Tea

Performing a spell can be as simple as stirring your drink in the morning. It’s about intention. Focus on a singular goal and an action. Anyone can unwittingly do it. Especially children who become a little too curious. Alex was around 11 when he did his first spell. It was water based. He found it on the internet. The spell was to wet your hands in cold water and hold it there.

He looked in the water and stared as he muttered the words repeatedly. He couldn’t remember the words now. Something about the mist or fog. He knew the spells effect though. It was a small scale cloak of invisibility. As a kid he brushed it off as not working. He went to school and let it go.

But when he was reading one day his mother shut the lights of his room off despite him sitting right in front of her. She apologized profusely. Only getting a laugh out of Alex.

Alex found when he was quiet and his head was ducked down the spell made him nothing more than a blur of space. He could sneak up on others. Hide in plain sight.

So now when he was stirring his tea full of intention. In the noisy cafe full of people. Some random person sat down across from him. Nearly kicking the table when the noticed the person across from them.

“Gods, Sorry I didn’t see you there,”

“No no It’s fine,”

“Was that a spell?”

“Mhm,”

“Why would you use a cloaking spell in a cafe?”

“It’s unconscious,”

“Oh, hmmm” the person hummed,their hair was up. Sunglasses still on their face despite it being a grim day outside. Brinks of raindrops sat on the lenses. As they took a sip of their tea. Their dark skin was pricked with what looked like freckles. Something felt off. Alex looked around the rest of the cafe and noticed people were staring. A couple at another table whispered to each other in harsh tones. The other person seemed to know this already. By the way he apologized for it.

“I wouldn’t have sat here if I thought I was going to be an annoyance,”

“No-no your fine, I actually enjoy the company, I-Uh? Who are you exactly?” The man laughed as if that were some sort of silly question.

“I am the Omen,” He smiled ear to ear. Bringing his glasses down Alex could see the pale pearl-like eyes that everyone talked about. Pink X like scars crossed on his eyelids and upper cheek. It was a staple of his immortality. A remnant of his death.

“Fuck-ing shit, I am so sorry,” Alex blurted out almost stumbling out of his chair.

“Why are you apologizing, I literally just apologized to you?” The Omen mirrored Alex as he got up stumbling. Deciding whether or not to run away. The Omen had spoken a little too loudly, and Alex was hyper aware of the hundreds of eyes that fell upon him.

“Is he going to die?” A woman whispered into her friend's ear as she clutched her coffee cup close. Staring directly at Alex. He stared back at her before darting his eyes back to the man in front of him,

“Hey relax,” The Omen said softer, “Nothing bad is going to happen,” But Alex's thoughts were already swimming with the worst case scenario. There are many people who are superstitious when it comes to coming in contact with an Omen. Some believe the longer you stand around one the more likely something bad will happen to you because they will foresee it. Between the people staring and the way the Omen looked at him, like a lost puppy with no tag. Alex wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He picked up his coffee and stiffly made his way to the door without a word. Ignoring the protests of the immortal behind him. He shut the door and made his way onto the street. Ducking his head down to look at the cracks in the cement.

The door of the front of the coffee shop rang a second time, Alex turned to see the Omen running to catch up to him, Alex hissed a curse under his breath, his stupid childhood spell wasn’t working.

“Wait-“ The immortal called out the long sweater he was wearing trailing behind him. “Please stop, I promise I don’t have bad news,”

Alex didn’t care, he broke out into a sprint down the street as the Omen chased after him. Hands still waving around frantically before finally giving up on convincing Alex to stop. The trampling echo of the immortal footsteps stopped with the sound of a snap followed by a heavy thud directly behind Alex. The immortal closer now grabbed Alex by the collar. The force of the abrupt stop led Alex to fall back into the Omens arms.

“Sorry bout that,” The being laughed before reaching into their pocket to take out keys. “You left your keys on the table,” He smiled, forcing the keys into the palm of Alex’s hand.

“My keys,”

“Yeah,” he nodded, Alex burst out laughing on the ground. Tears formed under his eyes as he looked up at the hopeless looking immortal who just seemed to shrug. A smile still on his face.