My mother, Beatrix, and my grandmother, Agnes, stood outside my bedroom door in the hallway conversing - about me.

"Her headaches are getting worse. We need to do something to help her," Beatrix told Agnes; I call them by their first names.

"What can we do? We don't know what is causing them." Mother sighed. My eyes were closed, but I know she glanced in my direction.

"I may have an idea," Agnes said, leading my mother into the kitchen where we kept our family brewing pot.

Their voices trailed off, and I was only able to catch pieces of what they were discussing.

Throwing the covers aside, I slipped out of bed. I had to hear what they were saying; I would sleep later. Quietly I tiptoed down the hallway. They stopped talking when my foot landed on a weak floorboard, and it creaked.

"Kijo!" Agnes called my cat.

"Kijo. Kijo." I whispered to the sleeping cat; he turned his head to stare at me.

I wanted to laugh at his 'you are annoying me' look, but I knew it would draw attention to myself.

"Kijo, come!" Agnes called in an authoritative voice. "And bring your eavesdropping master!"

Picking up the reluctant cat, I petted him behind his ears as I strolled casually into the room. Agnes and Beatrix sat at the kitchen table with the family spell book between them.

"Summoning a midnight snack?" I teased.

"Have a seat. Maybe you can be useful since you are not sleeping," Beatrix ordered, pointing at the chair across from her.

"Have you discovered the cause of my headaches?" I asked, listening to Kijo's purr as I stroked his fur.

"Your grandmother has an idea. She thinks you hear voices... from the beyond." Beatrix cackled.

Lowering my eyes under Agnes' stare, I said, "Mmm."

"It started six months ago after you fell off your broomstick during your riding lessons. Didn't they?" Agnes asked, turning a page in the family book.

"It took three of us to drag you back from the underworld," Beatrix added. "We weren't sure you were going to survive such a long fall."

Grandmother, as usual, was correct. Spirits from the other side kept talking to me, asking for my help in matters they left undone.

My thirteenth birthday, the day when my magical powers were to develop and increase, was in a couple of days. The voices kept getting louder as the day approached.

"We've come up with a potion to move the voices from your head onto a temporary item until you learn to control them," Agnes shared.

"How about my quote wall? Would that work?" I suggested.

"Great idea! Let's try it," Beatrix exclaimed.

Standing, we scampered back to my bedroom. I led Agnes and Beatrix to the large corkboard covering the space above my cluttered writing desk. It was where I posted inspirational messages:

Be your kind of... Witch

If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs your broom down!

Agnes and Beatrix went to work, transforming my quote wall into a spirit communication center. During the process, they encouraged me to go to sleep so that I wouldn't feel the voices as they were being extracted from my head. Their entrance was slightly disruptive, but their departure could cause severe pain. Agnes pointed out that I had several visitors occupying my space; the pain would be overwhelming. After feeling the first voice slip away, and pain shoot from my head to my stomach, I gladly obliged their request.

I woke in the afternoon, around one, to a completed magical quote board. It displayed fragments of the spirit's thoughts, allowing me to see how they needed help. If I touched the quote on the board, it signaled the energy I was willing to converse with them to see how I could assist with moving on.

I encouraged Agnes and Beatrix to sell their spiritual invention to the Grand Wizard. He would reward them beyond their wildest dreams for a device that would benefit their community physically as well as spiritually.

"Give the board a try," Beatrix said. "See if you can speak with anyone on the other side."

The board was lit up with magical phrases and sparkling symbols in between:

I'm a goddess with the blade

༶•┈┈┈♛ ♛┈┈┈•༶ ༶•┈┈┈♛ ♛┈┈┈•༶

I feel for you almost instinctively, like breathing

♥*♡∞:｡.｡　　｡.｡:∞♡*♥ ♥*♡∞:｡.｡　　｡.｡:∞♡*♥

You'll find me there is in your worst nightmare

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Some people never changed

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦

Don't Take That Back!

"Press on one of the quotes, and let's see what happens," Agnes urged.

Carefully studying the board, I chose the second quote. I touched it lightly, and instantly I heard them in my head.

"Who is it? What are they saying?" Beatrix drilled.

"It's Mr. Wilmont, son! Drew Wilmont!"

"The Grand Wizard?" Agnes looked stricken.

"Yes, Drew was in an accident two nights ago. He was on his way to propose to his favorite witch, Tabitha," I shared.

"Oh no," Beatrix covered her mouth in surprise.

"He wants me to tell her, 'I fell for you almost instinctively, like breathing.' He didn't show up for their date, and she doubts his love for her. She thinks he ran off with another witch. I'm going to go explain what happened so she can stop fretting." I quickly gathered my cape and hat. Saying my farewells, I collected my broom and flew into the night.

After giving Tabitha Drew's explanation, I flew to the Grand Wizard's mansion to deliver the unwanted news of his son's accident.

The Grand Wizard, thankful to learn of his son's fate and where to find him, asked how I knew of his demise before his security team found out. I explained the magical quote board to him, and he said he was interested in speaking with my family members. The following week, he called Agnes and Beatrix to his office. A contract was drawn up for mass production of the magical board, and the Grand Wizard made sure they were handsomely rewarded.

Once I returned home from the Grand Wizard's house, I put my broom away into the overcrowded closet and hurried to my room. I wanted to see if a new quote was added to the board. There wasn't a new message, but the second row was missing and Drew, was now silent.

"I'm a goddess with a blade was found in a shallow grave wearing an outfit with a blade attached to her hip. Rose had me visit her mother to clear up any confusion her mother had about her disappearance. I explained to her that Rose snuck out to attend a Halloween party with her friend. While she went to the ladies' room, Rose's friend met someone and left without telling her. A classmate offered to take the 'goddess with a blade' home.  Instead of following her directions, he took her to a dead-end street and killed her.

"You'll find me there in your worst nightmare. Anna asked that I visit her murderous boyfriend and deliver her message to him. I had the MLEP, Magical Law Enforcement Patrol, send a security wizard to assist me. They are used to receiving requests from psychic-mediums and had no problem sending a wizard to handle the boyfriend who wanted to be with another woman. Instead of breaking up with her, he decided to kill his girlfriend. Anna revealed where he buried her, I informed the officer, and he sent wizards to retrieve her. The boyfriend kept yelling, with an ashen face, 'how did you know' as he was taken away.

"Don't take that back was from a dog; he was kicked off a cliff. Brutus and his master were exploring a nature trail when a masked stranger attacked. Brutus defended his master and bit the man on his leg. Screaming in pain, the masked man kicked him off the cliff. His master survived the ordeal but had been sad and lonely for a month when his girlfriend brought home that creature- a fluffy cat. His master was planning on sending it away because it wasn't his dog. Brutus wanted him to keep the cat so he could know love again.

"Some people never change" Alison wanted a message to be delivered to the elderly couple who fostered unwanted children. Alison, their foster daughter, wanted to tell them why she was slain and who did it. She was at home searching for her hairbrush, which her foster brother, Damien, was famous for borrowing, often without permission. As she was searching his room, Alison found a baggie filled with blue pills. She couldn't believe Damien was using again. He swore to their parents that he had stopped, but here was proof that proved otherwise.  She was heading to take his stash to their parents when he entered the room. Seeing the baggie in her hand, he flew into a rage and struck her on the back of her head with his lamp. Alison died instantly; she wanted her parents to know Damien was a triple threat: a liar, user, and a murderer.

The quotes came off one by one, as each mission was accomplished. As soon as I cleared the last message, I cheered.

"Yes! I did it. We are done!"

I barely got the last word out, and five new messages appeared on the magical quote board.