Chapter One: Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...

“It’s bubbling Meredith! What do I do now? Oh gods! Aunt Meredith!”

Aunt Meredith sighed for the umpteenth time at me and waved her hands over the bubbling cauldron that was now smoking.

“Really now Kira, one would think you have learnt the basics of potion brewing,” chided Rowan my magic book.

I stuck my tongue out at it. It wasn’t my fault that I had added in several wrong ingredients to the potions. Rowan was the one reading from his own pages to me.

“Honey, you really have to pay attention. Your test is in two days!” says Aunt Meredith.

I growled under my breath. I know I was supposed to concentrate but lately I’ve had dreams that seem so real that by making the dreaming potions I’m thinking something bad will happen and usually my instincts are right.

“Aunt Meredith, I think I’m going crazy...either that or my powers are getting stronger...”

Aunt Meredith looked at me. “Kira...you’re not getting...weird premonitions are you?”

Before I could answer her a crash from up the attic sounded.

“I think your Uncle Leonidus is back, I’ll go help him. Kira stir the concoction once more and let it bubble for a bit before taking it off the heat and we’ll talk more...”

Another crash sounded and Aunt Meredith quickly ran up the stairs.

“Your uncle is very bad at apparating” said Rowan.

I nodded and stirred the potion. The fume and smoke was really getting to me now.

“Oh dear, dear, dear, dear. Kira! Do not inhale the fume! Kira!”

Too late for that now Rowan, I thought as I sat plopped down on the stool and fell asleep...

Run!

Huh?

Run! Just Run!

I looked around in confusion. I was on a bridge and I just thought I heard my conscience tell me to run. Then I heard it. Gunshots.

Told you to run. Silly fool! Dodge those bullets!

I started to yell in shock as the guy clad in black started to shoot in my direction.

To the left silly girl!

I was starting to get annoyed. I had no clue where I was and what that dratted potion fume had done to me. So I guess my premonitions were right. Sometimes I just hate being a witch. And now my conscience was starting to boss me around.

Well don’t just stand there, run! And use your powers! You’re a witch not a mortal!

I complied with my conscience. I was running towards the gunman, freezing the bullets coming my way.

Quick, if you get off the bridge he will stop shooting.

I made a mad dash and stopped right in front of the bridge where I could now hear a police car coming. Now why didn’t that come when I needed it to?

I grumbled some more, trying to think about the potion’s ingredients. Unicorn’s tail hair, stardust...

Crushed mushroom, purified water and half a pint of salt water. And I’m telling you the salt water was unnecessary. So was the crushed mushroom. It was supposed to be whole.

Well, la di da. Not all of us are perfect you know.

Tell me something new genius.

I growled out loud and took in my surroundings. I felt disorientated. It was like a part of my neighbourhood was here but it was ... shimmering.

Where the heck am I?

Realm 8426. Otherwise known as your inner dreaming. It co-exists with reality...

Wait a minute. I’ve heard of this realm...

Everybody has stupid.

You called me a genius now you’re saying I’m stupid? Well someone is PMSing. Anyways...this realm, why is it so...shaky?

Well you are half dreaming and half in reality. It’ll become clearer once you spend more time here. Now let me explain the rules. Don’t take things lightly in this realm because even though you are dreaming, when you wake, you’ll have the feeling that it already has happened. What you make up in this realm will of course appear in the real realm. With one glitch of course.

Let me guess, I’ll know its there but no one else will?

What are you an idiot? Of course they will see it. Since you made the potion wrong there will be side effects!

I huffed and made my way down the street when the whole world started to shake.

What’s happening?

Looks like someone is entering the realm.

I thought this was my dream?

Must be a side effect or a defect in your head.

Great.

After a while the shaking stopped and I looked around. Green grass and a wire fence that had vines and snake crawling on it were in front of me.

“What in the Bohemian Warlock book is this horrid fence doing here?”

“You’ve read the Bohemian Warlock book?”

I turned around so fast that I was surprised I didn’t get whiplash (I hate it when that happens). Yet another surprise.

“Aren’t you that popular guy in that wizard show...?”

The incorrigible git that made me hate my favourite wizard show of all time. He made all the girls swoon with just one smile, one look and one act. I usually try not to watch whenever he’s on the show which is most of the time.

The guy bowed. “Justin Calista Lionhart...”

“You made the Lionhart up didn’t you?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

Justin waved his hand at me. “This is my dream so I can do whatever I like and why are you even here?”

“Apparently this should me my dream...” I retorted

“You screwed up your potions didn’t you?”

I blushed. How the hell did he know?

Justin rolled his eyes. “Well I was summoned by your inner thoughts...”

Me thinking of him in a place like this? He wishes. “Me summoning you would be the last thing on my mind right now...”

“Ok so it wasn’t you. Probably your inner conscience then,” he said walking towards me.

I took a step back and folded my arms. “My inner conscience did no such thing...what in Merlin’s name is that?”

I was shocked to see not one but a horde of bulls flying in the orange and pink tinged sky.

“Your mind is really messed up you know,” said Justin.

He was close enough for me to slap him.

“Ow! What was that for?” he asked angrily rubbing his arm.

“Being an ass,” I answered. “Oh great, now the bulls are turning into helicopters. What the hell is happening in here! This is turning out to be a nightmare!”

Before I knew what was happening Justin had grabbed my hand and we were running across the field.

“Trust me, nine times out of ten, these potions are defective so you had better just run...”

He’s right you know.

But you just said...

Follow the boy. I didn’t summon him here for no reason you know!

Oh my god you did summon him!

Of course. You were thinking of a companion and I thought who better than the sweet boy from the Oz show.

I groaned inwardly. Stupid inner conscience. It just had to mess with me right now.

“Try to think of nice thoughts babe cause your world is falling apart!” shouted Justin as he jumped over a hole in the grass.

“Well I am a bit disorientated what with this crazy realm and all you know so be nice you jerk!” I shouted back at him as we both dodged the tennis balls that were now being thrown at us from those stupid helicopters.

“Great I’m stuck inside a lunatic’s head!” I heard him grumble as we continued to run.

Ha. Times like these makes me wonder what would happen if we fell down a hole like in Alice in wonderland.

“Dammit woman you did not just think up of a hole did you?” shouted Justin halting to a stop.

“Ooops,” I say pulling a face at him. “Well, I’ve always wanted to be Alice,” I say to him before I jumped into the hole, pulling him with me as we fell into the darkness.

“Kiiiraaaaaaa!”

“AHHHHHHH!”

“Oh good you’re awake!”

Uh. I woke up? Does this mean I am actually awake in my real world?

You wish.

Damn! I was hoping I would scare myself into waking up.

“Okay, rule number one never ever do that again! Rule number two: DON’T EVER DO IT AGAIN!”

Oh yippee I get to wake up to the rantings of a warlock...or is he a wizard? He looks more like a demon to me. Oh wait, that’s Justin.

“So where are we now?” I asked looking around. We were in a bedroom that was pretty big if you asked me.

“Since you zoned out I had to fill in the dream or we’d still be falling into darkness,” said Justin grudgingly.

“What, you couldn’t come up with anything better than a bedroom?” I asked now aware that Justin was lying next to me.

“Well as of this point I’m controlling the dream. If I have to go through something as crazy as just then I might just die,” said Justin closing his eyes.

I rolled my eyes. “Stop being such a drama queen.”

“I could be doing much better things right now than lie in a bed with a witch I don’t even know,” muttered Justin.

I threw a pillow at him. “Then do something don’t just sit there and grumble,” I say angrily before getting off the bed.

I wonder if I can conjure my magic books...

“Ow!”

I turned to see two of my magic books flapping their covers at Justin. “Mimi and Dotty!” I exclaimed, climbing back onto the bed and grabbed the books.

“You name your magic books?” asked Justin looking at me with an incredulous look.

“They were already named when I got them from my aunt,” I say sticking out my tongue.

“Mistress! Where have you been? Rowan is ripping himself apart trying to find a reversal potion!” squeaked Mimi.

“Let me guess, Rowan is a book too?”

I swatted Justin on the chest. “Mimi, I need you to go back and tell the others I’m alright.” As soon as those words left me the book disappeared.

Dotty flew towards me and I flipped through his pages.

“Don’t tell me you are planning on making another potion,” said Justin trying to pry the book off me.

I grabbed it back. “No, I’m studying!”

“In a time like this you can study?” asked Justin with a cocked eyebrow, pulling the book towards him now.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Unlike you I care about my education. Not everyone is a superstar you know,” I grumbled as I tried to pull the book towards me to no avail.

So we had a tug-o-war and it did not go very well. I was on the verge of using my powers to blast him out of my dreams when one very powerful tug from him made me land on top of him and the strangest thing happened.

We were looking into each other’s eyes; me into his slate grey and him into my brown ones.

Now, when you’re a magical being of some sort, you do not, and I repeat do not look into somebody’s eyes unless you’re asking for trouble of some sort. It’s crazy what one look in the eye can do to you.

Oh wow, that’s a really pretty eye colour...

Don’t you start...though they are very pretty...

“Why are you looking at me like that?” said Justin without blinking as if he was in a trance.

“I don’t know...why aren’t you blinking? It’s starting to scare me...” I answered also without blinking.

Then he cracked the biggest smile I have ever seen and one of his arms was around my waist while the other was running up and down my arm, sending tingling sensations through my body.

Uh oh, what’s he doing?

As if on cue our lips met. It felt so soft, his lips, and he was being so tender and...

What is that ringing noise?

Opening my eyes I was met with chocolate ones.

“Thank goodness you’re up honey. Another minute of this crazy alarm clock of yours and I would have had to do something drastic.”

“Aunt Melody?” I asked sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

“Yes it’s me. Oh, is the effect of the potions still in your head? Poor thing...”

Aunt Melody then walked about my room to clean it while I was sitting in bed thinking over what had just happened.

Being kissed by one of the youngest famous wizard? What the heck was my mind playing at? I don’t even know if this realm 8426 is real.

So I did the only thing all witches do when in distress.

We bring back the dead.

Only joking. The mad scientists do enough of that already.

We look for answers in our magic books.

“Rowan where are you?”

27.10.08 - uhm i made some changes! please read and review! cya next chappie (: