I grabbed the neck of my tequila and took a swig while staring at my loot, thinking it over. There was obviously something missing. Humming, I walked around the garden and waited for inspiration. “I got it!” 

Laughing, I grabbed a branch off a spice and ran up to the caldron. Holding up my wrist, I sprinkled on a bit of thyme and declared, “Look at the thyme! I should be in bed.” I tipped my wrist and let the spice trickle into the pot. “He must have a sense of humor and…” I rolled up my sleeve and held my hand over the pot, not yet feeling the heat. I swept my hand inside and hoped for a little affection from it. 

“There’s still something I’m missing.” 

This pot was full of good stuff.

Full of stuff I ruined and sacrificed for this potion. Taking out my wand for more focus, I used it to stir the concoction and grabbed a few more last minute, more traditional ingredients like goat’s blood, chicken hearts, old worn leather, and bottled lightening. The little bolts danced inside the clear jar. I could feel the electricity through the glass, enough to raise the hair on my arms and to make my teeth hum. 

Once it hit the surface of the potion, the air cracked, and I was blown several feet away. I stepped on Nibbler’s tail, who shrieked and made Daisy bark. They scampered, rushing right between my legs and knocking into the caldron. 

“Guys! Watch out!” I cried, but it was too late.

The mixture splashed up the sides and drenched them. I sighed as the fury menaces left a trail of potion as the ran through the living room and out of sight. I shook my head, setting down the tequila again. I watched the mixture turn from shades of red, across the rainbow to land on blue again and back. 

“It’s just stuff though. I need something to give it life—” That was when it hit me. I ran out of the workroom, scaring the wits out of the animals who were trying to shake the mixture off their fur and failing. Nibbler dragged her sandpaper tongue along one paw and froze, immediately regretting that decision. 

I threw myself at the bathroom door, using the threshold to keep standing. Right there. In all its glory, standing upright in a small cup by the sink was David Hale’s red toothbrush. 

I needed life. 

And as far as I knew, David was a living, breathing and magical man. I snatched it and threw it in the caldron with the rest. The mixture boiled with colossal bubbles and sparkled like there were tiny fireworks going off inside. These little sparks were so excited, they tried jumping out of the caldron, but died out before they touched the floor. The whole room smelled like vanilla and mint toothpaste. 

“Now to find my prince.”

I stepped outside, which made him realize a storm had brewed. The rain soaked me to the bone immediately, but I just raked my soaked hair back and trudged into the woods, searching for a small pond that I knew was around here somewhere. I took out my wand and ignited just the tip, using it as flashlight to only trip half as much as I would without it. 

A crack of lightning pierced the sky, flashing the woods with light. It lit a handful of little woodland frogs jumping across the forest floor. I grinned, dropping into the mud, and lunging for the closest frog. The little cold rubbery thing nearly slipped out of my hands, but I encased it carefully as if it were as fragile as my sanity. 

“It’s alright, it’s okay,” I promised the croaking little creature. “You’re the chosen one. Not many things get to say that. I’ve never gotten to say that.”

I brought the frog inside and took him straight to the caldron. Taking a deep breath, I had one final word to say, “If this works, I am going to prove absolutely everyone wrong… if it doesn’t…” I shrugged. “Well, tough luck, I guess. Frog soup for dinner-Whoa!”

The frog squirmed enough, fought enough to fight my grip, and leapt from my hold.

Right into the pot.

He dove into the pink bubbling mixture with little splash. Little enough to win gold at the Olympics. I took a meager step forward, trying to catch a peek of the inside. The boil frothed, bubbles climbing to the top faster than I could react. The pink potion shot up from the middle like a geyser, crashing into the ceiling and raining down. The power of the blast knocked me into the wall. My back slammed the worktable below it and I tumbled off into a soggy puddle of bones, mud, and ticklish potion.

My head swam, my vision burning in and out until the darkness took over. My conscious fizzled out like flat soda pop and I surrendered to the night. My eyes were too heavy to open… but I heard the caldron creak. Something like footsteps crossed the room. I could feel the heat wafting from someone’s body as they arrived by his side.

A voice deeper than a wishing well and grittier than sand inside the ocean said, “I’ve wanted to speak… but now, I’ve found myself speechless. Let’s get you to bed, shall we?”