More or Less Magical
Lightning. Elliot moved closer to her brother, Ezra.
"I'm scared. Where are we going?" Elliot asked.
"We're going to Salem" said their father, from the front of the wagon.
"Why?"
"Because we'll be safe from witches, dear" said their mother this time.
Ezra flinched. He tried to smile, but he couldn't.
"How? I don't like witches," Elliot said.
"They burn them"
"Alive?" Elliot's eyes grew wide. Ezra put an arm around her.
"Yes, it's the only way to get rid of them" His mother smiled "that way, we're going to be safer"
"Yeah. Safe" Ezra repeated. He managed a forced smile. The rain started to pour harder. Their poorly made wagon sprung leaks.
"Why is it always raining?" Elliot whined as drops of water plunked on to her. Making sure his parents weren't looking, Ezra put his hand over the leak.
"Protect" he whispered.
When he removed his hand, the wood had grown so water didn't leak out. Elliot didn't notice. Ezra breathed a sigh of relief.
As their wagon rolled up into their new home, the rain stopped. There stood a dusty house, old but not too shabby.
"Here it is, our new home" their father announced as the wagon came to a screeching stop. He got out of the wagon and picked up the luggage from the top.
"Come here Ezra. You carry your sister's things."
Slinging his bag over his shoulder and hoisting his sister's into the air, Ezra let her into their new room. Beds were already set up and laid out. One bookshelf stood on each side, both 3 x 3. A small window was near the front of both beds.
"I call this one!" Elliot took a running jump onto her new bed. Her window showed the outskirts of the town, with a forest in the background.
"Can I have my stuff now? Please, please, please, please?"
Quietly laughing to himself, Ezra placed her bag on the foot of the bed. Elliot unzipped it and began to throw her stuff into piles. Her clothes went onto the bottom shelves. The knick knacks she collected over the years went on the second shelf. All that was left were the various gifts and presents Ezra had given Elliot over the years, all with it's own bit of magic. The pillow she got for her 2nd birthday and the fox stuffie she got for her 3rd birthday went on her bed. The doll she got for her 4th birthday went on the shelf along with the 7 woodcarvings she got for her 5th, 6th and 7th birthdays. Hawk, Jaguar, Wolf pack, Hummingbird, Cobra, Mink, Maned Wolf.
Ezra began to unpack his own stuff. His clothes on the bottom. Free space in the middle. On the top, he put his three favorite books and his own woodcarving, a winged cat. His window showed the town center.
"Ezra!" Elliot threw herself on top of him "play with me!"
"Yeesh! Okay, okay!" Ezra pushed Elliot off him "what do you want to play?"
"A new game! Witch hunt!"
Elliot started squirming "how about some other time?"
"Why not now?" Elliot pouted. Under her gaze he became very self conscious.
"I, uh, have to go to the bathroom" He rushed out the room. At least tomorrow he would have school and not have to play games with Elliot all day.
The next day, Ezra woke up late. Elliot wasn't in bed, probably downstairs already.
"Hurry up Ezra" his father was sitting at the table "you're going to be late for school"
"I know. What's for breakfast?"
"Here, take the apple and run. In 10 minutes' school's going to start"
Ezra took it and ran out the door. He got to school just in time. The bell rang and everyone filed inside. In the crowd, one person stood out to him. The only girl in school. Her parents were probably rich. Only girls with rich parents were allowed to go to school. She had black hair, but startling green eyes. Same as Ezra. She was very pale, so her freckles stood out. She dressed in all black. Again, same as Ezra. She stood out like a sore thumb against all the boys in light browns or blues.
Quickly, the crowd dispersed and sorted into their classrooms. Ezra's first subject was math. A subject he was bad at. That girl was in math as well.
"Okay students," their teacher came in, "choose your desks, quickly we have much to go over"
Everyone chose their seats. As soon as the girl sat down, everyone stood up and moved away. Ezra was starting to get weirded out. Why were they doing that? He sat down in the last seat available. Right beside the girl, in the front row.
"Hey, I'm Zara, who are you?" The girl held out her hand.
"I'm Ezra"
"New here?"
"Yes"
"Careful, those who are like us are often accused" Zara narrowed her eyes.
"W-what?" Ezra stuttered, but Zara had already turned her head to the front.
At the end of the day, Ezra walked back home, keeping an eye out for Zara. As he headed home, wherever he went, parents pulled their children indoors. The streets cleared out like there was a witch or warlock roaming the streets. Ezra stopped. There was a warlock roaming the streets. Him. He remembered Zara's warning "careful, those who are like us are often accused". Ezra glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was following him. He hurried home. When he got there, his parents and Elliot were standing outside. The windows were broken, the door was smashed, inside it looked like everything was thrown around, as if the culprit was looking for a witch. Ezra gulped. It was a good thing he put the protection enchantment upstairs.
"They destroyed our house" Elliot whispered. Her raven black hair framed her pale face. She was even paler than usual, her freckles and green eyes standing out.
"They left upstairs in contact. We'll still have our rooms" Ezra's father said gruffly. He looked angrier than usual. His face was red and the vein above his right eye was pulsing. "I bet it was a witch. They're always causing trouble."
Ezra gulped. He really hoped his parents wouldn't find out. It was lucky they didn't have a clue.
"Ezra!" Zara ran up to Ezra. It was late after school.
"What? Come to issue another weird warning?" Ezra already had a bad day. He just had an argument with his parents and most likely caused all the statues in his garden to come to life.
"Hey, you can never be too careful," She gave him an arrogant look and lowered her voice to a whisper, "after all, you are a warlock"
Ezra took a few steps back, like he'd just been punched in the stomach. She grabbed his arm.
"C'mon" she said like she knew nothing "I know a more secretive place"
Ezra followed Zara into the woods. They got to a clearing.
"Okay, no one can hear us. Now, let's get down to the point. We're witches and warlocks right?"
"How'd you know?"
"How you look. Everyone with magic has raven black hair, intense green eyes, pale skin and freckles. Humans haven't figured it out yet."
"Really?"
"Yes. Now, what kind of warlock are you?"
"I make things come to life. And I can place protection and sleep enchantments"
"Every mage can place enchantments" Zara laughed "since you can make things come to life, I'd say you are an arts warlock. Do you have a birthmark shaped like a dove? If so that confirms it."
"What type are you?" Ezra asked, his head spinning with facts.
"Me? I'm an elemental witch. You can tell by how dark my freckles are"
"So, do all witches have tells for their power?" Ezra asked.
"Mostly. Like I can tell your sister is a weather witch. She has stormy green eyes."
"How did you know?"
"Let's say I have my sources."
It went on like that for a while. Noon turned to evening and the sun began to go down.
"What time is it?" Ezra suddenly became aware of the changes of time "I've got to get home"
"Wait, one more warning. Be careful. You've already shown your power once. You're parents might be to blame"
With that, she turned and disappeared into the leafy undergrowth.
"Wait! What does that mean?"
No reply came. Ezra sighed and walked home.
Halfway home, Elliot slammed into him.
"Ezra!" she cried. Tears were streaking down her face, "mom and dad were accused for witchcraft. They burned them along with two other people!"
Ezra's reply turned to a lump in his throat. He could help it; tears began to fall.
"They weren't even witches" Elliot cried, the tears falling faster. Ezra tried to stop. He had to be there to comfort Elliot. He was the oldest. He had to be there for her. He began to wipe his tears dry.
"Come on Elliot. I know a place we'll be safe"
He started to lead Elliot towards the place in the woods.
"No," She stomped her feet "I can't leave them. MOM! DAD!"
Her tears were falling even harder now. Ezra almost starting crying again, but it was more important that they get out of the town. If the townsfolk found out, they would die too.
"I'm sorry Elliot," Ezra said. He waved his hand over her head, "sleep"
She immediately started to fall towards the ground, unconscious. Ezra caught her and picked her up, heading towards the woods.
"Hey!" a voice called out from nowhere "that boy just put her to sleep! He's a warlock"
"Drat!" Ezra muttered to himself. He picked up into a run.
"Get him!" Torches were lifted into the air. Angry shouts and heavy footsteps followed Ezra. He dashed into the woods. He zigzagged, hoping to loose the townsfolk, but they always seemed to catch up. Finally, he slipped and fell under a log. The townsfolk kept going, chasing an imaginary boy. When he was sure they were gone, Ezra limped to the clearing. He cast his hand around and murmured a protection spell.
"Ezra?" Zara's voice called out "is that you?"
"Yeah. Let me undo the spell" He said. Zara stepped into the clearing after he did. With her, there was a girl about Elliot's age.
"Who's that?" He gestured to the girl.
"That's May. She's my sister. Who's that?"
"Elliot."
"Oh. Your sister"
"Our parents were killed. The townsfolk thought they were witches"
"Same here."
"It was my fault though. I animated our statues. It's my magic that caused their death." Ezra's voice started to break up, "it's my fault they died"
"It's never your fault. You're new to magic."
"I agree with Ezra" May spoke up, her voice high and thin "It was my fault as well. I caused the animals in the town to go rampant."
She burst into tears. "I just wish there was a place where magic was allowed"
With that, Zara looked up, a light in her eyes "I remember!" she said "There's a church in this woods, on the other side of town. It's a portal to a world where magic is allowed."
"We have to go. I can't live like this" May said. Ezra nodded.
"Well then, be prepared. We have to leave everything behind. Ezra, you should probably wake up Elliot"
Ezra, Elliot, May and Zara walked in the shadows of the village, making sure not to let themselves be seen.
"I'm going to sneeze" May whispered as they snuck around a crowd.
"Try not to" Zara pleaded.
"Ah-ah-achoo!" was May's only reply. The whole crowd turned to look at them.
"Hey! That was the boy who made the girl sleep! They're probably all witches! Get them!"
Everyone broke into a sprint. The crowd chased after them. As they raced for the woods, more and more people joined the chase. Soon, almost the whole town was after them.
"Into the woods!" Zara cried "We have to get to the church before midnight!"
They all ran after her. Finally, the got into the woods. Darkness greeted them. Roots appeared out of nowhere, hand-like branches seemed to reach out.
Finally, they can to a path. Blackened, dead trees bordered the path. It led up to a church, which was broken down. The windows were cracked and the roof had holes. The whole church seemed to be made of rotting wood. The four witches ran on.
"We can't enter yet, it's not midnight" May said.
"What do we do? The villagers are still after us!" Elliot cried.
"We fight" Ezra turned around. He pointed at a villager and shouted "sleep!"
The villager collapsed. The rest huddled together.
"Your magic doesn't scare us!" one said, their voice squeaking.
"Is that so?" Zara smirked. Then all the fighting broke loose. Spells were fired and blows dealt.
Then, the clock chimed once.
"Run! We have to get to door! Before it hits twelve"
They all broke away from their opponents and ran for the door. Zara reached it first. She threw it open. Elliot reached it next, then Ezra.
The clock chimed for the fifth time.
"Come on, May!" Zara shouted. Her sister was far behind. The humans were racing at her. Ezra's heart pounded in fear. The clock chimed a sixth time. And then a seventh. May was on the porch. Suddenly, she stopped.
"What's wrong?" Elliot whispered. The clock chimed an eighth time.
"I'm stuck!" Ivy had wrapped around May's leg. She tried pulling it free. The clock chimed a ninth time. And then a tenth. Zara ran out of the church, an ice dagger forming in her hand. She sawed at the vines.
"C'mon, c'mon!" She whispered. The clock chimed an eleventh time. Just before it hit twelve, Zara cut May free and flung her towards the door. They jumped in at the last second. The church vanished.
Ezra stepped out of the church. They were in a town. A girl with red hair, pale green eyes and pale skin stepped out to greet them.
"New arrivals?" She said "don't worry, you're safe here"