OMG Karma's a... What?

***This story has references about date rape.***

The sudden crack of the dry branch resonated through the deep woods. I froze. The moon hid between the clouds, peaking out to light the path, briefly. Shadows splintered, scurrying in different directions, as if avoiding a spotlight. I ducked behind the closest rock when the spine-straight, dark-clad, form spun in my direction.

Pale features flashed in the moonlight. Hints of heavily inked arms and wild tuffs of pinkish hair peaked from beneath her dark cloak. She scanned the area around her; glittering eyes lingered in my direction. The forest went eerily silent, as if waiting for battle.

I held my breath. My heart thundered in my chest. This was not one of my better ideas. I was a musician not a girl scout.

Minutes dragged on. The need to breathe became intense and painful. When she finally looked to the left, I filled my lungs with the cool sea air. A breeze moved through the giant branches. Fragrant pine mingled with the dank earth surrounding me with protection.

She turned, unnaturally straight and unbending to resume her purpose. Slipping through the trees, the dark form floated across a small stream, dancing across the rocks almost like a child, before stopping briefly to admire the stars in the night sky.

When she suddenly shifted to the right, I blinked, and she had vanished into the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The waves beat against the rocks in a familiar pattern, but this particular outcropping was obscure, almost like it had been shielded.

My parents, my parents' parents, even beyond that generation had lived and died in this small village. Our history was savage and exotic. Most knew yet never spoke of the immense magic that existed here. I had witnessed both the good and the bad and had been taught of the pain that had been inflicted upon the old ones. Many lives had been lost due to ignorance and fear. It seemed that history was always doomed to repeat itself.

I had also learned that you never, ever ask a witch to spell cast when you're pissed off. Which reminded me of the reason I was here; legs shaking, following this fierce woman. In the dark. Alone. I had to be out of my mind.

Her silhouette lingered in the luminous night as I studied her and wondered how I should choose my approach. I knew who she was, my entire family respected the immense knowledge and power she was capable of.

I swallowed hard and tried to ignore all of the epic warnings simultaneously bitch slapping me at once. If she caught me here, sweat beaded on my brow, it wouldn't be good. One thing was certain, when I got home, if I made it home, I was going to jail for murdering my sister.

My perfect sister, Gina. Annoying. Gorgeous. Always in the limelight. Straight A's. Winning smile. Head cheerleader and dating Mr. Hotness himself, the police chief's son, Cody; until yesterday. Mr. Hotness screwed up bigtime.

In a blinding rage, Gina decided someone was going to pay. That someone turned out to be my best friend, Becks, who was naive enough to believe that Cody was single during last night's party. Becks had mistakenly let him kiss her before she figured out that she had been played. Then she gave him a piece of her mind. I tried not to grin.

Meanwhile, Gina spent an unhappy evening learning that Cody was nothing more than a lying, cheating, piece of dung and that Becks wasn't the only girl he had been messing with. Two girls from school came forward and swore he'd spiked their drinks at different events.

The day after, neither girl had any memories of anything other than drinking and laughing at a party with him. A few days later, a disgusting video was sent to their phones. The girls provided the evidence but refused to go to the police because Cody's father was the cheif. They didn't know what to do. Only then, did Gina tell me about her visit to the witch and the terrible mistake she had made in planning her revenge on Becks.

Moving closer, I swatted at the black fly buzzing around my head while keeping one eye on the black hooded figure stepping into what looked like a stone circle. Her hood fell backwards, revealing short, magenta spikes and what looked like runes written in black sharpie on her face. She placed dark candles at each point, pausing to light them with nothing more than her mind. Energy swirled around her as the wind picked up. It was almost time.

Fragrant oils mingled with the sea, the forest, and the damp earth, creating its own magic. It was a heady combination. There would be no canceling the punishment portion of the evening. I sighed. Someone was in big trouble. The only question now... was who.

It was obvious from the marks on her face that the witch had set the intention the moment my sister had left her house. She had already made preparations and given offerings. Retribution and justice were serious business in my village. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and centered my thoughts. Hopefully, she'd be reasonable. I swallowed hard.

Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the note, the hair tucked in the Ziplock baggie, and the picture needed to change the spell. Taking another breath, I stood to face the woman in black.

She didn't seem surprised to see me; her ice blue eyes dissected me, daring me to look away. I lifted my head higher as a shudder ran through my spine, meeting her intense gaze.

Careful not to step onto her circle, I lowered my head in respect and waited until she acknowledged me. She stood silent with an inquisitive stare. Long, magenta-tipped fingers gripped my chin firmly, lifting it higher. Blue eyes bore into mine. The hairs on my neck stood up and quivered. A metallic tang filled my mouth. The connection held, until a ghost of a smile touched the corners of her mouth. She released my chin and gave me a slight head tilt, while lifting a brow.

I held up my phone and hit play. After the first ten seconds, the witch's spine went ridged. Thirty seconds later, her eyes narrowed and her lips compressed into a thin white line as she watched. A tear ran down her cheek when it was finished. She looked first to the waves and then toward the stars. Minutes passed. She closed her eyes, murmuring something beyond my comprehension.

When she whipped out her hand, her arm snapped with restrained emotion. My hand shook as I placed each item in her palm. She glanced at the new receiver's picture, and her expression changed. Our gazes locked again, and she nodded briefly. Her eyes vibrated with a peculiar satisfaction, almost as if she had been waiting a long time for this particular justice to reveal itself.

I watched while she burned Beck's picture and used some kind of incense to cleanse the area, as if it was now tainted. My heart finally started to beat again when she made a shooing motion with her hands in my direction. She did not have to tell me twice.

Upon waking the next day, I hurriedly checked myself over for any strange aftermath conditions. Fingers... toes... check, all working. I stood up and examined myself in the mirror. No warts, lesions or other obvious abnormalities. Glancing over at my snoring sister, I resisted the urge to place the pillow over her face and got dressed instead. I hoped she'd wake to at least one decent sized wart or boil, right on the tip of her nose. Racing down the stairs, I jumped in my jeep and headed to school with my fingers crossed.

Beck's grinning face was waiting at our usual table in the cafeteria when I walked in. From what I could see, there was nothing witchy or warty about her today. Her shoulder length auburn hair was still pin straight and perfect. I breathed in a deep sigh of relief while stirring my coffee. No sign of Mr. Hotness yet.

The last scheduled game of the season was being held today, and we had made it to the playoffs. There was no doubt our team wouldn't win without Cody. College recruiters would be wandering around the stands to check out the players. Star quarterback or not, he didn't deserve to be fawned over and adored when he'd destroyed so many lives.

A few minutes later my sister and her gleaming golden locks bounced in with her posse. They stopped, posed and strutted toward the gym, finishing with a perfect hair toss. Nope. Nothing abnormal there, I swallowed my disappointment.

After three classes and lunch with no sign of Cody, my imagination worked overtime with all the possibilities. The end of the day came and went and still, no Mr. Hotness. At the game Becks and I sat together, silent, each lost in our own thoughts. Our eyes darted to each entrance, examined every familiar face, but still, not even a glimpse of Cody.

We lost the playoffs and were at the tailgating party when the man in question finally swaggered in. He had a gorgeous woman on his arm, but he looked sickly, pale, and different. This woman was no high school student. Tall, shapely, with long waves of dark curls and unusually bright green eyes.

When they walked in, for a moment, it seemed as if everyone was caught in a thrall. All eyes were locked on this woman, like they couldn't look away. Even Becks seemed mesmerized. I elbowed her hard in the ribs. She gasped, but the connection had been broken. She glared at me while rubbing her side.

By the time the band began its second set, the weirdness vibe seemed to suddenly vanish. Cody and his lady friend drifted to the sidelines and stayed steeped in the shadows. For some reason my vision was crystal clear. I could see through it all. The strange woman didn't affect me the same way she did the others.

Cody wore a sad sack, puppy-faced expression. He was totally smitten. Every few seconds she would pull him in for some serios lip-locking PDA. He looked helpless, which was ridiculous, considering he was six foot three and about two-hundred and ten pounds of pure muscle. She man-handled him like he was a stuffed toy. Each time she kissed him, Cody looked like a little more of his soul was being sucked out of his body.

I nearly spit out my drink when I realized... OMG... Karma was a freakin succubus! The woman caught my eye as if she was reading my thoughts. She winked. It was definitely time to go.