Sharla Winslowe

by Christy Lake and Misty Dawn

  

Chapter 13:

Part 34: Naomi pays for computer repairs
Part 35: The Mission of Andrea
Part 36: Sharla the Landlord

Part 34: Naomi pays for computer repairs

"I don't know just yet, Naomi." Mr. Sharla continued to remove cables from a PC while speaking into the cell phone—the psionic had devised a headset which cradled the instrument and held it against her ear as she worked. "Yeah, it looks bad. Your monitor took a tremendous surge of Power and it isn't working at all and I suspect we've blown the mobo, though the hard drive appears to be okay. It looks like it took a lightning strike."

Pausing oration, the PC wizard listened for several minutes as Naomi, her best friend and occasional bed partner explained her predicament. Even on the phone and without using their mental link, she could tell the tall Native American was nearly in tears. "This is the very worst possible time for me to try and function without a PC. You know I'm doing that paper explaining the mystery of the cliff pueblo for the society, you know, for funding purposes, is due." Because of the way she felt about possibly being responsible for the delay during the summer still hung heavily in her mind, she felt this was the least she could to ease her guilt feelings..

"Relax, Naomi" Sharla said a bit more tenderly than she intended. "As your PC is hopeless, I'll dig up a loaner that you can use for a while, okay? Now, let me beep you later when I know more. I've got to run. I'll call you. Bye."

Sharla closed the cell with a flip and stretched her neck. She stared into space for a moment. Agonizing images and thoughts began invading her head. She tried to refocus on the cables she was working on. She closed her eyes. She shook her head. She rubbed her temples. Relentless recurring images and thoughts! "Phooey!" she swore, as a screw fell to the floor and rolled under a table. "Fuck! Say FUCK! Dammit, us men don't say phooey!"

Just hearing Naomi's voice on the phone had made the ache return. She and Naomi had enjoyed one another in bed several times the past couple of years, but it had been more a deep asexual bonding of their sprits than a sexual need. Those feelings for Naomi had changed dramatically with Sharla's transformation and they just wouldn't go away. Why in billy blue blazes do I want her so much more now that I'm a man? Dumb question. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Ever since that first Fourth of July they had always enjoyed being together, now it was the fact that Naomi was simply beautiful and Mr. Sharla saw that beauty and wanted it from the male point if view!

Throughout October, all the while she had been changing, she and Naomi had lived and worked together, they'd laughed, cried, and showered together, while watching her transform. She had enjoyed every minute of it. Naomi evidently did not feel the same way because when all was said and done, with winter rolling in, with this rising need to gear up the new quarter in Ouachita, and with Sharla becoming so totally the male, it seemed their friendship had gone into a sort of flat spiral.

One thing was certain, the more she change, the stronger and stranger her feelings and emotions for the Shaman became. Sharla was sure Naomi had no idea that she felt this way about her and took steps to see it would remain that way. Odds were that, though they had on occasion gratified one another's sexual needs, Naomi would be mortified if she ever found out how she felt about her desires as a man. Naomi was decidedly a "one man woman!"

Glancing about, Mr. Sharla self-consciously reached down and began to adjust the mammoth bulge along the left leg of the cutoffs she had fashioned from a pair of jeans salvaged from the local Sally Anne store. Damn glad I didn't mak'em any shorter! She grinned ruefully; she bore a male member that would have had her swooning with delight had it been offered her when she had been a girl! Grunting, she returned her mind to the problem at hand. A quick check through the stockroom located a spare computer. A matter of transferring the hard drive and installing a few packages solved Naomi's computer problem. Now, if only she'd solve my problem so easily! Gulping guiltily at that thought, she made a mental note to be more careful of what she was thinking.

Ever since a week after the healing of Kevin, Sharla had been unwilling to use her mental link with either Naomi or White Running-Bear. It just somehow did not seem appropriate and her superb control prevented any contact from them. A quick call to Naomi brought the Shaman on the run to pick up the computer. When the redhead en male refused any payment, Naomi insisted that they get together for a brew and some burgers. Naomi was insistent that Sharla needed to get away from work for a few hours anyway.

*****OoooO*****

God, Sharla, get a grip! You're a nervous wreck! Sharla worried to herself. "It's just a business thing" she chastened herself aloud as she looked in the hallway mirror. She ran jittery fingers through her hair. "It is not a date and you know it!" she tried to convince herself. But that bit between her legs now bespoke otherwise. Just two girlfriends out for burgers 'nd a brew.

Sharla kept telling herself that her desire to see her best friend was not sexual as she donned a fresh white t-shirt and then pulled a burgundy v-neck sweater over top. She slipped into her best Levi's and new maroon leather loafers. They looked and felt so different from the New Balance running shoes she had worn almost habitually when she was a girl.

After selecting a decidedly male watch from the La Caisse jewelry drawer, she applied a very light touch of after shave and matching cologne, both found in the small drawer next to the watch drawer. Then she slipped her wallet into her back pocket, and donned her imitation WWII 'Bomber Jacket". Done.

"Darn it! I'm gonna be late!" Sharla cursed as she backed out of the garage. Only ten minutes to make a drive that took twice that long. A groan escaped her as a DarnIt popped into existence on the seat beside her and she snapped her fingers to send it to her workshop.

*****OoooO*****

Naomi had just parked her car when she saw Sharla come speeding into the parking lot. Her heart leapt as she locked up and headed over to meet her. Watching Sharla as stood and slowly stretched, she thought, God, what a gorgeous specimen of the male animal she is, then she turned to close her car door. Incredibly hot desires within Naomi stirred as she watched her friend. Sharla looked so handsome.

Naomi took in every inch of the sleek redhead with the glorious blue eyes. Hours of running kept her body trim and the hours in the sun beside that pool kept it beautifully bronzed. In Naomi's mind she was incredibly handsome tonight. She was wearing the burgundy sweater that was her personal favorite. She had bought it for Sharla in Denver at the foot of the Colorado Rockies during her last training session with White. It was a perfect color for her.

"Is something wrong?" Sharla asked. Naomi was openly staring at her. "Are my balls on display or something, or what?" the psionic grinned.

Naomi shook her head to clear her naughty thoughts and laughed.

"Oh, sorry, no. Just thinking that burgundy is really a beautiful color on you. My God, you look delicious!" Naomi said. "Isn't that the sweater I brought back from Cherokee?"

Sharla felt her face go warm and quickly turned for the door.

"Yeah, this is the one. As I remember you bought it for me because I was freezing my ass off at night, and you were tired of hearing me bitch about it. Besides I know you tell all your men they're handsome in burgundy, you know?" Sharla teased. Naomi was always buying Charlie clothes and telling him he was handsome.

Naomi slapped Sharla's shoulder and let her hand linger there for a long moment savoring the feeling of the lean musculature under her fingers, and chuckled, "Girl, you are the ONLY shemale I've ever said that to! And probably because you're the only one I know who owns a burgundy sweater."

Sharla laughed, "You know so many of us, huh?" This turn of events was a surprise. This might turn out to be an interesting evening, she thought in sudden speculation.

Once inside the two of them quickly caught up with each other's personal news. They discussed Naomi's PC woes, and then touched on the usual gossip. If anyone around them thought it odd a man was gossiping like a college girl, they kept it to themselves. Even so, Sharla knew they were drawing some speculative attention.

Soon their food arrived and they ate in relative quiet. During their meal Sharla kept thinking about Naomi's behavior in the parking lot. Was she imagining things? Had she seen a lusty look in Naomi's eye out there? She had to know or this "friendship" was going to drive her crazy. On top of everything else, she felt her manly prod throbbing urgently.

A couple of beers later, Sharla loosened up and suddenly wondered, Naomi, don't you really know anyone else with a burgundy sweater? The psionic took a swig of her beer and grinned at her partner. When Naomi wiped a wisp of hair from her eyes the witch felt her member as it jerked awake again and groaned inwardly. Damn these male hormones! Just watching this utterly feminine girl move, the redhead the felt the alien spheres tighten and the lengthy tube above them spasm.

"No, I really don't, Sharla" Naomi replied aloud, possibly not realizing she was answering a thought link. "Even if I did you'd beat them all. I gotta tell you, girl, you look damned good in that sweater… and those Levi's." She rolled her eyes and her voice trailed in a dreamy manner. She was feeling tipsy. "I gotta tell you that…delicious."

After a pause Sharla's male need forced another question and then, suddenly, forgetting her resolve, thinking like a man, with her small head, formed a mind link. If you feel that way then why haven't we done each other by now? I'm sure you think I'm weird or something, and I'm taking a chance telling you this, but the truth is, Naomi, I really been missing you in my bed. Sharla darted her eyes away from Naomi bashfully. Damn! Well,the truth is on the table. She fully expected Naomi to get up and walk out. But Naomi simply sat there, looking as though she couldn't believe what she had "heard".

The raven-haired Native American shook her head. Sharla, did you just say that you've missed me in your bed? Or am I just drunk, and hearing only what I want to hear? "Don't you dare screw with my mind, Sharla? Dammit! Did you mean that?" Naomi asked seriously. The mists in her mind cleared as she spoke, tempted to send a probe delving into her best friend's mind to seek the truth.

The unfamiliar longing had taken control. Sharla nodded her head. "I'm dead serious. I miss you. I miss being with you. This being male without taking you has been a real hell." This time she looked right into Naomi's dark eyes and didn't take her eyes off of her bulging breasts and now very trim waist.

"Oh, Sharla! My God! You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that. I've been so confused about this, about my feelings for you. I've been missing you, too, for too long! All of this time I thought you wanted it this way. Male organs or female organs… makes no difference it is you… your soul, that I want."

They sat motionless staring across the table at each other for several long moments. The longing between them was now very obvious. Suddenly, Sharla stood and dug her wallet out of her hip pocket and took a twenty from it. She slapped it down on the table. She reached her hand out to Naomi. "What do you say we get out of here?"

Taking her girlfriend's hand they headed for the door. They were still hand-in-hand as they walked to Naomi's car. The rush was incredible. Feeling each other's flesh pressed together intoxicated them more than the beer had. Naomi turned to open her car door but Sharla's hand closed around hers. Gently she turned Naomi back around. Suddenly she was in Sharla's arms. Feverish lips brushed Naomi's forehead.

"I'll meet you at our place in ten minutes. I have something I need to pick up on my way," Sharla said, intending to head for her own car.

Temptation reared its head and overtook her when they came to Naomi's car. Quietly she leaned down and kissed Naomi full on the lips. They both reeled with the surge of passion that passed between them. Sharla fought to keep from losing herself in Naomi's kiss but it was futile.

"Minx," Sharla gasped when the tall Native American stroked her raging rod and then squeezed it wantonly. She cast a "not worth notice" spell.

"I've waited too long for this," Naomi whispered as Mr. Sharla discovered her lack of panties.

"No panties?"

"I can't wait." Her fingers fumbled at the zip of Sharla's jeans. "I need this."

"When did you…"

"Really, Sharla, you're not the only witch around…" The raven-haired Shaman snapped her fingers and her succulent charms were encased in a quaint old-fashioned medieval chastity belt.

"Okay! Okay, I get your message," The garment was gone as quickly as it had appeared to give the redhead access to her depths once more.

Neither could bear to release the other. It became a deeply intimate release of frustration.

Finally, Sharla gently pulled apart. Naomi moaned, not wishing for it to end.

"I wish I had known. I've been so very miserable with wanting you." Sharla replied and kissed her briefly again. Sharla smiled then traced a line along Naomi's jaw line with the tip of her finger.

Then she laughed and drew her finger from Naomi's clinging mouth. "We have to get out of this parking lot. I'll meet you at the house in a few minutes."

She then headed toward her own car.

*****OoooO*****

Carrying a single red rose bud tucked behind her back, Sharla stepped in the front door and called out to Naomi.

"In the family room, " Naomi called back.

Sharla slipped her shoes off at the door and padded toward Naomi's voice.

"I was beginning to think I might have scared you off. Did you get lost?" Naomi asked and then smiled as she spied something behind Sharla's back. She had busied herself during the short wait by setting out a couple of cold bottles of beer and some chips. She also had built a fire and spread a quilt on the floor in front of it.

"Let's get one thing straight, lady." Sharla replied with a grin. "You have never scared me." She handed Naomi the rosebud and then kissed her lightly as she wrapped her other arm around Naomi's waist. Naomi responded by wrapping both arms around Sharla's neck and pulling her in for yet another kiss.

"I just can't believe..." Naomi began. Sharla silenced her with a kiss so lustful that it blew the lid off of their restraint.

Sharla pulled Naomi into her body and moaned into their kiss. She could feel Naomi's fingertips digging into her back. Naomi's touch made her body tremble. For two months she had dreamed of this. The ache she felt for Naomi had been painfully intense but it was all out in the open between them now.

"Oh God, Naomi. I've wanted you so," Sharla gasped as Naomi held her face in her hands.

"Sharla. Oh, Sharla," Naomi began, eyes brimming with tears.

"No more of this distance. I need you," Sharla demanded as her lips covered Naomi's.

Sharla ran her hands under Naomi's blouse and caressed her soft mounds of flesh as Naomi gasped and shivered. She unbuttoned Naomi's blouse and went searching, with her fingertips for her pretty little rosebud nipples. Sharla had seen Naomi a variety of times. She had she had no illusions of just how beautiful Naomi was. Those memories had driven Sharla wild at night over the past two weeks.

She kissed Naomi's mussed hair, and then her lips fell to Naomi's tender neckline. A gentle, sensual moan escaped from deep within her lover and Sharla felt her own body's flush of desire. She reached around and fumbled to unclasp Naomi's bra and tossed it casually onto the couch beside her then she kept her eyes riveted on Naomi's back, and then her exciting front, as the Shaman went back across the room, turned out the lights and returned. She led her to the quilt in front of the fireplace.

In the flickering glow of the fireplace Sharla stood before her new partner and slowly undressed for her. Naomi helped slip Sharla's jeans and jockies down and then pulled her to the quilt on the floor beside her. The musky fragrance of Naomi's lust sweat swept through the redhead as she kissed her way from Naomi's lovely brown triangle of curls and down her legs. She gasped when she felt the heat of Naomi's mouth on her male member for the first time. The sensation was different from…

"Please, Sharla!"

Naomi could hardly stand the ache within her and pulled Sharla over to kiss her. But Sharla broke free and proceeded to nibble her from her toes to the tip of her nose. She thoroughly enjoyed tasting and gazing upon Naomi's lovely body along the way and Naomi basked in her gaze and in her touch. She gave in to her lust and simply laid her hands back over her head, opening herself completely to Sharla, and soon was groaning with each touch.

Sharla paused just to look into her eyes.

"Please, Sharla..." Naomi begged.

In a moment they were consuming each other with their hands, lips, and tongues roaming freely. After what seemed like forever to Naomi, Sharla finally lowered her body down onto hers. Their feet, knees, and thighs touched. A male connected with a wantonly waiting woman and then their nipples, Naomi's large totally female, Sharla's small, now so totally male, followed suit. They moved in the ageless grinding unison of lovers. Their bodies shuddered with the passion, the need, and release long into the night. Eventually fatigue overtook desire.

Naomi arose, retrieved a blanket, and pulled it over them as embers smoldered in the fireplace. She began to drift off to sleep nestled in Sharla's arms. Meanwhile, Sharla lay motionless, not wanting to disturb her but trying to settle the churning emotions within her.

Sheer joy prompted a single tear to roll silently down Sharla's cheek. Two years. Two whole years she had waited. Now, finally, love, something more than love was hers. The wait had been horrendous but it was well worth the pain. Finally, they were together.

"You okay, baby?" Naomi purred sleepily.

"I'm fine, hon. Go back to sleep." Sharla softly replied as she stroked Naomi's hair.

"Promise you'll always be my partner." Naomi said with her eyes still peacefully closed.

"I'll always be your partner. Naomi, I'll never leave you," Sharla answered softly as she rubbed the tear off her cheek. "No more off-seasons for us."

 

Part 35: The Mission of Andrea

Opening her eyes at the sound of a soft hoot, Andrea found she was standing in a large seven-sided, stone built amphitheater reminiscent Stonehenge, surrounded on all sides by huge, cascading sheets of green, red, and blue flame. The illumination seemed to be coming equally from that and an eerie grey-to-blue glow from the ground under her. Looking down, she saw that she was standing on a translucent floor. Somehow she perceived the surface of the Spirit World, this portion inside the stone walls at least, to be like a small lake covered with ice. Deep within the grey "ice" she could make out eerie shapes entombed there. Shuddering involuntarily, Andrea glanced about, seeking a distraction. The sudden appearance of a familiar figure before her caused her heart to leap into her throat. It was Owl suddenly standing less than ten feet from her. Somehow she knew the owl was smiling at her.

"Do not fear them, Little Chick. Those are but your memories lying in wait to be recalled. My apologies go to you, Little Chick. That I did not come to you as soon as I said that I would is inexcusable. The Black Jaguar has been active of late and when the Black One roams, one does well to be cautious."

The owl shimmered from her view and then re-appeared about Andrea's height and build, but with huge eyes and had a sardonic curve to its beak. Regaining semi-control of semi-shattered nerves, Andrea squared her shoulders and confronted the apparition, asking in surly tones, "What's so darned funny? I look just like you, so what?"

The Owl's "smile" grew, once again in that oh-so-familiar way. "You, Little Chick. That you would dare to learn so much is an amusement for me. That in itself is what amuses me. No. it is an amusement of pleasure, as so few of those beings your age in many dimensions and on many planes that seem care to learn much of anything these days. Very well, I am the Wise old Owl, since that is your perception of me. I am Knowledge Personified, sponsor of your power, for your power lies in knowledge and I have been waiting for you, to give you the knowledge of your power that you so desire."

Speechless for a second, a rarity for the teen, Andrea could only stand there, gaping. She hadn't been sure who or what Owl was; and to be truthful, this was not what she'd been expecting when he'd told her he was coming to visit her. At the same time, she understood this was all true. For reasons she could not begin to understand she could feel a kindred spirit in this being. Now where I am and what am I doing here?

Owl closed one eye and then looked at her speculatively. "Here? Here is nowhere. Here is everywhere, Little Chick. The Portal I taught you how to open is a direct path to the "Operations Center," for want of a perception you can comprehend, of your mind. It is from here that you can control anyone. Every person on earth has this sort of binary control center. If you will just imagine the walls containing arrays of binary switches" As soon as Owl described the walls, Andrea watched the flames die and walls displaying banks of "on-off" switches taking their place. Incredibly the teen knew instantly the function of every switch and cipher every combination of switches to use in order to achieve the desired result. "From the operations center you can control the person as you want, change that person's health, character, attitude, perceptions, morals, any portion their being that you like. But for now, will you serve the tea?"

Without further warning, the septagonal room blurred and then shimmered to reform as a spacious, thoroughly comfortable office, with Little Chick standing as herself, in front of an oak desk, about half the size of a football field, or so it seemed to the psionic. Without hesitation or fault, she went about the ritual serving of tea even though she had never before known there was such a ritual.

Owl , appearing as an impeccably tailored lady, was casually sitting there watching her closely. "This is where I take measure of a man or woman who aspires to greater power. If they do not have the necessary knowledge and strength-of-will, they do not return to their reality. Andrea realized that Owl had somehow "implanted the knowledge of the ritual of tea in her mind to prove such things could be done.

"And if they do not measure up to your standards?"

"If I find them to be a threat to the future of the human race, they do not return. It's like I'm having an interview with a job applicant, only the applicant doesn't know they're being asked questions that influence their own future. It's a trial, a test of character, will, and intelligence. I don't want substandard practitioners in leadership positions-- I'm sure you can understand why."

Andrea nodded. It made sense. If she was indeed as powerful as everyone said she was, was yet to become, it would be pretty easy for her to mess up the continuum, and Andrea could certainly understand the need for strict rules governing those who could and would significantly influence the time flow.

"This is a bit dramatic, isn't it, Owl?" It was a little too dramatic for her taste.

"Hey, it seems to work. It's worked for me for eons." Owl laughed and shrugged. "I seem to have things pretty well under control these days. Or I did until the Black Jaguar returned." Owl was looking at her with strange interest. "You must have questions. Ask, and I will do my best to answer."

Andrea thought a moment. "What are we?"

Owl threw his head back and hooted. Even Andrea realized the being called Owl was laughing heartily. "Ah, my Little Chick, you delight me. From the mouths of the fledgling comes the perfect question! You must forgive me because that is one of the few questions that I truly have no answer to give. I've been at the 'magic' business since long before man first conceived clan government, back when the way a man achieved majority was to steal a woman from a neighboring clan to take as a mate."

Once again the teen sat there feeling as though she were a bug under a microscope. "Have I something growing out of my head, Owl?"

"Damned if I don't believe you are one of the few humans that are actually able to relate to me." He simply ignored her caustic remark. "You're a living bridge between the Worlds of Spirit and Flesh. You constitute a tangible link that touches and controls behavior on both Planes of Existence. Little Chick, you are different from others around you. You make it up as you go along. Will you accept the job?"

Andrea nodded. She already knew that she could and would do anything she had to do to achieve resolutions to any problem set before her. Owl knew what she was thinking, knew her decision before she expressed it. Overwhelmed by the knowledge, this knowing of the responsibility, Owl was giving her, the girl sat in the chair before the desk. Owl apparently thought the same way she did. The tremulous teen thought of another question. "I am, the flesh me, living in dangerous times. What happens if I am killed?"

"Little Chick, Death is an entity that doesn't really apply to you. You exist more in the Spirit Plane than in the Mortal Plane. You are not subject to the limitations a normal mortal. You can travel between Worlds at will. A normal mortal's body is a framework to support the Spirit. Once the mortal flesh dies, the Spirit dissipates back into the Spiritual Plane. Your spirit has no need for such a framework or such an anchor; the connection between your spirit and your body is a matter of your will. If you will your body to repair itself, it doesn't matter if you've been shredded, stabbed, ripped apart, blown up, or eaten, your mortal body will regenerate itself as you desire, when you desire, and however you desire. It is your will that make you powerful. Your will is your greatest asset, but if you're not careful, it can also be your greatest liability. But, I digress, in answer to your question; you will live as long as you maintain your will to live.

Andrea nodded once more. Everything Owl had told her somehow made perfect sense. It was gratifying to finally understand some of what was going on within her. "You came to me once when I was a boy, well still mostly a boy, didn't you, Owl? It was just after I had been attacked by Jerry Tanner!"

Owl nodded solemnly. "Yes. I felt you drawing hard on the Force. That was also the first time I'd actually felt you assert your power, and I looked in on you. I saw your dread fleeing into the private part of your mind, its power over you obliterated by the pure viciousness of your attack. You do have my sympathies. Your dread is real. Drowning is one dread most unpleasant."

Andrea felt a sudden wild hope. "Can you show me who it is that is behind the attacks on the Witch and Psionic community?" she asked eagerly.

Owl looked at the girl sadly. "Little Chick, it doesn't matter. He is forced to do what he does. Your sister would best be served by finding the one responsible for coercing him to attack weaker Witches and Psionics."

Once again, Andrea realized she was nodding agreeably. Yes, it would mean nothing to destroy the slave carrying out the master's bidding. "The Masters of the Black Coven! Who are they?"

"They're evil Adepts and Seers, those who've turned to dark deeds, those who have gained only enough conceptual ability of psionics to allow them to extend their immoral consciousness into the Spirit World, but due to their selfish desires, cannot remain here long. These dark ones come here because the solutions to mortal gain are somewhat easier to perceive on the Spiritual Plane. Adepts and Seers, both good and evil, draw upon their source of power, the rift between the worlds, to achieve their ends. Sadly the dark ones can be the most powerful of all practitioners, they're all a bit cracked, some to the point of being dangerous, but they're an indispensable asset to the hierarchy of magi. The greater advantage the good has is that the Dark Ones are few. You have been chosen to help maintain the natural order and aid in the struggle against chaos wherever it rises. Will you do this?"

"Yes." Andrea imagined that looking after humanity would probably get boring in a few millennia. Owl hadn't tried to come off as omniscient. Andrea sighed, "Is there anything else you can tell me, anything that I really should know, information I'm going to need when I step back into the Mortal Plane?"

Owl shook his head. To Andrea's spirit, a thin, pulsing thread of thought connected her to Owl. "Little Chick, when you have more questions, give thought on this link. It's always good to know you're not alone." Andrea wasn't sure, but it sounded suspiciously as if Owl was referring to himself as being the one alone.

Gravely, Andrea offered her hand. Owl smiled and took it. "Take care, Andrea. Just because you're one of the most powerful beings in the world doesn't mean you're indestructible. Don't trust anyone you can't control. And be wary around the Black Jaguar."

"I understand." Owl nodded once again, and vanished. The room abruptly began to phase back to its previous appearance, without the flames. The chair did not dissolve until she stood up. In silence, Andrea regarded the forms frozen below the surface of the ice. The cold glow illuminating their silhouettes was a grim reminder of failure's price. If she failed she would be but a dim memory in a few other's mind. Andrea sighed. With a sarcastic giggle, she thanked Owl and was returned to her bed as quickly as she had left. Once again, it was time to make plans.

 

Part 36: Sharla the Landlord

Halloween in City Bluffs was always a fun affair. This year would prove to be no exception. Many of the businesses and schools had small parties on Halloween. Since Halloween came on Wednesday, the City Council and two Malls got together to throw two Costume Balls on the Saturday following Halloween. One for all ages was limited to non-drinkers and was to be held in the bigger Beacon Street Mall. The Small Mall, owned by Small World Inc would host the "Adult" party for the drinkers.

Sharla planned to grow a long white beard and present her new male self as a Druid. Naomi, figured wearing one of her more conservative shamani, a full halter with hip-hugger skirt that was not only not slit up the sides, it almost reached-mid thigh, and a "domino" eye mask and appropriate beads and feather accessories would serve as Pocahontas. It was to be Kevin/Karen's first big social outing. With just a little bit of help from Andrea, Karen would attend as Cinderella and David would go as her Prince Charming. Using her ingenuity, and developing skill with her wand, Andrea fashioned a costume that would come very close to looking like the mechanical owl featured in the classic movie, " Clash of the Titans"

On Saturday morning, Sharla convinced Andrea and Naomi to go with her to the Knoll facility. First they secured the house and relaxed in the living room to explore out of body. With just a little bit of encouragement by Sharla, the other two were soon accompanying her. First they checked on Frank. Just as he'd bitched about having to do, he was helping his father with work on some heavy equipment.

Frustrated and greasy, Andrea's best friend was not happy. While remaining in an incorporeal form floating well above his work area, with a little twitch of her wand, Andrea made all the equipment Frank was working on loose it's coatings of dirt, oil, grease, and in some cases rust. When the dirt started slipping off the oil pan Frank was scrubbing, he closed his eyes, smiled, and then whispered, 'Thanks Andi, I love you! You're a wonderful sorceress… a sexy one, too!"

"No, I be a wonderful wizardette." The teen whispered back in her best "Merlin the Magician" imitation, then laughed at his puzzled expression when he couldn't find her, and flickered away after the elder witches.

"Wizardette?" Naomi laughed and raised an eyebrow in a spockish manner.

"Hey, you wouldn't want him to begin calling me Sexy Sorceress, would you?"

Though she was having a blast flitting about with the other two apparitiates, Naomi wanted to see what the emergency on the reservation was that demanded Charles' presence there, instead of being in school and with her for the holiday. Naomi said she'd found a trace line, called it a psychic scent trail, to follow. Andrea and Sharla indicated that Naomi was to lead and swooped and dipped in her wake. In seconds the tempestuous trio had streaked across the continent to the neat four bedroom bungalow housing Charles, his sister and their parents.

The witches quickly discovered that Charles' Mother and Father, both certified and practicing Family Physicians, were also both powerful herbal healers for the local Anglo citizenry in addition to Native American community. The girls also learned that on the previous weekend a carload of "out of town people" had held a series of public meetings, speaking against magicians, spell casters, and other "godless people" and promised to provide information to aid in the search and apprehension of those "gol darn perverts" within the population claiming to be witches, warlocks, shamans and priests or priestesses of magic cults. On Monday the group had stirred up enough anger in the low brow society of the community to form an attack on several people, including Charles' parents.

Charles parents, because of their high profile came in for the worst of it and were in critical care with very few expectations of survival. One of the attackers had been identified as being wanted on an international warrant as being a very expensive agent provocateur for hire.

While "teaching" Jenny, who had become quite a proficient "healer" as well as being an excellent topless waitress, Sharla had herself learned a lot about arcane healing spells, especially since the Owl had shown her how to look back in time and examine a spell. It was no big thing for her to duplicate the healing spell that had been used on Kevin, and since she knew each controlling symbol, she was able to cast the spell twice, even though she was incorporate. It was only because they had committed to accompanying Karen to the Gala that the trio left early to return to City Bluffs. Sharla was mildly surprised the trip from west to east took twelve seconds less than their earlier east to west trip. This was due, she realized, to the Earth's rotation. They made it in plenty of time to get ready for the party at Small Mall.

By the time Sharla and Naomi left for the Dance on Saturday night, Sharla was filled with foreboding. White had reported to Naomi that there had been an abnormal number of physical attacks on various Shamans and Medicine Women and Medicine Men. Charles, Naomi's main squeeze, had had to take an emergency leave of absence and to go home. Jenny, Terri, and Sheila had gone back to New Hampshire to follow up on reports of attacks on members of the covens. Jenny had called to request someone to get her assignments for at least the next week because she would be heavily involved in healing those injured in the attacks. They, the coven leaders as well as tribal elders, were also trying to find and set up a sheltered area for some of the less experienced Power adepts. It was also learned a number of them had been victim of psychic attacks in addition to physical beatings. Most of the covens on the east coast were now working on protective spells; with White working in the Spirit World to create detection spells a close second. Mr. Sharla knew she could no longer ignore the presage of these omen.

On the Sunday afternoon following the Halloween Gala, Sharla got Andrea and Naomi to go with her to the Knoll.

*****OoooO*****

Sharla led the way to Oklahoma. While she'd slid easily inside the wards, the psionic suddenly realized the others were not with her. Projecting her essence back through the ward she discovered Naomi and Andrea searching frantically for her trace.

Understandably Naomi and Andrea were upset and frustrated. "You shrank to a point and vanished. We couldn't find you and we can't locate the facility." "Okay, let's not panic. There's a way. We just have to sort it out."

Several times Sharla tried unsuccessfully to lead or pull them into or through the ward. Finally she suggested, "Okay, that's not working. Let's try another port."

"Another port?" the other two gasped in surprised unison.

"Yes, the door in the Winters' basement," the redhead sighed in exasperation. It then occurred to her the "no seeum" spell she'd placed on the portal in the basement would work against anyone, if these two sharpies had not been able to spot it. "Oh come on, you're gonna be so surprised when I show you! It's in plain sight."

"Just like she said, Dudette, right in front of us all the time," groused the Shaman when she stood before the portal.

When Sharla opened the door a dark room showed and there was a strong odor of dust, very musty dust.

"Oooh! Creepy!" Gagged her sister as she turned away and sped off for a flashlight and her spare wand.

While standing there holding the door, Sharla projected a request to WattageWaiter to provide some electricity and air circulation. By the time Andrea got back with wand and flashlight, the indirect lighting was on, showing the heavy carpet and tile floor.

"Well?" Naomi and Andrea crossed to the other door. It would not open until Sharla closed the house door. Naomi cocked an eyebrow?

With a nonchalant shrug, the redhead grinned her reply. "I got the idea from that old Dr. Who series. Yuh know… All that space inside a blue call box?"

*****OoooO*****

"Girl, you need a Bosley to man this front desk and keep the maids and bell boys on their toes." Naomi joked when she stepped into the lobby and looked about.

"This place needs some maids, waiters, cooks, and bartenders." Andrea declared.

"I was thinking of using Shelly's Purple twin to be the Maid here…"

"Yeah, and maybe call her JulieO… after that gal we met in that wacko chat room?" interjected Andrea sardonically.

"And maybe cloning Maggie, our commissary cat to take care of the cooking here."

Sharla and Naomi started investigating all the drawers and shelves and buttons behind the Front Desk cutting across the Lobby. They were trying to figure out why Andrea and Naomi could not penetrate the wards.

Hon, I still can't see why Andi and I can't pop right through the ward as easily as you… Naomi linked to Sharla while opening and closing drawers that would have provided an excellent filing system for a monster hotel back in the 1950's. "Huummm, I bet a Simplex would be plenty for this system."

Thinking on it for a moment, Sharla realized, Damn, it's so simple! It's just an aspect of the reinforced wards I left! That's what's preventing everyone except me from detecting the ward or the contents. Darn why didn't I see that sooner? "I've an old 386 I've been looking for a place to use!"

"Dang it! Darn it! And Double Phooey!" Andrea's words blasting a blue blaze across the lobby brought Sharla and Naomi at a run.

The dudette was standing with her back to them in front of a couch. Bare feet and long legs were spread, her fists were on the shelf of her wide womanly hips, and her short willow wand jutted behind her. On the couch in front of her reposed the three foot high porcelain French maid doll clad in purple satin and fancy white lace. Beside it was a golden furred version of Maggie the Kommisary Kitten.

Andrea spun around and said, "Maggie K is okay! I cloned her from our Maggie C back at the Winters' House. Maggie Kay'll do everything Maggie Cee can do. I imported all the knowledge and experience of Shelly, but this JulieO just isn't responding at all!"

"Hey, not bad, kiddo!" The Shaman commented, casually closing the cabinets she'd left open when she had come across the Lobby to aid her cribbage partner, with the twitch of her nose. I learned it from watching all those 'I Dream of Jeanie' reruns we watched, she replied in answer to Sharla's inquisitive eyebrow.

The redhead had the problem mapped in a minute, but wanted her sister to see it and work it out. "Awrite, Sis! Way to go. Okay, look at it closely with that "third eye I been teaching you two to use. It's right there and when you find it, you'll see how to fix it."

Speaking in soft, not quite inchoative tone, the teen closed her eyes and began from the top... "Okay, MaggieC, by design, is connected to Big Momma… her data link is also an energy link."

"Why is that," the redhead whispered, not wanting to disturb the girl, but wanting her to think it through.

"When I cloned her, Maggie K was also connected to Big Momma. Hey, I need a link to Shelly!"

"Yup." Sharla closed her eyes for a moment. "Okay, I've opened up a channel to the Winters' Estate for magical energy."

"Good show, Andi!" Naomi, following this procedure closely, shot Whyzat? by link.

"Right now my wards are keeping all local magic inside the walls." The redhead shrugged and went on. "With this link, we will have a good source of magical power and still no one can detect us here."

"Now why th' fudge didn't I see that?" exclaimed the strawberry blonde excitedly making the necessary corrections. "Okay…got it, now what's next?"

The three stood and watched the two applications a moment while the wicked Wizardette fine-tuned her animates.

Before instructing the helpers, Sharla suggested, "Naomi, I think that before we do any more here, you and Andrea should join me in an out of body exploration of the entire facility."

When they had all slipped the bounds of their bodies, she explained, "Now what I want to do is make a three dimensional grid search of the entire facility, to find all the hidden places Grandpa built into it."

"Where do we start, Love?"

Almost without thinking, she teleported them to the opulent Executive suite she had claimed as her own.

"Oh my ghad! We're gonna have to start calling you Empress Sharla!" The blonde was enthusiastically excited and showed it by darting about looking into all the crannies and nooks she could find.

"Fer shure," agreed the tall Native American. "Now."

It was a spacious double suite; one side was headquarters type with a big office invisibly built into the face of the Knoll. Deeper into the small mountainside was an administrative secretary's center, a break and office supply room, complete with several thermal copier machines.

Adjacent to the Secretary's office were several meeting rooms. The smallest had a casino-size cherry wood table and six matching chairs with velvet seats. The third one, built deep inside, was a monster oval table with room for the twenty four chairs around the table and the second row of other chairs did not even begin to crowd the floor.

On the right side was a very luxurious two bedroom apartment. "Mine!" Andrea squealed and flicker into one and planting her feet squarely in the middle of the room to look around. "Mine! All mine!" The teen, even though in her incorporeal mode, flopped onto the bed in a typical teenage girl sprawl.

"Jeeze, how does one get here when not out of the body?"

With a sardonic chuckle, Sharla explained, "There's one elevator entry from the bottom of the wash and there's another access by an elevator that travels on the diagonal."

"Well, the connections are shure as hey none too obvious," growled her sister. "Oh come on; let's look around some more, kiddo? You're too enticing there."

To find other items the "Empress Sharla," as the other two were teasingly calling her now, wanted them to travel through the rock, dirt, and concrete Out of Body to see what other surprises their Grandfather-builder had provided.

One of their first discoveries was a large Tailor Shop. Near the entrance door was a tailor's dummy on a roller stand incongruously equipped with a life-like mannequin head that was obviously designed to support a wig. Sharla decided that this would be the foundation for Bosley and translocated the stand, dummy, and head back to the front desk before they continued their search.

They discovered many workshops, laboratories and medical facilities. Deeper underground, located between major ley lines, the tempting trio discovered additional major facilities. From the numbers of the communications equipment, wide variety of costumes, uniforms and weapons, Sharla and the girls decided they had discovered a former covert operations supply center. "Spies! My whole daggone family's just a bunch o' spies!" chortled Andrea as they moved on.

The central facility was the model hotel complete with a number of personal service shops and small incidental boutiques. On another level there were two restaurants, two bars, and surprising them completely, a room that was obviously a nursery. Next to it were two rooms that were set up as multi-grade elementary classrooms.

"Spies with kids?' asked Andrea in a tone of disbelief.

Realizing the portent of this, Sharla was suddenly Worried, with a capitol W. The first paragraph of the Grandfather's message she had found at the Ouachita Knoll on her original visit scared her. " . . . but I know of your need for a refuge for many of your friends and that eventually you will need a base of operations. I know you have the power, and probably a lot more control than I have . . ."

If the constantly increasing assaults on magic workers continued… Still yet, there was no way that Sharla could abandon her jobs to open the Knoll facility, but it was looking more and more like this was an answer, a refuge.

Once the twittering trio had fairly exhausted themselves, back in the Winters' Estate kitchen, munching down another mound of Maggie's magnificent morsels --moving through mountainsides, even in Out of Body Mode, burned up a lot of energy-- Sharla mentioned her thoughts. "I'm of the opinion it's time to open up the central facility as a refuge."

After reminding them of the letter from her grandfather, Sharla, quickly outlined a flexible "sort of" plan.

Nodding agreement, Naomi suggested, "M'luv, I think that before letting anyone other than White Running-Bear know about this, we might want to get Jenny's Mom, the wanderer Prudence, to do a foreseeing."

"Hey, if you're gonna do this, you need to loosen up some of the security down there, so the rest of us can do some of the work," advised Andrea, as she dipped homemade potato chips in a spicy dip concocted from scratch by Maggie Cee.

Agreeably Sharla adjusted the wards on the door to the Knoll lobby to allow Andrea, Terri, Jenny, and Naomi unrestricted travel. She also managed a White Box that connected the communications equipment in the Facility to Telephone lines and antenna's at the Winslowe Shop. The white box was also set up to allow Maggie Kay to translocate items ordered and delivered to the Winslowe Enterprise docks.

Monday morning was Slow for Sharla. She did not have any installations scheduled for another week. Mickey had picked up six more big accounts and his/her expertise was sufficient. Three more people had been hired. They were so busy that they actually did not realize that equipment was moving around without human presence. Sharla had contacted the phone company and quoted the needs of a government contract to explain why she wanted almost the capability of an exchange in her small office.

*****OoooO*****

Stripping to almost what had been her favorite travel togs, today a pair of Grecian style sandals and an electric green thong, Sharla translocated himself to the Suite at the Knoll. When she opened the refrigerator to check it out, the awful smell of putrefaction almost overwhelmed her.

Suddenly recalling she'd removed the time stopping ward early in September and that she'd started the Generators for a short period of time aafter removing the time stopping ward, then shut them down when she left. She realized, every thing requiring refrigeration or freezing had been without power for two months! With a shuddering sigh, she translocated the spoiled food to the gully where the DarnIts were dumping their borings. Then projecting to Maggie Kay the need to replenish her private kitchen and then to clean up any other kitchens, refrigerators, or freezers than needed it, she returned to The Bluffs in a blue funk.

Snow was blowing hard in City Bluffs. The flame-haired psionic decided to move almost completely to the knoll. She exported Maggie Cee and Shelly to Ouachita to help with the work and set up Bosley as the Central Clearing Center for all the work in the Knoll. As soon as everything was on the way to a good spring-cleaning, Sharla settled down for some serious meditation and contacted White. The girl was still not at all used to the way her male body trembled violently when her still female mind conjured certain intimate imagery concerning the Elder Shaman.

Hi Lover, she whispered when she found he was someplace high in the Andes Mountains of South America. What's up?

Though he tried to give her a dour look, the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. Ah well, you know that ever since early summer, I've been working with an international group of magic users.

A good group, I take it?

A chuckle escaped him. Let's just say they're a very diverse group of assorted persuasions and leave it at that.

Care to tell me more? The psionic flickered, and then sent an image of her settling down on a rock beside him. Using her "third eye" she looked about. Before her stretched the awesome splendor of the Andes Mountains.

About the only thing they all have in common is that they support growth and harmony while opposing coercion by force or in secrecy in many ways.

When the girl continued to show serious interest, he continued, Actually they are a fine group. They first started working together before World War One.

With a nod, the girl moved her image closer.

They managed to disrupt a number of Magical attacks on the leaders of the free world following the "Great War". During the early stages of World War Two the Forces of Darkness became strong and highly organized while aligning itself within the Third Reich.

Without realizing it, he snaked an arm around her image's shoulders and to her delight, if was as if she could feel his arm as he drew her close against his side. A large number of the "Good Magicians", as they called themselves, sat up operations in Russia and throughout Britain, Scotland, and Ireland and then went on the offensive against the encroaching evil. Although most of the Good Magician died in the attempt, somehow the Black Coven of the Gestapo was stopped and it disappeared for a few years. Though the Good Magicians thought it had been eradicated, the Black Coven had merely gone underground.

Murmuring understanding, the girlish image she cast cuddled close, savoring the moment and listened intently as he continued. Unfortunately the Black Coven surfaced in what came to be Communist China.

When she sighed, an intense pang of longing that tugged at her heart, he mistook her sigh and halted. Oh God, I'm lecturing. Sharla, I'm sorry.

No! Please, don't stop. I need information if I am to face this threat with you!

The elder Shaman looked mildly surprised, more by her vehemence than any other reason. Then he chuckled again. Okay, you asked for it…

Ayup, she teased and snuggled her image closer.

Okay, you must understand that the island of Japan has more Ley Line Intersections per hundred square miles than any three other areas added together. The Black Coven wanted this, so they instigated a military push to sweep the Korean peninsula. This was their first stage of their planned Acquisition of Japan. They did not realize that Section A of the Office of Secret Services, the forerunner of he CIA, had detected their activity and diverted their attacks against the leadership of the United States. Unfortunately to no avail. The United States still became heavily involved in the Korean War.

Against all advice, President Truman shipped Section A to Pusan, Korea to provide closer support and protection to the soldiers. In a botched sabotage attack, the probable target was most likely a radio intercept headquarters set up in an identical compound less than a quarter mile away, thirty-three of the forty-two members of Section A were killed. With the decimation of Section A, the Black coven was able to exploit in very negative manner personality weaknesses in both the Commanding General and the President. Political Power ruled and due to that the allied forces were pushed back and back and back almost into the sea... The few survivors of Section A managed to escape to Tibet and alerted the Dalai Lama or some other high placed psychic. There are no clear references to this anywhere.

It was learned the Black Coven was using massive blood sacrifices to support their push. On the other side of the coin, the "Good Magicians" rallied enclaves in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Tibet. Wise men and women from Africa, the Arabic countries, all parts of the Russian Republic, and Europe rallied the enclave s. Those from North and South America also rallied in Mexico and Peru. They gathered and successfully opposed the massive strength that had started as the Black Coven of the Third Reich.

During the last forty-five, fifty years, the Good Magicians had been trying to recover the many secrets of power lost in the last major struggle with the Black Coven. Many of the key people, especially from the mid-East and the far-East have died, or they've been assassinated, or have simply been totally burned out by the powers being manipulated.

Many of the modern Good Magicians, having read the portent of recent happenings, fled to live at a bare subsistence level here and there in villages here in the high country. I'm gathering them all together here in this one place.

The man looked down into the upturned face. In the depths of those dark green eyes it was all woman. In that moment he swore silently to have her back and in a woman's body or die trying!

White, you're not telling me all of it. What's under the hammer?

Realizing there was no getting around the truth with this girl; he mentally shrugged and went on. Although many of them are more experienced than I, it seems I have been designated as their leader.

Their leader?

Yes. It seems the most powerful and skilled seers have all agreed that the survival and salvation of this group rests solely with me… White Running-Bear. He smacked his chest hard as he said this. There was anger, frustration, even helplessness in his voice now.

What makes it really horrible, is that it's supposed to happen within six days, before next Monday. White was in a quandary. This surprised the witch. She'd never seen him in any thing resembling an agitated state.

Sharla, there's two hundred and sixty-five near-to-death souls representing almost every possible skill depending on me to pull their fat out of this fire! Every one of them is capable of mental communication.

The Tall elder had shaken free and began to pace. Sharla's mind began to whirl.

And every one of them will be in severe trouble by the weekend. We're using magic to purify water, but damn it all, the local magic fields are becoming seriously depleted!

The tall redhead's heart went out to him. There had to be a way! Is there anything that can be done?

How's the food supply holding up?

Everyone's brought in as extensive a supply of food as they can manage. Even so, it's, become all but depleted! What White Running-Bear carefully avoided mentioning was an even greater concern; even though the village was a full day's hike beyond the nearest of very few roads at least half of the Good Magicians had been physically injured in recent attacks. Of the two hundred sixty-five people there, seventy-three could be moved only on stretchers.

Before the redhead could answer, she felt a strong tug, a "disturbance in the force" if you will, that compelled her to return.

Seeking the source of this disturbance, the psionic projected her awareness south to Oklahoma and saw that Shelly, JulieO, and the two Maggie's had cleaned out all the spoiled food. Sharla was horrified by the mountain of food that had survived almost 50 years inside the time ward, only to be ruined because she'd not been thinking. She'd shut down the power, and spoilage had occurred. To prevent drawing attention, Sharla excited all the water molecules in the pile so that most of the water was completely absorbed in the dry soil within minutes and imported and cloned Yard Birds set to turn the remainder constantly until it could be spread and turned under to return to soil.

The girl knew all the while she worked this particular was not the root of this near-constant and almost compelling pressure calling her. Shrugging it off for the moment, she translocated her spirit self, Maggie Cee, and Shelly back to the Winters' House. A very sudden, severe blizzard had swept up the river and temporarily halted all travel in and around City Bluffs. Near exhaustion from frustrated and the inability to locate the source of this disturbance, Sharla slipped into a hot foamy Jacuzzi. As she relaxed into a half doze, she felt something aimed at her from the spiritual plane.

Following the trace of this compelling tug, she again loosed her spirit self, this time she was irresistibly drawn into the over world where she discovered two young women and a young man projecting hostility and bolts of magic at her. She was wearing only her favorite necklace, the one of gold inset with the Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby. The stones absorbed the magic bolts. Casually raising one hand she deflected the hostility downward to harmlessly neutralize itself on the plain upon which she posed. With a flick of her fingers the three incarnations of focused energy the three had sent faded into the ground.

Sizing up the situation the redhead realized that they were following a spiritual spoor and it lead to her. She smiled at them and told them, "return to your homes. Your effort would be better spent assisting the afflicted."

Behind the three she saw a large number of people. A quick assessment convinced her that none of them were actually capable of surviving long on this plane, much less harming her, so she told them again to, "Go home, concentrate on helping others and apply the three-fold rule to your daily existence."

The three in the front faded. A nod of her head and the background people were gone, banished.

Slipping back into her body resting in the relaxing Jacuzzi, the green-eyed vixen, and again through the mental link, asked Naomi to bring Jenny and Teri up to date about the Knoll and to ask Jenny to ask her mother for the prognostication. She sensed her life was about to become more complicated and began to savor all this relaxation she could as long as she could.

A few minutes later Naomi contacted the dancer. Jenny had only recently discovered that she had the ability to link mentally. Excitedly, her mind link running together in the same manner as her speaking she reported to Naomi that not only she, but her mother, her aunt, and their closest friend Janet had discovered they possessed the ability of mental linkage. They're-not-very-good-with-it-yet, though. And-that's-only-because-they don't-use-it-so-much! Naomi, after hearing part of the story, re-established a mental link with Sharla and then linked with Jenny.

*****OoooO*****

Prudence and her husband Tony were actually trouble shooters for a not-to-be-overtly-mentioned sub-section of the US Government seriously interested in Psychic and Mystic matters. Something had been detected as being "not right" in the south of France. They had been dispatched from their work in Egypt on "Vacation" to Northern Italy. They had traced, identified, and arranged for the "neutralization" of twenty six black warlocks and witches.

On their way to a dinner theater in Berlin they were attacked. Fortunately the attacker had not the experience of the two "old salts" and they had managed to block the psychic attack. Section A had moved them to a safe house which, as it turned out was not as safe as had been imagined. They were presently in severe danger. A riot had started with the coming of night and was raging all around their location. Prudence prudently performed a foretelling for her husband and her sister.

The results recorded by Jenny's father were confusing.

"Near to death by fire you will be, yet a blink of the eye, and gone you will flee, to a circle on a floor, through a door no one can see, you will disappear once more, into home anew and safety you seek. In the hospital, she who misses you most, will join you after meeting the host."

"It's most confusing, Prue. About all I can make of it is that we will live through this."

*****OoooO*****

The second thing, Luvs, and the reason I established the link, was the report from Janet. She's continued an all-out effort to identify the current incarnation of The Intruder or The Initiate, whomever, or whatever it is, that they identified last year.

Sighing, realizing this was yet another thing to look into, the redhead shot back, Yes, I remember that, they were unable to determine much of anything about their "Intruder" at all, as I recall. What did that Burlington Bunch do this time?

Assorted covens from Virginia all the way to Florida, all across the Cotton Belt to include Louisiana, some forty covens in all, of more than one discipline, have been working, more or less together, in this effort. They determined that it was linked to some spiritual entity that was and is totally indifferent to ritual practice. Combining, using their rituals, summoning and empowering three entities, The Master of the Hunt, The Crone, and The Lady of Fresh Waters together, they set out to discover, isolate and banish The Intruder.

And what came of this search and destroy mission?

That's the strange part. There has been a confrontation. Just a few minutes ago in fact! It seemed the amassed magic of forty covens had been focused through The Hunter and The Crone of the European tradition and The Lady of the Seminoles of the Everglades. They had followed the trace of The Intruder into the Over World and they demanded The Intruder's presence.

Climbing out of the Jacuzzi, the psionic requested, And what did all this accomplish? What, or who, is this Intruder?

As near as I can figure, it's that huge Black Jaguar that clarified. The way it was described, I guess it was almost like it became solid from a wisp of smoke as the combined magix were focused through the three spiritual leads.

What happened?

Well, as per their plan, as soon as it appeared, the three leads attacked with all the energy they could muster in one shot. Seemingly without interest, that Jaguar just sat there while the awesome power in their focus was simply absorbed by the green, blue, and red gems on the cat's collar. The cat seemed almost gentle as it seated itself and curled its tail across its feet.

Sharla stood in the middle of the room, mutely staring at her reflection, overwhelmed by a sense of de ja vu. Go on.

Well, they went ballistic and got angry. All the cat did was raise and flexed one paw. Their palpable sense of anger was deflected. The Jaguar again flexed its paw, projecting glistening claws. Within seconds the three focuses of their anger had faded right into the ground of the over world.

The witch could only nod, as if Naomi could see her standing there.

Strange as it seems, several of the mothers in the group of supporters say they seemed to see the scene as a mother or babysitter gently correcting a small child that was playing with something dangerous, and they were the children being admonished! They say that cat had seemed to stare through every individual supporting the focus.

What did it do then? Sharla knew, but wanted the confirmation.

It nodded its regal head and as near as Janet can learn, every person supporting the attack was told gently that the over world was not for them and that they should return home and follow the three-fold law. By the way, Janet's discovered that she and her fellow adepts can communicate through the over world, that they can observe some occurrences in the over world, but they cannot project their essence into the over world.

Thanks hon. I'll get back to you on this. I have got to think about this, maybe talk to White about it.

But, there was something more urgent needing her attention. Leaning back in the recliner in the basement, she went searching.

*****OoooO*****

Within a few moments, Sharla determined that Sheila Carstairs was seated at a desk in an office at the university. Using the third eye, she determined a door in the corner of the room opened into an almost empty coat closet. Plenty of room! Sharla translocated her male self into the closet Ah! A perfect two-point landing! and opened the door. She was taking a seat in front of the desk before Sheila even realized that she was in the room.

"Miz Carstairs, I can help your sister and her husband, but I need your help to do it. Will you help me contact her?" Sharla demanded while the woman stared at her in disbelief and mistrust.

Privacy is inviolate! Yet her privacy had been violated and her concentration had been interrupted by this good looking young man. Sheila was angry. Instinctively she launched a powerful paralysis spell. The psionic saw the energies and was able to easily neutralize them even as they formed.

"Listen!" Sharla shouted at the older woman as another, more lethal spell was quickly launched. "Stop!" Sharla reconstructed the paralysis spell over the woman. "Now listen to me!" The redhead added a tranquility component before releasing it.

Wise in the ways of the world of magix, and possibly a mite over-confident, Sheila was not expecting anything of this nature from a rusty-haired Adonis and was shocked to find herself suddenly frozen in her chair. After a few seconds she relaxed as the anger seemed suddenly to dissipate from her system. Mr. Sharla casually released the paralysis and said. "Now Miz Carstairs, I desperately need to contact your sister Prudence. Jenny is seeing walls of flame around both her parents and is scared spitless they are in grave danger. You will help me now, won't you?"

"Yes, of course." Sheila relaxed further and strove to contact her sister. Never before had she ever felt such intense Power!

Sitting across from her, Mr. Sharla followed the link. The girl remained passive while Sheila learned the latest. Jenny was right! A large series of fires has been started! God, people are dying in the flames to feed some sort of magic that's driving the fires inward.

Without thinking, Mr. Sharla suddenly translocated, taking Sheila to the Basement work circle with her, activating powerful wards on entering the Circle of Power she now maintained there. In the blink of an eye, Prue and Tony were standing inside the warded circle with Sheila and Sharla. It took a few seconds before the forces fanning the fires to realize that Prue and Tony were gone. With great satisfaction Sharla watched from the over world as the baddies sent out a search net and came back empty. Quickly the witch modified the wards on the underground part of the Winters' house to prevent any psychic searches from finding the basement.

Establishing a five-point link, she linked Jenny with her parents and her aunt. On an impulse Sharla located and then translocated all the Blais' luggage. Then, realizing she had been translocating humans all over the place the past few minutes, simply shrugged and translocated the blonde bombshell from her dorm to the basement.

Startled, the blonde stood there in the middle of the basement near her parents, her hair embarrassingly done up in huge curlers, coconut cream covering her cheeks and wrapped in a huge fluffy white towel. "Mommy!-Daddy!" She made a grab for the towel that had loosened and was threatening to fall to the floor in her excited hopping about from foot to foot on the cold floor.

Tony Blais recovered from his stunned shock first and seeing the redhead directing a three foot tall French Maid doll who seemed to be levitating their luggage about began laughing insanely. Though a power to be reckoned with in the ways of magic in his own right, the last few minutes was a bit difficult to take in all at once.

The man's laughter brought Prue out of her stun. "Jen!" The squeal of the two women filled the room as they came together in a mother daughter embrace. "Jenny, what is going on here? Why aren't you dressed? Why aren't you in class?"

The incongruity brought another round of laughter as Shelly returned with a tray of coffee, tea and fresh baked honey buns. "Oh-Mommy-there's-this-dreadful-blizzard…"

"Slow down, Jen. You're running your mouth again," laughed Tony coming over to embrace and kiss his daughter.

"… raging-outside. We di'n'-hab-no classes today…and I gotta bad ole col'… oh, hi Daddy… Daddy?" Jenny's face was suddenly clouded with confusion as the events of the moment suddenly caught up with her. "Mommy? Daddy? You're in France, aren't you? Oh, hi, Sharla! What're you doing now?"

"Well, running around bare foot with wet hair it's understandable," admonished Prue. "And wearing only that towel! Girl, there's men in here!"

With a flick of her finger, Mr. Sharla shod the girl in a pair of five-inch tall, spike heeled pumps of snow white patent leather. She would have been the first to admit she had real trouble controlling some of the impulses her male hormones caused. The sight of the blonde just wearing heels and towel was delicious. Another flick of the finger and the towel was replaced with a short white terry shower wrap which actually showed more than the towel

"You can't be serious, Sharla? Pumps?" Every woman in the basement was suddenly looking at the girl wearing the Young Adonis body, who suddenly had a sheepish grin splitting her male features. In a heartbeat Jenny was shod in three inch mules with fluffy toe pom-poms.

"Will somebody please tell me what is going on here?" Tony quizzed as Shelly offered him her tray of goodies.

"Ha! The way that boy is looking at Jen, I'd say it's 'What's coming off,' my dear!"

It took nearly thirty minutes to make introductions, to explain and for Jenny to go upstairs and dress in clothes she kept stored there.

Finally the psionic witch explained, "I've access to a vacant, but fully equipped hotel that is fully warded. I'll provide you with shelter if you'll help activate and manage the Hotel."

After some conversation Tony and Prue agreed, and Sharla led them across the boardwalk to the door in the foundation of the basement. Stepping into the Cloakroom, Sharla noticed several mystic and electronic tracers had been imbedded in the two adults. Without mentioning it, she activated the entire cloakroom, created an operation, "Buggy Box," to deactivate and remove any form of tracers. Several transmitters were also translocated and cast out of their luggage. With a grimace of frustration that it was necessary, Sharla set up Buggy Box with a capability to transfer all the hexes, bugs, and transmitters into the corona of the sun before the second door was opened.

Sharla introduced Tony, Prue, and Sheila to Bosley and then left them to get settled. Bosley had her Cell Phone number and the numbers of the house and office. Before she left, she explained that Sheila would be able to come through whenever she was finished but Tony and Prue would have to stay in hiding until whatever magical forces searching for them quit. Sharla then went back to the Winters Estate to face the ongoing blizzard.

  

  

  

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