YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING - ch 1

YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING – chapter one

What are sisters for?

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“Chloe! I’m going to kill ya! I’ll be burnin’ yer arse to ashes, ya wicked witch!:”

Miranda, the girls’ mother came rushing in from the yard, “Claire, what’s all the yelling about? I heard you screeching all the way to the clothesline! And what’s with the Irish brogue. You only use that when you’re fuming about something.”

“Ma, that damn daughter of yours did it again!”

They turned as they heard Chloe giggle. “Oh, come on, sis, it was a harmless prank!”

Claire’s eyes widened in shock! “A harmless prank, you twit?” She turned to her mother, “Ma, I wanted to put the kettle on for tea and when I opened the faucet, instead of water coming out, I had a stream of small, smelly, wiggling fish! How the bloody, blue, blazes can I make tea with fish? That evil sister of mine ruined my day!”

Miranda tried to hide her smile but failed. “Oh, Claire. I can’t even imagine your shock.” She looked over Claire’s shoulder at her other daughter and said, “Chloe, unspell the faucet immediately! And, please, for the love of Mike, get rid of that smell. I won’t have my kitchen stinking like fish – alive or dead. Well, not unless I’m cooking it.”

Chloe lowered her head to hide her grin and said, “Yes, Ma’am.”

They heard her mumble:

“Faucet in the kitchen, eliminate the fish,

Rid us of the critters’ smell, that is our family’s wish.

Put things back the way they should be.

So I desire it; so mote it be.”

Miranda looked at Claire, “Happy now, my darling?”

Claire still didn’t look very happy but said, “Yes, ma, for now – until her next prank!”

Miranda looked at Claire’s twin and asked, “Chloe, why do you torture your sister so much?”

That’s what made Chloe laugh, “Ma, she just makes it so easy. She’s too quiet, refuses to use her powers unless absolutely necessary, and never expects anything but a peaceful day. I really wish, and ma, I mean this, I really wish she’d prank me now and then. At least then, I’d know she’s my twin! We shared the same womb, took our first breaths within minutes of each other, lived under the same roof for sixteen years now. We even look the same. We should be more alike and yet we’re just so opposite.”

Miranda leaned back against the kitchen counter, crossed one arm across her waist and the other, placed her fingers on her chin, as if deep in thought.

“Chloe, be careful what you wish for. It’s always the quiet ones you need to watch. Now, I’m going back out to finish hanging the laundry. Behave! Both of you.”

Claire plopped herself down on a kitchen chair and looked more forlorn than angry. Chloe instinctively knew something was wrong and put her arms around her sister’s shoulders. “Hon, I’ll make the tea – no pranks, I promise. Then you and I can talk, and you can tell me what’s really bothering you.”

As they sipped their tea, Chloe noticed her sister’s eyes begin to fill with unspilled tears. She placed her fingers on her sister’s hand. “Tell me. I may be your twin and a witch, but I’m not a mind-reader. What’s going on?”

Claire looked at her sister’s face and saw only kindness and love and the internal waterfall broke the dam. “Oh, Chloe,” she said in between sobs, “I’m powerless. I can’t do anything. My magic is gone! I’ve tried everything and there’s nothing there. I’m useless!

Chloe held her sister closer, close enough so Claire wouldn’t see the shock on her face. She didn’t know what to do or what to say, so she said the first thing that came to her mind, “Claire, we’ll figure this out. Does mam know?”

“No, I haven’t told her yet. I was still trying to figure out what happened and how to fix it.”

“Okay, let’s try this.” Chloe reached for the pad and pencil her mother kept on the kitchen counter and began to write.

“I’m writing this easy spell for you to read then say. I don’t want to say it aloud just in case my voice influences anything. Try it.”

It was a simple spell and Claire looked at her sister. “Chloe, this spell is for a child but then, I guess, that’s how I feel since I’ve lost everything.” “Try it,” Chloe encouraged.

Claire took a deep breath, looked at stove and said, “Wood in the stove, I look at thee. Ignite a flame. I want some tea. So I desire it; so mote it be.”

They waited. Nothing happened.

“Hmm,” Chloe said.

“Okay, Claire. I’m going to try something. Do you trust me?”

Claire chuckled a bit. “Yeah, I guess I do, pranks and all.”

Chloe grabbed her sister’s hands and realized, she felt no power.

“Claire, where have you been lately? You’ve met someone new. Who and where? Someone zapped your power!”

“Only the pub in the next town with Celia and we met a few travelers. Why would someone zap me?”

“I don’t know but I will find out. In the meantime, I’m going to try something. I can’t unspell another witch’s spell, but I can transfer some of my power to you. We’ll figure this out together. Ready?”

Claire smiled and said, “Yes, let’s do this!”

“Goddess of powers, please listen to me.

Transfer to my sister all that she needs.

So, I desire it; so mote it be.”

Claire felt a surge! She looked at the stove and repeated the simple spell and watched as the kindling took to flame.

She threw her arms around her sister and said, “Chloe, how can I ever thank you?”

Chloe smiled and said “We’ll figure it all out. We’ll find these travelers and get you back to normal. After all, what are sisters for?”