"How long have I been in there?" Fredrick asked. I still couldn't believe a human being came out of a photocopying machine.

  "It's 2020, do the maths yourself." uncle Russell said handing Fredrick a glass of water. I looked at Fredrick and at Sean then back at Fredrick.

   "Isn't anyone seeing what I'm seeing?" I asked and everyone looked at me confused.

   "Sean, doesn't Fredrick look a lot like your dad?" I asked him noticing the striking resemblance the two men shared.

   "A little." Sean said.

   "So she's your niece?" Fredrick asked uncle Russell who shook his head.

   "I'm like her great grand dad. I made a genetic engineered body and transferred my consciousness to the body so to everyone I'm her uncle but within I'm the hundred and thirty year old Russell." uncle Russell explained to him. We heard a loud bang followed by multiple bangs.

  "The clones!" I gasped running to the basement, i totally forgot about the clones in the basement. I reached the door to the basement and opened it.

   "How could you leave us in here for so long?!" One of the replicas yelled and the three others pushed me out of the way  and left the basement.

  "What's going on?" Uncle Russell asked only to see the replicas storming off.

   "We have to find a way to keep them here or else, they'll be the end of you." Fredrick said trying to hold one of the replicas who stumped on his foot and he grunted in pain.

   "I know a couple of binding spells, maybe I can hold them or something." Scarlett said hurriedly.

   "Be careful, whatever happens to the copies happens to the girl." Fredrick said immediately.

   "Sean, Camilla help me round them up." Scarlett said running after the clones and I followed her. I grabbed one of the clones by her hair and I felt a sharp pain on my scalp. I let go of her hair and she ran towards the stairs and tripped, guess I'm still clumsy, clone or not. I realized that when she tripped, I didn't fall. This means that if the clone inflicts pain on themselves then it won't affect me. The clone ran towards the end of the hallway and I remembered that I left the attic stairs down yesterday.

   "Camilla, watch your back!"  I yelled and she turned to look at me confused. I stood staring at her and when she looked back in front of her, she slammed into the attic stairs. I winced as she fell on the floor with a thud. I tried dragging her down the stairs but it wasn't easy, when did I put on a lot of weight?

   "Here she is." I huffed and wheezed while dropping her at the last stair. Sean had tied the hands and legs of the clone he caught and Scarlett had two clones floating in the air. Uncle Russell helped me take my clone to the middle of the living room where Sean's own was. Scarlett carefully brought the clones suspended in air down to where the others were.

   "How could you..." The clone started.

   "Ad somnum somno diu realiter" Scarlett said and the three remaining clones fell on the floor with their eyes closed.

   "Did you -?" Sean asked terrified. Scarlett rolled her eyes at him.

   "No, they are just sleeping for a really long time." Scarlett said and I looked at her with wide eyes, " i mean, they are actually sleeping not dead."

   "Oh thank goodness." I said sighing in relief.

   "What do we do about the clones?" Fredrick asked.

   "I have no idea." uncle Russell replied sitting on the couch, "what business did you do with Azura?" Uncle Russell asked gaining all of our attention.

    "I.. i was going through some financial crisis. I had no idea how I was supposed to get money. I asked Azura for a favour and she agreed in exchange for my father's life. In the spur of the moment I agreed, but when the machine actually started making copies, I couldn't bring myself to sacrifice my father for my own selfish interest so I had to flee." Fredrick sighed, "at least I'm free for now."

   "No, you are not. I'll be back." uncle Russell said and he went inside.

   "So.." Sean started, " you are a mage huh?" Scarlett just turned her back to him. "What are your plans for the holiday?" Sean asked again.

    "I'm going to get a drink, does anyone want anything?" I asked and Scarlett sighed in relief.

    "I'll come with you." she said before rushing towards me. Fredrick chuckled and took a sip of his water.

    I entered the kitchen and Scarlett sat on one of the stools there.

   "Is he always like that?" She asked me

    "Sean?" I asked and she nodded, "only if he's interested in you."

   "Wait what?!" She exclaimed and I laughed.

    "Sean is a nice guy. He may act crazy but he's a good guy." I said truthfully. I took a can of soda and threw it towards her and she caught it with ease. I took mine and Sean's and closed the refrigerator.

   "Uncle Russell should be back by now. Let's go." I said and she nodded in agreement.

   "Do you have any idea what the curse is?" Uncle Russell asked.

   "How am I supposed to know? I've been trapped in a dang machine for years." Fredrick replied and uncle Russell sighed. I threw Sean's can of soda towards him and he almost dropped it.

    "Our only hope was Azura but she's dead" Sean said looking bored.

    "No, she's not." Scarlett replied and we all looked at her, " Azura is not dead. She's in a place between life and death. That's where witches and warlocks who willingly retire go to."

    "How do you know all of that?" Sean asked her, I was also thinking about the same thing, if she was seventeen, how does she know all of that and still keep up with school work?

    "I read about it in one of my grandma's books, plus Azura is a really powerful witch, she can't just die like that. She has to be there." Scarlett said.

   "Then how do we meet her?" I asked her.

    "We'll summon her."

*******
Another chapter. Vote, comment and share if you like the story so far.

Thanks for reading.

-Korisa