Family Tree
I wasn't exactly happy when my cruel and spoiled cousin ended up living with us - but given the circumstances, I was willing to give her a break. Ashley had just been orphaned and after her parents both died in a car crash, it was my Dad that stepped up to help.
Ashley seemed surprisingly untraumatised by her parents death. I had always known she was self centered - but this seemed extreme. She only seemed to care that whilst her parents estate was processed, she had been forced to move out of her luxurious mansion with all her clothes and even move school. No more private girls school for her - now she was stuck at the local school.
"What the fuck? Ughhhh your house is like disgusting!" she sneered as she threw her suitcase onto her new bed in my cramped room. "I can't believe I have to share a room with a loser like you!"
It was true - our house was tiny. It was just Dad and me, so she had to squeeze in where she could. I just had to bite my tongue - she was being so ungrateful but I guess she had been through a lot.
"Ughhhh your clothes are disgusting. What kind of girl are you?" scoffed Ashley as she looked through my wardrobe with a sneer on her pretty face. "Honestly it's EMBARASSING to even be related to you. Are you sure we are really cousins?"
Growling I pulled down the family tree book and tossed it to her.
"See for yourself."
The book had been passed through our family for generations. The front pages had an elaborate family tree detailing the different branches if our family. The rest of it was gibberish. I'd always felt a strange tug when I looked at it - like if I stared long enough I'd begin to understand - but it was probably just my imagination.
Ashley flicked open the book and her eyes narrowed. "What the fuck is all this writing after our family tree?"
"I don't know. The book goes back centuries and has been passed down through our family. We just add our names. No one has ever been able to work out the rest of the writing or what it means."
I held out my hand for Ashley to return the book, but she clasped it possessively and wandered off to sit and read it.
Funny... I had never imagined she'd be the studious type, but at least it was keeping her quiet.
***********
I awoke in the middle of the night to hear strange mutterings. Drowsily I opened my eyes but didn't move so as to appear still asleep. Something had woken me... not the mutterings... but what?
I could hear Ashley's voice whispering and I carefully turned my head slightly. She was crouched on her bed, the family tree book in front of her and her palm open.
As she chanted a ball of glowing light appeared in her hand and I saw her mouth twitch into a triumphant smile. My heart pounded - then I realised I must be in a dream.
I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
************
Walking through the kitchen the next morning I tiredly stretched. Ashley was already there looking bright eyed and dressed for school. I saw the book peaking out of her bag.
I moved the chair to sit at the table with her. There was an almost imperceptible flicker of Ashley's fingers as I began to sit down.
The chair moved.
It actually moved and I screamed and yelped as I fell to the floor with a crash.
"You clumsy bitch," smirked Ashley. "You're such a loser."
I leapt to my feet.
"You... you did that. You moved the chair!"
"Me? But I'm sat too far away. It's not like I can do magic or something you dummy."
She looked in my eyes as she said it and I shivered at how cold and triumphantly evil they were.
Oh shit....
*****************
As we sat on the school bus I became more and more convinced Ashley was somehow developing magical powers. The family tree book was in her hands and her eyes were glued to the pages. She hungrily devoured the knowledge within, her lips twitching every now and then into a satisfied smile.
Last night hadn't been a dream. Somehow Ashley had unlocked the knowledge on the pages and was teaching herself magic. The implications of my cruel and selfish cousin having magical powers made my skin crawl.
I had to get the book from her.
"Hey Ashley, I never said you could keep that. Technically it belongs to me. Give it back."
Ashley looked up. I'd expected her to resist, but instead she held out the book.
"Oh... sure... take it."
I reached out and gasped. My fingers couldn't seem to get a grip on the book. It was like it was coated in grease or it was entirely insubstantial. I flailed and pawed at the air - eliciting laughs from the other students at my apparant clumsiness.
"Oh so you don't want it," grinned Ashley pulling it back to her chest.
"H... how did you do that?" I hissed.
"Oh - you'd be surprised at what I'm learning. Turns out our family has some surprising secrets and they will soon all be mine. Don't worry - you and your Daddy will get to see first hand."
She turned her back on me and went back to reading.
I felt physically sick as I watched her becoming more powerful.