Chapter 2: Las Diablas
Luisa
Mamma had her jaw set and her eyes narrowed in suspicion at the mysterious stranger perched delicately on the armchair on the other side of the room. Luisa sat silently next to Mamma on the couch, equally curious about the look on her mother's normally composed face as the lady seated across the living room.
The lady was short and slight but comfortable looking. She was probably in her mid-thirties, had dark hair pulled into a braid, chocolate colored skin, and soft brown eyes. She wore normal khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt underneath what Luisa could only describe as a green wizard's robe. In her hand she was holding a thick parchment envelope and a highly decorated stick of wood. She smiled when she saw Luisa looking.
"Ya'll are the Laveaus, correct?" the lady asked in a warm southern accent.
Mamma nodded stiffly.
"Excellent. I am Professor Mayella Lincarrie from St. Marie's. I am here because we have not received a response letter pertaining to enrollment for Luisa. Have you received one of these, ma'am?" Professor Lincarrie asked Mamma, gesturing to the envelope in her hand.
Mamma hesitated, "Luisa is already enrolled in high school –"
Luisa cut her off, "What's St. Marie's?"
The Professor looked confused for a moment before her smile returned. "St. Marie's is a school for… special people, who can do special things."
Mamma looked appalled, "I assure you, mi hija (my daughter) is perfectly normal."
"No she isn't." Professor Lincarrie said softly but firmly to Mamma and then turned to Luisa. "You are a witch, Ms. Laveau. You can do magic, you probably already have. Why your papa didn't think to inform you of this is beyond my understanding…"
"My father is dead, senorita, and what does he have to do with this anyway?" Luisa was so confused about the mention of her rarely brought up father, she barely processed the fact that the Professor had just called he a witch.
"Your papa actually happened to be a very good friend of mine, I just do not understand why he never informed his 'lovely wife, Catalina' that he was a wizard before his tragic demise." The professor said plainly.
"MENTIROSA (LIAR)! I would never involve myself with someone broiled in anything so satanic, much less marry them! Clearly you are part of some sort of some cult and are trying to infect my innocent Luisa with your heathen ways! You can now leave and stop dirtying my home!" Mamma's face was red. One hand was wrapped around the crucifix at her neck and her other was going for the rosary she always kept in her pocket.
"I'm not leaving unless Luisa wants me to." the professor said calmly, seemingly oblivious to Mamma's outrage.
"Prove it." Luisa said, ignoring her mother's protests. "Prove that you can do magic and that you're not some crazy person."
The whole room went black. Mamma's harsh breathing slowed. Luisa felt a rush of air and the candles on the window sill were suddenly alight with purplish flames. They softly filled the room with dim light. Luisa noticed that she was no longer sitting on the couch. Instead, she was seated in the armchair in which the professor had been residing in yet a moment before. Mamma was sprawled out on the sofa, fast asleep. The professor was standing by the front door.
"I can leave right now if you say so." She said with a questioning look.
Luisa shook her head. "You…you're really a witch. But I can't be one, can I?"
The professor's face softened. "Think, Luisa. Has anything odd or unexplainable happened to you when you were angry or maybe scared?"
Luisa's first thought was no, but then she recalled some of the strange things that had happened to her the last couple of years. Like how frequently her school teachers lost their test papers, or how that hobo that had been stalking her in the park had twisted his ankle, or how Brianna Randall had fallen down the stairs when she was making fun of her for being short and Mexican.
"This school will teach me how to use my magic?"
"That and much, much more. Here." Professor Lincarrie handed Luisa the envelope. It was neatly addressed to her with some sort of calligraphy pen.
Luisa carefully ripped the heavy parchment open with her fingernail and pulled out several pieces of paper. She picked up the first, an official looking letter beginning with 'Dear Ms. Luisa Laveau', read it through quickly and ended with 'signed, Dorthea Jackson, head of admissions'.
"This is a lot to take in, but I think I want to go. I need to know how to control it." Luisa said to the patient professor who was now standing beside her.
Mamma snored in her sleep. "Can you wake her up, please? I kinda need to talk to her." Luisa asked politely.
The Professor nodded, flicked the stick that must have been a wand, and murmured something Luisa couldn't make out.
Mamma sat up with a snap her eyes wide at Professor Lincarrie. "You put a spell on me, you're an actual witch!" She said, bewildered. "It explains all the weird things about Luisa and…"
"I really am magic Mamma! Can I go to this school so I can learn, por favor?" Luisa asked Mamma.
Mamma's face and expression darkened. Her hand went directlyto her pocket. "Diablas (devils)! The pair of you, you're both devils! Get out! Get Out!"
"But, Mamma!" Luisa protested, scared.
"Usted no es mi hija! Usted es algún demonio! Salga de usted la freza del diablo! (You are not my daughter! You are some demon! Get out devil's spawn!) Never come back here!" Mamma screamed, clutching her rosary for dear life.
"Madre, no! Why are you doing this?" Luisa yelled back. Tears were starting to fall down her face.
Mamma ran out of the room hysterically yelling prayers in very swift Spanish.
Luisa looked at Professor Lincarrie hopelessly. Her face took on a very caring, maternal edge.
"It'll be okay, honey bee. Your mama needs some time to cool down." The professor said gently.
"She won't though." Luisa wiped at the tears on her face. "She firmly believes against all of this stuff, she'll never forgive me."
"You've done nothing wrong, and your mama will see that. She's still your mother, she just has to get used to it, that's all." Luisa didn't look convinced.
Professor Lincarrie sighed. "I'll tell you what. You can come and stay with me until your mama cools off, alright? I can teach you some things before school gets started and I can take you to get some supplies. It'll be like a little introduction to the wizarding world. Does that sound alright?"
Luisa didn't trust her voice not to crack with the tears. She nodded gratefully. The Professor smiled kindly.
"Let's go then, honey bee. I think I know just what you need to feel better."
The two exited the Laveau townhouse. It had started to rain and was awfully chilly for Texas in June. Luisa was grateful to slide into the passenger seat of the Professor's Honda Civic.
"What do you think will make me feel better?" Luisa asked quietly after the tears had stopped.
"Ice cream and a book store?" Professor Lincarrie asked her.
Luisa allowed herself to smile slightly.
Kristen
The Post-It note was stuck to the microwave, it read-
Kristen,
Sorry to leave you by yourself. I have a few errands to run and I didn't want to wake you up. There are some waffles in the freezer you can toast for breakfast. There should be butter and milk in the fridge. Gertie is in the garden if you need anything. I should be back by eleven. Do not go into the woods!
Aunt Harriet
Kristen glanced at her watch. 9:30. She had enough time to go take a peek. She threw some waffles into the toaster and ran upstairs to her room.
She had arrived at her aunt's house a few weeks previously, after learning that she was a witch, a witch of all things! Kristen was going to be attending The Salem Institute of Magical Education come September, and was staying with her newly discovered Aunt Harriet (who was also a witch) until the school year began. Her Aunt's house was a nicely remodeled farm house that was nestled between miles of old cornfields and a large, looming forest (that she had constantly forbidden to enter). The woods sometimes issued strange noises and Gertie (the house elf that looked like a pink yoda in a potato sack dress) was always disappearing in there for multiple hours at a time. Kristen's curiosity had been growing almost crazy over the last few weeks and this was the first time Aunt had ever left the house without her. It wasn't that she liked disobeying her aunt's orders, but she just couldn't help herself.
Kristen finally reached the third floor where her room was located. It was painted a nice light blue color, but it rather clashed with the Ohio Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns posters she had hung up on the walls. She didn't even watch sports very much. They just reminded her of home.
She dressed quickly in jeans and a tank top. She grabbed sneakers and glanced in the mirror out of habit. The same tall girl with dirty blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a rather pointy chin looked back at her as always. Kristen pinned a loose lock of hair out of her face and bolted back down the stairs.
The waffles had stayed in the toaster too long ended up burned, but slathered in butter they seemed to taste alright. Kristen gulped down her breakfast in a few bites. She quietly tiptoed down the back steps, careful not to let the door slam. She then snuck past Gertie, who was bent over one of Aunt's immaculate flower beds pulling weeds.
Kristen easily scaled the short fence surrounding the entrance to the forest and stumbled around until she located the main path that Gertie and Aunt Harriet used whenever they came in. Not far up the path, Kristen could see some sort of clearing with buildings in it. She started walking that direction but tripped over a rope in the path. All she could think was uh oh before the hidden net came up around her and hoisted her up 6 feet in the air. She could hear an alarm bell ringing up at the house.
She didn't have to wait long for someone to come investigate. Soon enough, Aunt Harriet was walking up the path and looked at Kristen Like she wasn't at all surprised that her niece was hanging from a tree.
Aunt Harriet was a rather large woman with light brown hair and gray eyes, with numerous amounts of scars decorating her arms, legs, and face that Kristen had never been brave enough to ask about.
"I had the oddest feeling that we might end up in this situation today." Aunt Harriet said with a smile.
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry for coming in here. Can you please get me down? I'm started to get rope burn in places that really shouldn't ever get it." Kristen tried asking politely.
Aunt Harriet ignored her, "I was wondering why you hadn't tried to come sneak out earlier. That's why I left earlier, so that you might get a proper opportunity."
Kristen was confused, "Wait, you wanted me to sneak out? Why?"
Aunt Harriet's grin held steady, "Because that means you're ready."