Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story

Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
Friendship

https://youtu.be/xEkIou3WFnM

Jamie helps Damien upstairs to his room and shifts him to sit on the bed. Damien’s thoughts and emotions are in such turmoil Jamie can barely read them. He knows he has to do something to help his best friend. The conversation he had with him earlier in the day indicated he had no sleep. Between no sleep and watching his soulmate as she disappears into the void, he is in shock. He sits, staring blankly and barely responds. Jamie does not want to take his emotions away without permission and Damien is not answering him. Jamie thinks about it and does the next best thing. He uses his abilities to construct a mental wall around Damien’s disordered thoughts until he can cope better with them. Damien blinks a few times as Jamie completes the wall. He looks at Jamie with recognition for the first time since he brought him upstairs. Jamie knows the wall worked. “How about you get some sleep, bro?”
Damien nods. “Yes, I am quite tired.”
Jamie helps him undress and gets him settled in bed. Damien falls asleep quickly. Jamie plans to remove the wall when Damien wakes. He should be able to cope better after sleeping. He observes Damien for a few minutes and moves over to the rocker. He rocks back and forth, deep in thought while he waits to be sure Damien is in a deep sleep before joining the others downstairs.
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Emmaline sets the potions she brewed on the coffee table and calls Layla over. Lee and Bekka come over to observe. Lee looks over the potions and gazes at Emmaline searching her thoughts. He does not sense anything harmful in her mind. It is good to be careful. No more harm should come to Layla. He ponders that thought, shrugs and looks over at Emmaline.
“May I examine the potions please?”

Emmaline lowers her head. “It is an honor for you to check my skill Master Lee.” She knows full well that Master Lee will check them even if she says no, but it was extremely courteous of him to ask.
He sniffs the potions and looks at the clarity of them. He raises his senses and is agreeably surprised at the perfection in the potions. He is intrigued by the use of some ingredients, but is not concerned with what she added. ”It looks as if you performed an admirable job. You are quite proficient in potions.”

Emmaline blushes, “Thank you Master Lee. It is my specialty.”
“I expect you will be taking your earth levels soon?”
“I don’t have a sponsor right now. She is on sabbatical.”
“It is possible I can help with that while I am here. These are both very difficult potions to produce and to brew them in just a few hours is testament to your proficiency. You also tweaked them with some interesting additions to provide secondary effects and potency. Very creative.”

Emmaline is excited and happy at the possibility of working with a Master to become stronger in her craft. “Master Lee, it would be an honor to work with you.”
He places the potions back on the table and nods to Layla.
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Emmaline cautions Layla to take the purple potion first.
Layla picks up the potion and quickly drinks it. She can feel the effects immediately as the curse is lifted. Her body no longer feels poisoned, frail and decrepit. Her skin feels smoother, and the burning veins from the curse that have caused her so much pain are gone. She is still old, though. The second potion should reverse that.
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Pushing the next potion closer to Layla, Emmaline tells her to throw it, not drink it. Smoke rises from the bottle indicating it is ready to be used. Layla raises her arm above her head preparing to hurl it at her feet to be absorbed from toes to head. Smoke surrounds her body as the magic of the potion is absorbed into her body.
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Lee looks over at Emmaline as Layla laughs and giggles and claps her hands as the potion works its way through her system. She even picked up a party horn and flourished it around her head. He wonders if perhaps Emmaline used a little too much essence of child energy in the potion.
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The magic works its way up her body and evokes the changes she has been praying earnestly for. She feels young again. Layla looks at her body. Her breasts are full and firm, no longer old and sagging. The brown spots on her hands and the wrinkled ugly skin are a thing of the past. She feels her face and the creases are gone. Even the laugh lines at her eyes are gone. She smiles and looks at the others.
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Lee was attracted to Layla when he first met her. He is thunderstruck at the change. He holds his hands up in amazement. He can’t seem to stop staring at her. “Layla,” he whispers but they all hear him, “you are enchanting.”
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Bekka is amazed and happy for Layla. She looks exactly like the pictures in her Grandfather’s albums except her hair is much shorter now. She is transformed just smiling in Bekka's opinion and hopes she continues to smile more often.
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Emmaline crosses her arms as she examines Layla and evaluates how well the potion worked.
“Layla, you might notice a few differences because of the ingredients used. Your body is actually younger than you were before. This potion takes you back to the beginning of youth, age wise. Obviously it does not affect memory, but it can affect your personality. I want you to let me know if you feel anything strange or unusual, though."
"I will, thank you Emmaline, thank you so very much for helping me."
"I’ve got to get to work. My boss has texted twice wondering where I am. I told him I would be late, but that Jared is so impatient and mean. I’ll check with you in a few days and see how you are doing."

"Master Lee, thank you so much for offering to help. I would love to advance, so I can quit my job as a chef. I want to concentrate on my alchemy and potions.” She gives her number to Master Lee and teleports to work so she won’t be any later.
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Jamie walks into the room just as Emmaline disappears. “Mary can teleport! Lee teleports! Emmaline can too! Where do I get in line to become a witch? I don’t want to be a ghost!” Everyone laughs at Jamie’s reaction.
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Jamie hurries over to Bekka. He kisses her several times and tells her “be right back and we will leave.”
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He turns to Layla and grins at her. “You are back!” he exclaims. He reaches out and hugs her. “I know you don’t like hugs, but you need one every now and then.”
“You look amazing. I think younger than before.”
Rare tears glisten in Layla's eyes as she hugs Jamie back. “Without you this would not have happened. I can’t thank you enough for what you did as well as Emmaline.”
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"It was no problem helping. Don't worry about it. I think you should stay with us for a while and continue your recuperation. It should warm up with spring coming. That curse took a huge toll on you. At least consider it. Will you keep watch over Damien while we go over to Bekka's place and get the cats to bring back over here? We shouldn't be too long. Damien was sound asleep and should sleep most of the night."
Layla glances over at Lee. "Thank you Jamie. I'd like to stay and help bring Mary back. Don't worry about Damien, Lee and I will listen for him and if he wakes I will text you. I know he will feel more comfortable around you right now. Take your time, though. I do agree, he will sleep. He was clearly exhausted."
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