It's Magic, My Dear

“Dammit woman, I am hurrying!” I shouted over my shoulder towards Jane. Older sisters could be such a thorn in the arse, but Jane was the exception. She was proving to be a super thorn in the arse that night.

Twenty-four hours prior I had been sitting in my Motel room watching German English-subtitled movies about sinister serial killers and taking time out to kick back and relax. It was the start of my College holidays and I was going to enjoy them to the fullest.
Studying Ancient Mythology was truly amazing, one of the few things I could ever pay all of my attention to. And the fact that I had chosen Ancient Beliefs specialising in Old God’s to major in was purely titillating. Since I was a child I had held such a fascination for the ways of the Old Worlds and their pre Christian beliefs. Just take the time out to pick up a book on the subject and you would understand my thrill for the subject.
But every so often I would get that itch to sit my fingers back on a keyboard and get back to what I grew up doing.
Hacking.
You know those people who would invade your self-built hacker proof system, tear it apart and rebuild it as an impenetrable fortress of codes that you wouldn't ever be able to get your head around?
Well I am better than those kids.
It’s just something I picked up one day and never put back down.

But no, Jane had other plans for me. Though maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, I had the feeling someone had their big Federal Bureau eye on me.

My phone rang just as the cannibal glaring back at me on the television was about to dish up some eyeball with a side of cheek, breaking my gigglefest.
“Yullow?”

“Tiggie, it’s Jane.” At this point, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to point out that yes my nickname is Tiggie, though my birth name is Tygera. Pronounced Tie-Ger-Ah. Jane would joke that mother and father were inspired to name me Tygera after their trip to Africa and witnessing a silly little tiger cub throwing fits when it didn't get its own way. Which I suppose can describe a portion of me.

“Jane, why are you calling me so late?” Pretending to not know I already began the process of finding the remote control to turn the television off and searching for a clean pair of jeans.

She hummed on the other end before replying. “Well, since I know you’re on holidays I was hoping that my baby sister would like to help my research.”

My lips broke out in a smile at the little squeak in her voice that was as silent, “Please come and help before I tear my hair out!”
“I suppose, maybe I could. But what’s in it for me?” I already knew what her latest research had been into and I myself was quiet fascinated, so of course I was going to say yes.

“A big sister hug?”

“Well, alright. I suppose I can drive down tonight?” I threw her on loudspeaker as I pulled my favourite Norse God shirt on. I can give you three guesses as to which comic book version Demi-God was my hands down winning favourite, it’s sadly predictable actually. I wish I known at the time though.

“Great! Shall I see you tomorrow night?”

And so there I was the next night hauling my arse into her van alongside Dr. Erik and Darcy. My sister, who by this time was balls to wall insane, was getting on all our backs about getting out there before we missed this great storm she had predicted.

“Come on we gotta go!” She cried already at the van with her little black book in hands. It was filled with years worth of notes and drawings of the odd storms that had been thundering across the skies.

“Okay, keep your panties on.” Darcy replied as she clambered into the back next to me.

“And she sounded like such an angel on the phone.” I said. Dry humour and sarcasm I think is very becoming of me.

Darcy glanced over at me. “You should have run while you had your chance.”

Erik glanced back at us from the passenger seat and chuckled. “I think we are all in for a long night, tonight.”

“Everybody ready?” Jane asked us at she began to rev the engine.

“If we weren't you’d still take off.” I replied with a glint in my eye.

“Tiggie, don’t. I know what that look is and I won’t take any of your pranks tonight. It’s too important that we get this.” Already the tires were rolling out and down the road.

My hands went up in defence. “Wouldn't dream of it sis.”

“Hrm.” She grumbled flooring the pedal and riding the van as fast as it could go all the way down the road and towards her predicted spot.

Darcy plugged in her earphones and turned up her Ipod as we sped down a bumpy road in the dead of night while I fished around in my backpack for a can of sugary guarana filled soda enlaced brain rotting energy drink. I just love that rotten stuff. Though as Jane took a sudden and sharp turn, falling into a joting halt that delicious nerve spiking drink went all over my cleanest pair of jeans. I suppose luckily enough for me they were a pair of patchy faded grey ones, what I was more concerned about were my Docs.
“Could you be any more of an inadequate driver?” I huffed wiping off the sticky sick liquid from myself.

“Oh shut up and start getting ready, it should be here any second.” Jane tutted at me while hurriedly getting out her black note book.

Darcy pulled out her earphones and began to dig around in her bag as I did in mine. “A very long night.”

Erik looked up at the sky above our van from its windshield and sighed. “Nothing is happening. I don’t know why you are chasing storms.”

I turned my attention away from the little argument Jane was about to put up and looked down at the netbook sitting nimbly on my knees and began to rattle away code to a programme I had penned months beforehand just for tonight. Another request by Jane that was followed by a nagging attitude.
My sister. The thorn in my arse.
“What do you think is going to happen tonight?” I asked Darcy.

She pushed back her dark brown wavy hair and looked at me. “I have no idea to be honest. You?”

“I am hoping for something spectacular honestly. I haven’t slept a wink since Jane called me and I really want to see a good light show.”

“You and Jane seem so different.” I could see a wonder in Darcy’s eyes and I only offered a small smile.

“You have no clue how right you are.” That’s when I noticed her look past me to the panels of window in the back doors.

“Oh shit.”

My eyes looked in the direction hers were and I felt my jaw drop. “Jane…Jane you should look at this.”

“Wha-Oh god.” I knew her mouth had dropped just as mine had.

Erik was the last to look around at what we gaping at and a stunned hiss came from him. What we were looking at was just, it was incredible. It was as if the night sky itself were swelling to light with the mother of all storms. Dark muddled colours rolled down from the heavens and were closely followed a thunderous crackle that rattled the van.

“We need to get closer.” Jane turned back towards the steering wheel when Darcy jumped forward.

“No. No we are not going into that.” She tried her best to grapple for the steering wheel but was only shoved back landing in my tooth rotting soda covered lap.

“Hold on!” Jane cried out as she slammed the pedal down and yanked the van into a shuddering U-turn.

My hands went straight to the roof and wall as I tried to keep myself from sliding around the van and smashing into the heavy equipment we were packing. Which may I say failed so smashingly epically. My head literally smacked down with a thud onto the floor and Darcy came rolling off me.
“Jane slow the hell down!” I yelled clutching the sharp sting at the side of my head.

But she didn't reply. Her eyes were narrowed and intent on heading into the storm kicking up the dust around us like a mini cyclone. And into we did go with screams and a heck of a lot of cussing. I even heard Jane throw out a few bloopers as the van began to groan and shudder. I honestly thought the metal itself was going to tear away from the frame and have us all flung into the air and ripped to shreds.
Thankfully I was wrong.
Or maybe not so thankfully. I don’t know any more.
But what I do know is while we were in the eye of that storm something hammered so hard into the side of the van that the impact of it cracked Jane’s window.
Again she yelped.

By the time I was sure the van had stopped and Jane had her hands off the wheel I dragged myself to my feet and practically fell out the back doors following Darcy to the side.

“Oh crap. That was you not me.” My eyes were wide and I couldn't help but point out the obvious fact that in front of us was a man lying sprawled out where the storm had touched down. I guessed he had been the thinking thing that connected with the van.

“Is he dead?” Darcy stepped forward.

“I hope not.” Jane knelt down beside the man while I stepped back. “Just do me a favour and don’t be dead.”