Sharla Winslowe

by Christy Lake and Misty Dawn

Chapter 11. Still Third Year Summer

Part 28: A healing Experiment
Part 29: Spirit World Antics
Part 30: A Major Healing

 

Part 28: A Healing Experiment

With Naomi and Andrea helping, Sharla had created a number of "Traditional Magic Tools" during the last few months. Now, the basement provided the big protected area necessary to construct a magic circle, the altars, and everything else that she would need. Her promise to help Naomi get rid of that "baby fat" and her subsequent inability to accomplish it still worried Sharla. For reasons undefined, the Fourth of July became her target date.

Before getting into the Grimoire for some serious studying, Sharla figured she had better go upstairs and get that computer project finished. As she was waiting for the project protocols to accept her input, she reviewed the rather extensive piece of programming she had just finished. "Actually all it amounts to is a 'Time Bubble' that allows records to be reviewed completely outside of the main program and then collects information that can be used by the program at a later time." The cost was energy in the form of processor cycles. The psionic was elated.

The concept intrigued her, and she was still pondering it as she returned to the basement and curled up in the battered easy chair. The psionic practically lived in the basement because it felt so "homey." In her lap were the five volumes on health and healing. All those annoying computer projects were finally up to date.

The redhead had a lot of reading to do before getting some sleep at midnight. The alarm clock was wound and set for midnight. Establishing a light link to her green battery, Sharla also tapped into the blue and red batteries under the hospital and then settled down to an extended bit of concentrated reading. Using a bit of Green Energy she established an egg shape with her and her books in the center. A trace of Red Energy might do it. The alarm clock was outside the sphere. Okay, that should provide a barrier to the flow of time, as she saw it.

All in all it had been a pretty productive evening she thought as she released the time bubble and placed Advanced Healing on the stack on the table. The alarm clock growled and started to clatter before she reached over and tapped it into silence. In three hours, she had been able to do what normally took eight hours of concentrated reading, four days, two hours a day. Her wristwatch said she had spent eight hours inside the sphere studying

Using the Red Energy She had created a Time Bubble insulating her and her activities from the surrounding environment. Tapping into the Green Battery had allowed her to maintain her personal energy level and continue without faltering. Since she was not tired or sleepy the witch decided to experiment with the time bubble. It did not take her very long to discover that the major power to affect the relation of time to her was in the Red Energy. The Blue Energy was necessary to project any action or effect outside of the bubble. Other than strictly physical actions, only the Green Energy would work inside the bubble.

Simply as an experiment, she checked the alarm clock on the table. It read five minutes to one. Humming some silly ditty, Sharla collected white sugar, salt, and chalk. She then located a large pedestal and lastly picked up the chalk lines and large dividers that she, Andrea, and Naomi had prepared to construct magic circles. The sorceress then established a time bubble around the entire work area. The clock read 12:59. Discovering both the chalk and the salt were too coarse and required grinding, she completed the task, then using the factors calculated earlier, she very carefully mixed the ingredients. Very precisely she traced a large circle. Inside the Circle she plotted a pentagram with the points being on the circle. Inside the pentagram, she plotted exactly an open five-pointed star with the points on the points of the pentagram.

After checking her wristwatch, the redhead realized she had been working for several hours and squatting to trace lines on the concrete floor or mix substances in mortar and pestle was very tiring. She had not renewed her connection to the Green Energy Battery when she'd constructed the Time Bubble. She realized that her body needed a certain amount of rest time, even if her head and nerves did not, so she collapsed the time bubble. The several hours of work had taken a little more than thirty seconds in the normal world, according to the clock on the table. "Damn! I need to get to bed. Now I really have to talk to Naomi in the morning! Fer shure!"

*****OoooO*****

To work on Naomi, Sharla decided that she needed to get some more practice using real magic. Somehow she was able to do some things. She really needed to see if she could duplicate what she knew were real magic spells. She had done the transformation of Jerry, now legally and actually Jeri, by copying from the two healthy girls next to her while using the Blue Energy to perform the necessary manipulations. She had used some red and green to help her follow all the thousands of operations necessary but that had not been very significant. Healing Naomi would probably take some real magic, like that in La Caisse, not some energy manipulation. She figured that she would attempt to reconstruct the spells on another wooden box and set of books.

Searching throughout the metropolitan area, Sharla discovered an old box of local histories near her Red and Blue Batteries under the hospital. They had been hand written, bound, and stored in a wooden box, similar in size to the original La Caisse. An out of body exploration had located them in the archived medical files storeroom. A single thought translocated the box to her basement room. Over the next several nights, Sharla successfully attempted to impose a pattern of protective energy on this box to match the magic as she saw it on La Caisse. In structuring the blue and red energy she realized that she had identified the box as the "Bluffs Story Box."

The challenge of working on The Bluffs Story Box and La Caisse kept her busy, very busy all though the rest of June. She saw David every day but somehow, neither Kevin nor he seemed to measure up to White's presence in her mind. The healing of Naomi loomed heavily in her mind. It was time, and she need to convince Naomi of that.

*****OoooO*****

"Hon, in one of those arguments, laughingly called 'discussion sessions', that we have in my programming lab, the class opinion seemed to be that to be really effective, a good programmer has to have a clear set of intentions, with the purposes of said program clearly in mind… before attending to the structuring or coding. Otherwise, little technical goodies one comes across might pull the individual away from the program's true purpose.

"Performing magic is a lot like planning and writing a program," Sharla mused, and then quickly explained the ideas that had come to her in her time bubble experiments.

"Okay, so we both know you can do it," the Native American signed, "It's just that it is a bit different know I am going to be on the receiving end of a spell." She then hiccuped in what passed as laughter for her. "What do we do?"

"First and foremost is moving that impossible baby fat to places more becoming a hot looking woman. Second, Naomi dear, we get rid of all that body and facial hair." Sharla had not been able to get Naomi to the zappers, and figured that this would be the only chance to help get rid of that blemish. "Then we'll take care of that bruised back from that damned mountain climbing accident you had last month." Sharla then dropped their mind link and began to use ASL. "And finally we give the hearing of the cougar and the voice of an angel that you lost to illness as a kid."

"You really think all that will happen?" Naomi returned in sign

The red-haired witch went on in a distracted manner, as if not hearing the interruption at all. "Really, and the thing of it is this spell will go much deeper than that." Naomi's inability to speak and hear was the result of severe fevers she experienced as a child, according to White Running-Bear. Just the thought of the man sent hot, tingly thrills ripping into her girlish center. Complete healing would include the hearing of the cougar and the voice of an angel.

The deaf-mute gave her a funny, quizzical look that got a chuckle from the psionic.

"Okay look, one and three are simple and mostly superficial, although three has roots that run very deep. Two and four are hidden. Two should be easy, but four is going to be difficult and has required a bit of serious planning," Sharla explained. "I wrote, rewrote, and then wrote it again. I am trying what I want to believe is the perfect spell, love." Even so confident, something seemed to be missing, but the sensual sorceress did not know what it could be.

"Okay! Okay, I'm convinced. When do we have a go at it?"

"Well, let's do it with a bang and go for the 4^th of July?"

They both reviewed the materiel and went over the script. Naomi recognized what it was that was missing; a plant director for the magic. Sharla hustled to the flower garden just outside the back patio and picked flower petals from three different plants. They felt right for guiding the magic.

Back in the basement they continued the purification rituals. Carefully she completed the grinding, and mixing of the proper potentials, and then using the many factors calculated earlier she very carefully mixed the ingredients. With smooth precision she traced a large circle. Inside the Circle the witches plotted an exact pentagram with the points being on the circle. Inside the pentagram, she plotted the open five-pointed star with the points on the points of the pentagram that she had practiced earlier.

When the moment of the big day came Sharla donned a simple white see-through silk gown that drifted down to her trim ankles. Naomi, lay on her back atop the altar in the middle of the star. She was sky clad. Sharla carefully traced in the runes in each section between the pentagram and the circle and then lit the candles in each of the five star points. While she intoned the chants, she could see blue energy coming through the runes… like smoke coming through a grill. It gathered in the V's between the points of the star and the legs of the pentagram. It looked a bit off so Sharla gently added some Red Energy to smooth the pattern. Finally Sharla, as the Grimoire had recommended, concentrated on what the magic was to do, depending on the flower petals to fine focus and direct the magic on Naomi who was cupping the petals in her hand. Then Sharla used her focus verse…

 

"Let the excess fat flee,
To locations for a pretty she.
Let the fuzz on face and bod,
Move and make the black do mod.
For what has been lost in pain,
Make it whole and hale again."

Suddenly the energy surged toward Naomi, then erupted through the walls of the diagram, enveloping Sharla and then two branches heaved out. One spray of magic shot through the wall, looking like it was aiming for something in the back yard. The second spray or cone enclosed the center of the ritual design and then shrank inward and utterly engulfed Naomi. In just a matter of seconds, the energy faded.

Naomi was nude in the center of the pentagram on the altar and watching as Sharla mouthed something, probably her focus verse. Naomi's imagination was so good that she thought she could hear Sharla's voice say, "So Mote it be." A few seconds later Sharla was running towards her with her arms spread wide.

As soon as she was certain the energies had cleared the area, Sharla had raced to Naomi to ascertain her well-being. The Spell had been super-successful. The baby fat was moved from the waistline to the bust line. The healing also cured Naomi's hearing and voice loss.

Naomi's hands came up in a demanding gesture. As she pushed an excited Sharla away, Naomi signed and heard herself ask, "What Happened?"

The reflection of the spell added a bit to Sharla's bust line. The healing had another positive effect on Sharla also. The neural pathways responsible for her sensitivity to both emotional broadcasts and aura observation had been damaged when Sharla's sensitivity had suddenly opened. Now they were repaired and Sharla had complete control over her empathy and the ability to see auras.

*****OoooO*****

Unknown to Sharla or Naomi, the Supervisor of the yard maintenance company crews had picked some blossoms, the very blossoms that Sharla had picked petals off of to direct elements of the spell. By picking the blossoms off the plants, Mr. Horcutt had prevented the spell from short-circuiting. Since He had tucked the damaged blossoms into his pocket the ambience of the spell completely affected him.

As he relaxed on the bench in the contemplation garden, a peaceful isolation surrounded him. He thought he heard Miss Winslowe's voice.

"Let the excess fat flee,
To locations for a pretty she.
Let the fuzz on face and bod,
Move and make the black do mod.
For what has been lost in pain,
Make it whole and hale again."

A tingling sensation swept over him momentarily. He thought he heard the young woman's voice again. "So mote it be." The feeling of isolation faded, leaving the peacefulness.

*****OoooO*****

After the girls realized that the spell had worked on both of them and that Naomi could now actually speak and hear, they remembered something from the Volume 13 of La Caisse…

"Once ye have collected the proper petals from a live blossom, clip off from that plant that blossom and burn it. Do ye not do this, ye spell shall be attracted to the blossom as well as the petals. If the blossom remains on the plant, ye magic will be returned to the Earth Mother through the roots. And thus the power of ye spell shall be the very minimal."

The witch and the Shaman realized suddenly the petals that Naomi had held were completely gone, maybe consumed by the magic. In a near panic, then they rushed up to check the flowers and discovered the blossoms had been nipped off. With overwhelming relief flooding both, they figured the blossoms had been trimmed by the gardener, and put in the trashcan.

"Well, insulated by the plastic bag liner, I'm guessing the blossoms probably were consumed by that rush of energy just like those petals in your hand were, Naomi."

"We can only pray to the goddess that it is so," the tall Shaman whispered softly.

With that radical of a change in the girl's life style, there would need to be something or someone to help the recipient of the spell observe and acknowledge the changes, and incorporate them into daily life in a positive fashion.

"Naomi, I want you to move in and stay here with me for a while…"

Without looking at her friend and occasional lover, Naomi nodded slowly.

"Thanks luv, I will." A sense of impending doom for a friend had enveloped the tall Native American and she shivered slightly.

It was a bit of a surprise to the redhead the raven haired beauty so easily accepted. The shaman was not one to relinquish even so small a portion of her independence so readily.

*****OoooO*****

"Whassup?" The tall Shaman-in-training asked as she rolled over and rose up from the bed enough to view her cohort's dressing.

"Well, my lazy pet, some of us are not luck enough to get a week off for the Fourth of July. Some of us have to woorrrk for our daily bread," the taller redhead teased.

"Ooohhmph!" The girl on the bed dropped her face back into the pillow.

"Well, if you can drag that lovely tush of yours out of that bed long enough to come down to the office, I will take you to lunch at Turnbulls," she grinned her offer and snapped the "second skin" short-shorts in place about her tiny waist.

"Turnbulls??? I thought you were done with Bill…" There was a hint of surprise in the new voice. "Shorts? To work?"

"Bill and I are buddies…besides, Jenny said her friend Teri is working there now. I want to meet Teri." The psionic simply stuck out her tongue and waggled her saucy bottom at the girl's comment about her casual attire. A tank top, a buttonless chambray work shirt and calf-hugging "engineer" boots with crepe soles completed her dress.

"You are approving Jenny's friends now?"

"No, though sometimes I …" their banter went on as the witch pulled her auburn hair back into a tight ponytail.

Well, at least she used a ribbon to tie it with…could do with a bit of makeup, though...

"I heard that, witch!" Sharla smiled as she headed out the door. Since working at the construction sites required getting dirty, Sharla had quit dressing-to-kill as she had while in classes.

Before the redhead was out the front door the Shaman-in-Training was asleep again and within moments was dreaming. With uncanny certainty, the girl knew she was dreaming, but could not wake herself and had to watch helplessly as the unreal dreamscape unfolded. In her dream she stood on the hill above the Shaman Cave Dig Site. She was dressed in her ritual Chamois Shamni and carried a seven foot staff about an inch and a half thick.

The girl chuckled in her sleep as she recognized that staff as nearly identical to the one Charlton Heston carried in the movie "The Ten Commandments" and then looked at the Golden Cougar at her side and laughed in her new voice, "Hey, it's my dream, I can dream anything I want…"

"You should not be doing this!" the Cougar at her side shot in Mind Link then snarled angrily…

"It is just a dream…" she snapped back and lifting the staff to hold it in both hands above her head began to chant…

Oh Great Spirit, this calm must not remain…
This warm, this dry does not please me…
Goddess of the moon please hear my refrain…
Nature's most violent is now my plea…
Visit now with thunder, lightening, wind and rain…

Then on the third recitation of the chant, the dreamer swung the staff about her head in an all encompassing manner and then pointed it at the holiday empty collegiate archeological encampment in the valley below, and smiled as the skies began to darken as clouds built and began to rumble with a building fury. The girl in the dream filled with a sense of satisfaction and watched as hail and rain driven by powerful winds all but destroyed the trailers and fragile temporary buildings before her. With a swing of her staff she collected more clouds to slowly empty their contents on the Shaman's Valley over the next week.

Besidedes her, the Golden Cougar shook his head and linked, "You need to learn some control. Let us hope that you do not come to regret this deed."

Before the nearly naked Shaman-in-Training could say anything the great cougar was gone and she was returned to her fitful sleep to wake a few moments later drenched as if she had been standing out side in the rain. She felt a clammy chill as she noted the bed was dry, and shivered.

"Damn, what a nightmare! I hope that redhead left a pot of tea…" She loved the sound of her new voice.

At about the same time Sharla was leaving for work in City Bluffs, a voice in Denver, called out, "Hey, KEVIN!" but the words barely reached the young superintendent's conscious mind. "Watch it! That's not the safest place to be!"

The new boss looked around, but saw nothing to be concerned with. Shrugging and without thinking to look up, he continued walking back to the small utility trailer that served as on-site office. In the depths of his heart, he was sore at Sharla's callous attitude, that of assuming! Hell, he'd always been there, if a bit late on occasion, and had he been ready to admit it, he was angry that she had broken up with him because of something so trivial. Even before she moved to that mansion she had started moaning and whining and seemed never satisfied with him.

Well, Mary Anne never assumes. Over the past several weeks he'd become more and more infatuated with her delightful servility. The past week here in Denver, on the job site without her had been tough.

"Dammit, Kevin! Get out from under... AAWWW…SHHEEIIIITT!!!!"

It was the last thing Kevin heard as the first of several; eight-inch pipes to be offloaded from a semi moving into position nearby struck him squarely. Had it not been for the sturdy hard hat he wore, his skull would have been crushed as badly as the rest of his body when nine more of the pipes took their turns driving it deeper into the soft mud. The impact of the pipes hitting him had knocked him off the wooden walkway and into the mire beneath.

"Some of you get over here!" bellowed the foreman as he tapped the emergency code into his cell phone. It's going to be a long day!

*****OoooO*****

Calvin Caldwell, the owner and manager of Caldwell Construction, with major projects in eight states, shook visibly, but manfully contained his grief and sorrow, concentrated on his inner rage to hold back the tears and disconnected from the last of many calls to hospitals, doctors and a few friends.

"Mary Anne?" he spoke softly into the handset after punching the intercom.

"Yes, Mister Caldwell?"

"Is Sharla Winslowe, that computer whiz we have running around here on site?"

"Yes, sir, she is working in the receiving department this morning. Something to do wi- …"

"Mary Anne," he interrupted, unwilling to listen to her full report this morning. "It is unimportant. I need you to get her to come in here to see me ASAP, and as soon as you have her on the way, I need you in here. I have several things I need you to do."

OoooO*****OoooO

While he waited, he let his mind refresh the memories of the day he first met Sharla Winslowe, Computer Wizard, though in her case, being a gal, Computer Witch was probably more proper…

He had purchased several new computers, as well as a ton of the necessary software as a lot purchase. Because he had not purchased through one of the big companies, or one of the local shops, he had found that he was very low on their Priority list and no one was in a real big hurry to provide him the necessary technical support. "Maybe in two or three months we'll be able to get someone to work on your project," the last of the available local outfits had told him.

"Sharla, Kevin here tells me that you are a very talented, up and coming computer tech…" had been his opening gambit.

A chuckle escaped him as he recalled the sexy coed had blushed, but gamely replied, "Well, I have learned a few tricks." Yes, Sharla and her 'bag of tricks' has become a great asset to this company. One of the best deals I ever made.

The construction overlord chuckled again. He knew that anyone worth their salt in their preferred field of endeavor always learned "a few tricks." Hell, he had a few of his own he used from time to time and was now certain his son, now lying near death in a far away hospital, had learned a few of his own. "Be that as it may," he had offered on the spot with no further need of references, "my deal is simple, girl. I'd like you to set up the computers, at least three a week, establish them in an internal network and then remain on call to see that network continues to operate smoothly."

The winsome girl with green eyes alight had nearly choked, but to her endearing credit, had contained her astonishment very well. She…

OoooO*****OoooO

The burr of the intercom shook him from his pleasant reverie and returned him rudely to a most unpleasant present. "Yes!"

"Mister Caldwell, Sharla Winslowe is here.

"Both of you come in, I only want to tell this once, Mary Anne."

"Yes, Mister Caldwell."

Calvin Caldwell's office

Calvin Caldwell, a robust muscular man nearing fifty, looked from one curious girl to the other, his own eyes filled with his contained grief. "Girls, I know you are both close, very personal friends of my son, Kevin…" he paused, as if searching for words. "Oh, hell, there's just no easy way to say it…"

Both young women were looking a bit concerned as the boss fiddled with a pencil.

"Dammit…" The pencil snapped loudly and he tossed the pieces into the trash can at the end of his desk, then said, "Kevin has been seriously injured in an on-site accident near Denver. He IS alive, but that, at the moment, is about all."

Mary Anne swayed, and sagged to her knees as Sharla stared at the man a brief moment, then maternally reached down for the softly sobbing secretary and drew her to sit on the long, low wide white sofa against the wall. The girl's emotions were surging and crisply imaged.

Well, you did tell him to go get lucky with someone else, Sharla reminded her self as she blushhed furiously and closed her mind to the flood of explicit memories flowing from the distraught girl. Still, it hurt very deeply to learn Kevin thought so little of their relationship that he took her words spoken in anger seriously enough to seek solice with another.

"How did it happen, Mister C?" she was able to ask after finally gettng Mary Anne calmed down.

"One of the men on the scene said he was walking toward his office and seemed not to notice he was walking under a sling full of pipes being unloaded from a truck. The chain sling seemed to pick that moment to snap and most, if not all ten of the pipes fell on him. Only the fact the ground was soft saved him, I guess."

"What hospital was he taken to?" the psionic redhead asked

Writing it all down on a pad, he gave the information to her and said, "I'm flying out as soon as I can hire a plane... Mary Anne…"

"Yes, Mister Caldwell, right away… I just need a few minutes to fix my face and then I will get right on it and make the arrangements…and …"

"Mary Anne!"

"Yes, Mister Caldwell?"

"I was going to ask if you and Sharla can go with me."

Mary Anne greatfully accepted and said she could, and then he told her to be ready to go ASAP. Sharla said she could not be ready to go so soon, and the construction giant told her not to worry, that he would buy all they would need as they went. The witch with damp green eyes had to demur yet again when she realized there were just too many other responsibilities and things she needed to stay on top of.

"But if you will call me…." She began and the words were hardly said before she was in possession of a cell phone much like the one Kevin always carried. Then, because she was wanting to get away from people she said, "Mister C, I am going to finish up the Receiving Dock net and then go home and wait for you to call."

"Receiving can do with out for ano…"

"No," she interrupted. "I really need to keep busy for a little while, and think." She was already heading out the door. She needed to get to "La Caisse" and search the Grimoire for some way of helping Kevin! There just had to be something she could do!

*****OoooO*****

Sharla, though shaken to the core returned to the Shipping-Receiving Department and finished the installation of the program that would help Caldwell Construction to keep better tabs the locations the several millions of dollars of equipment, light and heavy, it possessed and presently had working in many locations. It would also help to keep track of the specialized equipment Caldwell Construction owned and leased to other construction companied from time to time for their special projects.

To her credit, the auburn-haired witch got the computers all up and running properly, holding her feelings together until she arrived back at the Winters home shortly after dark.

Using the electronic opener, she opened the garage and pulled into the slot where, as the door closed, she heard on the AM/FM radio tuned to the local radio station, "This is Ron Hubbard, with Action ninety-six point five FRONTLINE NEWS. Headlining the news this hour, Kevin Caldwell, seriously injured in an accident early today, at this hour is reported to be resting well though in grave condition. The well-known only son of Calvin Caldwell, of Caldwell construction is…" Sharla broke down.

There in the front seat of the nearly new Jeep X, one of the three vehicles she was now responsible for "exercising" 'at least' once a week, Though she had tried to tell her self she was through with Kevin, through with his male superior airs, through with his ultra-macho posing, the body of the young witch began shaking uncontrollably. A moment later, wracked with wet grief-stricken sobs, throwing her lithe form across the seat, the psionic gave vent to her grief, bawling in her sorrow and heartache until a fitful, restless sleep claimed her.

After a few minutes, she pulled herself awake and staggered into the house. Naomi met her in the kitchen.

"Goddess, girl…you look horrible…what happened?" The Native American was ready to spit fire.

"Oh, Naomi…" sobbed the redhead. "Kevin has been injured…" she began and explained as much as she knew. Word, and rumor, had spread like wildfire through the company. "So I really need to get downstairs and go see for myself!"

*****OoooO*****

About midnight she woke and pulled her self together. A glance at the bedside clock and she rolled out of bed and stood up.

"Huh? What…you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just going to go look in on Kevin…go back to sleep," she chuckled softly as the Native American promptly obeyed.

Going to her magic workroom in the basement she stripped to her "travel outfit" to do some astral projection. She wanted to try to visit Kevin's hospital room. With little difficulty she was able to find him in a literal "body cast of wires, pins, and clamps almost from nose to toes. Very carefully she started evaluating the condition of his spinal column and the condition of the assorted nerves. Since she did not really know what she was looking for, she was able to only do a little bit at a time, but she did smooth out some damaged nerves and make sure that blood was circulating around everything in his spinal column.

Every morning, until Kevin was transferred to City Bluffs, Sharla spent at least thirty minutes working on improving first his nervous system, then his circulatory system, and then soothing and reconnecting muscles. She never said how she gained her information, but she provided Mr. Caldwell a weekly report from her perspective of how Kevin was doing. Never asking how she came by her information, fully accepting the girl and her "bag of tricks" now, Mr. Caldwell sat back and smiled with smug satisfaction when the medicos simply confirmed what he already knew.

In mid July, amid the turmoil caused by Kevin's accident, Sharla had to rent a building to handle the storage and set up of equipment. Somehow, the assorted businesses had decided to depend on her for all of their equipment and programs. Sharla had purposely demanded payment in advance for equipment and programs as a ploy to discourage the businesses, but their checks came flooding in. Sharla had realized early last spring, when prodded by Andrea, that she had a special Quality Control check ability that others did not. Sharla could literally go into the circuit board and the electronics and using magic, identify any weak areas. If it was systematic, it was a supplier that she did not want, if it was just a one off, she could fix it. Now with all the parts coming in, Sharla could do a quick check, but the detailed testing would require a lot more capacity.

Creating a Byte Biter Family to check electronic components for faults or weaknesses had been relatively easy. Not wanting to brag, but bragging, Sharla explained to Naomi and White that she'd found a six foot by ten foot room adjacent to the loading dock door. In her causal manner, she explained to them how she'd infused the soundproofing carpet lining this room with the ability to trace small electronic circuits and had set up a spray nozzle that was linked to a glass jar of red ink on a shelf just outside the door to the room. "The first," she told them, "is actually an entire room, that big one located right beside the loading dock. I've named it, The Big Daddy."

"When a shipment of electronics is received, the boxes are moved into the room and neatly arranged on the shelves lining the outside wall."

With a wave at her industry, she went on, trying not to sound too much the 'show off.'

"Once electronics are placed within the room, Big Daddy tracks each electronic circuit and junction. If all connections prove solid, the box gets a plus mark sprayed on it. If a connection proves to be a problem, the package containing the defective circuit is sprayed with a check mark."

The witch was not really certain how it happened but she soon realized that she had to hire her dad's accounting firm to keep track of her business. She now had a number of very lucrative service contracts going. Six of her first clients, other than Mr. Caldwell, had decided that they also wanted to expand their systems throughout all, some geographically widely separated, branches of their company, much like Mr. Caldwell had done. It was about this time she realized Mike Horcutt was no longer with the Landscape company and another man was working in his stead.

Later Sharla wrote letters and explained to her customers the need for analysis of the work site, the need for a physical survey, and then the need to obtain hardware and software. Even to her it sounded as though she was determined to convince them she did not want the business. They they wrote back and explained that Mr. Caldwell had given them his cost. (He had quoted a number three times what Sharla and Kevin had actually charged him.) In their letters they seemed just as determined that they would have her services and none other. Since they did not have a Kevin Equivalent, they realized that Sharla would have to pick some one out of their company to be the company system manager and administrator, and then train that individual. It was on a trip to one of her new customers that, shortly after healing Naomi Sharla was able to spend a weekend as White's Guest at his ranch once again…

*****OoooO*****

Just as July drifted into August, Sharla had to accept and attune her wards to Tomas Prescott after Michael Horcutt left the landscaping company.

The landscaping business suited the young man just fine, good exercise for muscle tone, constant sun for a great tan on his body, and winters off to go bumming in Florida, if he wanted. The Winter's estate was one of the company's best contracts. Every week the pattern of his visit would remain constant. For some inexplicable reason it did not bother him in the least that he was being watched. He just hoped the gal liked what she saw; he sure did

One of the girls, either Miss Tallcougar or Miss Winslowe was sitting on their deck sipping iced tea and watching while he worked. The inspection was just a routine and any special projects requested were usually too easy to mention.

Miss Winslowe is one very good-looking redhead, he thought as he performed his chores. With three-inch wedgies under the slender but curvy five-foot ten-inch body – both she and Miss Tallcougar, a gorgeous full-blood Sioux, unless he missed his guess, dwarfed Tom's five foot four inch frame. But it seemed they never looked down on him.

Today it was Miss Tallcougar on the patio. As always dressed in the current fashion, a form fitting sleeveless light green knit top and a swirling dark green maxi skirt today, she exhibited none of the arrogance or false superiority he so often experienced from other girls.

*****OoooO*****

Occasionally the tall redhead would have some friends over for a swim, but even in the midst of it all, somehow, it seemed her thoughts were always elsewhere. It had been rumored she that was responsible for old Mike's leaving the company. But, it was also rumored the girl was a witch of some sort. He doubted both rumors. Even so, his thoughts were always on her, as he would admire her long hair, ski-jump nose, perfectly proportioned, breasts, and lovely long legs and idly wish that if he could somehow become a woman, he would want to be like her.

*****OoooO*****

After his first of his August visits he noticed a slight change in their normal pattern of activities. The summer days had warmed up, and their attire had become spare even a bit bold. The third week of August the Miss Tallcougar wore a tank top, a shorty khaki Camp Skirt, allowing him glimpses of the perky pointed profile of her nipples. The top was too abbreviated to tuck into her short skirt, well exposing a dainty, dimpled belly button and very trim midriff; just the sort of form that he secretly wished so much to possess. He'd made a comment on how much he enjoyed her choice of clothing. She had smiled knowingly.

Carefully she'd explained one of their friends who had been grievously injured in some sort of accident was being released from hospital, and the girls were preparing to care for him here on the estate. It was a highlight of his week when she outlined the project to him and asked if he understood the need to maintain a relative quiet atmosphere on the estate during his recovery. He must have impressed her; she seemed pleased with his responses.

 

Part 29: Spirit World Antics

The Shaman Cave reconstruction project finally came to a close at the end of summer with but a few days remained before the beginning of the new school year. Instead of seeking a lot of company, the tall Native American felt a strong compulsion to get away from it all, and giving in to a quietly driving demand to commune with nature, made plans to answer this call of her totem.

When the final weekend came, she packed a small bit of camping gear in the back of an antiquated CJ5 and headed for the woods. The wilderness always seemed more enjoyable, even with none of the luxuries of civilization she enjoyed at home. At a handy Safeway, she included a hefty basket of delicacies for Him and convenience-camping foods for her. The air had gotten a bit chilly in the evenings, but not so much as to alert the earth and water spirits to begin preparing for the winter. By way of quiet contemplation and meditation, the shaman-in-training knew it was going to be a perfect weekend, one of great celebration, the final melding of her life force with her totems power. Most of the way, her new melodious voice rose above the sound of the antique she drove to entertain the spirits along her path.

After a summer of hurry up and wait, suits bugging her to release more artifacts and the attendant pressures accompanying the near destruction of an important archeological discovery, plus the tensions and frustrations inherent to a mixed dig crew, Naomi was glad to be able to separate from her world. Where she was headed all she would really need was some basic foodstuffs, and her favorite flannel shirt and maybe the pair of cutoffs, which had become her trademark. The girl part of her may have been a smidgen reluctant, but the spirit force within looked forward to the weekend, knew the purpose was necessary to her spiritual advancement. Ultimately it would be one of peace and harmony.

*****OoooO*****

There was a particular place at the base of his mountain, quite close to the river both enjoyed. Though near the road she needed, it was hidden from the casual observer and was, as far as he could determine, a place no one, other than she, had desecrated. The area was wild and free, the only clue of humans he had ever found were those she had left there, the overgrown remains of her campfire, a nesting of pine boughs gathered by her to sleep on, the lingering scent of her. This special place was within walking distance of the river, totally hidden from any passersby on the road below. Watching her cavort in the water he detested, while performing her morning cleansing ritual, had become an enjoyable pastime he looked forward to when she visited.

Sitting there on a fallen tree at the edge of the clearing as if contemplating the cosmos, he heard a rustling of the leaves in front of him. Instinctively he sniffed the air. A deer? A bear? A skunk? Finally, a fleeting image; the woman! He accepted that. The soft rustling a creature possessing hearing less keen would never hear it — continued. It was obvious she was headed his way. He became more alert and picked up her scent, an odor conducive to his mood; she was at the peak of her need. She was alone. He could, and would, discourage any other male daring to venture into his territory. She was his.

From the shadows under the trees, he saw the female emerge warily. She was tired and seemed just a bit apprehensive. His summons was a call she was not at all certain of. A moment more and she stood in front of him struggling with her anger and said, "Dammit. I'm here." Driven by his nature, the animal placed his body on the ground in front of her; the spirit within silently invited her closer. She hesitated a moment. The cat noticed that she was carrying a container of some sort in one hand. He suppressed a roar, not unlike the roar, described as normal expression of an adult male Cougar in movies, and yawned pointedly instead. His mind became an open book to the empathetic talent Sharla had unlocked within her mind.

Visibly relaxed by this lack of aggression, she walked over to the huge feline, opened the container and offered him a treat of raw meat. While the cat purred and deftly took the tidbit from her fingers, the male spirit within the cat noted with satisfaction she had remained long and lean. Her raven's wing hair was braided, trailing in a thick rope down her back to a point a bit below her buttocks. She pulled off her backpack, dropped it and the container on the ground and then sat down on the fallen log. He rumbled noisily at the distance she put between them.

"Dammit! I'm close enough!" she returned in the same tone.

Nostrils flaring, the huge cat could smell her inbred distaste as well as her need. He sensed that though she felt nervous about this sort of ritual function, she was grateful that she had finally arrived at the point that this conjunction of Life Force with Totem was necessary to the development of her Spiritual Power.

The great cat yawned and shook his giant head.

"Of course I know why I am here." The woman snarled. "We have all weekend!"

The huge animal grumbled.

"When I was on the site of the main dig. I heard the sound of a river where there was no river."

The cat rumbled again in an almost questioning tone.

"I was curious and followed the sound."

The big cat snorted; a sound of displeasure.

"Yes, I know I'm late. I got carried away with the animals and as usual, the abundance of foliage with magical properties here about intrigued me. It was dusk before I knew it." The shrug accompanying her explanation indicated, as much as her words, her mind-set.

Naomi knew she was procrastinating, but the moment was awkward and it was a nervous habit she had never been able to overcome. She could feel his eyes staring at her. The knowing she would soon submit to him was unsettling, yet somehow very exciting. This was a good-looking animal and conveyed a presence, which seemed to cut through to the very depths of her female being.

The regal Cougar was staring at her in the gathering darkness as she built a small smokeless fire and expertly set up her camp. She had beautifully tanned, long legs; the positions she assumed moving about allowed him to see she wore layers of coverings. Her totem guessed they were proper for the sort of female she was. Though the spirit possessing the magnificent Golden Cougar had never under stood thes creatures desire to cover their selves, he had long ago accepted it as the nature of the beast.

Setting up took the experienced girl but a short time, no matter how she managed to linger over the smallest of details. In non-animal fashion the spirit wished she were rid of covering, wondered again why this particular sort of animal had always felt there was a need for such. The thought of this female without such covering made Spirit feel all the more excited.

Leaning forward, the girl drew a bottle of wine from her backpack, opened it with nervous fingers. " I know... you think wine is rather unusual for a camping trip, isn't that it?" In her heart of hearts she knew she would have to be just a bit oiled to accept what was to be. The wine would do the trick, she was certain; after all it was one of her favorite wines. She snickered as she recalled introducing Sharla to the delights of The Grape.

"Look, we know why I'm here," she looked steadily at him, trying not to imagine the next few hours. "I just need to relax and force from mind the strictures of my adopted culture." When the huge cat continued to simply stare, she felt compelled to explain further. Perhaps the spirit within the animal understood, perhaps not. Understanding her mores was not the object of the recital. "Yes," she began after a healthy slug of the potent brew straight from the bottle. "I know it's to be a celebration, a right of my passage. But I'm not into doing this sort of thing with animals," she laughed, striving for a bit of levity. "Not until this weekend anyway." She poured a rather large measure of the wine into a pair of tin camping cups, placed one well within the reach of the cat, and then grinned, "Sorry, I left the good crystal at home!" To her slightly amazed delight, the cat lapped up the liquid. She sipped the wine and as she talked to him of the reasons why she felt the reason she was there so wrong, she began feeling stupid for feeling the way she felt about this joining.

The conversation, though one-sided was light and self-entertaining. An occasional huff, snort, or grunt from the cat made it seem he was listening intently and further comforted the nervous girl. After about a cup and a half of the wine Naomi realized that she was suddenly feeling very safe and secure with him now, just as she had in the past visits.

The darkness enfolded them in its velvet cloak and as she talked, she slowly moved closer to him. The night was turning chilly and although the wine had a warming effect, she felt a chill creeping in on her. Without consciously realizing it, the big cat's almost human mannerisms had put her at ease, so she was only mildly surprised when, at a point after she leaned forward to add a few branches to, and to warm up a bit at the small fire, to find their bodies touching when she returned to sit on the log beside him.

The next heartbeat, she gasped sharply; the body against which hers now leaned against in the enfolding darkness was not that of a cat! Somehow she knew a man, a very naked and very large man was now sitting beside her. He was also very attractive. She found her heart pounding faster at his nearness. His side pressed warmly against hers. Inhaling sharply the heady aroma of the male, she turned and faced him.

A pine knot flared brightly and he turned to look into her eyes. She knew that he wanted her and was soon going to take her. Their eyes locked for a long moment. Then his hand moved to cup her face. A soft mewl escaped her when he drew her mouth against his. The practical, well educated, archeologist side of her mind melted into obscurity and she responded passionately to his kiss, now as a female in need. A gently demanding hand moved down her body, caressing her throat, her shoulders, her arms, her legs. When his hand moved back up and brushed over her breasts, she moaned from his touch and then suddenly pulled away.

A rumble caused her to whisper breathlessly, "No! I've worked all day. I've walked miles in to here through the forest. I feel gritty and sweaty and I don't want to be like this when you take me."

He stood up and looked at her curiously. A low rolling rumble from low in the tall man's throat was clear in its meaning. "Come with me now, then," flashed in her mind.

Without hesitation, the girl obeyed. They walked toward the river slowly, pausing to embrace and kiss occasionally. By the time they reached the river, Naomi was quivering.

When the tall man paused and looked down at her with incredulity filling his eyes, she shrugged and replied, "No, I don't think it will be too cold."

The large man just stood there and ruefully shook his head.

When they reached the sandy edge, he turned to face her and watched with all-too-human male interest as she began to unbutton her blouse. Unfazed by the man's brash boldness, the proud beauty stood silently in front of him and feeling his on her as her slim fingers moved silently down the row of buttons, popping them open one by one to finally bare her chest.

Breathing hardly at all, now all-too-aware of his incredible maleness rising as he watched the swell of her breasts appear, the Shaman-in-training popped open each button slowly. Her nipples were hard and firmly pressed against the shell of her bra. She couldn't believe she was allowing him to take her at all, let alone so easily. Her legs were weak and she knew she could not stop herself now even if she wanted to.

When she pulled open the shirt and pushed it down her arms, the male stopped her undressing for a moment to lick and kiss her exposed throat. Naomi quietly submitted, deliberately tilted her head back, displaying her vulnerability in the manner of the submissive female. When he trailed his tongue down over the swell of her breasts to the top of her bra, she tilted her head back and moaned. He was hard and she knew he wanted her. It is within all females, even the felines, to tease and she backed gracefully away. His hands reached for her. The girl turned away and unsnapped her bra. Before it hit the ground, he was on her, his mouth at her breast, sucking and licking as his arms pulled her into him.

"Oh my God", she moaned when she felt his manly spire slap against her tummy. She had though her Charlie was big.

When his mouth left her breast the cool evening air blowing over the damp point only stimulated her more. The next instant he ripped away her shorts. The rag dropped to her feet and he snarled as he realized that her panties were still barring him from using her as nature intended. Long powerful fingers slipped into the front of them and with a twist, the shreds followed her shorts. He caressed her long legs. He dropped down on all fours. He lapped at her center.

A soft snort brought her to her senses. "No! I am going to bathe first!" And kneeling in front of him, she untied and removed her shoes and socks. Finally she stood proudly before him, gloriously naked in the moonlight.

She turned and moved toward the water.

"Go on if you must..." he called to her in his mind. "Just know that I will be here when you come out."

Understanding and appreciating his warning, she stopped and removing the band holding her braid in place, slowly unbraided her hair, running her slender fingers through it before tossing the cascade of ebony lightly over her back. Before he allowed her to step into the water, he reached around, pressed his body to hers, pressing his rigidity against her firmly. The woman leaned her head back, moaning softly as his mouth once more found her neck and his hands discovered her body, reminding her she was his possession... touching... kneading... pinching... stroking... and very deliberately exploring her.

A long, thick finger slipped into the sleek cleft no longer protected by the once dense bush of pubic hair she'd sported for so long and probed the wetness he knew he would find. Moistening his finger in her, he brought it up to her lips. Willingly sucking her own musky juices, the tall Native American whimpered as he pressed his manly firmly against the cleft of her sex. He was rock hard and she wanted him inside her.

Surprising her, he suddenly let go of her and she nearly fell to the ground. She whined petulantly. He rumbled softly and into her mind she heard, "Go now."

Obediently, fully aware of the symbolism of this momentary rejection, quickly Naomi walked forward to the river's edge and eased into the black water. She was right. The water was warm from the summer's sun. Though unable to see him, she knew he watched as her body disappeared into the tepid depths. When the level reached her breasts, the sultry shaman turned around to face him. Once more she had been correct, his eyes had never left her. Now, hurriedly, she washed away the grime of the day, only momentarily wishing she had a bar of soap.

Moments later she posed her sleek form on the bank and as he approached her, she was certain he could hear her heart pounding. When he came within reach of her sensing this was not the time to tease, she moved to him, whimpering as she wrapped her body around his, kissing him deeply. The feeling of bare skin against bare skin in the warm velvety darkness overcame any remaining inhibitions she may have harbored as she passionately attacked him.

Later, when, after he had taught her to assume the form of the female Cougar and following a playful romp over and among the trees and boulders strewn haphazardly over the sides of his domain, he took her again. Her being reacted as paws raked up and down her back. Snarls and hisses erupted from her throat. She whined and mewled as his mouth licked her face and bit hard on the back of her neck and sharp claws pulled at the soft hair on her chest and he bit her repeatedly. Now her feline body undulated helplessly against his in an animalistic dance that the male cat responded to uncontrollably. Again he entered her deeply and quickly and again the sound of her joyous roar filled the quiet mountain night.

Heavy paws held her in place as he pumped in and out of her.

Much, much later, after a nap and a midmorning snack of rabbit, she assaulted him with the intensity of the female cougar in her heat. They writhed against each other, their feline bodies moving in slow motion, the sun silhouetting their movements as they roared and screeched and moved toward their orgasms. Naomi came first, and with a strange new force that took total possession of her feline form, causing her claws to dig deeply into the backside of his flanks as she drew him deep into her body, her womanly being draining him, milking him. The male could hold out no longer and he came hard into her. His cries cut through the air frightening lesser animals and scaring birds from his domain for hours.

Late Sunday afternoon, with a new appreciation of the needs of the poor alley cat yowling on the fence late at night, Naomi broke camp and returned to the dig site. It was time to wrap things up and return to The Bluffs and her life as a normal college coed and Shaman in full power.

 

 

*****OoooO*****

Breakfast with Kurt and Jenny

Out of hand, Jenny hated vans. In her opinion there was nothing worse! "You always end up behind one, and you're in a hurry, and you're always in a no-passing zone and the van is going twenty miles an hour below the speed limit. There's no way you can see around one. You can't tell what traffic up ahead is doing! You are completely at the mercy of the Van's driver!" she had told Kurt when he had said he thought he was going to get one.

On August the twenty-eighth, Kurt showed up at the front door of her mom's place with a new custom van. He had said several times before he wasn't particularly fond of vans, so his showing up at her place driving one was something of a surprise. Even so, the winsome witch had accepted his offered 'burgers and a movie'.

During that evening's date to the movies, he mentioned several times the things that he did like about vans. He quietly tried to convince her, pointed out the back seat of the van folded down into a bed… and that there was some real dark privacy glass back there. The possibilities this presented, along with images flickering through her mind of what they could do together back there, started to play upon her libido. The witch began to actually think his owning a van could be a very good thing.

Once the movie was over, they ran into Kurt's sister with some blond jock and a few others of their classmate-friends for an unusual, and unexpectedly fun-filled two hours and two beers apiece. To her dismay, Jenny actually felt jealousy while watching Kurt fawn over a blonde pixie-cheerleader-preppy. A few of the images flickering into her mind as to what she wanted to do with that one reminded the witch of one of the porno movies she and Kurt rented on occasion. It didn't surprise her though; it seemed that most of the guys in the crowd were thinking thoughts along those same lines about one or more of the girls there at the table. By that time the same sort of lust was building within her.

After saying good-bye to everyone, they headed back toward her house. But Jenny wasn't too surprised, and not at all disappointed when he passed by the corner where he should have turned to take her home. In her present frame of mind, she was more than willing to help him initiate this new van. A short way up the road, he turned into the parking lot of a well-known twenty-four-seven chain restaurant and parked the van as far away from the main entrance as possible.

Helplessly, she began to giggle; it was a good location for what he intended. The parking lot lights shone on the tinted glass and this caused them to act as one-way mirrors. They allowed light to shine through it, but the backing reflected exterior images. The parking lot lights would provide them with plenty of illumination, while the mirrors shielded their actions from view of those outside.

During the couple of hours, while they had talked and laughed, all the while holding hands and touching each other, Jenny's lusts had built. Several times, especially when he had raised her hand to his lips and nip-kissed it, the action as always promising more was soon to come, she had found herself fighting the urge to "jump his bones" then and there. Now that they were stopped and the engine turned off, her mood was anything but playful. Knowing this made her feel even more naughty and thrilled by the wickedness of it all.

Hugging and kissing each other very briefly, they quickly made their way to the back of the van – when had he dropped the seat and made it up into the small, but comfortable bed? Following closely, Jenny found she was quickly and easily maneuvered onto her back. More giggles, slightly embarrassed giggles escaped her as he settled in on her left side. The girl realized she was acting more and more often like an easy tramp with every intimate encounter, but she had absolutely no control over the need for the essence of the male flooding into her these days, and the need for all the Power that male essence gave enflamed her own feminine needs!

Except for the occasional sound of a truck, or car passing on the interstate nearby it was very quiet and Jenny decided it was quite eerie being able to see through those huge, all-surrounding windows, and be so completely invisible to anyone passing by on the outside. Such thoughts and consideration concerning their location were quickly diverted when Kurt leaned over her and began kissing her with intent and male fervor. Hard. Yet softly, his hands moved over her thighs and lower abdomen. Groans escaped her as his mouth alternately nibbled her full, lovable lips, then kissed them soundly. When his tongue began thrusting between them, insinuating a future intent, the witch felt her smooth sex become amazingly wet.

The blonde, at the mercies of Kurt's emotions as well as her own, had been aroused all evening, anticipating this, and it took only little push to send her nearly to the edge. The Sensual coed felt working at Turnbulls was probably responsible for her loosening morals as she had been with several different men since starting there. A strong male hand slid up thigh. In the next moments, she was begging him to peel away her clothes, to fondle her female flesh.

And Kurt, gentleman that he was, didn't disappoint her.

The desire to be naked for him had barely left her lips when his hands moved over the front of her soft cotton blouse, cupping her large breasts and rubbing the nipples soundly before impatiently jerking it open to get at what lay beneath. Sliding his hands around both sides to the middle of her back, while nibbling purposefully at the sensitive skin below my ear, he deftly, expertly, unhooked the garment he detested. It surprised her to realize she was comparing the reality of Kurt with her fantasy of White Running Bear. In her mind he was a sad second to the handsome older Shaman. But it seemed all the man could think of these days was Sharla!

Triumphantly, he pulled it away from her breasts and pushed it, along with her blouse, off her torso, exposing her completely to his hungry eyes. Lingering only a moment to enjoy the view before dipping his head low to suck and worry first one nipple, then the other, Kurt began to savor his conquest thoroughly.

The tall blonde coed writhed and moaned softly at the sensations he was causing. His head came up and he watched her thrash and squirm in her helpless abandon as his fingers tweaked long, thick nipples. Before she could recover her wits, his left hand slipped downward, slowly pushed the tan skirt he'd been thinking of taking off all evening, and finally slipped his hand under it to conquer her completely.

Later they lay there together savoring "just a few minutes longer' the warm afterglow of fantastic sex, before finally deciding not to push their luck. Quickly Jenny replaced her blouse and skirt, but left off panty and bra while he fixed his own clothing. They kissed several times over during the process of making themselves presentable, and then, on a whim, "Kurt, may I have breakfast now?"

They went inside to have a breakfast. It was at that point Jenny rediscovered it quite erotic to go without undies, especially when the one she was with knew she was "naked under."

 

Book 3, Third year Chapter 12 -- Part 30: A Major Healing

On the 6^th of July, Naomi learned the severe weather system she had dreamed of had was still centered around the dig site in the Valley of the Shaman's Cave. They received reports of a severe weather system with hail and wind moving through the site earlier. Thoroughly saturated, the ground was so wet that they would not be able to get in for days. First reports of the damage indicated that after the ground dried enough to get in with trucks a lot of time, maybe several weeks would be required before the site could be activated again. Sensing she could be responsible, she held her silence, wanting to talk to Uncle White about it first.

Based on comprehensive reports, the Complete Shaman's Cave archeological effort was redirected to the many artifacts that had already been salvaged and moved to the university research and development center. Some of the consulting experts including Sheila Carstairs, were requested to report to the university rather than the dig site. The young Shaman-in-training liked Sheila, yet felt a need to remain distant on many subjects the other woman seemed bent on pumping her for information of.

Jenny, along with her new friend Terrie, returned to City Bluffs with her Aunt Sheila. Both Jenny and Terrie had taken jobs at Turnbulls, both working the new topless room. Sharla and Naomi convinced Jenny that they had performed real magic and showed her La Caisse. Both psonic witch and Shaman-in-training thought it most appropriate, given the incredible size of both girl's breasts. Jenny it seemed was now reaching for the double "D" mark, while Terrie was close to a full "D".

For some reason, neither Sharla nor Naomi mentioned their mental link; Sharla did not mention her assorted operations; or the visibility of Green, Blue, and Red Energies. Maybe the talisman Sharla had developed to enable Naomi to interact with people who had known her as a Deaf-Mute had other aspects? The amulet, which suppressed surprise and encouraged acceptance of Naomi's sudden ability to speak and hear seemed to work on the magic workers Jenny and Sheila. It took some very specific questioning with the amulet shielded to convince Jenny.

At Sharla's invitation, Jenny managed to get her aunt to visit the basement Magic Work Room and check out the contents of La Caisse. It was when Terrie recognized "La Caisse" that the redhead recalled where and when she had met Terrie before. The blonde had sold her the magix. By the beard of the goddess, will wonders never cease?

Realizing the older woman was duly impressed with her little "workroom," Sharla explained to Sheila, "My friend Kevin has been severely injured in an accident and I' going to use some real magic, if possible, to help speed his recovery."

"I am sure it can be done." The Respected Elder replied. In her mind there was no doubt the girl would try, and knew she should do all she could to help direct such a powerful spell in the proper direction by using her expertise to guide her…them, she amended, realizing Jenny and Naomi were as determined to render their aid in the effort.

"Of course I will help. When do you propose?"

"At the moment of Equinox…Sept 22, at exactly 23 04 Hours, when the ebb and flow of all energies are at equal."

"Very well, that is a good moment and will allow time to prepare." Once again the woman was suitably impressed. The redhead had done her homework it seemed,

*****OoooO*****

La Caisse worked for Sheila Carstairs exactly the same way it worked for Naomi and Andrea; as long as Sharla was in contact with the book, the words were legible. That told Sheil that anyone who had been honored by the La Caisse grade of magic was someone to pay attention to.

Sharla had no qualms. The wards on the box would insure that any man, woman, or girl who came into contact with the box would protect it. The wards affected even Naomi and Andrea. They could not and would not try to pull out a book unless Sharla first opened the box. Shelly, the owner of the store; Christine, her daughter (Cheryl's and Jeri's mother); Sheila; and Jenny were affected by the wards.

Although neither Jenny nor Sheila recognized it, Sharla managed time bubbles for the few minutes she could break free from her computer business responsibilities.

In late July, several times in August, and twice in September Sheila, Janet, and Jenny managed to spend several hours at a time studying the books of La Caisse. When they left the basement, they were affected by an uncertainty about the amount of time spent. Just a refinement Sharla worked into the time bubble when she wove the necessary forces into the linen cover for La Caisse. Because she was so busy with the preparation and her business, the sexy psionic never realized she had seen and chatted with Gabriel Christian the reporter she and Kevin had once met several times, always in close proximity to Kevin or in or around one of the two medical facilities. She just had her reservations and though the man tried his best, she remained distant and unattainable.

*****OoooO*****

With the equinox approaching, Sharla, now that she had a lot of help, and to take full advantage of the balance time, went ahead with her plans to cast the healing spell for Kevin on the Equinox. The young man was now mobile so there was a good chance they could get him to the Winters Estate for the procedure. Getting him into the basement would be very difficult.

The redhead did not want to try trans-locating another living being even though she knew she could trans-locate herself, her operations, and inanimate objects with no problems. Trans-locating another living being was beyond her risk horizon.

Drawing on Sheila's and Janet's experience, a spell from Volume 12 of La Caisse was adapted that caused the magic to resonate between two poles.

The spell the finally selected was a variant of an old healing ritual. The work area would be in the basement because the area of healing was directly above an area where the ritual could to be performed. They would need Sharla in the center of the design.

It was a circle with an inverted pentagram inscribed. Inside the pentagram was a five-point star with a circle just touching the inner points of the star. Janet would be at the altar, north of the ritual. Sheila would be in the wilds, south of the ritual. Naomi and Jenny would provide the Sentinels; and Andrea, Teri, Mrs. Owens, and a Mrs. Horcutt provided the cardinal supports.

The only bottleneck was that the candles had to be hand dipped by Sharla. The listed precautions in Volume 13 indicated that most of the cooking of the wax and purifying it should be done with ceramic, glass, or natural fiber. Any contact with iron, zinc, copper, silver, or gold would greatly change the results of the spell. Since the goal was only accelerated healing and rapid growth of new almost-everything, these metals were carefully avoided. In the dipping process, since the five candles had to be uniform, they almost had to be dipped all five together.

After a lot of research and discussion, Sharla decided that she could make the two rings and spacer for her candle dipping operation out of plastic. Natural uncut cotton fibers were collected by the collectors, spun by the spinner and braided together to form more than enough wick. Keeping with the no Iron rule, the wicks were cut to length with a piece of glass.

The collectors also found and transported assorted sized chunks of clean honeycomb. Carefully Andrea and Teri rendered it by boiling in a big ceramic roasting pan and then filtered it with silk material Sharla provided. For storage, they used plastic Ice Trays and then popped the solidified wax cubes into plastic storage bags. Sharla was afraid to use the time bubbles while preparing the candles so she finally made the candles in 7 different sessions of heating and dipping.

Equinox or balancing of the seasons actually occurred one hour before midnight, Saturday Night. It was fantastic timing. Since it would happen on the weekend, everybody would be able to participate.

When Kevin had returned from the Denver hospital, he had been hospitalized at the Research Center. Here the medicos encouraged him to get out as much as possible. Mr. Caldwell hired David Lowry away from Sharla Winslowe Enterprises. During the first week of September the man ordered a van rigged with lift and hoist set up to enable the massive full body cast containing Kevin to be moved more easily. It pleased both Caldwell men when Gabriel asked to used the new van as the focal of a Human Interest story magnifying the progress made in recent years in Disabled Access Vehicles.

By the end of the second week in September, Gabriel, Kevin and David were already regulars at the Winters Estate. The redhead quietly made certain that while the reporter was in the house or on the grounds, he was never to be left alone.

While Shelly the French Maid Doll served them tall glasses of iced tea on the patio, Sharla explained her intention to them, "Next Saturday, an hour before midnight, I want to perform a magic spell that may well aid in your healing."

The boy frowned a bit. "Magic, huh?" His skepticism was apparent. "And just where will this "Magic Spell" be cast? In the woods? With a bunch of perverts dancing naked around a bonfire?"

Ignoring her ex-lover's caustic sarcasm, the girl explained slowly. "It'll be performed in the basement."

"Damn, Sharla, you know there's no way you and all your friends put together could get me down those stairs!"

"You'll be up here in the living room, immediately above me."

"And if this works?" the chair-bound youth asked while Gabriel continued to show interest in Sharla's "Robotic Marvel" as he had deemed the three=feet tall doll bustling about serving the group's needs.

"If it works right, you might actually be completely healed by the end of the school year."

"Kevin, are you seriously considering this…this…" The reporter was at a loss. "This magic?"

With a small, helpless shrug, understand exactly what the reporter meant and doubted, he open up shared the latest projections from the specialists with Gabriel Christian, who was rapidly becoming a good friend and the others gather there. "In spite of some miraculous healing in my nerves and tendons, the medics forecast this body cast will be required until some time in March! Damn it, it may be Christmas of next year before I've regained enough bone density to be outfitted with flexible joint casts."

Spinning the chair about, he faced the reporter squarely, so the man was unable to miss seeing the heavy casts holding him immobile. "Gabe, those bloody quacks are having severe doubts about the effectiveness of the current treatment, but they feel that I should stay on the current program for at least a year and a half before attempting something else!"

The young man was facing a very real possibility of being a quadriplegic. With almost furious determination he turned back to face the redhead. "Sharla darling, any possibility of being healed, if it doesn't put me in danger of further injury, I'm more than willing to try it!"

Later that same day he got David to set it up with the hospital that they would stay over at Sharla's for a Saturday and Sunday party.

*****OoooO*****

The way it had been planned, the ritual was performed in the basement with Kevin upstairs watching TV. Sheila the senior witch present had prevailed upon Janet, the most experienced ritualist, to conduct the ceremonies. Sharla was the main focus of the energy would also provide a significant amount of The Force. Sheila was hesitant about using Sharla also as a source of The Power in addition to being the main conduit, fearing the redhead would be totally exhausted. There was a chance that just as a pole of power the girl could be totally burnt out. Finally Sharla's stern demeanor prevailed.

Carefully they went through the area purification and protective warding. Individual purification followed. Then they scribed the runes of the Protector and Guardian posts at the four cardinal points. The runes for Harmony and Power were then traced out between the outer pentagram and the inner points of the star. These were quickly drawn with bone meal flour and salt previously sanctified by prayer. The Inner Circle was completed and the candles were placed in the area between the star points and the inner circle.

Using a series of ancient incantations memorized from La Caisse, each member performed their role and relayed their trust to Janet at the altar. Entranced, Janet, in full Burlington Coven raiment, implored the Goddess to enable the requests for energy made by the members present and implored her to use Sharla as a pole to aid in the healing of Kevin.

When Janet started working the last part of the ritual, she and Sharla became intensely focused. Neither witch seemed to notice when all illumination in the basement vanished. Heavy and thick darkness prevailed except for the immediate area surrounding the five ritual candles Sharla had made. The five had been lit as part of the ritual between the Sentinels and the Guardians.

The other ritualists outside the pentagon watched in silent awe as the flames from the five ritual candles grew and grew until they resembled fiery sword blades evenly spaced around Sharla. When the moment of equinox, approached candles flamed brilliantly, blindingly and then the glare merged sideways and formed a solid wall of light on the inner circle, stretching from the floor to the ceiling, hiding Sharla.

From the inside, there was a circle inscribed inside a star, inscribed inside a pentagon, which was in turn inscribed within the outer circle. As the rituals started Sharla watched the purification somehow make the basement more receptive. The wardings blocked disharmony. As the individual parts of the ritual started Sharla could see almost a fog of blue energy forming. Additional steps of the ritual seemed to create a path of green energy to chase the blue inside the outside pentagram.

The final part of the incantation was performed by Janet at the altar as she and Sheila moved through the carefully choreographed dance that accompanied the incantation. As each section of the dance was completed, Sharla could see the changes to the increasing concentration of blue energy. It seemed that A Talisman to focus the energy was actually being drawn in energy on the surface of the inner column and the arms of the star. As the clock of the earth reached the balance point, time seemed to freeze.

Sharla watched a rush of blue energy form just inside the inner pentagram. The wave of energy swirled and flowed tumultuously about her before following the pattern on the star and inner circle. The spiral of energy streaked upward through the ceiling to expand in a brilliant mushroom encompassing Kevin. Then like the Forth of July display it resembled the sparkling mushroom winked out of existence. This happened seven times before the clock of the world moved on.

The basement was totally dark but Janet soon had the altar candles re-lit. It took only a couple of minutes to close down the workings. They gave thanks to The Goddess and whatever other Blessed Spirits might have helped. Sheila, Janet, and Jenny immediately spread coarse sea salt across the entire ritual area and then swept it up, erasing the diagram, and deposited the salt on the bare earth under the garage.

When they turned on the stairwell light, the prearranged all clear signal, David came charging down stairs to storm into the basement, demanding to know when they would begin the program. Anger tinged his words when he told them that at about five after eleven, Kevin had gone to sleep. "Other than watching Kevin fall asleep, it has been a very boring evening since ten o'clock!"

"What happened up there?" The question came from Sheila.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing has happened!"

"Sharla assured him, "David, my dear, something did happen! Some serious something! It might be as much as six months before we know if we've been successful.

David and Kevin were bedded in the office. The others that were staying over set out to find a place to sleep in one of the four available bedrooms.

*****OoooO*****

The day after they had performed the healing spell on Kevin, Sharla knew that something had gone wrong. She could sense a complete penetration of her own body with very small magics, almost exactly the same as those repairing Kevin.

A week after the equinox, Sharla had made no progress, other than a certainty that something was not correct. Settling an exercise pad on the basement concrete exactly where the spell had been performed, Sharla stripped to her favorite "Concentration Costume" and settled into a lotus position. Very, very carefully she expanded her awareness to completely encompass the entire ritual area, both in the basement and then room above. Carefully she projected a bit of herself into the Spirit Over World and tried to move back in time to the equinox.

"Trying to look back in time little chick?" A booming voice from a giant White Owl in the Over World asked. To Sharla's perception, the little bit of herself that she had projected into the Over World resembled a formless fluff ball of almost shapeless feathers. Immediately above her was an owl with outstretched wings, stretching from horizon to horizon.

"I performed a healing séance at the moment of the turning of seasons and I am sure something went wrong," Sharla explained to the Owl. A flash of light and Sharla could see the ritual taking place in the basement. "Now I call on you, Great one, as I do not know what it was I did wrong!"

"A healing is a harmonious action. Therefore I will help and guide you. The problem is easy to locate." The Owl quietly enunciated. "Now watch and learn!" Sharla could clearly see the candles flare seven times, exactly as she remembered. The scene, already in monochrome did a slow motion rewind to the start of the first flash of the candles.

A sense of curiosity seemed to pervade the Over World and Sharla sensed her awareness fading back through time, following the candles. Sharla could see herself dipping the candles. At the point in time, Sharla watched herself slowly heating the wax. She tested the wax temperature with a glass candy thermometer. The tip of the thermometer was metal, aluminum. Sharla watched the ceramic dipping pot in horror as 6 more times during the three-day process of dipping the candles she had tested the wax temperature.

The Owl chirped. Sharla got the impression of suppressed laughter. "You goofed chick! Because of the metal contamination you are going to be a cock and your banged up cock is going to become a hen. It looks like it is going to take two times seven or fourteen weeks."

Sharla projected herself fully into the Spiritual Plane so she could closely examine the magic on her body. The Owl was quietly but very quickly vanishing in the distance. From her vantage point in the over world it was clear that a time linked magic was affecting her body. Within a month she would be a he. A quick check located Kevin and she observed that in addition to becoming completely healed, he would become a woman.

Some more examination indicated that once the time had passed, she would be able to manage a reversal of the magic that affected her. Kevin was going to be a lot better looking than his older sister and because of the rebuilding accomplished by magic, he would be pretty much immune to any change magic in the future.

******OoooO*****

Almost two weeks after the healing ritual, Kevin went in on Friday, October the fifth for a routine interim check. The next major adjustment was still two weeks away.

Kevin and David were more than just a bit out of sorts because they were unable to attend a special program because the Doctor in charge decided to change the entire cast. The young man was somehow extremely please when they met Gabriel Christian in one of the halls and he was able to chat with his old friend a few minutes. It never occurred to him to inquire as to why he was there instead of on the east Coast as he had indicated he would be that week.

"Can you imagine how I felt when this X-Ray Technician announced to the world that my hip bones were a lot denser than she had been expecting. She went on to point out to the doctors that they seemed wider and shaped like a woman's." The disgust was clear in Kevin's voice. On this cast his toes and the last two joints of his fingers were free to flex. He only had a very limited amount of control over his voice and jaw but it was expressive.

Seeing and talking with Gabriel somehow made the bitterness of missing the special program a bit easier for Kevin to swallow and left him with a warm feeling inside that lasted for hours.

The following Wednesday, the clinic had some x-ray slots available so the Doctor had scheduled Kevin for additional x-rays of his ankles and wrists. Before they were finished, every inch of Kevin had been thoroughly x-rayed. They cut the entire body cast off. The x-rays showed that there was not a single pin, screw, wire, clip, bolt, rod, or any other metal in his body. They were still clearly visible where they had been embedded in the cast.

He had lost quite a bit of weight and almost all of his muscles while inside the cast. Surprisingly enough, his skin was, as David expressed it, as soft and smooth as a baby's bottom. They decided to admit him to the hospital and commence a complete physical therapy program. Kevin was delighted and somehow compelled to write a letter to Gabriel in care of his home in Louisiana detailing his progress and the doctors' latest findings.

 

*****OoooO*****

  

  

  

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