Evil Reborn - Fanfic

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by Stacey July 2003

Natalie came from a long line of witches. Her entire matriarchal lineage had practiced the craft for as long as she could remember. Her mother was one of the best clairvoyants in existence. However, it was never something Natalie had ever been interested in exploring. She tolerated her mother's lessons but the older she got, the less involved she became. Her mother let her child go her own way, always thinking the magic would eventually awaken and evolve. It never did. Natalie wanted nothing more than to be a normal child. Growing up wasn't easy, the other children would find out about her mom and tease her about it. When she was in public with her mother, she noticed nobody would go near them, most wouldn't even look at them. Some laughed and pointed, others just shook their head. Natalie's mother would just ignore them, mumbling something about misunderstanding and ignorance. When Natalie finally did make friends, they were few and not very close. Mostly because of concerns of parents, they did not want to have their children exposed to that kind of atmosphere. Natalie learned to cope with her mother's differences and how to get around them. Her teen years were pretty normal. She learned that if she didn't expose her friends to her mom, and she kept her friends longer. Of course, being embarrassed of your parents was the one normal thing she shared with her peers. She participated in sports and in the choir. She convinced her mother if she could be like the other moms she could watch. Natalie graduated from high school as valedictorian and went on to college with a full scholarship. She went to the state college which meant moving away, but that did not keep her from keeping close relations to her mother. During her years away her mother visited often and Natalie was always taking weekends off to go home. During Natalie's senior year her mother fell ill. Cancer had taken over and it was not operational. Natalie left college without even a second thought to go home and care for her mother. Due to the circumstance the college held her place and her scholarship. Almost a year passed before the cancer took mother away. Natalie took care of her mother's wishes and stayed long enough to pack everything away. Her mother had an ancient Celtic funeral, it was the least Natalie could do, she knew it would probably be the last time there were any magic in her life. Natalie's family stayed to help clear out her mother's things but when it came time to get rid of everything she couldn't bring herself to do it. Something inside her wasn't ready to give it all up yet. So everything was left as it had always been, and Natalie went back to school. After receiving her bachelor's degree in business a year later, she decided she should go home.

Her homecoming was both joyous and melancholy. Her friends and family welcomed her home, but it had been the first time she had been home since her mother had passed on. The house felt crowded with memories and yet, so empty because she was the only one there. Natalie decided the house was long overdue for cleaning and decorating, it like she, needed a lift. It took weeks to clean and prep the house, her friend Carla often came over to help. It gave them time to catch up on each other's lives and the house slowly began to feel like home once more. In the following weeks she redecorated every room in the house, all except her mother's room, she felt it should stay just as it had always been. Partly because she wasn't ready to let go and because she had already spent a large sum of her inheritance during the house renovations. She had plans for the rest of her finances, something she had decided on before she had left for college. She had spent most of her life in the small town and after being there for so long it got rather boring. She had always noticed that outside of the few fast-food places and the one mom and pop cafe and the movie theatre, there was nothing to do. The people really had nowhere to go to sit and chat or listen to music, if they wanted they could go to the nearby city, but it was always a hassle for the teens, most didn't have a car or their parents wouldn't let them go. So Natalie had decided she would open a coffee shop, but not just a place to sit and sip coffee, but where you could gather and socialize. She had made plans to have a book club and a teen night. A small outdoor stage where one could express themselves creatively. Tables that were also gameboards, and comfy couches to sit and enjoy the atmosphere. After reestablishing her homelife and her place in the community, she set out on the task of finding the perfect place for her shop. She found a great location near the mainstreet of town, the building had large windows and a small courtyard just to the side of the building. She negotiated with the current owner for only hours before agreeing on a sound lease agreement. After handing over a deposit, she now had to start searching for everything she needed for her little shop. That was more of a chore, she had to go into the city to locate everything she needed. It took some time to receive zoning permits and food handling permits and all the legal stuff that came along with the new venture. Meanwhile she had builders and decorators and suppliers bidding for her orders. At times it seemed quite chaotic, but within two months, it was complete. She was ready for the grand opening of her shop, which she decided to call the Java Shack. She was sure it was going to be a hit, which was good because her savings was beginning to become sparse. Before she announced the opening of her new shop, her aunts insisted that they come and cleanse and bless the area. Natalie saw no harm in it, she thought it was senseless but obliged nonetheless. It gave her an opportunity to see her family. After all was done, opening day finally came. It was indeed a good day, her friend Carla had become her first employee, well more like partner, they shared the duties. After the first day they decided maybe they should hire at least one more person.

Natalie spent most of her time at the Java Shack or "the shack" as it became to be called. She and Carla were spending a rainy afternoon cleaning and dusting and talking. "So now that you are settled in, now what?" Carla asked. "Well I'm very happy with things the way they are. I have everything I've always wanted and great friends to share it with. What else is there?" Natalie knew what was coming up next, Carla was a firm believer in marriage and children, she had both and was a stay at home mom until she started working with Natalie. "Well, don't you even think of finding someone special?" Natalie laughed, "I have you don't I? Now really, do you think there is anyone in this town who would want to date me? After all, I had a witch for a mother. My past isn't exactly a secret around here. Besides, the prospects around here aren't all that great. I mean you got lucky, you married the best guy in our graduating class and you and he are wonderful together, but other than that, not much choice around here. Besides, I tried dating and I even had a boyfriend in college but he started talking about marriage and moving to New York where he was to work in his dad's law firm, but I didn't want that. I hate big cities and I am not getting married anytime soon." Carla persisted, "Yeah, but what about the basic needs, women have desires just like men, You do have desires don't you?" Natalie laughed, "Well yes, but the problem there is once you have sex with a man, he thinks he owns you. Like he's marking territory or something, and I don't think any of these locals are into casual relations. Homegrown boys like traditional relationships. Let's face it, it will be some time before I find what I'm looking for. But when I do, you'll be the first to know." The two of them finished cleaning and prepared to get the evening crowd. After the rain stopped it picked up and the evening flew by and before either of them noticed, it was closing time.

The night had turned out to be cool and comfortable and the rain gave the evening air a sweet smell. The clouds had cleared and moon lit the streets. The waxing moom mother would have called it, perfect for magical events. Natalie remembered how her mother would busy herself with all sorts of spiritual matters and rituals on nights like this one. How she always seemed to radiate with energy. She would even assist sometimes when it suited her, there was a certain tranquility that would be achieved by the simple tasks of lighting candles and incense. The chanting would reverberate within the room, mother's voice possessed a pureness to it, like a bird almost. The magic her mother created within the house was similar to the sort of awe you felt when entering a large cathedral, Warm, safe and pure sanctity. Once she was home she put away her things and busied herself with house chores. Her new kitten was demanding to be fed, he was always demanding to be fed it seemed. She checked the doors and secured them, and went upstairs. She wasn't really tired, but not in the mood for television. She had already finished the mystery novel she picked up last week from the library, so she spent several minutes pacing the house in search for something to do. She passed her mother's room several times, finally she stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath and went in. The room was cluttered with boxes but otherwise was just as it had been before her mother had gone. She sat down on the bed and closed her eyes. The room had the faint smell of dust but mostly had been scented by the herbs and incense that sat in boxes around the room. She began to sift through boxes and books and found a large volume on hereditary witchcraft. Her mother always said she had the gift, Natalie never fully understood what the gift was let alone know if she had it. She decided to make herself comfortable on the bed and began to read. She found the book interesting from a historical as well as theological point of view. The further into the book she got, she began to recognize names of relatives and people from her childhood, even her own mother. Natalie had never put much thought into her family ancestry or heritage but this book was sparking her interest. She read until her mind exhausted into a deep sleep.

Natalie found herself walking through the woods, the trees were a myriad of colors and leaves were falling all around her. There was a clearing and a man stood there holding out his hand to her. He was so beautiful she thought. He called to her, a whisper in her mind. She took his hand, he embraced her, they danced. The scent of musk and leather engulfed her, making her feel drunk. He twirled her around the clearing, circling a large stone. He lay her on the stone. Out of the sky fell rose petals of red and pink, they landed softly all around and on her. The handsome man kissed her, it was exquisite. Then voices on the wind, whispering through the trees, they seemed to say to get away. They grew louder as the wind picked up, telling her to run away, she was confused. Natalie tried to sit up on the rock, but was bound by some invisible force, she couldn't move. The man with his blue eyes continued to circle her, dropping rose petals but as each one touched her body they turned to blood. The voices, women's voices screaming now at her over and over, until she sat up in the bed covered in sweat. It was a dream, a strange and wicked dream. She looked at her watch, it was four in the morning. She got out of bed and picked the book she had been reading up off of the floor. She left the room and closed the door behind her. She decided she needed a drink and went downstairs. As she approached the kitchen , she could hear scratching noises from within.

She quietly crept to the kitchen sink the scratching coming from the cabinet underneath. Just as she put her hand down to open the door, the kitten jumped out from inside and ran past her in a frenzy. "Stupid Cat!" She yelled. She ran the water until it was cool and filled a glass, as she drank from the cup she glanced out the window in her back yard. She nearly choked and dropped the glass. There was the man in her dream! She immediately turned to the back door and grabbed a baseball bat she kept behind the fridge.

She stepped outside, but to her relief there was no one there. "I must be letting my imagination get to me." She said to herself. She reentered the house, and locked the back door. But just in case her imagination tried to break in the house, she took the bat with her to bed.

Three women sit around a kitchen table, drinking tea... "You know she is the one. He will come for her." A young woman holding a child replies, "We don't know for sure if he will come for her. He was destroyed with the Diana Blade, he can't come back, that's what you said." The other woman spoke up once more, "Yes, only if the body was properly disposed of, then he is incapable of returning. But according to what mother said, it wasn't done. He may very well come back. And you know dear sister, what this means." The young mother looked very worried now, the welfare of her child's destiny was at stake. "Yes I know, but if we protect her and teach her everything we can so that she can protect herself when she matures, then we can defeat him. Can't we?" The eldest sister spoke up this time, "He is a cunning, manipulative and powerful warlock, he is also charming and smart and will know how to break down her defenses. He will try to use her womanhood against her, he will do anything to have her, and once he plants his seed then there will be nothing we can do to stop him." The young mother spoke up once more, "Then we will have to do what ever it takes to keep her safe my sisters. As long as I live he will not have my daughter."

(Flash forward, present day) Natalie opened the doors to the shop and let the warm summer breeze drift through the room. The scents of dahlias and roses intertwined with the heady scent of fresh coffees. She turned up the stereo system so that the music could be heard from the sidewalk, and danced as she began to prepare sandwiches and cookies for the day ahead. Carla arrived a short time later, she put her apron on said good morning and joined Natalie in her lunchtime serenade. Customers drifted in one by one, and within the hour the entire outdoor area was full with patrons. One of the local high school boys arrived with a guitar and sat outside on the stage playing a nameless tune. It was a good day, Natalie thought to herself. Just as she decided to serve herself a chilled mocha a gentleman came in and asked if he could put a poster or two up for the summer festival. She agreed and went out front to help him find a feasible spot on the windows. As she squinted through the sun she noticed a man walking up the street. She nearly dropped the poster when she realized he looked just like the man she had seen the night before. "No way, it can't be." The man with the poster questioned her remark and Natalie replied with "Never mind" and instructed him to continue to hang his posters and went inside. She grabbed Carla by the arm and took her to the back. "Hey! What is wrong with you?" Carla rubbed her arm in mock pain, "You OK?" Natalie went on to explain the extremely strange erotic dream and the man in the back yard and how he was coming up the street. Carla raised an eyebrow at her, "I think you're libido is trying to tell you something, but I'll go look. Just because I'm curious as to this man, If your dreams are manifesting, I would like to see what your idea of a dream date would be." She laughed and went back out front and put her head out the front door, just as Natalie had said there he was. It looked like he was headed straight for the Shack. "He's coming this way, act normal." Carla laughed at the comment and went back to picking up tables.

Natalie stood behind the counter and pretended to be busy, she anxiously waited to see if he were in fact coming in. The very handsome gentleman did indeed present himself on the doorstep of the coffee shop. He stood for a moment and looked in, but did not enter, instead he walked over to the gazebo area near the stage and sat down. Carla looked over at Natalie, and went out to take his order. She came back and grabbed a bottle of water, "He ordered water. Why would you come to a coffee shop and order water?" Natalie went about her chores and tried her best to ignore him and her thoughts about him. She found herself watching him, and she kept thinking how sexy he was. She watched Carla talking to him for several minutes. After that he just sat and watched the young man on stage play his music and drank the water slowly. Carla finally came back in. "Here he gave me this. He wants to speak with you. I told him you were busy, but he insisted on leaving you his card." Natalie questioned her, "Why didn't he just come in and speak to me himself? Did he say why he wanted to talk to me?" Carla replied, "I asked him the same thing, he seemed uncomfortable about coming in, said something about not wanting to interrupt you while you work. As for his reason for your company, he said he's writing a book. A historical representation of Pagan and Wiccan family heritage. He seems to think you can answer some of his questions. So, are you going to call him?" Natalie put the card in her pocket, "I don't know."

Later that evening, Natalie sat on her sofa flipping the card over and over in her fingertips. She kept wondering what this man was all about. She stared at his name, Philip Covington IV: Historian. She picked up the phone and called the number, but there was no answer. She left a message for him but that was all. She decided to take her mind off of the events by watching television. Eventually she drifted off to sleep. Her dreams were erratic and meaningless mostly. She woke up around midnight and moved to her bedroom. She immediately fell back to sleep. Her dream revealed an elaborately decorated room full of draperies and wall hangings. The floor was covered in pillows. She lay among them staring up at a ceiling that had been painted to imitate the night sky. She rolled onto her side and to her surprise, there was Phillip. His blonde hair cascaded over his shoulder and onto his bare chest. His eyes held her still, she felt entranced as his blue eyes gazed into hers. His voice penetrated her mind, "You are mine, you will always belong to me." He kissed her slowly at first, then it became a firm cruel kiss. He held her down, as much as she struggled she couldn't move. The kiss began to coax the breath out of her body, he was suffocating her. She felt life being extinguished within her. The more she fought against him, the stronger he held her. Then all at once, the women's voices she had heard before once more found their way into her head telling her once more to get away. She woke up and found that she was entangled in her blanket and kicked it off. Just as she sat up the phone rang. She nearly jumped out of her skin before she realized it and snatched it off the night stand "What?!" she was clearly shaken up. "Natalie, it's me, Aunt Veronica. I know it's late dear, but I just had to check on you. Are you OK?" Natalie told her everything was fine and asked her why this call couldn't wait until a more suitable hour. "Well, I know you don't believe this but, I had this dream. You were with a man he was well, trying to kill you. It was so vivid, I just had to call." Natalie sat up, "What did the man look like Aunt V ?" Her aunt tried to dismiss the whole thing, "It doesn't matter, it was only a dream after all and your OK. It was just my imagination I guess." Natalie asked again and her aunt described the man, Phillip Covington. Natalie then went into detail about the events of the last few days including the dreams she had. Aunt Veronica was stunned into silence for a moment the replied, "He's come back, oh dear Goddess save her, he's come for you." Aunt Veronica then decided that she would be coming to see Natalie and she would be bringing her other aunts along. At the end of the phone call Veronica demanded that Natalie stay away from this Phillip Covington. Natalie was now confused and a bit worried. She usually didn't buy into the witchery and other things that her mother and aunts did, but this was becoming real. Well since she was awake now and the sun was rising anyway she decided to get up and go the shop. She could at least get caught up on her accounting and other paperwork before opening.

She sat in the solitude of her office sipping tea and droning over her monthly bills. Thoughts of Phillip distracted her. Now with her Aunts coming to visit she just knew something odd was going on. She could shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Phillip sat in the confines of a dimly lit room. The curtains were drawn and candles were strewn about the room. The light flickered about and danced eerily on the walls, almost as though the light was writhing in pain, struggling against the darkness. He sat staring into a large mirror, eyes only partially open as if he were in a sort of daze. Slowly a demonic image came into view. "Have you captured the girl yet?" Phillip seemed a bit nervous, "N..no, she is surrounded by powerful white light, I cannot get close enough to her. There are magical boundaries all around the house and her establishment. It is difficult to seduce her when I cannot get anywhere near her except in her dreams." The spirit was enraged, "Maybe you don't comprehend the urgency of the situation. I can only manifest on this earth for a few more days and you are wasting them! Find a way to break the spells, I thought you were more powerful than any measly witch."

Phillip tried to defend himself, "Please my Lord, I will try harder, I will capture her. she will be ours. By the full moon I will make her mine and I promise, she will bleed for you." The spirit answered back, "Then do it quickly, or it will be you who bleeds." The image disappeared and Phillip was left to try once more to capture Natalie's attention.

He arrived at the shack a short time later and by luck Natalie was outside putting down chairs and, she was alone. "Hello." Phillip was standing directly behind her and she jumped at the sound of the stranger's voice in her ear. She turned to face him, not quite sure what to say. "I'm sorry, I'm not open yet." She knew who he was but feigned ignorance. He stepped back slightly and she maneuvered past him and continued her work. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I guess you don't remember, I was here yesterday." She put down the last chair and began to open table umbrellas. "Oh yes, you gave my associate your card. Mr. Covington isn't it? What is it I can do for you?" Phillip sat at one of the tables, "Well, I am doing research for my book and I have found that my search has lead me to your little town, and to you. I'm doing a historical study of famous witches. Your mother was quite renowned in several wicca circles for her clairvoyant abilities. I've come to get her story, that is with your permission, of course." Natalie sat down across from him. "Well it was never any secret about my mother's activities. I never really participated in that lifestyle myself, but she kept many journals throughout her life, I could show them to you. Perhaps you could find what you need in them." She couldn't believe what she had just said. She didn't know this man, and wasn't sure about trusting him, and she was going to let him just nose around in mother's personal things. Natalie could've pinched herself just then for her carelessness, how could she fall for such charm, she thought to herself. He smiled at her, "That would definitely be helpful." She explained that she would be at the Java Shack all day but perhaps he could come to dinner and she would let him see some of her mother's books then. Phillip seemed quite surprised at her invitation and readily excepted. He then said something about going to the library and town hall for more information and excused himself. As he walked away, Carla came in. "What is he doing here so early?" She asked with a coy grin. Natalie rolled her eyes at Carla, "He's just conducting research, for his book. Nothing more. He's coming to dinner and to look at some of mother's old journals." Carla's interest peaked and was now a bit concerning, "Do you think that's a good idea? I mean you hardly know him, and I thought those books were sacred or something." Natalie replied, "I don't know what I was thinking, before I realized what I was saying it just came out. It's too late to change my mind. Besides, it's just dinner and I'm not going to let him see anything mother wouldn't want him to see. Oh, and my Aunts are going to be there, they are coming to visit and should be here today sometime. They too are concerned about this Mr. Covington and want to check him out. No better opportunity than dinner tonight." Carla smirked, "Very clever. But still, be careful, guys like him aren't to be trusted." Natalie was curious, "Guys like him? What do you mean?" Carla snickered, "You know what I mean, those blue eyes, that sexy smile. Very charming isn't he, oh and that accent, you can't tell me he doesn't make you melt." Natalie told Carla she had nothing to worry about and then told her to go in and start making coffee. Carla mocked a pout and muttered something about Natalie being a slave driver then laughed and walked away.

That evening Natalie went home early and prepared dinner and cleaned the house. It was the first time she had visitors to the house since her mother's passing. She kept thinking about Phillip, his eyes were so beautiful she thought. Something that entranced her every time he looked at her. She couldn't get over his accent either, it made him sound suave and so attractive. She went upstairs and changed into a blue sun dress It was light and airy, just right for the balmy evening. She chose to wear a small choker made from lace and pinned up her hair. As she stood in front of the mirror checking her image, the cat came in mewing and wrapped himself around her feet in a figure eight motion around her feet. He continued this and became more demanding in his tone of voice until she answered his yowls. "all right, I'll feed you already, just hush!" She returned downstairs with the cat at her heels. She opened a can of food for the now loving and content feline that pranced at her feet. Just as she was serving the pet there was a knock at the door. Thinking that it was her aunts arriving she dropped the dish to the floor and jogged to the front door. Natalie flung open the door and almost hugged her visitors before realizing it was Phillip. She stepped back realizing her mistake, "I'm sorry I thought you were my aunts at the door. They are supposed to be here by now." Phillip replied, "I hope I'm not too much of a disappointment. I brought this for dinner, I hope you like Merlot." Still standing in the doorway she accepted the bottle and welcomed him into the house. She led him into the living room and offered him a seat. "I'll go and get glasses, please make yourself comfortable." She disappeared for a few minutes and returned with two full glasses of the wine. She sat across from him, "So Mr. Covington, why the history project on such an unusual subject?" Phillip sipped from the glass and quickly flicked his tongue to catch a small drop of drink from the corner of his mouth. "Well, first all of the normal historical accounts throughout civilization have been done and redone. Who wants to see yet another recount of the Titanic or the Battle of Gettysburg? I wanted to do something a little more exciting, more taboo. You can't get much more risqué than witchcraft. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have personal interest, I have always found mystic religions fascinating. I enjoy the idea of a deity taking an active part in the lives of it's followers, don't you?" Natalie tilted her head toward him with one eyebrow arched, "I'm not sure if I believe in such things. Unless there were proof. I'm a facts and science kind of girl. I mean any nut case can walk up and introduce themselves as God, now commit some kind of "Godlike" miracle right in front of me, then I might change my mind." He laughed slightly, " I see your point, but what about your mother? She was quite the medium from what I hear." Natalie retorted, "My mother was just very good at intuition, she also knew most of the people she saw for years. Knowledge and gossip go a long way in a small town like this, it wasn't hard to see into things around here. As for any supernatural powers that my mother exhibited, well that's for you to decide isn't it?" Just then the oven timer went off, "Oh, dinner is ready, excuse me." Natalie rose to go to the kitchen and Phillip got up as well, "I'd love to help you." She insisted she could get it herself and disappeared down the hall. She was pulling the pan from the oven and was realizing it was dark and her aunts had not arrived yet. She was beginning to worry. She turned to place the dish on the counter and there was Phillip, he was standing so close that it startled her. "Please, I insist on helping out in some way." She served the diner onto a large tray and handed it to him, "Well then you may take this to the dining room. I'll grab the rest." They made their way to the dining room, and Natalie served dinner. Just as she sat down the phone rang. "Excuse me, that could be my Aunt Veronica, I have to answer it." She went into the hall and picked up the phone, it was indeed her Aunt. She informed Natalie the car had broke down and she would not be arriving until tomorrow. Natalie in turn told her aunt that Mr. Covington was having dinner with her and what his intent was. "I thought you were going to be here, I didn't think I'd be here alone with him." Her aunt seemed truly concerned, "Natalie dear, please you must get him out of the house, I'm sure he means to harm you. I don't know why I know this, but I just do." Natalie protested saying she couldn't just shoo him out of the house and reassured her aunt that everything would be fine and that she would be careful.

After dinner, they returned to the living room and finished off the bottle of wine. Natalie went through several books with Phillip answering his questions to the best of her abilities. "I'm afraid I can't tell you much. My mother always wanted me to learn the ancient ways, but I just never had the desire. I was never interested in any religion really. I've always had other things on my mind." Phillip probed further and she explained that she was always more focused on school and trying to be normal rather than developing any "magical" abilities she may possess. She went on to tell him how her childhood was somewhat trying because of her mother's beliefs so she was defiant about witchcraft altogether. Phillip responded, "Ahh, so you don't believe in the power at all then?" She replied, "Well, my mother was uniquely talented, as were my aunts. At times it did seem as if there were other higher powers at work. I can't say I don't believe, I just never participated that's all." Natalie stood up only to stumble a little. "The wine has seemed to have affected my equilibrium." She laughed at herself and began collecting the books. Phillip joined her in collecting the collage of journals and books. "Lead the way, I'll help you get these put away." She led him upstairs and stopped at her mother's door. "Nobody is allowed in here, I'll take them in, you wait here." She opened the door and took her books in and then collected the stack he had in his arms and disappeared into the room. Phillip caught glimpses fo the area but felt a great force around the door and stepped back into the hall. She came back out and shut the door. They stood face to face in the narrow hall, Phillip leaned in but Natalie averted his gaze. "I should probably see you to the door, I must rest, I have an early day tomorrow." Phillip smiled, "I can see you to bed and let myself out, it's OK really." She snickered at him, "Oh no, I don't think that's a good idea. My Aunties said I shouldn't trust you. Never trust a man that manifests from a dream. That's what they said." She held out her hand to gesture him down the stairs and he obeyed. She followed him to the door, she went to reach for the handle but he took her hand and was now standing only inches from her. "You dream of me?" She laughed, "You were there, you should know." He looked into her eyes and whispered, "I thought you didn't believe in that sort of thing." She tried to reply but before the words could escape, he kissed her. It was long and slow, a deliberate and methodical kiss. She closed her eyes and let it fill her body with dizzying lusty sensation. She pulled back slowly and opened her eyes, "I..I can't let this happen. You really need to go." He caressed the skin at the base of her neck, "You're right, not tonight, but soon." He walked into the night and she closed and locked the door.

That night she lay in bed replaying the night in her head. She couldn't find anything strange about him. Nothing that seemed dangerous. When were her aunts so concerned about him? She would find out soon enough, as they would be arriving tomorrow. She rolled onto her side and fell into sleep, unaware of the figure levitating outside her bedroom window.

It was a sweet dream that night, at least it started out to be. She was making love to Phillip. It was a whirl of ecstasy as she lay beneath him. Then within a moment the scenery changed and she found herself pinned under the weight of her dream lover. He was wielding a knife, slowly he began cutting her just at the wrists that were now bound by an invisible tie. She tried to move, but couldn't manage it. She seemed to be paralyzed by his now icy gaze. She could feel her blood draining away, it seemed to be spilling into a metal chalice of some sort. She could hear the metallic ping behind her head. Phillip continued to murmur sweet accolades as if he had done nothing. He kissed her gently and moved away from her. He produced a large silver goblet which contained her very essence. He smiled a wicked grin, "Forever begins now."

Phillip sat once more in front of the mirror and the gruesome image appeared before him. "Well, what have you to say to me?" Phillip swallowed and cleared his throat, "She has partaken of the elixir my lord, we both have. By tomorrow night you will be able to take human form. Then once more you and I will reign over the mortal realm." The figure made no expression but replied just the same, "Very well done, you will have your reward." The image disappeared and Phillip lay down on his bed, smirking at the ceiling feeling content with himself.

Natalie woke the next morning to the alarm blaring in her ear. She sat up and slammed the button on top of the clock to cease the irritating whine it was emitting. She trod downstairs and began a pot of coffee and went to get the paper off the porch. When she opened the door she was surprised to find Carla there, just about to ring the bell. "What are you doing here so early?" She bent down and grabbed her paper. "I accidentally locked my keys in the safe lastnight and I was coming to ask for yours. Also, I just couldn't wait to hear what happened with Mr. Covington lastnight." Natalie squinted at her, "You just don't know when to quit do you? Come on in, I'll have to find my keys." They both went into the house and Natalie searched for the shop keys. Carla was in the kitchen and had helped herself to a cup of coffee. "So how did it go? What did your Aunties do with him?" Natalie took the coffee from Carla and handed her the keys. She sipped at the beverage then replied, "My aunts did nothing, they weren't here. The car broke down and they called lastnight to tell me they wouldn't arrive until today." This caused Carla to grin from ear to ear, much like a mischievous pixie. "So you were alone with him, interesting, please go on." Natalie retorted, "What's to tell, we had dinner and then we sat in the living room going through books all night. We finished off a bottle of wine he had brought. He helped me take the books upstairs, where we had a close encounter. He offered to put me to bed, but refused. I saw him to the door and..., " She turned away to refill her cup and Carla grabbed Natalie's robe. "And what?!" "He kissed me." Carla stood there with that grin on her face. "Oh really Carla, get over it." Carla protested, "Gimme a break, I'm married and have three kids, the only excitement I get anymore is when I find 2 for 1 coupons in the Sunday paper." Natalie laughed, "All right, all right, but only because you're my friend." Natalie went on to explain the details of the kiss, and how she insisted that Phillip leave. She also told her what he had said about "Not yet...". Carla raised an eyebrow, "How peculiar, wonder what it meant?" Natalie was curious as well but blew it off, "He's probably just trying to charm me into bed, before he leaves town, I mean." Natalie asked Carla to run the shop while she stayed home to await the arrival of her Aunts. Carla was agreed and left. Natalie went upstairs to clean up. No sooner than she was dressed she heard the bustling of her relatives downstairs. "Aunt Cecilia, Aunt Violet, is that you?" She yelled down the stairs as she hurriedly put on her shoes. "Yes, Nattie honey!" She ran down stairs and greeted them in the living room. "You know, aunt Vi, you don't have to call me that. I am a grown woman now." Her aunt laughed, "You will always be my little Nattie, no matter how old you are." The ladies settled into their rooms then they went to the dining room where Natalie had prepared a small brunch style meal and a large pot of coffee.

It was aunt Cecilia who spoke up first. "Now tell us about this man, Mr. Covington." Natalie told them all she knew, and about her date with him last night. Her Aunts looked at one another then at Natalie with great concern. Then one said to the other, "It's already begun." Natalie was a bit confused and was beginning to feel as though she should be concerned for her safety. "I don't understand, why is Phillip such a threat? He seems like a perfect gentleman, no harm at all." Aunt Cecilia piped up, "Well dear, if we are correct in our assumptions than your Phillip is a warlock. He serves and worships a dark god. He has been around for many, many years and his only purpose is to bring evil into the world. Mr. Covington was once a good witch, but his power went to his head, he felt invincible. His quest went from helping others and serving the goddess, to a search for ultimate power. Since he strayed from the path of good, he was cast out from his coven. He vowed revenge on those who had wronged him and swore vengeance on them and all who succeeded them. He wasn't heard from again for many years, most of us thought he was dead. But every now and then he resurfaces trying to destroy the lineage of the coven. That's why he is here. He has found one more person, you. Natalie was confused and now a bit frightened. "What do you mean, I'm not in any coven, I'm not even a witch." Aunt Violet replied, "Yes but your mother was, and you are the daughter of a witch, and whether you believe it or not, the power is in you. You have the essence of the goddess within you. Therefore, according to Phillip you must be destroyed." Natalie retorted once more, "Ok, but what about you two? You're both witches as well, why hasn't he hunted you down?" Her aunt explained that they were practitioners of the craft, however they did not possess the natural powers that rested within Natalie. Thus, they were of no use or concern to Phillip. Natalie went on to ask why hadn't he been stopped before this, and her aunts said others had tried but no one seemed to be able to permanently put him down. He was so powerful that the only way to destroy him was to remove his magical essence first then kill him. "Natalie dear, the magical essence is a part of you also, it is what makes a true witch. It is what gives you the power to cast spells, and it gave your mother the gift of clairvoyance. Phillip will try to take it from you. He can literally ingest your essence into himself, it will make him even more powerful. If he can do this he will be so powerful that he would be unstoppable. He could awaken all kinds of horrible things, terrible evil would be unleashed on the world. It would be an apocalypse." Natalie sat in silence she wasn't sure what to say or do. The survival of the world rested on her head and she couldn't even cast the simplest of spells, let alone stop an evil being from destroying the earth.

Natalie's aunt went on to explain the ritual of stealing essence, "According to the texts I have read, He has to get you to drink of an elixir and he must also drink it, it creates a bind between you then he must make connection by way of touch and he pulls the essence from the body by inhaling deeply. This action pulls the essence from you and into him. Once it begins it is hard to stop. If he completes the task it will make you weak and helpless against him." Natalie gasped, "I may have already drank the elixir. Phillip brought a bottle of wine over when he came to dinner. We both drank it, we finished off the entire bottle. Now that I think about it, he tried to kiss me at least twice that night. I refused his advances, just barely." She was thinking how lucky she was to be such a prude, if she hadn't been she probably would already be dead. Then she got an idea.

"That's it! What if I allow him to seduce me? I could get close to him, make him trust me. I could pretend to want to help him, but instead of him taking my essence I could steal his. Then we could destroy him once and for all." Her aunts protested saying that it was dangerous to get close to such a man, that she wouldn't be able to protect herself against him. Natalie replied to their argument's, "It may be dangerous, but it may be the only way. If we don't do something about it now, he'll win either way. At least this way I'll have a fighting chance." Natalie excused herself , she wanted time to think about all they had discussed and wanted to take some time to go through her mother's books to see if she could find some useful information. She knew if she was going to survive she needed to arm herself as much as possible.

She spent most of the afternoon reading and researching her mother's books and journals. She then found a couple of rituals and spells that would help her release the power within. She knew that if she was going to stop Phillip that she needed to have this, she also knew she needed to harness and control this energy. She was hoping her aunts would help her with this. After all she didn't have much time. After hours of research and ritual cleansings and meditation, she could start to feel this electrical pulsing within her body. Now that she recognized the magic within, she had to figure out how to use it. Her Aunt explained that she had to let him begin the ritual, and only when he begins to kiss her and take in her breath could she do the same. It was going to be difficult, he was much stronger than she and she would have to fight for her very soul, her very life. "I don't know if I will succeed, but I can't let him have his way not without a fight. I have one advantage however, I have you and I have mother. I know she will help me." With that she picked up her bag and headed out to find Phillip.

She arrived at the coffee shop just as Carla was closing up. "Where have you been? I waited for you all day, I even called but no one answered." Natalie simply took Carla's hand and sat her down at one of the tables outside. "Listen, this whole thing with Phillip is not what you think it is. He is a very evil man, and apparently I'm the only one who can stop him. I just spent all day doing all kind of magic and spells and now, believe it or not, I'm going to battle for my very soul just to save mankind from hell on earth. " Carla started to speak but Natalie cut her off, "Listen if I don't make it, for what it's worth, the Store is yours. It may be destroyed by demons or whatever, but it's yours." Carla was somewhat speechless, "Don't talk like that, you'll be fine. You know why? Right now I see your mother, she is in you. I've never seen you look quite so, well revered. You look as though you have power enough in you to fight anything. You go, and when you come back the shop and I will be waiting for you." They stood up and hugged and Natalie left. She drove down to the park and got out. She could feel something in the wind, it was a foul sort of energy as though it would wither everything it touched. She let it lead her through the park and into the woods. The deeper she went the stronger it felt. She began to hear whispers in her head, it was Phillip. He seemed to be chanting, no coaxing her to him. She began to feel lightheaded. She stopped and grasped the talisman she was wearing around her neck and shook it off. "Not yet, stay strong." She said to herself. Soon she came to the clearing, the same one from her dream. There he was standing over the stone alter. He smiled that alluringly wicked smile, it made his eyes twinkle in the firelight that come from some unknown source. She felt herself swooning once more as he spoke. "Come to me, I have something for you." She closed in standing just inches from him now. She could feel him inside her now, like he was caressing and kissing her but from the inside. She let him wander around in her head, letting him think he had her in his thrall. "Here, a drink first." She smiled and took the goblet he offered and took a sip, absinthe. He turned back to the altar for a moment and she took the opportunity to spit the drink out. He turned toward her once more and she decided to fall for his play to make her drugged and fell into his arms. He immediately placed her on the altar. He straddled her and raised his hands and began to speak in what seemed to be Latin. He then spoke in English, " Let our souls be bound together, By the Power of the dark lord let her be mine." He leaned over her and moved in. Slowly he placed his lips on hers as he pressed his body against her. It was exactly as her aunts had said, it started out like a passionate kiss. She let him explore her mouth with his tongue and she began to return the favor. Then she felt him pin her shoulders down and he began to inhale deeply. At first she felt as if she were choking then suddenly it was as if someone were pulling out her insides. She fought to scream but could not. Phillip pulled back and she could see this blue/white thread of light between their lips. He began to inhale again, but this time she did the same. His eyes grew wide at the sudden realization that she was fighting back. He sat up and pinned her shoulders once more and kept pulling at the entity that came forth from her body. She simply lay there focused and relaxed and continued to breath once again. Slowly she could see the same entity coming from him only it was darker and red like fire. She could feel it burning as she inhaled. He pulled her up toward him and shook her as they struggled against each other's will. Natalie was beginning to weaken, she felt as though she would fall away for sure. Then suddenly there was a dim light just behind Phillip. It moved in closer and slowly came into focus. It was her mother. She hovered only inches behind him and reached out her hand. Natalie struggled against Phillip's stronghold and reached for her mother. In an instant they touched. There was a flash of light all around her now and Natalie felt strength like never before. She looked Phillip in the eyes and inhaled with all her might. Phillip dropped his hold on her, his body began to shake violently as his essence was drawn from him. It took only seconds to drain Phillip of all of his power. They both fell back, exhausted. It was dark once more, only the light of the moon was left. She wasn't sure how, but Natalie found the strength to stand. She could feel the chaos rumbling inside her. She saw Phillip on his knees on the ground. He looked up at her, he looked very old now his eyes hollow and lost. "You will do no more harm on this earth." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial of liquid and drank it. Then she began to recite, "Let this holy water cleanse my soul and release the darkness within, and let it exist no more!" She began to tremble and her head thrust up toward the sky as Phillips essence shot into the night. It burst into bright starry lights then disappeared into nothing. She looked down and there was nothing left of Phillip but dust. She reached into her pocket again and pulled out another vial and poured it over the ashes, "Let him be cast into the darkness from whence he came, never to return. And it harm none, So Shall It Be!" Natalie stepped back took a deep breath and walked away.

~FIN~