The Anomaly
R.B. Winters
The Anomaly
2
© 2010 by R.B. Winters. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal. First printing
ISBN: 144998309X PUBLISHED BY CREATESPACE wwwrobertbrianwinters.com
New York Printed in the United States of America
R.B. Winters
3
For my Aunt Leesa
We’re waiting under the apple tree
The Anomaly
4
R.B. Winters
5
Table of contents
1. Sisters of the Black Circle
2. Megnificent Plans
3. Orbs & Prophecy
4. The Loop
5. Starting over yet again
6. The truth inside
7. The council house
8. Terrable times
9. The places you’ll go
10. New faces, old places
11. Letting your guard down
12.dirty little secret
13. Foreign applications
14. The summoning
15. See what I see
16. Deadland realms
17. fate
18. accadia
19. Three times three
20. Melissa’s revenge
21. endings
The Anomaly
6
22. The real me
R.B. Winters
7
1 .
Sisters of the Black Circle
andles flickered dimly about the stale
room, clinging to the ancient black
holders that curled out from the
roughly forged walls. Several poorly formed
pillars of gray stone supported the ceiling
that stretched beyond the glow of the orange
candlelight. The center of the room was
occupied by five cloaked figures. They moved
in a synchronized fashion around an enormous
mound of gray; lowly chanting a haunting
spell.
“The universe unwind, planets collide,
threads combine. Linear time, demon design,
threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of
day, hidden away,” speaking in perfect
harmony through their exhaustion.
Unwavering in their form, the figures
C
The Anomaly
8
followed one another in hypnotic fashion.
Their robes billowed behind, sweeping along
the silent floor, trying to keep up. The
Sisters’ steps shuffling along with the
chant, their small bare feet leaving prints
on the damp floor; a ruckus coming from
somewhere beyond the walls.
The low humming continued as the doors
began to shake. Violent pounding came from
the other side; forcefully rattling the worn
black bolts that cemented the twin doors to
their feigning frame. The Sisters did not
break from the pattern of their ritual,
moving a bit more quickly around the
dripping mass at their center.
“The universe unwind, planets collide,
threads combine. Linear time, demon design,
threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of
day, hidden away.”
A silver spark appeared as a singular
drip from the unpleasantness that was the
gray, hitting the terracotta colored floor
that was made momentarily visible beneath
it. Like a dragon licking ice with its fire-
R.B. Winters
9
drenched tongue, the spark sizzled into
nonexistence. Another followed, the Sisters
hastening their steps.
“The universe unwind, planets collide,
threads combine. Linear time, demon design,
threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of
day, hidden away.”
The door throbbed, holding back those
that were furiously attacking the outer
façade. Chanting through the cries of
compliance to ‘open the door’, the Sisters
did not give into the temptation their
attackers were so tastelessly offering. The
pulsating gray in the midst of the cloaked
witches dripped, shrinking at a steady pace,
a shower of sparks dancing about the floor
below. The faces of the witches were
illuminated beneath their tattered black
hoods. Their pale flesh stood without a
glint of emotion. Black hair framing all
five faces from smooth forehead to sunken
chin, pink lips of each moving at the same
steady, disturbing pace,
“The universe unwind, planets collide,
The Anomaly
10
threads combine. Linear time, demon design,
threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of
day, hidden away.”
Their eyes were nothing more than
hollow pits that reflected the darkness of
the room as if to mirror it. The Sisters
stopped, the pounding on the door continuing
to echo within the room, nearly drown out by
the sound of the silver and white sparks
that drummed upon the now charring floor.
The Sisters’ heads turned in unison to face
the sparking mess. They threw their hands
into the air, the sleeves of their cloaks
pulling back to reveal ten ghastly pale and
bony arms. Dimly though the room was lit,
the darkened veins that decorated the arms
of their decaying bodies were a hideous
site; topped off by nails that were yellow
and flaking. Time had not been a friend,
fueled by the deplorable state in which the
Sisters of the Black Circle had been forced
to live, cut off from the magical community
by order of the Council.
“The universe unwind, planets collide,
threads combine. Linear time, demon design,
R.B. Winters
11
threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of
day, hidden away,” their chant becoming
louder, nearly hysterical.
Rising into the air, the lump continued
spewing fantastic sparks. The oversized,
poorly crafted door exploded from its frame;
having given way to the persistence that
came from the orbs being thrown at the
grainy wood, scattering in splinters upon
the floor. A group of wizards stood on the
other side of the exposed exit with palms
outstretched before them, orbs of red
pulsating, ready to attack. It was
unnecessary for any of the Sisters to pay
mind to those entering the doorway. They had
more than anticipated the arrival of
Anneliese and her Council of forced
followers.
The Council had spent a considerable
amount of time trying to locate the
legendary Primary, informed it was hidden
within the Sisters’ Castle. Though there was
no proof to support or deny this theory,
Anneliese had found every infraction of
wizard law that would allow her to raid the
The Anomaly
12
castle. Dragging the entire Council to the
castle upon rumor of ill-obtained charms
that turned out to be nothing more than
mortal necklaces, properly purchased and
imported with the permission of the
Department of Mortal Relics.
Alex recalled the second time Anneliese
had drug he and three other casters of the
Council to the castle. A rumor of ritual
sacrifice that turned out, as Alex and
presumed, to be perfectly legal. The Sisters
were sacrificing Watts. Terrible little
creatures with razor sharp wings, sticky
legs, and plump round bodies; coming from
the depths of the Terra-Accadia Forest. If
anything, it was a blessing to rid the
magical world of a few.
Flares of green burst from the
illuminated lump, lashing out like whips.
The Sisters continued in a fearless fashion,
not to be deterred in their task. The
unwanted wizards rushed in, orbs pummeling
the nonreactive Sisters; all except one
collapsing upon the dank floor. The single
witch continued,
R.B. Winters
13
“The universe unwind, planets collide,
threads combine. Linear time, demon design,
threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of
day, hidden away.”
“Alexander, stop her!” roared
Anneliese, firing off another round of
crimson orbs.
It was Anneliese that had forced the
Council members here tonight on another
‘tip’. It seemed her sole purpose (of the
time) to bring about the downfall of the
Sisters of the Black Circle. Not even Alex
could understand the reason she felt them to
be such a threat, but there was no option
other than to obey; no matter how he
detested the orders.
Coming within a foot of the hollering
Sister that appeared undisturbed by the
attack, she turned her empty eyes to Alex.
In a split second her hand fell from the
air, grabbing hold of Alex by the wrist. The
two connected, Alex able to feel the power
that was coursing through the witch and the
furious monster at her helm.
The Anomaly
14
“Keep it safe. Keep it secret. Keep it
hidden,” spoke the Sister.
Alex hearing the words somewhere inside
his head as she vocalized,
“The universe unwind, planets collide,
threads combine. Linear time, demon design,
threat to rewind. Form of gray, light of
day, hidden away.”
Whips of green continued to beat out
into the dark corners of the room, combining
they spun around the now radiant orb.
Unannounced winds circled the room,
attacking the lingering sources of light,
the flames hissing as they were vanquished.
The vicious swirl of green retreated
furiously into the terrifying mass;
something like water down a drain, allowing
the room to fall back into dark silence.
Extinguished candles still neatly in their
iron holders, hung wearily as amber dots,
gray tails rising from them.
A rush of heat and blinding white
exploded from the hovering point of
fixation, leaving everyone on the floor in
R.B. Winters
15
its wake. The Sister’s hand continued
holding tightly to Alex, his watering eyes
glazing over. Alex couldn’t hold a proper
thought, his mind spinning feverishly, and
the grip on his arm unexpectedly releasing.
Opening his eyes, Alex sat in darkness.
Running his hands over the smooth surface of
the chilled floor, bumping something solid
just as solid. Carefully examining the
object through touch, he climbed to his
feet. A bit dazed and unclear on what had
happened, Alex glanced around. It was
impossible to see, but he knew he was in the
Council Hall. With memorized steps he walked
the distance around the large judge-like
stand that stood silently in the darkness.
Without touch the door to Alex’s
personal chamber opened. Alex had recently
inherited this particular chamber. It had
belonged to Anneliese until she recently
felt the Council was in need of a new home.
With the completion of her current Council
Palace, as Alex referred to it, there was
plenty of empty space left behind. Though
The Anomaly
16
the immense hall just beyond the door of his
chamber was left to collect dust, it would
eventually be home to a Council of Alex’s
control.
Alex’s chamber was a brilliant white
that was impossible to look upon without
squinting. Visitors often had watering eyes
as they spoke with Alex in this place of
oppressive light, a sight that gave him an
inappropriate rush of pleasure and power.
Silvery-gray doors of a newly made cabinet
that stood against the adjacent wall were
slightly open as if closed in such a rush
that no one had checked to make sure they
were properly secured.
As if in a dream, Alex moved through
the light that hung in the room like a fog.
Arriving at the cabinet that stretched
several heads above him, there was something
to be seen. The doors silently swung
outward, pulled by an unseen hand, allowing
Alex’s brown eyes to peer inside. A large
glass orb sat upon a shelf, a gray haze
swirling around inside like a summer
thunderstorm.
R.B. Winters
17
Pressure was again being put on Alex’s
forearm, looking down, the Sister was again
there. Her face distant, eyelids beginning
to droop over the vacant holes she had for
eyes, and her flesh nearly translucent now.
The fog was sucked from the room, replaced
by a heavy darkness that collapsed upon Alex
with such force that he was unable to keep
his knees from buckling. He laid on the
ground, the Sister at his side, a storm of
noise rushing at his ears.
The sight was not what Alex remembered.
Two head-sized orbs hung above, emitting a
dim glow that was just enough to outline the
room and its many occupiers. The gray lump
the Sisters had been chanting around was
gone; the terracotta floor scorched where
sparks had danced down.
“ALEXANDER!” cried Anneliese.
Alex slowly turned his head to face the
witch that had shouted his name with such
rage. Her pinched, pale, and pointed face
was furious even through the darkness. Her
The Anomaly
18
tightly twisted blonde hair glimmered
somehow in this unremarkable lighting.
Anneliese was never a fan of Alex. Had it
not been for his remarkable talents, she
would have never allowed him anywhere near
her Council. Though, the way things were
moving with Trejun’s death and Amen’s
continued resistance of Council law, it
seemed a good idea to keep him at hand.
“Grab her!”
Alex turned his head back to the Sister
in the same slow, almost sinister, fashion.
Her lips didn’t move, but her voice was
clear,
“Keep it safe. Keep it secret. Keep it
hidden.” Something like a mirage in the
desert at midnight, the Sister vanished as
dust on the wind.
Alex’s attention was refocused with the
forceful, cold slap of Anneliese’s hand
against his cheek.
“You let her escape?”
“How would you have liked me to stop
R.B. Winters
19
her?” snapped Alex, his cheek turning red,
heightened by his anger.
“I didn’t lead my best casters down
here to have my time wasted. I want these
witches brought to justice.” Anneliese
turned to leave, her casters following,
their black robes scaling across the stones
of the floor.
“What justice is there in persecuting
the innocent?”
Anneliese stopped with a jolt. She was
well known for maintaining a dignified
appearance at all times, even on news that
innocent wizards and mortals were being
slaughtered. With no one around other than
Council members, sworn to secrecy, her rage
was evident. The pale cheeks she wore with
such a high-and-mighty snarl had fallen to a
furious shade of pink.
“You are on thin ice, Alexander,” her
voice heavy. “Your job is to do as I say.”
“Unlike the rest of this Council, I will not
follow you blindly.”
The Anomaly
20
“Perhaps you should not be a part of my
Council,” hissed Anneliese, leaning close
enough for Alex to feel the warmth of her
snake like breath.
This seemed enough for Alex to bite his
tongue, though it nearly crippled him to do
so. Anneliese stormed off, the dwindling
casters following at her heel.
Alex remained in the room that was full
even when no one was there. It grew dark as
the abandoned attack orbs conjured by the
other casters diluted into the air. Alex
ignited the smoldering candles overhead with
a flick of his wrist. The room was as tall
as it was long, even with some light in the
space there was no way to see the ceiling.
Crates covered nearly every inch of the
outlining walls, some opened in such a way
that the tan boards were left in shreds upon
the ground.
Alex had been here several times before
Anneliese started her witch-hunt. There was
a time when the Sisters had been trusted
allies of the Council. They had served under
R.B. Winters
21
Trejun, with his unexpected death and Amen’s
uprising, Anneliese saw the Sisters as a
threat. To date, the Sisters of the Black
Circle had done nothing to show allegiance
with Amen; though they had not made a point
of proving to Anneliese that their interests
were in her favor.
Anneliese was more inclined to believe
the Sisters were conspiring against her when
they refused to vacate Trejun’s castle,
claiming it as their own. Of course,
Anneliese was the only one that felt they
needed to leave. Members of the Council,
other than Alex, would never speak up, but
they all felt the Sisters to be entitled to
the castle in mark of their faithful
servitude to Trejun. The Sisters were aware
that their actions would lead to banishment,
if not worse.
Alex’s last visit, outside the ongoing
raids, to this room was when he was
presented with a life altering decision. It
was almost possible to see the characters of
his past standing in front of him.
The Anomaly
22
The room was filled with a burning
sunset that draped over every corner and
façade of the castle. Alex and Meg stood at
a balcony that overlooked an incredible
landscape. Beyond the carved limestone
railing was a hundred foot drop into a
valley of green. Trees as tall as
skyscrapers, animals of unknown origin and
flowers blooming in a multitude of vibrant
colors.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
A man appeared in the room looking the
way Alex would always remember him. Trejun
was wrinkled in the face with the glow of a
grandfather. His hair was long and white, as
it was with many of the more traditional and
elderly wizards. His purple robe was made of
a fine silk that looked dangerous to touch,
as if perhaps a hand would shred the finally
woven threads.
“I brought you both here to make you an
offer.”
Meg slipped her hand into Alex’s,
giving him a gentle squeeze.
R.B. Winters
23
“You are both aware that of all my
pupils there are none more capable. The two
of you are an incredible duo with powers
that will someday, I believe, change the
wizarding world. What I would like to offer
you is the chance to embrace your powers.”
Meg gave a short smile, her brown eyes
glistening as she listened to Trejun’s
hypnotic and intoxicating words. Alex’s face
didn’t have the same enthused look. He
remained still and unaffected.
“What are you offering?” asked Alex,
not entirely prepared to know.
“This is the time to take advantage of
your strengths. This is the time to make
your mark on the world.”
“What are you offering?”
Alex was never patient enough to make
it through Trejun’s ramblings. Though he had
spent what felt like a lifetime listening to
the well-respected professor. Magical
training was reserved for those born of
wizard cities, something Alex had always
The Anomaly
24
thought to be a ridiculous practice. Those
that were born of the Mortal Realm were
forced to wait upon trainers finding and
nurturing them. Something Alex had no idea
he would someday be doing.
“Gods.”
“What?” replied Alex, Meg gripping his
hand more tightly.
“I’ve convened with the Demon Council
and they are interested in adding the two of
you to their circle. You would be endowed
with unimaginable powers beyond that of your
own.” There was a hint of lustful want in
Trejun’s voice. Alex was afraid his old
professor and friend had become more
interested in the connections he would
obtain, than the well-being and growth of he
or Meg.
“We would be Demon Gods?”
Trejun nodded graciously.
“So, we would be going against all of
our beliefs?”
R.B. Winters
25
“Alexander, you know that names are not
always as they sound. You would take on the
title, there would be no obligation to do
anything you would be unwilling to do now.”
“Alex, this is an incredible
opportunity,” encouraged Meg, breaking apart
their clasped hands, her voice drowning in
enthusiasm.
Meg was always quick to accept whatever
was presented to her, as long as it was done
so in a way that clearly benefited her.
Though she was perfect in appearance, this
was her fatal drawback.
“How can you say that?”
Though it wasn’t immediately apparent,
this was the moment that Alex disconnected
from Meg. Alex would later come to regret
this moment time and time again. Having
spent so much of their lives together
already, it was common thought that they
would be together forever. Some saw Alex and
Meg leading the Council and wizarding world
into a new future, hand-in-hand.
The Anomaly
26
“There is no need to make a decision
now. Take your time to think it over.”
“I want it,” blurted Meg, mostly to
defy Alex.
“I don’t,” retorted Alex. There was an
immediate eruption of tension between the
two. Their eyes locked in a vicious stare of
combat.
Trejun looked upon his prize pupils,
fearing that perhaps he had made a mistake
in presenting the opportunity to them in
this fashion. Meg was not the desired party
here; the Demon Gods were seeking Alex.
Using Meg was a ploy they had unwittingly
suggested upon Trejun in hopes of making
their will a reality.
“Megnificent, are you sure?” Trejun
asked, hoping he could convince her
otherwise.
“Absolutely.” Meg’s response seemed to
cut Alex, his face twitching a bit.
“Alexander?”
R.B. Winters
27
“No,” Alex muttered, looking properly
defeated.
Trejun took Meg by the hand, the two of
them walking towards the door. Alex remained
on the balcony, the sunset standing behind
him, watching as he and Meg settled upon the
decision that would forever put them on
parallel paths, only marked to cross one
another when ill was to come.
Alex stared at the place where he and Meg
had once stood together. The balcony was
gone, the opening closed up with rigged gray
bricks. Before the Black Circle had moved
into the once prestigious castle, it had
been home to Trejun and his trusted
advisors. When Trejun removed himself from
the public eye, a move many thought due to
illness, his advisors vanished.
Through some coaxing, Trejun was able
to move the Sisters into his Castle. He was
well aware of their impressive powers, also
he knew them to be the gypsies of the
magical community. With no real home, the
The Anomaly
28
Sisters of the Black Circle were convinced
to take up residence in Trejun’s castle with
the promise that they would no longer be
forced to seek out shelter on a regular
basis.
This castle was haunted with memories
that would never die. Alex had been admitted
into the Council, met and lost Meg, and
learned of Trejun’s death in this place.
Alex’s steps erupted through the room like
small cries from his past. Crossing the
threshold into a dim corridor the light
vanished as Alex’s shadow followed him out
of the room.
R.B. Winters
29
2.
Megnificent Plans
oments exist that are often
regretted; things that cannot be
changed. Sometimes it is the
change we make within these moments that
causes us such distress. Alec had been an
accidental creation of Alex’s. Returning to
a memory through the Pharaoh’s Eye, a rather
shabby and haggard block of wood that had
been forged into the head of a long dead
pharaoh, Alex had managed to cross directly
through himself. Though details were not
fact, a rip in time split their threads
apart. Alec was born of memory, fortunate
only for Meg.
With the accidental creation of Alec,
Meg had found a vicious companion where she
had been lacking one. Alec had Alex’s face,
M
The Anomaly
30
body, and even snippets of his genius. He
was a far sight better to look at than her
two servants. Their rotting flesh, looking
as though it were ready to part from their
bodies; hair that was nothing more than
small tuffs of lanky black; and those
soulless eyes. All traits quite common in
Ritifs, though it was rare to find these
creatures outside the bowels of the hell
realms. Meg, a creature of darkness herself,
had a soft spot for the eyes of Ritifs.
After what had become a lifetime of
murderous endeavors, it was a relief to look
upon something that didn’t truly look back.
Meg stared almost longingly at Alec
with her distant brown eyes, recounting
their first encounter. Meg vanished from
Alex’s sight, reappearing in the shadows of
the trees. Moonlight weaving it’s way
through the heavy branches above, defined
Alex’s silhouette. Alex picked up an
unconscious Jen, carrying her away from what
he knew to be lurking beyond his sight.
Alex’s pace was much slower exiting the
forest than it had been upon entering. He
R.B. Winters
31
did his best not to rattle Jen too much;
aware that she could wake at any moment, but
unaware what damage had been done to her.
Meg orbed herself out of the forest,
waiting for Alex to appear. The minutes of
waiting felt like hours of anxious
anticipation. Meg was relieved to see a
figure breaking through the black of the
thick trees. Much to her surprise Alex was
no longer carrying Jen. A light flashed in
the distance, forcing Meg to turn. What must
have been the opening of a door allowed
light to flood from Alex’s house and into
the forest like someone signaling for help.
The light relinquished, but Meg was left
standing before an empty handed Alex.
“Who are you?”
“Did you hit your head?”
“Alex?” Meg asked. The attitude was
there, but something wasn’t right. It was as
if looking at Alex through the back end of a
mirror, he just seemed… different.
“Yes,” replied Alex, sounding very much
The Anomaly
32
like himself.
“Where’s the witch?” Though Meg had
come from humble beginnings, she loved to
remind anyone when she got the chance, that
she was a god, not just another witch in the
crowd.
“Alex carried her to the house.”
“But… you’re Alex?”
“Yes.”
Meg’s growing frustration was apparent
even in the fading moonlight. Her flesh was
a pale blue in the night air, but it was
clear that her eyes were pointing like
daggers at this possible impostor. Before
Meg had the chance to ask another question
the ground beneath her began to shift. Her
feet were sinking into the dirt, the entire
landscape turning on its side. Like a page
being turned over in a storybook, the trees
were bending towards the ground; the sky was
falling, the moon coming drastically close.
The tall grass at their feet bent as if a
wind had kicked up.
R.B. Winters
33
Falling into Alex, he embraced Meg as
the world continued to turn over. Meg
pressed her face into his chest, feeling a
slow rhythmic heart beat against her cheek,
the air was screaming like paper being
shredded furiously; rapidly the two of them
sank into the damp ground. With a jolt they
dropped through the floor of the Earth,
landing in a pile in the same spot they had
just left. Meg jumped to her feet, adjusting
her dress,
“What the hell realm was that?” she
shrieked, sunlight beaming on her pale
flesh.
“We’ve moved into the present.” Alex
was speaking as if this were a perfectly
natural act, like Meg should know what had
happened.
“What are you talking about?”
Alex smiled, his white teeth appearing in a
villainous fashion.
“Alex went back in time.
Unintentionally… I ran into myself.”
The Anomaly
34
“So… you’re not Alex?” Meg felt like
her head had been put in a vise. This made
no sense.
“I’m the Alex you fought in the forest…
but I’m not the Alex that carried Jen out.
I’m the past brought into the present by a
ripple,” Alex explained.
“We’re going to have to change your
name if I’m going to pretend to understand
any of what you just said.”
“What would you call me?”
Meg stared at the non-Alex for a
moment, the wheels in her head cranking
away. His characteristics were all those
that she had become familiar with: The short
messy brown hair, the dark eyes. They were
trademarks of a backfired jinx Meg had once
used on Alex, hiding his dirty blonde hair
and pale blue eyes. Never had she regretted
the accident; transforming Alex, even in the
slightest sense, gave her the ability to
distance herself from him.
“Alec,” she spat.
R.B. Winters
35
“It’s nearly the same name.” Alec
wasn’t pleased. Though he was a duplicate of
Alex, he felt the strangest loathing for
him. Sharing even a partial name seemed a
cruel punishment, especially coming from
Meg.
“Exactly. You’re almost the same
wizard,” grinned Meg.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“Wha- what?” stuttered Meg, coming from
her daze.
“What are you staring at me for?” asked
Alec, once again.
“Don’t question me.” Meg felt starting
a fight was her best defense. It was either
that or admit she had been thinking about
someone other than herself, even if the
memory involved her.
“Whatever… let’s get this over with.”
It was good fortune for Meg that she
had met Alec. He was the only wizard outside
of Alex and the Sisters of the Black Circle
The Anomaly
36
that knew of the Anomaly. There were
currently two things working in Meg’s favor:
Alec had retained most of Alex’s memories,
even if only in fragmented form; Alex was
quickly losing memories having been stripped
of his own powers by Meg’s extraction orb.
This was perhaps Meg’s greatest triumph
to date. She would never forget standing in
front of Alex, plunging the dazzling orb of
white into his chest and watching him
collapse. For a single moment, a twinge of
something appeared in Meg’s chest. Something
that told her she regretted what she was
doing. However, not interested in falling
victim to conscious, she suppressed the
feeling, extracting the orb.
The story was somewhat of an
embarrassment to Meg, considering Alex had
managed to escape her enchantment, meant to
hold him until death arrived. Alex had never
told anyone about the incident outside of
Jen and Melissa. Alec knew only because he
assisted Meg in creating the enchantment
through his memories of Alex’s home; no one
else had a clue as to where Alex had gone
R.B. Winters
37
for the eight mortal-month period. Alex had
never been able to reach out to the Council,
forcing them to assume he was dead, then
sidestepping questions after his abrupt
return. Meg assumed Alex had informed Anna,
knowing how much wasted trust he placed in
her.
The Primary, a powerful energy created
from bits of each realm, was hidden not so
much inside Melissa; as Melissa was more a
shell created to hide it. Meg had taken Alex
hostage in hopes of discovering the
whereabouts of her desperately desired
Primary. When she finally discovered in what
form it now existed, the window of
opportunity had closed. The amount of time
and power it would take to transform Melissa
out of her current form would take more
power than Meg had access to. Time was
running out for Meg to open the barrier
between she and the hell realm that was
home. The Anomaly however was still in its
pure form, hidden within Alex’s chamber of
the Council Hall.
Without invitation from a Council
The Anomaly
38
member it was impossible for Meg to visit
the Council Hall, but with Alec’s help there
was nothing to stop her. Though she had
separated them by a single letter, the
realms still felt Alex and Alec to be the
same wizard, having come from the same
thread. There were very few recorded cases
of wizards having their threads accidentally
split in two. Many of those that had done so
on purpose managed to disfigure themselves
horribly; some even managing death by
mistake. No, Alex and Alec were a very rare
case. Meg assumed it must have only been
possible to divide them in two due entirely
to the incredible amount of power that
resided within Alex. Though it was clear
Alec had not taken the better portion of
these powers.
Alec drew a circle in the air with his
finger several times, a spark of blue
finally igniting on the tip of his index
finger. The buzzing spark followed Alec’s
lead until a circle was formed, withdrawing
his hand, the portal grew to an appropriate
size, Meg pushing her way through, Alec
R.B. Winters
39
following close behind. The corridor leading
to the Council Hall was empty. It was no
secret that Alex was to face trial by the
First Council today. His arrival was
imminent, meaning that Alec had to get Meg
into Alex’s personal chamber before anyone
arrived.
Their shoes pounded against the black
and white tiles of the floor, the sound
bouncing furiously off the white doors that
lined the corridor from end to end. Meg had
been here a thousand times before.
Previously she had needed no invitation to
enter, but her decision to take residence
within the confines of a hell realm changed
that. Demons of any sort were not permitted
into the Council Corridor, or any of its
many doors, without written permission of
the Council Head.
Reaching the enormous wooden doors that
concealed the Council Chamber, Alec pressed
a hand lightly to one of the carved doors.
Meg had forgotten how impressive they were,
her eyes catching on the story that had been
carefully crafted upon the wood. The story
The Anomaly
40
of Trejun, whom she felt much sorrow for;
tales of Terra and Accadia, the wizarding
cities; battles of wizards that were long
forgotten, and even a small mention of the
hell realms near the bottom of the doors.
The dark wood slowly retreated, allowing the
duo into the quiet black ahead of them, the
closing doors swallowing the light of the
corridor.
“I can’t see anything,” grunted Meg, as
if this weren’t obvious, Alec reaching
through the dark for her hand.
Alec led her through the dense blanket
of black. Passing between the six wooden
pews that Meg was unable to see, and around
the massive stand where Alex and his Head
Council members perched. All of Alec’s steps
were memorized and precise even in the
darkness. He didn’t have to search for the
handle to Alex’s personal chamber; he knew
just where to reach within the darkness.
With a push their eyes were attacked with a
vibrant light that pressed desperately at
the darkness behind them. Meg allowed
herself ahead of Alec into the room.
R.B. Winters
41
“So… this is where he spends his time,”
muttered Meg, her eyes examining the white
room.
The large wooden desk, another mortal-
crafted trinket of Alex’s, was cluttered
with books and piles of paper; many spilling
onto the surrounding floor. The bookshelves
that lined the walls were cluttered with
books of every sort; an assortment of dark
colors making up the leather bindings. The
only comfort in the room was Alex’s winged
chair behind his desk. It looked old, the
black suede wearing in many places. There
were no chairs for visitors, not that anyone
would ever be allowed in long enough to sit.
“It’s in there… I think,” said Alec,
bringing Meg’s attention to the tall double
door cabinet; like Alex’s chair, looking as
if imported from the Mortal Realm.
“Shouldn’t you know where he put it?”
hissed Meg, her patience tested.
“Anything he’s done after we split
isn’t in my memory. For all I know, he moved
the thing.”
The Anomaly
42
Meg ran her slender fingers over the
smooth silver finish of the cabinet.
“Just a door between myself… and
everything I’ve been fighting for.”
“What are you fighting for?” asked
Alec.
Meg rolled her pouting brown eyes,
wishing that Alec wasn’t beside her.
“I want to go home.”
“I know that… but what’s the point? Why
not just find a new realm?”
“That’s the point! I clawed my way to
the top. I built an empire and then Alex and
his Council stole it away from me.”
Meg placed a hand around Alec’s neck,
her pointed red claws digging into his
flesh. The fury she was feeling for Alex bit
at the back of her throat; perhaps
sacrificing Alec would be enough to trick
her mind into ease.
“How would you like if I threw you back
into the time loop and you lost the
R.B. Winters
43
independence you’ve gained from Alex? How
would you like if I stole the life that was
yours?”
Alec whisked Meg’s hand from his neck,
the mark of her hand remaining as a vivid
pink outline. “I think you have forgotten
that I’m on your side,” he growled,
thrusting her hand away from his own.
“You’re still Alex somewhere in there.
If there is anything I learned from him…
from you… everything is a lie,” Meg’s words
biting at Alec.
“Just open the cabinet, drama god.”
Meg scowled, wrapping her fingers over
the dull silver knob of the cabinet door.
Applying some force, the door opened with a
terrible screech. Meg’s reaction was
instantaneous, a vicious grin ripped across
her face.
“Finally,” she uttered, relieved.
Alec checked over his shoulder. He
swore he heard someone step up to the door.
A moment’s silence allowed him to shrug off
The Anomaly
44
the suspicions, turning back to Meg. Alec,
not nearly as clever as Alex, failed to
realize that Jen was fading in and out of a
vision with Philip beyond the cracked door.
It was her wheezing breaths that he had
thought to be imagined. Jen peeked through
the crack of space between the door and its
frame; her vision more blurred than she
would later remember. Something purple was
pulled from the cabinet, a small corkscrew;
Jen’s attention faded momentarily as she
refocused on her attacker.
Meg held the castduv in her hand. It
was the key to unlocking the power of the
Anomaly.
“You never told me he had this… I
thought Philip…”
Meg examined the castduv in her hand,
“Where’d Philip find it? I’ve searched
like mad?”
“Trejun hid it in the depths of the
Forest. He assumed no one would desire it
enough to search.”
R.B. Winters
45
“I’ve been to the Terran Forest a
thousand times. Where was it?” Meg was
annoyed at her own ineptitude.
“One of the caves… who knows what he
did to get it. You know how Philip can be.”
Alec reached into the cabinet,
extracting a large gray orb, the purpose of
their visit. Meg’s trademark grin flashed
once more. Gently taking the Anomaly from
Alec’s hands, Meg held the thing in front of
her. The storm of gray spun slowly inside
like thick puffs of smoke.
“Let’s go,” instructed Meg, unable to
control her smile.
Alec closed the doors of the cabinet,
in no rush to draw attention to the now
stolen objects. They hurried out of Alex’s
chamber and into the darkness of the Council
Hall.
“Wait.” Meg stopped, pulling from her pocket
a small orb of metallic. It seemed to
capture a trace of light that wasn’t there.
“What is it?”
The Anomaly
46
“A little gift for Alex,” replied Meg,
holding the silver orb in the palm of her
hand, she pressed her lips together. A
gentle wisp and it was gone. Alec waited…
the room remained dark.
“Was that it?”
Meg didn’t respond, her lips turning up
in a grin darker than that of the Council
Hall.
Melissa, who had not been in the
corridor on Meg’s entrance; sat in the
wobbly wooden chair that had been provided
for her; strumming her fingers along the
bottom of her seat, rocking in bored
anticipation. Melissa waited for the massive
wooden doors to open and for Jen to step
out. She anticipated Anna taking her inside
the Council Chamber for the first time.
Melissa was rocked from her daze, as
the doors were forced open.
“Finally,” she snapped, jumping to her
feet.
R.B. Winters
47
A woman came from within the Council
Chamber.
“What the hell-“ Melissa didn’t have
time to finish, Meg slamming her against the
wall.
Melissa fell to the floor in a heap,
her head-lulling forward; face hidden
beneath a mop of tussled brown.
“Let’s get out of here,” cried Alec,
pulling at Meg’s free arm; terrified Alex
would discover them and instruct the Council
to eliminate him.
Meg shot Melissa a hate filled smile,
giving in to Alec’s pleas. They hurried down
the still empty corridor, an explosion of
red opening and consuming them. Exiting the
portal, Meg couldn’t have been more pleased
with herself, showing no gratitude towards
Alec for his efforts. There was a burning in
Alec’s chest, a feeling Alex had often
experienced when he thought of Meg.
“What?” snapped Meg, noticing the
pathetic look on Alec’s pale face. “Shall I
The Anomaly
48
reward you? Perhaps… free time to play with
the servants.”
Shaking his head, Alec left Meg with
her new objects of affection; doing his best
to ignore her cruel insults.
R.B. Winters
49
3.
Orbs & Prophecy
lex lifted himself from the ground,
rubbing his hands against heavy
eyelids; his head weighing greatly on
his shoulders. Blinking his eyes awake, Alex
glanced about the room. His memory foggy… to
say the least; he remembered the silver orb
that had appeared, coming to rest beside his
foot. That had happened in the chamber of
the First Council, but this was not that
place. Alex had somehow arrived home.
The glass doors at the rear of the
house were closed, the wooden slats tightly
pushed together to hold off the light. Alex
nudged his head out the door; the sky was an
unusual shade of red. Clouds were pulled
across the murky sky as if being drug along
by the nails of an angry hand; the sight was
A
The Anomaly
50
rather unnerving. Red and orange covered the
landscape as far as Alex could see, but
there was no sun in sight. It suddenly
occurred to him that there was no wind, as
if the world were holding its breath.
“HELLO!” Alex cried loudly, his voice
echoing over the smooth grass of the field.
The air rippling as his words somehow became
an invisible solid.
No response was returned, the wrinkling
of the air a disruptive sight. Alex was very
much alone in this place. It was like the
world had stopped turning while he had
slept. A dense and heavy heat was coming
from somewhere in the distance, hot enough
that Alex felt the need to shield his face.
Running a hand through his hair, Alex
realized it had grown long again, long
enough that it almost touched his eyebrows.
Was he in a memory?
Rounding the corner of the house, the
hollow thud of Alex’s footsteps against the
dark stained planks that made up the walkway
were all that could be heard. The landscape
R.B. Winters
51
below the house was picture perfect,
blanketed by the red of the sky. The winding
little river that wove its pattern across
the valley looked as though it had stopped.
The trees held their leaves still, the grass
holding in a desire to sway. No birds
overhead, no cars on the distant expressway.
Whatever this was, it wasn’t home.
The sporty red car that Alex had stolen
in a previous moment of desperation was no
longer parked in the driveway. However, like
a hungry mouth, the door of the garage hung
slightly open; daring Alex to look inside.
Bending to gaze in at the eerie darkness,
his stomach tightened. A strange and
sickening fear arose, forcing Alex to run.
Alex sprinted down the road that
connected the house to the main street;
gravel scattering in all directions. Running
as forcefully as possible, Alex made his way
towards town. Though his steps were
blistering, Alex’s feet made little sound as
they beat against the black road that lagged
behind. Passing hand painted meadows, parked
cars, an empty church, and several tiny
The Anomaly
52
houses, not a single person was to be found.
Sweating and out of breath, Alex slowed
to a heavy walk as he arrived at Fifth
Street. Pausing for a moment, he looked at
the street sign. A tall silver pole, dented
in several places, paint marks from car
bumpers and dirt around the bottom. The sign
itself hung very proper, green with white
lettering: Fifth Street. The naming had
always perplexed Alex. There were no other
main roads in the town, though this
particular sign suggested there might be.
Passing the first few houses on the
street, having left the overgrown fields of
brittle grass and wheat behind, Alex
approached a window. There was no one to be
seen. The love seats of the first house were
empty, the kitchen of the second quite
vacant, and the front door to the third
tightly bolted. Alex didn’t call out; it
seemed as though there was no point. If his
voice was doomed to echo into nothingness he
preferred to save his breathe.
Arriving at the steps of Practical
R.B. Winters
53
Magic, Alex stopped. He examined the
lettering, noting the cracked and peeling
red and gold that was once so smooth.
Atticus, Alex’s most trusted friend, had
been scrupulous when it came to painting the
sign on the doors. Having done it several
times before getting it ‘just right’,
Atticus had declined magic in his efforts.
Alex pushed against the tarnished
handle of the door; it trembled, the door
staying firmly in place. Though the door
remained stationary, it was as if it feared
denying Alex entrance. Unexpectedly, the
handle ripped from Alex’s hand, the door
thrusting open, slamming forcefully against
the interior and swinging back. Shards of
glass ripped from the door, raining over
Alex. Shielding his eyes out of instinct, a
terrible rumbling came from overhead.
As the stoop beneath his worn feet
began to shutter, a significant piece of the
building’s wooden molding came crashing down
from the third story narrowly missing Alex.
The aged molding splintered into pieces as
it met the steps that led to the door of the
The Anomaly
54
shop, the white paint that was crusted over
the wood scattered like snow across the
searing ground. With a jerk and a shift the
entire building shook more forcefully, Alex,
leapt from the steps, rolling into the
street as an eruption of flames tore through
the building. The rumbling continued, like
an earthquake in the distance; bricks
dislodged themselves, shattering as dust
against the sidewalk.
Pock marks of white appeared as more
bricks flew forwards, several more windows
shattering in a chorus of shrill shrieks.
Like a hiccup from deep within; the building
sunk down a foot, the brick face leaning
back a considerable distance. Alex,
helplessly confused and terrified witnessed
a massive ball of orange erupt into the
bloody sky, black smoking forming a wake.
Splintered wood and bits of brick
rained down over Alex, who quickly covered
his head and coiled his body tightly in to
avoid injury. As the scene began to settle
Alex lifted himself from the rubble, the
dust beginning to settle.
R.B. Winters
55
“ALEX!”
Surprised and thoroughly relieved, Alex
spotted Jen standing at the corner.
“Where have you been?”
Running up to Jen, Alex gripped her by
the shoulders.
“Are you ok?”
“Alex… where have you been?” demanded
Jen.
“What?”
“I need your help.”
“I need your help. We have to help-”
Alex glanced around at the place where
Atticus’ shop had self destructed.
“Alex, what’s wrong with you?”
Alex didn’t reply, staring blankly at
the sight. The boards that had engulfed him
as the fireball shot into the air were
missing. Everything was remarkably clean,
the street and sidewalk all but bare. There
was no shattered glass, damaged merchandise,
The Anomaly
56
or even scars of charring left on the brick
walls of the buildings that now stood only
to hold open the space where the magic shop
had been. Jen seemed blissfully unaware of
this. She watched as Alex ran a hand over
the tightly packed dirt of the vacant lot.
“It was just here.”
Jen glanced around as if expecting
something to make itself known. Alex
remained on his knees, knuckles upon the
ground. Clearly frustrated, she was hesitant
to speak.
“Where’s Atticus?” Alex asked, a somber
note on his tongue.
“He died… you know that.”
Alex looked about the lot where he
knelt; thick grass was overtaking large
areas, tall flowering weeds appearing.
“Let’s go,” snipped Jen, gripping Alex
by the wrist. In that moment Alex noticed
that Jen was different, as different as the
lot had suddenly become.
R.B. Winters
57
The two of them were swallowed from
head to toe by a slender ring of blue. Alex
felt his stomach churn as he squirmed in
Jen’s clammy hand. He couldn’t feel the
ground; the only things to be seen were the
rear of his eyelids. As a bitter cold beat
against their faces, tears formed in the
corners of Alex’s tightly clenched eyes.
With a hollow thud they met the ground, Jen
on her feet, Alex on the street.
“Where are we?” Alex questioned, gazing
about frantically.
A massive wall of fire raged in the
distance; touching the mountains on both
sides of the city. The heat Alex had felt
before was greatly intensified. It felt as
if he was getting a sunburn, but there was
still no sun to be seen through the mass of
red clouds that covered the whole of the
landscape. The storm, or whatever it was,
grew in the distance. It was expanding in
all directions, the intensity of the heat
growing with it.
At the base of the fire: homes, trees,
The Anomaly
58
and lawns were bursting into flames before
even making contact with the red giant. As
they passed inside the cyclone of red the
fires were extinguished and all that was
left behind were black twigs and burnt out
structures.
“What is that?” Alex cried, in shock,
his legs feeling weak.
Jen turned her head slowly, as if Alex
were out of his mind. Alex stared back at
her; Jen’s face was strong, there was no
sign of the timid witch he had first met.
Strands of long blonde hair whipped around
her face, adding to the intensity she was
already presenting.
“That’s Meg’s mess,” she replied,
shouting to be heard.
Alex had no idea what Jen was saying.
“Are you ready?”
“What?”
“Are you ready?” roared Jen, irritated.
Alex didn’t know what to do, his mind
R.B. Winters
59
spinning. Jen held out her hands
“Start the incantation!” Jen saw the
blank stare on Alex’s face. “What’s wrong
with you?” she cried, her arms dropping to
her sides. “Did you forget the incantation?
It’s Sambra. Lucen. Octan. Haun.”
“I shouldn’t be here,” yelled Alex, the
heat of the flaming storm becoming
unbearable.
“Alex, I can’t do this alone!”
“I don’t know what you want me to do,
Jen!”
“You have… to do… it!” Jen’s words
became muttered, coming out of her in a deep
slow voice that wasn’t her own.
Jen’s mouth continued to move, though
no other words passed over her lips. Beneath
Alex’s feet the ground jumped, ripples
tearing through the air similar to the
effect he had witnessed outside the house
when this nightmare began. Alex ran; he
turned from Jen, running with desperate
speed. He had to get away from her, from
The Anomaly
60
this place.
Alex felt more confused now than he
ever had. He suddenly wondered where Melissa
had been in all of this. Why wasn’t she with
Jen? Alex could feel his heart pounding, his
breaths shallow, sweat forming on his brow.
Stopping for air, he couldn’t escape the
glare of the red beast in the distance.
Leaning against a building for support,
he glanced around what had been downtown.
The city had been completely deserted. Empty
buildings and abandoned cars were the only
figures to be found on the streets. The
pavement was soft from the intense heat that
was approaching, pulling at Alex’s shoes as
he began to sink into the blacktop.
Clenching his eyes shut, Alex searched for a
moment of solitude. Trying desperately to
escape the scene of destruction that was set
around him.
Opening his eyes, Alex was shocked to
see Melissa sitting at the dining room
table; spoon in hand, shoveling down what
appeared to be oatmeal. Blue decorated the
R.B. Winters
61
sky beyond the window, a bulky bird resting
on the back of a colorful lawn chair. There
was no sign of red anywhere on the horizon,
the grass of the field beyond the house
dancing in the summer breeze. Alex was
confused. Was any of that real?
The Anomaly
62
4.
The Loop
t was clear to Melissa that something was
wrong with Alex. Aside from his gaping
mouth, his face was pale, almost sickly.
What little hair Alex had was tousled, his
blue eyes trapped within a sleepless red.
“You ok?”
“Where’s Jen?” Alex asked, his words
apprehensive, eyes sifting over the room.
Alex was unable to distinguish if this
was reality. Had he stood before a flaming
cyclone with Jen just moments before? There
was also the dilemma of not knowing whether
or not the present moment was real. Perhaps
both were dreams and he was unconscious
somewhere.
“No clue. She wasn’t in bed when I got
I
R.B. Winters
63
up this morning.”
Jen and Melissa had been sharing a bed
since Melissa had moved in two years prior.
Not to say there weren’t many nights with
one of them on the couch, but Melissa always
ended up back in their shared room, the
couch had too many lumps to allow for
comfortable sleep. Neither had ever thought
of converting the second living room into a
bedroom. Rather it sat at the front of the
house with a worn out piano and cherry wood
tables collecting dust, Jen visiting once a
month to wind the grandfather clock that
watched over the space from the corner.
The room itself was out of place in
relation to the rest of the house. With the
intricate wall hangings about the massive
single-pane window, immense gold leaf mirror
above the piano, and the tangerine paint on
the walls, this looked to be a parlor for
entertaining extravagant guests.
Meanwhile, the rest of the house looked
like an overused motel that had been poorly
cared for over the years. Not that Jen
The Anomaly
64
didn’t do her best to keep things clean, but
you can only blow out walls and windows,
burn holes in the floor with potions, and
put it all back together so many times.
Melissa had pondered the untouched room on
several occasions. She had always stayed out
for fear that there would be some sort of
hell to pay if she were to be caught inside.
Alex stared at Melissa; desperately
searching for something that would tell him
this was real. Melissa felt her face flush,
the uncomfortable sensation of being stared
at without reason.
“What are you looking at?”
Alex continued to stare, silently
examining.
“Seriously, what?”
“Can you hear me?”
Melissa looked at Alex as if he had
lost his mind, spoon in her mouth she
replied,
“Um… yeah.”
R.B. Winters
65
“No. I mean… can you hear my thoughts?”
Alex asked.
“I’m not a psychic.”
Alex shook his head, knowing now he
wasn’t in a dream.
“Are you sure you’re ok?”
“I don’t know what I am,” he replied.
“Can you tell me something?”
Melissa shrugged, her typical response.
Her natural instinct was to be difficult
with Alex. Though it generally caused an
argument, there was a small thrill to be
found.
“Has anything happened lately that you
can remember, maybe something in a dream?
Like… a dream of me dying, or something
about Jen… or Meg?”
Melissa rolled the question around for
a short second.
“Nope. I’ve pretty much just been
having the same old dreams I always have.
You know, things like demons and vampires
The Anomaly
66
attacking in the middle of the night. No big
deal,” she smiled shrewdly.
“Something’s wrong, but I don’t know
what. I feel like I’m in a daze… or a spell
maybe.”
Melissa’s interest was firmly peaked
for the first time during their
conversation. Alex noted the gleam in her
eye that came from the change in topic.
There were traits in Melissa that leaned
toward the darker side of magic. Her knack
for absorbing information from books,
something most wizards were unable to do
even after proper training; a small thing
Alex was afraid could easily fly out of
control.
“What kind of spell?”
Alex hesitated,
“I woke yesterday… maybe it was today.
I woke and I was here, alone. I woke up and
the sky was red and Atticus’ shop… had
vanished… and Jen. Jen was someone else.”
“Alex… you should drink less,” Melissa
R.B. Winters
67
suggested, quickly becoming less interested
at the mention of Jen’s name.
“I’m not crazy, or drunk.”
Melissa gave a half-hearted grin that
reeked of skepticism.
“Maybe I am crazy,” Alex sighed.
Then it occurred; Atticus’ shop. If he
were dreaming all of this the shop would
still be standing.
“We have to go see Atticus!”
Grabbing Melissa by the hand, Alex
yanked her from the table and her breakfast.
The bowl of cereal jolting from it’s
stationary position, crashing upon the floor
with a loud slop sound that someone was
going to be forced to clean up later.
Melissa was drug behind Alex, barley staying
on her feet. Stripped pajama bottoms, not
the best match for running as they slipped
beneath Melissa’s fumbling feet. Alex
stopped, the car, the red car he had stolen
was still parked in the driveway.
The Anomaly
68
“Get in.”
Melissa threw her hair back to free her
face, climbing into the passenger side of
the car; fastening her seat belt as Alex
peeled out of the driveway. The car bounced
wildly as they came down the driveway, well
above the suggested speed limit. Skidding
into a turn, the car hurdled towards
Practical Magic. Keeping his fingers crossed
as they came upon the beginning of Fifth
Street, the same green sign with the bruised
silver pole beckoning.
Alex slowed the car, creeping along the
street slowly, glancing at the houses to his
left. Someone shuffled past a window;
another woman was on her knees in a colorful
floral outfit pulling at weeds in her
flowerbed. Coming to the block of brick
buildings that were like something from
another century, Alex was dumbfounded to
find the building that housed the magic shop
still standing just as he had remembered it.
Coming to a stop in front of the shop, Alex
and Melissa exited the car.
R.B. Winters
69
“But… it was gone,” he cried lowly.
“Looks like it’s here to me.”
“Mel, don’t taunt me right now.”
Alex walked up the cracking concrete
steps, grasping the handle of the door. The
tarnished handle was cold to the touch.
Pushing it open the rusted bell above the
door rang as if nothing had ever happened.
Stepping into the shop, Alex felt his heart
stop beating as he saw who stood behind the
counter. Melissa came up the steps behind
him,
“Move, please!” she hissed, pushing her
way into the store.
Alex didn’t understand her non-reaction
to the man that stood before them.
“You’re… dead,” groaned Alex.
Alex looked at what he thought to be
his deceased friend. Atticus looked the same
as he always had. His face carved with
craters from his days of vampire hunting, a
table leg with an unpleasant clawed paw
The Anomaly
70
attached to his right knee. His clothing the
same worn and dusty rags he always toted.
“Na tha’ I c’n t’ll,” replied Atticus,
his harsh accent coming across thicker than
ever.
Alex had always had a difficult time
understanding Atticus. His solution had been
to put a charm on his ears that translated
Atticus’ speech into something audible. A
charm Alex had been rather proud of himself
for concocting at the time.
“No, I saw your body in the back. Amen
killed you and left you for me to find. He
came for the amulet.”
“Al’x, ya ok?”
“No. No, I’m not ok. I am far from ok.”
“He’s been acting like this all
morning,” piped Melissa.
“Yar needin’ me t’ mix ya sumth’n up,
Al’x?” Atticus asked, looking concerned,
visible even through his worn face.
“I might need you to put me in an
R.B. Winters
71
asylum,” responded Alex, dropping on the
stool that sat in front of Atticus’ sales
counter.
The counter itself was as worn out as
Atticus. Green paint was poorly spread
across brittle wood, chipping in several
places around the edges, completely worn off
the top; fraying wood exposed. Melissa was
wandering about the aisles of tin shelves
with their colorful assortment of bottles. A
touch of this and that, several powerful
mixing ingredients you’d be hard pressed to
find even in the best shops of Terra.
Alex often questioned how Atticus came
by these rare and nearly illegal treasures.
Atticus always had a fanciful story to back
up his merchandise, Alex knew them to be
lies, but there was no harm that would come
from the shops selling of these ingredients.
Mortals were only drawn to the specialty
items Atticus had charmed and set in a back
corner; preventing any of the real powders,
potions, and elixirs from falling into
untrained hands.
The Anomaly
72
Alex shuffled out of the shop, back to
the car, leaving Melissa to continue
browsing a collection of antique amulets.
Atticus kept a close watch, convinced she
would help herself to something from his
assortment of treasures. Alex sat in the
driver’s seat, doors locked, cupping his
face with nervous hands.
“What’s happening to me?” Alex
muttered, feeling he was plummeting into
insanity.
Alex felt inclined to peel the pale
flesh back from his face in an effort to
feel the present moment. Amen had murdered
Atticus months earlier. Alex wasn’t sure of
Amen’s true intentions, but it appeared he
was trying to send a message regarding his
new surge of power. Amen had left Atticus’
decaying body behind as a warning to Alex,
this he remembered vividly. At least Alex
thought he could remember seeing the body
lying on the floor between the crates of
Practical Magic’s storage room. Had that
been a terrible dream, and nothing more?
Lowering his hands Alex once again found
R.B. Winters
73
himself out of breath.
Nearly throwing himself from his seat,
Alex’s body tightened from the shock. He was
sitting in the living room on the green and
white-checkered couch that Jen had replaced.
Grasping the cushions below him for some
kind of support, Alex burrowed his
fingernails into flesh of the linen.
“Hey, Alex,” piped Jen, sounding her
jaunty self.
Alex didn’t waste a moment, jolting
from the couch. Terrifying Jen he clasped
her shoulders tightly, knocking the stir
stick she had been holding into the boiling
cauldron on the table. Familiar flames of
orange and blue licking the sides of the
cauldron, leaving the wood of the table
unharmed. Bubbles of black and yellow
excitedly leapt over the scorched rim,
sizzling into the air as they diffused.
“Have you had any dreams lately?”
“Like… what?” Jen asked, her face pale;
how Alex knew her best.
The Anomaly
74
“Dreams about me dying? Dreams about
Atticus dying? Dreams about red skies…
tornadoes… Meg?”
Jen was terrified by Alex’s rant.
Playing nervously with her hands, she
answered cautiously,
“No.”
Alex dropped his head in frustration,
squeezing Jen a bit harder in the vain hope
that a real response would be issued.
“Where’s Melissa?” Alex asked, needing
to have dual confirmation of his madness.
“Who?”
“What?” Alex brought his eyes to meet
Jen’s. “You don’t know Melissa?”
Jen shook her head; afraid Alex would
topple her roaring cauldron by way of rage.
It wouldn’t have been the first time. Jen
was surprised, even relieved, as Alex pulled
away.
Escaping to his bedroom, Alex locked
the door behind him; fetching his prized
R.B. Winters
75
possession from the rickety table that had
been through its fair share of abuse. Solid,
untarnished black leather flawlessly
composed the cover of Alex’s book. This was
no ordinary book of spells, but a
compilation of everything Alex and all of
his counterparts, a useful tool for any
wizard or power hungry warlock. This was not
how Alex remembered the book; white marks
where the color had been stripped from the
leather were missing, or the marks he may
have dreamt were missing.
Jen had once poured liquid life on the
book in an effort to revive Alex; under the
impression he had succumb to death. She
quickly learned a valuable lesson about
liquid life. Not only does the powerful
silver liquid bring wizards back from the
grave through their possessions, but it also
brings along everyone else that has come in
contact with the object and passed on. In
this instance, Jen and Melissa had been
overwhelmed with a swarm of colorful witches
and wizards looking for answers. Alex could
recall Jen telling him the story; he knew
The Anomaly
76
this had happened. Had Jen found a way to
mend the book?
Pulling back the cover with caution,
the pages were filled with spells, stories
and directions. Thumbing through the pages,
everything was in tact. Chapters on devilish
poisons, helpful charms, and a few
entertaining jinxes. Thousands of pages all
decorated in curved letters, some dancing
about, fading away, a few that even dripped
from their places.
Then something occurred to Alex, he had
power. If this was the time before Melissa,
then it was also the time before Meg had
claimed his powers for her own. Alex looked
into the back of his mind with nervous
anticipation, picturing his book lifting
from his lap and into the vacant air. It
took only a second, the spell book of smooth
black leather rose into the air, hanging
above Alex’s head. Pulling it back to his
knees, Alex again turned the pages,
searching for something that might explain
his predicament. This was one area where the
book was obnoxiously helpful. Through an
R.B. Winters
77
ingenious charm of Trejun’s doing, Alex’s
book was able to match the reader’s thoughts
to potential pages of use.
The book furiously turned its aging
yellow pages. Time Travel blared from in the
heading, the letters rearranging themselves;
the book’s initial reply to Alex’s unspoken
thoughts. Alex ran his eyes down the page;
unfortunately none of this seemed to fit
what he was experiencing. Sitting the book
on his unmade bed, Alex, glanced up. There,
sitting upon the blue shelf that was built
out of the wall was the Pharaoh’s Eye.
“Come,” Alex commanded.
The colorful wooden headed lifted
itself from the shelf gliding gently down to
Alex, coming to a rest within his open
hands.
“Meg,” he instructed, a flare behind
his distant eyes.
A pinhole of light came from the center
of the forehead, the wood separating around
the edges until a glowing ring encompassed
The Anomaly
78
the head; the top lifting back. A misty blue
rolled out in flares, Alex lowered his face
into the fog. Something that was comparable
to breathing beneath murky water enveloped
his nostrils, a deep cold pressing at the
bare flesh that had intruded.
Opening his eyes, Alex could see Meg.
This wasn’t the apartment she had made into
her temporary home during her stay in the
Mortal Realm. The room was constructed of
gray-stone walls, and a wooden floor that
looked as if it were moments away from
collapsing into whatever was below. From the
walls, lengthy tapestries of red had been
positioned. They reached from the unseen
ceiling, down to the decrepit floor. There
were no windows, no self-portraits; if this
really was Meg’s home then it was definitely
temporary. Never before had she inhabited a
place without infecting every corner and
crack with her presence.
Dark lived in the corners of this
place, a figure emerging with hastened
steps. A woman of incredible beauty stepped
into the light. Long brown hair gave the
R.B. Winters
79
illusion of kindness, a face that could kill
with a single glance, and two blue eyes that
were hard to pull away from. Meg paced
around the room through her frustration.
“WHY?” she screeched. “Why is it so
hard to do this simple little task?”
Alex hadn’t noticed before, but two
servants crouched in the corner at the edge
of the darkness. The twosome shook from
their tremendous fear of their master. They
had patches of long black hair, the rest
missing, perhaps from Meg’s angry hand. The
skin that remained on the faces of the two
servants appeared to be badly burned.
“All I ask is that you bring me the
Primary, and you can’t even do that. What’s
the point of keeping you if you can’t do
anything for me?”
The two servants apologized and pleaded
at Meg’s feet in a tongue Alex couldn’t
decipher. Clawing at their own flesh through
fear and anxiety, drops of blood appearing
on the already filth laden floor.
The Anomaly
80
Alex pulled his head from the Pharaoh’s
Eye, a blast of warmth attacking his face.
Clearly he had traveled back in time. This
was a point before Meg had come to the
conclusion that the Primary was Melissa.
Perhaps this was a second chance for Alex to
save Melissa and himself from Meg’s wrath.
All he had to do was stop jumping though
time when he closed his eyes.
R.B. Winters
81
5.
Starting Over Yet Again
n orb of polished silver stood in the
middle of the vast gray room. Alex
lay nearest it; inside his head a
short film seemed to be playing itself
through interrupted distortion.
Alex watched the orb appear out of thin
air, rolling along the blank floor; coming
to a stop with a gentle bump against his
foot. He picked the object up, examining it
closely; it was different from most orbs.
This particular one seemed to be composed of
something from the Mortal Realm. It was
solid, and heavier than it looked to be, the
outside was smooth: Alex could make out his
bent reflection in it.
Alex rolled the orb around in his hand
looking for something to identify its
A
The Anomaly
82
purpose. The tiny sphere began to shudder as
if it were trying to distract Alex’s prying
thoughts, a small rip forming in the
outermost skin of the silver surface. A
black glow radiated from within: Alex thrust
the orb from his hand. The air rippling as
the orb directed itself to the cold floor.
The clink of a pin touching down was heard
as the orb made contact, Alex’s eyes turned
black as darkness consumed the room.
Alex felt like he was treading through
water, his body animated in slow motion. A
shuttering of images flashed against his
nearly closed eyes. It seemed the effects of
the orb were taking a toll on everyone
within the First’s chamber.
Anneliese listened as Alex paraded he
and Jen’s impressive wizard lineage before
her Council. She could see Philip in the
distance behind Alex with a hand in his
pocket. A glint of silver caught her eye as
Alex stepped back. Anneliese lost the sound
of Alex’s voice, her interest becoming
consumed by the object of Philip’s
R.B. Winters
83
affection. The mouths of everyone in the
room suddenly fell open at whatever it was
Alex had said. Philip jumped to his feet,
his face red, that earth-colored hair
remaining firmly in place atop his head.
Anneliese kept her sapphire eyes firmly
attached to Philip’s hand that remained in
his pocket, now tightly gripping whatever he
was concealing. Anna grasped Jen by the
shoulder smiling broadly, Anneliese focusing
on Philip again, in time to witness his hand
ripping from the pocket. Speed made the
object nearly invisible as Philip tossed it
before anyone could focus their attention on
him properly. Silver flew through the air
towards Alex. Anneliese and her fellow
Council members all made to shout defense
curses… it was too late.
The room seemed to be liquefying. It
was difficult to see, everything was
beginning to run together. Sounds of those
around Anneliese crying out for help; burst
of furious light coming in black… red… black
again. A crimson light overtook the chaos,
beaming through the blinding air from
The Anomaly
84
multiple directions, cut into pieces by the
blur that was consuming their eyes.
Anneliese was taken from her feet, a
heavy force attacking the back of her knees.
Cries faded out, replaced by a tingling in
the back of her head; dropping to the floor
Anneliese felt the searing pain of the
circular gray podium as it cut into her
forehead.
“Melissa.”
Jen’s chest burned, rage bubbling
inside her: Feelings of contempt and
betrayal consuming her as Alex revealed his
living relative. Jen made to stand up as a
thin strip of light produced itself between
she and Alex. The sight, silence sweeping
over the room, distracted everyone. From it
dropped an orb: A silver sphere that bounced
a few times before rolling against Alex’s
foot where it halted.
The orb was cracked in several places
as if it had been slammed against something
R.B. Winters
85
with such force that no mortal could have
been responsible. Jen’s emotions retreated
momentarily back into her blonde head. Alex
gazed down as a vision intruded upon Jen’s
mind. Light burst from the top of the orb as
Alex bent to retrieve it.
Without hesitation the orb swallowed
Alex and the others in a swirling mess. Not
a scream for help, or fear-drenched eye was
to be seen. Such a sudden and unexpected
reaction on the orbs part was a surprise to
say the least. Jen stood at the center of a
vortex that pulled and stretched everything
in the room until it was left blank with the
gray light that came from nowhere.
Jen was left alone in the First
Council’s desolate chamber. Silence hovered
around the freshly emptied room. Thoughts of
Meg danced around Jen’s mind. The vision of
Meg and Alec inside Alex’s personal chamber
was all she could focus on. What was
happening, what had just happened, it was
connected to Meg in some way; Jen knew this.
Jen’s mind clouded as the toxic light
The Anomaly
86
that had swallowed the others returned,
aiming itself in her direction. Jen fell to
her knees, her mind filling with a static
that was incomprehensible. There was a loud
sucking sound as if a wind tunnel had
suddenly sprouted about her ears. The silver
orb taunted Jen from the center of the room:
Light emanating from its round top,
illuminating the fog colored room. Only the
timer of a bomb could have been more sudden,
the orb self destructed into a thousand
razor sharp pieces; a symphony of rain as
they crashed upon the floor in waves. The
Council Chamber once again was the victim of
forced silence.
Anneliese reached for the stand that
had so brutally attacked her when she lost
her footing. Gripping the edge of the semi-
circular stand with her pale fingers, her
feet again standing proper to the floor. A
thin red line covered the upper part of her
forehead beneath that still tightly pulled
blonde hair. Pieces of the twist Anneliese
had formed her hair into had given way in
R.B. Winters
87
all the commotion. Her overall appearance
was in disarray jacket pulled back over her
shoulders; not a site often seen with the
amount of control Anneliese extracted over
herself.
Anneliese’s fellow Council members were
in no better shape. Zara’s fall had been
broken when she landed upon Som;
unfortunately his nose took the better part
of the impact. Mortal wounds were rare for
wizards and the sight of this much blood
made them all uneasy. Wizard battles usually
resulted in death, not bloodshed; that was a
mortal and demon attribute.
Nastron looked better than the rest. He
had fallen flat on his back, not allowing
for anyone to slump over him. Ashlynn’s
blonde hair had some how been caught beneath
her hand in the descent to the floor, a
large chunk of it remained there now that
she was upright again.
Anna felt semi refreshed from her
catnap, having only slumped back in her
chair. Vectoria was not so rested. Philip
The Anomaly
88
had fallen against her, crumbling two of the
legs on the small wooden chair beneath her.
Philip was gouged in the chest as the
splintered wood clawed at him. Vectoria
could feel a large lump on the back of her
head where she had impacted the floor.
Through it all, Jen was the only one
that appeared to be completely untouched.
Other than the fact that her hair was wind
blown about her face, she appeared unharmed.
Jen sat upright in the rickety chair, not
having fallen out of it to begin with, her
knees still tingling from a fall that had
only happened in what must have been her
imagination; though it was still vividly
present. The memory was clear, but it felt
as though she hadn’t lost consciousness.
“Is this one of your parlor tricks,
Alexander?” Anneliese shouted, rage filling
her crackling voice.
Alex pulled himself from the floor. A
flaming red imprint left on his back where
he had cradled the silver orb that was now
scattered about in pieces.
R.B. Winters
89
“You think I did this?”
Anneliese smoothed her untidy hair,
“Ashlynn, Zara, take the girl and
examine her thread,” she ordered.
Jen’s eyes grew to twice their usual
size as the two unnaturally similar blonde
witches rushed upon her.
“Som, Nastron, take Philip.”
“Take me where?” Philip asked, suddenly
fearing for his life.
“To examine your thread,” Anneliese
snapped, as if this hadn’t been obvious.
“On what evidence do you have the
right?”
“I have the power to do as I wish as
long as it is for the good of the Council.”
“Come,” Zara instructed, her voice more
monotone than the expression on her face.
Jen rose to her feet, Ashlynn grabbing
her by the arm. Jen was led into the gray
depths of the chamber behind the wooden
The Anomaly
90
chair she had been sitting in, glancing
viciously over her shoulder until Alex was
no longer in sight.
“ALEXANDER!” roared Anneliese.
Alex had somehow lost himself as they
rushed Jen away, ignoring Anneliese’s first
two pleas for his attention. Alex turned to
face her just as an explosion of green light
erupted behind him. Spinning around to see
the cause, he found Nastron lying on the
floor: His face black as ash, his hair and
clothing singed. Philip thrust his fist
forward once more as if making to hit Som
from a considerable distance. Faster than a
blinking eye, an orb of green formed around
his clenched fist propelling itself through
the air towards Som. Throwing himself aside,
Som, toppled over Alex; the two landing in a
heap on the floor.
“I will not have my thread pulled by a
second rate witch who would rather see a
mortal heading the Council than a true bred
wizard.”
With those words a black portal tore
R.B. Winters
91
into the room beside Philip. It dripped at
the edges as if it were slowly melting,
massive globs of black landing on the
ground, sizzling as they did. Philip rushed
head first into the ominous portal leaving
behind only a tar colored puddle as it
quickly closed behind him.
“Do you know how long it took to get
rid of the last mess that was left behind
when a portal was conjured out of rage?”
asked Anneliese, not wanting of an answer;
rubbing her forehead out of frustration.
“Alexander, your punishment still stands. If
this girl is whom you say, as I assume she
is, then I will expect you to help her on
her way. You are however… banished to the
Mortal Realm until another hearing can be
scheduled to determine your future within
the wizarding community.”
Anneliese was harsh, but even she
seemed to have a hard time administering the
sentence. Feelings and personal thoughts
were never to be placed before law; that was
her belief. Alex turned to leave, expecting
a portal to jump up behind him to allow for
The Anomaly
92
a quick exit; none of the First would want
to gaze upon a banished wizard.
“One more thing.”
Alex turned back.
“I don’t want anyone finding out about
Philip not taking over as the Head of
Council. The upheaval in Terra is already
nearing an uncontrollable point with
radicals. I don’t need Accadia falling apart
as well,” Anneliese wasn’t making a request,
but a final order. She drew a circle in the
air with two fingers a few times, opening a
portal for Alex to exit through, taking some
satisfaction in his disgrace.
Alex was welcomed by silence upon
exiting the portal; the Council Chamber was
drenched in a mocking silence. The Council
members that had been left behind during his
hearing had all gone about tending to their
own affairs, not one curious about the
outcome of the trial. Alex was respected,
but never had he been liked. A quick thinker
and a harsh ruler, Alex traded the friend
card in order to provide stability.
R.B. Winters
93
Alex examined the rows of pews that
lined the isle before him. He took in the
mortal craftsmanship of the dark benches,
their intricate grooves and smooth curves.
Alex shifted to look upon the stand where he
had formerly presided over the Council. He
came to the realization that this may be the
last time he would ever step foot in this
place. There was no way to be sure he would
recover the powers he lost to Meg, and
scheduling retrials with the First seemed to
take an eternity; Anneliese wasn’t
interested in changing her mind, convinced
it showed weakness. Truth be told, it was a
possibility, even a probability, that Alex
would age and eventually die in the Mortal
Realm before his case was revisited by the
First.
Alex released a sigh weighted heavily
with sadness and loss as he pushed against
the great wooden doors that guarded the
entrance of the Council Chamber. This was
the first time that the doors had not
responded to his presence and parted at his
approached. The weight of the doors was more
The Anomaly
94
than Alex had known, requiring all his
mortal strength to pry them open enough to
push through. The massive doors pulled shut
behind Alex, a final shove out the door to
complete his humiliation. Much to Alex’s
surprise, slumped on the floor was an
unconscious Melissa.
Melissa could hear Alex’s voice coming
from somewhere in the distance. Lips made of
stone; unable to call back to him, left
Melissa in silence. Something began to press
at her sides, shrouded in darkness,
Melissa’s neck lulled about. Pulling from a
semi-lucid place like a fish emerging from
water, Melissa clasped Alex’s arms, gasping
for air.
“What happened?”
Melissa stared at Alex, confusion
embracing her. The chair beside her was
familiar, but where were they? Melissa’s
mind furiously connected the pieces of the
puzzle to restore her blurred memory.
“Meg… was here.” Melissa recalled her
twisted smile.
R.B. Winters
95
“What are you talking about? Meg
couldn’t have been here, she doesn’t have
the authority; this is a protected realm.”
Opening her mouth to dispute, she
paused.
“I dunno,” confessed Melissa.
She remembered experiencing the shock
of seeing Meg when she emerged from within
the Council Chamber. Melissa tried to gather
her thoughts, Alex noticing the similarities
in how she was feeling and how he had felt
after the silver orb had exploded during his
hearing. Melissa appeared disoriented above
all else.
“Where’s Jen?” Melissa asked, trying to
focus her thoughts.
“The First has her.”
“Why?”
“They’re going to pull her thread,”
replied Alex, pulling Melissa to her feet.
Unintentionally holding on far longer than
was necessary, an awkward silence occurring.
The Anomaly
96
“Why?” Melissa squeaked, her eyes
shifting to the ground.
“They have to make sure I’m not lying…
or wrong.”
“Wrong about what?” Melissa asked, her
mind searching for what Alex was really
thinking.
“I’ll let her explain when they release
her,” said Alex, heading down the corridor
to escape the tension that was building.
Melissa followed a few steps behind,
her arms folded as if trying to provide some
sense of security. The white corridor was
empty, except for the black tiles that were
integrated into the floor. Echoes radiating
from their steps as they pattered across the
floor made the corridor feel endless. A
tendril of gray light suddenly appeared in
front of Melissa. Alex turned to see the
portal unfold itself. He stepped around it
to where Melissa stood.
“Go ahead,” he said, motioning Melissa
forward.
R.B. Winters
97
She stepped into the portal; Alex
following close behind her, afraid it would
close before he could pass through. Alex
exited the portal, pausing to look around.
“Melissa?” he muttered, glancing around
his bedroom.
The doorknob clicked as someone turned
it from the other side. Alex turned to face
Melissa, knowing that Jen was most likely
still busy with the First. Alex was nearly
toppled by the shock that coursed through
his body when he saw her standing in the
doorway.
“Meg?”
“You were expecting someone else?”
“Well… I wasn’t expecting you,” Alex
confessed.
“Then it must just be your lucky day.”
Meg strutted into the room, a knee length
green dress seductively draped around her
slim figure.
Alex suddenly realized that he had
The Anomaly
98
jumped through time once again. Pulling at
the collar of his white shirt he checked for
the burn. Holding his eyes closed before
peering: There it was, the red and black
burn left when Meg had extracted his powers.
Falling back onto the bed, Alex momentarily
forgot Meg was in the room.
‘This has to be a spell,’ he thought.
“I know this must be a bit of a shock
for you, but it’s for the best.”
“What?” Alex piped.
“It’s for the best. Me taking your
powers and you becoming my… captive.”
“That’s not what you said.”
Meg paced around the foot of the unmade
bed.
“What are you talking about?” Meg
looked puzzled, even through her beauty.
“This is you. YOU DID THIS!” Alex
shouted, rising up.
Meg shoved him back, sending Alex head
R.B. Winters
99
over heels across the bed that ran diagonal,
slicing the bedroom into uneven sections.
“Watch yourself little man, or you
might just wind up dead,” Meg growled, her
nostrils flaring.
She spun around in a huff, her dark
hair trailing behind her as the door slammed
itself shut.
‘This is wrong, this is all wrong,’
Alex screamed inside his head, his eyes
darting around the room that wasn’t truly
his.
Meg had been more concerned about the
love they had once shared above anything
else when this had happened. This wasn’t the
past, and if it was then there was something
seriously wrong. Looking around the
fabricated bedroom, Alex noticed that
everything that had been missing when Meg
had originally imprisoned him was still
present. This appeared to be part of a
memory that had been poorly reconstructed,
perhaps even invented to make up for unknown
gaps.
The Anomaly
100
“I just need to get myself out.”
Alex paced the room for a moment,
needing a clear mind to devise an escape
plan. Whenever his eyes were closed, or he
was distracted for a split second, he found
himself somewhere he hadn’t been.
Clenching his eyes tightly together,
Alex thought of where he needed to be, with
the hope that it would persuade the charm he
was under to release him. Opening his
frustrated and fearful eyes, Alex was still
in his imaginary room.
Past the point of being rational, Alex
firmly gripped the doorknob, giving it a
sharp yank. Meg had been sure to lock the
door in his original memory, but it was
conveniently left open in this place;
perhaps Alex had shifted through time once
more. Cautiously he walked into the living
room. There was a warm sensation coming from
his lip, touching it Alex saw red.
Blood dripped from his face, onto his
already stained shirt. The living room
looked as if a bomb had gone off. The
R.B. Winters
101
furniture was on end and in pieces. He had
only moved slightly farther ahead in time,
to the point directly after his encounter
with Meg. Running a hand over his face and
back through his almost nonexistent blonde
hair, Alex gave out a loud cry of
frustration.
He turned violently, throwing an
irreverent fist into the wall. The pain that
shot through his hand was very real, as was
the blood that dripped from his knuckles.
Alex wracked his brain trying to understand,
then it clicked, the house was an
enchantment. It was a very illustrious charm
that prevented anyone from locating him. It
was so strong that even in a memory it was
able to partially block the charm that was
tormenting him at this time.
Originally, Alex had escaped the house
by discovering the weak spot in the spell
located within the window of the dining
room. It was unavoidable that at some point
the memory would be forced to extinguish
itself in an effort to be historically
accurate. This time Alex could be prepared
The Anomaly
102
in the fact that he knew there was an end
point, and it might just be possible to use
it to his advantage.
Rushing back into his pretend bedroom,
Alex searched. Looking for the only thing he
knew could trap and hold an immense amount
of power. Knocking bottles from shelves and
tossing books to the floor, he searched. The
room was quickly becoming quiet the mess as
boiling liquids of all colors spread across
the floor, burning holes that created a
lovely view of the basement through the long
slats that made up the floor.
“YES!” exclaimed Alex, holding in his
hand a small black box.
He had once held the same box in his
hands, preparing for Meg’s attack, but now
the box was next to useless in its defensive
capabilities. The tiny box was home to a
raging storm that would have been enough to
temporarily distort Meg’s powers in an
effort to attack her first. However, Alex
had never managed to use the contents and he
wasn’t sure exactly what would happen if it
R.B. Winters
103
were opened in a memory.
Crouching down on the floor, Alex sat
the box on the bed as far away as he could
place it and still be able to reach the
silent monster. Nervously he pulled at the
sides of the box; with ease it slid apart,
tossing the black cube, Alex ducked beneath
the bed in preparation for the onslaught of
events. Clenching his eyes, he listened;
there was silence.
Slowly raising his eyes to the level of
the box, Alex peered over the edge of the
bed. The black cube was shaking and bouncing
across the voluptuous comforter. Without
warning a small puff of gray smoke erupted
from the box, dispersing into the air;
leaving the container empty. Alex was
embarrassed by his fear of the box that
apparently no longer housed any of its
former power.
The little box was a prison; Alex was
hoping that it could absorb the power left
behind after the charm that held the house
together dispersed. Retrieving the object
The Anomaly
104
that now held his hope, Alex placed it on
the windowsill where he knew the house would
begin to come apart. All that was left for
Alex to do was wait.
Hours passed, the sun seemed to sit in
the same spot nestled near the mountaintops
beyond the forest. The sky remained a
beautiful shade of red with traces of pink
and orange scattered about. Alex was growing
weary. Tired of waiting for the house to
destroy itself, it was time to take control
of the situation.
Alex ventured back to his bedroom,
looking for the bamboo pole that had freed
him from the prison in the original memory.
Much to his surprise the pole was not where
it should have been. If the pole wasn’t in
the room, then there was no way for him to
advance time as he had done before.
Alex felt frustrated by his lack of
control over what was happening to him. He
hunched down beside the bed, nestling his
face into his clammy palms. There was no way
of knowing if the charm that had caused him
R.B. Winters
105
to loop through time would leave him trapped
inside the more powerful charm of the house.
Blackness enveloped him as he closed his
blue eyes, trying to clear his mind.
Unable to stop the thoughts that were
pouring over him, Alex pondered what the
time loop might hold for him. Where would he
end up? Would he be a powerful wizard again,
or remain a mortal? Would he wind up in some
godforsaken place, or back in his home?
Alex’s mind spun faster than it had while
his eyes were open. He couldn’t wait any
longer, the seconds felt like days.
Throwing his eyes open, Alex peered
from between his fingers. This place was
new. This was unlike any place he had ever
been before. Walls were carved from jagged
gray rocks. There was next to no light in
this place; black was all that could be seen
in the distance. Alex felt cold, lost, and
alone.
A pool of silver water sat in a corner.
Crawling towards it, Alex felt as if
something were pressing down on him with
The Anomaly
106
such force that he could not stand up. The
clothing that draped him was ragged and
rotting. Seams were bursting and barely
covering his pale, thinning body. Alex’s
eyes faded in and out, draped by his matted
hair. The ghostly figure was nothing of the
wizard he had once been.
Gazing into the pool a fog shifted,
revealing Melissa. She cowered, trembling
beside a man that Alex had never seen
before. The two of them were covered in
fresh scratches and dirt, as if they had
gone through a long battle together. The two
of them jumped, something crashing beside
them. It was impossible to tell where they
were, or what it was they were hiding
beneath.
The fog returned to cover the silver
pool, blocking Melissa from sight. Alex
meant to reach for her, but he was unable to
raise his arm. The fog slowly retreated once
more to reveal Jen. Not the Jen that Alex
remembered, but a strong and confident
witch. Her blonde hair had grown much longer
than he had known, and there was a lively
R.B. Winters
107
color in her face. Her eyes were a powerful
blue that commanded attention. She was
different in a way that only time could be
responsible for. It appeared as if she were
barking out orders. The place she was in had
so much light radiating about that
everything was drenched in yellow and
unrecognizable.
Alex pulled his fading blue eyes away
from the pool. He slowly laid himself out on
the rough stones beneath him, trying
desperately to find comfort. There was no
knowing where he was, but Alex knew in this
moment he was lost to time.