This is the best place to practice.

Cassie came out into the clearing where stood the abandoned house, where she had first learnt that she was a witch. She looked around and listened, everything seemed quiet, the house was probably empty. She made her way through the front door, and into the living room. She liked to be here alone sometimes, it was quiet and away from everything and it was a good place to learn and practice new spells, she thought. She pulled her family's book of shadows out of her bag, sat on the couch and flipped through the pages looking for a new spell to try.

Roscoe and I had been walking for days we were tired and just wanted a place to sleep. Luck had finally come our way when we found a abandoned house in a field. "It seems we can finally have a place to sleep for awhile Roscoe." I said smiling down at my loyal Rotweiler dog. Roscoe barked happily. I pulled my backpack over my shoulder and headed for the building.

Cassie was reading through a pretty interesting page of her book of shadows when she heard a bark that seemed to be coming from outside, not too far from the house. She got up and looked out one of the windows. She noticed a girl, who was probably around her age, walking towards the house with her dog. She quickly hid her book, where she was pretty sure no one would find it, then she opened the door. The girl who was walking towards her didn't seem familiar, she didn't remember ever seeing her in school. "Hi. Who are you?" She asked the girl, wondering why someone would be coming to this abandoned house, it was where her and her circle practiced their magic and she had never seen anyone else around it before.

My luck would turn out bad. "Uh hi, Im Rachel." I said confused. I didn't understand why this girl would be answering the door because well who would live in a place with no heat and rundown? "Me and my dog were looking for a place to sleep but I see its already being used so sorry for bothering you." I said and turned to leave.

She frowned a little at Rachel, why would someone want to sleep in a place like this. Cassie then looked her up and down, she did seem quite tired. By the looks of her, maybe she didn't have anywhere else to sleep. "Rachel, wait. Why are you looking for a place to sleep? You can't sleep at your house?" She asked, wanting to know why she was here before letting her in, because she had had quite a few not so pleasant experiences with strangers in this town.

I turned back to the girl. What could I tell her? I've been living on the streets for three years because my witch hunter uncle kicked me out and is trying to kill me? Well its true but I don't think its a good idea to tell someone that. I gues I should just keep close to the truth, she does look nice. "I'm homless. I got kicked out of my family's home a few years ago. I was just looking for a place for me and Roscoe to stay for awhile and then move on." I told her.

Cassie looked at her for a moment, she looked like a nice girl, but she knew very well that appearances could be deceiving. However, if she said no and the girl was telling the truth, that thought made her feel bad for the girl standing in front of her. She wanted to give her a place to stay, but she didn't think that it would be the best idea to let her stay here. Especially since this is where her circle often came when they wanted to be away from everyone to practice their magic and stuff like that, also this was where two of their book of shadows were hidden, along with different plants and ingredients they used for their spells. She couldn't risk having someone that she didn't know anything about going through that stuff. "This isn't really a nice place to stay. Why don't I bring you into town and we can find something better for you?" She asked, smiling a little at her, but still staying cautious, especially with that dog looking at her too.

I saw the way she was looking at Roscoe and laughed. "Don't worry he doesn't bite unless I give him a command to and thanks but I don't have any money to pay for anything. Roscoe and I will be fine though, right boy?" I said smiling. Roscoe barked in agrement.

Cassie looked at Rachel then back at the dog, and smiled a little, "That's good, but he must be a good guard dog, I mean he looks like a really strong dog." As she watched them, she became less wary of them, she seemed nice, and the dog didn't have any kind of ferocious look on it's face, so Cassie decided to trust them, for now. Cassie just remembered something, since Jake was gone, no one was using her neighbors house, she'd have to ask what the others thought about it first, but maybe she could stay there for a couple nights. "I might have an idea of where you could stay, and it won't cost you anything, but i'll have to make sure it's okay first." She said, and made her way down the step towards her.

I looked down and petted Roscoe on the head after the girl complimented him. Roscoe was my guard dog and I was lucky to have him. I looked back up at her. "No its alright, we'll be fine. This isn't the first time something like this has happend to Roscoe and I, we can manage." I said not believeing my own words. I mean we could manage but after we had been sleeping in alleys and bus stops without actually getting a full nights rest I was too tired to contiue looking for somwhere safe for us to sleep, but we had to keep moving. Maybe I could build us a fort or something in these woods.

Cassie thought that Rachel didn't look sure about what she was saying, where would they stay? Most likely outside or something, but if the girl didn't want to take her up on her offer, it was her choice, Cassie couldn't force her. "If you're sure. I really don't mind finding you a place to stay, but if you don't want a warm bed and a roof over your head for the night..." She said, looking at her questioningly, wondering if she was reconsidering.

Warm bed. Man that sounded nice, but where could she possibly give me a place to stay for the night without paying? I looked down at Roscoe and he gave me the look that said "Come on do it, its only one night besides we'll be gone by morning refreshed and ready to move on." I'm so tired I think a dog is giving me looks. "Where is this place?" I asked. If I was going to take up this girls offer I had to decided if it was a good place for me and Roscoe.

Cassie smiled to herself a little when she heard the girl say, "Where is this place?" She had known that if Rachel really needed a place to stay, she couldn't say no to that offer. Cassie would have felt so guilty if because of her this girl and her dog would've had to sleep outside. "I had a neighbor, and well he's gone now..." She said a little sadly, and angrily at the same time, but the she shook those thoughts out of her head, this was not the time to start thinking of Jake and Nick again. "Well, their house is empty, so you can stay there for the night if you want."

Was she serious? "Forgive me if this sounds rude, but your offering for me to stay in your neighbors house and they aren't there? What if they showed up while Roscoe and I were sleeping in one of their beds! I could get arrested for breaking and entering." I said freaking out. Not that I wasn't extremely grateful she wanted to help me and Roscoe but sleeping in somone's house without them knowing seemed disrespectful.

Cassie shook her head at Rachel, "Don't worry about that. They won't be showing up any time soon." She wasn't going to tell this girl everything that had happened, but obviously Nick wasn't going to be back in the house, and she doubted Jake would be back any time soon, after everything that happened with them. She just looked at her, "Just trust me. No one will show up. And even if someone did, i'll deal with them."

This girl did seem serious about wanting to let me stay in her neighbor's house but I couldn't get rid of the feeling of it being a little disrespectful. I looked at Roscoe again ready for some other weird look he'd give me but all I saw was my only best friend tired from all the traveling and was ready for a goodnights rest. I looked back to the girl. "Can you promise me no one will show up. I'm not okay with sleeping in someone's house but its the nicest offer I had in a long time and I can't put Roscoe through anymore traveling, he needs to rest or I'll lose him. I need to know for sure that nothing will happen."

Cassie smiled a little at her, she doubted anything would happen, but she couldn't promise that nothing would happen. She had learned that things happened, especially things you least expected. "No one's going to show up, but if you're really too worried about that, i guess you could always sleep on my couch." She said, and hoped that her grandma wouldn't be too upset about her bringing in someone she didn't even know into their house.

One night. Thats all I needed, one goodnight rest and I could be on my way. I had to think about Roscoe too much traveling could tire him out and losing him would devastate me. "Wherever is fine. It will just be one night anyway and to repay you I could help you with anything, its the least I can do to thank you."

Cassie walked over so that she was standing in front of Rachel and she shook her head, "You don't have to repay me, but if I think of something you could do, i'll let you know." She said with a smile. She threw a quick glance towards the house, then turned towards the forest. "Should we go now then?"

"Lead the way." I said giving the girl a smile. I really was very thankful she offered to help. Maybe my luck would start to change soon.

Cassie smiled back at her, and then she walked through the forest with the girl following close behind her. "So, how did you end up over here anyway?" She asked, glancing at her over her shoulder.

I walked with the girl and it was silent until she asked how Roscoe and I ended up here. I smiled at the memory. "Roscoe and I were walking and he saw a squirrel and decided to chase after it. I followed him and then I didn't know how to get back to the streets so I figured we might find someone to help us get back."

Cassie laughed a little as she imagined the dog chasing a squirrel. "Good thing you found me then, I don't think it would of been much fun having to be in the woods during the night." She was silent again for a bit, then looked at Rachel again, "but I meant, how did you end up out here, on your own. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I was just wondering what happened."

I walked silently for a moment wondering how I should explain. I mean I couldn't tell this girl, who I didn't even, know that I was a witch and my witch hunter uncle was looking for me, but then she seemed pretty suspicious too. "My uncle had found out something about me that he didn't like and I was kicked out because of it, he looking for me now but not in a reconcile way." I said with some bitterness.

Cassie looked at Rachel a little sadly, she had lost most of her family, now she only had her grandmother left, and she couldn't imagine how it would feel if she kicked her out of the house, and never wanted to see her again. However, she could never imagine her grandmother ever doing something like that to her. "What did you do that made him that mad at you?"