Magic on Changeling Mountain
Chapter 2

“Now, what’s wrong, Tammy?” Carolyn said as she led her friend over to the sofa and urged her to sit down. Tammy was shaking all over.

“Oh Carolyn. I’m not sure but I don’t think it’s a good thing. I had the strangest dream about you last night. It started off so nice. We were happy and the day was so nice and sunny but then this shadow appeared and it was as if it was watching us, stalking almost.

Then the day started to get really dark and the shadow creature was getting closer and closer. You seemed to sense it and we began to run away but it followed us and it seemed to keep getting darker and darker.

There was someone following it or running beside it, I couldn’t really tell who or what it was but I got the feeling it was a big cat. All I know is it almost caught us but then I woke up in a cold sweat and I thought someone was in my apartment with me. I kept hearing this whispering voice but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. I got dressed and came right over here. Oh Carolyn, I’ve had some scary dreams before but this one seemed so real.” Tammy said, as she sat down on Carolyn’s couch and looked up at her.

“Whoa! Hang on and slow down. Explain to me exactly what you are talking about.” Carolyn said.

“I’ve been having some really strange dreams lately. In every dream I’ve had over the past week or so, I’ve been sensing the presence of a stranger on the edges of things and I’ve been trying to focus on him or her but I can’t seem to get a clear reading on them. It’s like they come and go really fast. But this morning, he or she was there again but I sense it’s a dark being. It doesn’t seem to have a shape or solid form, at least, not yet.

I can’t tell if it’s connected to the first one or not. I get the feeling that the stranger is trying to run away from or is hiding from this dark presence. Whoever this dark presence is, he or she was very powerful and angry. It was like they could “feel” me. I was getting dressed and I swear I heard a faint whisper, then it felt like someone was trying to get inside of me or draw on my aura or something. I felt so drained for a minute. I was so scared, I just grabbed my purse and ran!” Tammy said. “I’m not even sure if I shut the door to my apartment.”

“Hmmm. Tammy, I think we need to go up and talk to my dad. I’ve got a feeling that something is going on and we need to get some advice on how to handle this.” Carolyn said. “Just let me get dressed and I’ll be right back.”

Carolyn quickly went into her bedroom and changed clothes, pulling on jeans, a tank top and then a light weight sweater. She slipped her feet into her loafers and grabbed her purse as she went back into the living room.

Tammy had calmed down somewhat but Carolyn could see her aura, which she thought strange since it was day time but Carolyn had not opened her curtains yet, so it was rather dark in the room. What struck her as really strange was that instead of it being white, like it normally was whenever she was around her, Tammy’s aura had a strange greenish glow to it and it seemed to be laying on her skin instead of coming from it. There was also a dark gray cloud surrounding her, like a cocoon.

“What does green mean?” She asked

“Green.” Tammy said, in an almost dead pan voice.

“Are you alright?” Carolyn asked. Tammy’s voice sounded strange. Deeper and there was a strange echoing quality to the sound. Carolyn was standing behind her when Tammy’s head began to turn. It wasn’t a natural movement because her shoulders remained completely still but her head swiveled like it was on a stick instead of her neck.

When she turned to look at her, Carolyn gasped. Tammy’s eyes were almost totally white and they seemed to be glowing slightly. It was as if her white aura had withdrawn inside of her. She was sitting in a yoga position and floating about 6 inches off of the couch.

Carolyn’s first instinct was to grab her and shake her awake but she was afraid to touch her. She might do more harm than good with her neck being in such an unnatural position. Carolyn didn’t know what to do. She just stared as Tammy floated in place. Carolyn walked around in front of her and Tammy’s head followed her as she slowly moved to stand between her and the open door.

If she had been in her cat form, every hair on her body would have been standing straight up. Her instinct was telling her to run, to get away but Carolyn couldn’t just leave her friend like that.

“Tammy, what’s happening? Can you hear me?” Carolyn’s voice was barely a whisper as she watched her friend. Tammy slowly blinked her eyes and her eyes changed. Now they were like a cat’s eyes, but like none Carolyn had ever seen before. They were almost purple with a bright gold slit running vertically between her lashes. She slowly blinked again and her aura flickered. It had been a sickly, smoky kind of green but it began to fade and the dark cloud seemed to drift away as Tammy floated down to the couch again. After a few seconds, Tammy shook her head and looked up at Carolyn.

“What?” Tammy asked.

“Girl, I don’t know what just happened but I’m freaked out to say the least.” Carolyn said, as she clutched her purse in front of her.

“Uh-oh. Why? What happened?” Tammy asked.

“Don’t you know?” Carolyn asked back and Tammy shook her head.

“Don’t you remember anything that just happened over the last 5 or 10 minutes?” Carolyn asked.

““You went into the bedroom to get dressed and I was sitting here waiting for you and then you came back in.” Tammy said. It seemed that she was totally unaware of what had just happened. “I’ve got a feeling that I’ve had another “mentally missing episode”. Right?” Tammy said.

“This has happened before?” Carolyn asked.

“Jerry said I spooked him the other night because I kind of zoned out on him when we were watching a show on TV. I wasn’t really interested in it and felt like I was falling asleep. He said he nudged me but he couldn’t make me hear him for a couple of minutes. Then the other day when I was in Dr. Biggs office, he said he came into the room where I was waiting for him to give me my yearly exam and I zoned out on him for a full 5 minutes. Made me let him examine me and wants me to go in for a brain scan next week. What happened just now?” Tammy asked.

Carolyn sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her friend and looked her straight in the eye. “I don’t think I should take you to my folk’s house. This would definitely freak them out and besides, if someone bad is channeling through you, I don’t want to put them in the line of fire.” Carolyn said. “Just let me call my dad back or he’s going to be worried.”

Carolyn called her dad and told him “Look dad, I’m not really sure about what’s going on but Tammy needs me right now. I’ll be up to talk to you in a little while but right now I need to find out what’s up with her.”

“Ok, baby cakes but be careful and call me if you need me.” Daniel said and hung up.

Carolyn couldn’t explain why she felt like seeing the other big cat in the woods last night had something to do with what was going on with Tammy but for some reason, she knew they were linked together.

Carolyn returned to the living room with two cups of coffee and handed one to Tammy. “Sorry, I’m out of tea so coffee will just have to do. I haven’t been grocery shopping for days.” Carolyn apologized.

“Are you going to tell me what just happened?” Tammy asked.

Caroly related everything that had just happened while Tammy listened attentively with a worried frown. “What the hell is going on, Tammy?” Carolyn wanted to know.

“I’m not really sure but I think another witch or maybe a warlock has moved into the area. I think they’ve been using me to watch people around me. I’m not sure why but I think they are looking for someone.” Tammy said. “And Carolyn, I don’t think they have good intentions. I sense darkness. That’s what my dreams are trying to warn me about. Someone is in danger.”

“Are they after you or someone else?” Carolyn asked.

“I’m not sure. I think it’s you but I don’t know why.” Tammy said. “I feel like I need some help with this. This is outside of anything I’ve ever had to deal with before.”

“We’ve never talked about it before but when and how did you find out you were a witch?” Carolyn asked.

“Well, I guess it was about the time I went through puberty that I really realized I had actual powers. Strange things have always happened when I was around, usually when I was angry or upset. Mostly stuff like light bulbs suddenly burning out or going off or coming on by themselves.

But I never intentionally did anything until just before I turned 15. I had started my period and I had cramps so bad. Then I started to bleed. I didn’t know what was going on and I thought I was going to die. All I wanted was to wash it all away. I was sitting on the toilet, trying to clean up and suddenly the water in the sink and in the bathtub came on by itself. Talk about being freaked out.

But then I calmed down and focused on it going off and I’ll be damned if it didn’t shut off all by itself. I must have sat and played with that until my legs almost went to sleep. I couldn’t believe it was really me doing it. I identified so much with what Harry Potter felt like when Hagrid told him he was a wizard.”

Carolyn laughed but then remembered that they had a serious problem at hand. “Is there anyone you’ve ever studied witchcraft with? Anyone besides me and my family that knows you are a witch?” Carolyn asked.

“Not here. There was a woman I used to visit with when I lived in Maryland. Hazel. She ran the shop where I used to buy my herbs and runes and stuff. Some of her people were witches but over the generations they married outside of the witch community. Her powers were very weak but she did teach me some simple spells.” Tammy said.

“She also warned me that not all witches are good witches and that witches that use dark magic are better left alone. There are repercussions when you use dark magic, especially if it’s used to cause harm to someone. It can come back on you in the most unlikely and horrible ways.”

Carolyn knew that Tammy had grown up an orphan. She had never known anything about her birth parents and had spent her youth being shifted from one foster family to another until she had come of age and gone to college on a scholarship. Tammy had kind of a flighty personality but she was smart as a whip and had gone through school with ease when it came to school work.

“So you don’t know of any other witches that you could call on for advice?” Carolyn asked.

“No. I’ve always kept my witchcraft a secret. You are the only person I’ve ever told about it, except for Hazel and a changeling boy that was a foster kid in one of the homes I lived in. He was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was 16.

Hazel warned me that normal people are usually afraid of witches because of the superstitions they have come to believe.” Tammy said. “But one thing is certain, it would take an extremely powerful witch to be interfering with my powers from any kind of distance so whoever it is has to be close by.” Tammy said.

“Like how close?” Carolyn asked, as she glanced over her shoulder and out of the window.

“Well, as for me, I’ve never tried anything long distance because I want to see the effects of what I’ve done so I’m not really sure.” Tammy admitted.

“Well, I think I should talk to my father and see if he knows of anyone who can help. I definitely want to talk to him about the big cat I spotted last night.” Carolyn said.

“Big cat?” Tammy asked.

“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep last night so I went for a run about midnight and there was another big cat down by the creek. He was getting a drink. He didn’t see or smell me because I was downwind of him but he turned around and headed back towards town, which I thought was suspicious. I followed him but he went over a small hill and I lost sight of him for a couple of minutes. When I got to the top of the hill, he was gone. I couldn’t find any trace of him. It was like he had vanished.” Carolyn told her.

“Hmmmm. I’ve read somewhere that some witches can shape shift but it’s not easy to do and if you are not careful, you can get stuck in that form or half way between. Some witches have familiars that can shift. I wonder if your big cat and my witch or warlock are one and the same? Or maybe my witch is after your shapeshifter or vice versa?” Tammy surmised. “Or maybe they are traveling through the area together?”

“Well, I don’t know if he shifted or not but he was certainly gone.” Carolyn said. “I definitely need to talk to my father.”

“Well, I have to get to work soon which means I have to go back to my apartment and finish getting dressed. I think I’m going to mix up a protection spell and cast it on myself. I don’t need some black witch using me via remote control to do their evil deeds. Call me when you talk to your dad. Do you mind if I sleep over tonight? I really don’t want to stay in my apartment alone right now.” Tammy asked.

“No, not at all. You know where the spare key is so come on in if you get back here before me. I’ve got to get to the clinic before 10 so I need to get a move on. I want to talk to my dad before I go in.” Carolyn said, as she grabbed up her keys from the hook by the door and they left the cottage.

Tammy jumped into her little Volvo and headed down the road towards town. Carolyn jumped into her Jeep Cherokee and sat for just a moment looking around. She had the strangest feeling that someone was watching her again but she didn’t see anything so she started her jeep and headed up the mountain towards her parents’ house.

It was as if they knew she was coming. Uncle Ray swooped down and flew just in front of her jeep the last mile before she turned into her parents’ yard. He landed on the porch railing and transformed right next to her father, who was waiting for her on the front porch.

Several of the older shifters from the mountain were also there along with someone Carolyn did not recognize. He appeared to be a shriveled up old man with long gray hair that was braided into two long braids that hung almost to his waist. He was dressed in loose fitting leather pants and a large woven cotton top and he was leaning heavily on a tall walking stick.

Daniel came down off the porch as she pulled to a stop and put her jeep in park. “What’s going on, Dad?”

“They started showing up just after you called. Come on out. I want you to meet someone very special.” Daniel Masters said and opened Carolyn’s door for her. Carolyn stepped out and stood looking around at all of the people gathered on the porch, who were looking at her.

“Baby cakes, this is Harvey Two Moons. He lives on the other side of the mountain. He is a shaman. He’s brought us news of this other big cat. We think it may be the one you saw last night. Harvey, this is my daughter, Carolyn.” Daniel Masters introduced them.

“Show me your animal, please.” The shaman said.

Carolyn looked at her father who nodded and Carolyn shifted into her cat form.

“Impressive. I saw you in a dream.” The shaman told her.

Carolyn shifted back into her human form and looked at him curiously. “What did you dream about me?”

“Where is your friend?” Harvey asked, ignoring her question.

“My friend?” Carolyn asked.

“The witch. I need to talk with her. She is in danger.” Harvey said.

“What!?! What kind of danger?” Carolyn asked, getting excited.

“You must go and bring her here. She must be here before the sun goes down tonight.” The shaman said ominously.

Carolyn didn’t wait around to hear anymore. She jumped back into her jeep and drove as quickly as possible back to town. She glanced at the clock on her dashboard and realized that Tammy was probably already at work so as soon as she got to the main road, she took a quick left and drove along the edge of town until she got to the turn off that would take her the back way to Tammy’s office. That meant that she wouldn’t have to pass through any school zones and would be there at least 5 minutes sooner than if she went straight through town.

Plus she would pass Tammy’s apartment building and she would see if her Volvo was there or not, which it wasn’t. She drove the three blocks to her office and pulled in right behind Tammy’s Volvo and had barely put the jeep in park when she opened her door. She jumped out and ran up to the back door of Tammy’s place.

The building where Tammy rented an office space was in an old house that had been subdivided into several offices and retail spaces. Tammy’s office was on the 2nd floor at the front of the building. Carolyn climbed the stairs and ran down the hall to Tammy’s office. She was so relieved to see her sitting at her desk, entering something on the computer. Tammy looked up in surprise as Carolyn burst into her office.

“Oh thank God you are alright!” Carolyn sank down onto the chair just inside the door and let out the breath she had not been aware she had been holding in a woosh.

“Carolyn, what on earth are you doing here? What’s wrong?” Tammy asked, as she turned in her chair.

“I’ve been sent to get you. Come on. You are in danger. We have to go to my parents’ house right now.” Carolyn said, as she made to stand up and waved her arms at Tammy to hurry up and come on.

“What is going on, Carolyn? I have clients coming in a little while. I can’t just leave now.” Tammy said.

“Call them and postpone. This is a matter of life and death, Tammy. We need to get back to my parents as quickly as possible. I don’t know what is going on exactly but there was a shaman and he told me you are in danger and that I must get you back to the mountain as soon as possible.” Carolyn said, breathlessly.

Tammy trusted Carolyn and knew that she wouldn’t have come and wouldn’t be acting like this if it wasn’t important. “Ok. Just let me call them and tell them something has come up and I’ll meet with them some other time.” Tammy said as she flipped through her rolodex and found her client’s number.

She quickly dialed the phone and a relieved look crossed her face when the man answered. “Mr. Williams, it’s Tammy, I’m going to have to cancel this morning. I’m sorry but I’ve had an emergency come up and I’m going to have to leave to go take care of it. I’ll call you in a day or two and reschedule. OK?” Tammy told her client.

He assured her it was not a problem and that he hoped everything was going to be OK. Tammy hung up and grabbed her purse, her jacket and her book satchel and followed Carolyn out the door, locking it behind her.

“Follow me in your car back to my house and then we’ll go to my parents in my jeep. I don’t know if your car would make it all the way up the mountain or not.” Carolyn said, as they quickly walked to their vehicles. Tammy agreed and climbed into her car as Carolyn got in hers.

They took the back way, the same way Carolyn had come. Within 15 minutes they had parked Tammy’s car at Carolyn’s cottage and were on their way up the mountain again. They pulled into the Master’s driveway and Carolyn noticed that there were several more cars parked in the yard than what had been there before. Even Sheriff Noble’s car was there.

“Wow. Something big must be going down. I’ve never seen so many people at my parents’ house before. I wonder what’s going on?” Carolyn said as she pulled to a stop and put the jeep in park. “Wow, even Colin is here.” Her heart did its familiar little skip at the thought of seeing him.

Tammy grabbed her hand and said “I’m scared, Carolyn.”

Daniel Masters again came down off the porch and walked over to his daughter’s car. “What’s going on, dad? Why is everyone here?” Carolyn asked.

“We’ll explain everything in a minute, baby cakes. Hi, Tammy! So glad Carolyn got to you in time. Come on out. No one is going to hurt you.” Daniel Masters said, as he opened Carolyn’s door.

Carolyn looked over at Tammy and said “It’s OK. If my dad says no one is going to hurt you, then no one will. I wouldn’t have come and got you if I thought someone was going to hurt you.” Carolyn assured her friend with a squeeze on her friend’s trembling hand.

Tammy opened her door and stepped out. She inched towards the front of the jeep and waited for Carolyn to come around to her. They walked together through the crowd and most everyone smiled at her. Her aura was on full alert and glowing bright white. She couldn’t help it. She had never been around so many changelings before and it eased her fears.

Harvey Two Moons came forward as they neared the porch and smiled at her with his yellow teeth. He reached out and offered Tammy his hand, not as if to shake hands with her but with his palm held up. Tammy tentatively put her hand in his and Harvey’s smile grew wider.

Tammy’s aura seemed to expand and turned to a different shade of blue than she had ever seen before and at the same time, Harvey began to glow a pale blue as well.

“You are truly a pure, white witch. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone with such a pure aura. Welcome, daughter.” Harvey told her and squeezed her hand. Tammy smiled at him and felt at peace with him.

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