Breakout

The sun glinted off the shards of glass and I tried to safely navigate through it. My shoes were worn and the soles thin, but like always there wasn't any money to be spared, not even my own. Rhea, an older sister, needed cash for one of her kid's dental work and of course the community had pooled in with what they could spare and there was always someone who needed money.

That's what family does," My father had lectured to me once, when I dared to complain about how thread-worn my clothes were. "And medical bills are more important then looking attractive for human boys, Aavia."

It was impossible to talk to my parents, to any of the adults within my community. They thought they had it all figured out. I just wanted new clothes so I could stop being ridiculed whenever I went into town to deliver things. My family taught to remain inconspicuous when amongst outsiders. But everywhere I went, whispers followed.

A dog barked and I lifted my head, looking around anxiously. I called Meg prior to coming and hoped the woman had the foresight of locking up her vicious dog. But no animal came hurtling towards me with the intent to savage me. Overall this wasn't the most terrible Meg Rider experience.

I finally made it to the front door and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later someone shouted in a tired voice, "Who is it?"

"It's Aavia Westernwoods with your delivery," I said loud and clearly. The sound of glass breaking and curses that weren't all in English tipped me off on the mood of my client. The chances of getting a tip were zero.

The yellow door opened and the screen was pushed, nearly clocking me in the face. A tall woman with a bat towered over me and I was moderately tall to begin with. "It's about time," she said, not lowering the bat carved with archaic runes.

"Nice to see you again, Meg." I smiled, knowing it wasn't reaching my eyes. Power radiated from the bat and I knew if she knocked me around with it some pretty heavy curses would inflict more damage then the bruises of the bat. "Here's your package. Five wards, four curses, and a silver stake." The last one was a surprise to me. Meg Rider was tough, but I couldn't see her pissing off vampires.

"Hmph," Meg grabbed the box and lifted a sharp metal tipped finger. "We'll see about that." She ripped open the box, discarding bits of tape on my shirt, as if her porch was spotless and she didn't want to get it dirty.

But I held her tongue and my smile strained across my face. Meg was a covenless witch who lived by herself in a house that may have been nice if it weren't for the heaps glass or dead trees. Meg didn't trust anyone but her dog and never the left house from what I've gleaned. But every two weeks I was at her doorstep, delivering curses and wards, offensive material and protective barriers.

"What's this?" Meg lifted a purple flyer with a grumpy cat staring blankly back.

"Oh, one of my cousins lost her familiar," I answered, "and she asked if we could pack flyers into our deliveries to get the word out."

"I think my dog ate it." Meg crumpled the paper and tossed it aside. "Certain people keep trying to break into my garden out back and my baby girl has caught a few familiars with mouths full of my herbs. She ate them right up."

"Oh...well," I bit on my tongue and tried to hide how appalled I was. "We-we have all the herbs we could ever need. We don't need to steal yours."

"You still in high school?" She asked, lifting the stake.

"No," I answered, eyeing the weapon. "Graduated already. Five months ago."

"Did you befriend any other witches while there?"

I couldn't tell if Meg was being cruel or not. My family, the Westernwoods, were an oddity to the supernatural community. I've gotten the jist that my family's way of life wasn't normal and any witches I came across at school stayed away from me like I had some plague. The braver ones asked me questions that made me feel like an animal in an exhibit, being stared at and observed. "No."

"So you have no clue about a group of our kind who are acting reckless and foolish? A few humans had to have their memories modified last week. The mayor is pissed."

"I haven't had time to myself," I said. "What happens out here has yet to reach me or my family."

"Well a nest of vampires are out for blood. It's dangerous to be a witch when the sun goes down. I suggest you send word back to your kin and see if any of you have been sneaking out and disturbing the undead. I have enough to deal with, I don't want bloodsuckers breathing down my neck too."

Meg reached into her pocket and stuffed two one hundred dollar bills into my hand before slamming her yellow door shut.

"I'll tell them," I muttered, pocketing the money and backing away to leave. It was quicker leaving her yard full of broken jars, all of them filled with some sort of spell that had been shattered by something. Whatever the older woman was trying to catch just kept getting away.

*

*

I rode my bike back home, tired and hungry. The Westernwoods Community lived out in the country, within the hills of crop and ranches, where we were left in peace by humans and supernatural alike. Out here a lot of things could go on unnoticed; magic ran wild and went on unhidden. I traveled long dusty roads and managed to get home before the sun set. I stopped at the front of our two story home and propped the bike against the bushes.

"Mom's gonna be mad at you," squeaked a child hiding in the shrubs by the porch. It was a twin, Liam or Leah, I couldn't tell. They were sitting down, simple staring at the front yard and the surrounding land.

"What did I do now?" I asked. This morning dad had thrown a fit about someone denting his car and one of my brothers came along to drop off his litter of children while he went out of town to get supplies. It was utter chaos, and being one of the few here who was an adult -though barely- and not married, I had to look after them. "Or should I say who did what to who or who broke something?"

"I don't know, but you're late and she keeps looking at the clock. I think someones coming."

I sighed. No one had told me to come home early so I had hung around the park for a daring ten minutes. "Thanks for the heads up. I give you permission to take a candy from my hidden stash. The magic word is catty cat."

Their eyes lit up and as I was about to walk up the porch stairs I remembered what Meg had said. "Hey," I knelt down to their eye level. "None of our siblings have been sneaking out at night, have they?"

They shook their head, dark hair escaping from a dusty hat. "Why?"

"A few vampires are mad at some witches and I want to make sure it wasn't our branch of the family who did it. We'd be in a lot of trouble."

"Vampires..." They looked off in the distance with some fear staining their small round face. The Weatherwoods were so isolated that many hadn't come across even the most common of supernaturals. The only ones that did were the ones who handled deliveries or picked up things we needed. Even then I only met witches and maybe a were or two.

"Don't worry," I said. "The wards will protect us. But tell me, or our parents, if you see someone sneaking out. Okay?"

"Yeah, I'll do that."

"Aavia is that you!"

Here it goes, I thought, standing up and walking up the porch steps.

My parents always kept the house clean and considering how much children and familial company came through here it was an impressive feat. But tonight the house was spotless and quite. There were a few noise dimming charms laying about to keep the volume down, but nothing to make it absolutely silent.

"Aavia!"

"Coming," I said, removing my shoes so that I didn't tread any dust over the clean rugs and polished wood. The dining room was directly to the right and two dark candles burned in an almost romantic light. The table was set with cloth napkins, wine glasses, and utensils that glittered. The door leading into the kitchen opened up, revealing a short weathered woman with her sparse dark hair put up in a bun.

"There you are," my mom said, hollow eyes angry. "We're having company and we need you groomed and well-dressed."

"I'm invited tonight?" I asked in astonishment.

"Didn't you just here me? Get ready!"

"Okay, mom. Oh I have the money and Meg said-"

"Just leave it in my room, in the dresser. You can tell me what that woman wanted after dinner." She went back into the kitchen, where I overheard one of my uncle's complaining about another family branch. Most of the Westernwoods were related to me by blood and but a few weren't. To avoid inbreeding a few higher members left town to scout out other places and hopefully bring back a powerful witch to join our community and bring in new blood.

I didn't need to be told twice, but I was still stunned that I would be invited to a formal dinner. I was only seventeen and had older siblings who were the role models of being a Westernwoods witch. As compliant as I was about the way things were done around here, my parents knew I was close to digging in my heels. They feared any guests, outsiders, would sense that too. I didn't know if this invitation was a way of my parents telling me that they were proud with my progress, or if I was becoming a trained dog without realizing it.

*

*

My mom wasn't satisfied and settled with mirroring my hair just like hers. But she soon gave that up, realizing it was too thick and would just come undone. So she ran a brush through it and there was nothing nice about it. My reflection in the mirror was almost comical. Whenever she did a stroke, my eyebrows would rise up as she tugged the brush with painful force.

I'd taken a shower -one too long by her opinion- and focused more on removing the dust from my body then worry about how long it would take to make my hair presentable. As I cleaned my nails of dirt, she took care of my hair.

"Gabby," I said trying to look down to my feet. "That sandal is on the wrong foot. That one goes on the left one." I shook the correct foot.

"Oh!" my little brother amended his error quickly.

"This is all I can manage." My mom admitted. She stared at my reflection with dislike and a hint of saddness. Not for me and my unmanageable hair. I took after her in looks; dark hair and large brown eyes. My skin was tan and that wasn't the result of the sun. I must look like her in her youth and her youth is what she missed the most. I knew that she regretted marrying into this family, but it was already too late try and amend that mistake.

"We can use a charm for it?" I suggested.

"Aavia, you know it's impolite to wear charms in front of guests who can sense illusionment." My mother pursed her lips. The family was all talk about strengthening the community and our lessons in magic were really thorough and almost ruthless. I'm sure if someone ever decided to attack us we would be a formidable force, but rarely did we do anything but make or cast things for other people.

"Finished!" Gabby patted my feet and looked at me with hopeful blue eyes. While my mom stepped away to reach into her jewelry box, I whispered to him the magical word. My secret stash was the greatest and most protected secret in this house and I never had the heart to deny it to my younger siblings.

"This will do fine," Mom said, handing me a golden chain with a flimsy pendant. The older the better. It matched with one of my sister's summer suits. From the faint smell of perfume that lingered on the fabric it must have been Rosa's.

"Mommy!" Gabby was pressed against my parent's bedroom window. "Daddy's here! There's a fancy car behind him!"

"Spray this on you," Mom shoved a bottle of body perfume in my hands and rushed to the mirror within the closest. "Gabriel, you know the rules. Stay in your room and be quite. Aunt Madeline left some new coloring books in there."

"Okay Mommy!"

"Hurry!" My mom rushed back to me and grabbed the perfume that had been in my hands for only two seconds and four puffs later she had me by the arm and took me down stairs, nearly dragging me down the steps. The house was empty, too empty. Usually outstanding members of the community would come and try to impress the outsider. Not to mention a few single ones looking for someone fresh and new.

My body went stiff and like a predator smelling fear my mom whipped her head and clutched my arm so I wouldn't bolt out the back door. Or dive through an open window. "The Redwards' are interested in joining this community," she told me, eyes drilling into mine. A current of energy ran through my shoulder and body, rooting me where I stood. "And over the course of the month they will be dinning with other branches of the family. I don't ever see you being suitable for marriage, but your father has far different hopes and plans. If you act up, you're only hurting yourself in the end. At least you get choice on whom to spend the rest of your life with. I never did." She let go of my arm and straightened the sleeves of her blouse and adjusted the collar.

That was the closest she had ever come to allowing her mask to slip. She too was once an outsider, brought here by her parents and eventually married to my father. But I had never known it was an arrangement and judging by her look upon her face when she revealed that too me, she had no choice and the marriage had gone on without her consent.

"Why not leave?" I asked, daring to speak about a topic that was not talked about. My words fell on deaf ears and when the creaks of our porch stairs sounded she went to the door and opened it and I could hear the smile in her voice as she greeted her husband and our visitors.