First Frost by Liz DeJesus

anything interesting.”
    “Sounds good to me.” Ming got up and headed to the family room.
    Bianca ignored the voices coming from the television and focused all of her attention on the spell book. The book started out innocently enough with spells like Banish Evil Spell, Luck Oil, Happy Harmony Spell, Blessing Oil, and Destroy All Evil Bath. Bianca wondered if she had the wrong spell book because she had read a third of the book and had yet to find anything that led her to believe that the spell book was evil. It was a subtle change…very gradual, but some of the spells took on a slightly darker aspect. Spells on how to give someone nightmares, how to command a magic mirror, and the proper usage of mirror charms. Once the book began taking a more sinister turn, Bianca slammed the book shut and walked away from it. She joined Ming in the living room, took the remote control and changed the channel.
    “Hey! I was watching that,” Ming protested.
    “ Gossip Girl can suck it,” Bianca said and changed the channel.
    “You suck.” Ming pouted.
    “This whole situation sucks,” Bianca said as she clicked the buttons on the remote so fast it was difficult to tell what was playing on the television screen.
    “You okay?” Ming asked.
    “No.”
    “I can tell. You’ve usually settled on a show by now.”
    Bianca groaned in frustration, turned the television off and threw the remote control on the floor so hard it shattered. She ran her fingers through her jet black hair several times.
    “She was a good person, Ming. She was a good witch that practiced good, healing magic, and she just lost it. How can someone lose their way like that?” Bianca turned to Ming, hoping that her friend would give her the answer. She was met with a blank stare. Once more, she found herself wishing for her mother.
    Ming’s eyes softened. “That bad?”
    “It’s like watching someone spiral into the darkness and feeling helpless…like…I can’t do anything to stop it.”
    “Have you found the spell to open the portal?”
    “Not yet. I’m scared to read the rest of that book, Ming. I don’t want to know what was inside that woman’s mind.”
    For a while neither one said anything. They just sat on the couch and stared off into space. Bianca was afraid of voicing her worries for fear that they would somehow come true, that the universe would be cruel enough to turn her thoughts into a reality.
    I don’t have a choice. I either read that book or resign myself to a life without Mom.

    The following morning, Bianca and Ming discussed what they were going to do that day while having breakfast.
    “Isn’t the repairman supposed to come today?” Ming asked as she broke the yolk on her sunny-side-up eggs with a corner of her toast.
    “Yeah, at nine o’clock,” Bianca replied.
    “What are you going to do about the museum?”
    “I dunno. I was thinking about asking you to stay here while I go to the museum and open the doors and get everything ready for the day. Then we’ll switch, you stay in the museum, and I’ll come home and deal with the repairman.”
    “Why don’t I just go to the museum and you stay here?”
    “Because I have to disarm the alarm system, put money in the cash register, turn on all the lights, and make sure the credit card machine isn’t on the fritz again.”
    “I think I’ll stay here and wait for the repairman,” Ming said and then took a bite of her buttered toast.
    “Good.” Bianca gave her friend a tight lipped smile and ate her breakfast, which consisted of Cinnamon Chex with lots of ice cold milk.
    “Did you find anything in the book last night?”
    “I forced myself to stop. It was just too creepy. It gave me nightmares,” Bianca said.
    “Really?” Ming had a worried look on her face as she waited for Bianca to reply.
    “That book is seriously evil.”
    “But we need to use it. Do you think you can handle it?”
    “I hope so,” Bianca whispered.
    “You’re not leaving me alone with