As we arrive outside our houses, Janie extends an invitation, 'Want to come over for some herbal tea?'
My eyes light up at the mention of Grammy's tea. 'You still have some of that left?' I ask eagerly.
Janie grins. 'I found the recipes in the family spell book, so I learned which herbs she uses for each drink. Come on, I'll make you one,' she says, leading the way inside.
'Sounds perfect,' I reply, following her into the cosy living room.
'Hi, mum,' Janie greets her mother in the kitchen, who smiles warmly in return.
'Hello, Mrs Twittlebug,' I wave politely.
'How were your lessons today, girls?' Mrs Twittlebug asks, taking a book off the table and settling into the couch.
'Good,' we both reply in unison, making our way to the kitchen as Janie begins to brew the tea.
Janie swings open the cupboard door, revealing an array of glass jars filled with colourful mixtures of dried fruits, flowers, spices, and herbs. The sight alone is enough to make my taste buds tingle with anticipation.
Reaching for the jar at the far end, she scoops a generous portion of the fragrant blend and sets it in a pot of hot water. The scent of zesty lemon and refreshing mint fills the kitchen, making my mouth water.
'This one is meant to be amazing for your skin,' Janie explains with a grin, taking a sip from her steaming cup. 'It keeps it soft and smooth and gives you a youthful glow.'
I sip the warm brew, letting the flavours dance on my tongue. 'Mmm, this is delicious,' I tell Janie, closing my eyes in pleasure.
Janie beams at my compliment, her eyes sparkling with pride.
As we step into Janie's bedroom, my eyes widen with wonder and amazement as I take in the sight of jars and vials, each containing a different coloured liquid, neatly arranged on every shelf and table.
‘What is all this?’ I ask, my voice filled with curiosity as I gesture towards the various concoctions.
‘Oh, it's just something I've been working on,’ Janie shrugs. ‘I've been experimenting with the recipes from the spell book, hoping to unlock my ability to cast spells. But so far, no luck,’ she admits, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
Despite her attempts to hide it, I can tell she's crestfallen. I even envision arrows pointing at her forced smile and slumped shoulders, showing her obvious feelings. Mister Kal sways his tail like a snake as he purrs and rubs his face against Janie's leg to comfort her.
I frown. I can't bear this any longer. Janie has to know none of this is real.
A vial filled with a light blue elixir grabs my attention. I stomp over to the shelf, snatch the vial, and remove the cork.
'What are you doing,' Janie squeals as she races towards me. I hold the elixir up high so she can't reach it.
'I need to show you, Janie, magic isn't real. If I drink this, then maybe you'll let the fantasy go. You can't spend your whole life focused on magic when it doesn't exist.'
'No, Rose. Please don't drink it. I stuffed that potion up when I accidentally knocked mercurial mist into it when Mister Kal distracted me. It could have changed the potion’s affect. Don’t drink it,' she pleads.
'See, even now. You think there's a possibility something might happen. It has to stop, Janie.' I quickly chug the mouthful of liquid down and slam the vial on the shelf.
'See, I told you, Janie. Magic isn't real. Nothing happened!' I argue.
Suddenly I hear a short burst of wind by my ears. Janie steps back, covering her mouth with both hands.
'Janie! Tell me you did not just pass wind and right in front of me? I never thought I'd see the day you'd forget your manners. You could have at least let it out on your balcony,' I tell her as she steps back even further.
Mister Kal growls long and deeply at me, ‘What's your problem, furball?’ Mister Kal hisses and backs away into the corner with his fur spiking along his back.
Suddenly there's another short sound of a puff, but this time it came from under my skirt. A shriek manages to escape from Janie's lips as her gaze lowers down my body.
My face develops a deep shade of red, 'Er, sorry. After all that, it was me passing wind all along,' I laugh with embarrassment.
Janie is up against the wall trembling as she still covers her mouth, 'Oh for goodness sake, Janie. It's a fart. It's not going to kill you. I think you're being a bit dramatic now.
I suddenly notice I can hear the birds in the trees outside clearer, even though the French balcony doors are still closed. I sniff the air, wriggling my nose around as I detect the unmistakable aroma of my mother's cooking. 'Can you smell that too, Janie?' I ask, but her response is hesitant.
'I don't smell anything,' she replies in a meek tone.
Suddenly, a soft touch brushes against my thigh, sending shivers down my spine. I spin around to face the wall, but there's nothing there. 'Phew, I thought a spider was crawling on me,' I mutter, relieved. 'R-rose,' Janie stutters.
'Yes, Janie,' I say as she slowly lowers her hands.
'Y-you might want to look in the mirror,' she says, still trembling.
'What is it? Urgh, don't tell me my hair is out of place?' I ask her as I march over to her floor-length mirror and scream as I see two violet wolf ears and a large fluffy violet tail attached to me.
I stare at Janie, wide-eyed and speechless. The reality of what has happened hits me like a ton of bricks. I stumble backward, my tail knocking over a few jars on the shelf as I process everything.
'This can't be happening. It's not happening!' I say, in a panic.
'Oh, it's happening, and it's happened, all right. I told you not to drink the potion,' Janie sulks. ‘You drank the lycanthropy potion. Now you’re a werewolf,’ she says with worry.