Her words still echoed through my head,

“She’s not who she says she is!”

It had been a long time since I dreamed of gran, but she came to me that night. She was trying to tell me something more, but something dragged her away before she got the chance. That dream gave me little clarity, and if anything, it strengthened my uncertainty. The last time gran came to me in a dream, I knew exactly what she meant, but this time had been different; she was scared. I lay awake for what seemed like a small eternity before my alarm finally went off, signaling the start of a new day.

My morning started out much as usual, other than my mind racing to all the possibilities of who “she” was, until it came to me “she” must be the new woman dad was dating. Dad had been gran’s youngest child, and even after her death, she worried about him. This perfectly explained the impending doom I’d felt since Sandy came into our lives. Though she seemed so caring on the surface, there was surely something sinister underneath. The dream was the final straw; something must be done about Sandy.

That afternoon I met with the coven. Okay, so maybe coven is a strong word since it’s just Marley and me. When gran died, I was lost for so long and almost gave up the craft, but Marley appeared like an answered prayer. Since our first meeting, we had been nearly inseparable. We spent most evenings casting, and this evening was no exception. After casting our circle, we discussed our working agenda for the night. Without prompting, Marley asked,

“Is tonight the night we take care of Sandy?”

I found the question odd, as I hadn’t mentioned my dream. It was as if the universe was speaking to me through Marley.

“Signs point to tonight being the night.”

Marley smiled at my response, but it wasn’t her typical smile; there was something sinister about it.

“What did you have in mind? Banishment, desolation, death?”

Her suggestions gave me pause. Until this moment, all our castings had been pure with no intention of harming anything. I had never seen this side of Marley and didn’t enjoy the view.

“I would never weave a spell like that! Gran taught me never to harm….”

“Your grandmother was weak! She always played in the light, refusing to play with me in the dark.”

At that moment, I realized that gran wasn’t warning me about Sandy. It was Marley.