She pushed the shutters to the small house open and took in the fresh autumn air. It was her favorite time of year. It was probably her favorite because her birthday was drawing near. There was something about being born on All Hallow's Eve, the most powerful magical day of the year. She always felt so connected to her powers then. Her eyes scanned the goings on outside her window; children chasing each other around the town square. It wasn't all that different from Virginia.
"Melinda, child what are you doing?" Eva called. Melinda ducked back inside and turned to face the woman she'd come to call her aunt.
"Just enjoying the fresh air," Melinda replied. She was a beautiful young woman of eighteen. Her soft blond hair hung gently to her shoulders.
Eva had recently arrived with her mother, Charlotte, from Virginia. They had decided to spend a few months in Salem with Melinda. Charlotte was presently sitting at the table, tending to some mending she'd brought with her.
"Did you sleep well?" Melinda asked, joining her mother.
"The bed was nice," Charlotte answered just as she dropped her needle. Melinda smirked and with a delicate movement of her wrist the needle was in her hand.
"Thank you," her mother said, flashing her daughter a smile. Eva had moved to the small bookshelf by the stove. She had pulled out the Book of Shadows. It had grown quite a bit in the past few years.
"It's gotten so big," Eva breathed, looking pleased.
"Well I don't want to leave future generations with nothing to learn from me," Melinda explained.
"Is there something you wish to tell us?" Charlotte asked, looking at her daughter with hope in her gaze. Melinda gave a small laugh at her mother's question. She'd been expecting it for some time now. It was not because of her premonition power either. She knew she was a young woman and should be finding a suitor.
"No, mother. There is nothing that I wish to tell you that you do not already know," Melinda answered with a smile. Charlotte looked disappointed and Melinda joined her once more at the table.
"Don't worry. I will find someone," she whispered, squeezing her mother's hand.
"I just worry for you Melinda. These are dangerous times to be a witch. You must be careful who you trust," Charlotte reminded her.
"I know all of this. Trust me, I have shared my gifts with no one. To the people of Salem I am a young woman living on my own," Melinda tried allay her mother's worries.
"They may condemn you for such truths," Eva murmured.
"Surely you do not believe these people capable of such horrid thoughts," Melinda gasped.
"People are talking. Not just in Massachusetts. Word has gotten back to Virginia," Eva continued.
"I use my gifts on no one. I keep to myself. Why would they wish to condemn me as a witch?" Melinda argued.
"People fear what they do not know. I beg you, child. Just be careful," Eva answered.
Out on the street a young man with dark brown hair was standing beneath a small overhang. He had seen the Melinda open the windows and had been trying to catch their conversation but was unsuccessful. He had been watching her since she'd arrived in Salem. He suspected she was a witch but he had to be certain before he tried to steal her powers. He needed to gain her trust.
"Matthew," a voice called out, making the man turn around.
"What do you want?" he asked the elderly woman who had joined him.
"You have been here a long time," she commented.
"Leave me," he ordered.
"Trying to find a way to court the girl are you?" she sneered. He closed his eyes, trying to keep his temper under control. It wouldn't do to have a dead body to his name.
"Perhaps," Matthew replied coolly.
"She has no father to speak of," the woman murmured. Matthew smirked at her statement. It would be easier to gain her trust.
"A father to let his only daughter live alone is certainly cause for inquiry," Matthew breathed as he started towards the small house.
Back inside Melinda was preparing a mid day meal for her guests. Just as she reached for some cheese she was pulled into a premonition.
She saw a man lying in the street. He appeared to be wounded. She saw several men walking away from him, looking smug.
As quickly as the premonition had come it was gone. She composed herself before turning to face Eva and her mother. They had watch her powers grow long enough to know when she'd had a vision.
"What did you see?" Charlotte asked.
"A young man was lying wounded in the road. A group of men just left him there," Melinda answered. It was a very vague premonition even for her. She was used to them being more detailed.
"Could you see where the man lay? Was it in town here?" Eva probed.
"I could not tell. It was too fast," Melinda replied, sounding disappointed that she could not discern more information from the small snippet she had been given.
"Let us eat before we go off chasing visions," Charlotte said sternly. Melinda said nothing as she placed the food on the table and the three woman sat together to eat. Eva was still looking through the Book of Shadows as they finished their meal.
"Would you like to add anything?" Melinda asked as she began to scrape the remaining food off the plates.
"Oh no. You have done wonderfully," Eva answered with a small shake of her head.
Melinda stopped what she was doing to gaze down at her slender form. How she longed to feel the life of a child kick within her. She ached to pass her gift on to a daughter of her own. By no other explanation but a mother's intuition, Charlotte placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"In time," she whispered.
"I know," Melinda muttered.
Charlotte took the rest of the dishware and began helping her daughter. Eva watched them, failing to hide a smile. They always amazed her at how well they could work as one. When finally all of the cleaning up from the meal had been achieved and the Book was back on the shelf, protectively out of sight, the three women donned shawls and headed outside.
Matthew saw the door open and stepped back a few paces. He looked over his shoulder but the elderly woman had disappeared. He didn't want to catch Melinda and scare her. Melinda looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of Matthew. She stopped dead in her tracks.
"What is it?" Charlotte hissed in her daughter's ear. It wasn't seemly for a woman to just stop and gawk in the middle of the street.
"That man. He's the one from my vision," Melinda answered, inclining her head in Matthew's direction. Charlotte chanced a look in that direction and saw Matthew standing there.
"Are you certain? He seems unharmed," her mother replied.
"I'm quite certain he is the one," Melinda retorted, beginning to walk in his direction.
Matthew's gaze was fixed on the young woman approaching him. Why did she appear so interested in him? He had not spoken to her. And yet here she was coming towards him, a look of concern in her eyes. When she finally reached him, she could not help but smile shyly at him. Up close he was quite handsome.
"Good day," Matthew greeted, inclining his head politely.
"Good day sir," she answered, giving a little curtsy.
"Do forgive my boldness but have we met before?" she asked. She couldn't very well tell him she had seen him lying wounded.
"I do not believe we have met previously," he answered. What was she getting at?
"My name is Matthew," he added, taking her hand in his and giving it a soft kiss. She blushed a fair amount. She could feel her mother's eyes on her.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Matthew," she said, lifting her gaze to meet his.
"My name is Melinda," she introduced herself.
"And does my fair lady have someone to accompany her to town?" he asked. She blushed again.
"I travel with my mother and my aunt. They have come from Virginia," she explained, leading him towards Eva and Charlotte.
"Certainly you would not protest my accompanying you and your family. After all it is best for a woman to be in the presence of a man," he stated.
"It would be very fine if you were to accompany us," Melinda agreed. She caught her mother's glance and merely gave a wink. She would be able to keep an eye on him if he was with them. It would be easier to keep him safe from whoever wished him harm. Little did she know that he was thinking much the same thing. He had to make sure she was present when he was attacked. It would be the only way to gain her magic.