AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first story ever posted.

**********

Chapter 1

Wylie POV May 202

I am excite to see a sign that says Mystery Spells- 8 miles. I have been driving this U-Haul since 6:00am and it is now approaching noon.  I turn up the radio and start jamming in celebration.  I see my exit and I get off the interstate. I am driving through town and I see the sign for the university up ahead, but I keep driving. I see a sign for a fast food place and decide before heading to the house to stop and grab some lunch.  I jump out of the U-Haul and start to walk inside when some young men wearing MSU t-shirts come out. They jostle up against me knocking me down.

"Get out of my way old man," said a loud obnoxious man. The other boys with him start to laugh.

"Loan quit being such an ass. Here let me help you up." Then a young woman with dark hair and a young man with brown hair help me up. I felt a little tingle in my arm when they assisted me up.

"You're not hurt are you said the young woman? My name is Sarah, and this is my cousin, Nash."

"I am fine. My name is Wylie O'Leary. I just stopped by here for lunch before driving on to my niece and nephew's house to get them moved in. They will be attending MSU this fall."

"My cousin and I both attend there.  Though Sarah will be leaving this summer to attend a school overseas. If you or they need anything tell them to look me up. Plus, our aunt Mary is then university head librarian and she can get ahold of me anytime. Speaking of Aunt Mary, we better head over to her place. We promised we would help her this afternoon.  Bye," said Nash.

"Bye and thank you." Then I walked in and got some lunch.  After I ate my lunch I climbed back into the U-Haul and headed toward the house. I drove a little over a mile outside of town and then turned onto Vixen Way. I drove about a mile down the road and saw the driveway to the new house.  I got out of the U-Haul and went inside the house and looked around.

I walked through the front door and saw the great room with a nice fireplace. It was wonderful. I then walked across the room into the dining room and glance at the kitchen. I noticed the doggie door right beside the French doors that lead outside.

I then turned around and went down a hallway. I could see a bathroom and 2 bedrooms, and the other door took me upstairs where I saw a loft that looked over the great room. Then there were 2 doors. One went into a bathroom with a large jacuzzi. Then the other door went into another bedroom. This room had a large walk closet in plus a door that also went into the same bathroom with the jacuzzi.

I was very excited about getting everything set up. I went downstairs and headed back to the U-Haul. As I was walking there, I could hear several voices and I turned toward the sound and all the sudden I thought to myself, "there a coven of witches. I wonder if white or dark. I better be on my guard."

I saw an older woman about my age and a group of a dozen younger ones who looked late teens to early 20s.  "Hello," called out the older woman. "My name is Mary Osborne and my nieces and nephews came over to help you move in. I live at the first house on the corner."

I look over and see the two young people who helped me earlier with that damn idiot knocked me down.  I wonder why I not noticed they were witches earlier and why did I not smell witches when I drove myself to that house.  Then I saw it- some of them were wearing bracelets that can conceal their power.  "Hello, my name is Wylie O'Leary. My niece and nephew will be living here. I am just bringing their belongings up. They are a few hours behind me. They will be attending the university this fall."

"That is wonderful. I am the head librarian there and a few of my nieces and nephews attend there.  We came over to help you move in."

"I am not sure what to say. That is very nice of you." I walk to the back of the U-Haul and unhook the trailer that I hauled the Jeep on. Then I move the truck into position so it's right by the sidewalk that lead to the front door . I get out of the truck and go to the back to open it up.  When the door opens up I am hit in the face with a bunch of mylar balloons.

I heard many comments and saw many surprises looks when the balloon came up. I untied them from the furniture and said, "this is Rae's color code system.  She marked each price of furniture and box with a color dot. You see the balloons represent different rooms."

Mary replies, "how clever. You go tie the balloons to each area and I will get these youngsters to start pulling the boxes and furniture out."

"Let me find the list that says where each balloon goes." I look around and see it laying on the ground by the truck. It must of fallen out when I opened the door. I pick up the list and read what it says. Then I go inside the house and tie each balloon  where it belongs.

red balloon- red dot- office
Gold balloon- yellow dots- great room
Silver balloon- white dots-kitchen/dining room
Green balloon- green dots- Conrad's room
Purple Balloon- purple dot- upstairs front room/loft
Blue balloon- blue dot- bathrooms
Black Balloon- black dot- garage
Pink Balloon- pink dot- Rae's room
Orange Balloon- orange dot- laundry

By the time I come downstairs I only have the black balloon in my hand and I pass several of the young witches  carrying in boxes and pieces of furniture. I go outside to tie the balloon to the detach garage and start to walk to the back of the truck.  Mary called me over and says, "let the kids take care of unloading. At our age we earn a reprise from heavy lifting."

I smile at her and decide they must all be good witches but I will have to be on my guard. I cannot let them discover what I am, or they might destroy me. I know my Enock (grandma) told me witches nearly killed her 300 years ago. She said that she lost family then and one of her own children later when they attacked the Kitsuni in the past. She said she and a few others from our den village had gone into the mountains that day to the falls to celebrate the end of the fall harvest.  They could see  a fire start in the distance. My great great Enock sent all who had 6 tails or less deeper into the mountain to hide in the cave. The rest ran back to the den.  They got there to late. They found those who did not want to go to the mountains dead or severely injured.  They found a few dead witches and 1 injured witch. They never told us what they did to the injured witch. They found their dens and winter food storage had been burned.  They buried the dead and then took the injured up to the caves.

I then came back to the present. I spent the afternoon talking with Mary when Sarah walked up to us, "Mr. O'Leary do you by chance have wrenches and screwdrivers. We were going to assemble the furniture."

"Please call me Wylie. I know my niece keeps a toolbox in the back of her Jeep, but you don't have to do that."

"We don't mind. This way when they get here, they will have a place to sleep and rest."

I then went and unlocked the Jeep and started pulling some boxes out so I could get to the toolbox. A few of the cousins including Nash came over. Nash said, "let me get those for you." Nash's hand brushed mine and I felt a tingle all the way up my arm. I stepped back startled and so did he.  He then grabbed a box and headed into the house with it.  I then went back to Mary and was very puzzled because I never had a tingle and never heard any family talk about a tingle like that. I wondered what it could mean.

We continued talking for a couple more hours. They took the Jeep off the trailer and pulled it into the garage. Then they hooked up the trailer and parked the truck on the edge of the road. Soon they were all outside and I glance over at Nash. He was talking with the cousins. Sarah came up and said, "We unpacked several boxes. Then put the items away. We washed and dried the dishes. The only items we did not touch were boxes marked clothes. We just moved them into the closets in each room. The boxes are all broken down and tied together. They are sitting on the front porch for when recycle day comes around or if you want we can throw them in the back of the U-Haul and you can drop them at the recycle plant."

My mouth dropped open and I said, "I was not expecting you all to do that.  I can gather the boxes and take the stuff to the recycle drop when I go return the truck.  You all have done more than I expected. Can you direct me to the place?"

They gave me directions. Then came over with disassembled boxes and threw in the back of the uhaul truck to. Then  shake my hand and a few hugs as they headed back down the road to their aunt's house. I once again thanked Mary and she started to turn to follow the youngsters back to her house. I called out, "Wait do you have any younger nieces and nephews who might like balloons?"

"Oh, I have a few that would like them. Nash, go inside and get the balloons," she called out. He then turned around and walked inside the house.

I walked inside the house and looked around in amazement at all that was done.  I wondered into the various rooms. Nash then looked at me and said, "I did not say anything to the family, but I know this is not who you are. Reveal yourself to me now."

My mouth dropped opened and I took a few steps back.  I looked at him and said. "Young man what are you talking about?"

"When our hands touched, we tingled. You don't need to back away from me. There is no reason to scared. I know you know I am a witch. You see I see and talk with the dead. I asked one of them who appeared near me with my normal connection, William and he told me, "LOOK DEEP WITH IN- NOT IS ALL THAT IT SEEMS- HE IS A SHE- A TRICKSTER- SHE IS NOT LIKE MOST OF THEIR KIND- THEY WILL BE A LOVER- THEY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, BUT THEY WILL BE SCARED OF WHAT YOU ARE- REASSURE THEM AND WITH TIME ALL WILL BE WELL." "

When he said that I turned to run, and he stopped me and says, "esan nach eil e fhèin - nochdaidh e thu fhèin A-NIS ." [TRANSLATION: he who not himself- reveal yourself NOW.] Next thing I knew I was standing in Wylie's clothes and was in my natural form of a Kitsuni.   The pants dropped to my feet and the shirt looked like a long dress on me.   My mouth gapped opened. He could see I was a short human cross creature. I had 2 fox type ears and one fox tail.

*****************************
AUTHOR'S NOTE- [DISCLAIMER I HAVE BEEN TOLD I SHOULD PLACE A REMINDER BECAUSE SOMEONE WILL TRY CASTING THE "SPELLS" WRITTEN AND GET UPSET WHEN THEY DON'T: The story written here is made up. I did research about magic and talk to someone who does study pagan witchcraft (Shari Townsend.) NONE of the spells written in this book are real. They are just imagination and my friend made sure none of these made up spells were anywhere near a real spell.