WAKING NIGHTMARES
CHAPTER TEN
WAKING NIGHTMARES.
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Boyf
+416 2242-044
Hey I had another thought!
About what?
You said you saw Tommy in your vision
right? When you and Agatha were
corpse-hunting?Do you have to say it like that?
Shopping for your brother’s bangin new bod?
I take it back, corpse-hunting is fine.
What about it?
Tell me about it.
Typing…
I mean it wasn’t great.
I know, I don’t mean to bring it up
unnecessarilyBut I think it could help to analyse
it a little more you know?I’m not following
Okay, well, was it light or dark outside?
Sunny
Hot, too. They were at a lake
I think. Or a pool maybe.So if we assume you were seeing it happen
in real time, then he’s probably in the
same hemisphere, right?Oh. Yeah, you’re right.
Do you know what time of day it was?
In the vision? I mean…late afternoon maybe
It was hard to tell on the Road
It was perpetually midnight.
How very My Immortal of you
It’s so weird
What is?
You, making fun of a hex world I made
on accident using a magic I didn’t know
I had.Oh, is it too soon?
Should I stop?
No! No, it’s good weird.
It makes it feel manageable, I guess?
Less like a nightmare I’m reliving
and more like something I survived.Wait I remember
It was early evening when I came out of it
It felt the same in the vision
That’s great! So it sounds like Tommy’s in the
same timezone, you know?Maybe
Yeah, wow.
That’d be weird right?
Not so strange. It sounds like your magic
looked for the first available body right?That’s why you came to Eastview in the
first place. Maybe Tommy didn’t go so
far either.God, you can’t be hot and smart
Seriously this is just cruel
I am a man of many talents obviously
You’re incredible.
For real.
🖤
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C:\Users\WKaplan\Desktop\Witch101\Recordings\witch101_july_20.mp3
02:29:34 | 02:38:49
“The trick to glamours is intent, not specifics. You don’t have to visualise every tiny detail, you have to focus on what you want the illusion to do for you. Do you want to be more intimidating? Do you want to blend in? Do you want to draw attention or envy or disgust? It’s about the- hey. I’m not talking for my benefit here.”
“Huh? Oh, sorry, I just- how is this gonna help me find Tommy?”
“Why don’t you focus on what I’m trying to teach you about glamours first, hmm? Maybe you could illusion up a damn pube or two while you’re at it.”
“Oh, gross, do you have to?”
“You know, I have other things I could be practising right now.”
“Like what? Making out with your on-off psycho bride of Chuckie?”
“What is your problem today? I thought you were back together with the boytoy!”
“His name is Eddie and he’s not my problem, you are! I’m no closer to finding my brother than I was on the damn Road and figuring out how to cast dumb illusions on myself isn’t helping!”
“Kid, witchcraft isn’t a damn sprint, it’s a marathon! You’re staring down the barrel of, goddess willing, an incredibly long life and the first thing you gotta remember is that everything you learn comes in handy eventually, even if it seems useless at the time. So you want to keep arguing with me or you want to shut up and learn?”
“I…you’re right. I’m sorry, I do want to learn.”
“Save it. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter, kid. Figure out whatever’s eating you and give me a call when you’re ready to take this seriously.”
“Wait, Agatha, I- Damn it.”
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Jen K
+410 5932-394
Can you send me that recipe
you said helped with dream projection?Hello to you too Teen. What’s
that? You finished the last reading
I sent you already? Terrific, I knew
you’d be worth the time and energy
I’ve taken out of my busy schedule to
invest in your skills as a witch.Jen please
Do you have the recipe?
I can’t find it in our emails.Of course I have the recipe. I’m also
not about to send you a dreaming potion
when you’ve barely managed to cast a
sleeping draught successfullyI need to try something else
Please, I’m running out of time
What does that mean? What’s the rush?
You spent three years figuring out who
you were and you turned out…fine, I guessTyping…
I’m going out of my mind here, Jen.
Everything I’ve tried so far has been a bust.
In my dreams, I nearly catch him but every
time I get close enough, I wake up.It’s driving me insane, I just
I need to try something.
Anything.
Please Jen.
Jen K is typing…
[link attached]
Try this. It’s a mild projection
potion, it should help you focus on
what you’re already experiencing
in your dreams.Thank you
Make sure Agatha keeps an eye on you
while you’re outI will
Teen, I’m serious. You need someone who
can keep an eye on your body while you
project. If something happens to it, you
can get so lost you’ll never find it againI promise. I’ll be careful.
Thank you Jen
* * * * *
* * * *
“Hello?”
“This is a collect call from an inmate at the New Jersey Green Park Correctional Facility. Do you accept the charges?”
“…Yes?”
“Please be aware this call is being monitored and recorded. Stay on the line…Lisa?”
“Tommy? Holy shit, is that you? Where have you been? Wait, why are you calling from prison-?!”
“I don’t have a tonne of time. My lawyer talked them into a weekly phone call but it took a while to find your number.”
“Lawyer? What does that mean? What happened to you? I tried calling your mom and she’s not even picking up the phone and Stoner Dave didn’t have a goddamn clue!”
“I guess that’s what happens when you get arrested in the middle of a hold up and the judge refuses your bail while you’re waiting for arraignment. Lawyer Jeff is pissed, he’s filing a petition to have me released into a guardianship or something.”
“What hold up? Wait, they arrested you? Why?”
“Wrong place, wrong time. It was…really bad. Someone got killed.”
“Jesus, Tommy.”
“I’m sorry I left you hanging like that. I should’ve just gone home and video called you instead like you wanted.”
“God, I’m just…I’m really glad to hear your voice.”
“Yeah. Me too. Listen, like I said, I don’t have a tonne of time. They stuck me back in Green Park while they shore up their case against me.”
“What can I do? Can I- should I call your mom again?”
“Oh, don’t worry, she knows where I am. But about two days before I got arrested, she was kicking me out so I don’t think she’s on her way down here any time soon.”
“God, what an ass.”
“Yeah, pretty much. I just wanted you to know where I was, you know? Just in case something happened.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. There’s a dead guy and I wrestled the asshole with the gun so my prints are on it. I gotta say, it doesn’t look great.”
“But you didn’t do anything!”
“How d’you know that?”
“Because I know you!”
“Are you sure about that?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I don’t think I’m getting my memories back any time soon. I means I…I think whatever this is, it’s permanent.”
“Tommy, you haven’t even seen a doctor yet. It’s way too soon to be giving up like this and besides, you have more important things to worry about right now, okay? What’s your lawyer’s name? I’ll look him up, I’ll talk to him, see if I can help.”
“No! Lis, look, you can’t get anywhere near this, okay? All this happening on the same night as…the other stuff…already looks suspicious as hell.”
“I’ll decide that for myself, thank you very much. Just try to keep your head and look out for Felix.”
“Felix? Felix who?”
“Oh shit, you don’t remember Green Park. Shit, okay, Tommy, listen, just don’t-”
“Connection has expired. Call disconnected.”
“Lisa? Lis, are you there? Hello?”
“Connection has expired. Call disconnected.”
“…I miss you.”
* * * * *
* * * *
Tears of the Sleeper – a potion to freely move
amongst one’s own dream
Nocturne feathers
Dust of forgotten paths
A pinch of shadow
Thread of slumber
Grind together well and apply to
cauldron using distilled water.
Imbibe precisely at sundown and
be sure to return to your guarded form by midnight.
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C:\Users\WKaplan\Desktop\Tommy\Scrying\Attempt_032_july_23.mp3
00:00:59 | 03:27:09
“Okay, run through the list again.”
“Owl feathers, check. Candle soot, check.”
“Candle soot?”
“A pinch of shadow, it’s the soot from a candle extinguished at midnight.”
“All that came from a candle?”
“Huh? Oh no, this is the dust of forgotten paths.”
“Really? Cause it looks like a bowl of burnt paper?”
“Nothing more forgotten in the age of Google Maps than a street directory from 2001. I took it from my dad’s office, I don’t think he’ll notice it’s gone.”
“Alright then. Last one to add is…slumber’s thread?”
“Taken from the inside of my pillow case. Okay, it’s nearly sundown. Ready?”
“Are you sure you shouldn’t wait for Agatha? This feels like the kind of thing that requires some expertise.”
“Eddie, all you gotta do is make sure my body stays right here for the next eight hours, okay? I promise, it’ll be just like when I fall asleep watching movies.”
“…Alright. Well, bottom’s up then, babe. Sun’s nearly down. And hey- be safe, alright?”
“I will. It’ll be fine. This is going to work, you’ll…you…see…”
“God, I hope so.”
---
03:11:13 | 03:27:09
“…Tommy…you…wait…”
“Billy? You waking up? Please, please, be waking up…”
“Defende nos…DEFENDE…”
“Billy?! Billy, wake up, come on, it’s not real, just-”
“What. The fuck. Is he doing?”
“Oh, thank god you’re here.”
“That’s not an answer, boytoy.”
“I tried to get him to call you, he wouldn’t listen.”
“What is this? What did he take?!”
“It’s a projection potion. He said it was going to help him contact Tommy but something’s wrong, he won’t stop thrashing and he said all I had to do was keep an eye on his body but I think I screwed it up-”
“Keep an eye on his-? Oh, you little cretin!”
“What? What did I do?!”
“Not you, him! Guardians don’t just watch the body, they anchor the soul! Which you have no clue how to do because you aren’t a witch!”
“I know that, okay?! Just help him! Please!”
“Why should I?! He’s obviously fixated on getting himself killed, why not let him?”
“Because you love him too!”
“…Get out of the way. Teen, I am gonna kill you if you die in there. Ancora anima ad mortalis forma…come on, kid. Find your way back…”
“Get off him…get off him…Tommy!...defende nos…TOMMY!”
“Billy!? Hey, hey, it’s okay! It’s okay, you’re back, you’re safe now!”
“They’re hurting him! They’re…I could see them hitting him over and over and he…he was all alone…I have to…I can’t…”
“Deep breaths, kid, before you swallow your own tongue.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“Sounds like he found that brother of his in the middle of a beat down. Dream projection can feel just like reality if you’re not careful.”
“Agatha…Agatha, he’s not safe…I saw him, they’re hurting him…”
“Yeah, well, I’m gonna hurt you in a minute if you don’t give me a half decent explanation for what the hell you were thinking.”
“Lay off him, alright?! Look at him, he’s still in shock!”
“Oh shut up, boytoy. You, talk.”
“I have to find him, Agatha…I have to, he’s…if I don’t find him before the end of summer…”
“What? You turn into a pumpkin?”
“She’ll take us both!”
“…what?”
“I made a deal. With Rio. I…I thought I’d have more time.”
“You made a…are you insane?”
“I had to. I couldn’t keep waiting for it to happen, I wanted to protect him."
“Billy, hey…it’ll be okay. We’ll work it out. Agatha, we can- wait, where’d she go?”
“…He’s all alone, Eddie. I put him there. I knew he wouldn’t have anyone, I knew it and I put him there anyway.”
“It’s okay. It’ll all be okay.”
* * * * *
* * * *
REBECCA
+412 9824-638
Hey honey, I’m gonna be later than I thought
There’s been a complication with this new pro bono case
Which one?
The kid I told you about
Oh, that’s right.
What kind of complication?
I just heard from the
infirmary at the correctional
facility. He got jumped in his
cellblock about an hour ago.Oh my god
Is he okay??
Broken nose, dislocated cheekbone, fractured ribs.
It’s easier to point out the bones
they didn’t break on this kid.That poor boy
I’m gonna swing past and make
sure they document everything so
we can add it to the injunction we’re filing
on his behalfMostly I just wanna check in on him.
He’s just a kid, Bec.
God. Do they know
who did it at least?Apparently some other inmate he’s
had grievances with in the past. The warden
was real cagey over the phone.As he should be!
Children shouldn’t be beating each
other half to death on his watch.I’ll be sure to tell him that when I
file my formal complain with the justice
department over this.Well, Billy and Eddie are busy “watching
a movie” upstairs so just come home when
you can“watching a movie”
They must think we’re idiots.
I told them to keep the door open
but I’m giving them some spaceNice, very parental-but-not-trying-too-hard
Tyvm
I’m just so glad they worked it out.
Yeah, me too.