There was a burning sensation on her back. The sunlight gleamed a triangular form through the window making its mark on her. The intensity of the heat felt like it was scarring her. Pamela pulled the sheet over her head for protection. It was pounding. Yesterday, she cast the spell to rid herself of the dreaded addiction. With the pulsation at the side of her head, it appeared the incantation didn’t work. She needed to try a different one. The bedroom door was cracked open. She wanted to get up, but wasn’t sure if she was alone in her apartment. Laying still on her bed, she listened to hear if her boyfriend was there, but all she heard was the thumping in her head. Except for her imagination of the sun’s attempt to sizzle her exposed flesh that she failed to cover and her pounding head, there was no inclination that he was there. The room, otherwise, was completely silent.

She moved slowly and methodically as she captured some energy to walk to the bathroom. Pamela turned around looking at the bathroom door and noticed that the entire bathroom looked different. Waking up, she realized that it wasn’t just her bathroom, but her entire apartment looked different. The stuff her boyfriend gave her wasn’t there. She checked the dresser and night table, but nothing. To ease her mind she needed to get rid of it once and for all, but she couldn’t find it anywhere. The incantation worked. She took two capsules of her headache medicine. It was better than taking illegal drugs. Those days of needing and her body yearning for danger was over. Relieved she quickly got dressed realizing that she had to go to work, but not before hiding her precious book. It saved her life and gave her a new one.

It was a half an hour passed her time to be there. Lateness wasn’t a pattern of hers, so she knew that she wouldn’t be scolded too badly. No matter, she had so much new energy that she was prepared to impress her boss. Ideas were coming to her at full force. She had developed her new craft at work slowly since the prior incantation, but now she was ready to explore. At work, she noticed that something was different. As she walked to her office, everyone smiled and noticed her. It was the new her, she thought, or it could be that she was walking with certainty and conviction, compared to desperation and wanting. Pride took over for she had defeated the great addiction. The smile she was wearing soon turned into a flabbergasting expression. There was someone sitting in her seat working. She had almost made a full stop, but thought better of it. Her co-workers were still inspecting her. Were they laughing to themselves? Oh no, the incantation made her lose her job and yet again her identity, she thought. The lady looked up, unnerved to see her in her office. Pamela gave her a mean look.

“Yes, Pamela? Is there something wrong? Did you get the draft?”

The draft? Pamela realized that this lady reported to her. She was the boss for the department. It wasn’t a bad change for her, but could she do the job? What the incantation did was move her, unknowingly, but did it give her skills too? Was she prepared? Her hand was on her hips, with a mean expression.

“That’s what I was going to ask you for. It seems that I have misplace it.”

“I can send another one. You didn’t have to walk down here to ask. Is there something else?”

Pamela could see that she was scaring the poor girl. The accusation was clear. The girl fidgeted at her desk, attempting to recover the draft.

“No. Except that you need to change your tone. If I feel like walking into your office, I can.” Pamela turned and walked to the corner office, which she had initially passed. She was the boss and she had to act like one, she thought. As she attempted to make sense of her work on her desk, she noticed the draft laying on top of a folder. She skimmed through it. Impressive work, she thought. It was much better than the work she had done, but decided to mark it up anyway. This was easier than she thought. Apparently, the incantation did provide her with the skills she needed.

Thinking about the book and how her ancestors used it to prosper made her smile. She was going to be more than successful.

Her office phone rang.

“Hey, we need to meet. You’re falling short again.” A deep voice said.

“What are you talking about?” Pamela was confused. She didn’t recognize his voice, but she couldn’t let him know that.

“Oh, come on Pamela. Meet me at the same place at two o’clock.” The guy hung up, without her getting his name or knowing what place she had to meet him at. She skimmed through her contacts on her cell phone to see if she could match the phone number. Luckily she spotted it. His name was Michael. The notes under his name indicated that she borrowed a large amount of money and had to pay it back with interest. It didn’t sound too bad. If this is where she would end up in her life, she could handle it. After all she had a business, making considerably a lot of money according her records.

Pamela sighed with relief and drank her tea. The book worked out perfectly. No more worries.

…

Michael hanged up the phone with frustration. He was tired of dealing with Pamela’s empty promises and short payments. He knew she was making more money than she had expected and now he was being stiffed. Pamela had a way to her in making him feel special, but her romance was waning. He had bills to pay and the collectors weren’t a bunch of nice guys. Pamela needed to get that message, he thought.