Sabrina Cox (thelastgirl) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-03-07 12:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | #group scene, #october 2017, reagan, reagan x sabrina, reagan x sebastian, sabrina, sabrina x sebastian, sebastian |
Who: Sebastian, Sabrina and Reagan
When: Early afternoon, Sunday, October 8th
Where: Belladonna Botanical
Status: Complete
Sabrina was true to her word and resisted texting Sebastian early Sunday morning. She knew about Homecoming and the post-dance parties, and she was really hoping he wasn’t too hungover. The last thing Sabrina needed right now was for Sebastian McCarthy to ditch her because he couldn’t hold his liquor. Not that she would have been surprised. Sebastian sort of seemed like the lightweight type, even if she didn’t know him well enough to make that assumption.
Eventually, though, she got ahold of him and they agreed on a time for him to come by and pick her up. She was dressed and ready to go by then and decided to wait outside, since it seemed to be a pretty nice day. Sabrina sat on the curb and lit a cigarette, scrolling through her phone as she waited for Sebastian. She had plans to see Mak later that night, and she really hoped she’d have something good to tell her. The salt had worked in terms of her dreams. The nightmares were still terrifying but she hadn’t woken up with any bruises or anything. Sabrina wasn’t sure if it was the salt or the little mint thing Rost had given her, but maybe it was both.
She heard a car coming down the street and Sabrina looked up, squinting against the sunshine. She recognized Sebastian’s car from school and got to her feet, dropping her cigarette to crush under her shoe. He was on time, at least.
Sebastian would’ve been perfectly happy to lay in bed all day and nurse his hangover. He’d had way too much to drink and not enough to eat and getting home was actually a bit of a blur, but he’d somehow made it to his bed before dawn. When his phone started beeping at him, he contemplated throwing it out the window, but then remembered why Sabrina Cox was messaging him and rolled out of bed. A shower, some painkillers, and a bottle of water later, he was climbing into the car to pick her up, stopping for coffee and donuts along the way.
It was a gorgeous day, so he put the top down, the wind his hair helping to clear his mind. He didn’t have a plan exactly, but he knew Reagan Kelly could help. She was the most obvious choice as far as local witches went, with his other option being to show up on someone’s doorstep based only on a name and a possibility that they still practiced. Reagan he knew did, and only because his brother had gone to her for help with something a few years back. What he’d not figured out was how Sabrina would take all this or how to answer her questions. It was almost guaranteed that she would have some.
He turned down the music as he rolled up in front of Sabrina’s house, reaching across the car to open the door for her from the inside. “Morning,” he said, giving her a little smile. “Want a donut?”
Sabrina slowed when Sebastian leaned over to open her door and she reached for the door to pull it wider before climbing into the car. The car itself was way too nice and made her feel like she totally didn't belong sitting inside of it. Sabrina figured if she ever had the money to get her own car, she'd end up with some clunker with rust and a faulty engine. Closing the door behind her, she set her bag down between her ankles and reached for the seat belt. She felt a little strange all of the sudden. Not because they were going to see a 'witch', but because she was in Sebastian McCarthy's rich boy car when she barely knew the guy. "That depends on what kind of donuts you've got," Sabrina said. "They're not jelly filled are they?"
“Picky,” Sebastian laughed softly, handing her the box. “Glazed and chocolate icing. Your pick.” He knew it was late in the day for coffee and donuts, but it still felt like morning to him, despite the mid-day sun. He’d have gotten her coffee, but he had no idea what she liked and knew that what he was drinking was barely coffee, more like sugar and milk with a hint of caffeine. Once she was buckled in, he pulled away, heading towards the shop his brother had mentioned. “How’s everything going?” he asked, glancing over at her from behind his sunglasses. It didn’t look like she had any fresh injuries, so that was a good thing, right?
It was definitely not donut as breakfast time, but Sabrina didn't care. She would eat one anyway, because it had been a long time since she'd any donuts and they looked delicious. Taking a large bite out of one, Sabrina looked over at Sebastian and raised a brow. "Everything's just fantastic," she said, bringing her hand up to catch any falling crumbs. "The salt worked, I think. Someone else gave me the same kind of advice. Still had some bad dreams, but didn't wake up hurt or anything like that, so I guess it's something, right?"
Sebastian rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. “I’d say that’s an improvement,” he agreed. He’d never had anything attack him in his dreams, but figured that would be a good reason to give up sleeping. If horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street taught him anything, that generally didn’t work long term. People had to sleep. “I guess it’s hard to tell if it’s the salt or getting rid of the board. Hopefully we’ll find something to help with the dreams too.” He wished he could tell her more, but he didn’t know. There was so damn much he didn’t know it was frustrating.
She definitely needed to sleep. Even when she tried to stay awake, she fell asleep. She could only imagine what a pain in the ass she would be if she didn't get any rest. Sabrina took another bite of the donut while glancing over at Sebastian. "Oh, no, it was probably the salt," she said, her mouth full again. "Or this little trinket thing another friend gave me. The board is back. I have it again." She hadn't told Sebastian that part, mostly because she hadn't wanted to talk to him about it at school, and it felt kind of weird texting him. Kind of like how it felt being in his car, eating donuts on their way to visit a legit witch.
“Back, like, you went back for it?” Sebastian said, glancing over at her with a frown. He couldn’t imagine why she would possibly do that. Maybe the shop owner returned it to her, which seemed even worse. That meant he knew she’d broken in. Maybe there had been a camera. Fuck, that would be bad. Sebastian picked up his coffee, taking a sip as he turned out of her neighborhood towards the center of town. “What’s the other thing? The trinket?” he asked curiously. He’d been wondering if it would be worth it to text his cousins and see what they could tell him. They hadn’t really talked in years, and definitely not about this kind of thing, but he knew they knew things. Unfortunately, they were so far away they couldn’t really teach him.
"No," Sabrina said, giving Sebastian an incredulous look, like he should have somehow known exactly what happened after they parted ways Thursday night. She swallowed the piece of donut and wiped her mouth. "I didn't go back for it. It was on my bed when I got home that night, after we said goodbye. I know it sounds fucking crazy, but it's true. There was a note on it that said no returns. It's been locked in my bathroom ever since, under the sink." Her dad hadn't even noticed it, but he really had no reason to check under the sink for anything. It was mostly washcloths and Sabrina's tampons and stuff. "The trinket is like... a tea ball strainer? But it has fresh mint grown in Romanian dirt, and some other stuff. Makes my room smell pretty amazing. And my nightmares weren't as bad. So maybe that with the salt helped."
“Hey, I didn’t know that was a possibility,” Sebastian said, giving her a look in return. It sent a chill through him just to think about it though. Something like that, that could just reappear back in her room, had to be evil. It made him glad he hadn’t touched it. “Have you tried to destroy it or anything?” Not that he thought that would get rid of the thing that was stalking her, but it might prevent anything else from coming through. He didn’t think locking it in her bathroom cabinet was doing anything necessarily helpful, except maybe preventing her from touching it. “Interesting,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I wonder why Romanian dirt.” Was their dirt more magical? He supposed that prevented witches from buying their ingredients at the grocery store.
She hadn't thought it was a possibility either, but it had happened, so now Sabrina was just going to imagine everything was possible. Every bad thing, anyway. "I haven't," she admitted with a soft shrug. "But only because I don't think it'll work. What if I set it on fire and it doesn't burn? I don't know." Sabrina supposed she could try it, but she didn't really want to touch the thing again. Maybe she could talk someone else into doing it for her. She licked her fingers of the donut crumbs and then settled back in the car, watching the scenery fly by. "Romanian dirt is special," she said. "He said I would need to freshen it up in a few weeks and made sure to stress that I can't buy store mint. Seriously, one little haunting and I'm learning all kinds of weird stuff about this town. I never really believed any of it before, you know." She had thoughts sometimes, when she thought about Jordan's drowning, but some part of Sabrina's brain had completely shut down the possibility that it had been anything more than an accident.
If it didn’t burn, then Sebastian thought there was no harm in it. Then they’d know it couldn’t be destroyed by fire. But then what if they needed it again? He couldn’t imagine they would, but he’d rather know all the facts first. Unfortunately, this wasn’t something he could just look up. “Most people don’t,” he said with a little nod. “Most people don’t believe unless they have proof, but even then you still sound crazy.” He wasn’t sure how Greg would have reacted if he’d gone on to say why Sabrina was so desperate to get rid of the Ouija board. That something was haunting her, or stalking her, was probably a bit much. But then, he’d been rather accepting of the need to get rid of the board, so maybe his crazy aunt had installed a healthy fear in him. Living in Point Pleasant, that was probably a good thing.
"Because it is crazy," Sabrina said. Some of her hair was whipping against her face, so she pushed it back, wondering where they were going. "Even if it's true, it's crazy." It was happening to her, and her friends, but it was still hard to wrap her mind around it. She sort of kept waiting for this to be some weird, really long dream. Sabrina just wanted to go back to hanging out with her friends, being lazy and smoking pot or something. This was really pissing her off. "So where are we headed?" she asked Sebastian. "Is this person expecting us or are we just dropping in on them?"
“Belladonna Botanical,” Sebastian said. He’d never been there himself, but he’d seen it, thinking of it mostly for it’s expensive bath products. “We’re hoping to catch the owner, Reagan Kelly. We’re just dropping in.” He picked up a donut, munching on it for a second as he debated telling her more. He supposed there was no reason not to, since she was going to find a lot of it out first hand. “I don’t really know how often she does this? Or… how it works really. She helped my brother out a few years back though, so I know she’s good for it.”
Sabrina's brows drew together curiously as that bit of information sunk in. Belladonna Botanical. Sabrina didn't shop there frequently, though she had bought things there before for Christmas gifts and stuff. She didn't know Reagan Kelly but she knew of the Kelly's. Overlook Estates wasn't a super big neighborhood, but it seemed to be where all the wealthy residents lived, and Sabrina knew the Kelly's lived there, like Jules Cooper and Sebastian's family. Did that mean Reagan Kelly was a witch? What the fuck. "Okay, but she won't, like, turn us into frogs for not having an appointment, right? Why did your brother need help?"
Sebastian laughed a little and shook his head. “I don’t think we have to worry about being turned into frogs,” he told her with a smile. “Maybe forget what you think you know about witches. I wouldn’t take you if I didn’t think it was safe.” While he was sure Reagan could probably do some major damage if she wanted to, he didn’t think them going to her was a threat. “He was having some trouble with a poltergeist his freshman year in college. I don’t know all the details, but… it broke his arm.” At that point, his brother was ready to fight back. Ignoring the thing just wasn’t working. Sebastian didn’t want to see Sabrina get to the point of broken bones.
"I don't know much of anything about witches, other than what I've seen on tv and in movies," Sabrina said before adding, "so... I guess I should forget all of that. But Reagan Kelly... she'd be like, on Charmed, or some CW show. She's not a warty witch." Sabrina wanted to grab her phone so bad and text Mak all about this, but she thought it might be best to wait until she and Sebastian were finished. Sabrina didn't want to leave Mak hanging, and it was rude to text while visiting a witch, she was sure of it. "That sucks about your brother," Sabrina told Sebastian, frowning at the thought of some creepy ghost breaking bones. Then again, she had some creepy demon giving her black eyes. "Is he okay now? The thing never came back?"
“No, I don’t think she is,” Sebastian agreed. He didn’t imagine a woman that ran a cosmetic and bath shop would be warty at all. “Witches look just like everyone else. You wouldn’t know by looking at them.” Thank god for that. They’d have been wiped out years ago if that was the case. Sebastian pulled into the parking lot and hit the button to put the top up on the car, pushing his sunglasses up on his head. “Yeah, he’s fine now. His arm healed up and they managed to kill the thing. But he’s more cautious than he used to be.” He wasn’t sure exactly what his brother had done to attract the poltergeist’s attention, but he always figured he’d been getting into trouble at the time.
"Clearly," Sabrina said with a soft laugh. It would have been a hell of a lot easier pinpointing the witches in town if they all had a 'tell', or looked like, say Snow White's wicked stepmother... after she became the gross, creepy witch with the apple. She reached for her bag as soon as they parked and Sabrina jerked a bit in surprise when the top began to move. These silly, expensive cars. Jesus. Sabrina glanced at Sebastian, not really wanting to tell him that it made her feel better that his brother had been through some scary shit too. It wasn't a good thing, but it made her feel less alone, at least. "My grandma told me once not to watch haunted shows on tv... you know, the kind where they tell stories of haunted places and interview the families and show re-enactments? She said it invites darkness into the house. I never believed her, but fuck, now I don't know. Who knows what triggers that shit anymore." Sabrina sighed. "Anyway, I'm ready if you are."
“Sorry,” Sebastian said with a little smile as she looked up at the roof. It was quick and easy and he didn’t think a lot about it, other than protecting things inside the car, but he realized she probably didn’t see it coming. “I’m not sure a ghost can attach itself to you through the tv, but there’s a lot I don’t know, so maybe?” It never hurt to be cautious, but it hadn’t stopped him from watching scary movies either. Most of those felt so far off they felt fake. Sebastian took a deep breath and nodded. “Let’s go,” he said, then opened his car door to lead the way to the shop.
"Better than being sucked into the tv," Sabrina muttered. She pushed open the car door and stepped out, looking at the open door into the shop. She could see someone behind the counter, and a handful of customers wandering the shop. It was a nice day, so the whole street of shops was pretty busy. Sabrina really hoped Reagan Kelly wasn't a super bitch. And that she didn't want a ton of money for help. Sabrina followed Sebastian inside, feeling oddly out of place now that she wasn't actually shopping. How were they supposed to ask for help without drawing attention to themselves? Thankfully Sabrina spotted Reagan Kelly, who had just emerged from a door that Sabrina assumed led into the back stock room or whatever. She nudged Sebastian and nodded toward Reagan.
Reagan loved sunny days during the autumn months, especially after a week of bad weather. The shop was always busier, full of people trying to relieve their cabin fever, or enjoy every last drop of sunshine that they could before winter settled in. She was on the floor for most of the day, helping sell, answer questions or restock. It wasn't unusual for people to come into the shop looking for her for reasons having nothing to do with her inventory. At least not her official inventory. And Reagan had become pretty adept at figuring out who was there for shaving cream, and who was there for something a little more complicated. Teenagers in her shop was not unusual, but Reagan glanced over and spotted one of the McCarthy boys, and she could tell almost immediately that he wasn't there to shop for soaps. She murmured to Emma that she would probably be taking a quick break before moving from behind the counter to approach Sebastian and his friend. "What can I do for you today?" she asked, clasping her hands together as she glanced between the two teenagers.
Sebastian immediately felt out of place in the shop, not entirely sure how to approach Reagan without drawing unwanted attention to himself and Sabrina. He hadn’t thought about other customers being in the shop, though now that he was there that made perfect sense. It was a business, after all. When a dark haired woman approached him, he took a breath, glanced at Sabrina, and answered. “We’re looking for Reagan Kelly? I was hoping she could help us with something.” He didn’t want to be specific, not with other customers around. He didn’t think she’d appreciate him bringing up hex bags, demons, or Ouija boards in front of people there shopping for luxury bubble bath.
Reagan's brow arched as she glanced at the girl standing beside Sebastian. "Are you looking for something in the store? Or do you need help with something else." No, she was never specific when there were other people in the store. She also didn't want to lead Sebastian and his friend to her back room if he was only looking for something to help a skin issue that he couldn't remedy with an over the counter drug elsewhere. Reagan had been doing this long enough to know she was never to assume anything.
Sabrina, on the other hand, was a bit confused, because she assumed Sebastian knew who Reagan was, and it took her a few moments to realize maybe he was just trying to be like, sneaky or subtle. She sort of felt like lifting her arms up and yelling witch! witch! but Sabrina was there for help and she didn't want to piss off a witch within the first thirty seconds of meeting her. "Something else," Sabrina said instead, answering for Sebastian. "Something private, right Sebastian?"
Though he thought this was Reagan, Sebastian wasn’t going to assume and tell some rando that they needed some hex bags. “Something else,” Sebastian agreed, nodding with Sabrina. “She-- You? Helped my brother with something a few years ago and we have a similar situation.” Though, in his opinion, this was worse. Because he was pretty damn sure they were dealing with a demon. Poltergeists weren’t known for killing people. Making them miserable? Sure. Not not killing. Demons… well, pretty much anything was game.
Reagan chuckled softly and then motioned for the two to follow her as she turned and started toward the back of the store. She remembered Sebastian's brother. "How is your brother?" she asked as they walked, leaving the conversation to small chit chat until they were something more private. "He hasn't been by in awhile, so I figured everything is well." She could have asked about his parents, but Reagan knew the McCarthy's didn't practice, for whatever insane reason.
From Sabrina's point of view, Reagan seemed totally normal, and calm, and it was making her own heart pick up a little. Reagan Kelly was also super pretty up close and it was hard for her to imagine the woman standing over a cauldron. Then again, cauldrons were pop culture things, and maybe Sebastian was right that she needed to forget everything she thought she knew about witches. Sabrina glanced at Sebastian, unable to completely wipe away her slightly nervous look.
Sebastian relaxed when Reagan gestured for them to follow her, recognizing that as acceptance to help them, or at least hear them out. He shot Sabrina a reassuring little smile and followed Reagan into the back room, unable to stop himself from looking around curiously. He wanted to ask what he was looking at, what all she could do besides hex bags, but he also wanted to be respectful of her practice. Plus, he wasn’t sure how Sabrina would react if he started playing twenty questions. “He’s good. Still away at school,” he said. “They managed to get rid of the thing, but my parents found out and were pissed.”
Sabrina chewed on her lower lip anxiously, hoping that she and Sebastian would return to the front of the shop soon relatively unscathed. Reagan Kelly seemed totally normal, but there was something about her that set Sabrina on edge. Like if she said or did the wrong thing, she would regret it. So she let Reagan lead them, and Sebastian do the talking... for now.
Reagan smirked softly as she led Sebastian and his friend into the back and then to the locked door she had brought Jasper to not too long ago. She touched the knob with her hand, unlocking it with the magic humming beneath her skin. Then she stepped back to allow Sebastian and Sabrina through. "Yes, well, if your parents stopped denying what they were, perhaps your brother wouldn't have had to come to me. They would have been able to take care of the problem on their own. Come inside. Don't touch anything."
Sebastian’s eyes moved over all the jars and boxes, the little pouches lining the shelves. It was incredibly organized, but that was what he expected. She was running a business here, even the one in her back room. His eyes shot to Sabrina when Reagan spoke, nerves prickling. “My mother doesn’t… They don’t teach us. We don’t have a choice,” Sebastian said, a chill running up his back at the admission. If he knew anything, he would’ve made Sabrina a hex bag himself, but his mother was so anti-witch that he’d come to believe she was only a carrier. Why else would she be so determined to keep her kids from learning?
Sabrina was so caught up in looking around Reagan's back room, fascinated by the shelves and jars and plants, that it took a second or two for their conversation to fully sink into her consciousness. She gripped the strap of her bag over her shoulder and slowly turned her gaze to Sebastian, her dark brow raised with surprise and curiosity. Her expression seemed to scream Are you a witch? but she felt weird asking in front of Reagan Kelly. The woman had a job to do and she probably didn't have the patience for the two teenagers in her back room to start talking about this kind of stuff.
"You have a choice. Everyone has a choice. She's not the only person in this town who knows witchcraft," Reagan said simply. She walked over to her work table and paused, resting her hands on the smooth wood and leaning against it casually. "So what are you here for? Love spell? Hex bags? Protection? If it's a complicated problem, I'll need some time. Today's a busy day."
Sebastian caught Sabrina’s look and gave her a sheepish little smile in return. He appreciated her not asking outright, but had a feeling that the drive home would be much more interesting than the drive there. “Yeah, but would you teach me?” He asked with a little laugh. He knew there were other witches, but she was the only one he knew for absolute sure. He couldn’t just start going door to door. “Protection. Probably hex bags. She and some friends accidentally summoned something using a Ouija board and it’s attacking them in their sleep,” he said, coming right out with it. He could hold back, but then they might miss the chance to really get the help they needed.
Reagan tapped her manicured nails on the table, eying Sebastian for a few moments. Then she looked at Sabrina, sizing the girl up. Some Ouija boards were bunk. Pieces of plastic sold by Milton Bradley for manufactured entertainment. But there were some legit boards out there, being sold and passed around. They were harder to get rid of, and they could absolutely open doors to the darker worlds around them. "You don't accidentally summon with a Ouija board," Reagan said finally. "The whole point of it is to talk to the dead... it's just, what you're usually talking to is merely pretending to be the dead, when it's so much more. It tricks you into believing one thing until you invite it into your world. And it's incredibly difficult to get rid of."
"We're figuring that part out," Sabrina muttered.
Reagan smiled faintly. "I can make you some hex bags, but they're only a temporary solution. Whatever is haunting you now is more powerful than simple protection spells. More than likely it'll take some kind of blood magic to get rid of it. Blessings from a man of God might help, but those are usually hit or miss." Reagan straightened a bit, arching a dark brow. "Seventy five dollars a bag. How many do you want?"
“My cousins used to call them demon boards, said that’s what you’ll most likely get,” Sebastian sighed. He didn’t know for sure that that’s what Sabrina was dealing with, but whatever it was sounded dark and dangerous. But so was blood magic. “Shit,” he cursed quietly at the cost. That was steep, considering how many they needed, and he wasn’t sure he should even ask what the cost might be for getting rid of the thing. Now he really wished he could make the damn things himself. “Um...How many do we need?” He asked Sabrina as he pulled out his wallet to check how much cash he had on hand. “I can cover…almost three.” That would clean out his wallet, which seriously sucked, but it was for a good cause.
Seventy five dollars for a bag? Sabrina grimaced, and might have told the woman to forget it, but... she didn't want Mak, Hunter or Jade left out in the cold. She knew Rost would create more Romanian mint stuff for her, but she already felt bad given how much he'd helped her already. "Three," Sabrina said but she reached over to touch Sebastian's arm before digging into her bag for her own wallet. "But I've got money. Well, I mean... enough for two, if you can cover the third. I'll pay you back." She had brought some of her car savings with her, and it sucked to have to use it on this stuff but what else could she do? Maybe she could pick up a couple extra shifts at work during the week to make up for the money spent. She pulled out the cash and stepped forward to hand it to Reagan.
"I can make three," Reagan said, taking the money from Sabrina. "It'll take about twenty minutes, if you want to just wait. Do you know the basics of the hex bags?" she asked, more to Sebastian than Sabrina, since Sebastian was the one with the magical bloodline. She wondered how much he knew, if anything. It was unfathomable to her that his parents would forbid their sons from learning witchcraft, given their family history. Such a waste of potential talent.
“No problem,” Sebastian told Sabrina, though he still felt bad about not knowing how expensive it would be. If he’d known, he’d have given Sabrina a head’s up. He thought about asking Reagan to make it four and make one for him, but that was a lot to spend on something he wasn’t sure he needed himself. “No,” he sighed, shaking his head. “The most I can do is make your water bubble.” Which was relatively sad and unimpressive in his opinion. It did nobody any good. He’d tried heating it once, but instead had just managed to make his coffee cup explode.
Sabrina didn't expect it to be cheap, and she was just desperate enough to not complain about the price. In a way it was kind of funny, how cheap the Ouija board turned out to be compared to how much she was spending on trying to protect herself from it. Sabrina stepped back and glanced at Sebastian, who could make water bubble, apparently. Bizarre. This whole weirdo town was bizarre.
Reagan sighed and brushed her hair back behind her ears before she got to work. She explained as she got the supplies together and began to assemble. "I suggest keeping a bag on your person at all times. In a purse, a book bag, whatever. Don't move them around a lot. If all three of these are for you," she looked up and arched a brow at Sebastian and Sabrina, "then I'll need something small of yours to place inside. Some hair, a fingernail, a piece of jewelry... if they're for someone else, don't tie them up until you've gotten something of theirs to place inside. This makes the hex bag more effective in terms of protection. This isn't some kind of impenetrable force field, but it will definitely work to put off whatever darkness might approach you. Once you close it up, don't open it again, all right?"
“What do you mean by ‘don't move them around a lot’?” Sebastian asked, watching as she worked. So far it seemed relatively simple, like a recipe or a chemistry project, like something anyone could do, and definitely not worth seventy-five dollars. “I mean, if it’s in a bag, isn’t it moving around?” It seemed like that would be the sort of location where it would be constantly moved around and jostled, but he wasn’t sure what disrupted the magic.
Reagan sighed and glanced up at Sebastian as she set several crystalized rocks on the table. "Yes. Let me rephrase. Place it somewhere and leave it there. Some people place them under their seats in their cars, or under their mattress. A few women I've helped have sewn them into the inside of their purses. It's fine if they are moving with the space, but don't move them from the space. Give me a minute or two of quiet, please." Because while a lot of what she did was essentially chemistry with her herbs and ingredients, there was still magic to be done and she preferred to focus on it without being distracted by questions.
Sabrina hadn't been very talkative as it was, so it was easy for her to stay mum while Reagan did her thing. She could have sworn she saw the rocks on the table glow for a brief moment but she blinked and then the glow was gone, so she wasn't sure what she saw was what she actually saw. She did glance over at Sebastian a few times, wondering if his family knew how to do this stuff, or why they wouldn't want to learn. Sabrina had never believed in witchcraft before but if she could do it? She totally would. Especially if she could sell shit to people.
Finally Reagan seemed to finish up, and Sabrina watched her slipping things into the small satchels with ease, like she had done this thousands of times before. "Are any of these for you?" Reagan asked, looking up from her work. Sabrina swallowed once and then shook her head. "My friends." She had Rost's talisman, or whatever it was. Mak and the others needed this more.
Reagan nodded and looked at Sebastian. "And you? You don't need one?"
Sebastian nodded, then went quiet, watching Reagan work. He could see the point at which it became more magic than chemistry, could almost feel it in the air, though the only visible clue was the slightest glow of the crystals. It made him want to reach out and touch it, to see if he could feel it inside, or if he could do the same, but instead he stood still and waited till Reagan was done. When Sabrina said that none of them were for her, he looked at her with surprise and a touch of concern. “Wait, you didn’t get one for you? We need a fourth then. I can cover it.” He glanced over at Reagan. “I’m not being haunted. I figure I can come back if I need one, right?”
"It's okay," Sabrina said quickly. "I have that... mint thing and... it's fine. If I need one I can come back too." She really didn't want to be even more indebted to Sebastian McCarthy, though she did appreciate his help. He didn't need to clean out his wallet because of Sabrina, that was for sure. "Really, it's fine," she promised.
"You can always come back if you need more," Reagan confirmed. She had no idea what was going on between the two teenagers, or what, but she didn't have a lot of time to stand there while they worked it out. "You know, these aren't that hard to put together if you know what you're doing," she added, speaking directly to Sebastian. "It might even save you money if you were willing to learn."
“Okay,” Sebastian said, trying not to worry. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the mint thing, but that he knew a hex bag would help. The cost was a pain, but worth everyone’s safety…even if he didn’t know who all was included. “I’m totally willing to learn,” he said, looking to Reagan in surprise. Yes, his parents would kill him, but what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. And him knowing this could actually help. “Could you teach me?” He could pay her, or even make them for her, whatever worked best. He almost offered, but wanted to see what she had in mind first.
Arching a dark brow, Reagan studied him for a good long moment. She had so much on her plate already. She and Caius were doing everything they could to track down a solution to their ‘problem’, and she had the shop to run. Still, teaching Sebastian about his abilities might be a good distraction when she wasn’t dealing with her mother and her marriage. It wasn’t something Reagan would have considered at any other point in her life, but it would give her a sense of control and she was in desperate need of that again. “For a price, I could teach you,” Reagan said finally. “Not necessarily monetary, but we can discuss payment later. But you have to be serious and committed to this. I don’t want you to waste my time.”
“Absolutely,” Sebastian answered, not even having to think about it. “I will not waste your time.” Unless he went to visit his cousins, an out of state trip that his parents would never agree to, this was the only chance to learn magic that he could see. His parents certainly weren’t going to teach him, and if his brother knew anything, then he wasn’t sharing. And besides, he was away at college. Maybe he should have been concerned about what she might want in a way of payment other than money, but he didn’t think it would be anything horrible. Certainly nothing worth turning down the offer for. “Just let me know when.”
Sabrina was starting to feel like this was a private conversation she shouldn't have been privy to. She barely knew Sebastian, and now she knew a lot and it was so weird. She did lift a brow curiously as how quickly Sebastian agreed. What if Reagan wanted like, Sebastian's first born child or some shit? She was suddenly picturing Ursula the Sea Witch, laughing as Sebastian signs over his voice or whatever. Not that Sabrina had any reason to think Reagan Kelly was evil or whatever, but damn.
Reagan had no idea how Caius would feel about her taking on a 'student', but she was willing to do it if it helped her focus. She hadn't considered payment yet, but it would come to her. She always got what she felt she was worth to people, whether they liked it or not. Honestly she didn't care what Sebastian's parents might think. That was Sebastian's problem, not hers. "Leave your phone number," Reagan told Sebastian before picking up the small hex bags to carry to Sabrina. "Remember what I told you. Small objects, tie them up and place them somewhere safe. These are only a temporary fix. If you do have something dark haunting you, you're going to need something stronger. Ignoring it will only make it worse." She looked at Sebastian when Sabrina took the hex bags to slip into her school bag. "And if you hang around her for very long, you'll get caught up in it too, so... don't do anything stupid, especially if you can't protect yourself."
Sebastian looked for a pen and scribbled down his number on a stray sheet of paper while Reagan handed Sabrina the hex bags. He knew he was practically writing her a blank check, but couldn’t imagine what she might really ask for that he couldn’t figure out some way to provide. Stepping back, he looked between them, and gave a little nod. He was pretty sure that breaking into a building constituted as ‘something stupid’, but he wasn’t being stalked yet, so he was probably okay. He didn’t make a habit of hanging out with Sabrina. “Got it. Thanks so much for your help.” Even if it was only a temporary fix. He had no idea what Sabrina wanted to do about actually solving the problem, but he figured that was her call, not his.
Sabrina tried not to make a face at Reagan as she closed her bag. It was kind of offensive for someone to tell Sebastian not to hang out with her - like that was stupid - but she didn't want to be snarky now, especially not at the witch who had given her - sold her - hex bags. But still. Bitch. Sabrina cleared her throat. "Yeah, thanks." She turned to Sebastian. "Can we go now?"
Reagan took the piece of paper with Sebastian's phone number and slipped it into her pocket. "I'll be in touch," she told Sebastian as she walked past him to open up the door into her perfectly ordinary stock room again. "Until then, be safe. If you need anything else, you know where I am." She couldn't guarantee anything, but she did what she could to help who she could, if they were willing to pay for it, at least.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Sebastian said, nodding, then giving Reagan a little smile as he passed her on his way out the door. “Thanks.” It was weird how normal everything was, how she sold soaps and shampoos in the front and hex bags in the back like this made perfect sense. Leading the way out, he clicked the button to unlock the car, then climbed into the front seat. Taking a deep breath, he started the car, leaving the top up this time. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he was sure they were going to talk after that.
Sabrina didn't really know what to say once she was back in Sebastian's car. She held her bag on her lap, feeling like her entire world had sort of tilted and went haywire in the past few weeks. It sort of felt like the days and weeks after Jordan had died, only without the grief. Just a sense of surrealness that she didn't quite know how to handle. "So you're a witch too," Sabrina said finally, glancing at Sebastian. "Is there like, some kind of Point Pleasant witch network where you all know each other?"
Sebastian looked over at Sabrina, raising a brow. “Did it seem like we knew each other?” He asked, fingers tapping on the steering wheel before he put the car in reverse and began to pull out of the parking lot. “It’s not something we advertise. People have been killed over it. And it’s not like it’s useful information when I can’t do shit.” Which was something she’d probably picked up on, based on his conversation with Reagan. He thought back to her question, this time giving her a better answer. “I’ve never met any of the others personally, but they’re not hard to find if you believe. You’ve heard of the Point Pleasant Six?”
"You knew she was a witch, and she knew you were one too," Sabrina pointed out. "So yeah, it seems like you knew each other. Maybe not personally, but still." She could understand not wanting people to know what they were, for obvious reason, least of all people thinking they were totally nuts. It was still so hard to wrap her head around. Though really, Sabrina was thinking she ought to just believe everything she ever heard from now on, no matter how outlandish. Snorting softly when he asked if she had ever heard of the Six, Sabrina nodded. "Yeah, I mean, anyone who's lived here for more than like, six months, has heard of them. I don't a lot about them, just what they told us in school and in the museum and shit. Why?"
“Do you know any of their names, other than Rebecca Lyttle?” Sebastian asked, wondering if she was going to put it all together. Sebastian wouldn’t have known the names himself if he hadn’t been reading up on them, but seeing Helena McCarthy’s name there amongst the rest had made it all very real. “You and I know the same stories. The difference is that one is my ancestor, and I know witches are real, so if you ask me to find another witch, I’m going to look to the descendants of the other five. I suspect she knows more because she practices. She definitely knew of my parents.” And that they’d kept their kids in the dark. It made him wonder what it would’ve been like, had they taught him. Would he know who the other witches were? Were there any others at school with him?
Sabrina gave it some thought, her brows furrowed together as she tried to remember what they taught in middle school about the Six. But she shook her head, because she didn't really know any of their names. The Lyttle name was famous because of that tree, and there were still family members alive in Point Pleasant. She looked a bit surprised when Sebastian explained his family were descendants of one of the Six, and the Kelly's. Maybe it wouldn't have been so surprising if she knew more about the town's history. She knew the Kelly's and McCarthy's were pretty wealthy. And the Cooper's and D'Onofrio's. Jesus, were they all witches? Did they use magic to make a fortune or what? "I just thought the Six were like the Salem people," she admitted sheepishly. "Innocent people persecuted due to like, religious hysteria. I really don't know what to think right now. My mind has become complete mush with all this."
“If it makes you feel better, I don’t know much more,” Sebastian said, giving her a little shrug. “My mom’s a bit fanatical about us not learning, to the point that we’re completely estranged from the rest of the family. We don’t talk about it, we don’t ask questions. I haven’t seen my cousins in years. I had to stay home from those field trips in elementary school. I recently went to the library to read up on my own family history,” he said, rolling his eyes. He hadn’t cared when he was little, other than missing out on field trips, which sucked. But turning thirteen had resulted in a very different coming-of-age discussion with his father and since then he’d been curious, even more so when he was able to confirm he carried the power himself. “It’s weird. I know it’s weird. Please don’t freak out? You’re, like, the only person that knows.”
Sabrina didn't much about her own family history, but she sure as shit knew she wasn't a witch. This whole town was just bonkers. She found herself looking forward more and more to graduation. Maybe she would just ride off into the sunset with Mak and invite herself along to Mak's college years. Sabrina exhaled slowly and looked at Sebastian with a dry look. "Does it look like I'm freaking out? Dude, I have a fucking demon haunting me. That's like... freak out level.. here." She lifted her hand high, almost touching the top of his car. "And then you being a witch? That's freak out level here." She brought her other hand not even halfway to her other hand from her lap. "I mean it's weird, yeah, totally, but it's obviously true and what can I do about it? Just don't go all nutso on people if you start to learn. You know there's always that witch in movies who wants all the power. Oh shit, don't turn into Fairuza Balk okay?"
“Who?” Sebastian asked with a little laugh. Putting things on a scale helped though. It was a big deal to him, but definitely not as big a deal as a demon haunting her. Especially since he couldn’t do anything. In reality, it was about as useful as learning he could juggle. “I just want to be able to help my friends. I hate that all I could tell you was to put salt around your bed. If I knew anything, I could’ve made the hex bags for you and you wouldn’t be out two hundred dollars. I don’t know a lot, but I’m pretty sure that was a steal on her part.” But if she was the only one selling them, then they weren’t in a position to argue or take their business elsewhere. “Who’re you giving the bags to?”
"Fairuza Balk! The Craft? You should watch it if you haven't," Sabrina said. "Let it be a PSA of what not to do when you learn witchcraft." She sighed and looked out the window. "You don't have to feel bad. It's not like we're friends. But the salt thing helped, plus you brought me to Reagan and now at least I have options. That's better than having no fucking clue about what to do. And don't worry about the money." Exhaling through her nose, Sabrina brought her attention back to Sebastian. She didn't really want to tell him who else was dealing with this, but he had gone out of his way to help her, and she didn't think he would go around school making fun of them. "You know Mak, right? Um, Jade Bradford and Hunter Barrett. They were with me when we used the board and they're having weird shit happen, too. But seriously, please don't tell anyone else."
“I’ll have to check it out,” Sebastian said with a little smile. It didn’t feel like such a big deal when she could joke about it. For some reason it made him worry less. “I’m not worried about the money, Sabrina,” he sighed. “I just wanted to help.” He knew they weren’t friends. It just felt right. Like breaking into the shop for her. He hadn’t even given it a second thought until he’d already done it. “I know all of them,” he said softly, the hair rising on the back of his neck. “Mak tutors me sometimes, Jade’s been here forever, and Hunter… we talked at the party last night.” ‘Talked’ wasn’t quite the right word, but she didn’t need to know that. He’d been with Hunter all that time and it hadn’t even crossed his mind, though now that she said it, he vaguely recalled her saying something about him when they’d been ‘returning’ the Ouija board. “I won’t tell anyone,” he said quietly. “Why would I?”
Sabrina shrugged. "Because you have a bunch of friends and I'm sure you talk. You're friends with people who would probably find great enjoyment in fucking with us about it, or giving us shit. No offense." She said it almost as an afterthought, though she wasn't worried about offending him. It was true. The majority of Sebastian's friends were assholes, and he had dated Jules Cooper who was the absolute worst. She knew if any of those kids got wind of what Sabrina and the others were dealing with, they would make their lives a nightmare if they could. "And you know, I get enough crap about my brother, so I don't want this to like, pile onto my weird reputation. I just want to keep it between us. Well, us you and me, and us, like, my friends. Okay?"
“We’re not all assholes,” Sebastian frowned. It was hard not to take offense with it, since he wouldn’t have done as she said. Still… he knew some of the others would. Hell, they’d fuck with him about it too and he wouldn’t blame them. It was too crazy not to. “I get it, okay? I’m not looking to fuck with you and I have a pretty good idea about what this would do to your reputation. I’m not exactly looking to be outed as a witch myself.” And while she might not realize it, that could have far more severe consequences than her being thought of as ‘weird’. “I helped you break into that place because I knew this was serious. I took you to see a witch because I believe you. I would never share this with anyone that wouldn’t do the same.”
"Now, see, I didn't say you were all assholes," Sabrina said with a wag of her finger. "I didn't say that. But some of the people you hang out with are. But if you say you won't tell anyone, then I believe you. I won't tell anyone about your being a witch either." Maybe Mak, because she trusted Mak more than anyone. But... that was more of a wait and see kind of thing. "I am grateful though, for your help. I mean, you didn't have to and I know that. So, thanks. And if you become some all powerful witch, I'll come to you for protection bags next time. Assuming I get a discount, because goddamn those were expensive," she added with a small grin.
Sebastian wanted to point out that the people he trusted, those closest to him, they weren’t assholes either, but he knew that was getting into semantics. She was right. Some of the people he hung out with could be real jerks. They weren’t exactly his favorite people either, but he put up with them because that’s how high school worked. “Thank you,” he sighed, glad to have her word that she’d keep his secret as well. “I’d only charge you the cost of the materials,” he said with a little smile. “I have a really hard time believing the total cost of that bag and it’s contents is more than ten dollars tops, but I won’t know till she teaches me. Then we can get you and your friends fully covered. No more salt circles.”
"Supply and demand," Sabrina said. She couldn't really blame Reagan Kelly for charging for her services. "But I mean, maybe it's more than just ingredients. I mean, those rocks fucking glowed. It's like, you pay for the cost of parts and labor, and the labor always costs more than the parts. Anyway, I hope it goes well and she actually teaches you something useful. It'd be cool to know a witch who could actually do some cool stuff." Plus, Sabrina was super curious as to what else they could do. Reagan had mentioned love spells and stuff, after all. Not that Sabrina needed one of those, but there was obviously more to magic than hex bags.
“It’d be cool to be a witch who could actually do some cool stuff,” Sebastian said with a little laugh as he pulled up in front of her house. He was hoping Reagan would let him pick her brain a little, but he also didn’t want to waste her time. Whatever she was willing to teach him was more than he knew now and he considered that an improvement. “She said the hex bags won’t actually solve the problem,” he said, looking over at her. “Any idea what you’re gonna do?”
Sighing as they pulled up to her apartment complex, Sabrina stared at the building before looking over at Sebastian. "I have some ideas. I just have to figure some things out first. Thanks for everything," she told him as she reached for the door handle to get out of the car. "I'll see you at school and stuff." Which was going to be super weird, but that was okay. Sabrina had been dealing with super weird for quite a while now. Knowing Sebastian McCarthy was a witch was just another drop in an overflowing bucket.
“Welcome,” Sebastian said. “Be safe.” He didn’t find her answer very reassuring, but he wasn’t sure what else he could do about it. There was no real reason for her to keep him up to date on the situation, other than the face that he was worried about her and Mak and Jade and especially Hunter. But she didn’t know what was going on with him and Hunter. Hell, he didn’t even know what was going on with him and Hunter. Maybe it was nothing. He hoped not though. He hoped he’d hear from him soon, even if he was being haunted.