Paul paid the ticket guy at the front of the stand, and ducked under the curtain to go inside, Esha hesitated and reluctantly followed.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark, but finally she was able to see. She studied the inside of the "stall".
It was really just a makeshift tent, made to look like a stall. Purple curtains were draped around the edge of the small are, and there was a round table in the center. Behind the table an old woman was sitting, her attention riveted on Paul, who was sitting next to her. Esha watched silently as the woman put Paul into a deep trance. When she was satisfied, the woman turned to face Esha.
"Now we can talk without him hearing something he shouldn't," she said, making herself more comfortable.
Esha came over and sat on the opposite side of the table to the woman, next to Paul. She silently offered her hand to the woman, who took it in her own and closed her eyes. Esha followed suit.
She let her mind reach out to the old woman, gently probing, determining her powers. She could feel the woman doing the same.
Suddenly the old woman gasped and broke the contact, her eyes snapping open. Esha slowly opened her eyes, a bemused smile on her face.
"Found more than you bargained for, didn't you?" she asked. The old woman frowned, and Esha noticed her eyes very slowly began to change colour. They went from the pale blue that they had been to an even more pale violet.
"You powers are weak old woman," Esha said, her own eyes flashed, and changed to the deep purple colour that always appeared when witches use their magic. The more prominent the colour, and the quicker the change, the more powerful the witch is.
Fear welled up in the old woman's eyes, as she noted the speed and density of the change.
"Your powers are stronger than anyone I've ever seen, Dragon Eyes," she admitted, calling Esha by her witch name.
Esha's eyes narrowed at the mention of it. Only her mother had ever called her that - and even then only when she was in trouble.
"But you do not use them often," the old woman continued, ignoring Esha's look of annoyance. "Why?" Esha studied the woman silently for a moment.
"I have no need," she said simply.
"Ah, but you do," the woman said knowingly. "You wish to turn back the clock, to save your twin." Esha froze, and lowered her eyes.
"Such suffering," the woman noted. "Have you tried this spell?" Esha nodded dumbly. "The closest I came was freezing time," she said.
The old woman stared at her intently. "You can freeze time?" she asked excitedly. "For how long?" Esha shrugged.
"However long I wish," she replied.
"What other spells can you do?" the woman asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Move things with my mind, telecommunicate, erase memories, create weather, heal, change form," she stopped to think. "Pretty much every spell I've ever tried - except time travel."
The old woman stared at her in awe. She could only do a fraction of those things. Some she didn't even think were possible.
"Truly your power is greater than I have ever heard of," she finally managed to say. "Was your brothers power as great?"
Esha shook her head. "No, his power was far stronger than mine. He was levitating the bed when he was two."
It took a moment for this to sink in. The old woman hesitated. "Could�could you do a spell for me? I have tried on many occasions, but my power is simply not strong enough." Esha frowned.
"Depends on the spell," she said warily.
The old woman stood up, and beckoned for Esha to follow. Esha did so, but her expression was watchful. The woman led her out the back of the tent and into a caravan nearby. As Esha stepped into the caravan, she instantly saw what the old woman wanted her to do.
"Oh my god," she whispered.

Esha stared at the tiger lying in the middle of the caravan. It was terribly injured - it looked like it had been beaten repeatedly.
"He's from the circus," the old woman said quietly. "A friend of mine rescued him, but I can't help him. He's too hurt for me to cure him�can you fix him?" Esha couldn't tear her eyes away from the once majestic beast.
She knelt gingerly down beside the animal, and rested her hand lightly on its side. It was barely breathing, and was struggling desperately for every breath.
"I think I can help him," she whispered. She stood quickly - she didn't have much time, and she certainly didn't want to think about what was going to happen. She knew the price of healing all too well. Opening the door to the caravan, she glanced around. There was a clear spot not very far away - she decided to use that. Jumping down the steps, she rushed over to the spot.
"This'll do nicely," she muttered absently to herself. She closed and eyes and promptly froze time so that no one would interrupt her, making sure to exclude the old woman, as she would probably need her help. Squinting her eyes shut even more as she concentrated, she focused her mind on the tiger lying in the caravan.
She lifted the tiger off the ground, her face showing the strain of lifting such a heavy object, and slowly floated him towards her. The old woman followed close behind. Keeping her eyes closed, Esha raised her arms into the sky and tilted her head upwards. The once sunny sky instantly clouded over, swirling in circles around the tight area where the tiger floated. Thunder crashed, but Esha didn't notice - her attention was focused solely on the tiger.
Slowly she opened her eyes and, almost like she was in a trance, she walked towards the tiger, her eyes a glowing purple. The old woman watched fascinated by this display of power, afraid to make a sound to interrupt Esha's concentration.
Esha stopped next to the tiger. Closing her eyes once again, she spread her arms above the tiger. A worried frown appeared on her face. Never before had she healed a creature so near death. It was incredibly dangerous to heal any creature, because the wounds didn't go away - they were transferred to the witch casting the spell.
Pushing her doubts aside, Esha focused her attention. A bright blue flash of light erupted from the tips of her fingers, spilling down into the tiger. The huge car shuddered, and opened its eyes. Esha gasped as she felt herself stabbed with pain in a dozen different places, and collapsed where she stood, her grip on time lost.
Now that the spell was over, the sky returned instantly to the way it was before, and the tiger was lowered lightly to the ground. Esha eyes fluttered open, to find the majestic creature peering down at her.
"Be happy," she whispered, and with the very last of her strength, transported the tiger to it's natural home in Siberia.
Satisfied that the tiger was safe, Esha finally surrendered to the blackness and the pain that engulfed her. The old woman rushed to Esha's side, desperate to help. Her blood ran cold when she saw the wounds that now decorated her body, and the blood seeping through the clothes.

Paul shook his head and looked around. Where was he? Then he remembered - he was in the fortune teller's stall, with Esha.
He frowned. There was no one else here. Climbing to his feet, he wandered off to search for Esha. He was just about to leave the tent, when he saw the flap at the back. Maybe the old woman had taken Esha through there to show her something, he thought.
He pushed aside the flap, and found himself outside. He glanced around to see where he was. He froze when he saw an all too familiar shape on the ground not far away, the old woman hunched over her. Forcing down the fear that threatened to claim him, Paul rushed over to Esha's side.
The woman glanced up as he approached.
"You must get her to a hospital straight away!" she cried. Paul didn't need to be told twice. He bent down and gently scooped Esha up in his arms, shuddering when he saw the amount of blood on her clothes. He started to rush off to his car, but the woman grabbed his arm.
"I'll drive - you hold her," she said, pointing to her own car that was nearby. Paul hesitated then nodded, running over to the car.
The old woman opened the door and Paul climbed in the back, cradling Esha on his lap. The woman jumped in the front seat and started the car, speeding towards the hospital in record time.

Paul paced the waiting room restlessly, worry etched on his face. The old woman watched silently. Finally Paul exploded.
"How the hell did this happen?" he yelled at the old woman. "She looks like she's been beaten with a baseball bat! What did you do to her?!"
The old woman regarded him calmly, unswayed by his outburst. "Perhaps you should ask Dragon - uh, Esha when she comes out," she quickly mended her mistake. Paul didn't even notice her slip of the tongue. "When she comes out?" he repeated, his voice barely audible. "You mean if."
The old woman frowned, concerned by Paul's last statement. What if Esha didn't wake in time to heal herself? She hadn't thought of that possibility. She decided to take matters into her own hands.
With a creak, the old woman climbed to her feet, and followed the corridor the doctors had wheeled Esha down about half an hour ago.
Paul watched the old woman go, but didn't attempt to follow. "Probably gone off to take her medication," he muttered grumpily, and resumed his anxious pacing.
The old woman slipped into the x-ray room, where she had spotted Esha's motionless body through the window. A bunch of doctors were studying pictures of Esha's skeleton on the other side of the room, and didn't notice the old woman sneak up to where Esha lay.
"Here you go, Dragon Eyes," she whispered quietly, pulling a pouch from her pocket and taking out a tiny seed. "Thought you could use a bit of a boost." She delicately placed the seed in the middle of Esha's forehead, and watched wordlessly as it shook a little, then disappeared into the skin. A moment later Esha's eyes fluttered open.
A silent groan escaped her lips as the pain from her injuries caught up with her. Suddenly the doctors noticed the old woman in the room.
"Hey!" one of them said, rushing over. "You're not allowed in here!" The old woman let herself be led back out again - she had done all that was needed.
Esha closed her eyes and listened to the doctors grim diagnoses of her health, even as she felt the tiny seed's powers coursing through her veins.
"She has a punctured lung, and internal bleeding. Two broken ribs, a greenstick fracture in her right arm, and her left leg is broken in several places. She's suffered severe blows to the head and her neck is fractured in two places."
The doctors all muttered. They honestly didn't expect Esha to live.
Esha smiled wryly. That tiger sure had been beaten pretty badly. Blocking out the doctors conversation, Esha focused on her wounds. Because they had been transported once already, the injuries vanished without a trance.
Esha opened her eyes. The doctors were still huddled in the corner of the room, whispering quietly. She decided not to disturb them, and left the room without them even noticing.
Esha followed the corridor into the waiting room, and was surprised to see Paul there, his head in his hands. Paul had grown tired, worn out by worry and the endless pacing he had been doing.
Esha wandered over, and hesitantly tapped him on the shoulder. Paul glanced up and stared at her disbelieving for a moment. Then he leapt to his feet and engulfed her in a hug. Esha, not quite sure what else to do, hugged him back.
"What happened?" Paul cried, pulling back so he could get a good look at her. "You were mangled when I brought you in!" he added, not quite believing that she was well again.
"It wasn't as bad as you think," Esha glanced around the waiting room uncomfortably. She spotted the old woman in the doorway. Smiling, Esha went over to her, Paul following behind still a bit dubious.
The old woman took Esha's hand and shook it warmly. "Words cannot express the graditude I feel," she said simply. Esha blushed. Paul noticed her eyes go that deep purple again, and he wondered why she didn't say anything in return.
In truth Esha was saying a lot more than she appeared. She was conveying her own graditude to the old woman, but she wasn't using words. She was sending her thoughts and feeling to the old woman by magic. The old woman smiled.
"You may think we are equal," she said, "but my debt to you is not paid. If there is ever anything you wish of me, not matter how slight, do not hesitate to ask. I will do all in my power to make it so." And with that, she left.
"What the hell was that all about?" Paul demanded, staring after the old woman. Esha just turned to him and smiled.
"I guess you'll never know," she teased. Paul forgot about all the anxiety and worry he had just been though, and turned into a child once more.
"Tell me!" he whined, jumping up and down. Esha just laughed and headed over to the front desk to call a cab, Paul trailing behind.
By the time they arrived back at Paul's appartment it was well and truly dark. Esha had "called" ahead and told Sharon not to worry, but Sharon was still a little anxious as they entered the appartment.
"So," she said, trying to be casual. "What did you guys do today?"
"We went to a fair," Esha replied quickly before Paul could say anything. She gestured to the many showbags in Paul's hands, which the old woman had thoughtfully remembered to give back to them.
That seemed to satisfy Sharon, and she turned and headed for the kitchen.
"Are you guys still hungry?" she asked. "I made some pasta just in case." Esha couldn't help but laugh as Paul's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he raced towards the kitchen. Her and Sharon followed at a more leisurely pace.

The next couple of weeks were a lot of fun for both Esha and Paul. Sharon was at work most of the time, but they managed to keep each other company.
Paul discovered that Esha was a great person to be around - she had a great sense of humour, had a quick wit and even quicker tongue, and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Paul noticed that she avoided any personal questions, especially about her past. He decided not to push it, wanting her to tell him on her own accord. The more he was with her, the more he was forced to notice his growing feelings for her. Was it love? He didn't know - but it was definitely stronger than the friendship they had at the moment.
Esha knew that Paul was dying to know about her past, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about it. It had taken her years to tell Sharon the tiny bit of her history she had told her- and Sharon was her only friend.
It was early December, nearly four months since Sharon had asked for Esha's help. Paul was sitting on his couch, patiently waiting for Esha to arrive. He glanced at his watch. She was late. A slight frown crossed his face - Esha was never late. He decided to go look for her.
After a few hours of searching, Paul finally found her on the one of the cliffs surrounding the beach. Hesitantly, he approached her, not sure what to say.
"I was wondering where you were," he said finally. Esha didn't make any motion to show she had heard him. It wasn't until Paul came to stand beside her that he saw the tears flowing openly down her face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, concern flickering into his eyes. Esha didn't say anything, instead turning and burying her face into his shoulder. Paul was shocked. Esha had always avoided most physical contact with him, other than an occasional hug, or a playful punch on the arm. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair and she sobbed into his shirt.
They stayed that way for quite some time, before Esha finally pulled away, embarrassed. "I�I'm sorry," she stammered, blushing.
"Why are you crying?" Paul asked gently, lightly brushing her hair away from her face. Esha flinched slightly from the contact. Paul's expression flickered - that wasn't the reaction he had been hoping for. Esha turned away from him, and stared out over the ocean again.
Hesitantly Paul came and stood beside her again, watching her, trying to figure her out. Esha refused to look at him.
"Why were you crying?" Paul repeated, a little firmer this time. Esha closed her eyes. "I don't want to have to deal with this right now," she whispered. She finally turned to face him, and Paul was surprised to see the despair in the depths of her eyes. "Please Paul, don't ask me to."
Paul gazed silently into her face. She was so beautiful - it was all he could do not to tell her so. The thought frightened Paul. Every time he saw her, his feelings doubled.
"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to," he said finally, following her gaze out to sea. "Thank you," Esha whispered, wiping away her tears with the palm of her hand. She turned to leave, but Paul abruptly grabbed her arm, turning her to face him.
"When will you let me in?" he asked, releasing her arm. He reached over and ever so lightly stroked her cheek. "I would do anything for you Esha."
Esha's eyes refilled with tears. "It hurts so much to be around you," she managed to say. "You look so like him�" realising what she was saying, Esha stopped. "I have to go," she said abruptly and quickly walked away. Paul watched her go, bewildered by her last comment. Who did he look like? Paul sighed and sank slowly to the ground. He would have to ask her tomorrow.

Esha headed straight home after her encounter with Paul. Not even bothering to take off her jacket, she flopped down on her bed and buried her face in the pillow.
Her emotions were still going one hundred miles an hour. She turned her head slightly so she could breathe better, and found herself staring at a photo frame that was perched on her bedside table. Silently she picked it up and studied it.
Ben, her twin brother, was laughing happily, his arm around Esha as she scowled at him. His innocent face held an evil grin, and his short spiky hair went well with the black leather jacket he was wearing. He looked so much like Paul they could have been brothers.
Esha remembered the photo being taken as though it was yesterday. They were at their 16th birthday party, and Ben had used his magic to see what was inside all the presents. He had changed all the bad ones to things he had been wanting. Esha had told him that it wasn't very nice and Ben had been laughing at her when the photo was taken. Shortly after he had changed them all back again, just to please his sister.
Esha smiled sadly, blinking away fresh tears. Ben had died two months after. She carefully placed the photo back on the bedside table, and rolled onto her back. Closing her eyes, she let her memory drift back�

"What're we doing here Esh?" Ben asked impatiently as he watched his sister scrambling up the pile of rocks at the base of the cliff.
"We�going�to�see�something," Esha panted, struggling up the face of the cliff. Ben watched her for a few moments, before levitating and flying up to meet her. Esha glared at her brother, but refused to use her magic.
Ben was waiting for her when she finally pulled herself over the top. He watched silently as she flopped to the ground at his feet.
"I really don't know why you refuse to use your magic," he commented. Esha glared at him, but didn't say anything. She was feeling very weak, and it was hard to breathe properly. She didn't pay any attention to it, dismissing it as her own unfitness. "We don't even know what you're capable of," he went on, ignoring her angry expression.
"Shut up and sit down," Esha growled, grabbing his hand and pulling him down to sit next to her. Laughing Ben did as he was asked, and followed her gaze out over the sea. From where they sat, they could see for miles in any direction, but it was the ocean that drew their undivided attention.
Esha stared in wonder at the calm blue. It was amazing that there was a whole other world beneath the surface - one filled with valleys, crevices and an abundance of wildlife never seen by man. All she could see was the very top of this mystical universe.
"Esha? Can I ask you a question?" Ben broke through her thoughts, his voice tentative. "Sure," Esha replied, her mind still on the wonder before her.
"Would you die for me?" he asked. Esha turned and stared at her twin. His face was unreadable as he gazed out at the water.
"Of course I would," she said, slightly confused. "You shouldn't have to ask to know that." Ben turned to face her, and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes.
"Thank you Esha," he said quietly. "That makes my decision so much easier."
Esha frowned. "Send out a search party, because you lost me somewhere," she admitted. "What decision?"
Ben studied his hands. "Esha, you've been getting sick far too often for my liking," he began. "I cast a spell on you a while back to show me what was wrong." He hesitated, but when Esha didn't say anything, he went on.
"It�it showed that you have cancer." Ben took a deep breath, allowing this to sink in. "I did a bit of research, and the type you have can't be cured. It's fatal," he whispered.
Esha stared at the ground without really seeing, trying desperately to process this information. She was going to die? Ben reached over and placed his hand on her arm.
"How long?" she whispered. Ben sighed heavily. This was the part he had been dreading. "Esha, I'm not going to let you die. I just wanted to tell you not to blame yourself." Esha looked p at her brother sharply. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. Ben grabbed both of her hands, and said firmly, "I'm doing this of my own free will - don't blame yourself for my death."
Esha's eyes filled with fear. "Oh god, you're not going to try and heal me are you?" she cried. "Ben - no! Not for me! Don't die for me!" But her pleas fell on deaf ears.
Ben closed his eyes, and Esha found she couldn't move. He was holding her immobile so she couldn't stop him from casting the spell. She struggled in vain, but his magic had always been far greater than hers, and he practiced it more often than she did.
Slowly Ben lifted Esha into the air, moving her around until she was right in front of him. Mustering every single molecule of magic he could, Ben finally opened his eyes and gazed down at Esha's face.
"I love you," he whispered. Esha stared into his eyes, easily reading the fear in them. He was afraid, but he was still going to do it.
"Don't do this Ben, please. Don't you dare do this!" Esha yelled at him, but she was helpless. Ben closed his eyes once more, and there was a brilliant flash of light. Ben collapsed in a heap, and Esha was slowly lowered to the ground. As soon as she could move, she rushed over to her motionless brother. Ever so gently she rolled him over.
Ben's eyes were closed, and he was having difficulty breathing, but at least he was alive.
Esha looked around frantically, but there was nothing to help her. She had to get him to a hospital. Esha returned her gaze to Ben. There was no way he'd be able to move. She'd have to use her magic.
Esha wrung her hands. She hated using her magic - it never went the way she wanted it to, but a small groan from Ben banished her doubts.
Grabbing hold of both of Ben's hands, she closed her eyes. I want to go to the hospital, she thought, and then pushed all her magic into the thought.
Esha quickly opened her eyes to see if the spell had worked. She was crouched in the waiting room of the hospital, Ben lying beside her. She breathed a sigh of relief, then leapt to her feet to get a doctor.
Ben spent only a month in hospital - he was too far gone to save. The doctors couldn't help him. Esha spent every waking moment beside her twin, and even most of her sleeping ones too, but he never woke. He stayed in a coma until he died.

Esha opened her eyes again, and wiped her face. Tears had been flowing openly down her face as she relived the painful memories.
Turning on her side once more, Esha gazed at the photo.
"Happy birthday Ben," she whispered.