Free A Witch's Curse by Nicole Lee

more punches. She hoped that the rebellious actions would halt Jessica in saying something as bad as the last few statements stated tonight ever again.
    That was when she had an epiphany about how this was the first time in a long time she had not felt her conscious pushing her forward to react, but to do so in a way that did not involve a hex.
    Physical revenge felt as good.
    They walked together at a very fast pace through the woodsy area leading to Pine Park, with Grady glancing over his shoulder to see they were not being followed. Like the proper gentleman that Grady was, he carried her through the rural, brown verdant trail. She made sure to keep a tight grip on his shoulder and neck. Rose felt comforted in his arms, like she could stay there for as long as she wanted. The vitriol was still making her tremble.
    Trying to reach the parking lot became a hassle. It was not an easy hike on foot, let alone when taking into account of how Bell was carrying the body weight of someone else. The soil where worms and insect life gadded about was dampened due to the mist that had settled in the day.
    Grady stepped over dirt, grime, filth, mud, dust, muck. They passed armies of trees, ones both grown and half chopped, smothered with foliage, leaves, and grass. He succeeded at making sure that no branches hit either one of them, whether it be the ones situated on the side or the knotted appearing protrusions which took them by surprise on the lane. The soles of his sneakers crunched on twigs, brushwood, undergrowth and kindling.
    The half moon was still radiant above, its white illumination causing ghostly pale shafts of luminescence to cascade down on the hills, large and small, the mounts, knolls, mounds, prominences forming into a rough terrain. He had no choice but to leap over his fair share of moss covered logs, in one instance landing in a heap of sludgy mire. She could always patch up his sneakers later on with a good spell.
    A rabbit sprung by and hid itself in a pileup of spidery ferns. The howling of a wolf could be heard in the distance, and she clung tighter to him.
    The terrain leveled out and became flat, and the spacious park, with its fluorescent street lights making the way among its cement concourses, became easy to cross. He set her down. Grady’s strength would not allow him to bring her any further at the moment. They strolled on the concrete sidewalk.
    When they were in the confines of his car, he took his shoes off and put them on the floor in the backseat, starting the heater.
    She sighed. “Where do we go from here?”
    “ To be honest with you? I don‘t know.”
    “ I have a movie at my house,” she said. “Harold & Maude. It‘s a treat.”
    “ Sounds good,” he said, the ignition coming to life. They pulled out of the parking lot, and he drove them out onto the empty freeway.
    “ It was kind of unexpected,” he said. I thought you were right in trying to tear Jessica in two pieces.”
    “ She had it coming.”
    “ Let’s just make a deal,” he said. “We’ll be together when we‘re not in class. They can’t do anything to you if I’m around.”
    She liked the idea of having to always be in his company, but she still felt the sting of his request. “I don’t need help, though. I can take care of myself.”
    He looked at her quizzically, before making a left turn onto another dark boulevard. When they were in the general vicinity of her neighborhood, she put his hand over his, feeling the night’s coldness on his skin.
    “ My driveway’s too small for you to park there,” she said. “Sorry about that.”
    He pulled into a parking space situated in front of closed McDonald’s. They both hopped out, and while he did not know where to head, she took his hand again in hers once more and lead him in the right direction.
    Soon they were walking beside the cemetery.
    Rose knew that this was a night she would never be able to recapture, though she would wish for one just like it for many