The Incorporeal Threat

No one seemed to remember that it was my 21st birthday. Neither my family nor my friends wished me the entire day. But when I arrived home after work, I was surprised to find everyone gathered to throw me a surprise birthday party. I was speechless.

Mom chuckled as she walked up to me. “You really thought we forgot, didn’t you?”

My sadness disappeared as everyone proceeded to hug and kiss and wish me. I was having some cake later on when I got a call from an unknown number. I excused myself and went outside to answer it.

“Happy birthday, Yasheera.”

“Do I know you?”

“You will.”

The call cut right after, and suddenly, there were screams inside the house.

I rushed back inside, but the second I entered, the screams stopped, and no one was there. The entire house was pitch black. I tried to turn on the lights, but the room remained dark.

“Mom?” I put my phone flashlight on and looked around. Everyone was gone.

“Don’t worry, they are safe…for now,” a faint voice echoed in the room.

“Who’s there?” I looked around, but found no one.

“I called you just a minute ago. I’m Celeste.”

The lights came on, but there was no one to be seen.

“Where are you?” I tried to look around, but an invisible force suddenly held me back.

“Rest assured, I am here, and I need your powers.”

I was confused. “Powers? What do you mean?”

“I see your mother has kept it a secret from you.”

The air around me began to swirl, growing colder and colder by the second.

“Wh-what’re you doing?” I began to shiver.

“Your mother has sealed your powers to keep it away from me.”

The air was suddenly frigid. I moved back and tried to escape, but Celeste brought me to my knees. I could hear her in my head; she was trying to break into my memories. I was desperate and didn’t know what to do. All I could think of was Mom—and then I heard her voice.

“Honey, focus on my voice!”

I did as Mom asked. She chanted something quickly in a language I had never heard before and, suddenly, I felt a surge of energy coursing through my entire body. I found myself releasing a wave of magic that helped me break free from Celeste’s grasp. And then a portal opened on the wall to my left, and Mom and everyone else rushed out of it.

Mom came to my side and held my hand. “Focus on your energy and on my voice!”

I did as she asked. Mom began to chant again, and I could feel our powers combine to form a whirlwind within the living room. Everyone else took cover under tables and behind chairs.

“No!” Celeste yelled, her voice echoing throughout the entire room.

The cold air around us began to dissipate along with Celeste’s voice. Soon, the room fell silent.

I felt my body grow weak. I opened my eyes, but found everything around me to be a haze. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in bed with Mom sitting next to me. She smiled and hugged me the moment I opened my eyes.

“Welcome back, hon.”

Mom said she altered the memories of everyone present at the party. She told me that Celeste was once a powerful witch who lost her physical form because she delved too deep into dark magic. She was planning on stealing my powers to restore her body.