Chapter 1
It was the day before All Hallow's Eve and Thackery Binx was pondering the crunch of the autumn leaves under his shoes. He smiled serenely to himself and looked down the wooded dirt road that led back towards his home. The orange and yellow leaves that were scattered about the ground fluttered in a crisp autumn breeze. Thackery pulled closer is red scarf and black coat as he picked up his speed.
He had just come from the schoolhouse in order to discuss something with the headmaster, and was on his way home just as the sun was setting. As he looked down the road again, he saw a distant figure in the mist. He squinted his eyes, and as he approached the figure, he realized it was that of his closest friend, Elijah.
"Elijah!" he called out, smiling. "Where goest thou?"
"Looking for thee," Elijah called back, his dark eyes peering warmly at his friend.
Elijah smiled and put his arm around Thackery's waist in a friendly embrace as they walked down the road.
He jauntily looked up at the trees as he mused, "Thackery, I do not know why thou insisteth upon studying so voraciously. Why dost thou not choose to hie home and spend time amidst nature and…friends?"
At the last word Thackery took his eyes off the ground and looked into Elijah's dark brown eyes. They entreatingly glistened in the waning light, and seemed to be almost sorrowful. They gave him pause.
"Elijah," Thackery tried to find his voice. "Why dost thou look at me so?"
Elijah quickly looked away and awkwardly cleared his throat. He released his embrace around Thackery's hip and clasped his hands behind his back. They continued walking, albeit slower, as if neither wished to speed up the progression of time in order to speak what had been on both their minds.
"Thackery, I," Elijah started.
"Elijah, I love you," Thackery said quickly, although at no louder than a whisper.
Elijah stopped, leaving Thackery to continue to walk a few steps before he realized he was unaccompanied.
He stopped and turned to see how his friend had reacted. As his eyes traveled up Elijah's body and finally reached his dark eyes, the face that framed them seemed to be emotionless and unreadable. Thackery's heart sank, yet he could not look away.
Elijah never broke his intense gaze with Thackery as he took two firm steps forward. He was not two inches from Thackery when he placed his hands on his friend's hips and, firmly yet gently, leaned forward and kissed his lips. They both closed their eyes and became absorbed in what seemed like an ecstatic standstill in time.
As they parted for a moment, Elijah, eyes half open in satisfied bliss, whispered into Thackery's ear, "And I love thee, Thackery Binx."
Elijah's warm breath in his ear sent shivers down Thackery's spine. He breathed in sharply through his nose and closed his eyes. They seemed to roll back into his head as he smelled the faint scent of cinnamon in Elijah's dark hair. They smiled contentedly, and continued towards Thackery's home, arms around the other's waist in the most loving of embraces.
Chapter 2
Before the two approached the threshold of Thackery's stark, brown house, they parted their embrace and looked at each other in a slightly nervous manner. Elijah gazed into Thackery's hazel green eyes as if to tell him that he wished they could never part, but that it was impossible in Salem, or anywhere, it seemed.
"Elijah," Thackery spoke first. "We mustn't speak of this to anyone – not I even to Emily, not thee to thy brother and sisters."
A whirlwind of emotions and worries flooded their minds. They had discovered that they were attracted to each other that midsummer, but had not dared to mention the subject again. For fear of discovery by relations of either party, they never wandered anywhere without at least one other person in their company, which was usually Emily, Thackery's younger sister. With that arrangement, neither one would be tempted to give into their youthful passions.
Elijah nodded in agreement and replied, "I shall not speak as long as thy lips can still mine own."
He leaned forward again, taking Thackery in his arms and bending his head down a bit to kiss him just once more. Elijah was slightly taller, with dark brown hair that did not reach his shoulders. Thackery, however, was fairer, with light eyes and light brown hair that was long enough to tie back into a ponytail. Both were slender and lithe, for last year's harvest did not yield much bounty. The rocky soil of the colony never really allowed a truly large and fruitful surplus, but at least no one starved.
"Elijah," Thackery said quietly, "Meet me at the oak tree at sundown."
Elijah nodded, "I will," and kissed Thackery once more before walking back to his own house, once or twice smiling over his shoulder at his partner, who still stood watching him, a content smile on his face.
Once Elijah disappeared into his home, Thackery retreated into his own, where a warm rush of air spilled over him from the blazing hearth within. The first person he saw was Emily, who greeted him with a bounding leap into his arms.
"Thackery Binx!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, Emily! Ha, ha!" he said, slightly strained under her weight. "Thou art heavier than the last time you jumped into mine arms!"
"Twas only yesterday, older brother!" Emily exclaimed as her small feet touched the wooden floor. "But thou wert almost late for supper – mother was worried."
Thackery looked up at his mother, who was cooking stew at the hearth at the back of the main room of the house. She smiled at him sweetly. He smiled back, barely able to contain his elation at the plans of his secret meeting later that evening.
"Good harvest, mother," he said as he took a seat at the table.
She sighed, stood up, and wiped her hands off on her apron.
"Good harvest, my son. Tis the final one, and it has been truly good."
"Mother, where is father?" he asked.
Just then, footsteps were heard coming down the dark stairway. It was Thackery's father, who had changed out of his work clothes.
"I am here, son. Tell me, where hast thou been so late in the evening?"
"I am sorry, father, but I was tarrying at the schoolhouse in order to discuss my future schooling with the headmaster," Thackery replied rather sheepishly.
This gave his father pause, who in turn responded crisply, "Thackery, thou knowest as well as I that the college fees are far too expensive. Besides, we need thee here as long as possible before thou marrieth. Your work is not in the courts or governor's halls, but here to work the good earth and reap a yearly harvest."
Thackery's eyes glistened and he looked imploringly at his father, "But…headmaster Whicket says I have…potential."
The last word seemed to disappear in his throat. His father's harsh look was enough to force Thackery to bow his head in repentance at defying him.
"I am sorry, father," Thackery apologized.
He glanced at his mother, whose kind face took in his disappointment and seemed almost to say, 'I shall talk with him. Do not worry, Thackery.'
The family ate their supper and afterwards, as Thackery and Emily helped clean the dishes, he ventured to ask, "Mother, may I spend some time at Elijah's house this evening?"
She nodded, "Certainly. School does not convene tomorrow."
She looked at Thackery's father, who nodded his approval.
Thackery finished up and went for his coat and scarf. The coldness of the autumn night rushed over him as he closed the door behind him. A slight breeze chilled the air even more, causing him to shiver. He then made his way down the road, past Elijah's house, and past a few more houses beyond. A round hillock to the left of the road rose gradually until it was overcome by a small group of trees. Within the wood was the oak tree, now yellowed by the changing of the seasons.
Chapter 3
Thackery's feet crunched the crackling leaves as he made his way over the brambles and fallen twigs. He beheld the large, stately oak. The moon reflected off its branches and leaves like glass shining in candlelight. As he neared the tree, he saw a figure of what could only be Elijah.
He called out, "Elijah! Thou art Elijah, I hope."
The figure responded, "If thou art Thackery, kiss me and choose for thyself mine own true identity."
Thackery easily recognized Elijah's voice and smiled widely, walking at a quicker pace until he could easily discern his friend's handsome face in the pale light. The two kissed passionately, holding one in the other's arms.
Elijah spoke, still in Thackery's arms, "I've always felt a strange attraction to thee, Thackery Binx. We were always told that men could not love other men, but I do love thee. I cannot help it."
They touched foreheads, and as they did so, Thackery said at almost a whisper, "I love thee as well. Oh, Elijah, it pains me to know that we can never let our love be known. Only the trees can feel it, and the living earth beneath us."
As he spoke he brushed the back of his hand on Elijah's cheek, the latter's eyes fluttering in ecstasy. Elijah breathed in deeply and kissed Thackery's lips again, running a hand through his soft hair. He felt Thackery press against his thigh as they kissed, the warmth from his loins permeated through the fabric of their trousers. Elijah groaned a bit as he felt Thackery's member harden against his leg.
"Elijah," Thackery could barely talk through each kiss, "Top me."
"Thackery," was all that Elijah could say as he reached his hand down to unbutton his trousers.
Thackery did likewise. Neither removed their coats, for the air was far too cold to strip down to nothing. They both kneeled down to the ground, Thackery turning around and lowering his trousers. Elijah leaned forward until he kneeled directly behind Thackery. He released his hardened member and spat on it, then he rubbed it with his hand until it glistened in the moonlight. He put his hands on Thackery's shoulders and slowly pushed into him.
The latter let out a groan, to which Elijah worriedly replied, "No! Am I hurting thee?"
Thackery grunted, "No."
Elijah couldn't help but thrust again, and again. His pale hands gently slid down Thackery's back and rested softly on his hips as he continued to thrust. Both their muscles tensed and relaxed in unison, the autumn moon's pale light reflecting every curve and outline of their slender bodies. Thackery grunted in slight pain mixed with extreme pleasure as he felt Elijah's warm skin lightly slap against his taut buttocks. Their apex moment of pleasure arrived and they both released in unison, falling down next to each other in complete exhaustion.
Thackery breathed in heavily and rolled over the leaves, crunching them under his coat. He nestled his head next to Elijah's warm chest, whose arm lovingly served as a pillow. Thackery closed his eyes and could only see Elijah's handsome, smiling face. He then opened his eyes and looked up into Elijah's eyes.
The latter spoke, "Thackery, I do love thee so."
He leaned his head back down onto the soft ground and bent one knee, resting his free hand on his stomach. He gazed up into the cold, dark sky, where he beheld thousands of tiny, flickering stars that seemed to stare right back at him. How could those far-off lights know anything of the world below? And could he and Thackery last as long as those stars, unmolested, peaceful…alone?
Thackery shifted and rested his chin on Elijah's chest, smiling contentedly at his reclining lover. Elijah looked into Thackery's hazel green eyes and saw only love. He then mused at Thackery's boyish face, even though they were both the same age. Elijah had always had more chiseled features, which made him look older than he really was. He remembered a day in his and Thackery's youth when they swam in a water hole during the sweltering heat of summer. He remembered how he could not take his eyes off Thackery's supple body, and when he smiled at him, he remembered how that was the time his loins first stirred in desire for his friend.
As he gazed into Elijah's dark eyes, Thackery, too, remembered how he had always wanted to hold and kiss Elijah ever since they were young. He thought of how his heart had always melted when he met Elijah's gaze and when his eyes were able to roam freely over his muscles and slender figure. The thought of the way he and Elijah would roll on top of each other playfully in the tall grass sent chills down Thackery's spine.
"Thackery," Elijah spoke softly, "Sit up for a moment."
He obliged as Elijah reclaimed his arm and kneeled down in front of his lover friend. His gaze changed as he looked intently at Thackery, allowing his hands to search for the latter's trouser buttons. Thackery furrowed his brows and clenched his teeth as his member grew, and as Elijah secured his mouth around his now hardened member, Thackery breathed in sharply and let out a groan of pleasure.
"Elijah, ah, ah!" Thackery exclaimed.
Elijah's tongue swirled and glided over Thackery's aching organ, but he stopped abruptly, straightening his back. He began to vigorously unbutton his own trousers and pull them down below his thighs. He bent over before Thackery and awaited his own topping.
"Elijah," was all that Thackery could utter as he inched closer and slowly thrust into him.
The latter grunted and said in a barely audible voice, "Harder."
Thackery pushed and thrust faster, both young men emitting grunts and occasional moans as both their members hardened to the point at which they could no longer control themselves. They released once again.
They let out huge sighs and fell back down to the yellow and golden leaves.
After a moment of silence, Elijah was the first to speak again, "Oh, Thackery –"
"Elijah," Thackery interjected, a serious tone in his voice. "I love thee with all my heart but…dost thou think this…wrong?"
Elijah sighed and then stirred a bit in Thackery's arms.
He finally ventured an answer through a question, "Dost thou love God?"
"With all my heart," Thackery answered, feeling his wooden cross necklace against his chest.
"Dost thou love me?" he asked, grinning a bit as he looked up at Thackery.
Thackery almost felt taken aback as he answered adamantly, "Of course I do!"
Elijah smiled and raised his eyebrows, "Then this cannot be wrong. 'Tis love."
Elijah's words greatly comforted Thackery and set his mind at ease. He smiled sweetly, leaned his head back, and began to gently run slender fingers through Elijah's thick brown hair.
They lay there near the oak tree well into the night, until the moon disappeared past the dark trees that surrounded the two young men. A slight breeze rustled the leaves that still hung precariously on the many withered branches. Elijah and Thackery pulled their coats closer and sat up, shaking some leaves off. They then stood up and, as they were about to leave, they heard a faint sound.
"What was that?" Elijah said.
Thackery knew that sound anywhere, "'Tis a cat."
Out of the brambles and bushes beneath the tree canopy appeared what seemed to be an all black cat. It's eyes shone startlingly in the moonlight as it peered unabashedly at the two young lovers standing before it. It mewed again and, after it stared at them for a marked length of time, it dashed off into the darkness.
Thackery and Elijah looked at each other with uneasy expressions.
"Was that an omen?" Elijah asked.
"I hope not, but…'twas odd," Thackery replied in an almost dazed tone of voice.
The cat had given them pause until Elijah tightened his arm around Thackery's waist, squeezing him affectionately. His lover's warm embrace nudged Thackery out of his daze, and they continued to walk through the wooded knoll, down the road, and back to their homes.
They stood before their dark houses, wistfully gazing at each other with a longing for the night to last forever. With both hands on the other's shoulders, they kissed once more, softly, yet with a deep yearning.
After they said their good nights, Thackery retreated to his house. Closing the door behind him, he walked to his and Emily's small room, discarding his coat and crawling into the warm feather bed. As he settled in, his mind was reeling. Between his younger sister's light breaths a few feet away, Thackery's thoughts pulsated with visions of Elijah and his desires for an impossible future with him. But his fantasies soon blended into dreams as he drifted into a deep, contented sleep.
Chapter 4
"Elijah!" Thackery cried worriedly, "Hast thou seen my sister Emily?"
"Nay," Elijah replied, "But look! They conjure."
"Oh, God, the woods!" cried Thackery.
As they ran away from their houses in the direction of Emily's voice, Elijah's mind reeled with questions and no possible solutions. Thackery had found him standing in front of his house, for the two were to meet at sunup before the other members of either household had woken. But Thackery had overslept, leaving Elijah to wonder where he had gotten off to. And now, one of those accursed witches had seemed to have stolen Thackery's beloved sister Emily. He had little hope for the poor girl, though.
"She's done for," Elijah said hopelessly.
"Not yet!" Thackery yelled determinedly. "You wake my father or somebody elder. Just go!"
Elijah turned on his heels and rushed away, leaving Thackery to run as fast as he could through the large field between the town and the forest. He almost tripped over his own feet as he hurried back down the dirt road towards the Binx house. When he reached the threshold, he practically heaved himself against the door, banging on the wood with his fists. After a few seconds he could hear footsteps hurriedly scraping against the floorboards, and before he knew it, the figure of Thackery's father and that of his mother peering from behind him appeared in the doorway. They were still in their nightclothes.
"Elijah, what dost thou mean by this?" the elder Binx asked.
"Sir, a witch hath stolen Emily," Elijah burst out, almost breathless. "Thackery took after them."
Without another word, the two parents immediately rushed to their children's small room and, lo, both beds were empty. Mrs. Binx cried out and kneeled down next to Emily's bed, immediately sobbing into the sheets. Mr. Binx turned to Elijah and ordered him to waken his own parents and then to ring the bell in the town center in order to alert any able-bodied citizens who could help find the two missing children.
Elijah darted out of the house and into his own, waking all who still slept peacefully within. Then, in a matter of seconds Elijah's feet fleetly carried him to the town center. He rang the bell as furiously as he could as little droplets of sweat were beading on his brow. His heart raced and yet it ached at the torture of knowing that in addition to Emily, the witches could just as easily take Thackery.
He gritted his teeth and waited. In agony he looked at every doorway as the long minutes ticked away, and as he stood at the bell, waiting for everyone to arrive at the town center. 'How does it seem that they tarry so?' he thought to himself. The townsfolk, unfortunately, could not leave their houses until everyone was properly and modestly attired. Elijah, himself, only had on a light cotton shirt, knickers, thin stockings, and shoes. Having neither his vest, a coat, his hat, nor a collar, he shivered a bit when a crisp breeze rushed over his body. And poor Thackery hadn't even any shoes or stockings but his own bare feet! That last thought hurt Elijah very much, and a new wave of worry flooded his mind.
At what seemed like long last, the townsfolk finally gathered around the bell. The preacher asked Elijah what the purpose of the emergency was, and he answered truthfully.
"A witch has stolen Emily Binx," Elijah cried out. "And Thackery has followed them both into the woods. We must stop them."
Amid his words of explanation, gasps and hushed whispers could be heard throughout the crowd. Witches, some exclaimed in surprise. It's the Sanderson sisters, others hissed in contempt.
"Silence!" said Thackery's father in a booming voice. "We must act quickly if my children's lives are to be saved. Hear ye all now! Take up whatever implement of defense you can find with great haste, and then follow the less-traveled forest trail. Ye all knoweth where that leads. Now, hurry!"
Then the elder Binx took Elijah aside and asked, "Come with me and my wife, and show us the way. Thou saw my son with thine own eyes as he disappeared. Now, help us find him."
The crowd dispersed so each able-bodied man could grab whatever he could find to win back the lost children. When everyone was ready, they set out towards the woods, barely anyone uttering a word on the way. Elijah walked with a heavy heart and a grim look. He stared off into the distance without really focusing on anything at all. His mind was almost blank, for he was nearly unable (or unwilling) to cope with the fact that the last time he saw Thackery was under dire circumstances, and not with the two as old men seeing one another off into a peaceful and natural death.
He shook himself out of his stupor when he glanced at Mrs. Binx, silently weeping as she walked beside her husband. He took it upon himself to kindly put his arm around her shoulder, as if by some unknown method he could extract some of the pain she was feeling at that moment and take it into himself. Mrs. Binx had been like an aunt to him all his life, and it pained him to see her suffer.
After what seemed like ages, the crowd finally approached the clearing where the evil house stood. A water wheel on the side of the house churned round and round through the bubbling and flow of the creek. The deep purple smoke that Elijah saw from afar now seemed bright and more sinister as it plumed out of the chimney. The morning sky seemed to turn to black as large, pendulous clouds blocked out the sun like a vast, dark curtain.
A few men rushed to the door with their torches and proceeded to bang on it loudly.
A few of them shouted, "Witches, daughters of darkness, open this door!"
The door did not open, prompting a few other men to scour the ground for a fallen log. Once they had found what they were looking for, five men seized a thick log and ran towards the door. It took them a few tries, but the door slowly began to crack. Finally, it gave way, its splinters flying everywhere, its metal lock clinking to the ground. The men who knocked the door down stepped aside to let others rush in first, including the elder Binx.
Elijah let go of Mrs. Binx and said, "I must help."
With that, he rushed towards the house, up the creaky steps, and through the doorway. As he stepped onto the rickety floorboards, he beheld a ghastly sight. In the far corner to his left sat the lifeless body of Emily Binx. His eyes widened in horror. He glanced around at the men, who by now had taken the three witches by force, binding their hands in rope. From what he could remember of the legends of the three sisters from various townspeople, Winifred had red hair and a large overbite, whereas Mary was plump and her hair was black. Sarah's hair was blonde and hung wildly over her shoulders. She was the one who had the power to bewitch children and lure them to their doom. She was the one who caused Emily and his beloved Thackery to stray away from home.
Elijah suddenly looked around. He could not see Thackery anywhere. Hoping he was simply lost in the woods and had never made it to the cottage, Elijah furrowed his brows in worry. As he watched the men lead the witches outside, all the while shouting and yelling, he glanced at the floor. There he beheld a strange book with thread wear bindings. Thinking that it might prove of some use to the demise of the witches, he picked it up and, walking over to the preacher who stood before Emily's body, showed it to him.
"Reverend," Elijah said in a croaky voice. "I found this on the floor."
The pastor turned to him slowly and, with a grave face, said, "My son, keep it close. Do not let the witches take hold of it to conjure more evil."
He then turned back towards the girl's body. Elijah followed his gaze and saw more closely the evil that the witches wrought. Emily was not only dead, but her once dark, chestnut hair was now grey and brittle. And her face was wrinkled and twisted to such a grotesque appearance that it rendered her unrecognizable. Even her hands were colorless and gnarled.
Elijah looked away, covering his mouth as he wretched and coughed. He had to leave that accursed house, so, with one hand over his mouth and one hand clasping the book, he strode through the doorway and outside into the harsh, cold air. Already the townspeople had obtained three barrels upon which the three witches stood, their necks noosed with thick rope that hung from a tree. Elijah glared at all three of them. He resented their youthful faces and supple skin, newly-acquired, of course, at the cost of Emily Binx. How he wished they could just burst into flames and feel the agony of death just as that little girl had.
He walked over to where Mr. and Mrs. Binx stood. Mr. Binx was shouting epithets at the witches. Never before had Elijah heard the elder Binx vocalize with such ferocity.
"Daughter of evil, what hast thou done with my son?"
"Thy son?" Winifred asked slyly. "Thou haveth a son? I thought thy daughter was thy only…hm…pride and joy!"
The three evil captives cackled uproariously upon their barrels of doom, inciting more rage in all who were present. To add insult to injury, there could be seen three solemn men walking slowly out of the house, carrying the limp body of Emily, who was wrapped in a blanket. Mrs. Binx buried her face in her husband's chest, letting out a silent cry. Mr. Binx's eyes flared and he turned to the witches, who simply smiled at him in mockery.
"Winifred Sanderson," he said again, "I will ask thee one final time: what hast thou done with my son Thackery?!"
She merely toyed in saying, "Thackery, hmm…"
"Answer me!" he screamed.
"Well, I don't know…cat's got my tongue!"
The three sisters burst out into another blood-curdling laugh, which gave Elijah pause and caused him to furrow his brow in wonder. Lightning shone in a flash, like a silent knife cutting through the very sky. Then the thunder rolled and banged. He looked up, hoping that rain was not approaching.
Winifred then bade her sisters to sing, to which they readily complied. A grim melody flowed from their lips like poison from a wound, to which everyone covered their ears. Elijah, who still held the book, happened to glance down at its cover. To his great shock, there appeared a lone, blinking eye that frenetically darted its gaze to and fro before it finally focused its attention on Elijah. His heart felt like was about to burst through his chest. He immediately threw the book on the ground.
The pages flew open in a flurry of crinkled and tanned parchment. It was as if the book knew to open itself and turn its own pages of its own free will.
Winifred took advantage of the sudden turn of events and widened her eyes in unnerving wonder.
"Fools – all of you! My ungodly book speaks to you: on All Hallow's Eve, when the moon is round, a virgin will summon us from under the ground. Oh hoh hoh hoh, oh hoh, we shall be back! And the lives of all the children shall be miiine!"
In response to that final comment, Thackery's father signaled the executioner to pull the barrels out from under the witches. Within in seconds, they fell down and were hanged, all three necks snapping in unison. Elijah stood almost lifeless, his face nearly unreadable but rather grim. He turned slowly and walked towards Mrs. Binx, once again putting his arm around her.
Chapter 5
Emily's funeral was that same day. As the wind blew many yellowed leaves off the trees' brittle branches, a ray of sunlight peered through the vast storm clouds that covered the sky. The afternoon sun gave everyone in attendance a much-needed feeling of warmth – a respite from the unforgiving cold that was soon to come. Why had any of their parents come to this new land in the first place? Those who were now parents lamented at this thought, for if their own children were just to become fodder for the forces of evil and harm, why did any of them leave the land of long ago and far away England?
Elijah pulled his dark coat to himself more tightly and trudged home with his family. He said not a word, and refused his supper, all the while his heart heavy with the burden of grief. He longed to be alone with Thackery just one more time, if not just to hear his voice. Elijah needed solitude with his thoughts, so he excused himself and left his house, choosing instead to walk along the road under the darkening sky.
As he kicked some small pebbles across the pathway, Elijah thought he heard a faint cat's mew from a distance ahead. At first, he thought nothing of it, but as he continued to walk, he heard slight steps approach him. Then, out of the darkness, slowly emerged a black cat. It stopped directly in front of him and sat down, staring at him with an uncanny gaze. Elijah raised an eyebrow and displayed a puzzled look.
Suddenly, without any warning, the cat spoke, "Do not seem so bewildered, Elijah."
Elijah's eyes widened in utter fright and shock, and the human voice that emitted from the cat's mouth caused him to fall back onto the ground. The cat took the chance to then crawl between Elijah's legs and onto his chest.
Elijah's speechlessness caused the cat to speak once more, "Do not be afraid. I am not the devil, but…dost thou not recognize me?"
Elijah peered into the cat's eyes and, realizing the voice and its timbre, exclaimed in hushed wonder, "Thackery."
The cat nodded. Elijah sat up and quickly embraced the small creature, whose purring touched his heart as it vibrated soothingly against his chest.
"Oh, Thackery! My love, Thackery, I thought thou had perished! Thou art alive!"
Elijah began to weep as his slender hands desperately clung to Thackery and stroked his smooth black hair. He held the cat in his arms as if by doing so, the two would never be parted again.
"Elijah," there was a mounting sorrow in Thackery's voice, "They took Emily. They took my beautiful Emily."
Elijah looked into Thackery's eyes as tears streamed uncontrollably from his own.
"I know it. We buried her this afternoon. The entire town came to bear witness. But we killed the witches."
Thackery nodded, "Yes, I saw it. And they had no remorse for their evil deed. But…oh, Elijah, I could have saved her…she was so close…"
Elijah shook his head and said through gritted teeth, "No, Thackery, I will not let thee feel guilt. Thou dist all in thy power to save her. Thou knowest it as well as I."
"Oh, Elijah, I thank thee for thy swift feet and clear cries to wake the town. Thou didst thy part, and I am forever indebted to thee."
Thackery licked Elijah's cheek, prompting the latter to laugh through his tears.
"I shall sorely miss not being able to kiss thee," he gulped and looked up at the sky. The clouds had parted to reveal the many cold, silent stars that ever-faithfully dotted the dark veil of the firmament. Elijah's heart sank at the final realization that Thackery the human was gone forever, never to hold Elijah in his arms or curl his chestnut hair around his fingers.
Elijah then burst into new tears, the pain in his voice piercing Thackery's heart.
"Thackery, I thought I lost thee forever. But thou art truly alive. Thou cannot possibly comprehend the joy that puts in my heart. I do love thee so. I wept for thee. But now…thou seemest so distant and forever separated from me. They took Emily from thee, but they stole thee from me."
"Elijah, I love thee, but…thou must continue with thy life, and mourn us not," Thackery's voice strained to choke out the last few words.
"No! I shall grow old with thee," Elijah insisted, lifting himself up from the dusty ground in protest.
The cat slowly shook his head, closing his eyes in lament, "No, Elijah. Thou cannot."
"Why ever not?" Elijah was deeply hurt at what he thought was Thackery's apparent distance.
"Because, my love, thou wilt grow old, and die, and I…will never grow old. I will have to see all I love and everything I know pass away until they are nothing but distant memories."
Elijah furrowed his brows as he looked down at the black cat sitting before him.
"What dost thou mean, Thackery? Thou art immortal?"
"Yes, for the witches cursed me with eternal life. In doing so, they assured my everlasting guilt at my failure to save Emily."
Elijah did not reply. Instead, he squatted and picked up Thackery, holding him tight in his arms and feeling the latter's soft tail swish against his arm. He smiled wistfully and started back for his home, a heavy feeling still weighing upon his heart.
Chapter 6
The years seemed to fly with a purpose of speed and resolution, their goal to be that of striding ever closer to the end of time. However, after three hundred years since the demise of the witches, the death of his sister, and his transformation, Thackery Binx still lived and thrived in Salem as a black cat cursed with eternal life. His lover Elijah had long since passed away, never having married, despite the protests of his parents. Elijah reasoned outwardly that it was to live a pure and simple life. But his real reason was to honor his first and last lover, Thackery, whom he stayed faithful to until his dying day.
Thackery often thought about Elijah and their childhood together, but he rarely thought of his family, especially Emily. His guilt still ate away at him for not having been quick enough to come to her rescue. And ever since that fateful day, Thackery had pledged himself to the guardianship of the Sanderson house every Halloween since, for fear that they would return to wreak more havoc upon the town. But then he met Allison, Danni, and Max…
"Max?" Thackery said as he lay on the tree branch, the light of the moon and street lamps casting an ethereal glow on his yellow eyes.
"Yeah?" Max said, looking up at the black cat perched on the low-hanging branch.
"Have you ever been in love?" the cat inquired.
Max raised an eyebrow and grinned, looking over to Allison who was on the lawn playing with Danni.
He said, "Yeah, I think so."
Thackery glanced at Allison, "She's beautiful."
"Yeah," Max replied, still grinning to himself. "Ever since I moved here I haven't been able to stop thinking about her. But until today, I never made a move, you know? She's so wonderful, though."
He trailed off until he asked, "Hey, Thackery, did you ever have a girlfriend back in the day?"
The cat glanced at Max, who was looking up at him, then looked down at his paws that were gracefully resting on the branch.
He replied, "No."
Max egged him on, "Ah, c'mon Thackery, was she pretty?"
Thackery blinked slowly and almost seemed to smile to himself, "He was."
Max's eyes widened a bit, "He? But, Puritans can't…can they?"
Thackery shook his head, "No, no one knew. Besides, I was transformed the day after we had declared our love. That was the day they…took Emily."
"Ah man, you can't keep blaming yourself for that," Max said.
"Take every chance you can to tell the ones close to you that you love them. Everything may change in an instant. And take care of Danni, Max. You'll never know how precious she is…until you lose her."