A vein on the side of Roberto’s face pulsed. Just below his receding hairline on the right side of his temple. His face turned a beet red colour. He threw his arms in the air. A loud whoosh sound came from somewhere behind him. I watched helplessly from the other side of the room, as he knocked my grandmother off her feet. One minute she was there, standing toe to toe with Robbie Banks, aka Roberto Patri, the next she lay in a heap on the floor.
My feet wouldn’t move, as if they were stuck to the floor. My anger seethed just below the surface. “How dare you! If you’ve hurt my grandmother…” I let the threat hang, conscious of the room full of people.

How did a man with no magical powers of his own achieve that? Quite a few residents with elemental magic were in attendance, now I understood why. He must’ve bribed them or promised them help with their businesses. I felt the familiar surge of anxiety, as the knot in my stomach tightened, the lump in my throat making it nearly impossible to swallow.

Sophie, the closest to Hazel, yelled for everyone to get back as she knelt to check on her. I heard her talk into her radio, “Can we have an ambulance, to the back door of the old switchboard building please, as fast as possible.”

I felt my knees buckle. A pair of hands grabbed me just under my arms. I pushed them away, my anxiety taking control of my body. Jane, it’s me, Sharon,” I recognised her voice through the haze of fear that gripped me. I inhaled slowly, and exhaled, repeating the breathing until I felt a little more in control. The last thing I wanted was to create more magic chaos.

With all the will power I could muster I forced myself to focus on the room. Sophie’s voice rang out over the mutterings of the crowd, “Everyone needs to stay calm. Whoever is manipulating the elements here, in this room, needs to stop now, or you’ll end up in gaol, no matter who you are.” Her voice sterner than I thought possible. “Once you’ve given me your name and contact details, you can go. Expect to be contacted about this.”

Not sure how I found my voice I heard myself address the gathering. “Don’t be afraid to tell the truth, or to stand up to the bullies.” Across the crowd of people symbols appeared, as my intuition overtook my anxiety. I knew who was on our side and who were working for Roberto.

Concentrating on the magic pulsing through my veins, I crossed the floor and knelt beside Hazel. “Don’t you worry about me. It’ll take more than bluff and bluster to knock me out,” she grinned weakly. “Now, don’t go and do anything silly,” she added as Jack, the paramedic joined me beside my grandmother.

#An excerpt from my latest work in progress.