A Blair Witch

By Ashley Tomlinson

Blair lives a normal life and expects it will always be that way until she is nearly killed in a car accident. Saved by a stranger named Finn, she's whisked into a world where magic is real. The young witch soon starts to come into her elemental powers and this mysterious stranger is the only person she can turn to for guidance but can she really trust him?

 

At night, Blair is plagued by nightmares about her past lives, all of which include Finn. During the day the duo are on the run from a group of demons that were hired by an immortal witch that is set on revenge against them. Will Finn be able to help Blair unlock all of her memories and see her true elemental powers awaken? Or will the witch that has had a grudge against Blair for over 200 years kill her- again? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashley Tomlinson
• Release date: Mar 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201883775

Book preview

Chapter 1

Here she was waiting in her car and blaring on the horn while watching the clock ticking away her morning. If she left right now, she would still be able to get to work and make herself a cup of coffee before meeting the day with a fake smile. A fake smile was all Blair Plourde could muster most days while listening to people gripe and yell at her for something that totally wasn’t her fault. Oh, the joy of working at a call center for a phone company.

Let’s go, Lydia, she said before pressing the horn again. Normally her roommate would drive herself to work, but since Lydia’s car was in the shop, Blair was forced to do the nice thing and carpool.

The door to their town house opened and closed, and a petite blonde in nursing scrubs bounded toward Blair’s beige Toyota Camry. It was as old as dirt but still worked, so she was thankful for that.

Sorry, Lydia said, flopping down in the passenger seat beside her. I overslept. While Blair threw the Camry into reverse and drove away, Lydia flipped down the mirror.

Of course you overslept. You threw your alarm clock across the room, Blair said, stopping at the only stop sign on their street.

I know. These hours are killing me, Lydia said with a groan.

Nine to five? Most people would kill for those hours, Blair said, trying to keep her composure with her oldest and dearest friend.

Ugh. Not you, too, Blair. Lydia groaned, rolling her eyes. You know I prefer working nights, but my boss seems to think that only working nights isn’t healthy.

A silence filled the car for only a moment before Lydia broke it. I love your hair. I would kill for dark-red hair. Do you think I should dye my hair? Lydia rubbed some strands of Blair’s long wine-red hair between her fingers. Everyone always said Blair’s red hair made her blue eyes pop. Most people didn’t believe that her hair was naturally that dark-red hue, but Blair had never touched hair dye in her life. Her hair was virgin hair, as Brad Mondo would say.

No, I think blonde suits you so much better, Blair replied, pulling her hair free of Lydia’s grip.

Really?

Blair nodded her head without saying anything.

Lydia studied her blond bun in the mirror before closing it and letting the car fill with silence again. Normally her car ride to and from work was Blair’s only quiet of the whole day. Since her radio in her car was busted and she didn’t feel like spending her day off sitting in a greasy car-repair shop, she just dealt with the silence. Living with two roommates on very different schedules could be very loud, so she embraced her quiet car rides.

Lydia Walsh was an emergency room nurse who was very good at her job, although she was sometimes indecisive in her everyday life. She knew how to help sick people and had the empathetic personality that prevailed in her field. Blair and Lydia had grown up in the same cul-de-sac with only one house separating the two girls most of their lives. Lydia was always the fun one who went to parties every weekend from the moment she turned fifteen.

Their other roommate was Skye Marino, psychology student by day and bartender by night. The girl had enough energy to power the whole city, if only there was a way to bottle it. Lydia and Skye had met in college and then introduced Blair to the high-strung girl. The three of them were great friends because of how different they all were.

Blair was probably the odd one out in their group. She hadn’t gone to college, instead opting to just find a job that had decent hours until she figured out what she wanted to do with her life. It had been a few years now, and she still had no idea what she wanted to do. For now, she was content getting yelled at by people who screwed up on their end and just wanted to vent their frustrations at someone else.

Are you excited for our movie night? Lydia asked when the light in front of them turned red, forcing the car to a halt.

What movie are we watching this week? Blair asked, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel.

It’s Skye’s turn to choose. So probably some cheesy rom-com, Lydia answered. They both made a face in disgust because they both hated the genre.

At least we still have a day to prepare ourselves for that vomit fest, Blair said, hitting the gas when the light finally turned green. She turned the wheel into the hospital parking lot. Lydia unbuckled her seat belt but paused before getting out of the car.

A coworker is taking me to pick my car up at lunch, so don’t worry about picking me up, Lydia said, opening the door and dashing inside as fast as her short legs would carry her.

Blair punched the gas and sped out of the parking lot as quickly as she could. She only had five minutes to get herself to work. The problem with that was her office building was seven minutes away at best. Maybe if she could get through every light without needing to stop, she could just make it.

The light in front of her turned yellow, so she pushed the pedal down harder, hoping beyond all hope there wasn’t a cop anywhere nearby. There were only two traffic lights between her and her office building and less than three minutes to go.

The minutes were ticking down way too fast as she pulled into the parking lot that looked more filled than usual. She found an empty spot next to a shiny black Jeep Wrangler that had very dark tinted windows. She’d never seen the car in her life, but she didn’t have time to think about that right now.

Blair snatched her ID card from her rearview mirror, throwing it over her neck and dashing out the car. She put her track years to test, running to the front of the building. She was so thankful for choosing a pair of Converse for work today.

Thankfully, there wasn’t much of a dress code since everything was done over the phone. The only time she needed to dress up was when corporate came by once or twice a year. So her floral-print tank top under a plain-white sheer blouse with jeans and black Chucks were things she normally wore to work.

She pushed her ID to the scanner and snatched the door open when it beeped. Dave, the security guard, waved at her as she ran through the lobby. Better hurry, he called after her retreating body.

She could see her boss, Mr. Stewart, a few cubicles away with his back to her. His rotund form took up nearly the entire isle. He was talking to a young man who looked to be about her age, but with Mr. Stewart standing there, she couldn’t make out anything else about the stranger. Blair dropped down in her cubicle, shoving her mouse so the screen would come to life in front of her. She placed the headset on her head, pushing the button on the side to make sure it worked.

Her cubicle was small, just like all the others. While everyone else had a picture or two by their monitors of their kids or families, all that was on her desk were a couple plants that she had no idea how could still be alive. They never got sunlight, but she did remember to water them often. Plants just seemed to grow around her. It was something that she could never explain. Her bedroom in her town house was filled with plants of all sorts. Even some tropical plants that should not be alive in her state were thriving. Lydia always said her room looked more like a jungle than a bedroom.

Mr. Stewart and the young stranger made their way over to her cubicle, but Blair was busy trying to get her program to wake up so she could look like she had been there for a while.

Ah, nice of you to finally join us, Miss Plourde. A loud booming voice behind Blair made her jump in her seat. Blair turned in her chair to face Mr. Stewart. His overweight belly hung over his belt. The mucus-yellow shirt didn’t do him any favors and neither did the booger-colored suspenders. The green-and-yellow-striped suspenders he wore creaked in protest with every movement the man made. One deep breath and the suspenders could become weapons beheading anyone in their vicinity.

I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Stewart. I’ve been here, Blair lied, smiling up at the large man who was now glaring at her.

So when I made my rounds moments ago, you were what? Wearing your invisibility cloak again? he asked, his gray mustache quivering, showing his disapproval with every word. Blair wanted to smile at the excuse she’d given him last time, but she didn’t dare.

Of course not, sir. It’s at the dry cleaners, she responded, making him scowl even harder. There were a couple of snickers around the room, but no one said anything. I was in the bathroom, sir, Blair said, clearing her throat and hoping he would believe her because she couldn’t handle another tardy on her record. It made her a little aggravated that almost every tardy she had was due to Lydia in some way.

Right, he said amazingly, letting the subject drop. Well, this young man is Griffinn—

Please, it’s just Finn. The guy who Blair saw standing beside Mr. Stewart was dressed to impress in a button-down striped shirt and black slacks. He wasn’t wearing a tie, but he didn’t need one—he looked good enough without one. At least, that was what Blair was thinking when she took in his attire. When their eyes met, it felt like time stood still for a few seconds, like Blair had known this man her entire life, but she’d just met him. She tried to shake the odd feeling, tearing her eyes from his.

Right, this is Finn. He’s new to our team, so I want you to show him the ropes, Mr. Stewart said, not waiting for her to respond before he waddled away, his suspenders creaking with every step. An awkward quiet surrounded them as they both seemed to take the other in. Blair wished she wore something more figure flattering than an oversized blouse that she’d gotten from a thrift store. At least it was sheer enough that he could see that she wasn’t shaped like a potato sack.

Hi, I’m Blair, she said, coming to her senses and getting to her feet, holding out her hand to him. His blue-green eyes sparkled under the terrible fluorescent lighting. He reached his hand toward Blair’s outstretched hand and clasped it tightly in his. A shiver worked its way down her spine at the contact with the nicely dressed stranger.

Hello, Blair, he said, and the way her name sounded coming from the stranger’s mouth made her blush a bit. His dark-blond hair looked a little shaggy when you took in his outfit, but Blair didn’t mind that at all. It gave him a sexy edge. He looked like an edgier version of Liam Hemsworth.

Blair gestured for him to take the seat beside her. So what brings someone like you to this hellhole? Blair asked while she typed a few things into her computer so she could get the call-center program to open up finally.

What brings anyone here? he responded, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead his eyes took in her desk, mainly the plants that were thriving behind her keyboard and on top of the ancient computer monitor.

Well, for most of us, it’s the need to pay rent and feed ourselves, she answered, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

Why wouldn’t that pertain to me as well? he asked, spinning in his chair as he spoke, no longer looking at her lack of pictures.

Your clothes look really nice for working here, she told him.

The tags are still on them, he said, leaning in to whisper that last part. I just wanted to make sure I got the job.

Blair laughed and blushed a little at her quick judgment of him.

Smart, she replied before her phone started to ring. She handed him a headset so he could listen in on her call. Hello, this is Blair. How can I help you today? she asked in her fake customer-service voice, smiling over at Finn.

S o we have to do this all day every day? Finn asked Blair as they walked to their cars at the end of their workday. Most people had already left, but Blair needed to help Finn get an ID card made so he could scan in every morning without needing to wait on Dave to buzz him in. Dave was great and friendly, but he wasn’t always at his post. Some mornings he spent flirting with Angela, a call-center technician.

Yes, unfortunately so, Blair said in answer to his question. She opened her water bottle and poured the remaining water on a plant by the door. She felt like she was the only person who ever watered it. She’d started pouring her leftover water on it when she’d noticed it was withering away on her first week of work. Now it was so tall, the building manager had to hire people to trim it every year. Finn watched her curiously but didn’t say anything.

There were only a few cars left in the parking lot by the time they exited the building, Blair’s Camry and the shiny Jeep among them.

Wait. Is this yours? Blair asked, pointing to the Jeep.

Yep, it’s all mine, Finn answered, holding up his keys as proof.

I am so jealous. Jeep Wranglers are my all-time favorite cars, she told him, thinking about the old one her dad had owned when she was growing up. It was supposed to go to her when she got her license, but a car accident stopped that from happening and killed both of her parents in the process.

I’ll have to give you a ride sometime, he said, winking at her.

Absolutely, she responded, getting into her own car, regretting how run-down it looked next to his. She pushed those thoughts away when she drove away from the office building, loving how freeing leaving that place felt. She didn’t pay attention to the Jeep following her car.

She didn’t pay attention to any of her surroundings. She simply drove. When she pulled into her usual parking spot beside Lydia’s Acura, she was stunned to see the black Jeep pull into the spot on the other side of her car.

Blair got out of the car, thinking maybe he needed directions somewhere. Finn also got out of his car, looking over at her.

Are you stalking me? he asked, a smirk crossing his face.

What? Um, you were following me, Blair said, pointing to her car.

Actually I was following my GPS to my new house, he replied, pointing to the town house on the other side of her house. It had remained empty for a couple of months now. The girls were beginning to wonder if it was ever going to sell.

Oh, so I guess we’re neighbors, Blair answered, pointing to her own door.

See you tomorrow, Blair, Finn said before walking up his walkway and into his town house. Blair looked after him until his door closed and he was no longer in sight. She continued