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Single mother and growing generations of witches. How twin witches go to war. |
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Prose Synopsis The story begins with Sarah. Sarah is an abused teenager who leaves a terrible home life to marry a preacher’s son. Sarah is a fourteen-year-old pale red-headed girl, and J.J is a tall black seventeen-year-old boy. After his father finds out that the two marry, his parents send him back to Europe to school. Sarah is left with nowhere to go. Then while looking for help to take care of her unborn child, she takes a babysitting job from a wealthy couple with twin children. She works for them for a week, and Mark betrays her trust. She finds a coven. There she finds a family. She gave birth to her daughter Matilda. Matilda learns to cast spells at five years old. Matilda marries the only other person her age in the coven Damion. Matilda and Damion have a set of twins. Mary and Mercy were their names. They were born at the coven, but when the girls were three, Matilda meets Rev. Dallas. The family leaves the coven and converts to Christianity. The twins learn they have powers as teenagers, and they decide to go to find their past. Mary remains true to Christianity, and she is shocked to find out that she came from witches. She wants no part of the craft. Mercy loves the thought of the power that comes from magic. She decides to stay in the coven. After a few months, Mercy overthrows Willow by using pretense of friendship to get close and killed Willow as she slept. Mercy reigns the coven with black magic, and Mary tries to pray her sister back. When Mary learns that Mercy plans to kill their mother, Mary burns down the coven with grand-mother, sister, and all witches inside. Chapter one Edward Simkins Edward Simkins sits quietly at his cluttered desk. His elbows pressed into scattered city maps marked with blue lines and red flags. Both hands holding his disappointed face. Unlike the busy days before, this time he was just staring at the pink slip with Friday’s date boldly printed across it. How could he tell his wife that he lost the job? He had been employed in this position since college graduation. How could he supply the needs for his two sons and his unborn daughter? She will have even greater needs than the boys. “Hey, Edward.” He looked at the door that he had forgotten to shut. He locked eyes with his secretary who looked as if she had been crying. He had forgotten the employees that worked under his supervision. They had less than he. Did they have any money saved to help them until something else opened up for them after his department on Friday? “Meggie, may I help you?” Edward tried to cover his own pain. “I wanted if you were, ok?” she asked. “Yes, I am fine.” He looks down at the desk drawer where he had the petty cash stored. “Do you have a job lined up?’ “No, not yet.” She replied. “I have not had time to look. My wife just got out of the hospital. “ Edward opened up the drawer, looked past the bottle of rum, and grabbed the bank bag. He reached it to her. “I cannot do much, but I want you to take this to help you until you find something.” “Sir, this is too much.” “I wish I could do more.” Edward motions toward the door. “You can leave now. You can come back Friday to get your check.” “Thank you.” She said walking toward the door. Her voice nearly inaudible because of her emotions. “Please close the door behind you.” When the door was closed, he reached into the drawer for the bottle of rum. He drinks a shot from the dirty glass. Then he decides that he didn’t need the glass. He felt better by just turning up the bottle much like a toddler nursing milk from his bottle. The next morning Edward opened his eyes. His neck was sore. He wiped the drool from his face. This was when he knew that he had to get his family away before he takes them down a slippery slope. He knew that the big city helps way too much alcohol. Emma and Edward moved to the area to find peace from the noise of New York. Edward had lost his job as a transportation specialist and could not make ends meet in the city any longer for his family. Unable to purchase the things needed to keep a house going, he started to drink spending what money he could make on alcohol. It appears moving away from the bars would be the best solution to save a man, a marriage, and a family. With dreams of living off the land, Emma, Edward, Lee 6, and Jake 3 moved to “Nowhere”. Emma, being eight months pregnant with Sara, wobbled holding tight to the unpainted-splintery rails as she climbed the squeaky steps up the rickety old steps to the uneven wooden door. When they first moved into the shabby little three-bedroom house that had some of the windows covered up with boards, the family had dreams of a happier life together. Their two sons would grow up and be farmers, and their only daughter would be happy homemakers. Chapter two Emma’s depression Sara is a thirteen-year-old girl with red hair and freckles. She weighed 86 pounds, and she was only 4’ 11” tall. Her slender body showed little signs of becoming a woman. She was seen more dressed in dirty-torn jeans than clean dresses because she loved to play and run with her brothers. Miles of old forsaken roads and hill sides were their playground. Her family lived in a little township with a population of 350 people. She and her brothers played from sunup until sundown every day. They were happy and unaware of the pain that their mother felt from being isolated. Emma woke up at five in the morning. She made sure that the children had eaten and off to school. The boys now worked on the farm with their father. Being twenty and seventeen, Lee and Jake worked the fields. After Sara left for school, Emma was alone with only her housework to keep her company. Day after day she longed to have friends to go out to dinner with. She only had memories of her wealthy family in New York. She was slipping deeper and deeper into a depression without anyone having time to notice. Emma watches Sarah stroll down the dirt road to her bus stop. She was so proud of how the children grew up to be strong, morally independent people. She had tears running down her eyes. In her heart, she knew that this would be the last time she would see her little red head again. Emma looked over in the back yard toward the barn. She dreaded doing the laundry in the heat. She has been feeling alone as she does every day for the past thirteen years. She began her washing. One item after another, she rubbed on the washboard, shake, and hung on the line. Memories of when she would sit around the tables in the local laundry mats with other housewives, filled her mind. Even simple things like chores were social to Emma. She would attend quilting parties. You could find her in community kitchens. Yea all those days were gone. No family. No friends. Only day in and day out cleaning and cooking all alone. First, she hangs a load of underwear on the line. Next the kids’ jeans went up. Then she reached into the basket, pulling out a blue dress. “How did that get in there?” She asked herself. When she saw the dress hanging by its shoulders, memories came flooding back of all the experiences that she had taken away from her children by moving into this small community. Without thinking Emma reaches for the next line to continue hanging shirts. She pulls it taunt, tippy toes to reach it, and pulls slack in the line. Then she makes a small loop in the stretchy material and pushes her head through it. There is no way Emma would know that this one act would ruin her family. Emma’s eyes turning back into her face would never see the damage that she began in the life of her children. While she was gasping for air that could not be received, she was turning her functional family into angry people who victimized her young daughter. As her feet twitched body searching for oxygen, she could not have known what her suicide would lead to. Chapter three Sara’s live changes When Sara came home from school, there were no cookies on the table. There wasn’t the order of dinner in the stove. The house was as clean as it usually was, but her mother was not to be seen. “Mom,” Sara calls as she walks from room to room in search of her mother. Not finding her, she opens the back door to walk to the barn where she hoped to find her mother grooming a horse or talking with her father. “Oh, my God!” Sarah screamed. She ran to the clothesline where her mother had wrapped the cotton string around her neck and fell to her knees. Her eyes were open staring right toward Sarah, and one of Emma’s earrings were lying beside her. Struggle and pull as she might, Sarah could not save her mother. From that day forth, her father blamed himself for driving Emma to kill herself, but he blamed Sarah more for not saving her. Things had changed. Her father was no longer her “Daddy”. He was her capture. Her brothers were no longer her playmates playing the games that they had once enjoyed. They had become her tormentors. They played different kinds of games since the grief of losing the only woman they had learned to love. She tried to protect her heart from becoming rigid with the many skeletons forming in her closet. Some were trials that could never be expressed. She had kept hiding away in her tattered heart. Since her mother died everyday was filled with guilt, but day after day she became deeper into a world of slavery and incest. She had been beaten by her dad and older brothers. Her father lay drunk since her mother was hanging from the same place that she once hung his clothing out to dry; her brothers exploited her as they pleased. She was their slave at times working doing all the chores or any job that they wanted completed. Late at night, she had to fulfill their needs and those of their friends in ways sister should never have any knowledge of. Chapter four J.J A year had passed since Emma had taken her own life, Sarah found someone with whom she fell in love. Sara was only fourteen when she married Jimmy Johnson. J.J. was a friend of her oldest brother Lee. He was smart. He is a straight A student. J.J. knew the BIBLE inside and out, but he was a rebellious son of Preacher. He was happy and wanted to help everyone that he met due to his religious up-bringing. He got himself into trouble because he didn’t care who his friends were. He was the only male that treated her as if she was a young woman. He would slip into her room late at night, but not to forcefully take her as the other boys did. J.J. would wait until all the family went to sleep. He crawled into her bed. He would kiss away her tears and hold her so she could go peacefully to sleep. He was the only male who ever considered her as human. When J.J. told his parents of his young white girlfriend, James Sr and Martha Johnson was shocked. The pastor and his wife believed strongly that marrying outside their race was an unforgivable sin. This left the two young lovers only one option. J.J. would take his precious love into the next county where they could be married without question. After the long ride, Sarah loved hearing those magic words, “You may kiss the bride.” It didn’t matter that she had no dress, no cake, or even family. It wasn’t important that the only people to witness was the elderly preacher, his wife, their little Jack Russell, and of course God. All the couple had in cash was $35. “It won’t be much of a honeymoon.” He stood on the porch of the little white church. He points to the ratty hotel a block away. The sign read Vac_nc_ due to the fact the neon lights were not all shining. J.J. carried Sarah into room 33. The smell of musk filled their noses, the spread on the bed was worn, and the air conditioner didn’t work. Sarah knew that she had J.J. who loved her, and this was all that was important to her. Chapter six Wedding night Sarah opens her eyes in response to the sound of pounding on the door. Who could be knocking? No one knew where she had J.J. had spent their wedding night. Then she heard a loud masculine voice, “Junior!” The voice woke her new groom. His face was white with fear. The face that she could only surmise was because the man behind the door was his father, the Pastor. The two hurried to find their clothes. “Just a minute, Dad.” J.J. replied. He whispers to his bride, “don’t worry. You are my wife and there isn’t anything he can do to change that.” J.J. opens the door expecting to see only his angry father with his stable mother to smooth the fire that undoubtedly burned in James’ eyes for his son’s betrayal. However, there stood James, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him stood Sarah’s father Edward, powered the many drinks that he consumed throughout the night. Sarah’s brothers Lee and Jake had tagged along. Both her brothers were over six and a half feet tall. They stood over her five-foot six-inch husband, like mountains. Lee slaps Sara, knocking her on the floor. J.J. ran over to her side. With one quick kick from the strong farmer’s leg, Lee had thrown the groom against his wife. The couple lay motionless against each other until Edward grabs Sarah by her hair and pulls her to the other side of the room. He held her back to watch her brothers beat the one she loved. She screams, “James, that’s your son.” She looks at James. “They are killing him. STOP!” James yells to the brothers, “Stop, this is my son. I will take him far away.” “Daddy, Daddy!” Sarah begs her father. “Please let him go. Make them stop, and I will never see him again.” Lee and Jake throw him out the door. James follows him. He helps his son back in the truck. Sarah sees taillights dim as they drive off through her swollen eyes. She knew that she would never see him again. She never saw J.J. again, but she refused to go home. When she left the room, she was dropped by the hospital. She didn’t tell anyone what had really happened, but she signed herself out to journey into the unknown. Chapter seven Found a job Sarah spent most of her time researching programs to find help with herself and her unborn child. Screen after screen was filled with lists of churches. “Surely,” Sarah thought, “will help me. They believe that God loves everyone.” However, every time she dialed a number, she was either redirected to call another number or told that they only help those who are members of their church. Time after time, she was disappointed. Angry that she could not receive any kind of benefits that gave her hope. Sarah cried into the receiver, “Is this how your God treats his creations? I want no part of him!” Before the office secretary could utter another word, Sarah slams down the earpiece of the pay phone. She slides her back down the library wall, hides her face in her hands, and sobs. “Are you ok?” asks a handsome man. He was well dressed, and about the age of her father. His look of concern caught her by surprise. She wipes the dampness from her eyes. “I have just had a bad day.” She uttered thankfully that someone even noticed her, but she was weary to trust him. “When is the baby due?” “I am not sure.” Sarah replies as she realizes that she had never seen a doctor. She looks at her swollen belly and rubs the baby lump. He reaches out his hand to her. When she reached out to shake hands, Mark gently pulled her up to her feet. “My wife and I live three blocks away. She is a wonderful cook, and a great mother.” He paused. “Give me a moment to check out these movies for my kids, and I will take you to the house for a good meal, baby advice from someone who knows what it’s like to be in your condition, and possibly a night or two a week that we may need a sitter for date night.” Sarah agrees and follows Mark to the check-out counter. They arrived at the nice two-story house around 3:30 in the afternoon. Mark walks into the house with her just a few steps behind him. A lovely blond woman, who looked to be around 20 or so, greeted him with a soft kiss. “Who’s our company?” She asks, holding her hand out in welcome to Sarah. “Sarah, we met at the library.” He explains. “She is going to be a first-time mother, and I thought she could use some advice from one of the best.” “Nice to meet you, Sarah. My name is Carol.” Carol guided the young mother to a large dining room. There, on the table, were three small plates with cookies and three glasses filled with milk. “Have a seat. The children will be home in about fifteen minutes.” Carol states as she places a plate of cookies and a glass of milk there for Sarah. “How many children do you have?” “We have two children, but every day one of the twins brings home a friend. Sue brings Kammi, or Tommy brings Bill from next door.” “How do you know to only put out three snacks and not four or two?” Sarah asks confused. “It is funny, both never bring someone home after school at the same time." After meeting the children, Sarah became live in their babysitter, but the job did not last for long. Chapter eight Mark’s betrayal One week and two days later, Mark helped Sarah carry the twins to their beds. He had done this many times. This time would be different. He slowly lays his son on the race car bed and stands there until Sarah leaves his daughter Sue in her pretty pink princess bed. He turns and blocks her exit from the room. Sarah looks up into Mark’s eyes. Even in the dimness of the night light, she could see a forcefulness that she remembered in the eyes of her brother. “No,” she whispers as she tries to push past him. He grabs her arm tighter. “You don’t want to wake the children.” Sarah fights back the familiar tears as Mark pushes her against the pink dresser with baby blue drawers. Holding to the top of the piece of furniture so that the sound of his thrust would not hit the wall. She wished she had not trusted this man. When the deed is done, Mark fastens his belt, kisses his children, and leaves Sarah to pull up her blue jeans. He looks back and whispers, “See you same time tomorrow night, baby.” Sarah pulls up her pants as Mark releases his grasp on her waist. He turns her around, smiles, and puts his index finger in front of his lips to remind her that this was their secret. She wishes that she could slap him, punch him, or put a knee right into his guilty wet member. She knew that if she did, the children would be awakened. She did not want them to be traumatized. Sarah runs through her room to her bathroom. She jumped into the shower trying to wash all his smell and shame down the drain. The water was all hot. Hot is supposed to disinfect, but she did not feel as though she could get clean. She lay in the bottom of the tub. The water hit her skin, but she was numb to its touch. All she felt was the pain of betrayal once again. How could she make this go away? How could she make the pain stop? Time after time, heartbreak tracked her down. When she thought that things were looking up to her, something, some horrible event, would find her. Maybe her mother had the right idea. She had found a way to stop her loneliness. Sarah knew now how to protect herself and her unborn child from ever being hurt again. She stood up in the tub knowing the answer. She almost felt clean again. She pulled on her flannel pajamas without even drying off. Then she slowly walked down the hall. She heard Carol and Mark talking in the first floor living room as she passed the stairs. “Where have you been?” Carol asked. “I went to check my business e-mail on the laptop. I left it in the bedroom when I was working this morning.” Mark explained. Sarah caught herself from yelling “liar!”. However, she managed to keep walking until she reached Mark and Carol’s bedroom. Standing next to their luxurious bed that Carol had bragged about was a re-make of Fratelli Basile’s Hebanon’s creation. The bed is noted as being the world’s most expensive. The bedroom was decorated with a replica of 18th century furniture. It was trimmed with shiny gold colored metal. The canopy looked beautiful with long black curtains with gold sashes. Sarah reaches down and gently grasps the gold rose shaped handle of the black Hebanon bedside table. She quietly runs her hand through the contents. Fearing that the couple would retire soon, Sarah gabs the first bottle that she touched. Prescription pill bottle in hand, she opens the door to the hallway. She checks for anyone before making her way to her own bedroom. Sarah looked one last time in the mirror of her bathroom. The reflection didn’t seem so helpless because she felt that she had found a way out of her problems. She locked eyes with the image in the glass, poured the contents of the pills into her mouth, and drank the water that she had readied before she went to Mark’s bedroom. “Good night,” she says to the mirror before turning to leave. Sarah fell onto her bed. She read the label of the bottle. “Valium 10 mg, take three times a day, and there had to be at least 20 melting away in my stomach.” With those words, Sarah closes her eyes to sleep an eternal nap. “Sarah, Sarah!” a little voice said in a concerned tone. She felt a light tugging on her shoulder. There stood the little twins. “Are you all right?” Sarah slowly opens her eyes. She looks past the little girl who was still wearing her backpack to see the clock on the bedside table. The time read 5:39. “Why are you dressed so early for school?” Sarah asked. “We have already been to school, and Mom ask us to tell you that it is nearly supper time.” Tommy said. “She was worried about you.” Sussie adds looking a little worried about himself. Sarah tries to sit up, but her body feels as if she were made of lead. She pushes her feet off the side of the bed, grabs the mattress, and slowly with an unsteady lift she pulls her torso off the bed. Her head felt as if it was floating above her. “Come on. Mom is fixing home-made pizza.” One of the children was pulling at her to stand up. She wasn’t sure which of the twins it was because her world was totally different than everyone else lived in. Sarah sat at the table with the family. Carol watched as Sarah slowly ate. Carol wondered why Sarah had been hidden away in her bedroom all day. “Are you ok?” She asked because she and Sarah had become fast friends. “Yea,” Sarah answered as she realized that she had not felt the baby move since she swallowed the pills. Even the little bits of chewed pizza wasn’t getting it aroused. The baby always seemed to move more when Sarah was eating. “I guess that I am just tired. I think that my baby will be coming soon.” “That’s right,” Carol interjected. “You haven’t seen a doctor. You have no way to know how far along you are.” Feeling a little offended Sarah scarfed, “I know when I got pregnant. I know the exact night.” She knew that she had only slept with J.J. that night, but she was secretly afraid that her child may indeed be her own niece or nephew because of the times that Lee had force her to have sex with him during the week before she got married. Sarah rubs her stomach. Maybe the pills had killed it for a reason. If the baby didn’t belong to J.J., it could be all kinds of deformed or worse. A tear ran down her cheek from that thought. “Sarah, I am so sorry…” Carol began. She got up from the table and hugged Sarah. “Honey, I didn’t mean that you didn’t. I guess that I was worried that you might need the care of a doctor to be sure that the baby and you are safely ready for the birth.” Sarah forced her lips to smile. “I know. I am so emotional these days.” She looked past Carol. Thoughts came flooding her mind. If she had killed her child with the valium, it was Mark’s fault. He was the one who raped her. He was another person that she had trusted. Another person who hurt her. “Tomorrow, I have an appointment for my Pap smear. You can go with me. Dr. Mylon is wonderful, and she delivered the twins. You don’t have to continue seeing her, but she can give you vitamins to make sure that the baby gets the nutrients that it needs needs.” Carol reaches over to rub the baby lump. Sarah held her hand over her stomach. She knew that Carol made perfect sense. She knew that she had not seen a doctor. The main reason that she agreed was that she needed to know if the baby was alright after all that it had been through. The rape, the pills, and the stress could injure it. “Ok! I have to go to bed so that I could get up early in the morning.” Sarah was still feeling the effect of the anti-anxiety drug still fighting its way out of her system. Sarah begins to take the dishes from the table to clean up before she retires. Carol takes the dish, “No, you go on to bed. We will take care of these. I will wash.” She looks at Mark. “Ole Mark here will dry.” She gives Sarah another hug while turning her toward the stairs. Chapter nine Sara sees a doctor “Hello, Ms. Simkins.” Dr. Mylon greets her. “Carol here tells me that you haven’t seen a doctor yet.” Carol starts to leave the room to give them privacy. Sarah squeezes her hand. She had never felt so vulnerable in her life. “It’s ok, Sarah.” Carol whispers. “Dr. Maylon is very gentle. She is very understanding.” Carol leaves the two women in the room. “Have a seat in this chair first. I have some questions.” Sarah sits by the little desk. “Do you eat three servings of fruit a day?” “Sometimes,” Sarah answers. “Do you take any medications?” Sarah looks toward the floor, “No.” Doctor Maylon tries to interrupt why Sarah reacted to the question the way that she did. However, she didn’t question Sarah because she didn’t want to scare her off. The baby needed to be checked out. “I will close this curtain. You put this on and let me know when you are ready.” Sarah looks at the paper house coat shaped garment. She began to undress. When she placed her arms through the holes, one of them tore. She holds it together. “I’m ready.” She said, nearly stammering from the cold mixed with a case of nerves. The doctor pulls the curtain back, but she was not alone. “This is my assistant today, Karen.” She continues, “Is it alright if she observes?” Sarah didn’t know what to say so she agreed nearly a whispering. “Ok Ms. Simkins, sit on the end of the table.” The table was cold beneath the paper sheet and open gown. The paper crackled as she laid down. Karen pulls two arm like metal joints from the bottom of the examination table. “Put your feet here.” Karen lifted Sarah’s legs into each strip. Her hands were almost as cold as the plastic on the table. The doctor pulls a stool between Sarah’s knees. She gently pulls her legs even farther apart. “I am just having a look see. Just checking for dilation or mucus. When is the last time that you had sex?” “About seven months ago,” she replied. She was nerves that she had to lie, but she didn’t count the events of last night as ‘having sex’. The doctor pulls her fingers out of Sarah, throws away her gloves, and washes her hands while Karen pulls the paper up past her budging belly. Then the doctor covered her stomach with gel. Then she moved a machine over it. A sound, a wonderful sound filled the room. “There it is.” Doctor Maylon says with a smile. “What?” Sarah questions. She was excited by the smile on the doctor’s face. “The sound that you are hearing is a strong heartbeat.” Then Keran turns a screen toward Sarah so that she could see the image on it. “This is you baby girl.” Sarah cries, “A girl?” “You are having a girl. She is strong and looks as if she has started sucking her thumb early.” They all laughed as Sarah continued to watch the little miracle on the screen. After Sarah redressed, the doctor gave her a strip of paper with the first black and white pictures of her daughter. She also gave Sarah three bottles of vitamins because the doctor knew that Sarah could not afford them at the pharmacy. “You can give birth any time. I want you to try to relax and remember that you can come back anytime you think you need to.” The doctor gives her a paper. “This is my phone number. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” The doctor looks down at her pad. She was searching her mind for the right words to say that would not offend the young mother to be. “Sarah, I know that something has happened to you. I didn’t want to bring it up with Karen there, but there was major tearing of the virginal walls, the labia are bruised, and there is traces of old blood. I am not subjecting you to having to deal with cops or court, but you do need to seek help. Remember if you need me just call.” Sarah was silent on the ride home. She knew that she had to protect her baby. She knew that she had to run again from a dangerous situation. By the next night, Sarah had moved back to the streets. Belly even bigger. If she was going to have sex with those she didn’t want to, she was going to get paid. She and the baby would not starve on the streets. Sarah finally decides to sale her body for money to feed her growing body. She hated sleeping on the hard cold floors at the local shelter. How could she ever bring a baby into this lifestyle? She welcomed the nights that her clients bought a room to be with her. Chapter ten Tessie and Kimber Blackwell’s story Willow lived on a large farm that she had inherited from her mother. The land was passed down for generations. Each one was a single mother with one daughter. Her heritage was one of witches who kept their lives secret for over 250 years. During the witch hunts of Salem, Tessie Blackwell moved to the hills to seek safety. When she arrived, she was too afraid to live in the communities or cities. She took to living in the hills. She spent the rest of her life living in a cave and living off land. Her husband being accused and tried for being a witch, was drowned as the town of Salem watched. The town’s folk did not want to execute a woman who was about to give birth. Caleb Blackwell’s confession was a welcomed statement to appease the local witch phobia. Tessie was tied to a tree weeping. She was forced to see her beloved husband taken offshore and tossed off the side of a rowboat. She had to leave because the people would come for her after the birth of her child. Before she left, she cast a spell. “He who comes for the witch today With his life will have to pay Child of Caleb grow strong with power And avenge Caleb’s death this hour When you are twenty-three Hang those left here on this Oak tree.” She spit on the ground She gave birth to a baby girl named Kimber. Living in the mountains, Tessie saw no point of Kimber carrying a last name tainted with accusations of witchcraft. She didn’t want her daughter to be hunted as she had been or lose her life as her father had. Kimber was taught to hunt, fish, and eat from the Earth. She was afraid of her identity being found out, so she continued to live in the forest. However, after Kimber turned twenty-three, she decided to travel to Salem to do the bidding that she was bewitched to do. Tessie had kept her dresses safely in a box under what she created for a bed. She brought them out and gave them to Kimber to wear. Kimber was more than prepared to do the bidding of her mother. On her way to Salem, Kimber rode the coach with a gentleman named John Bays. John had been a blacksmith somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains. He stood about six foot ten inches tall with muscles bigger than anyone she had ever met including the lumber jacks that she used to watch work in the forest. His skin was brown, and his speech wasn’t fluent. He didn’t seem to be a white man. She had never seen a man who didn’t have white skin like her own. Most had been browned by the rays of the sun as they worked, but all were the same as she was. “Where you go?” He asked her. “I am going to Salem. I have business there.” Kimber replied. She could not take her eyes off his bronze face. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail. He was dressed in a plaid shirt. “Me have work in Salem. Friend said that they don’t have blacksmith.” He looks down at his hands. He realized that he was not speaking as well as he wanted to. “Salem a bad place for pretty woman. They kill many for witch.” Kimber knew all too well what happens to those are believed to be magic or witches. She held the secret of her beloved father’s death to save her mother while she lay in the womb. “I will be fine. What is your name?” she asked. “NAHIMANA in Sioux. I am called John.” Kimber thought for a minute. “My name is Kimber Willow.” “Do you have a place to stay in Salem?” John asked. “No, I thought that I would stay in a rooming house.” She replied, studying what the question was leading up to. “My friend got me job. I will live behind the black smith shop.” John looked at the young girl. “The home has two rooms. You can stay there until you move.” Kimber spent the remaining time on the coach talking to John, and thinking about the invitation. She did not really understand why she trusted him, but she did. When they arrived, Kimber agreed to move into the house with John. It wasn’t long until they became close friends. John would do anything to please the young visitor. After Kimber told John Tessie’s story, he was heartbroken for her. He vowed to help her get her revenge. Between Kimber and John, they killed twelve of the witch hunters that were responsible for drowning her father. Kimber would koax the unfortunate man to water. John would attack and tie up the murder. John then threw him in a sitting position on the back of a black horse. Then Kimber recited the same word to them as the judge had told her father. “Your seed will be without a father. The Earth is better without the Evil you carry. I find you guilty of doing the Devil’s duty by killing an innocent person. Do you have any last words?” Every man would use his last words to beg for his life as Tessie had begged for her husband’s safety. When the last person who attended the execution was killed, Kimber made her way back to the mountains. She left John a letter. “Dear NAHIMANA, I must leave you here. I do not want people to believe that you had killed anyone. I must take care of my mother. Love you Kimber” When Kimber walked into her mother’s cave, Tessie greeted her with a look of shock in her eyes. “You are going to be a mother.” “Yes, I have a child in my belly.” Kimber was surprised that her mother knew. Chapter eleven Generations of the Birch Forest Coven Kimber had a daughter. She named her Katty. Katty had a girl named Martha. Then Martha married Mayor Kane and named her daughter Willow. The mayor was killed while Martha was pregnant. However, he had left her the farm. He left her enough money to care for the farm for a year or so. She was the first to move from the Forest Mountains. Willow never knew her father, but she didn’t understand why her mother kept the secret of their religion from the world. She had heard the stories of the witch hunts centuries ago. However, these days everything is acceptable. She never believed that she needed to be ashamed of who she was. So, when Willow’s mother died, she opened her land to anyone who needed a place to live. There were only two conditions. The people who chose to live on her property would help keep the farm running and except that Willow’s choice to practice witchcraft. Anna was the first to come to live on Willow’s land. She was a tall thirteen-year-old girl with a two-month-old baby. A local librarian heard her story and called Willow. Though Willow was the one who found Anna passed out under a bridge with blood oozing from her wrists. Willow nurses her back to health. Damion being hungry, and his mother was too weak to nurse him. He is placed to nurse from goats, cows, and Sadie Willow’s wolf companion. When Anna’s strength came back, she was dry of milk. She continued to nurse her son from the animals under her watchful eyes. However, she would never tell the whole story: She was the only daughter of a schoolteacher and country doctor. They loved her very much and would have turned the world over to make sure that she had what she wanted. Then she was attacked by a gang of men from a local bar as she was returning home from a friend’s house. She was raped when she was only twelve. Rather than face her parents, she runs away. She could not bear bringing shame to her parents when she learned that she was pregnant. She had scars on her wrists from trying to drain her life’s blood so that she didn’t have to shame her parents. She ran away, never knowing how hard her parents were looking for her. She still dreams of the conversations with her mother and father at the dinner table. Anna opens her eyes. There was a woman wrapping the wounds on Anna’s wrists. She was dressed in all black, beads and flowers braided in front of her long black hair. “Are you Anna?” she whispered as she approached the computer where Anna was searching for work. “Who are you?” She replies. Anna was surprised that Willow was so beautiful. Since the librarian, who had suggested that Anna contact Willow because she needed help on her farm, the day before, had said that Willow was a public witch. Anna almost expected an old hunch back woman with warts and a pointy hat. “Nice to meet you, Anna. I am so glad that you have heard about my farm. Before you decide on whiter or not to stay, I need to explain a little about me. My name is Willow. My mother was a witch who was forced to live in secret keeping her power hidden due to her own fears. To some the word witch strikes up fear, others believe that we are just people who use the title to set ourselves a part, and yet others believe we are who we are and don’t care. I am not to be feared. I believe in balance. I use rituals and spells to keep the balance in the world around me and for those who ask me. There are a few questions that you must ponder before deciding on your stay here: Your every need, as far as food and room is concerned, will be met, but you have the baby. Do you want my public proclamation to influence him? Do you promise to respect nature and fellow humans the best that you can? Are you willing to work here at the farm? If you decided to live here with me, I would be happy to have your company.” Willow explains to Anna as she holds Anna’s child. “I will, but I have one question.” Anna Shyly said. “Do I have to become a witch?” “As I have asked you to accept me, I accept who you are.” Willow smiles. “You don’t have to do anything except understand that I am not hiding or changing who I am from you or the child.” “I do.” Anna says, still a little afraid of what this might mean to her child as he gets older. In her mind she feels that this was temporary. After she got another place to live, she would move from the farm. Willow taught her about witchcraft, Anna learned from the stories about Willow’s mother, and Anna was taught the craft by Willow for a year to be counted a witch. While learning under Willow, Anna suckled her two-month son from the tits of animals. She believed that this would make him have a bond with the animals sharing their powers. She believed that Damion would have the power to communicate with animals and their power to connect with the Earth as the animals do. Anna has blond curly hair that she pulls back behind her ears, bright blue eyes, 130 pounds, 5’ 6” tall, large breasted, and always well groomed. She seemed happy. She was bubbly, energetic, and positive no matter what her life offered. She carried a wide smile and bright eyes. Nothing seemed to get her down until a person learns of her past. She is well balanced and has put the past behind her. Her loyalties have been placed in Willow and the coven. Those who do not know that she is a witch, see her as a caring person who is willing to help when she sees a need. Those in the coven see her the same way and turn to her for spells and potions dealing with animals. As the coven grew, Anna became the first member of Willow’s council. Chapter twelve Sara and Matilda Matilda was an only daughter raised by a single mother named Sara. She was used to living a different kind of life than most children. Her home was a log cabin in the east field of what used to be a plantation in the days of the confederacy. Her life was full of female influences. Sara joined this group of women when her husband was sent away, leaving her pregnant and alone. That is what she told Willow. Sarah was a very loyal apprentice to Willow and Anna. She carried Matilda in a backpack baby carrier as she went about learning how to be a witch. In the coven each woman was allowed to choose to practice magic, not to do any, or even if the magic is black or white. Sarah chose to practice as her teachers did. She made the decision that her powers were to be developed to do good for those around her. Sarah learned when to plant for good harvests, spells of prosperity, and how to make things move with only her concentration. She was going to break the evil that she believed her family had been cursed with since Emma’s death. Matilda learned to crawl during one of her mother’s enchanted spell practices. Anna and Sarah stood in the middle of the birch trees that surrounded the ash circle. Sarah sits Matilda on the ground as she and Anna begin their protection spell. They wanted to give the trees mobility in their branches so that they could grab those who dared to stumble into their secret place. “Mother Earth, give arms to your children the Birch. Hands to hold back those who seek harm, and eyes to see those who wonder too near. Hold fast the evil others bring Protect, we who sing To you on a moonlit night Give the Birch your power and might.” Sarah spreads the ground ingredients around the roots of the trees as they chanted the words under each one. Unnoticed, Matilda wants to follow her mother. She went from a seated position to being on her hands and knees. She began with a rocky “Mother Earth, give arms to your children the Birch. Hands to hold back those who seek to harm, and eyes to see those who wonder too near. Hold fast the evil others bring Protect we who sing To you on a moonlit night Give the Birch your power and might.” Sarah spreads the ground ingredients around the roots of the trees as they chanted the words under each one. Still unnoticed, Matilda wants to follow her mother. She went from a seated position to being on her hands and knees. She began with a rocky start quickly to a fluent crawl. When she reached the biggest tree near the ash circle, she was lifted into the air. She could see her mother beginning to walk back. She was high in the top of the tree. Any other baby would be terrified, but no other child had seen the things that she had. Sarah reaches the spot where she had placed her daughter. She was no longer there. “Matilda!” She screams. She begins the search. Then she hears Matilda’s little giggle far away. She seemed to be flying above her head. Sarah looks up into the treetops. Then she was right above Sarah’s head. Sarah had no idea how to get her daughter from such heights. “Mighty Birch, bring me my baby. She means you no harm.” She asked the tree as if she were speaking to another person. From one branch to another, the tree passes the happy baby until she was gently placed into Sarah’s waiting arms. “Thank you. You have served well.” Sarah then notices that from the bark opened one single eye. It looked at her as if to say, “You’re welcome. Thank you for my limbs.” Chapter thirteen Adventure When Sarah finished her apprenticeship under Willow, Willow told her to go to the birch trees that surround the Sabbath circle. “Spend the night there, walk beneath them, draw from their power, and only then choose from a branch that beckons to you.” She holds out her wand. “In the morning, bring the branch to me. We will bless it and bond it to you with a spell casting celebration by carving your personal brand that connects you with your stave.” Sarah readies Matilda for a comfortable night, but it might become a long one. It was time for her to find the perfect branch to channel her powers through. Two years of learning spell casting, rituals, and sisterhood from Willow is paying off after dawn breaks. She would be introduced into the sisterhood. She was going to be honored with a staffing. Sarah dressed in her ceremonial black dress and dressed Matilda to match. This ritual is usually performed alone, but Matilda had been interactive in the training right along the side of her mother. She fills the tiny black bag with snacks of berries for her toddler. Sarah and Matilda walks the hidden path toward the ritual grounds where they can search for the tree with the most power from Mother Earth. Upon reaching the area, Matilda gathers sticks and twigs. She put as many as she could in her skirt. She knew that all rituals begin with a fire and end in holy ash. Sarah smiles proudly that her young daughter is so wise. Sometimes she could feel the power radiating from her tiny body as she laid her to sleep at night. Sarah was truly ecstatic to have Matilda to share this with. The moon is full. Sarah doesn’t need the flames for light. The flames carry power of their own there under the watchful eyes of so many birch trees. The birch trees are said to have watched over witches for centuries, and if they are respected, they lend power of their strength, nurture, and most of all their sight. Sarah lays Matilda down to sleep on the sacred altar to sleep the night away. She needs to be able to hone into the power of the trees. If Matilda was close, Sarah may confuse her daughter’s abilities with that of the Mighty Birch. Chapter fourteen The story “Momma, will you tell me a story before I go to sleep?” Matilda asks her mother. Sarah sits at the table with Matilda’s head on her lap. She began to tell the story: “Once up on a time there lived a bird named Skipper. Skipper found himself left behind by the flock. He had been caught off guard by a windstorm and fell to the ground. He had no way to get back into the sky because of injuring his wing. He stumbles through the tall grass of the field. The field seems to go on forever. It was not too long until it started to rain. Where would she find a place to stay dry? Soon he finds a mushroom. He met a worm. "Please, don't eat me" begged the caterpillar. Skipper was hungry, but he knew how it felt to be without a friend or anyone to help him. "I will not eat you. You and I can share this shelter." The two spent the night under the mushroom fighting off the spray that the wind pushed around them. They found themselves waking up together. The worm was comfortably tucked into the little bird's wing. It was a surprise to both of them at first. Then they realized that they had survived the storm without a scratch. The bird leaves the worm feeling that he had made a friend. This was a nice way to make a friend, but he was still hungry and lost. He wandered farther and farther into the hay field. Then he sees a patch of clovers. They were not what he was used to eating, but he thought that she would give it a try. Anything to curb this hunger pain. While scratching the ground to find what he could eat at the clover field, he seen a pair of shining eye looking back at him. He was startled. "My name is Bunny. My mom and dad have hopped too far away. They lead a hunter away so that I would not get hurt." said the tinny rabbit with tears in her eyes. The bunny reaches the bird with a few seeds that she had found in the farm before the family was chased away. The bird ate and ate. He decided that he would take the bunny with him to find her family. So, they picked clovers to take with them for later when they needed a bite. In the distance they could see an abandoned barn. They decided to go there for shelter from the night and its dangers. Upon entering the barn, they saw a tiny fluffy rabbit. "Mom, Mom," said the tiny, excited bunny. "Bunny is back." Then came a whole family of rabbits. Eight of them were siblings of Bunny. After the introductions Bunny's mother bandaged the wing of the little bird. She told him that she had seen a flock of birds that looked much like him. That one of them had a plastic ring stuck on its leg. Bird's heart raced and beat so hard inside his chest. He could not believe that the rabbits had seen his family. They had decided to take the bird for the help that the bird had given their child. When they arrived at the site, the bird heard screaming. Then he looked to see his mother, father, and brother. He had no time for hellos. He found that his brother was found trying to eat his little worm friend. "NO! This is my friend." All the family ran to his side to hear of the adventures that he had gone through to find them. The rabbits and birds introduced each other. Then the rabbits shared the clovers that Bunny had brought, and the birds shared the seeds that the rabbits had taken from the farm. The families stayed in the barn for many generations. They helped each other and lived as a family. Though they were not the same, they learned how to help each other and protect each other. The birds patrolled the skies, and the rabbits knew if there was anything happening on the ground. Sometimes I feel like these little animals. I mean that I am in a strange place away from my family to create one from other people that are so different from the life I had. I am sure that I would be the little rabbit, but I love the little bird. He used good judgment by not eating the worm. This is a happy ever after story.” Chapter fifteen Perfect Wand Sarah slowly walks around the trees. She goes from one to another. Sarah danced underneath the birch trees. Each tree watches her. Opening herself up to receive a connection with one of the mighty trees, Sarah shuts out the other sounds of the forest. The owls and frogs go unheard by Sarah. Her attention was totally given to receiving the insight from just the right branch. Tree after tree stands tall casting a shadow over the dancing witch. Sarah was moving unwilling to fight off the trance. She moved weaving through the inner circle of trees near the ashes until she collapsed under the biggest Birch in the area. There she fell to the ground by an exposed root. The life-giving root shook as it pulled itself from the ground. The soil rolling from the hole where it came from. It was wrapped around Sarah. It began by securing her feet together. Then it coiled around her torso. She still slept as the root moved up her body enclosing every bit of her in its path. Finally, the tree root enters her mouth. The night sky surrounding the tree began to become bright with a mystical light. Sarah still slept through her body convulsing as it received the power from the mighty Birch. Her eyes opened lights, showed through them much more the rays than the sun itself. The night was filled with as much magic activity as Sarah’s body. Sounds of thunder, bright streaks of sparkling lightning, and the Earth thimbles with the strength of the Magic Birch’s power. The next morning Sarah woke up underneath the exact same tree that had lifted her daughter into the air years ago. She feels different now. Somehow stronger yet drained of energy at the same time. In her left hand (which is Sarah’s dominant hand) was a piece of the tree. She took a closer look at it. It wasn’t a piece of branch. It was a root. The birch had given her a piece of his strongest appendage. In the morning, the root is soon carved into a smooth thin stick. Times taking work created carvings of eyes. The eyes were those that belonged to cats, eagles, owls, and wolves. The handle was the largest part of the wand. It was gravened with the different stages of the moons and falling stars. Sarah gathers her daughter. “Momma,” “Yes, Matilda.” “Did you get a powerful branch?” “Yes, the big tree nearest where you slept has loaned me a limb and a little of her power.” Sarah explains to her young daughter as she reaches the girl some berries to eat on their way home. The path was brighter as they walked the mile or so home. The grasses and branches reaching out were damp with dew. The power of the early morning was felt by both. “Momma, does the dew die as the sun rises and heats the earth.” “No, my daughter,” Sarah stepping faster than she means to. She bends over and picks Matilda up to carry her on a quicker journey. The dew waters the earth at night. It gives the creatures of the night drink. The sun dries the earth so that the fields of the day can bloom with color. The creatures of the day can see to flee from harm. The two work together to care for the earth. In return, she gives them her life and serves them with her power.” Sarah is at the pace that is nearly running. “It won’t be long until the sun is up. We must make it to Willow for the Staffing before the sun truly wakes up.” Upon arrival at Willow’s cottage, Sarah sits Matilda back to her own feet so that the two can walk in together. Willow was dressed in a plain black dress with her hair pulled back in a bun. This was modest apparel for Willow. She ushers Sarah and her child into the middle of the living room. There she laid the root on a table covered with white and black candles. When the branch was laid down, Willow took Sarah by the hand. “Close your eyes my daughter,” she tells Sarah. “It is time that you become your own witch.” Sarah obeys her and closes her eyes. Willow seems to reach Sarah’s mind. For over ten minutes the two are linked hand in hand. There all around Willow, in the spirit of Sarah, were eyes. There were eyes from everyone Sarah had never met. There were no faces. One after set of eyes floating in her memory. Emma’s eyes were so large with long beautiful lashes, but so full of loneliness. There were many pairs of male eyes. The first set was her father’s eyes. His eyes were empty and glazed by alcohol. J.J.’s eyes were full of love. There were blue eyes, brown eyes, and even the eyes of her long-lost pets. In Sarah’s case, the eyes were the windows to the soul. The eyes were the connection that Sarah was able to make with others. She looked deep into your eyes and walked right into your soul. Then Willow ran her hand over the branch. “Eyes of wolf, Eyes of Earth, Eyes of bird, Eyes of spirit All seeing, watching, guiding Power of sight Build this wand lickedy-split Creating, forming, gliding Put your vision in this stick.” Willow becomes quite after reciting the spell three times. The candles’ flames grow six inches higher throwing their flickering shadows over the walls. The table begins to vibrate causing the branch to dance from one end of the table to the other. The limb began to morph. It bubbled beneath the bark. Bits wood began to pop off. One after another the missing pieces began to leave behind a slender well-crafted magical too decorated with the eyes that Willow had seen in Sarah’s soul. The candle flames shined their soft light throughout the room. The scattered tree bark has vanished into thin air. Matilda looks at the beautiful magically craved witchery masterpiece. “Try it Sarah.” Willow coaxed. Sarah picked it up. The eyes blinked. One eye at a time closed and re-opened. The iris rolled in their wooden lids as they seemed to observe the surrounds around Sarah. In surprise, she almost dropped the instrument. “Far and wide, cast my sight Looking both day and night Bring to me a bird’s eye view What was once one is now two” With her words finished, the eyes on the wand rolled. There in front of her was a cloudy image. It was like watching a moving hologram. She could see J.J. He was preaching in a church. He was not the boy that he was when they had married, but he was still just as handsome. After the sermon, J.J. stood by the church door. He was shaking hands with the congregation as they left. He was standing hand in hand with a beautiful black woman. She was dressed in a long pink dress, but on either side of her stood a boy. They looked as if they were about two years different in age. Both boys resembled J.J., but the older one had cheekbones that reminded Sarah of Matilda. Sarah opens her eyes after seeing that J.J. did not stand at the doorway alone. He was happy with an adorable family. A tear formed in her eye, while a smile grew on her lips. She was so happy that he had found a place to belong and created a family to share his life with. Matilda had a father and siblings somewhere out in the world if she ever needed them. Chapter sixteen Ritual Matilda was not old enough to dance at the Harvest Moon celebration ritual. She could not wait until she could participate in the many worship rituals. She felt that the naked dancing women were the most beautiful creations that existed here on this planet. They moved in unison around the fire. Each woman casting a shadow besides her moving with such grace. She watched them holding hands creating one big unit of twenty people. She soaked up the chanting as if she were hearing a symphony of angles. The breeze was soft. The owls were silent, but the moon shone with a mystical ambience. Willow was a beautiful woman with her dark hair flowing behind her nearly touching Anna who was holding Willow’s left hand. Sarah had the right hand. Anna and Sarah were just as beautiful. Anna had her hair in slim braids decorated with flowers. Her body was firm. She was as firm as before she gave birth to Damion. Sarah was even more beautiful than Anna. She practiced spells and potions on youth. Sarah would cook up liquids for those who were afraid of growing old. She knew all the secrets of youth and beauty. Sarah looked as young as the day she gave birth to Matilda. Matilda watches the women until she fell asleep underneath her guardian birch. This is what she had called the tree since she was told about the tree lifting her into its branches when she was a baby. She felt such comfort in its shadow. She could always find a warm place in front of this tree. Sarah skipped, danced, and chanted until the sun came up the next morning. The women were all radiating from the sweat glimmering in the moonlight. Still in trance Sarah steps out of the circle. She falls to her knees. She cried, “Power and might, there are things, darkness to light, songs to sing, harvest in sight.” Sarah held a single acorn in her hands. After she chanted her words seven times, she opened her hands. There in her hand was a sapling with roots forming. She places the infant tree into the ground just outside the ash circle. She then rubbed her hands together as if to dust the soil from her fingers. “Dust fly across this land, touch both ground and sky, grow from the Earth, and sisters give birth.” She stands and re-enters the circle. She danced until the sun peaked over the mountains. Sarah pulls her robe around her glistening sweaty body, says her goodnights to the other witches, and notices that Matilda was sleeping near the flames of the fire. At thirteen, Sarah could not carry her from the sacred ground any longer. “Matilda,” Sarah nudges her daughter. “It’s time to go home.” Matilda opens her eyes and shuts them back just as fast as she had opened them because of the bright rays of the rising sun. “Mom?” Matilda asks. “Yes, Matilda.” Sarah gently pulls her daughter up by her arm. “It is time to go home. You fell asleep.” “Did I miss anything?” The teenager learned that there was always some kind of unexpected surprise during the Harvest Moon dance. There was one night that an image of a woman who was believed to be ‘Ida Wright’. Chapter seventeen Ghosts of the past Ida Wright was a smart woman who was one of the first to be executed for the crime of witchcraft. She was a smart woman who knew how to farm. She would use the cycle of the stars to harvest wealthy crops. Her plants would never wither when her neighbor’s fields dried up because of the drought. Her cattle gave plenty of milk. Her chickens laid nests full of eggs. She was prosperous when even the wealthy struggled. One day, the community preacher caught his oldest son drawing a picture of a nude woman. When the preacher confronted him, the boy said that Ida had put a spell on him. He told his father that she had drawn him to her bedroom window where he could see her bathing. Though Ida had no idea that the boy was peeping on her, the township would rather blame her for his behavior instead of the preacher’s thirteen-year-old son. She was found guilty. She drowned in the lake behind her home. The teenager was kicked to death by his horse on the first-year anniversary of Ida’s death. The night that the image hovered over the ritual flames was the 200-year anniversary of her death. The ghost-like figure was transparent. She was dressed in a long black dress with a matching bonnet. There were ringlets of black hair framing her face. She remained still watching Sarah and the witches dance until the ceremony was nearly concluded. Then it was like she chose Willow. The figure thought to be Ida flew across the area at lightning speed knocking Willow to the ground as the spirit entered Willow’s body. From then on, Willow housed two spirits her own and that of Ida. Willow’s farm prospered regardless of weather, soil, of pestilence. Another event surprised Matilda when she was under five. She was visiting Willow with her mother. Sarah needed guidance on an issue of health. Matilda remembered that it was about midnight, and the house was dimly lit with candles. When Willow and Sarah chanted, the room became as bright as a noon day. The shadows on the walls danced on the walls. Not the dancing of shadows of candlelight, but more like they were living black beings that danced as they willed. “No, there wasn’t anything special happened.” Sarah explained. “Let’s go home. We have to plow tomorrow.” With that the two walk the path home a long side the thirty-three women. Each woman wore a robe. Nothing else on their bodies not even socks. She was amazed that the women had such energy as they sang and skipped across the dirt. They seemed as if they had rested for hours instead of dancing from dusk to dawn. Chapter eighteen Puberty Matilda wakes up and readies herself for Birch Valley Junior High School. She had been cramping for days, and things were changing all around her. The lights and electricity around her seem to be out of control. A fifteen-year-old girl isn’t very happy when she tries to button her favorite pair of jeans to find that they will not latch around her swollen stomach. How could she have gained so much weight in just a week? She throws the pants against the wall, and the lights go out simultaneously. “Stupid light blew!” she yells to her mother as she leaves her bedroom slamming the door hard behind her. On her way out of the room, she noticed that the light came back on. She still was unaware of what was going on around her. She was becoming hormonal. Her powers were in as much of a hectic mess as her emotions at this phrase. Closing the door, she realized that she had left her brush on her bed. However, when she tried to open the door, it was locked. She had not locked it. She had just left it touching the door frame. “Crap, I am going to be late for the bus.” She shouted to Sarah. “I need a ride to school, Mom.” Matilda takes a penny from her pocket and succeeded in getting her hairbrush. Sarah waits for Matilda to come down from her room. Matilda had missed her school bus. Sarah knew that today was not a day to lecture her teenager because of the mood that Matilda was in. She had noticed that her daughter was so emotional. She could feel the atmosphere grow chaotic when Matilda had a bad day. The way the electronics in the house would react when she was depressed, made it clear. Matilda ran down the stairs in a hurried state of assertiveness. The television turns on and blasts from the living room. The noise was different voices because the channels were being flipped as if someone had sat on the remote control. The lamps in the dark and rarely used room were blinking as if they were going to explode. The blinds that covered the windows were flashing open and closed. The hallway doors were all open. Even the kitchen sink began to run hot water. Matilda had always had problems controlling her power. When she became emotional, her magic was as uncontrolled as her sentiments were. Sarah waves her hand toward the doorway and the sound stops. The house grew silent again. Sarah remembered having to learn to control her temper before Willow allowed her to practice magic in the coven. The difference between Matilda and her mother was that Sarah chose to become a witch as a young lady, while Matilda was born with powers through a birth ritual. Matilda had once been bounced around on Sarah’s back in a bundle while Sarah learned to control her own spells. She had double the natural supremacy than Sarah. Matilda ran down the stairs. The television turns on and blasts from the living room. It was changing from channel to channel as if the scroll button was stuck. Knowing that the noise was unintentional, Sarah waves her hand toward the doorway and the sound stops. “Matilda,” Sarah begins as they walk to Anna’s next door. Anna had a car. Since Sarah never learned to drive, Anna was “the go to person” for transportation. “You know that you are a powerful young woman. You might not realize that it takes more effort during puberty to control your power.” “I have not cast a spell for a long time. I have had tests, homecoming, and a report on Colonel America due this Friday. I have not done anything with magic. I have thought about using a spell to make life a little easier.” Sarah and Matilda reach Anna’s. Damion answers the door. He could tell that his friend had something on her mind. “Hello, ladies,” Damion was taught to have respect for the females in the coven. “How are you today, Matilda?” He asked as he motioned the pair into his living room where Anna was brushing a goat. It was not unusual to see a goat, cow, pig, or several chickens roaming through Anna’s home. The only doors in the house were the beaded curtains in the front and rear exits. “Hello,” She greets her company. “Hello, Anna. Matilda is having an off day. She missed the school bus. I wondered if you could drive her with Damion today.” Sarah asked. “Sure,” She answered. Then Anna looks at Matilda. “You can go with Damion to feed the chickens and milk the cow. We don’t have to leave for an hour.” The mothers walk into the kitchen as their children exit the back door of beads. Anna picked up Tommy her shaggy Persian familiar so that Sarah could have the chair. “Go Tommy, watch keep your eyes on the kids.” She set the cat on the floor. Tommy pranced his furry white body toward the back door. Matilda picks Tommy up. She cradled him. As he purred in her arms, she could not stop herself from thinking how cute Damion looked while milking the cow. She had a crush on him since fourth grade when he bandaged her knee after crashing his bike. “Do you have football practice this evening?” She was really hoping that he would so that she could watch him play. “No not today.” He reaches the milk causing her to have to place Tommy on the ground. He was so close that she could smell the clean musk that she noticed more in the morning than any other time. Damion’s eyes caught those of Matilda’s. She stumbled. Matilda fell into his arms. There was something different about the little that he used to play with. She was no longer a little girl. She was becoming a beautiful young woman. Slowly he ran his fingers through her hair. Then without thinking the two were pulled together as if by a magnetic. Their lips were connected, but the fire connected their spirit. Tommy ran into the kitchen. Anna picks him up. “Good boy,” she praised her new friend. Then she looks at Sarah. “Tommy says that we need to retrieve the love birds. They are close to falling into their lust.” The women knew that their children were going to become a couple because they were bound together as children. Sarah had placed a spell on her daughter giving her to Damion upon time to marry. Chapter nineteen Witch wedding The moon was full and there was no need for a fire except that the ritual called for it. Willow stood as a thing of beauty in the middle of the circle drawn earlier with the ashes of the burning fire. She was dressed in different layers of sheer cheese cloth. The different colors on the wraps of see-through material shown bright in the dim light and moved gracefully in the breeze. This was the ceremony dress of the Coven Mother when uniting couples or birthing rituals. She was one of the most statuesque women in the community of witches. Matilda and Damion stand before the mother of Mistress of the Zodiac, Willow. The couple grew up under the guidance of the wise witch, and now they stand before her about to become married as a young handsome couple. She was so proud of their young and strong love. For power was always stronger in the hearts of true love. “Sara,” Willow speaks. “Do you give your daughter to unite her body and power with our Damion, the son of Sister Anna?” Sara stands to the left side of her daughter. Sara didn’t look a day older than twenty, and she seemed to be able to control her beauty and that of others through her special craft. She was dressed in a scarlet red robe with a black sash tied in a bow. Her red hair flowing down her back as if reaching for the ground. Handing Matilda a pink rose, and replies, “I give my daughter to unite with her betrothed.” She kisses Matilda. Then takes a place behind Damion. Willow looks to Anna. “Do you give your son to Matilda to unite his powers with hers in body and spirit?” Anna stands to the right side of Damion dressed in a black robe with a red sash tied in a bow in front. She has blond hair that lay in curls covering her shoulders. “I give my son to Matilda to combine his body and power with her own.” Then she stands behind Sarah. When the mothers switched to stand behind the child of the other, the ritual began. Damion’s mother puts her hands on Matilda’s back and gently nudges her to the stone alter between Willow and the couple. Sarah does the same with Damion. Matilda and Damion wore robes; both made of silk. Matilda wore a light pink robe. The color was chosen because of the power of the rose. Damion wore one grey. He studied spells that controlled weather. Willow now speaks to the couple, “Are you willing to unite here in the mist of your sisters. Do you agree to give yourselves and your offspring to the beliefs that has brought you up, to teach them the power of nature, and to always use your power for the good of the Coven and the sisters?” Saying nothing, the young couple nod first to their coven mother, next to each other. Then the beautiful blue eyes belonging to Matilda lock with Damion’s earth brown ones. Willow raises her hand in a gesture for the bride to lie on the smooth altar. Sara reaches toward Damion and releases the bow on his robe. The grey silk falls to the ground at his feet. The sisters of the coven watched the cool even air cause bumps to flow over his tan skin. Anna unties the sash on Matilda’s robe. Even those in the back of the crowd could see her bright skin shine in the dark shadows of the old birch trees. She could feel the hands of the mothers on her shoulders and lower back as then effortlessly lay her on the altar as an offering to Damion as her eternal mate. He watched in arousal as her nipples became erect from the shock of the cold rock beneath her. Her back arches ready to give her promised virginity. Damion walks to the end of the table where his beloved’s legs hang over the edge of the stone. As if in a trance, he places himself between her open thighs. She moans as he enters her. Willow dances around the couple chanting words that welcome the spirits to invoke powers into the lovers. She holds up a chalice, and the other sisters drop their robes. She pours the contents first over the newly joined genitals of the couple. Then over Matilda’s stomach. “Come bless their love,” She invites the others into the circle. Matilda and Damion moan as one when feeling the entire community touching them. Damion didn’t know if it was his flesh or spirit that flamed as he was touched. The point of highest pleasure was when he watched them kiss his love. Some kissing her lips, others a nipple, and others even managed to find an area near his thrusting manhood. Matilda and Damion were connected in love for three hours. While Matilda was shivering underneath her husband, Willow announced an invitation. “Terri Koan, Massie Blue, Tina Blackberry, Nancy Raye, and Mable Little please come into the circle.” As the young women came into the circle, Willow continues. “If there are any woman that I have missed who is still a virgin please step up.” Anna and Sarah helped Matilda over to a sleeping pad. There they gently lay her down. They reach her a bottle of water. They covered her with her robe as she slept. Damion was handed a bottle of water, but he was asked to remain in place. Willow counted the girls, “One, two, three, four,” she finishes, “Thirteen, fourteen. There are fourteen of you. Terri, have you known man?” “No,” she shyly said. “Damion tonight is the harvest moon. To multiply our members, you must take these girls and make them women.” She laid down on the warm stone. It was wet with the body liquids of Matilda and Damion’s session of love making. Damion moved into position between her knees. He is not to kiss the virgins. He was only to take their virginity. He was to plant his seeds into each of the young fertile women. The virgin ceremony lasted from dusk to dawn for seven days. It began with the newlyweds making love, and then Damion took another woman as Matilda slept satisfied. Four of the women were found to be pregnant three months later. One of the women being Matilda. Chapter Twenty Twins Matilda lays on the cold OBGYN table. Her legs were in the strips, and her belly bare covered with KY-jelly. Damion holds her hand as the couple watch the monitor. Forgetting that she was wearing an uncomfortable gown, she notices something different on the computer screen. Damion must have noticed that there was something wrong the same time as his wife because he squeezed her hand. “What’s that?” He dared to ask what Matilda had dared not to say. He pointed to two small fuzzy figures moving. “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Major.” Dr. Jerries smiles. “Listen closely. Do you hear it?” “Hear?” Matilda was so nervous that she didn’t hear the calmness in the doctor’s voice. “Two heart beats.” The room became quiet as all ears were honed in to try to make out two distinct beats from what sounded like drum beats. “There that is one. There is the other.” He points to the peanut-like images that was on the screen. “You are having two little girls.” Damion looks at Matilda and kisses her. “I hope that they look as beautiful as you.” Both parents have tears in their eyes. Matilda and Damion stand in a familiar place. Matilda holds baby Mary, and Damion holds his daughter Mercy. The little family stood in the same ash circle that the couple were joined in flesh, mind, power, and spirit. The stand with the stone once again between them and Willow. Willow swept the ground inside the ash circle beneath the birch trees. On the table the women place objects: a candle to light the twins’ way in their religious path, feathers to connect them to flight, and a large mound of dirt to form a cradle for them. Willow motion to the parents. Matilda and Damion gave the baby girls to their grandmothers. Sarah laid the naked Mary into the pile of earth. Anna did the same with Mercy. The candle was lit, and the ceremony began. Willow pours warm oil over the infants. They had never felt the earth against their skin, but they didn’t seem uncomfortable. Mary is silent, while Mercy reaches to play in the oil as it hits her flesh. “Mother of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, lend your powers to your daughters. Powers to grow as their bodies do. Work in them as you will, bringing them stronger, give them human appeal, that the powers of the universe will be seen in them.” Then before the end of the ritual each woman inside the circle is passed a sharp decorative dagger. One after another prick the middle fingers. Choosing the middle finger was because the extra length of finger holds a witch’s access magic. After the women had cut themselves, they walk up to the babies dropping a drop of blood on each baby. They chanted in in unison, “Mother Earth, Father Fire, Sisters water and wind, share your power.” Then again, “Mother Earth, Father Fire, Sisters Fire and Wind, share your power.” The third time much louder, “Mother Earth, Father Fire, Sister Fire and Wind, share your power.” The babies are now hovering above the stone table. The flames of the fire raised three feet higher. The wind creating a loud roar from the birch trees. Then the twins let out a scream. The sound was not a sound that should be coming from humans, not to mention such small ones. With that sound, the children are lowered onto the pile of dirt. Then all came quietly. Chapter twenty-one Pastor Dallas Matilda and Damion took the girls into town once a week to buy produce. They loved the farmer’s market. There were always animals to pet, milk, or ride. The area was fenced in, and the toddlers were able to get a little freedom from their parents’ hands. Three years later, Mary wonders out of sight of her mother. Matilda saw Mercy, but Mary was not holding her hand as usual. So, Matilda and Damion began their hunt through-out the farmer’s market. Matilda walked to Mercy. “Where is Mary?” Mercy pointed into the direction of a man dressed in a big white hat. Damion’s stride hastened towards the couple. “Mary, what are you doing?” Damion scolds. Matilda chimes in, “You know that you don’t leave like that!” The man reaches out his hand. “I am Dallas.” Damion shakes the man’s hand. “Thank you for bringing our Mary to us.” He said. “I am Damion. This is my wife Matilda. These are my children Mercy, and of course you have met Mary.” “Nice to meet such a lovely family.” Dallas continues, “I am the pastor of the church around the corner.” Mary puts out her hand to be introduced. “I am Mary,” she said. “Your name is Dallas?” “My name is Christian Rayvon Wright. Everyone calls me Dallas. As you can see the nick name is because of this big black hat. I was born in the hills of the Appalachians, a couple of towns over, not in Texas. I am proud to be a Christian…” Christian is interrupted by Mercy. “What is a Christian?” the toddler asks. She looked much like a little angel herself. “I believe that God created you, mommy, daddy, and the whole world. After a while, the people became sinful, but God still loved them. He had promised to punish his children for their mistakes, but he did want them to have a way out so they would not have to be punished forever. So, he sent his son to the Earth as a baby, he grew up and was killed on a cross so that we could go to Heaven.” “Heaven?” Mercy asks. “Heaven is where God lives. No one is sick, poor, or hungry. The streets are made of Gold, the gates are made pearls, and the lions will lay down and sleep with the lambs.” Dallas bends over to the eye level of the children. “Are you going to live in Heaven,” he looks at Matilda then back to the girls. “I sure hope so but remember that this doesn’t make me any better than any of you.” Then Dallas stands up. He begins to preach. “I have done my share of sin, and God has had to turn his head from some of my mistakes while trying to follow him. But brothers and sisters, I am here to tell you that if I can do this, you can too. There is love beyond your understanding. If you don’t have a mother, he will be comfortable and nurture you better than any mother. If you don’t have a father, brother, sister, he will be your family. If you feel alone, you won’t be. All you have to do is believe and take him into your heart. He is waiting for you, and he knows that we all make mistakes. He will forgive and clean every time you ask him to.” While he tells his story, he looks toward the girls, and he remembers an event from his childhood. He steps down. Still speaking his sermon, his mind goes back to the farm he grew up on. Chapter twenty-two Dallas story “Christian Rayvon!” Mrs. Tanner slammed her hand on his desk. “Read the next paragraph.” She demanded knowing that he had once again drifted into a place that defiantly was not the English classroom. “Sorry, Mrs. Tanner.” He answered a little shocked. “I was…” “I don’t care what you were doing.” She said. “You were reading Shakespeare with the rest of us. I will see you after class.” Mrs. Tanner walks past his desk and calls on Terry. Christian still could not help but to think of his pregnant cow at the farm. He remembered that his father had said, “Bessy will have her youngen tomorrow. I’m a betten.” Christian’s mother had always kept him from the stable when the animals would give birth. She felt that it wasn’t proper for children to know where babies come from. Now that he was fourteen, and she had to explain why her belly had grown with her next child, she had agreed that he could be there to help with Bessy when the time came. It was hard to think about Romeo when Bessy might sneak a calf out while he was at school. The bell rang. The sound was welcomed because it was the last bell of the day. He stood in front of the two-story building waiting for the big yellow bus with the number 103 to pull in to load him up for the trip home. When he got home, he ran into the house. “Mom! Dad!” he shouted as he searched the house. Then he went to his parents’ bedroom where his dad greeted him exhausted. “Son, I need you to listen to me.” Christian nods, not really knowing what was going on. “Your mother is about to give you a new brother or sister. We explained this to you months ago. I have to help Doc with Momma. I need you to care for Bessy. She is ready, and animals know what to do. You need to rub her and sooth her because she will be in pain.” He then goes back to Christian’s mother. Christian runs into the barn. He was excited to be adding two new lives to the family. When seeing Bessy with pain in her eyes, he grabbed the old rags that they used to clean the milking nozzles. He wet them and washed her face. Then after hours it seemed to be all night, Bessy lets out a loud terrifying bellow. She began to jerk and even jump. Christian could see one of the calf’s legs coming from Bessy. Not knowing what to do, Christian grabbed the leg, and he prayed. “Father, you are the creator of all living beings, and you can help me know what to do to help Bessy. I know that there is something wrong. Please give me the wisdom and ability to help her deliver a healthy baby calf. The even though Christian was scared and unsure of what he was doing, he pushed his arm as far into Bessy as he could. He didn’t notice the wetness or the blood. He felt the other leg and grabbed it. He begins to pull it down to match the position of the other leg. Bessy bellows again in pain. “Please God let me be doing the right thing.” Christian prays. He tried pulling so afraid that he would break something in the baby. The baby still remained stuck. Then he runs to the barn door and get a thin rope. He ties it around both the protruding legs, wraps the rope around one of the supporting beams of the barn, brings the end to where he could also guide the baby, and he pulled until the calf fell out. He caught the head from bouncing on the ground. He fell beside Bessy who was now laying nursing and cleaning her new baby. Mr. Wright came into the barn around 8:00 am. He wondered how his son and Bessy were. It should not have been a hard job to watch Bessy give birth. Then he seen Christian with his head laying on a bundle of hay. Bessy looks at Christian’s father as if to tell him of a long night. When Christian entered the house, his father guided him to the bed where his mother was sleeping. There in a bassinet was a baby sister. He picked her up. He had tears in his eyes as he told his father the story. Mr. Wright smiled. “I have another surprise for you.” He grinned. “You get to name your sister.” Christian named his sister Bessy, and the male calf he named Dallas after his own nick name. Chapter twenty-three New religion Dallas looks back at the family. He hands Damion a card. “This is the address. I hope that you all will join me Sunday. We even have a special class for these angles.” Damion promises that he would attend and bring his family. Mary and Mercy are adorable toddlers. Mercy had wavy blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and dimples when she smiled. She captivated anyone she looked at. Mary had brown eyes and red hair. She was the least active of the sisters. Mary allowed her younger twin, by three minutes, to decide the activities of the day. Mary had bright red curls and piercing green eyes. Not a freckle on those cheeks. Mary had flawless skin to have red hair. She didn’t have freckles that usually marked most people with hair the color of hers. She was quieter than Mercy, and she required less attention. She was happy being in the background. Mercy was her Mary’s best friend, sister, and leader. Her green eyes shown with admiration for her sister. Mercy loved her sister Mary, but she was happy to be a playmate that was so dedicated to make her happy. Mary loved Mercy too, and it was fun to play with Mercy. They were happy to be sisters, and life was always an adventure playing in the community park and the toys in their bedroom. Mary and Mercy found the tiny bunnies. The lawn mower had killed their mother. She held the little, long-eared body in her small hands. “Mom, save it.” I didn't know what to do. Matilda told Mary to pray for it. She cupped it in her five-year-old hands praying for it in one breath and giving resuscitation with the next. Matilda rushed her into my car. She could not let the tiny life die in her hands without trying. She put the seat belt around both of us and sped to the veterinary clinic. When they walked into the waiting room, Matilda’s little daughter walked right up to the window. “This baby is dying.” The lady came from behind the window and looked at the bunny. Matilda could still see its minuscule chest moving with shallow breathing. “Can I have it?” The nurse asks. “I will see what I can do.” She tells Matilda that the little animal would not live, and she holds it in her hands until it gave up its last bit of breath. Mary’s overflowing eyes were filled with anger when the nurse hands her back the animal. In the car, Matilda’s little girl looked at their mother and said. “I tried to save its life, and I prayed for it. In the end it didn't matter.” She looks down at the little limp creature that lies in her hands. Chapter twenty-four Tale of two babies One night Matilda laid her daughters into pink full sized comfortable bed. “Momma, read.” Mary asked handing Matilda their Big Book Of Bible stories. Matilda asked, “What story do you want me to read, my Darlings?” “This one.” The girls pointed to a page with a picture of two women standing before the king with a guard holding a naked baby upside down with one leg. “I won’t you to read this one.” So, Matilda began: Along time ago, in a time before our Lord Jesus was even born. Two women lived together. Each woman was young, and they were roommates. They were close, and they seemed to be close friends. One day one woman gives the second some good news. “I am going to have a baby.” Her friend was excited for her, and the two of them begin to ready their home for the new member to the household. They swept the floors. They washed the walls. They even made little gowns for the baby. Yea the baby was going to be very happy when he/she comes into the world. The women got even more excited when the second woman came to the first about three weeks later. “Friend,” She said smiling, “We are truly sisters. For I too am going to have a baby.” Everything was going to be awesome. They would be a family. Two women could be help to each for the next few months and then help each other. Neither had family or husbands so each woman was excited to have each other. During the next few months, the women readied for the arrival of their little bundles. They made even more baby clothes, preserved more food, and made plans how the two of them would be able to help each other get breaks and rest while the babies were young. They seemed to have the situation all figured out. However, things were about to change. The first woman gave birth to her child. The child was healthy and weighed about seven pounds. The second woman delivered her child. She holds him. As she did, she felt her own child leap inside her own belly. Both women nursed and cared for this little boy for three days, and this is where things began to change. The second woman gave birth to a son. He weighed about seven pounds. There could not have been two happier women because they had someone to share their lives with. They were astatic to be mothers. In the middle of the night, the second mother wakes up. There was something about this night. There had not been any cries from her infant son to be fed. She begins to look through the covers. There under the warm pelts of skin was her son. He was blue. She had suffocated during the night. She rubs the child’s back and presses on his chest, but there was no life coming back to him. She spent the rest of the night rocking her son wondering what she was going to do. When the sun came up, she heard cries from the adjoining room. Her friend’s baby was needing to feed. She stands up. Still holding her lifeless son, she walks to the bedside of the other woman. She looks down. The baby boy seemed to smile at her. She bends over and slowly replaces the live baby for her dead one and leaves the room. Two hours later there was a scream. The other mother runs into the room. “My son! He is dead!” She screams. Then she sees the other baby. She realizes that the baby who is being rocked by her friend was her very own son. “You!” she screeched. “You have my son!” “You are wrong. It is your grief that makes you think this way.” She sees that the mother was about to lunge for the baby, so she runs out into the street. The mother follows. “Give me my child.” The King’s guard realized that this could lead to bloodshed. He grabs the two women. “We will allow King Solomon to sort this out.” He then snatches the baby from the women and hands it to another of the guards. At the castle, one of King Solomon’s handmaidens cradles the baby as the mothers waited for their turn for his judgment. “What is the dispute?” He asks the women. “I wake up this morning, and I find a dead baby in my bed.” The first mother looked at the other woman. “The baby isn’t mine. The live baby is my son.” “She lies. She found her own son dead.” The second woman nearly screams. “The baby dead in her bed was her child.” The king motions for the handmaiden to bring the baby to him. He cradles it for a minute. He did what he always did when it came to a hard decision. He silently prayed. “Lord, give me wisdom.” He removes the blanket. He holds the infant up with one ankle in one hand. He raises a sword with the other. Since both women are saying this is her child, I will divide the child. I will give both a half. Then you both will have a dead child.” The baby began to cry. It was screaming in fear as he hung upside down by the king’s mighty hand. The first woman moves forward. The guard grabs her arm. “No! Please my fair and wise king.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “He is her son. Just don’t hurt the child.” King Solomon wraps the infant in his blanket. He hands the baby to the maiden. “Give this child to his mother.” The maiden walked over to the second woman. “No!” King Solomon points to the first woman. “She was not willing to allow the baby to be divided. She gave up her son to save his life. While the other was willing to allow him to be cut into. This woman had love for her son. Give her the boy.” The king points to the first mother. “Mommy, why did the second mother say the king could kill the baby?” Mercy asks. “I think that she knew that she had lost her child, and that the first mother would always be trying to take the child back.” Matilda replies to her daughters. “You need to go to sleep.” Matilda looked back at the children. She was so proud of her beautiful little angels. Chapter twenty-five Mary’s assignment Mary could not stop thinking about how Mr. Browning could have called her to stay after class. His comment on her history report was inappropriate. She would never forget how the other students laughed and whispered outside the door as they listened. “Mary,” He handed her the five-page paper with a red letter ‘F’ shining from the front page of a well typed page. “You were asked to write a paper on someone from history that made a difference in your life. You could have chosen from anyone who influences your actions, your attitude, or your will to prosper…” “I did” Mary interrupted. “You agreed that the grade was not dependent on the time in history, the country in which the person lived, or what their religion. You said that the only real rule was that this person’s attributes help you to become who we become. Am I not right?” Mary could feel anger rise in her heart. She could hear her own blood pulsing in her ears. “Why do I have an ‘F’?” She asks in nearly a scream. She had never gotten under a ‘B’ in any lesson since preschool. “I ask for reports based on history.” He replied. He answered. “You could have written a report from a biography of a president, first lady, or famous businessman. You could have chosen to create a presentation from internet research of a recent politician that have died.” He paused. He could see that Mary was standing with both fists clinched on the sides of the desk where she stood. “I would have even accepted a report on an entertainer that you admire. However, the only thing that I ask is that the report be factual. I will not make an exception.” The laughter from the hall is now becoming audible. She had read her report to the class just less than ten minutes ago. The audience was only making Mary more irritated. She heard the whispering. The sound was rushing over her like a tornado over the landscape. The only other loud sound was that of her own angry heart beating. It felt as if she were filling up with the rage. She felt that she could explode any minute. “My report was on a real person in history that impacts everything that I am and every decision that I make?” “I do not entertain religion in any form, myself. I don’t accept it in my assignments, or do I allow my students to rally others while in my class.” “Rally?” Mary began. The lights in the classroom brightening and dimming as she spoke. She didn’t notice the temperature drop as she spoke. “Yes, King Solomon is recorded in my Bible. His story was one of my favorites that my mother would tell us at bedtime. The story of his wisdom keeps my path straight and my mind in the right direction. However, this report was not written just from the recordings in the Word of God,” Mary used that term to make her point, “I researched the king on the internet. I found resources that support the wise king lived. I discovered that there has been found scrolls that support the man. His scribes had recorded his prosperous rule for future generations.” Chapter twenty-six Mary finds her power Mr. Browning walked over to the door to shut it so that they could continue their conversation, but Mary, being done with the argument, hurriedly passed right by him. The others dispersed because there was nothing else to keep their attention. Mary throws herself across the bed. She turns over on her back tears still running down her face not yet wetting her pillow. She stares at the door. She angrily thought of the fact that she would not want to answer questions from Mercy or Matilda if they noticed that she was crying, but she did not want to get up and shut the door. Then she felt a jolt rise into her chest. Not realizing what she was doing, she pointed at the door. She felt an energy fly from her body, and then the door slammed by without anyone touching it. She was shocked. She wondered if she was imagining this event. So, she points to the lights, and with energy flew from her fingertips, the lights went off. In the next bedroom, Mercy had a similar experience. She had started her period a week early. The blood drained through her white pants. Peter was the hottest boy in class, and he got a first roll seat to her embarrassment. As a matter of fact, he was laughing at her from two desks behind, when she stood to go home. Mercy didn’t know why Peter and Joan were laughing until she passed Mrs. Karen who was the school nurse in the hallway. She gently touched Mercy’s arm to lead her to her office. “I need to talk to you.” When the two entered the room, Mrs. Karen reached into the box of clothes. She reaches Mercy with a pair of jeans and a pad. “You have blood on your pants. You can bring these back to school tomorrow.” Mercy begins to tear up. “Mercy, don’t be embarrassed. We all have had this happen. It is a part of growing up, but it won’t be remembered tomorrow.” Mercy nodded, but she knew that tomorrow would be a day of teasing. Chapter twenty-seven The dream Mercy went to bed. She cried herself to sleep. Then she dreamed: The dream started during the days of horses, nobility, and castles, there lived a wealthy clan named the Barthory family. The family was one without morals. Being related to the king, these people felt above the rules that governed the less fortunate. Their children raised without affection. As babies, their cries were only heard by their governesses. There were no mercies shown to a servant that failed to honor or gain the approval of the family. Children often witnessed the only caregiver being beaten or tortured for not pleasing the Bathroy parents. This would seem to always be the path of life for this dysfunctional and seemingly ruthless clan. The day of August 8, 1560, George Báthory of the Ecsed branch of the family, and Anna Báthory had their daughter Elizabeth. This child (niece of the king of Poland) had the world at her fingers, but her governess was in all regards her “mother”. Who knows what created the woman she was to become. Could it have been the lack of her mother's love, could it have been the brutal times, could it have been that her birth was of two people from the same family? Elizabeth's life was not that of a sheltered child as one would think that she would have had. When she fell there were no “kiss it,” to make the boo boo better. She learned to be content to watch the blood flow from a skinned knee and was content to see it as pain flowing from her body. There were no bedtime stories to put her off to peaceful sleep. She fell into dreams while hearing the servants being punished screaming out in the void darkness for help that would never arrive. Her governess would pure the large metal tub with hot water to bathe the growing girl. Elizabeth knew not to cry. If she did, she would be lifted from the water by one arm and slapped across the necked flesh with the back of the brush used to wash away the dust of the day. At the young age of 15, Elizabeth fell into her duties of marriage. For in those days, marriages were arranged, and her parents made the promise when she was only two. Though the marriage was the kind that was not brought together by fate and love, she seemed to love the darkness found in her husband. She found a thrill in the worship of her much older husband. This time she was lying awake listening to the screams of another's pain. It was she who lured young girls into her spider’s den. Every time her husband came back from battle, they enjoyed joint sessions of bloody torture where he taught her more ways to inflict pain. By the time of her death, she was credited for over 400 deaths. This woman who believed that bathing in young innocent blood would keep her young and beautiful, lived, married, and even had children. The face of Elizabeth was Mercy’s. She could see all that blood. Chapter twenty-eight Secrets Still tasting the tears from the night before, Mercy wakes up. She points to the light, believing that what happened was a dream. However, she pointed, the light came on. Mary could not stop thinking about how Mr. Browning could have called her to stay after class. His comment on her history report was inappropriate. She would never forget how the other students laughed and whispered outside the door as they listened. “Mary,” He handed her the five-page paper with a red letter ‘F’ shining from the front page of a well typed page. “You were asked to write a paper on someone from history that made a difference in your life. You could have chosen from anyone who influences your actions, your attitude, or your will to prosper…” “I did” Mary interrupted. “You agreed that the grade was not dependent on the time in history, the country in which the person lived, or what their religion. You said that the only real rule was that this person’s attributes help you to become who we become. Am I not, right?” Mary could feel anger rise in her heart. She could hear her own blood pulsing in her ears. “Why do I have an ‘F’?” She asks in nearly a scream. She had never got under a ‘B’ in any lesson since preschool. “I ask for reports based on history.” He replied. He answered. “You could have written a report from a biography of a president, first lady, or famous businessman. You could have chosen to create a presentation from internet research of a recent politician that have died.” He paused. He could see that Mary was standing with both fists clinched on the sides of the desk where she stood. “I would have even accepted a report on a entertainer that you admire. However, the only thing that I ask is that the report be factual. I will not make an exception.” The laughter from the hall is now becoming audible. She had read her report to the class just less than ten minutes ago. The audience was only making Mary more irritated. She heard the whispering. The sound was rushing over her like a tornado over the landscape. The only other loud sound was that of her own angry heart beating. It felt as if she were filling up with the rage. She felt that she could explode any minute. “My report was on a real person in history that impacts everything that I am and every decision that I make?” “I do not entertain religion in any form, myself. I don’t accept it in my assignments, or do I allow my students to rally others while in my class.” “Really?” Mary began. The lights in the classroom brightening and dimming as she spoke. She didn’t notice the temperature drop as she spoke. “Yes, King Solomon is recorded in my Bible. His story was one of my favorites that my mother would tell us at bedtime. The story of his wisdom keeps my path straight and my mind in the right direction. However, this report was not written just from the recordings in the Word of God,” Mary used that term to make her point, “I researched the king on the internet. I found resources that support the wise kind lived. I discovered that there has been found scrolls that support the man. His scribes had recorded his prosperous rule for future generations.” Mr. Browning walked over to the door to shut it so that they could continue their conversation, but Mary, being done with the argument, hurriedly passed right by him. The others dispersed because there was nothing else to keep their attention. Mercy throws herself across the bed. She turns over on her back tears still running down her face not yet wetting her pillow. She stares at the door. She angrily thought of the fact that she would not want to answer questions from Mercy or Matilda if they noticed that she was crying, but she did not want to get up and shut the door. Then she felt a jolt rise into her chest. Not realizing what she was doing, she pointed at the door. She felt an energy fly from her body, and then the door slammed by without anyone touching it. She was shocked. She wondered if she was imagining this event. So, she points to the lights, and with energy flew from her fingertips, the lights went off. Still tasting the tears from the night before, Mary wakes up. She points to the light, believing that what happened was a dream. However, she pointed, the light came on. Mercy wakes up early in the morning. She was so excited that she graduates in three days. She goes into her bathroom, brushes her teeth, puts her blond hair in a sloppy bun, and decides that she would go for her morning run. She pulls on her sweat paints and halter top. Then leaves her the room. Shortly after Mary leaves, she hears a prayer from her mother’s bedroom that hints that Mary is a witch. She sets the house on fire from practicing ceremonies that she found in a book from the local library. She gets her sister to help find the coven. She cannot talk Mary into staying. Mercy begins to plan to over through Willow. As she reaches the kitchen, she hears passion in her parents’ voices. “They need to know, Matilda.” Her dad was adamant about his position in the conversation. “No! That part of our lives do not exist”, Matilda replies. “The coven is part of our past.” “How about Sarah. Do you think that they will wonder why their grandmother isn’t aging? Don’t you think that when the time comes, they will seek out to visit Sarah? She will answer the girls’ questions if we don’t” Damion keeps trying to make his point. The smell of pepper mixed with the heat coming from the kitchen, causes a tickle in her nostrils. Mercy wants to hear the whole story. She tries to stop the sound by holding her hand over her mouth. This would have worked if she had not been standing so close to the door facing. Her head jerked back because of the massive sneeze that she tried to control that her forehead hit the wall with full force. Matilda rounds the corner from the kitchen. “Mercy, what was that sound?” “It’s ok, Mom.” She laughed and rubbed her forehead. “I just bumped my head sneezing.” “Must have been a doozy.” Damion chuckles. “Would you like breakfast?” Matilda asks. It was so tempting to say yes. Stacks of pancakes were perfectly centered on a rose platter. The scrambled eggs were so fluffy that you could hardly take your eyes off them. Still on the stove was fried apples, gravy, cookie sheet with beacon, and sausage waiting to be placed on the table. The tantalizing fragrance of fried apples with cinnamon was almost undeniable. “Where is Mary this morning?” Mercy asks as she reaches out and snags a strip of beacon. “She was already gone when I got out of bed.” “She had choir practice at the church this morning.” Matilda says as she begins to build a plate for Mercy. Mercy gently grabs her mother, “Mom, you are the reason that I have to run so much. You are going to make me fat.” She laughed. Mercy kisses her mother, “Seriously, I have to run.” Describe how Mercy thought about what she had heard as she was on her run. Tell me about going to the basement. Tell what the basement looks like. Mercy remembers that her mother stored boxes and items from her younger years in the storage room in the basement. She takes the box from corner and carries it to her room. When she sat unlocked the door, she sat the box on the bed. The cardboard was stained with history. There were the words Apple Cider printed on the sides in red ink. She then open the dusty flaps. Mercy looks through the box she had found, she finds pictures of her mother and grandmother many years ago. Both women were holding wands. Sarah’s was long and seemed to be covered with circles oblong in shape. Matilda looked to be a teenager, but she too was holding a shining witching tool in her right hand. Mercy could not tell what was engraved in the stick that her mother had, but she knew that it had power. She quickly put the dimming photo in her pocket while deciding not to show this item from the box to Mary. She would show the letters and the book, but not the picture. After all, what if, Mary wants one of them. Again Mercy would have to share power with her sister. Who knows? Maybe Mary would crave the power of their ancestors as much as she does. As Mercy looks through the box she found in the basement, she finds pictures of her mother and grandmother many years ago. Both women were holding wands. Sarah’s was long and seemed to be covered with circles oblong in shape. Matilda looked to be a teenager, but she too was holding a shining witching tool in her right hand. Mercy could not tell what was engraved in the stick that her mother had, but she knew that it had power. She quickly put the dimming photo in her pocket while deciding not to show this item from the box to Mary. She would show the letters and the book, but not the picture. After all, what if Mary wants one of them. Again, Mercy would have to share power with her sister. Who knows? Maybe Mary would crave the power of their ancestors as much as she does. Chapter twenty-nine The coven Sarah leads Mercy to Anna’s house. She parts the beads. There Anna was peeling potatoes and feeding the peal to Hoppy. Hoppy was one of the wild rabbits that visited Anna. When the two walked into the room Hoppy scurried out of the room. “Mercy,” Anna announced with tears in her eyes. “You have grown into a beautiful woman.” She hugs her granddaughter. Anna had aged compared to Sarah. She had lines in the corners of her eyes, and the smile uncovered the wrinkles in her cheeks. Anna was still a beautiful woman with the brightest smile that Mercy had ever seen. Mercy could not help to be surprised that Anna’s house was so immaculate, after all she allowed animal and human free entry. “Hello Nanna.” Mercy walks into her grandmother’s open arms. She remembered how it felt to be held by her as a child. It wasn’t any different now. Anna always had an odor of pine and wilderness about her. She was known as a “witch of nature” by all the other women in the community. Even Willow would turn to Anna when the weather needed some adjusting, or if there were an injured animal that needed a magic touch. Not to have been born a witch, Anna had the strongest powers for the Earth element than any other in her generation. “You look well.” “Does your mother know that you have come to visit?” Anna asked with a tone of disgust in her voice. She had secretly held contempt for Matilda for forsaking the craft and taking the girls with her. Anna had even thought about placing a curse on her daughter-in-law. The love for her son always over powered her hate for Matilda. So, she spent her time sending enchantments into the spirit world to bring them back to the convent. “No. I am an adult.” She kissed Anna on the cheek. “I have come home.” Tears ran down Anna’s face. “Well, let us go and inform Willow. She will be so excited. We all have missed you so very much. The whole coven grieved for a week after your family left. Welcome home my darling.” The trio found Willow in the communal galley where all the even meals were served. When arriving, the sensual form of a woman was in view. Willow stood with erect posture. She was dressed in a long black dress with black lace-up boots. “Hello Mercy,” Willow greeted without turning around as if she had eyes in the back of her skull hidden by her flowing strands of hair. “I’ve been expecting you. Where is Mary?” “Mistress, my sister has forever forsaken our ways. I have come home. As my mother and her mother before had done, I ask to be your apprentice so that I can develop my powers to the best that they can be.” Mercy replies. Willow turns toward Mercy. “You blood has been running through my land for three generations. Your mother was born here, you were conceived, born, and dedicated into the convert here. You remain one of us. Our ways flow through your spirit as blood through your veins.” “Grandmother,” Mercy greets Sarah. “Mercy,” Sarah returns the greeting. “How long has it been?” Sarah didn’t need an answer. She remembered the tears she shed as the twins hugged her goodbye leaving their craft behind. She would never forget how Mercy had to be pulled from her grandmother’s arms. The last time she had seen Mary and Mercy was from the back windshield of Matilda’s Station Wagon as the automobile drove down the dirt road taking her family away to a new life. “You probably don’t remember your old grandma.” Sarah replied throwing her arms around her prodigal granddaughter. “Grandmother, you have not changed at all since I last laid my eyes on your charming face.” Mercy wasn’t exaggerating. Sarah was still a tiny red head with flawless skin. There were no signs of age past the age of twenty, and her grandmother’s smile was as bright as when she once sat on her lap listening to Sarah tell her stories. No, Sarah had learned how to stay young using her craft. Amazing how much Mary resembles Grandmother. Mercy thought. She quickly pushed such a statement to the back of her mind. The thought brought back the only feeling of insecurity that she had ever felt. Mercy could charm everyone to do or get anything that she wanted except for her grandmother. There was always a bond between her twin and Sarah. Mercy always tried to gain her grandmother’s favor, but Mary was the apple of Sarah’s eyes. Worst of all, at the age of three, Sarah was already teaching Mary from her spell book. This would not happen again. Sarah and Mercy walked into the little cabin. After dinner and before saying goodnight to her grandmother, Mercy leaves the little abode. She makes her way to the place between the birch trees where she and Mary were born. She lights the fire. The flames cast shadows over the ground resembling dancing witches of a full mood. Next, she creates a circle with the ash. She then lay out candles upon the altar. Then she chants. “Mary, Mary, twin o’ mine This ribbon you entwine What was yours is now mine Set one foot upon this place All will see you as disgraced” Mercy tears a photo of the two sisters separating Mercy and Mary. Taking the red ribbon, she winds it around the picture of Mary until there is no image to be seen. Then she lays it on the ground by the altar, pours wax from the candle over it, places a rock over it, and continues. “Far away you must abide For now I am the Witches’ pride” When the two women wake up the next morning, Mercy smells cinnamon pancakes. It was such a welcome fragrance to awaken her. She remembers that it was the breakfast that Sarah used to cook for them, but not because Mercy like it. It was because cinnamon pancakes were Mary’s favorite dish. Mercy sits at the table. In front of her was a stack of twenty or so pancakes. “Eat, my daughter.” Sarah smiles. Then she seals Mercy’s spell. “I remembered that this was your favorite morning meal.” Mercy whispers, “Now I will learn all that grandmother has to teach.” “Did you say something, Dear?” “Just how happy that I am to be here.” Mercy answers knowing she would soon be the Mistress of the coven. Chapter Thirty Matilda’s Spell “Sisters, Willow has left the coven. She has decided to turn over the government of this community to me, Mercy Siskins. She trusts that you will follow my instructions. Mary is excommunicated. She is no longer to have contact with anyone in the coven. Anyone who caught contacting her or carrying messages to Sarah to her will be stoned. For Mary is out to destroy our grandmother for her place here with the sisters. Mary is brainwashed by so called Christianity, and she is planning to kill her own mother and sister. She will take this community down with us. She will be the end of Mistresses of Zodiac. Mercy now lives with the coven. She lives as the governess of the community of witches. While Mary was praying and seeking advice on how to destroy the group, Matilda knew that Mercy would not let go of the power without a “to the death” fight. The magic defined who Mercy had become. She had killed Willow to get her position. No doubt in Matilda’s mind that she would kill her own twin to keep it. Matilda knew that Mary would have compassion on her sister. That passion would lead to Mary’s defeat because Mercy had lost all love except that for ruling the convent. Matilda gathered sticks so that she started a fire. She took one of the burning twigs and used it to draw an ash circle there in her back yard. She placed five candles where the five corners of a star would be if drawn out. Then she placed two cement blocks on both sides of the flames. She placed a grate across them to hold her cauldron. Matilda looked toward the heavens as she released a strand of Mary’s dark hair into the bubbling cauldron. She knew that witchcraft was against everything that she now believes, but she lived as a witch before finding her true God. She knew how powerful magic was. Matilda knew that Mary would not use spells or any other witchery. As Matilda watched the boiling potion swallow up the hair into the steam, she prayed, “Father, forgive me. I must protect my daughter.” Then she redirected her attention to the sheet of paper that she had written something on. She read: “Twins divided in a fight the one is wrong the other is right Mercy played a game and won Mary make the deed undone Witch against witch tonight will be Let win the righteous, Mary” Matilda pulled a small baby bib that used to belong to Mercy. She ties it with knotted rope made of hemp. Then she placed the tied bundle under a rock. The rock was placed near the fire. “Daughter Mercy, I bind thy evil powers. You can no longer harm any living creature.” After the spell was cast, Matilda goes into her room. She falls to her knees to pray. Mary walked into the church. Reverend Dallas was sitting in the front pew. “Hello, Marry.” He asked. He was puzzled that she had shown up so early for choir practice. “Pastor, I need to talk to you.” She began trying to form the sentences that would make sense of her family tree, her sister’s journey to become a member of coven, and ask for advice. “I do not know if you will believe me. I am not sure that I believe.” Dallas puts his arm around her shoulder. “Sit my girl. What makes your heart heavy?” She fills him in on the fact that Mercy had found the box. “I am a granddaughter of a witch. My grandmother still lives in a coven.” She hangs her head. He takes his hand to pull her gaze upon her face. “I know.” He told her. “I will be right back.” Dallas walked into the back room. He came back with a small album. He sat down by her once again. He began to turn the pages. “Who are these beautiful little girls?” He asks. One the page were five pictures of her and Mercy. The little twins were dressed in black dresses. In one picture, there were two women standing behind the little girls. He points to the women. “This is your grandmother Sarah. You were so small when you left the coven. The other woman is Willow. She is the Mistress of the cult.” Mary was puzzled as he pulls the photos from the pages and hands them to her. “I think that you should have these. Your grandmother had things that happened in her life that left her alone. She was pregnant with your mother, and Willow was there protecting Sarah. Then Matilda and I met at a farmer’s market. My heart went out to her and your family. It took three weeks, but Matilda and Damion walked into this church. They have been here ever since.” “Mercy is gone to find this place. What can I do? The Bible says ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.’ How can I save her?” “Lamentations 4:22, The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no longer carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.” Receipted the verse. He reaches out and takes Mary’s hand. “Mary, Mercy will be discover God. If she chose the coven over God, he will judge her. I really believe that Mary. You must follow your spirit." Mary thanks Rev. Dallas for his prayers. She left thinking about what he had said. Sarah lies sleeping in her bed, when Mary came into the room. Mary could not believe how young her grandmother looked sleeping beneath the yarn knitted bedspread. She had heard the story of how Sarah had found the coven from her sister Mercy who had learned the information from the box she found in the basement. She wasn’t sure of what she would have done in the same situation without anyone to help. As an expectant mother, could she have done differently than her grandmother had done. However, her Christian heart knew who Sarah and Mercy were, and she could not suffer a witch to live no matter if they were of her own blood. If she wanted to rid her own soul of the curse of witchcraft, she knew what she had to do. Mary slowly pulls the pillow from beside her grandmother’s head. She pushes its plush fabric over Sarah’s face. Sarah didn’t struggle like Mary expected. She seemed to welcome the eternal sleep. Mary removes the pillow and kisses Sarah’s cheek, pours the gasoline, and made a trail out to the middle of the coven where the residents danced in the moons light many times. Mary could barely remember Mercy and herself dancing with Sarah and their mother in this area. She shakes off the thought and movies on to the cabin that Willow once lived in. It was the home of her twin now. Mercy had taken the home when she poisoned Willow. Mary searched the house carrying her Bible in one hand and a revolver in the other, but she could not find her sister. Chapter Thirty-one Coven attacked Mary walked into the church. Reverend Dallas was sitting in the front pew. “Hello, Merry.” He asked. He was puzzled that she had shown up so early for choir practice. “Pastor, I need to talk to you.” She began trying to form the sentences that would make sense of her family tree, her sister’s journey to become a member of coven, and ask for advice. “I do not know if you will believe me. I am not sure that I believe.” Dallas puts his arm around her shoulder. “Sit my girl. What makes your heart heavy?” She fills him in on the fact that Mercy had found the box. “I am a granddaughter of a witch. My grandmother still lives in a coven.” She hangs her head. He takes his hand to pull her gaze to her face. “I know.” He told her. “I will be right back.” Dallas walked into the back room. He came back with a small album. He sat down by her once again. He began the pages. “Who are these beautiful little girls?” He asks. One the page were five pictures of her and Mercy. The little twins were dressed in black dresses. In one picture, there were two women standing behind the little girls. He points to the women. “This is your grandmother Sarah. You were so small when you left the coven. The other woman is Willow. She is the Mistress of the cult.” Mary was puzzled as he pulls the photos from the pages and hands them to her. “I think that you should have these. You grandmother had things that happened in her life that left her alone. She was pregnant with your mother, and Willow was there protecting Sarah. Then Matilda and I met at a farmer’s market. My heart went out to her and your family. It took three weeks, but Matilda and Damion walked into this church. They have been here ever since.” “Mercy is gone to find this place. What can I do? The Bible says ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.’ How can I save her?” “Lamentations 4:22, The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.” Receipted the verse. He reaches out and takes Mary’s hand. “Mary, Mercy will discovered by God. If she chose the coven over God, he would judge her. I really believe that Mary. You must follow your spirit." Mary thanks Rev. Dallas for his prayers. She left thinking about what he had said. Chapter Thirteen Mary could not stop thinking about how Mr. Browning could have called her to stay after class. He comments her history report was inappropriate. She would never forget how the other students laughed and whispered outside the door as they listened. “Mary,” He handed her the five page paper with a red letter ‘F’ shining from the front page of a well typed page. “You were asked to write a paper on someone from history that made a difference in your life. You could have chosen from anyone who influences your actions, your attitude, or your will to prosper…” “I did” Mary interrupted. “You agreed that the grade was not dependent on the time in history, the country in which the person lived, or what their religion. You said that the only real rule was that this person’s attributes help you to become who we become. Am I not right?” Mary could feel anger rise in her heart. She could hear her own blood pulsing in her ears. “Why do I have an ‘F’?” She asks in nearly a screaming. She had never gotten under a ‘B’ in any lesson since preschool. “I ask for reports based on history.” He replied. He answered. “You could have written a report from a biography of a president, first lady, or famous business man. You could have chosen to create a presentation from internet research of a recent politician that have died.” He paused. He could see that Mary was standing with both fists clinched on the sides of the desk where she stood. “I would have even accepted a report on a entertainer that you admire. However, the only thing that I ask is that the report be factual. I will not make an exception.” The laughter from the hall is now become audible. She had read her report to the class just less than ten minutes ago. The audience was only making Mary more irritated. She heard the whispering. The sound was rushing over her like a tornado over the landscape. The only other sound louder was that of her own angry heart beating. It felt as if she were filling up with the rage. She felt that she could explode any minute. “My report was on a real person in history that impacts everything that I am and every decision that I make?” “I do not entertain religion in any form, myself. I don’t except it in my assignments, or do I allow my students to rally others while in my class.” “Really?” Mary began. The lights in the classroom brightening and dimming as she spoke. She didn’t notice the temperature drop as she spoke. “Yes, King Solomon is recorded in my Bible. His story was one of my favorites that my mother would tell us at bedtime. The story of his wisdom keeps my path straight and my mind in the right direction. However, this report was not written just from the recordings in the Word of God,” Mary used that term to make her point, “I researched the king on the internet. I found resources that support that the wise kind lived. I discovered that there has been found scrolls that support the man. His scribes had recorded his prosperous rule for future generations.” Mr. Browning walked over to the door to shut it so that they could continue their conversation, but Mary being done with the argument hurriedly passed right by him. The others dispersed because there was nothing else to keep their attention. Mercy throws herself across the bed. She turns over on her back tears still running down her face not yet wetting her pillow. She stares toward the door. She angrily thought of the fact that she would not want to answer questions from Mercy or Matilda if they noticed that she was crying, but she did not want to get up and shut the door. Then she felt a jolt rise into her chest. Not realizing what she was doing, she pointed to the door. She felt an energy fly from her body, and then the door slammed by without anyone touching it. She was shocked. She wondered if she was imaging this event. So she points to the lights, and with energy flew from her fingertips, the lights went off. Still tasting the tears from the night before, Mary wakes up. She points to the light, believing that what happened was a dream. However, she pointed, the light came on. Mercy wakes up early in the morning. She was so excited that she graduates in three days. She goes into her bathroom, brushes her teeth, puts her blond hair in a sloppy bun, and decides that she would go for her morning run. She pulls on her sweat paints and halter top. Then leaves her the room. Shortly after Mary leaves, she hears a prayer from her mother’s bedroom that hints that Mary is a witch. She sets the house on fire from practicing ceremonies that she found in a book from the local library. She gets her sister to help find the coven. She cannot talk Mary into staying. Mercy begins to plan to over through Willow. As she reaches the kitchen, she hears passion in her parents’ voices. “They need to know, Matilda.” Her dad was adamant about his position in the conversation. “No! That part of our lives do not exist”, Matilda replies. “The coven is part of our past.” “How about Sarah. Do you think that they will wonder why their grandmother isn’t aging? Don’t you think that when the time comes, they will seek out to visit Sarah? She will answer the girls’ questions if we don’t” Damion keeps trying to make his point. The smell of pepper mixed with the heat coming from the kitchen, causes a tickle in her nostrils. Mercy wants to hear the whole story. She tries to stop the sound by holding her hand over her mouth. This would have worked if she had not been standing so close to the door facing. Her head jerked back because of the massive sneeze that she tried to control that her forehead hit the wall with full force. Matilda rounds the corner from the kitchen. “Mercy, what was that sound?” “It’s ok, Mom.” She laughed and rubbed her forehead. “I just bumped my head sneezing.” “Must have been a doozy.” Damion chuckles. “Would you like breakfast?” Matilda asks. It was so tempting to say yes. Stacks of pancakes were perfectly centered on a rose platter. Scrambled eggs were so fluffy that you could hardly take your eyes off them. Still on the stove was the fried apples, gravy, cookie sheet with beacon, and sausage waiting to be placed on the table. The tantalizing fragrance of fried apples with cinnamon was almost undeniable. “Where is Mary this morning?” Mercy asks as she reaches out and snags a strip of beacon. “She was already gone when I got out of bed.” “She had choir practice at the church this morning.” Matilda says as she begins to build a plate for Mercy. Mercy gently grabs her mother, “Mom, you are the reason that I have to run so much. You are going to make me fat.” She laughed. Mercy kisses her mother, “Seriously, I have to run.” Describe how Mercy thought about what she had heard as she was on her run. Tell me about going to the basement. Tell what the basement looks like. Mercy remembers that her mother stored boxes and items from her younger years in the storage room in the basement. She takes the box from corner and carries it to her room. When she sat had locked the door, she sat the box on the bed. The cardboard was stained with history. There were the words Apple Cider printed on the sides in red ink. She then open the dusty flaps. Mercy looks through the box she had found, she finds pictures of her mother and grandmother many years ago. Both women were holding wands. Sarah’s was long and seemed to be covered with circles oblong in shape. Matilda looked to be a teenager, but she too was holding a shining witching tool in her right hand. Mercy could not tell what was engraved in the stick that her mother had, but she knew that it had power. She quickly put the dimming photo in her pocket while deciding not to show this item from the box to Mary. She would show the letters and the book, but not the picture. After all, what if, Mary wants one of them. Again Mercy would have to share power with her sister. Who knows? Maybe Mary would crave the power of their ancestors as much as she does. Chapter “Grandmother,” Mercy greets Sarah. “Mercy,” Sarah returns the greeting. “How long has it been?” Sarah didn’t need an answer. She remembered the tears she shed as the twins hugged her goodbye to leave her and all that she believed behind. She would never forget how Mercy had to be pulled from her grandmother’s arms. The last time she had seen Mary and Mercy was from the back windshield of Matilda’s Station Wagon as the automobile drove down the dirt road taking her family away to a new life. “You probably don’t remember your old grandma.” Sarah replied throwing her arms around her prodigal granddaughter. “Grandmother, you have not changed at all since I last laid my eyes on your charming face. Mercy wasn’t exaggerating. Sarah was still a tiny red head with flawless skin. There were no signs of age past the age of twenty, and her grandmother’s smile was as bright as when she once sat on her lap listening to Sarah tell her stories. No, Sarah had learned how to stay young using her craft. “Amazing how much Mary resembles Grandmother.” Mercy thought. She quickly pushed such a statement to the back of her mind. The thought brought back the only feeling of insecurity that she had ever felt. Mercy could charm everyone to do or get anything that she wanted with the exception of her grandmother. There was always a bond between her twin and Sarah. Mercy always tried to gain her grandmother’s favor, but Mary was the apple of Sarah’s eyes. Worst of all at the age of three, Sarah was already teaching Mary from her spell book. This would not happen again. Sarah and Mercy walked into the little cabin. After dinner and before saying goodnight to her grandmother, Mercy leaves the little abode. She makes her way to the place between the birch trees where she and Mary were born. She lights the fire. The flames cast shadows over the ground resembling dancing witches of a full mood. Next, she creates a circle with the ash. She then lay out candles upon the altar. Then she chants. “Mary, Mary, twin o’ mine This ribbon you entwine What was yours is now mine Set one foot upon this place All will see you as disgraced” Mercy tears a photo of the two sisters separating Mercy and Mary. Taking the red ribbon, she winds it around the picture of Mary until there is no image to be seen. Then she lays it on the ground by the altar, pours wax from the candle over it, places a rock over it, and continues. “Far away you must abide For now I am the Witches’ pride” When the two women wake up the next morning, Mercy smells cinnamon pancakes. It was such a welcomed fragrance to awaken her. She remember that was the breakfast that Sarah used to cook for them, but not because Mercy like it. It was because cinnamon pancakes was Mary’s favorite dish. Sisters, Willow has left the coven. She has decided to turn over the government of this community to me, Mercy Siskins. She trusts that you will follow my instructions. Mary is excommunicated. She is no longer to have contact with anyone in the coven. Anyone who caught contacting her or carrying messages to Sarah to her will be stoned. For Mary is out to destroy our grandmother for her place here with the sisters. Mary is brainwashed by so called Christianity, and she is planning to kill her own mother and sister. She will take this community down with us. She will be the end of Mistresses of Zodiac. Mercy sits at the table. In front of her was a stack of twenty or so pancakes. “Eat, my daughter.” Sarah smiles. Then she seals Mercy’s spell. “I remembered that this was your favorite morning meal.” Mercy whispers, “Now I will learn all that Grandmother has to teach.” “Did you say something, Dear?” “Just how happy that I am to be here.” Mercy answers knowing she would soon be the Mistress of the coven. Chapter Final Chapter Sarah lies sleeping in her bed, when Mary came into the room. Mary could not believe how young her grandmother looked sleeping beneath the yarn knitted bedspread. She had heard the story of how Sarah had found the coven from her sister Mercy who had learned the information from the box she found in the basement. She wasn’t sure of what she would have done in the same situation without anyone to help. As an expectant mother, could she have done differently than her grandmother had done? However, her Christian heart knew who Sarah and Mercy were, and she could not suffer a witch to live no matter if they were of her own blood. If she wanted to rid her own soul of the curse of witchcraft, she knew what she had to do. Mary slowly pulls the pillow from beside her grandmother’s head. Mary locked her elbows, forcing her grandmother’s head deep into the mattress. She pushes the plush fabric over Sarah’s face. Sarah didn’t struggle like Mary expected. She seemed to welcome the eternal sleep. Mary removes the pillow. Sarah eyes were open. She looked much as she had when Mary was a little girl. She kisses Sarah’s cheek, pours the gasoline, and made a trail out to the middle of the coven where the residents danced in the moon’s light many times. Mary could barely remember Mercy and herself dancing with Sarah and their mother in this area. She shakes off the thought and moves on to the cabin that Willow once lived in. Mercy claimed to have been given the cabin and rule from Willow when she had left out of town. In reality, Mercy had taken the home when she poisoned Willow to death. Mary searched the house carrying her Bible in one hand and a revolver in the other, but she could not find her sister. Not turning on the light was a decision made to help Mary not to be noticed, but it was an action that made it hard to maneuver. The living room furniture had been moved around since she had been there as a child. When Mary had taken her first step, she runs her big toe into a little table. She dropped the gun. “Oh, thank God that it did not fire off.” She thought. If the two met head-to-head, she wasn’t sure of how to battle her sister. She had seen how powerful Mercy had been growing up. Even more so after she had found the box because she began to practice witchcraft planning her takeover of the coven. Mary knew that God was powerful. She also knew that she was not God. She believed that there was also evil in the world, and it held a mighty power too. Mary picked up the gun. She limped around the small piece of furniture. She then became more in tune with her surrounds. She looked straight through the living room. There was a beam of light. Trying to draw a map of the house from memory, she realized that the light came from Willow’s (Mercy’s) bedroom. Mary walked in the direction of the light. When she felt the door facing beneath her outstretched hand holding her Bible, she questioned, “Was there a step up to enter the room?” Not sure she raised her leg high and safely walked into the black room a little off balance because there had been no step up. She walked toward the moon rays from the window until her thighs touched what she believed to be a bed. Mary took the gun and run it over the mattress to find that her sister was not there. Mary left by the back door to continue her search for Mercy in the coven. Mary laid the Bible on the pile of fresh cut firewood. She looked around to find the lighter fluid that Willow kept behind the house to begin fires in the fire pit used to grill. Her fingers finally found the cold can with the pointed top. She picked it up, retreats into the house where she spreads the fluid from the living room through the house, out the back door, and met in the middle of the coven to meet up with the gasoline that was spread throughout her grandmother’s house. More and more, the darkness came filling the coven grounds with a haunting appearance. Mary searches through the shadows for her sister. The moon was hidden behind the dark night clouds not offering any help from the blackness of late night. There were cabins that were lit by candles, and Mary did not go into those. She stacked the brush around the windows the rear of each. She poured the lighter fluid over each pile until there wasn’t any more. Then Mary finally realized that Mercy was not in the coven. Bewildered, Mary remembered that there was a path that she used to travel somewhere in the back of Willow’s cabin. The memory began coming back. She walked as if she were in a trance. The darkness no longer mattered because there was a dim light in the distance. She stopped just before reaching a clearing. She could see that Mercy was dancing around the fire with over fifteen other witches. One by one they fell from exhaustion or spiritual intercession. Mary waited in the shadows until only Mercy glided naked and chanted in the nearly nonexistent light of the dying flames. Mary dodged the limbs of the enchanted birch trees to make her way as close to Mercy as she could undetected. Then she slowly moved form woman to woman tying their arms together with hemp rope. She hoped that the next would not wake before she got the next woman secured. Finally, the last witch was unable to move. She moved to where her sister danced. “Mercy!” Mary called her. “Suffer a witch not to live.” Mercy turned to see her sister bringing a large rock down. Mercy falls to the ground unconscious. Then Mary ties her twin sister in the same manner as she had the others. Mary pulls the naked women to together near the fire. The witches began to wiggle as they began to wake. “What’s going on?” Mercy asked her sister with unbelief in her voice. “I gave you chance after chance to repent,” Mary spoke as she gathered the robes left on the ground when the dancing began hours ago. “You chose to continue to do evil. My sister, I wanted to be a team reaching out and gathering souls for Jesus Christ. You didn’t want any part of it.” “What are you doing?” Asked another that lay on Mercy’s left. “You must be set free. You must die in this world. Do any of you have anything to say?” Mary laid a robe on each of the bodies. She left the sashes loose. There were so many voices all going begging for their lives at the same time. None were audible except Mercy. “Mary, my sister. You cannot do this.” She cried. “You are killing me for being what you are.” “I am not a witch,” Mary screams. She opens her Bible. She reads louder and louder, moving from one person to another. She then places more brush on the fire that is only embers. The flames rose. One by one Mary picked up a sash from each robe. She held it on the fire until it began to flame. Then she dropped them. The flames follow the sashes to engulf the robes that covered each witch. “Save me!” One screams. “NOOOOOO!” another yells. “Sister! I curse you!” Mercy screams. “I curse you!” Mercy’s face is covered with tears. She smells the flesh and hair burning. The screams keep filling the air. The trees losing their enchantment as Mercy gave into the pain and smoke. Then she grabs a hand full of grass from the opening of the path. She puts the tips in the flames to catch them on fire. She sets the path on fire. The flames followed the path, swallowed Willow’s cabin, Sarah, and her house. |
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