Bad Date

Magic doesn’t exist,” Derrick snorted. His arms were crossed against his chest, braced against the chill in the night air. He leaned his shoulders back against the grimy brick wall of the nightclub. The music from inside pulsed like a heartbeat. People stumbled outside behind them, laughing and whooping.

Serena withdrew the cigarette from her mouth and tilted her face up to blow the smoke in Derrick’s face. He waved his hand in front of his nose, attempting to dispel the thick cloud. Serena giggled at his annoyance and tapped her cigarette, watching the ash float to the ground.

“Sure there is.”

“Oh, like what? Do you believe in that astrology crap?” Derrick wrinkled his nose in disgust. He brought his clear plastic cup to his lips, taking a big gulp of the dark liquid.

“Not necessarily,” Serena shrugged. She watched a group of three girls squeeze together for a selfie. They formed a huddle around the phone, intently checking the photos. The brunette in the center shook her head and adjusted her hair before they snapped a few more.

“We don’t have any kind of evidence that magic exists. It’s just something girls make up to have a superiority complex over.”

Serena took another drag before dropping the cigarette and stamping it under a black boot. “Sure, we do. I mean, I’m out here with you tonight, aren’t I?” Serena quipped, striding away from the club.

“Oh, ha ha. Wait up, would ya?” Derrick sped up to walk beside her in the flickering street light. The moon smiled crookedly down at them, letting the stars flicker and dance around her. Serena made a note to draw a bath for herself tomorrow night. There were quite a few people out on the brisk Friday night. Serena and Derrick walked side by side silently for a while, tracing a path back to her apartment.

“If you actually do magic, maybe you could show me a few tricks.” Derrick lifted his eyebrows at her before chugging the rest of what was now probably a warm whisky coke.

Serena snickered and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She opened up her Alexa app and made a few more adjustments before tucking the phone back in her jean pocket.

“You wouldn’t like the kind of magic I do,” she replied as they turned down her street. She could see him starting to stumble a bit as the cheap whisky flooded his senses. Her own skin felt flush against the cool March breeze.

“I’m more adventurous than I look,” Derrick slurred a bit and winked at her.

They stopped in front of her door, allowing Serena to hide her eye roll as she ducked her head into her purse. She pulled out her silver key and opened the door to a pitch-black house. She tossed her purse to the right, knowing it would land on the armchair. Serena stepped into the dark, and Derrick hesitated at the doorstep. Two green eyes stared back at them in the dark.

Serena looked back to see Derrick’s apprehensive face still at the threshold. “Sorry, let me get the light.” She snapped her fingers, and ten candles flickered to life around the house. The guided her into the kitchen, where she poured herself a cup of water in her favorite cat mug.

Seemingly more relaxed, Derrick stepped across the threshold. The bells on the front door chimed as he shut the door behind him into the warm living room. “Neat trick with the lights, what else ya got?” He smirked at her as he strode over to her bookcase.

She took a sip from her mug. “Hey, what time is it?”

He glanced down at his watch. “11:59.” He opened a clear case with a grid of clear bottles. He took one out and closely inspected the contents of the dried herbs, shaking it slightly.

“Ah, well, you should know I get visitors around midnight every night.”

He paused his snooping to raise an eyebrow at her. His expression pried hers, presumably to see if she was joking, but Serena held his eyes.

“What kind of -“ Derrick started, but was cut off when the electric candles around them flickered out, casting them into darkness. In the dark, glowing green eyes stared back at them from up high. The steady sound of deep breathing began, sinking into a growl. It seemingly came from all around them. As the growl crescendoed, Derrick let out a startled curse. It was followed by the sound of shattered glass and pounding footprints. The bells on the front door cackled in his wake as he fled the house, disappearing beyond the agape door.

“Alexa, stop,” Serena called out. The rumbling growls ceased immediately. She snapped her fingers, bringing the candles back to life. She strode over to the doorway and peeked out, but couldn’t see Derrick’s form anywhere down the street. She sipped at her mug serenely and felt something brush against her legs.

“You scared them off again, Salem,” Serena told the cat as she purred and weaved around her legs. Her inky black tail flickered back and forth. She reached down to scratch behind one of Salem’s velvety ears. “Come on, let’s go clean up that glass,” she said, closing the door against the moon’s impish grin.