New story excerpt-WARNING A BIT OF PROFANITY IN HERE

Twenty four hours doesn't really seem like a long time, but when you are at the beck and call of the community it can be a damned long time. After our visit with Simon and his flat-headed buddy, we got three more calls for assistance and I didn't get done with reports until almost two hours after my shift had ended. Exhausted, I trudged the three blocks from the firehouse to my apartment, the entire trip I thought only of the warmth of my own bed. A bed that didn't have a speaker or obnoxious yellow light above it, although it did have a few cats that enjoyed keeping it warm for me. A few of my neighbors waved in acknowledgment and mercifully, none of them had any hot discussion topics this morning. I smiled politely and let myself into the alcove, stopping long enough to grab my newspaper and check my mailbox before bolting for the elevator to my floor. I was fortunate enough to be the owner of the top loft style apartment, so noise really wasn't much of an issue for me. Don't go and judge me, I'm not rich or anything like that. I just happened to be in the right place (which was working a cardiac arrest) at the right time (which was most certainly not the right time for the former apartment owner). The landlord needed a tenant and I needed an apartment and the rest, well that is history.

The elevator doors jerked open, revealing the tiny hallway to my domain. I marched towards the door, key in hand so that I cold escape the hectic world around me. Ah, peace and serenity. Except for my two highly pissed off cats. They sat just out of the way of the door, glaring at me as I stepped into the loft.

'Sorry, girls, duty called.' I smiled at them and reached down to pet my companions. They merely turned tail and strolled away, no doubt thinking nasty things about their tardy mistress. With a sigh, I headed straight to the kitchen to fetch them a can of tuna fish. Normally, such a bribe would earn me a few purrs and later the usual cuddles that made me love my furry roommates. I made certain to make a grand production of getting out the can opener, my kitties absolutely love theatrics, before depositing the smelly fish on a small plate. Cats appeased, I could finally strip off my uniform and attend to my own needs. By the time I had tossed on my lounging cloths, the cats had finished their meal and were again dotting pets.

'Little creeps,' I said lovingly as I stroked Freya's bushy tail.

I opened all the windows, letting fresh air circulate through my little corner of the world. It was refreshing, and honestly, the bit of freshness was exactly what I needed for my next order of business. Rolling my head first to one side, then to the other, I tried to relax and let the calm energy flow through my body. It isn't easy being a vessel for the higher powers, but when a goddess points her finger in your direction you just have to roll with it. Fortunately for me, I was open minded enough to realize what gifts I had been given. I descended from a long line of quirky but powerful she-witches, many of whom suffered terribly at the hands of narrow minded fools. Over many generations, Bowden women learned to keep their mouths shut and their spells powerful. I tried to forget all the nastiness of my family history. Now was a time of cleansing and honoring the Mother, not vengeful thoughts about people who were long dead.

My alter is tucked away in one corner of the loft, sitting inconspicuously under the window with sage and lavender growing merrily in the sunlight. I brushed away a few clumps of cat fur from its marble top; try as I might, I could never get Freya or Odin to stay off the blessed space. It wasn't really a big deal, unless I was careless and let a candle burn down too far. But, we had only one small fire from an accumulation of feline fur so I guess I really can't complain too much. Chuckling to myself, I lit a sage bundle and breathed in the cleansing smoke. In an instant, I could feel my body relax and the stress of my previous few days was gone. Sage has the wonderful property of cleansing negative energies and spirits, kind of like a spiritual version of bleach. I pulled my comfy chair closer and let the smoke permeate every inch of my body, until every last bit of hostile, dark energy was gone.

One might wonder why exactly I have so much hostile, dark energy stored up in the first place. Perhaps part of my trouble is all the sadness and misery that I'm exposed to in my chosen profession. Really, think about it. I see people in their absolute worst. I'm around people who are dying slowly, whether they know it or not. It can get a bit stressful on occasion. Okay, a lot stressful most of the time. That is exactly why firefighters, or cops or dispatchers or anyone else
in this kind of profession, drink like fish and have obnoxious adult toys. We tell horrible, off-color jokes and find the damnest things funny. Why? Because we are horrible creatures who aren't fit company? Hell no, its because we would all fling ourselves off the highest, nearest roof if we didn't deal with everyone's shit that way. But, that is getting away from the main reason why I need a virtual forest of sage to cleanse my dingy soul. Oh, I tell nasty jokes. I fuck with the new guy and I laugh when people get hurt doing something stupid on television. I also have a rare...talent. A skill handed down to me by my great, great aunt. You see, I have the power to kill.

Before you go freaking out, give me a chance to explain. I don't look at someone and think them dead. It is nothing like that. My side job, if you will, involves returning the world around me to a balanced state. Some people are peace makers, negotiators, what ever. They are all around, if you care to look for them. They are the ones who are always trying to talk everyone else out of a fight. They are the ones who drop a quarter in the hands of every beggar. You know the type, the do-gooder make the world a happier place fucks that make you want to snap their heads off for being so chipper. That is not what I am all about. if you believe in it, I guess you could apply the rules of balance. If their are make everyone happy types, well, then there has to be a make those who deserve it dead types. I guess you can figure out where I fit in.

Now, I don't just go around pointing a finger at deserving pukes so that they keel over. It doesn't work that way and it is probably a good thing because I am one of the most intolerant freaks on the face of the planet. I have visions, usually horrible things that make me sick and tear at my soul. I see the darkness of evil souls, not all of them. Killing off all the bad people would really, really fuck up the balance of nature and who knows what would happen then. No, I see only those who would step beyond their own limits and purpose. Unfortunately, there must be murderers and cheats. Some people, however, take things too far and that is when I have to step in and act as the karmic garage collector.

My first vision happened when I was twelve and thankfully, I was spending what had been a delightful weekend with my great aunt somewhere in upstate New York. I picked up a newspaper, just looking for the comics and was overwhelmed by a horrific wave of nausea. The quaint, warm living room spun away from me and I was suddenly standing in a cold, dark alleyway. I'll spare you the details of the horrors I saw, it still makes me sick to this very day. I closed my eyes and tried to make it go away, but the vision clung to me. My great aunt found me, huddled and crying underneath the sofa cushions. She comforted me for a while, fed me some hot chocolate and never asked me what it was that I saw. But, after I was able to choke down a little cocoa, she pulled me up the winding staircase that led to the dark recesses of the attic. I was terrified and still more than a bit traumatized, but for some reason my great aunt's mere presence comforted me. She pulled me through the attic, past all the old children's toys and boxes of ancient clothing, stopping only when we stood before a dark, misshapen marble alter. No bloody knives or dead chickens hanging upside down from the rafters; no that alter was a place of incredible peace despite it's rather unappealing looks. That was the weekend when I learned that some people simply had different gifts to offer the world. I spent the next decade learning everything I could before the old woman finally slipped away.