So What If I'm a Witch?

After nightfall, Leila was still staring up at the ceiling, waiting to go to sleep. She tossed and turned, inadvertently wrapping the sheets around her. She stared a the clock in front of her, reading 10.43pm.

Not too late for a wander... she thought, smiling and threw the covers off.

Going somewhere? Jinx purred behind her.

"Oh good, you found me, wanna come with?" Leila grinned at the cat while she grabbed her broomstick. She didn't need shoes, just the leather gloves.

You're trouble. Jinx purred, licking his lips, and turned away. But I won't tell.

Leila shrugged. "Suit yourself." She stepped onto the window ledge with her bare feet, being careful not to slip, and tucked the broomstick between her legs. Leila sucked in air through her teeth as she looked below her. "I am not afraid," she whispered to herself, and jumped.

Leila closed her eyes, indulging herself in the feeling of the wind rushing past her. She could barely feel the cold through her pyjamas, mainly because she just enjoyed it so much. The fresh feeling of freedom. She slowly let go of the handle with shaking hands and opened her arms wide. "Now this is living!" She laughed, her grin growing.

She didn't climb too high in the sky, altitude still had an effect, but she made sure to be high enough so as not to be seen. She halted the broom in mid air, leaning down to have a better look at the town.

She loved the lights, most of all. The dancing lights of the cars, the flickering ones at windows, and the offensive neon of the 24-hour supermarkets. If she closed her eyes, she could feel the colours glow against her face, she could see the lights dancing. It was all so wonderful.

Her thoughts were interrupted by sudden alternating flashes of blue and red, accompanied with the faint sound of a wailing siren. “I wonder where that’s coming from…” She wondered, and slowly swooped to follow the sound.

It wasn’t often that sirens were heard, were she lived. The mere presence of her mother in the neighbourhood meant that everyone around her was touched by her healing aura, so not many ambulances were ever called. Was this the police? Or the fire brigade?

Nearing closer, Leila jumped onto a nearby rooftop, nearly tripping under her own weight – clearly, she needed to practise landing more often! She kneeled down on the edge, gripping her broom tight with one hand in case she lost her balance. Not that she would, anyway. She looked at the scene in the alley beneath her, trying to take in every detail.

A woman, not much older than she was, was kneeling on the ground, crying. Standing over her was a man holding a knife. Across from them, three police officers were getting out of the car and walking slowly towards the man, each pointing guns towards him.
“Put down the weapon,” Said the policewoman to the man. After the man hesitated she said: “I repeat, sir, put down your weapon.”

The man complied, reluctantly. “It wasn’t me, I swear, I found her like this, I didn’t-“
That was all he managed to say, but the officers were already handcuffing him, making their arrest. While two of them drove off in the car, one stayed behind with the woman, talking to her as the paramedics surrounded her. “It’s all gonna be okay,” She said, patting her back in a soothing attempt. “Looks like you weren’t hurt too badly…” And the ambulance drove away, with them still inside.

Leila waited until they were all clearly gone, and then used her broomstick to levitate slowly to the ground. Still holding on to the broom, she leaned down, peering at the floor. She gingerly touched the edge of a small pool of blood and closed her eyes in concentration.

Using the blood as a medium, Leila saw the woman’s memories in her mind. They were hazy, probably because it was so dark, or maybe the woman was drunk. She focused.

She was walking.
Side by side, with a man.
The man was talking, smiling at her, it was a date. She felt happiness bubble inside of her. She was happy.
The man let go of her hand. “How about I grab us something to eat?” he walked across the street, and she stayed, checking her phone.
She heard a noise next to her, from the alley.
A man, another man, he grabbed her arms, he looked imploring, mad, he had a knife. “I need to know something,” he said. “Will you tell me? I need to know.”
Screaming, she was screaming. “Get off me!”
Then pain, in her side.
She fell to the floor and saw the man kneel at the pool of blood. He touched it. Concentration. Then disgust. “Looks like you don’t know, either.” Confused, so confused. Screaming.
Her date came back. He picked up the knife.
Sirens.

Suddenly Leila opened her eyes. She reviewed the memories she saw in her head.

So the man at the scene was innocent. He was telling the truth.

Then who did it? Who was the real perpetrator?

It dawned on her that she could feel a presence approaching. Quickly, Leila did the only thing she could think of doing, and hid behind the nearest bin, muttering a camouflage spell under her breath. Hopefully this way they wouldn’t notice her presence, and just walk by her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a man with black hair and a black leather jacket, walking towards her.

Leila closed her eyes, concentrating more on the incantation, trying to forget about her racing heart and sweating palms.

The man walked right past her, with not even a second glance.