "That doesn't seem like busy to me. I'm the one keeping you busy right now."

I strained my ear as she talked trying to find the source of the voice but that didn't work. Her voice reverberated everywhere. It sounded like it was echoing around the room which is logically impossible.

"Where the fuck are you?" I asked getting really pissed off. "I don't know how you got in here or how you even knew my house but get the fuck out."

"Find me," she insisted playfully.

"I won't," I said firmly. "Get out."

"Hmmm, that's a bummer," she said. "You're no fun."

"Good thing you know," I replied.

"So I'll grope you for every one minute that you refuse to find me," she said gleefully.

"What?!"

"Get ready," she whispered. "You have fifty-nine seconds left."

"Are you a witch?" I asked.

"I'll answer when you find me," she replied. "One minute is up."

I suddenly felt hands squeezing my breasts hard and groping them along with my hands but I saw nothing. There were no hands but I felt the squeeze. I could even see my boobs as they were being squeezed but there were no hands squeezing them.

"What the fuck?!" I yelled. "You fucking witch!"

"Bingo," she laughed. "Now find me."

"How?" I asked. "I don't even know how to go about this."

"You're a witch, right?" she asked. "You should be able to find me using the surrounding chaos."

"I'm not even sure of that anymore," I said. "I haven't been able to control the so-called chaos even a little bit."

"You are a witch. I'm sure of that," she said. "You just don't know what you've been looking for."

I perked up at that. "What do I need to find then?"

"Chaos," she replied. "All you need to do is find chaos."

"That isn't exactly helping," I said. "I've been trying for a while now."

"Oops, it's past one minute," she said and I felt the pressure on my body again, but still no hands.

"Stop fucking touching me, you pervert!" I yelled.

"Then find me," she giggled. I really wish I could slap that stupid giggle off her face.

"How the fuck do you expect me to do that?!" I yelled. "And isn't there a way to teach me without groping me?!"

"There is," she said. "But you've got great boobs. I've wanted to touch them for a while now. This is the perfect excuse. It's one minute again."

"Fucking stop!" I yelled as I felt the pressure on my breasts again.

"Fine," she said. "What is chaos magic?"

"What?"

"What is chaos magic?" she repeated. "You can't control or manipulate chaos if you don't know what it is. I'm not talking about the dictionary definition of it."

"Well I haven't paid attention to that," she said. "What is it?"

"Sit down," she said and I did. "We have little time before your mom comes back so listen attentively."

"Okay?" I said. I can't believe I'm about to learn from Elsa who I haven't had a proper conversation with until Monday. I was even more excited that I would be getting an actual lesson on magic.

She cleared her throat dramatically like a teacher, causing me to roll my eyes. "The world runs on belief. We believe everything we see as the way it should be and we go along with the will of the world as it commands us. Chaos magic is forcing our will on the world. We are to bend the world to our will. In simple terms, we have to command nature. Create our own beliefs and enforce them. That's how you use chaos magic. As long as there is something to believe in, there is chaos. You create your own belief and enforce your will on the world._

"That's tough," I sighed. "Even if I believe in the opposite of what the normal belief is, how do I muster the will to surpass the world's will?"

"That's why you are a witch," she said. "You were born with the will to overwhelm that of the world. You just have to draw out your will and believe in it. Decide what you want and command the world to listen."

"So do I close my eyes?" I asked still unsure of how to go about it.

"Do whatever you please," she said. "I would prefer you keep your eyes open though. You might lose your concentration when you open your eyes. It's preferable to learn it with your eyes open."

I took in a deep breath and tried focusing on seeing Elsa. I looked around with anticipation as I focused on seeing her. She was quiet, letting me focus without disturbance.

We stayed in utter silence for about thirty minutes but nothing happened and I was beginning to lose my patience. I was beginning to doubt she was even here anymore.

"Elsa?" I called.

"I'm here," she replied. "Why isn't anything happening?"

"I think I should be asking you that question," I replied. "I'm doing exactly what you said but I can't see you yet."

"See me?" she asked. "Why are you trying to see me?"

"What do you mean?" I asked getting annoyed. "Was all of this a prank? You told me to find you."

She stayed quiet for a little bit before talking again. "Do you mean you've been trying to find me?"

"Of course!" I yelled. "Do you have amnesia or something?"

"Are you stupid?" she asked. "You do not even have control over the world's dormant will and you're trying to overwhelm mine? Does being invisible look natural to you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. I was surprised by the change of tone in her voice. She sounded offended. "You asked me to find you."

"That was a joke," she retorted. "I didn't think I needed to spell it out for you. There are a lot of things any normal person would try first. For example making the chair, pen or a book float. You could have tried doing those first."

"Oh."

"Yeah, common sense," she said sarcastically.

"I fucking hate you," I scowled.