Chapter 29: Willows Shadows

Dan smirked. "Ah, you must be Cliff." He studied me and gave a 'humph'. "Pity. I thought Eve would have had better taste." I narrowed my eyes.

Kurt stood in front of Gray, Kai, and me. I gave the other two looks. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I don't know! One minute I was walking home, the next, I was here." Gray said shaking his head. Kai smiled sheepishly.

"Hehe… Ethica and I were making out…" I slapped my forehead.

I looked up at the girls; they looked almost terrified, except for Eve. She was still unconscious. I stared at her motionless body as a man with purplish hair dipped her bounded hands in a mixture. When he took them out, they were covered in cement. Dan noticed me staring. "Can't be too careful, can we? We don't want any… accidents…"

I looked at the other two; they seemed a little more preoccupied with their troubles. Kai watched with helplessness as Ethica was tied to one of the trees. Gray looked pissed as Sage shook her head, trying to get the muzzle off of her face.

I turned away from them and watched Dan. He seemed pleased with how smoothly his plan was doing… whatever it was. He walked over to Eve's still body and pushed a stray hair out of her face, letting his finger linger over her lips. Blood rushed to my face. "Don't touch her." I demanded.

Dan looked up and laughed. "What makes you think that you have the right to make orders, Cliffy? Right now…" He smirked. "I'm in control."

I looked over at Eve when I heard something stir. Eve's eyes fluttered open, unsure with where she was, but then gasped when she remembered. I looked down, feeling powerless. I couldn't do anything…

Dan stood up from where he had crouched down next to Eve. He began to speak with the group. "Thank you all for coming… I'm glad we could have this… little reunion." Eyes narrowed in his direction. "Now, I'm sure you're all wondering by now what my little plan is… it's simple really." He looked in Eve's direction. "Once I found out what you girls really were-"

"You knew?!" Gray shouted. Dan narrowed his eyes.

"Yes… may I continue? Now, once I found out that these little girls happened to be witches… I did some research-"

"You can read? That's a shocker!" Sage said through her muzzle.

"What you really look at, a picture book?" Ethica asked, rolling her eyes.

The girls cracked up, but Dan took out a small whistle from around his neck and blew into it. Once he did, all the girls curled up in pain. I watched helplessly as Eve writhed on the cold ground with anguish. Dan took the whistle away from his lips and smiled. "That's better…"

All the girls looked so vulnerable, so weak; they all drooped as the noise was over. They breathed heavily, as if it made them hold their breaths. "As I was saying… I found out something interesting. Based off of your talents as a supposed human, I have found out what type of witches you are."

Gray's jaw dropped open. "Why's that bad? What's wrong?" I whispered.

"He's… he's…"

"Yes, yes Gray… I can, and I will…" He said, smiling an all too evil smile.

Gray actually looked… terrified. "What?" I asked, getting more panicked.

"I… can kill them." he said plainly.

I felt like the ground beneath my feet had just given away. My heart pounded against my chest, about to break free. I broke out in a cold sweat and all I could do was stare at Eve. He… he could… kill her?

Eve stared at her family and paled. "No… please… Dan don't… don't do anything to them…"

Dan smirked at Eve's pleas. "Sorry, can't do."

Eve closed her eyes. "Let them go… all of them, including Gray, Kai, and Cliff… and…" She took a deep breath. "You can just take me."

My jaw dropped open. No… say no… say no! Dan tapped his forefinger thoughtfully to his chin. "…Really?" NO!

"If you let them go." She said plainly. I heard a growl, like a cat. I looked over at Sage; she began to shake and snarl. Next to her, Shawn began to screech, like a falcon. The girls began to scream. "No! Please! Don't! Anything, we'll do anything!"

Dan smiled. "I think I have a better idea… who has a spell book on them?"

Lynn nodded and winced as the bonds around her hands chaffed. "I do. It's in my bag."

"Jamie, go get it." Dan told the purpled-haired man. Jamie nodded and went to the bag and took out a medium-sized book with a deep green covering. "Now, give it to me." Jamie obeyed.

Dan flipped through the book until he hit a page and smiled. "Here it is…"

"What spell, Dan?" Kurt asked. Dan smiled.

"I'm glad you asked! It's the power transferring spell, or as I like to call it: The best Damn spell ever!" He looked over the page and grinned. "Oh, yes… this will do…"

He looked around at us. "It sys that it'll take only one magic supply…" he looked at Eve at the corner of his eye. "It needs to be taken forcefully, and it will be very, very, very painful…" He said smiling in the end.

"You can't! You can't do this!" Noelle cried.

"What is it?" Kai asked Gray. Gray's face was emotionless, but his voice was scared.

"They're… going to take her… her magic out of her…"

I furrowed my brow. "But, she will be okay… right?"

Gray closed his eyes. "T-The spell is controlled by who casts it… If Dan wants her power… he'll get it, but it-" He stopped and took a deep breath. "It… c-could kill her."

I shook my head as my body went numb; Dan smiled. "Well, now that we've all been caught up in this wonderful little learning fest…" He looked over at Eve. "I have to prepare for the main event."

Dan walked away, getting ready, as Kurt and Jamie kept watch over us. Eve sat on the ground, staring at her family. No sadness, no anger, no distress… she actually looked happy. I felt my heart breaking slowly as I knew by the end of the night… Eve might not be with us.


About three hours had gone by and still no Dan had shown up. Eve and Lannie had been exchanging some weird looks at each other, but no one seemed to care right now. Kurt leaned against the tree Gray, Kai and I were bound, but not tied to. I guessed Dan wanted to threaten one of the girls if we stepped out of line, just to rub the fact that he was in charge in our helpless faces.

Suddenly, Dan appeared out of the trees, cursing under his breath. "Getting to damn, freaking cold for- What's going on?"

Gray, Kai, and I gave him a look of confusion. Dan's eyes widened... With fear. "No…" We turned our attention away to look over at the girls.

All of them had terrified expressions on their faces as they silently screamed. Slowly, a mist spread across the floor of the clearing we were in. Donna was the first one to finally form words. "HELP!"

The girls' silent screams became audible as they tried to slink away from the mist. What was scary about this mist… was that it was black. Soon, the haze grouped together and rose to form nine figures. Each creature had beady, silver eyes and a long, twisted mouth. Instead of lips, teeth were attached to its' mouths'. They had long, skinny arms and torsos, almost like skin and bones. Their fingers were an enormous length, falling to their (where there should be) ankles. But as you looked at their supposed 'feet', it was just a wisp of black smog that flowed with the breeze.

The blackness of the creatures' seemed almost too black, like it was surreal. But, coldness seemed to cover the area that reminded me… it was real. Gray's mouth hung open. "No… It can't be…"

"What are they?" Kai screamed over the shrieks from the girls.

"They call them Willow Shadows. They supposedly come from dead weeping willow trees. They… they like to feed off of witches' souls…"

Kai turned back to the girls. His jaw now fell open, too. I watched as Lannie ran to defend Lynn, who was trying to fight off two of the Willow Shadows. With horror overcoming my face, Lannie and Lynn screamed as the two shadows swung their massive claw-like fingers at them, and shredded them into wisps that seemed to faze away. Noelle screamed.

We were about to get up and help, but Kurt pointed a knife at us. "No one moves…" But, I noticed the fear come over his face as Noelle screamed again.

Ethica kicked at a shadow as it started to grab Noelle. It turned around and screeched. It was the same noise the whistle made. Ethica fell to the ground with a thud. Kai's face paled. "NO!"

The shadow didn't even hesitate as it swiped its claws through her and let her faze away just like Lannie and Lynn. Kai let his head fall as he sobbed. Gray's eyes widened with fear as one shadow lunged at Shawn, but Sage kicked it in the (what we call) gut. It fell back, but lunged forward again, and managed to get both girls with one strike. Gray's face paled and he stared at where the two had once stood.

Noelle covered Apple with her body as two shadows crept in. Apple screamed as both shadows swung their hands and made them disappear, too. Donna was backed into a tree as a shadow boxed her in. With one final slash… Eve was the last witch left.

She shook violently as the nine Willow Shadows vanished, and only four remained. Wait… there were only nine in the beginning… One looked straight at me and I felt my blood freeze. Its beady eyes were blood red.

Eve looked closely and saw the same thing I did. Her face… was entirely petrified. I had never seen her this scared, never.

Eve screamed. The four shadows began to draw near her, making her shake. She backed up until she could back up no more. The shadows drew closer… and closer... and closer… I couldn't stand it any more.

I ran. I ran passed the threatening Kurt, passed the obedient Jamie, passed the cursing and paled Dan straight to Eve. I finally reached her and shielded her from the creatures, only to feel a ripping sensation throughout my body that made me yell in pain. I didn't see the horror in my friends' faces, nor the Flower Bud girls reappear from nowhere and scream, nor the sheer terror in Eve's eyes. All I saw… was total darkness.

NOOOOOO! CLIFF! Well, at least he told her!