The police showed up with an ambulance. Aj made me tea and I was sitting at the kitchen table staring into the cup. Some of the tea leaves were swirling around in the bottom. It was chamomile. Aj was really into natural healing and thought all illness could be cured with tea or whiskey.
She finished speaking with the police and came over to sit next to me at the table. While the police thanked us both and bid us a good evening.
"What happened?" she asked as she touched my shoulder. I drew back instinctively. Never in all the years we have been together had I felt the need to do that, but my reality couldn't be trusted right now. She leaned back into her chair with a sigh.
I wanted to tell her. I even opened my mouth to speak but the words were not there. How do I tell her? How do I explain to the one person I care about in this entire world that I had either imagined her death or that it was reality and was going to happen?
"If you're not going to speak to me, I'm going to bed. You are welcomed to come with me." She stood up from the table and I grabbed her wrist.
I looked up at her and made eye contact. Her bright blue eyes looked down at me with despair.
"Please sit with me just for a second. I want to tell you. It's just going to take a moment."
Aj didn't know my family history. She didn't know I came from an extensive line of powerful witches. I did not use my powers anymore. Not since my parents died. Using my powers is how enemies have always found us. I just wanted a normal life.
Part of me didn't want to tell her. I feared she would reject me. I thought she would never believe me and have me committed. I was too afraid of losing her.
Suppressing my powers was easy. I did not have to use telekinesis, or speed. Those were two I had perfected before I was sixteen. Flying was not needed in the 21st century. But I had one power I could not. The power of sight. My premonitions usually come through dreams, sometimes night terrors. If what happened tonight was a premonition, then they had evolved. I'd never had one in my waking state.
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. "Aj, I'm a witch. And before you say anything I'm not just a Wiccan or pagan, I have powers. Real powers, like Charmed, or The Craft."
I peeked out from one eye. Her arms were crossed but she was smirking.
"I know." she said.
"What do you mean 'you know'?" I was astonished. How could she possibly know?
"You sometimes levitate in your sleep. Besides, you told me, on our wedding night" she leaned back and lifted her right leg over her left and sat there smug with herself.
"Our wedding night?" I scowled trying to remember the night.
I had been mostly coherent for the entire ceremony and even the reception. But my cousin pulled out tequila and started pouring shots. All I could remember was walking down the hallway with Aj, who could surprisingly hold her liquor very well for her tiny figure. After that it was a blank.
My thoughts were interrupted by her laughter. I shook my head coming back to reality and stared at her curiously.
"If you knew all this time, why haven't you said anything? It's been six years!?"
"You asked me not to." was all she said.
I asked her not to say anything about our conversation on our wedding night and she did not. She kept her word to me. She was the most honest and loyal person I had ever known. I could not love her more in that very moment. Soul mates was an understatement when it came to us. She was my best friend. A pang of sorrow hit my chest. And the vision of her lying on the floor in a pool of blood came back.
I threw myself into her lap and cried. My head was buried in between her thighs, and she started to run her fingers through my curly black mess of hair.
After I composed myself, I told her everything. I told her about the vision. I told her about the guy from my dream and the guy from the studio. My fears about my visions. All the while she stroked my hair.
"Well," she lifted me up by my shoulders. "We have to find him! He's supposed to pick up the painting tomorrow maybe we can call him and have him meet us earlier?"
I stopped her. "But what if he's the one who's after me?"
"Then we kill him." she said bluntly. "I'm kidding." she chortled "Hes the only lead we have. Let's start there."
"Alright." I yawned. "But first let's get some sleep."