San Francisco, California.
The night was dark and stormy, rain falling from the sky as if the world was going to end any second. Lightning flashed, thunder clapped, putting the sky on fire. People rushed to get off the street, trying to get shelter from the rain pounding the ground and the pavement. Nearly everyone was attempting to rush out the rain and keep dry that no one noticed a dismal and hooded figure standing ominously in front of an apartment complex, staring at one specific window that had a warm light coming from it.
A man in a business suit bumped the hooded figure, who didn't even flinch at the bump, just continued to stare blankly at the apartment window…
Serena Frederick, 26-years-old, sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror of her bathroom. She had bags under her eyes that showed her how tired she was. She couldn't believe how much sleep she WASN'T getting in the past few days. The nightmares she has been having have been becoming steadily worse as the weeks wore on.
It seemed as if something was haunting her. But as to what, she wasn't sure. A small meow pulled her from her thoughts, her baby kitten, Charm, rubbing against her leg affectionately. Sometimes, she just knew the small cat could almost read her thoughts.
Serena smiled at Charm before picking her up in her arms. "You hungry, sweetie?"
Charm responded with a small purr, licking Serena's fingers. She walks out of the bathroom and into the living room of her apartment, candles placed in precarious places, almost set up in a way that looked as if a séance was about to occur. And indeed it was.
A little known fact that most people didn't know about Serena was the fact that she was a witch. Not like the witches from classic movies such as Hocus Pocus and Wizard of Oz or the ones kids learn about for Halloween. But, one that was completely different altogether.
She comes from a long line of witches, starting from her great-great-great-GREAT grandmother all the way to her baby sister who now lives in San Diego. And while they did cast spells and perform rituals and whatnot, they didn't ride brooms and have warts on their faces. In fact, the women in Serena's family actually had pretty smooth skin.
But, that was besides the point. She needed help and the only one that she felt like could help her was her Grandma Edna, a powerful witch who had unfortunately passed to the otherside. Hence the reason for the séance. She was the only one that could give her the answers that she craved and needed.
She placed Charm in front of a bowl of food, the cat immediately going to work on it. "Good girl," Serena said to Charm, petting the kitten's head.
Taking a deep breath, she walks over to an altar with three unlit candles, placed in the center of the rest of the burning candles. She lights the unlit candles easily with the tip of her fingers. If anyone else had seen the act, they probably would have flipped. But, it had become almost second nature to Serena. One of her natural Wiccan abilities.
An unseen wind began blowing in the apartment, Charm looking up from her bowl of food, staring at her owner as she began reciting a spell. "Ancient one of the Earth so deep, Master of Moon and Sun. I shield you in my Wiccan Way, here in my Circle Round, asking you to protect this space, and offer your Sun force down."
The wind picked up, but none of the candles blowing out. Serena was so caught up in her incantation that she didn't even notice the hooded figure walk up behind her. Until Charm hissed and ran in the other room. She turned around, gasping in surprise. Startled more than anything, a smile soon came to her face as she realized that she recognized it was a familiar face.
"God, you scared me. What are you doing here?" She asked with a seductive smile as the hooded figure stalked towards her. Serena's smile quickly faded as the hooded figure pulled out a knife and plunged it into her stomach. She barely had time to yelp before her body lay limp on the floor of her own apartment.