"…A witch?" Kat said sipping on her chocolate shake. Sitting across the table from her, shifting uncomfortably in the rubber booth was Lucy fidgeting with her straw.
The two sat in a small diner off the coast to 'regroup' from their previous battle with the giant venus flytrap ambush back at the mansion. The atmosphere smelled of grease and cleaning supplies (as Lucy had pointed out to Kat) and the place was deserted but as far as Lucy was concerned she was just glad to be sitting somewhere normal for once: Normal chocolate shakes, normal conversation, normal, normal, normal.
"That's right," She said avoiding Kat's burning stare. Kat waited for more and gestured for Lucy explain.
"Go on," She said.
"What more is there to tell?" Lucy said shrugging. "I have warts, I use dead, black cats in my rituals and I cackle like a hyena at the stroke of midnight." She said sarcastically. folding her arms.
"Come on, Lucy." She said. "Seriously. Fill me in." She said twirling her straw with her finger.
Lucy tapped the table with her fingers and rested her head on both her small hands. Memories that she'd stored away in the very back of her brain had resurfaced and were swishing around uncomfortably making her feel sick to her stomach.
"What do you want to know?" She said sniffing. "I don't even know where to begin."
"Well that one's easy." Kat said pushing her hair behind her ear. "Just start from the beginning." Lucy sighed.
"Salem Massachusetts." Kat groaned.
"Okay," She put her hand on her forehead. "Please tell me that wasn't where you grew up. I'm sorry but that'd be the most cliche thing ever." She said dryly.
"It's not!" Lucy said defiantly. "It's where my grandmother was born. And hey you're the one who asked."
"Touché." Kat sat back and made a squeaking noise with her jeans on the rubber cushion. "All right, all right." Kat said. "Continue."
"Well," Lucy said shyly. "As most of America knows, those were dark times for 'underground' witches." Lucy motioned with air quotations. "No one knew what to do or how to feel." Kat nodded. "Witches had been around for a long time just minding their own business. But then when people began to suspect all the wrong people of heinous, black magic crimes, that's when things got bad. The salem witch trials began and fear was spread among everyone in Salem."
"Okay, this is like, fifth grade social studies stuff." She chuckled.
"Right," Lucy frowned. "But something you have to understand," She began. "This is the beef that they never teach you in pop culture, in the horror movies or even by the books." She inhaled. "…There were actual witches in Salem." She felt chills ride down her spine with even the mere thought. "And regular people weren't the only ones caught in the mass hysteria of the trials, Kat. Real witches went into hiding, lives were ruined, reputations were ruined." She said. "My family called it the 'Dark Year'."
"Damn." Kat said frowning.
"I know," Lucy exhaled slowly.
"But that's not to say that all witches were good ones. It's like denying that the human race has no flaws." She explained. "There are people of my kind that you need to watch out for—the 'Black Wives' as we always called them." Lucy blew some hair out of her face. "They're," She began. "Wicked. They prey on the weak and rely on black magic to get through one life to the next."
"And by that you mean…?" Kat asked.
"I'm talking like, sacrificing black cats, feeding off the souls of kids, summoning demons," She made blocks with her hands and tapped them on the table.
"So basically everything that every mainstream horror movie have taught me about witches are true…?" Kat said.
"I'm getting to that." Lucy motioned. "Another thing they don't teach you," She said. "…is about the good ones. Sure everyone loves good wicked witch, but thats a hurtful stereotype for one thing. The ones who use white magic to heal, protect and better understand the crazy mysteries of life, those are the ones we need to look to." She said. "Witches aren't all bad. And we're defiantly real. Most of the time we're just regular people walking the streets, sipping our coffee and reading the latest novel from the store; just like everybody else." She lowered her voice as a young, blonde waitress hovered over their table with a bored expression on her face. She blew a large pink bubble and pulled a wooden pencil out of her large hair.
"What'll it be?" She said bucking one hip to the side. Kat stuttered and chuckled.
"Oh—sorry," She said rubbing her eye. "Lucy?" She picked up the menu she had yet to shoot a glance at since they came into the diner. Lucy looked at the menu.
"Fries?" She asked. The girl shrugged.
"I don't know why you're asking me," She said dryly. "S'your food." She said taking the menus.
"We'll just take the fires." She said plastering a a wide smile on her face. Lucy folded her arms and averted her eyes from the waitress.
"Thanks." She said with a small smile.
"Mhm." She said and walked away her large hips swaying.
"Well she's quite pleasant." Lucy said watching her make her way into the kitchen with a huff in each step.
"But as I was saying, my kind is so misunderstood. I mean, my brothers and sisters have been shoved underground over the centuries for being different, from being feared all because of one group that ruined all the fun for the rest of us." She said shaking her head.
"Bummer." Kat said frowning sideways. Lucy nodded. "God, it feels like I'm hearing all this for the first time." She chuckled nervously. "So witches are really real, huh?" Lucy grinned her teeth at Kat and nodded vigorously. "Gee, never thought I'd hear myself say that."
"Well we're out there all right, and some of us will stop at nothing to be heard, to be feared." She paused. "The bad ones, I mean." She tilted her head and glanced sideways lost in thought. "Power-hungry, bloodthirsty monsters. My Ona told me so may stories about missing pets, missing children, screams to horrible even the coyotes would refuse to howl at the moon." She said. "It's your death wish to be caught alone in the clasp of a black witch." Kat furrowed her brow. "Oh, but don't worry," She stuck out her hands. "Most of them died out in 1773, in America when the first Summer Solstice was held." She motioned.
"Huh?" Kat asked confused.
Lucy began.
"The Lunar Solstice is an event that happens every the years, where witches from all over," She said waving her hands in the shape of a rainbow. "See, on March 19th 1773, a great witch named Elvira Hogarth and her sister colony practically wiped out all the outsiders, who were using their power with and for dark forces. Every year they gather to celebrate the defeat of the black magic witches and warlocks, share our gifts, get out wands, see old friends, practice magic…" Lucy stared off into the distance. Kat laughed to herself. "It's really a beautiful thing. And the first summer solstice, was the mark of a new generation." She said. "I've only ever heard stories, but my Ona tells me it was the greatest moment in witch history." She smiled to herself. "Didn't destroy all the ant colonies but we got rid of most of them."
"Wow…That's a lot to take in," Kat said slowly.
"Yeah, sorry, guess I keep getting carried away. I keep forgetting I'm talking to a Dibbler." She chuckled looking at her feet.
"What?" Kat said tiredly.
"It's not an insult!" Lucy said quickly. "It's a term witches in the community use for people who don't possess any magical powers, or the 'gift' if you wanna call it that." Kat nodded slowly.
"Uh-huh." Kat said squinting. "Let's just go with Kat, okay?" She asked folding her hands together.
"You got it," She smiled sheepishly. "I apologize it's been a while since I've had one on one human interaction, much less with a Dibbler—I mean person, er human…Kat?" She stuttered.
"Hey no worries." She said waving her hand. "I promise I won't bite." She said. "I gotta say, you've got one hell of a mystery element to you." Kat said. "People in this town literally eat that stuff up." Lucy looked toward the waitress.
"Everyone here seems very artificial," Lucy trailed off. "…It's sad really." Kat nodded in agreement.
"Can I ask you something, Lucy?" Lucy resurfaced into reality and glanced Kat's way.
"Of course!" She said.
"I know you're a witch, I've pretty much got that concept down to a 'T'," She said. "But how'd you end up caught in the rain, wearing muddy clothes buying toothpaste and having no where to stay?" Lucy began to speak but closed her mouth and sat back.
"Food," Molly interrupted their conversation wielding a plate of greasy hot french fries on her tray. "Can I help in any other way?" She said sarcastically waving her hand around.
"No thank you you've already graced us with your presence enough already."
Lucy said smiling, taking a hot fry. Kat snorted and put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. She sunk down and shook her head. The girl adjusted her tray and scoffed at Lucy.
"Whatever," She said passively. But before walking away, she stopped in her tracks and turned on her heals. She pointed finger at Kat and squinted.
"Freaky ghost girl," As she pointed, Lucy sat straight up and eyed Kat. She averted her glance from Lucy and blushed.
"I'm gonna kill Jeremy." She whispered.
Lucy mouthed the words, "Who is this," and Kat just shook her head.
"Do I know you?" She asked.
"Uh, duh?" She said squinting.
"Not following you." Kat said quietly.
"Mr. Rimmer, algebra 2, second period." She said laughing. "I copied off your test last week?" She said dangling her wrist.
"Molly Frederick." Kat folded her lips.
"I thought Jeremy Long was the friendless freak of Friendship High till you came along. I didn't know you had a life," She paused and glanced at Lucy. "…let alone decent human friends," Molly scoffed. "Do us all a favor and go hang out in the graveyard or something." Molly shook her head.
"Maybe I will, the lives ones around here just come in pairs of bottle-blonde, plastic barbie dolls." She muttered folding her arms.
"What'd you say?" She said getting to eye level with Kat. Kat glared at her but said nothing. "That's what I thought. Just go crawl back to your cave where you belong." Molly chuckled and took a handful of fries from Kat's plate and accidentally spilled her milk shake on the table. "Oops," She laughed. Lucy was fuming, feeling like there was steam running from her nose and ears. She stood up shaking a little.
"Hey miss," She called. Molly turned around and popped another bubble. "These fries are bland. Like your personality." She picked one up and ate one. "Needs ketchup." She said. Out of nowhere the ketchup bottle flew into the air and exploded onto Molly covering her dress, twenty-dollar tan, and cheap bleached hair.
"And,"Her eyes glazed over Molly's horrified face. "Oh dear I missed a spot." She smiled as her pointer finger raised in the air as well as her shake, dumping itself onto Molly.
"Oops," Lucy said in the same nasally tone. "Looks like that's coming out of your pay check." Molly screamed and ran into the kitchen, slipping a few times on her way over. The diner was completely empty, thank goodness and Kat lunged to her feet.
"Okay," Kat scrambled for her wallet and keys. "As hilarious as that was, it's time to go," She grabbed Lucy's hand and they bolted out the two front doors of the diner laughing. "Get in the car, get in the car, get in the car," Kat took hold of Lucy's arm and shoved her in the passenger seat. She started the engine and aimlessly backed out of the parking lot running over a curb by accident.
"Shit, what just happened?" Kat asked breathlessly clutching the wheel tightly.
"I," Lucy popped her fingers one by one and shook her head. "I have no idea." She said. "But I have a feeling that I'm going to regret this later…" Lucy bit her lip and shut her eyes. "I could pull out my Ona's old spell book and see if there's a memory wiper…?" She suggested with her eyebrows raised.
"I think the best thing we can do now, is try and pretend it never happened. Who's gonna believe a bottle blond, bra stuffing barbie doll any who?"