I reach out and place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ‘Imogen, I'm so sorry that you had to go through seeing the accident and that your friends have abandoned you when you were loyal to them and needed them the most.’
Imogen wipes away her tears and nods, still looking downcast. I speak gently, trying to offer her comfort and support. ‘Don’t worry about Martha and her cronies. The main thing is you're here now, and you're safe. That's what's important. And you have us to support you now.’
Slowly, Imogen lifts her head and looks at me. A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. She nods, and I can see the gratitude in her eyes.
‘Thank you,’ she says softly and turns her head toward Janie, ‘Both of you, it means a lot to me that not only did you save my life, but for your kindness.’
I smile back at her, happy to see her feeling more at ease. ‘Of course, Imogen. That's what friends are for.’
Imogen smiles, ‘So, this means we’re friends?’
Janie and I exchange a glance before nodding, ‘Yes, best friends,’ Janie beams.
I can see the joy spreading across Imogen's face.
‘You'll have to get used to us now,’ I tease her with a grin, ‘Because you're stuck with us,’ I add.
Janie and I nod at each other before lunging towards Imogen, wrapping her in a warm and loving group hug.
Imogen giggles and returns the embrace, her eyes shining with happiness. ‘Thank you,’ she says, her voice choked with emotion.
Imogen's curious expression turns serious as she tucks her red hair behind her ears and stares at Janie. 'I have to ask. I have to know. How were you able to predict and see the accident before it happened?' she asks with a hint of urgency in her voice.
Janie's eyes flicker with hesitation, unsure if she should reveal her secret.
I step closer to Imogen, placing a hand on Imogen’s shoulder. 'You have to pinky promise with a cherry on top that if we tell you, you will not tell anyone else?' I say, my tone serious.
Imogen nods eagerly, holding her hand up and extending her little finger. I hook mine around hers, and then Janie hooks hers, creating a tight knot.
'Pinky promise with a cherry on top,' Imogen says, sealing the deal.
Janie and I exchange a nod before grabbing Imogen's hands and pulling her up the stairs and into Janie's room. We lock the door behind us, ensuring complete privacy for this conversation.
‘Okay, so what’s the secret?’ Imogen asks.
Mister Kal runs up to Imogen and jumps into her arms for a snuggle, ‘Well, aren’t you just adorable,’ she says to him as he purrs heavily.
I place my hands on my hips and glare at him, ‘You never do that with me,’ I growl at him.
Mister Kal turns his head to stare at me and hisses.
‘Oh, he doesn’t seem to like you at all, Rose. Why is that?’ Imogen asks.
‘Well, you see, Mister Kal hates dogs. I may have joked around, tormenting him with a few bad dog jokes when he was living with Grammy and the other reason, well, you’ll find out soon enough,’ I tell her as I cross my arms.
‘I see,’ she says and looks down at Mister Kal. ‘Just for your information, Mister Kal, cats are my favourite animal,’ she tells him.
He headbutts her face with affection.
‘Unbelievable,’ I mutter under my breath.
‘Okay, everyone, sit on the rug,’ Janie says, holding the spell book to her chest. We sit in a circle, including Mister Kal, to my dismay.
‘Imogen,’ Janie says, taking a deep breath. ‘What Martha said about me is true. I’m a witch, but have also been gifted with the rare ability of sight where I can predict things in people’s lives just from a single touch.’
Imogen blinks a few times and then starts laughing. We remain silent, and her laughter stops as her eyes dart between us, ‘Wait, you’re being serious? That wasn’t a joke?’
‘We’re being very serious,’ I tell her.
‘But there’s no way? Magic doesn’t exist,’ she says.
Janie clears her throat, takes the dying bromeliad plant in a small pot beside her, and places it in front of her. She raises a hand towards it and says, ‘Sprouto Spawniate.’
The limp brown leaves rise and twirl, turning green, and a small pink bud grows from the centre and opens up, blooming into a large pink flower with a purple blemish.’
‘Hey, I haven’t seen you use this spell before,’ I tell Janie.
‘Oh, you haven’t?’ Janie giggles.
We turn our attention to Imogen, who sits there with her mouth gaping. ‘You just restored that plant to full health!’ she says in shock.
‘Yup,’ Janie smiles.
‘I can’t believe it. You really are a witch,’ Imogen replies.
‘Wanna see another spell?’ Janie asks her.
‘Absolutely!’ Imogen replies.
Janie stares at the French doors to her balcony and focuses. Her green eyes develop a subtle sparkle, and she flicks her hand. The French doors open, and fresh air washes in. Imogen claps her hands excitedly, but then Janie says, ‘Lifto Levitatious,’ making the candle hover and float over to us. Janie makes the candle circle around Imogen a few times before she says, ‘Inferno Flamo,’ lighting the candle's wick.
Imogen raises her hands to catch the candle landing, ‘This is the best thing I have ever seen,’ she says, staring into the candle she holds.
Janie smirks, ‘Dimulous,’ she says, and the flame goes out.
‘I haven’t seen you do that spell either,’ I tell Janie.
‘I’m sure you’ll see them all in time,’ she laughs.
‘Wait,’ Imogen says, as a thought comes to her mind. ‘Martha’s project at school. It was pulled out from under her and scattered across the classroom. I saw it happen. That was you, wasn’t it?’ she asks Janie.
‘You caught me,’ Janie shrugs with a smile.
‘Oh, this is too good,’ Imogen replies, rubbing her hands together. ‘I’ll admit, it was funny, and she did deserve it,’ she adds with a grin.
My stomach growls like a caged beast, the hunger within me unbearable. I try to ignore it, but it's no use. I blush as Janie and Imogen stare at me, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity, ‘I’m sorry, I’m just so hungry. I can't stop craving raw meat. It's all I can think about,’ I tell them as I roll back, flat on the ground, holding my stomach. ‘It doesn’t matter how many sandwiches, biscuits or meals I eat. None of it satisfies my hunger. I’ve been craving raw meat so badly,’ I confess.
‘Raw meat?’ Imogen giggles. ‘What are you? A wolf?’ she giggles.