"Roam not at night,
for sorcerers use all phases of the moon for their craft.
Be you safe at home till the sun lights the sky and drives evil to its lair again."
I am casting the net. Pray for my success, that I may increase our number and find those for whom I search.
"What's wrong with Breezy?" I asked.
"She's making a weird pinging noise," Debbie said.
I rolled my eyes, hoping she could see me. Debbie's expensive, sensitive car was always doing one thing or another. So much for fancy engineering.
I opened the driver's side door and eased onto the cool vinyl seat of Das Boot, my beautiful white '71 Chrysler Valiant. My dad likes to joke that my car weighs more than a submarine, so we named it Das Boot, the German word for boat and the title of my dads all time favorite movie. Debbie climbed in the other side, and we waved good-bye to my dad, who was putting out the trash.
"Drive carefully, sweetheart," he called.
I started the engine and glanced out my window at the sky. The waning moon was a thin. Sharp crescent. A wisp of a dark cloud drifted across it, blotting it from the sky and making the stars pop into prominence.
"Are you going to tell to tell me where Chris is?" I asked as I turned onto Riverdale.
Debbie sighed. "I told him I'd promised to go with you," she said.
"Oh jeez, don't tell me," I groaned. "I'm afraid of driving by myself at night?; is that it?"
Debbie rubbed her forehead. "Sorry," she muttered. "He's gotten so possessive. Why do guys always do that? You go out with them for awhile, and suddenly they own you." She shivered, though it was barely chilly. "Turn right on Westwood."
Westwood headed right out of town, northward.
Debbie waved the piece of paper that had the directions. "I wonder what this will be like. Ashley is really…different, isn't she?"
"Uh-huh." I took a swig of seltzer, letting the conversation die. I was reluctant to talk to Debbie about Ashley, but I wasn't sure why.
"Okay, Okay!" Debbie said excitedly a few minutes later. "This is it! Stop here!" She was already scrambling out of her seat belt, grabbing her macramé purse.
"Debbie," I said politely, looking around. "We're in the middle of freaking nowhere."
Technically of course, you were always somewhere. But this deserted road on the outskirts of town didn't feel like it. To the left were acres of cornfields, tall and awaiting harvest. To the right was a wide strip of un-mowed field edged by thick woods that led back toward town in a large, ragged vee.
"It says to park under that tree," Debbie instructed me. "Come on."
I eased Das Boot off the side of the road and glided heavily to a stop beneath a huge willow oak tree. That was when I saw moonlight glinting off of seven other cars that hadn't been visible from the road.
Aiden's distinctive red VW Beetle sat glowing darkly like a giant ladybug under the tree, and I saw Matt Adler's white pick-up, Madison's SUV, and Tamara's dad's station wagon edged up neatly next to them. Parked in a sloppy circle around them were Raven Meltzer's battered black wreck, a gold explorer that I recognized as Ashley's, and a green mini-van I thought belonged to Beth Nielson, Raven's best friend. I didn't see any people, but there was a somewhat trampled path through the tall, dried grass towards the woods.
"I guess we're supposed to go there," Debbie said, sounding uncharacteristically unsure. I was glad she was here with me and that Chris wasn't. If I'd had to come by myself, I might not have had thee nerve to show.
We followed the path of beaten grass, the cool evening breeze filtering through my hair. When we reached the edge of the woods, Debbie pointed. I could barely make out the pale gleam of her finger in the forest darkness. Looking ahead, I saw it: a small clearing and shadowed shapes standing around a low fire ringed with stones. I heard low laughter and smelled the delicious scent of wood smoke coiling through the newly crisp air. Suddenly an outdoor party seemed like a brilliant idea.
We stepped carefully through the woods toward the fire. I heard Debbie swearing under her breath-her chunky platform sandals weren't the best shoes for nighttime hiking. My own clogs were cheerfully crunching twigs underfoot. I heard a crashing noise sound behind us and startled, then saw it was Ethan Sharp and Alessandra Spotford, lurching through the forest after us.
"Watch it!" Alessandra hissed at Ethan. "That branch hit me right in the eye."
Debbie and I emerged into the clearing. I saw Tamara and Aiden and even Ben Reggio From my Latin class. I went over to join the three of them as Debbie split off from me to stand by Madison, Suzanne, Jenna, and Matt. The firelight cast a soft golden glow on everyone's faces, making the girls look prettier than usual and the guys look older and mysterious.
"Where's Ashley?" Debbie asked, and Chris Holly straightened up from where he was crouched by an ice chest, a beer in his hand.
"Why do you want to know?" he said unpleasantly.
She ran her fingers through her hair. "She's our host."
Ashley appeared almost silently from the edge of the clearing. She was carrying a large wicker hamper, which she set down next to the fire. "Hi," she said, looking around at us smiling. "Thanks for coming. I hope the fire will keep you warm."
I pictured myself snuggling up to her, her arm around my shoulders, feeling the heat of her skin slowly seep through my fleece vest. I blinked quickly, and the image was gone.
"I brought some stuff to eat and drink," Ashley said, kneeling and opening her basket. "There's food in here-nuts, chips, corn bread. There's stuff to drink in the coolers."
"I should have brought some wine," Debbie said, and I blinked in surprise to see her standing right there. Ashley smiled at her, and I wondered if she thought Debbie was beautiful.
For the next half hour we hung out and talked, sitting around the fire, maybe twenty of us altogether. Ashley had brought some delicious apple cider spiced with cinnamon for people who didn't want beer, which included me.
Chris sat next to Debbie, his arm around her shoulders. She wasn't looking at him but sent me irritated glances from time to time. Tamara and Ben and I sat with our knees touching. One of my arms was almost too warm from the fire, the other was pleasantly chilly. From time to time Ashley's voice flowed over me like night air.
"I'm glad you all came tonight," Ashley said, coming over to kneel next to me. She spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "My mom knew people here before we moved, so she has a bunch of friends already, but I thought I'd have to celebrate Mabon myself."
Debbie smiled and leaned forward. "What's Mabon?"
"Tonight is Mabon," Ashley said. "It's one of the Wiccan sabbats. Kind of important day if you practice Wicca. It's the autumnal equinox."
You could have heard a leaf land at the moment. We were all looking at him, his face golden and flame colored, like a mask. Nobody said anything.
Ashley seemed aware of our surprise, but she didn't look embarrassed or self-conscious. In fact, she plowed on. "See, usually on Mabon you have a special circle," Ashley continued, crunching into and apple. "You give thanks for the harvest. And after Mabon you start looking forward to Samhain."
"Sowen?" Jenna Ruiz said faintly.
"S-a-m-h-a-i-n," Ashley clarified. "Pronounced Sow-en. Our biggest holiday, the witches new year. October 31. Most people call it Halloween."
Silence, broken only by the crackling of the logs as they burned.
Chris was the first to speak. "So, what?" he said with a nervous laugh. "You saying you're a witch?"
"Well, yeah, actually. I practice a form of Wicca," Ashley said.
"Isn't that like devil worship?" Alessandra asked, wrinkling her nose.
"No, no. Not at all," Ashley responded in a way that wasn't the least bit defensive. "There is no devil in Wicca. It's about the tamest and most inclusive religion there is, truthfully. It's all about celebrating nature."
Alessandra looked skeptical.
"So anyway, I was hoping to find a few people to make a circle with me tonight."
Silence.
Ashley looked around, absorbing the surprise and discomfort in almost every face but showing no sign of regret. "Listen, it's not a big deal. Making a circle doesn't mean you're joining Wicca. It doesn't mean you're going against your religion or whatever. If you're not into it, don't worry about it. I just thought some people might think it's cool."
I looked at Tamara. Her dark brown eyes were wide. Debbie turned to me, and we shared a glance that communicated a whole conversation's worth of ideas. Yes, we were both surprised and a little skeptical, but we were both intrigued, too. Debbie's look told me she was interested, she wanted to hear more. I felt the same way.
"What do you mean, a circle?" It was a few seconds before I recognized the voice as my own.
"We all stand in a circle," explained Ashley, "and join hands, and we give thanks to the Goddess and the God for the harvest. We celebrate the fertility of the spring and summer and look forward to the barrenness of winter. And we walk in a circle."
"You're joking," Todd Ellsworth said, sipping his beer.
Ashley looked at him evenly. "No, I'm not. But if you're not into it, that's fine."
"Jesus, she's serious," Chris said to no one in particular.
Debbie deliberately shrugged his arm off her shoulders, and he scowled at her.
"Anyway," Ashley said, standing up. "It's almost ten. Anyone who wants to stay is welcome, but you're also welcome to leave. Thanks a lot for coming and hanging out, either way."
Raven stood up and walked over to Ashley, her dark, heavily outlined eyes on hers. "I'll stay." She turned a disdainful face to the rest of us, as if to say, "You wankers."
"I think I'm gonna go home," Tamara whispered to me and stood up.
"I'm going to stay for awhile," I said softly, and she nodded, waved good-bye to Ashley, and left.
"I'm outt'a here," said Chris loudly, throwing his beer bottle into the woods. He got to his feet. "Debbie? Come on."
"I came with Spencer," Debbie said, moving closer to me. "I'll go home with her."
"Come on with me now," Chris insisted.
"No, thanks," Debbie said, meeting my eyes. I gave her the slightest smile of encouragement.
Chris swore, then crashed off through the trees, muttering. I reached over and squeezed her arm.
I cast a glance at Ashley. She was sitting with her knees bent and her elbows resting on them. There seemed to be no tension in her body. She just watched.
Raven, Debbie, and I stayed. Ben Reggio left. Jenna stayed, so of course Matt stayed too. Aiden stayed: good. Beth Nielson stayed, and so did Madison Duarte and Ethan sharp. Alessandra hesitated but stayed, and so did Suzanne and Todd.
When it looked like everyone had left who was going to, there were thirteen of us standing there.
"Cool," Ashley said, standing. "Thanks for staying, Let's get started."
The porch light cast a shadow across our lawn. Before me, on the crunchy, dried-out autumn grass, a smaller, darker me walked to my car.