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 CHAPTER ONE
“I hate the cold and I hate the stupid woods,” I muttered as my boots crunched over the snow. I continued to swear under my breath as I went, mostly cursing myself for being stupid enough to venture out here. I paused to take a sip from the flask of bourbon I carried with me. I should have stayed at the diner where it’s warm, and I could order one of their hot chocolates, with extra whipped cream and those little marshmallows. When the hunter burst in, raving about a monster loose in the woods, I should have ignored it. He could be a raving lunatic for all I knew, but the beast he described, if it was real, could be a danger. I’d built a life for myself in the mundane town of Bedford. It was about as far from the supernatural world as you could get, which suited me just fine. I needed normal. I didn’t need some supernatural critter coming after me. As I entered a clearing I found some footprints. Or rather pawprints. Big ones. There’s no way that is from a bear, I thought. I could walk away now and hope whatever it was moved on but instead I followed the pawprints. Supernatural creatures had a way of sniffing me out and I didn’t need this thing coming crashing through my door in the middle of the night. “Stef? What are you doing out here?” I jumped nearly a foot in the air. Turning on the spot, I found Deputy Clark behind me, carrying a shotgun. He had a knit cap on over his dark hair and he was wearing his usual navy police uniform. “I wanted to see what all the fuss is about,” I said, knowing full well that normal women didn’t decide to venture into the woods on a whim when something big was on the loose, but I wasn’t normal. He frowned at me. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s not safe. Go home, Stef.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Stef. That wasn’t even my name. I told him my name when we first met, but he misheard me and thinks my name is Steffanie. Which he has shortened to Stef, like we’re friends or something. I don’t have friends in Bedford, or anywhere for that matter. I stay at my house, on the edge of town and the only time I venture out is for groceries and a coffee at the diner. “It’s a free country. I can take a walk in the woods if I want to.” He sighed. “Whatever.” He knew better than to argue with me. From the few conversations we have had, I made it very clear that I do what I like. I don’t have the energy to argue with people, so I have a habit of being incredibly blunt. Some would say rude, but I don’t care. What is it they say? Respect your elders? I’ve got a few thousand years on everyone. I waited for him to walk away, he hadn’t noticed the tracks yet. I just hoped he wouldn’t accidentally shoot me, especially when I had decided to wear a black leather jacket and green sweater. I should have worn something that wouldn’t blend into my surroundings. Then again, I didn’t do bright colors, not anymore. I continued to follow the tracks. The only weapon I had with me was an old knife that I kept in my boot. It was a gift from my mother, a long time ago. It probably wouldn’t do much against Bigfoot or whatever was out here. Luckily, I was hard to kill. Not impossible, but I was pretty tough. Branches snapped up ahead and I paused, wondering if it was Clark or the beast. The low, rumbling growl answered that question. I pulled the knife from my boot. “Come out, come out, whatever you are,” I said softly. I could see dark fur and a huge hulking shape. Approaching it as quietly as I could, I was ready to attack when the creature turned. It was a blur of fur and the next thing I knew, I was on my back, the creature pinning me down. I closed my eyes, waiting to be eaten, but instead, the creature licked me. “Urgh,” I said, trying to wipe the slobber off my face. That’s when I got a good look at the beast. A beast I was very familiar with. “Cerberus?” I stared at the mutt in front of me, not quite believing my eyes. “Get off, you big lug,” I said, pushing him back. He moved enough to let me get up. “Move away, Stef. I’ve got a shot!” Clark ordered, appearing from the trees. I quickly stepped in front of Cerberus. “Put the gun down, it’s fine.” “Are you crazy? Look at the size of that…what is it?” “It’s a dog. A special breed.” Very special. “That’s like no dog I’ve ever seen, although it seems to know you,” Clark said, as Cerberus licked my arm. “That’s because he’s mine. He ran away a while back, but now he’s apparently back.” Clark slowly lowered his gun, looking confused. “Okay. Get a leash on that thing, will ya?” I forced a smile, waiting until he was walking away before flipping him the bird. God, I hated that guy. He was always sticking his nose where it wasn’t wanted. I guess that was part of being a cop, but it still annoyed me. How long before he started looking into my life? Of course if he was still calling me Stef then he couldn’t have looked into it yet. I turned back to Cerberus. “Where have you been, you naughty boy,” I said, hugging his huge head. Not wanting to leave them out, I gave his other two heads a pet. Thank God humans couldn’t see his true form. All they saw was a huge black dog, not the hellhound that he was. “Why are you here?” I asked, even though he couldn’t answer me. “Come on. Let’s go home,” I said. He perked up at the word ‘home’ and I felt a pang. Of course I meant my two-bedroom chalet, not that home. We could never return there. Cerberus bounced around me as we walked, acting like an overgrown puppy. He only acted that way around me. It reminded me of the first day I met him. *** A LONG TIME AGO I sat in the darkness, miserable and missing home. I missed my mother most of all. How would she survive without me? Ever since she fell ill last year, she continued to struggle. I prayed to the Gods that she would be okay and that I would see her again one day. He appeared out of the darkness, looking wary. I almost laughed, a God wary of a mere mortal like me, but perhaps that was to be expected with the fit I threw when I was told I had to live here. “You should see this as a great honor,” he said, his dark eyes watching me. People say that the Gods are beautiful, and I guess that is true, but they are also terrifying. The power they command can be felt when you are in their presence and with his reputation, it was doubly terrifying. “You stole me away from everything I know, how is that the honorable thing to do?” I snapped. He stiffened, and I could see that he was struggling to remain calm. “You will learn your place in time,” he said. “Or I’ll run away,” I muttered. “You can try, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You’d have to get by Cerberus first.” He whistled and a huge dog appeared, it’s three heads glaring at me. I had never seen a beast like it. I cowered on the ground, bracing myself for it to eat me. Instead, it sat down and started panting. Drool dripped from the head nearest me and I shifted back to avoid it. We were left alone. I don’t know what possessed me, but when I realized it had no intention of eating me, I reached out a hand for it to sniff. The middle head seemed to be the one in control. It sniffed my hand, then licked me. “Ew,” I said, wiping my hand on my gown. He bounced up and down, wagging his massive tail. “You’re just a big softie, aren’t you?” I said, stroking one of his heads. “Come on, Cerberus, let’s play.”  Witches are my favorite characters to write about because there is so much versatility with them. They can cast spells, make potions, use their special abilities to help people and so much more.
Witches in Paranormal Fantasy are often trying to blend in when it comes to the real world. Their abilities are kept hidden, only used when necessary. Some witches may only discover they have powers In the beginning of a story-with them either being bound or lying dormant until something unlocks them. This popular trope allows the audience to be surprised alongside the MC as she learns about her abilities. One example of a Paranormal Fantasy show about witches is Charmed. Charmed ran between 1998 and 2006. Across 8 seasons, the Halliwell sisters discovered their powers and used them to take down demons, warlocks and the Source of All Evil. There are some great ideas within the show and it does deal with real world issues, alongside the supernatural. It is important to ground your story in reality and remember that supernatural or not, witches still have to navigate the real world. That can cause issues in itself. Do you use magic to fix your problems? Or are there consequences to doing so? If you are going to include witches in your paranormal fantasy book, its important to note that many aspects Of Wicca seen on screen and in books is part of a real practice. Be respectful of it. Of course you are writing fiction, but just be aware of stereotypes and misinformation when it comes to building your world. Happy writing!  Paranormal abilities are a lot of fun to write, especially If you try something new with them. Some of the most common are -
Telekinesis is a fun ability but what if the user was exceptionally strong? Or exceptionally weak for that matter? Their power could destroy an entire building or maybe they can only move tiny objects. How would that affect them if they went against a bad guy? Precognition is the ability to see future events. But maybe it only works if the MC is high. Or through their dreams. That would certainly hinder them If they were in danger! Telepathy could be an extremely overwhelming ability to have. When we see it in movies or TV shows, the main character usually gains control quickly and is able to single out specific thoughts. But what if it was more like the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer -Earshot? What if it was nearly impossible to tell the difference between voices? Or what if it was impossible to tell the difference between their actual thoughts and their daydreams? That could lead to some mishaps! The ability to talk to ghosts has been used many times over and here is a lot that has been done with it. There are some good ways to mix things up though. Maybe your MC can only hear ghosts, not see them. Or vice versa. Maybe they only attract vengeful spirits. That wouldn't be fun. Pyrokinesis is the ability to start fires with your mind. A cool idea might be that the user can only set themselves on fire! Imagine seeing that and then the person walks away unscathed. Psychometry is the ability to see things when touching an object. But perhaps it only works if the owner died violently. Or if the object is very old and therefore has had many owners, it confuses the user. There are so many fun ways to alter these abilities and give your MC a harder time in using them. Play around with them, try to create issues that will impact your MC and really let your imagination fly. Happy writing! |
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About the Author:S. K. Gregory is an author, editor and blogger. She currently resides in Northern Ireland. “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” 
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