A Witch Like No Other by Makala Thomas

again.”
Marlon pulled the ring off and gave it to
Pandora before flicking his hand at the lake. This time the water
rose slightly, waves crashing against the bank. Marlon stumbled
backward as the ducks and swans screeched fearfully, Pandora
clapping for her brother.
    “ And you act
like magic doesn’ t
exist!”
    “ Shut up
‘ Dora,” he muttered. “I
thought it was the ring.”
    “ It only glowed
because it acknowledged your power, Marlon.”
    “ You know a
lot!” he said, then he paused. “What about you?”
    “ Me?” she said
tonelessly. “What about me?”
    “ Don’ t play innocent. I
know you ’ ve been doing magic in your bedroom,” said Marlon, smirking
at her. “I saw the box glowing.”
    “ So?”
    “ So I want to
see you do something. Come on ‘ Dora, I know you can.”
Pandora hesitated. “Will you tell Dad?”
    “ And get in
trouble? Hell no.”
    “ Promise?”
    “ I promise,
Pandora. Now show me the magic!”
    Pandora pulled her wand out of her inside pocket, pointed
it at a swan as she thought of that Disney film Bambi and
said “Alterio!”
BANG!!
Marlon yelped, staring at the doe.
“Whoa!”
Pandora smiled, waving her wand. Smoke
swirled around the doe, soon clouding it from view. The wind blew
seconds later, clearing the smoke. Marlon gasped as the swan stared
at them haughtily before splashing back into the lake and swimming
away.
    “ Marlon!
Pandora!”
    They whirled round, staring at their
father ’ s angry face.
     
* * *
     
    “ Give me the
wand, Pandora.” Ted held out his hand. “Now.”
    “ No.”
    “ Now!”
    “ No!”
    “ Give me the
wand!”
    “ Don’ t shout at her!” said
Marlon angrily, pulling his sister away from Ted.
“Don ’ t
give it to him, Pandora. He ’ s jealous.”
    “ Jealous!”
spluttered Ted. “You think I’ m
jealous of you two?”
    “ Yes!” said
Marlon angrily. “What’ s wrong
with being-”
    “ Nothing,” said
Miriam desperately, thinking of Dreamer. “Nothing!”
    “ Don’ t encourage them,
Miriam!” said Ted angrily, glaring at her.
    “ I’ m not, Ted.” Miriam did
her best to stay calm, using her mentor technique. “Dreamer was my
friend at school and college; I ’ ve seen worse than what
Marlon and Pandora was doing.”
    “ You’ re not helping,” he
said furiously. “Give Dreamer ’ s wand, ‘ Dora!”
    “ It’ s mine now, Dad!”
Pandora pocketed the wand, backing away. “Mine, ok?
You ’ re
not taking it away from me!”
    “ Pandora-”
    “ Stay back-
stay back or I’ ll hex
you!”
    “ Ditto,” said
Marlon, joining his sister’ s
side. “Stay right back, Dad.”
Ted stared at them, then he turned to
Miriam.
    “ I’ ve lost my kids in the
blink of an eye.”
    “ No you
haven’ t-”
    “ Do you know
why I cant stand magic? Do you?”
    “ No I
don’ t-”
    “ Because their
grandfather killed my parents!” spat Ted, Miriam recalling what
Dreamer told her.
    “ It was an
accident, Miriam! They jumped in front of the spy to save him- Ted
nearly jumped as well but Mama dragged him back-”
    “ And if they
think I’ m going to let them
follow his footsteps, they ’ ve got another thing
coming!”
    “ It was an
accident, Ted!”
    “ Accident my
back foot! He never liked my parents because they
didn’ t have an ounce of magic
in them-” Ted took a deep breath, then he said “Then he just
disappeared!”
Miriam tried to calm him. “Dreamer told me
what happened already-”
    “ No justice!”
said Ted angrily, stamping his foot. “When the police and ambulance
got there they said it was a double stroke-”
    “ Ted-”
    “ And now they
want to be just like Paul!”
Pandora recoiled, then she turned and
sprinted away.
    “ Pandora!”
shouted Marlon, but she didn’ t
look back. “See what you ’ ve done?” he yelled at
Ted, before he ran after his sister. “Pandora!”
Pandora sped up, turning a corner out of
sight.
    Marlon skidded on one leg, swearing violently. Passers