Page 35 of All My Witches
Thistle cocked an eyebrow. “You’re on mylist.”
I heaved out a sigh. “I see we all have lists this go-around. It should be fun when we land backhome.”
* * *
If you could bringanyone back from the dead, who would it be? I’ve always thought that was over-used on soaps, but I get it now. I often wish I could kill people with the power of my mind and then regret thinking bad thoughts after the fact. If people could come back from the dead – and not in a creepy zombie way – then I could totally kill with impunity and no one wouldcare.
– Aunt Tillie explaining why murder, at least in her case, isn’t anissue
Nine
“Jericho?”
The face that cut us off in the hallway that led to the basement – which was where Aunt Tillie’s infuriating laughter emanated from – belonged to a woman who couldn’t be a day over twenty. Not only was she young and fresh-faced, she was thin and stacked. The latter part was illustrated to perfection thanks to her candy striper uniform. Wait … are candy stripers even a thinganymore?
Landon pulled up short. “Do I knowyou?”
“Are you …joking?”
“No. I haveamnesia.”
I marveled at how quickly Landon embraced the amnesia storyline. He whipped out the explanation whenever questioned at this point. The characters were predisposed to believe it, so I understood theinclination.
“You have amnesia?” The girl’s face twisted into an expression that could only be described as heartbreaking. I didn’t like her on sight, so it made me want to laugh. “But … that will ruin everything.” Her lower lip quivered as her eyes filled with tears. “Are you saying you don’t rememberme?”
“Oh, I can’t take this.” Landon scrubbed his hands over his cheeks. “She doesn’t look old enough to play this part of thegame.”
“I’m nineteen,” the girlhuffed.
“Definitely not old enough.” Landon flicked his eyes to me. “You know this isn’t real,right?”
Even though the earlier girlfriends irritated me, I couldn’t help feeling for him in this instance. She did look really young, and Landon wasn’t the type to prey on vulnerable young women. “I know. I’m sorry. Aunt Tillie doesn’t care how she has her fun … as long as she hasit.”
“I don’t understand how you can’t remember me,” the girl pressed. “It’s me, Jericho. It’s the love of your life … SandyShores.”
“Oh, Sandy Shores?” Thistle rolled her eyes as she barked out a laugh. “Aunt Tillie must’ve had a field day coming up with thesenames.”
Sandy was offended. “What’s wrong with myname?”
“I don’t even know where to begin,” Thistle replied. “When I can marvel at the stupidity of a name, though, you know something iswrong.”
“I was named after my grandmother,” Sandy announced. “She was a brilliant woman who served as the first female head of surgery at this veryhospital.”
“Oh, well, that’s a nice legacy,” Ioffered.
Sandy ignored me. “She conducted the first conscious brain transplant inhistory.”
“A brain transplant, huh?” Landon didn’t look impressed. “Well, that’s something to be proud of, Sandy. I’m glad for your good memories about your grandmother. That’s probably a good thing – a good role model – for you toemulate.”
“Wait … did you say conscious?” Marcus interjected. “Does that mean the patient was conscious during thesurgery?”
“Itdoes.”
“See, that’s not possible,” Marcuscomplained.
“And a brain transplant when both parties are unconscious is possible?” Sam challenged. “I’m not a real brain surgeon, but even I know that’s notpossible.”
“I think it would be neat,” Clove said. “Imagine having your brain moved to someone else’s body. I would want to be transported to Megan Fox’s body. I called it. No one else can haveher.”
