This is about a protection spell gone awry. It was first published in August, 2003 by the website Danse Magikal.

“What is this,” Tammy heard Becky ask. She turned to see her friend cupping an egg in her hands. The narrow end of the egg was covered with red wax. Becky was gently prodding wax with a well-manicured fingernail.

Tammy felt her lips curl upward in a slight smile. Her best friend knew full well about Tammy’s spell casting. Still, she sometimes had trouble accepting the incorporation of magick into everyday life.

“It’s a magick charm,” Tammy explained as she walked across the living room of her apartment toward Becky. “It’s meant to collect negative energy. To keep it from floating around free and infecting other people.”

Becky raised her emerald eyes from the egg in her hands and looked at Tammy. Raising one eyebrow, she asked, “Does it work?”

Tammy shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “It seems to.”

Becky used her fingernail to flake away a bit of the crimson wax from the egg.

“Don’t do that,” Tammy told her.

“Why?” Becky asked with a frown.

“You might release whatever energy it’s collected, that’s why,” Tammy told her.

Becky held up the wax-blotted egg. “How does it work?”

“You take a raw egg,” Tammy explained, “and carefully punch a small hole in one end. Then, you extract the egg itself from the shell. Next, you take the hollowed out eggshell and fill it with salt. After that, you use wax from a red candle to plug the hold and seal the salt inside the shell.” She paused, then added, “It’s supposed to draw negative energy into it and trap it inside.”

Becky nodded. “Kind of like a mystical air filter, then?”

Tammy laughed. “Pretty much.”

Rolling the egg over in her hands, Becky asked, “How often do you need to change it?”

Again, Tammy shrugged. She pointed to the charm in that Becky held. “That one has been here for months. The salt should clean whatever energy it traps, purifying it.”

“I could use one of these for my own apartment,” said Becky.

“Want me to make you one?” asked Tammy.

“Could you?” Becky turned and placed the egg back on the edge of the shelf where she found it. “Thanks.”

Tammy was about to reply when she saw the egg, released from Becky’s hand, start to roll. Before she could even begin to move, the egg charm rolled from the shelf and dropped to the carpeted floor. The shell landed with a faint crunching sound.

Becky gasped in shock. “Tammy! I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tammy consoled her. “I can vacuum it up. No problem.” Just as she was starting to turn away she heard Becky gasp again. Turning back, Tammy asked, “What’s wrong?”

Becky was staring at the floor where the egg had landed. Tammy’s gaze shifted from her friend to the egg. What she saw made her gasp, too.

The eggshell had split open, spilling salt out onto the carpet. The salt was no longer white. It had turned an ugly, dirty shade of brown. As Tammy watched, thin wisps of brown haze were drifting slowly up from the discolored salt.

Becky backed away slowly, putting more distance between her and the odd brown mist. Tammy moved with her, watching in amazement as the haze began to coalesce into a new form.

It took a few moments for the realization of what she was seeing to penetrate Tammy’s stunned mind. When it did, Tammy felt an icy cold chill creep up her spine and her stomach clenched tightly in fear. Beside her, Becky uttered a small groan.

The brown mist rising from the discolored salt had formed itself into an image of frightening familiarity.

For the most part, the image was transparent. However, here and there, the mist was dense enough to create the illusion of a solid form. From the waist down, there was nothing but slowly churning brown mist. Above the waist, the haze collected to form a rather generic female form with a slender waist. It was the face, though, that frightened Tammy, for it was her own.

She easily recognized the gentle curve of her own jawbone in the image before her. And the shape of her small nose. The brown haze had collected to form a wild parody of Tammy’s own long, flowing auburn hair. It was the eyes, however, that caused her the most anxiety. Rather than brown, like the rest of the image, the eyes were a soulless, inky black. They stared at Tammy with an inhuman lack of expression.

The ghostly brown image floated slowly toward her.

Beside her, Becky whimpered and asked Tammy what was happening. Unable to voice an answer, Tammy merely edged further away from the dirty brown shape and closer to Becky.

Then the specter reached out, the movement of its arm causing thin trailers of brown haze to drift from it, and grabbed hold of Tammy’s wrist.

Sharp needles of intense cold lanced into Tammy’s flesh at the touch, causing her to shriek loudly.

“Tammy!” Becky sobbed.

Pulling hard, Tammy tried in vain to free herself from the unnaturally cold grip of the thing that held her. It held on easily and reached for her other wrist with its free hand. Tammy felt her other hand grown numb with cold in the thing’s grip. Tammy twisted herself madly from one side to the other but could not free her hands.

She was dimly aware that Becky had moved, picking up a large vase from a nearby shelf. Becky threw the vase at the ghostly image that held Tammy. The porcelain vase passed straight through the specter, trailing streamers of filthy brown haze as it came out the other side and smashed against a wall.

The apparition released Tammy, turning it unfeeling shadowy eyes upon Becky. The thought that it might go after her next broke Tammy free of her horrified stupor. She grabbed Becky’s hand and ran, dragging he friend from the apartment.

Tammy led Becky from her own apartment and into Becky’s own place directly across the hall. Becky pulled free of Tammy’s grasp and slammed the door behind them.

“What was that thing?” Becky asked.

Shaken badly, Tammy leaned back against the wall beside the door. “I don’t know,” she told Becky. “Not for sure, anyway. But I know what it might be.” She glanced at Becky who gazed back expectantly. Tammy went on. “I think it might be my own negative energy, collected by the egg charm.” Again, she paused. Then she asked, “Did you notice how much it looked like me?”

Becky nodded, then asked, “Do you think it will follow us?”

Tammy sighed, not knowing. “I hope not.”

“How can we get rid of it?” Becky asked.

“I don’t know”

Becky fell silent for a few moments, apparently thinking. Then she asked, “What about another of your egg charms?”

Tammy shook her head slowly. “I don’t think that would work,” she said. “That one that broke had been there for months. It absorbed all that energy over time. Slowly, not all at once like what you’re suggesting.”

Frowning, Becky asked, “There’s no way to speed up the process?”

Tammy shrugged.

Becky moved to her couch and sat, waving to Tammy to join her. Tammy pushed herself away from the wall and lowered herself onto the plush couch beside Becky.

“Didn’t you tell me about some kind of binding spell before?” Becky asked. “Would that work? Could you use something like that and bind the negative energy to a new egg?"

After giving it a moment’s thought, Tammy said, “It might work. If that…thing… would leave me alone long enough to do the spell.”

They were both silent for some time. Becky broke the silence by asking, “Why was it after you in the first place?”

Tammy had been thinking about that already and had an answer for her friend. “I think it’s because it came from me,” she said. “What we saw was a physical manifestation of my own negative energy.” She looked Becky straight in the eye. “It came from me and it wants to return home.”

Becky’s nose wrinkled, as if the thought of the dirty brown haze entering Tammy’s body disgusted her as much as it did Tammy herself.

“I can’t believe that something like that came from me to begin with,” Tammy admitted.

Becky shifted slightly and placed a comforting hand on Tammy’s shoulder. “Everyone has that energy inside them,” she said. “You’ve said it yourself, though – that charm pulled that energy out of the air and held it, letting it pile up for months. That’s why there is as much of it as what there is now. You’re not a bad person, Tammy. That thing in your apartment is not a representation of you. It’s months worth of negativity. It’s skewed, off balance. It’s not you. Okay?”

Tammy nodded. “I know that. But that doesn’t change the fact that it came from me.”

“Yes,” Becky said. “It came from you. Over time, little bit by little bit. But it is not you. All right? It’s not you. Now, why don’t we try your binding spell? You said that it might work.”

“Okay,” Tammy told her. “I can’t think of a better plan.”

Becky patted Tammy’s shoulder and then stood. “I’ll get us an egg to use.” She started toward the kitchen and then stopped. “I just remembered. I don’t have any candles. We’ll need a red candle, right?”

“Yeah,” Tammy said. “I’ve got some, but they’re in my apartment. And I’m not willing to risk either of us going back in there until we can deal with that thing.”

“I agree,” said Becky. “Why don’t I run to the store for the candles while you stay here and get the egg ready?”

“Okay.”

Becky looked at Tammy closely. “Are you okay?”

Tammy sighed. “As well as I can be, I guess.”

Becky moved closer to her. “Just remember, Tammy…That is not you. Okay?”

“I know,” Tammy said. “I just…Never mind. Do you mind if we make two egg charms?” she asked. “Just in case?”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Becky told her as she picked up her car keys. “Go ahead and get them ready. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Becky left and Tammy took two eggs from the refrigerator. Moving to the counter, she set the eggs down, placing them so they wouldn’t roll off. She then rummaged through drawers until she found a meat thermometer. Tammy used the small, pointed end of the thermometer to poke a small hole in the narrow end of each egg.

Next, Tammy held one of the eggs over the sink with the hole down. Clear, raw egg began to ooze through the opening. Using her bare fingers, Tammy helped pull it out, grimacing slightly as the yellow egg yolk ran over her hand. When the shell was emptied Tammy repeated the process with the second egg.

Setting the hollow eggshells to one side, Tammy washed the raw egg off of her hands and then found a container of salt in one of Becky’s cupboards. Returning to the drawer where she had found the thermometer, Tammy pulled out a small kitchen funnel.

Picking up one of the empty eggshells, Tammy flipped open the box of salt. It was awkward trying to hold the funnel over the hold in the eggshell with one hand while slowly pouring salt with her other. But, somehow, she managed. Once the first eggshell was filled with salt Tammy went to work on the other one.

She had just finished filling the second shell when Becky returned with a box of red candles. Becky held the salt-filled eggshells while Tammy lit one of the candles and dripped melted wax onto the holes, sealing the salt inside and plugging them. Tammy then took one of the charms to hold while the wax cooled and hardened. As they worked Becky told Tammy that several of their neighbors had been in the hallway, drawn by the disturbance in Tammy’s apartment.

Tammy’s felt her eyes go wide. “I hadn’t even thought...None of them tried to go in did they?”

“No,” said Becky.

“What did you tell them?” Tammy asked.

Becky shrugged quickly. “I told them that we were doing some rearranging in your apartment and a vase got dropped. That seemed to satisfy them.”

“Good,” Tammy said with a heart-felt sigh of relief.

While they waited for the candle wax to cool, Becky asked, “You do know the proper binding spell to use, don’t you?”

“I have one memorized,” Tammy told her. “I hope it works. If it doesn’t I’ll have to look up a more powerful one in one of my books. The trouble is, that thing will probably come after us as soon as we go back into my apartment. I may not have time to look the spell up.”

“Then I hope the one you have memorized works,” Becky told her.

“Me, too,” Tammy said. “But, it’s a minor spell and may not work.”

“If it doesn’t,” Becky said, “I could try to distract that thing long enough for you to look up the spell you need.”

Tammy did not like the idea of Becky placing herself in even greater danger. Still, she knew, this had to be done. She nodded and said, “You may have to.”

Becky poked at the wax on the charm that she held. “It’s hard,” she said. “You ready to do this?”

Tammy took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. “No,” she said honestly. “I’m not. But we need to do it. Let’s go.”

With each of them holding one of the freshly made egg charms they left Becky’s apartment and returned to Tammy’s across the hall. The moment Tammy opened the door she saw the dirty brown shape of the mass of negative energy. It was still shaped like her from the waist up. Below the waist was nothing but roiling brown mist. The thing stared at them with coal black eyes.

After only a moment, the shade began to drift toward them. Its arms came up, nebulous hands reaching out toward Tammy. Thin streamers of grungy brown haze floated from its fingers as it moved.

Becky moved forward, placing herself between the advancing cloud of negative energy and Tammy. She held her egg charm before her in a violently shaking hand.

“Stay back,” Tammy told her.

Ignoring her, Becky held her hand, and the charm, closer to the ghostly image before her.

The brown cloud of negative energy continued to move toward her. Becky refused to move, holding her ground as it advanced on her. Then it passed through her body, like a phantom through a wall.

Becky drew in air, the sound a harsh and rasping. Her body began to shake uncontrollably. Somehow she managed to hold onto the salt-filled eggshell in her hand. Tammy saw thin streamers of brown haze trail from the specter to the charm that Becky held.

Moving quickly, Tammy rushed forward, ducking around the bundle of negative energy, and cupped her hands around Becky’s own, Beneath Tammy’s fingers, Becky’s skin was frigid. Tammy felt the iciness of the strands of negative energy that were attached to the egg. As the ghostly image began to turn back toward them, Tammy took a breath and recited the spell.

“Symbol of the Moon,
Symbol of the Lady Divine.
Reject all negativity and
Defend this room, me, and mine!”

Tammy saw the ghostly image of herself twist, as if in pain. The trailers of brown haze connected to the egg charm that she and Becky held began to thicken as more of the negative energy was drawn to the magick charm.

Becky shivered and whimpered and Tammy was not sure Becky even realized what was happening.

The writhing specter drifted closer to them, hands reaching out for Tammy. Its hazy, transparent fingers had curled into claws.

Suddenly, Becky started to gasp, short, ragged breaths as if she were beginning to hyperventilate. She twisted hard, pulling away from Tammy and wrenching the charm from her grasp.

With Tammy no longer in contact with the charm, the cloud of negative energy seemed to grow stronger again, gathering strength. Tammy saw curling lines of the brown haze withdraw from the eggshell, winding their way back to rejoin the ghostly image they had been pulled from only moments before. The cloud of negativity was no longer twisting, trying to free itself. It drifted forward once more, moving toward Tammy, ignoring Becky.

“Hey!” Becky shouted at the cloud as it advanced on Tammy.

It ignored her in favor of Tammy.

Becky glanced at Tammy, who was backing away from the ghostly image, her own egg charm still in hand. Then Becky pulled back her arm and threw the charm she held at the brown specter. The salt-filled eggshell passed directly through it, coming out the other side trailing brown vapor. Becky’s egg smashed into the wall, spilling salt crystals and bits of eggshell onto the carpet of Tammy’s living room.

For a brief moment the thing turned, locking its soulless black eyes onto Becky. Then it shifted its blank gaze back to Tammy as it moved toward her. The brown mist that composed the lower half of the image churned lazily as it moved. Tammy backed around the room, avoiding the half-humanoid cloud.

“The spell didn’t work,” she told Becky. “I need something stronger.”

Becky nodded without a word and darted to the remains of her egg charm. Bending quickly, she scooped up a handful of the salt and flung it at the phantom shape.

As the salt penetrated the brown haze, the thing twitched as if in pain. It turned, searching for the source of its discomfort.

Tammy took the opportunity and dashed to a bookcase on the other side of the room. Shoving aside several volumes, she found the one she wanted. It was very thick book, bound in an old-fashioned leather cover. Tammy found it awkward to manage both the book and the charm she held. As she opened the book she glanced up. The warped image of herself that the negative energy had formed had once again turned its back on Becky and was floating toward her.

“Do something!” said Becky.

“Come on!” Tammy urged her friend, waving her forward.

Becky hurried forward; skirting around the ghostly form as it closed in on Tammy. Tammy led Becky down a short hallway and into the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

“I need to find the spell,” Tammy told her. “It’s in this book. Somewhere. Keep that thing out of here until I can find it.”

Tammy set the book and her egg charm on a small desk and began to flip through the book. A moment later Becky called her name. Looking up, Tammy saw brown mist beginning to drift in under the bedroom door. Turning quickly, she tugged the quilt from her bed and tossed it to Becky.

“Plug it!” she said.

Becky dropped to her knees, placing the quilt on the floor at the bottom of the door. Leaning forward, Becky held it in place.

Tammy returned her attention to the book on the desk. From time to time she spared Becky a quick glance. Becky was trying to hold the quilt in place but it seemed to be trying to work its way out of her grasp. Small wisps of brown mist slipped through every once in a while as the quilt slid and jerked.

“Hurry!” Becky called. “It’s coming through!”

Tammy looked up again to see that enough of the haze had made it into the room to begin reforming into the twisted parody of her own image once again. Turning her full attention back to the book, Tammy quickly flipped through the pages. Suddenly, she found what she had been looking for.

“Come here,” Tammy told Becky.

Becky stood and moved quickly away from the door, darting to Tammy’s side. The thick quilt flew away from the door, landing in a heap several feet away. Brown mist rushed in under the door, rising up to finish forming the spectral image that had been in the living room. The thing fixed its dark eyes on Tammy and drifted toward her. Its mouth opened slightly, forming a grotesque hollow in the lower third of the transparent brown face. Tammy felt a wave of revulsion sweep through her at the sight.

“Hold the book,” Tammy instructed Becky. “Don’t let the pages turn.”

Becky took the book, holding it for Tammy.

Tammy picked up her egg charm from the desk and scanned the spell on the page of the book one last time. Then, as the brown haze moved closer to her, she held the magick charm toward it. Closing her eyes, Tammy imagined a shaft of brilliant white light lancing upward from the Earth, its pure energy coursing through her body. As the image formed she felt focused, warm, and energized. Taking a last calming breath, she recited.

“White light surrounds, fills this charm.
Be bound to it and do no harm.
Remain with it evermore, never again free as before.
Your prison, your cage, your cell.
Long as you are here, all is well.
With these words, my power is held over thee.
So mote it be!”

As Tammy spoke the final words she felt a surge of power flow through her body, a warm tingling sensation. She clenched her eyes tightly, both reveling in the feeling and trying to strengthen it. Becky’s small, astonished gasp from beside her caused Tammy to open her eyes once more. She was amazed at what she saw before her.

The dirty brown cloud, comprised of her own negative energy, had ceased its forward advance. The shallow depression that represented its mouth was gaping wide open, as if in shock or pain. Slowly, but with steadily increasing speed, thin trailers of the discolored mist were being drawn away from the cloud and toward the salt-filled eggshell in Tammy’s hand. The brown haze was being pulled into the charm, passing through the hollowed shell, as it touched it. As Tammy watched, with Becky beside her, more and more of the dirty cloud was pulled away, sucked into the magick charm she held. The ghostly cloud that wore a parody of Tammy’s own face was steadily growing thinner and thinner, more transparent. Then it was gone, the final bit of brown mist pulled into the charm.

Tammy stood in place, staring at the spot where the grotesque image had been only seconds before. A loud thud drew her attention to Becky and Tammy saw that the heavy book Becky had been holding had dropped to the floor, slipping through Becky’s hands. Glancing down, Tammy saw that the book had fallen closed.

“What just happened?” Becky asked.

Tammy’s eyes shifted from the book on the floor to the magick charm in her outreached hand. She drew the eggshell closer to her, gazing at it in awe.

“It worked,” she told Becky. “The energy is bound to this.” As she spoke, Tammy held the eggshell up before Becky’s face.

Becky’s eyes focused on the charm. Then she blinked. “What are you going to do with it?”

After giving the question a moment’s thought, Tammy smiled at her friend. “I know,” she said. “My boyfriend works construction. Tomorrow, his crew is scheduled to start pouring the foundation for their current project. I’ll put this,” she said, holding up the charm, “in a plastic container for protection. Then I’ll give it to him and have him bury it in the ground before they start to pour the concrete. The container will keep the charm from being broken.”

Becky nodded. “And with it buried under a building, we should not have to worry about it again. Right?”

“Right.”

“Good idea,” Becky told Tammy. Then she asked, “Are you planning on using any more of those charms in the future?”

Tammy hesitated a moment, then answered, “Yes.”

Becky looked at her, frowning. “Why?”

“Well, we know for sure that they work,” Tammy replied.

Placing a hand on Tammy’s shoulder, Becky said, “Just do not forget to change to them more often in the future, then. Okay?”

Tammy laughed, feeling tension drain from her body. “Right,” she said. “I don’t want any more rotten eggs sitting around my apartment.”