Sam grabs our coats and my purse and keys. “I will tell you everything i saw at dinner. Come on, let us go out and get something to eat.”

We leave the studio and head outside. The darkness of the evening sky has made everything quite cold. Still feeling a bit dazed, i look up at the moon as i pull the jacket closer around me. Sam opens the car door for me even. And we are off. Inside the car, she turns off the music and sits in silence. I can tell she is deeply concerned for me because she never drives without music unless something has upset her or really pissed her off. I continue to stare out at the moon, listening to my stomach growl.

We arrive at Roxy’s. It is a local coffeehouse dive that caters to the underground goth crowd. With it being Sunday there is not a whole lot of activity going on there. It is the perfect place for us to chat about what just happened. The door rings as we enter. B-rated movie posters plaster the walls, there are Barbie dolls sitting unopened in their boxes, and plates hanging scattered. The walls have been painted black, and the tall booths with their church-like pew quality set off the funky atmosphere. A jukebox playing the best alternative and industrial hits sits glowing bright blue on the back wall, above it a thorn-wreathed Jesus dangles approvingly. A few strangers sit at the bar, eating their food, hardly looking up as we walk in. Which is good, as we want to be left alone.

Since business is slow the sign at the entrance reads, “Please seat yourself” so we wander over to a booth for maximum privacy. I slide into my seat and take my coat off, keeping in tucked behind me. A green light hanging on the wall illuminates the menus. Sam grabs two menus and hands one to me. We continue to sit in silence as we make our orders. I get a veggie burger with a side order of fries and Sam orders a salad. The waitress, complete with nose piercing, nods as she takes our orders. We get water and that is all.

Sam sits back in her seat, stirring her water with a straw. She stares at me. She opens her mouth like she is going to say something and then closes it. She cocks her head, leans forward and says, “Okay. I have only heard about things that happen like they just did at your place. I have never seen that firsthand.”

“Sam, if you do not tell me what the heck you are talking about, I’m going to smack you. What did i do?” I feel frustrated, she is not telling me what happened.

“Okay, let me know if i lose you anywhere. First, that was some powerful spell. Probably the best I have ever seen done by a neophyte. Secondly, when one brings up that much power and energy, it is not entirely from you. I mean, no one can really withstand that much energy, and i think that the ancestors you called upon were there helping you and guiding you. Filling you with their energy. I am surprised you were able to handle that as well as you did. However, I am afraid at the powerful result of the spell. I want to prepare you for what may come.”

I stare at her, my mind feverishly trying to grasp and understand all that she says. Our dinner orders come and i tackle mine with unholy abandon. I am starved. Seeing how hungry i am, Sam continues.

“Has Donovan talked to you about the Abyss Walk? Or have you had a chance to read up on any of that?”

“Um, no. I have never heard that sort of terminology before. What is it and what will it do to me? Is this going to be painful?” I blurt out in-between bites of my dinner. I gulp it down ready to hear what Sam says.

“Heh, okay. Drat, I was hoping that he could at least introduce you into some of that. But i guess it is not going to happen anytime soon. So yeah, an Abyss Walk is a spiritual awakening, a journey that you take either in your dreams or in a waking state that will unblock and clear up your energies. It is pretty customary when things feel at their worst and like nothing is going right to go on an Abyss Walk to figure out what is bothering you and how to clear it all up. I think that part of the answers you will receive from the spell working will come in the form of an Abyss Walk. No one really knows when or where one will hit but i am sure that when it does happen, you will need to be prepared. Ground and center and know that you can over come the block or the event. The only way for you to really learn and understand what all this stuff means is if you walk down into the darkness and what is unknown and pull it out and make it known. Does this make any sense?”

“It sort of does. So this will not really hurt me? It will help me learn what is going on with the dreams and the Book?” I question.

“Yes, and no. It will be a painful process and you may find yourself crying or getting very afraid. But once it is over you will experience a sense of floating, of being more connected to the world and whom you are when you are done. And yes, it will guide you into knowing the answers you seek.”

We chat a bit more about books i should read and other witchy type stuff. I realize that all this is happening way to fast and that i have a lot more to learn. Sam’s tarot deck intrigued me as did the stones and how to use them. I have never felt that much power and force behind me in my entire life. Although it was a bit draining and confusing after having used it all, in a strange way it excited me. It was like i was Eve in the Garden of Eden after having my first bite of the forbidden fruit. The knowledge was good and i wanted more. Sam gives me a few good titles of books to read up on and also tells me her favorite web sites to surf for good information.

“Just remember, you do not have to take all this as the Law and at face value. Let your intuition guide you in what stuff you want to use and incorporate into your own personal Book of Shadows and what stuff does not work for you. Learning majick and grasping all these concepts is hard work and you do need to practice what you want to do, to get better at it. That is why i call it a tool, it is a system of belief but it also provides us with the means to get things and make ourselves into the people we want to be.”

Sam pays for dinner. I thank her and try and pay her back but she will not let me. “When you get out of school and start writing and earning a living, then you can pay me back. Who knows, i may need some help down at the Wishpering Shadows and i may be able to get you hired on. How does that sound?”

“That would be cool. Would your manager be willing to work a schedule around my classes?”

Sam smiles at me. “I think that might be doable. Okay, it is about eight o’clock and i know you have some homework to finish up, so lets go.”

We head outside waving good-bye to the waitress. She starts her car, and warms it up. “Brrrr Chilly,” she says dramatically. I giggle and agree. “Yes it has been unseasonably cold here this year.” We talk about how little rain we have gotten and what effect that may have on our spring and the water conditions. Once the car is heated up, the music gets turned on and we head Sam has a mixed goth tape in the player. The slow strings and melodic guitar of the Cure stream from the speakers. My head bobs and dances to the song and in my mind i see an image of me dancing with ribbons to the melody. It has been awhile since Sam and i went dancing.

“Hey Sam, if you are not busy next Friday or Saturday, you wanna go out dancing and tease the goth boys?” I ask.

“I would love that. It has been a long time since we went out clubbing together. I have missed it.”

Sam stops the car and before leaving it i reach over and give her a big long hug. “Thanks again for everything, and showing me how to do a spell. If anything happens you will be the first to know.”

“I hope so. I hope you do not mind that i am not coming back up with you? I have some stuff of my own i need to do. Take care and if you do need anything, please call me.”

“I totally understand,” I say as i start closing the door, “It is probably best that you do not come up as you and i would stay up way to late and i really do need to get that paper finished before tomorrow. Midterms are coming up. You remember how that goes.”

I lock her car door and wave as i start walking towards my building. Sisters of Mercy begins to play as she drives off. I wander slowly back up to my studio, my body worn out from all the running around and majickal energy spent this weekend. Mosi is back at the door as i walk in.

I pet her, wander over to her food dish and refill it and her water bowl. “You have been such a patient kitty with me all weekend,” I say. “Okay, i promise no more going out tonight. i have a lot of homework and studying to do. And of course this means cuddle time for you.”

Mosi gives me a soft meow and darts over to her food bowl for her dinner. I retrieve my laptop from behind the chair and grab my notes for the paper i was writing. I place everything on the floor next to my bed. Then i straighten the bed out, propping the pillows up and getting ready to hunker down and study. With everything perfect i crawl into the bed. Place my notes on one side of me and drag the laptop onto my lap. I turn the computer on and it greets me with a chime. Rereading what i wrote earlier i begin to work on the last bit of my paper. The only sounds are of me turning the pages in my notebook and the clicking of my fingers as they dance across the keyboard. The computer grows warm across my lap and the softness of the pillows behind me become very comfortable. The sound and the repetition lure me into a trance-like state and i begin to lose all track of time.

I continue typing on my computer. The keys begin morphing into an alphabet and language i do not recognize. However, i am comfortable writing in this format. The words, still in english, appear on the screen.

“I call upon the guardians of the watchtowers of the east. Those of intellect, wisdom and knowledge. Guide me into the past, show me what i need to see. Be here now.

I call upon the guardians of the watchtowers of the south. Beings of fire, creativity and the blood of the world. Guide me with courage to that which i need to do to heal the past and open myself to sights unseen. Be here now.

I call upon the guardians of the watchtowers of the west. The keepers of the waters of the world, emotions and the unknown. Guide me with patience and love to that what i need to say to heal the past and open the conduit to me and the universe. Be here now.

I call upon the guardians of the watchtowers of the North. The bringers of life, the roots of stability. Guide me by keeping me grounded and keeping me levelheaded as i take this journey into the Book, of Rayne and Aurora. Guide me swiftly and safely so i can make the truth of our worlds be seen. Be here now.

I call upon my Guardian Spirit, of Loki and myself. The keeper of the eternal faith and connection between me and my divinity. Guide me as a whole into this world. Let me not judge or be judged but observe and heal. Be here now.”

The last keystroke types and my apartment, my world fades away. The walls are gone. Replaced with a lush forest of pines and ivy and aspen. The bed i sit on is gone. Replaced with the soft ground of underbrush and moss. The night sky with the moon illuminating my studio is gone. Replaced with the warm, clear sunny day. My purring companion Mosi is gone. Replaced with the sounds of laughter and the vision of children with wings running through the fields trailing bright and colorful ribbons behind them. My computer is gone. Replaced by a book and quill in my lap.