Free A Witch Like No Other by Makala Thomas

said. “Ok Teddy Bear?”
    “ I will if you
come home.”
    “ I
don’ t have a key to your new
house.”
    “ You can get
one when you get here.”
    Dreamer laughed. “I am here, Ted. Open the
door.”
Ted whipped round, staring at the front door
fearfully. “Seriously?”
    “ Seriously.
Open the door, it’ s
cold.”
    Ted hung up right there and then, Marlon and Pandora
walking down the stairs slowly, almost trance like. They could
sense their mother ’ s presence.
    “ Dad, open the
door,” said Marlon, Pandora as well. Her eyes were red.
Ted took a deep breath, then he opened the
door.
    Though he had a deep voice, Marlon ’ s scream was high
pitched. Dreamer Black laughed at his face, opening her
arms.
    “ Come here,
Marlon.”
Marlon sped down the stairs immediately,
lunging for his mother. Dreamer held him like he was still ten
years old, shushing him gently.
    “ I thought you
was dead!”
    “ I was,
darling.”
    “ But
you’ re here! How?”
Dreamer smiled. “A powerful woman never
reveals her secrets.”
Pandora hugged Shadow, backing up the
stairs. She was dreaming.
    Dreamer ’ s eyes locked on hers, making her freeze.
    “ Come here,
Pandora. You’ re not
scared?”
    “ I’ m not awake,” mumbled
Pandora, and Dreamer laughed.
    “ Come here this
instant, young lady.”
Pandora handed Shadow to Ted before she did
a Marlon, rushing at her mother. Dreamer held her children as they
wept, her eyes filling over.
    “ I’ m here now,” she said
softly, kissing them both. “I ’ m here.”
Across the road, Miriam watched her friend
reunite with her family. Dreamer was back after three years and one
month, and one day.
    Miriam couldn ’ t help feeling bitter. It was all going so well!
Now Pandora would forget all about her, and Dreamer would most
likely keep her away just as she did before. And Marlon seemed to
like Miriam too, but he ’ d forget as well. And Ted. The bitter feeling
grew as his front door closed, Miriam walking away slowly. There
could have been a greater friendship between them, but now Dreamer
was back from the grave… Miriam chastised herself for thinking such
selfish thoughts.
    “ I should be
glad,” she said to herself. “Glad for Pandora
especially.”
    The words meant little to her right now.
Miriam ’ s eyes filled as she walked back to the clinic in time for
her six o clock meeting.
When she got there Alice was arguing with
her father.
    “ I’ ll keep him in my room,
Daddy! You wont know he ’ s there!”
    “ No pets for
the last time, especially furry ones!”
    “ Why
not??”
    “ Because
I’ m al- al- atchoo! Allergic and atchoo! I
don ’ t
like them!”
Alice shielded Barclays as her father
sneezed, Miriam handing him a tissue glumly.
    “ Thank you,
Miriam. How is your godchild?”
    “ Pandora?
She’ s fine,” said Miriam
sadly. “She wont be coming back.”
    “ What!”
exploded Tony. “Why not?!”
    “ Because
she’ s just reunited with her
mother,” sighed Miriam. “And her mother was the reason she had to
come in the first place.”
Tony frowned at her. “Dreamer Black is
dead.”
    “ Not anymore,”
said Alice smugly. “She’ s
back.”
    “ Nonsense,”
scoffed Tony. “All of it. She died three years ago!”
    “ She’ s a witch,” said
Miriam miserably. “Meaning she wouldn ’ t have been gone
forever. It ’ s a pain, isn ’ t it?”
Tony knew she was thinking of Pandora, and
he let her go into her office without another word on the subject.
Turning to Alice, he said “You can keep the rabbit if you go to
college this September.”
    “ I was going
anyway,” smirked Alice. “Thank you Daddy!”
    “ I want to see
Dreamer,” said Tony, almost to himself. “I’ ll call.”
    “ Dreamer’ s got a man,”
Alice reminded him. “Don ’ t forget,
Daddy.”
Tony glared at her. “You sound like your
mother, Alice. Get ready to go.”
    “ I’ m ready, Dad. Oh, wait!
Can I call Pandora?”
    “ No,” said
Tony, thinking about