Wyrd Girls: Chapter 15 - What A Day to Be Alive

Author's note: This chapter contains some mature and sensitive themes that may be disturbing to some readers. It is never my intention to trivialize or sensationalize these topics. Reader discretion is advised.

"Oh, smell that air!" Miranda drew in a deep breath of the cold, crisp winter. "What a day to be alive!"

"It's like there's something magical about this place," Mariah agreed.

"Well, this is a haunted house... and home to a powerful coven of witches... in a town that isn't really quite in the mortal world and stands between that world and another," Miranda laughed. "There are about twenty magical somethings in the garden alone!"

"Let's make a snowpal," Miranda said suddenly.

"A what?" Mariah blinked.

"A snowpal... you know, make a person out of snow," Miranda insisted. "It will be fun."

"I know what one is," Mariah laughed. "I've just never made one before."

"Well, then I finally get to be your first for something," Miranda grinned.

"OK, let's do this," Mariah grinned back.

Once again Mariah found herself enjoying the pure, childlike joy of the moment. She wondered if it was actually something magical about this place, making her feel like this... or was it Miranda who made her feel happy.

"Hmmm," Miranda said, studying the rough, blobby mass of snow like an artist considering a masterpiece. "Needs something more."

"Perfect!" she declared, after running around collecting odds and ends and adding them to the pile of snow.

Mariah laughed, "Madonna, it kind of looks like Raven."

"Raven?" Miranda asked.

"Oh, ex-girlfriend," Mariah shook her head. "The summer before I met you... I was going through a punk phase. Londyn was not thrilled."

"You know, I can't decide if I want to hear that story or not," Miranda admitted.

"Yeah," Mariah sighed. "Sorry I brought her up."

"It's OK," Miranda said. "I know you had girlfriends before me. I just... I know things haven't been easy for you. I don't want to bring up painful memories."

"It wasn't all bad. There were fun parts," Mariah admitted, adding with a wicked grin, "Raven taught me this thing with ice-cubes..."

"OK, we are definitely talking about that later," Miranda laughed,.

"Hey, can we go for a walk?" Miranda continued, sobering. "There's... something I want to show you."

"Does it involve ice-cubes?" Mariah teased, unwilling to let go of the mood.

"Later," Miranda grinned, but Mariah couldn't miss the sadness behind her eyes.

"So, how many girlfriends?" Miranda asked as they walked.

"You really want to know?" Mariah replied.

"Well, you know mine," Miranda said.

"OK," Mariah said. It was pretty clear that Miranda wanted a distraction for whatever was bothering her. While this probably wasn't the best way to make her feel better, Mariah thought, she had a point.

"Well, I've told you about Emi," she said evenly, distancing herself from the memories. "Then was Peaches;.I met her after I ran away; she's the one who taught me how to boost cars, among other less savory things... my juvenile delinquent phase. Alessandra, a little after I moved in with Londyn and Danielle, sweet girl... merda, I screwed that up big. Christa, tourist... I ended up stealing her jewelry. Didn't even sell it, just tossed it off the pier. Tomi, but I don't think she really counts..."

"Wait, Tomi Tomi?" Miranda asked. "As in your friends Tomi and Angelo? Tomi who kind of hates you?"

"Yeah, big mistake," Mariah sighed. "but we only went out for a couple weeks... she was doing her experimental lesbian phase, like she was checking it off her to-do list. Funny, it's probably the only other relationship I've had I didn't sabotage.

"Anyway, then Raven," Mariah continued, "and now you. So, that's what... five, six if you count Tomi but I don't know..."

"So, this is it," Miranda said, stopping on the path.

"Um, what's tha...?" Mariah started.

"This is where I died," Miranda continued.

"I... you... what?" Mariah gasped.

"Two years ago, tonight," Miranda said. "Count Vlad Straud and his vampires attacked us..."

"You... you told us this story," Mariah said. "You and your moms and Jake and Beth, standing against this master vampire and his followers... fighting to protect Glimmerbrook. You beat them. You guys beat them."

"It wasn't..." Miranda took a breath. "Mom, Jake and Beth held off the vampires. Gwen... Vlad had this wizard, Faust, with him and Gwen took him on. Vlad... he ran past all of us... here... his goal. I... I went after him. Alone."

"Merda," Mariah said in a hushed tone.

"I thought... Goddess, I don't know what I thought," Miranda said, tears shining in her eyes. "I had to stop him. I was the only one. I couldn't resist him."

"They're always so strong," Mariah whispered, half to herself.

"It was like I could think, couldn't move. It was like... like I wanted it." she sobbed. "In that moment, I think I wanted him to push into me and take... take everything... and he did. He took all of me. He killed me... and I wanted it."

"No, you didn't," Mariah said softly. "Mia amata, you didn't... just like I didn't. He was stronger than you and he forced you... but he didn't win. You're here... you're alive. It's a good day to be alive, remember. You beat him. "

"I... I came back," Miranda whispered. "I don't know how... but I... I..."

"You what?" Mariah prompted.

"I chose," Miranda said, her voice growing stronger. "I chose... to get up, to keep fighting. I stopped him. I beat him. I did."

"Yes, you did." Mariah embraced her. "Yes, you did."

"Thank you," Miranda said finally. "I... You told me your nightmare. This is mine."

"I'm here for you," Mariah said. "You don't have to fight this alone."

"Neither do you," Miranda said.

"I know," Mariah sighed.

"OK, one question," she continued. "What is That?"

"The reason Glimmerbrook is here," Miranda said. "The thing the coven of Glimmerbrook Watch exists to protect and that Vlad Straud wanted to conquer. The Gateway. A portal to the Magic Realm."

"OK," Mariah breathed. "So, this is a magic portal... to another world... and you and your moms defend it?"