A Witch Like No Other by Makala Thomas Page A

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stared at him, alarmed as they quickened their pace. Marlon
didn ’ t
care if he looked mad, he was furious as he stormed back over to
his father.
    “ Now
what?!”

 
* * *
     
Stuffing a pen and notepad into her rucksack
with her golden box and spell book, Pandora added some clothes and
her teddy.
    Wiping tears of anger off her face, she looked at
Dreamer ’ s picture.
    “ Is that what
he thought of magic- even when you met him?”
    This time the picture didn ’ t do a thing.
    “ It’ s not bad,” said
Pandora angrily. “It ’ s wonderful. You ’ re wonderful.”
    Suddenly Dreamer ’ s voice rolled around
her bedroom.
Where are you going, Pandora, when you fear
people?
    “ I’ m leaving!”
For how long?
    “ Two days!” she
said furiously, noticing a frown on Dreamer’ s face in her picture. “Don ’ t try and stop me
either, Mum!”
Where will you stay, darling?
    “ I’ ll sleep in the
park!”
And what will you do if a stranger wakes
you up?
    “ I…
I’ ll run away!”
    Fine, what will you do if the police wake you
up?
    “ I’ ll still run away,”
sighed Pandora, sitting on her bed.
Think about it, Pandora. You cant go
anywhere.
    “ Did Grandpa
really kill Dad’ s parents?”
she asked, eyes filling.
It was an accident, darling.
    “ But
that’ s why Dad hates magic,
though. Right?”
    He loved it before the incident, Dreamer replied. Yes.
    “ Well, he cant
stop me from being a witch and Marlon a wizard.”
I know.
    “ He hated you
doing magic too, I remember.”
    Because it reminds him of your grandfather,
that ’ s all.
    “ That’ s all?”
    That ’ s all, Pandora. Now go and wash your face.

 
* * *
     
    “ You selfish
git!” spat Marlon, Miriam standing between him and Ted with her
arms held out. James was there as well, holding Marlon back as he
said “She could be anywhere, thanks to you!”
    “ Me!”
    “ Yes, you!
Trying to dump your burdens on us- why don’ t you go and talk to Miriam in her office or
something?! Pandora was so calm and relaxed today before you messed
it all up!”
    She was? James thought to himself. That ’ s good. She still
hasn ’ t
called or texted me, though. Obviously she doesn ’ t want to
know.
    “ Let go of me,
James!”
    “ Let’ s keep it cool,
Marlon!” said James, scared that his friend would swing for his
dad. “I ’ ve got a car, we can look for Pandora!”
    Before Marlon could answer he, Ted and Miriam jumped at the
same time, their beloved Dreamer ’ s voice echoing inside
their heads.
    She ’ s at home. Go to her.
    “ What was
that?” demanded James, as they looked at each other. “You looked
like frogs or something!”
    Heart racing, Marlon said “Go home, James.
I ’ ll
call you.”
    Breathing heavily, Ted added “Visit in a few days time- we
need to be alone right now. There ’ s things we need to sort
out.”
    “ I want to see
Pandora,” said Miriam quietly. “What if she heard…?”
They looked at each other, then they
sprinted away.
    James looked down at the picnic basket, picking it up as he
called “I’ ll just hold onto this for you, yeah?”
    They didn ’ t look back.

 
* * *
     
    “ Pandora!”
yelled Ted, bursting through the front door with Marlon and Miriam
behind. “‘ Dora, are you all
right?” Silence. “Pandora!”
    “ I’ m in the bathroom!” she
called angrily. “Leave me alone!”
    “ Hurry up and
come out!” said Marlon desperately- he dashed up the stairs as soon
as the bathroom door opened and pulled Pandora clean off her feet,
giving her a tight hug. “Are you all right?”
    “ I’ m fine,” she mumbled
into his shoulder. “I heard Mum talking-”
    “ So did we, so
did we- she told us you’ re
here-”
    “ I thought you
would run away,” said Ted, relieved to see his daughter safe and
sound even though it cant have been over an hour.
    Pandora almost didn ’ t answer him. He knew
her well.
    “ I would have,
but Mum stopped me.”
    “ But
she’ s dead,”