Maleficium

Just as the bell rang to announce the end of another day at Grimoire High, A girl lifted her head from her desk waking up from what seemed like a mid-class nap. The girl had waist-length black hair and astonishingly green eyes, her thick long hair was tied in a neat ponytail topped with a blue satin ribbon tied into a bow. She stood up from the last desk, walked to the very first one, and sat on its table, the girl sitting on it gave her an exasperated look. The girl on the seat was the exact opposite of the one on the table. Shy-looking, with blonde hair in a messy bun, and blue eyes, and was now looking at the girl sitting on her table with a mixture of fondness and disgust.

Amy Glimmers looked at her best friend of fourteen years with a grin. “You know you might as well say goodbye to the blackboard since you won’t be seeing it for five whole months, poor thing, it'll be crying itself to sleep the whole summer without its biggest admirer”. “Oh, Shut up” replied Penelope Moon rolling her eyes, she too got up and the two friends made their way to the school gate. On their way, Penelope spotting someone tapped her friend on her shoulder and teased “There’s someone you ought to say your goodbyes to” pointing to a boy with round glasses and an armload of books. Noticing them, Liam Brooke smiled bashfully at Amy who blushed and could hardly wave back hurried to the gate pulling a giggling Penelope behind her. “Aww… that’s isn’t a proper goodbye, they normally have words you know” continued Penelope in her teasing voice. “Stop it, Penny, that isn’t funny,” she said blushing profusely and glaring at her friend who was now shaking with laughter. “Man… you take the phrase “Chicken-coward” to a whole new level,” said Penny still unable to control her laughter. “That’s not what that phrase means and you know it!” said Amy now shaking with age as Penny was with laughter. “All right then use another phrase you already know what I mean”.

As the two continued fighting to the gate neither of them noticed a figure emerge from behind a tree and pounce on Amy. As the figure roughly started pulling her hair, Penny barely managed to pull it off before it did any serious damage. “You freak! Do you honestly have nothing else to do? “Shouted Amy her rage now directed at her brother. “Humph! You could be a little nicer, you're only a year older and you act like you're decades older” replied Alexander Glimmers, Amy’s younger brother, “ besides, you need to hurry up mom’s waiting at the gate its Friday remember, you don’t want to keep gramma waiting”. As Amy attempted to scratch his face he sprinted to the gate sticking his tongue out at them. “Penny, you don’t have to go easy on him just because he’s my brother next time he pulls something like this, no need to pull him off gently, give him a full slap on his face, that’ll teach him. “Still, I wonder how he manages to sneak up on us like that I nearly had a heart attack,” said Penny clutching her chest and leaning against the tree that that the phantom brother had emerged from not so long ago. They spent the rest of the walk in silence.

“Amy! Over here!” she waved to her mother and said goodbye to Penny and made her way to the car. “I’ll pick you up from grammas place at 8, Is that all right with you kids?” “Yes Mom, that’s all right,” said the siblings in unison. Every Friday their mom would drop them off at their grandma's house to help her with the housework. They didn’t mind it too much as the housework wasn’t too hard and they always had a scrumptious feast afterward to make up for it. Her grandma made the best foods which only a grandma could make.

As they arrived at their grandmother's house, Alex ran to the door and started banging on it with both fists. “Oh Alex…….,” Her mom sighed,” How mom handles you two is a mystery.” “There’s no mystery mom…. She just knows how to cook,” Said Amy, and then ducked as her mom tried to hit her with her purse. “Chill I’m just kidding!” giggled Amy. Mom was just about to say something when the door opened and her gamma’s beaming face greeted them. After basic greetings, Amy and Alex followed their grandmother inside as their mom went back to the car as she had to go to the office.

As they followed her into the house Amy noticed that something was odd the house was oddly humid and she soon found the reason. The kitchen was practically filled with potted plants. Her mouth dropped open they were FLOWERING plants. She looked at her grandmother lost for words when suddenly Alex said exactly what Amy thought, “What’s with all the plants?” Their Grandmother turned around and said, “Just a new hobby dear, they're quite lovely aren’t they?” She was about to leave the kitchen when Amy asked her “Where are you off to?” “Just to get plates” her grandmother answered. “Aren’t they in the cupboard?” Amy said confused. “I was thinking that we could use the crystal ones,” she said dismissively and left the kitchen.

“What the actual heck?” Amy said feeling more confused than she had been in today’s double chemistry and that was saying something because boy she was NOT passing that class. “Yeah…. She never uses her crystal dishes.” “That and the fact that she’s allergic to pollen what’s with all the flowers!” said Amy. “What does pollen have to do with anything?” He asked. “Flowers have pollen!” Amy hissed “Gramma should be sneezing all over the place considering the garden she’s got here.” “Maybe she grew out of her allergy?” Alex offered “That happens” “At seventy?” Said Amy scathingly.

At that moment her gramma came back and if either of them thought of interrogating her they thought better of it. Her grandma served them their favorite curry. Alex quickly sat down and picked up his spoon. “Wait,” said Amy as they both looked at her puzzled “Gramma could you get us some salt you know you always add less.” She said with an innocent voice. “Alex stared at her bewildered while their grandma said, “Of course, Honey.” And went out. Amy walked up to the kitchen drawer and taking the only salt shaker in the house, put it on the table and then did something so instinctively that she had no idea what she did until she did it.

“Something is dead wrong.” She said, grimly looking at the newly withered house plant and the two freshly emptied bowls of curry in her hand.