Prunella takes over some of the chores, but Bensiabel still must
perform most of them; indeed, the most difficult ones. He mainly works
outdoors, taking care of the garden, chopping firewood, feeding the cows
and chickens that Mother has bought. As Mother predicted, Prunella is
enspelled. He tries to talk to her, but she doesn't seem to hear him. He
tries to touch her, but she doesn't feel him. He feels sorry for the young
girl and helps her with her chores-when he isn't busy with his own. When
she cries, he tries his best to comfort her, although he knows that he will
not get through to her.
Prunella can sense Bensiabel sometimes, but she believes he is a ghost, perhaps the spirit of one of the witch's victims. Or perhaps, she thinks, it is Noita spying on her with a crystal ball, making sure that she completes her chores. She would have considered such thoughts foolish and childish before, but she has seen Noita use her powers and now thinks almost anything is possible. She has seen Noita light the fireplace and stove, open doors, and move things from across the room. She has stumbled across enchanted objects in the house, like candles that never go out. In her room upstairs she can sometimes hear noises coming from the room beside her. Noita tells her that it must be rats, or mice, or spiders. When she goes inside the room, she finds it empty.
Four and a half years pass in this fashion. Prunella thinks nothing of the noises in the empty room, of the garden and animals that seem to care for themselves, of the little bit of extra food she cooks each day. Noita beats and starves both of the children when she is in a foul mood, but she saves the worst for Prunella, jealous of her blossoming beauty. They are both lonely, and it is hard to say which is the lonelier: Prunella who believes she has no company, or Bensiabel who knows someone is there but cannot reach her.
Neither of the children know of the things that happen in the town. Married men and women have affairs, businessmen cheat their customers, women gossip viciously about each other men get drunk and beat their children, men gamble away their money, children get in fights at school and steal from one another. Crime has always been a problem in the town, and no one knows why. Not a one of them suspects that Noita is using her powers on the people of the town to entertain herself; no one knows that she is an evil witch. Prunella never knows that the children at school never liked her because of Noita's power.
Then comes the day when Prunella becomes a woman. Although she is embarrassed and says nothing to Noita, whom she does not love or trust, Noita can sense it nevertheless. She opens the door to Prunella's room that day and approaches her with a weighty tome covered with dust and cobwebs.
"The time's come fer yer training to begin." Noita starts.
"Training?" Prunella asks. Noita slaps her, and hard. Not only because she takes pleasure in the misery of others, not only because she envious of the girl's beauty, not only to keep the girl fearful and obedient, but because she wants to start nurturing the anger and sadness that the girl holds in her heart until it turns to hatred. When the girl learns the craft and builds her powers, Noita wants her to become a dark being, like herself. She wants her evil to live on. She watches as tears well up in the girl's eyes.
"Yeah, yer training! Don't ya remember when I caught ya? I told ya that ya was gonna learn the craft! And learn it ya shall!" She shoves the book into Prunella's hands. "Ya study that damn book every chance you get, girl! The day ya turn sixteen, yer testing will start, and if ya fail, ya die!" The threat is not exactly an idle one. If the girl does not prove to be proficient in the arts, no matter how much studying she does, she would indeed kill her, and simply snatch up another girl to train. She leaves the room and slams the door behind her.
Prunella starts to cry. She tosses the book into a corner of the room. She doesn't care if it dooms her to death; she will never, ever become a witch. Bensiabel, however, has heard the conversation through the wall, and has an idea. If he studies the book and gains some powers, he might be able to overcome his mother's magic and contact Prunella, and eventually the two of them might have a chance to escape. He worries not about becoming evil or condemning his soul; for one, he knows he is the son of a witch, and he is sure that he is already damned. For two, he cares about Prunella more than he cares about himself. What neither of them knows is that having such powers will not corrupt them. There are no such things as good or evil powers. There are only good or evil witches.
The next year and a half, when Prunella is told to got to her room and study the craft, she only sits in her bed and daydreams. Every chance she can get, every excuse she can find, Noita beats on Prunella. The girl often goes to bed sobbing and nursing several bruises. Bensiabel pleads with his mother to beat him instead, for he cannot bear to hear her cries. Noita laughs in his face, and continues to abuse the poor girl. When Prunella isn't around, Bensiabel sneaks into her room and studies the book. He is quite an intelligent young man, and learns fast. Before long he is half as powerful as his mother. He uses his new skills to do his chores faster, thus having even more time to study; he also uses them to discreetly protect Prunella when he can. Then the fateful day of Prunella's testing arrives.
Prunella can sense Bensiabel sometimes, but she believes he is a ghost, perhaps the spirit of one of the witch's victims. Or perhaps, she thinks, it is Noita spying on her with a crystal ball, making sure that she completes her chores. She would have considered such thoughts foolish and childish before, but she has seen Noita use her powers and now thinks almost anything is possible. She has seen Noita light the fireplace and stove, open doors, and move things from across the room. She has stumbled across enchanted objects in the house, like candles that never go out. In her room upstairs she can sometimes hear noises coming from the room beside her. Noita tells her that it must be rats, or mice, or spiders. When she goes inside the room, she finds it empty.
Four and a half years pass in this fashion. Prunella thinks nothing of the noises in the empty room, of the garden and animals that seem to care for themselves, of the little bit of extra food she cooks each day. Noita beats and starves both of the children when she is in a foul mood, but she saves the worst for Prunella, jealous of her blossoming beauty. They are both lonely, and it is hard to say which is the lonelier: Prunella who believes she has no company, or Bensiabel who knows someone is there but cannot reach her.
Neither of the children know of the things that happen in the town. Married men and women have affairs, businessmen cheat their customers, women gossip viciously about each other men get drunk and beat their children, men gamble away their money, children get in fights at school and steal from one another. Crime has always been a problem in the town, and no one knows why. Not a one of them suspects that Noita is using her powers on the people of the town to entertain herself; no one knows that she is an evil witch. Prunella never knows that the children at school never liked her because of Noita's power.
Then comes the day when Prunella becomes a woman. Although she is embarrassed and says nothing to Noita, whom she does not love or trust, Noita can sense it nevertheless. She opens the door to Prunella's room that day and approaches her with a weighty tome covered with dust and cobwebs.
"The time's come fer yer training to begin." Noita starts.
"Training?" Prunella asks. Noita slaps her, and hard. Not only because she takes pleasure in the misery of others, not only because she envious of the girl's beauty, not only to keep the girl fearful and obedient, but because she wants to start nurturing the anger and sadness that the girl holds in her heart until it turns to hatred. When the girl learns the craft and builds her powers, Noita wants her to become a dark being, like herself. She wants her evil to live on. She watches as tears well up in the girl's eyes.
"Yeah, yer training! Don't ya remember when I caught ya? I told ya that ya was gonna learn the craft! And learn it ya shall!" She shoves the book into Prunella's hands. "Ya study that damn book every chance you get, girl! The day ya turn sixteen, yer testing will start, and if ya fail, ya die!" The threat is not exactly an idle one. If the girl does not prove to be proficient in the arts, no matter how much studying she does, she would indeed kill her, and simply snatch up another girl to train. She leaves the room and slams the door behind her.
Prunella starts to cry. She tosses the book into a corner of the room. She doesn't care if it dooms her to death; she will never, ever become a witch. Bensiabel, however, has heard the conversation through the wall, and has an idea. If he studies the book and gains some powers, he might be able to overcome his mother's magic and contact Prunella, and eventually the two of them might have a chance to escape. He worries not about becoming evil or condemning his soul; for one, he knows he is the son of a witch, and he is sure that he is already damned. For two, he cares about Prunella more than he cares about himself. What neither of them knows is that having such powers will not corrupt them. There are no such things as good or evil powers. There are only good or evil witches.
The next year and a half, when Prunella is told to got to her room and study the craft, she only sits in her bed and daydreams. Every chance she can get, every excuse she can find, Noita beats on Prunella. The girl often goes to bed sobbing and nursing several bruises. Bensiabel pleads with his mother to beat him instead, for he cannot bear to hear her cries. Noita laughs in his face, and continues to abuse the poor girl. When Prunella isn't around, Bensiabel sneaks into her room and studies the book. He is quite an intelligent young man, and learns fast. Before long he is half as powerful as his mother. He uses his new skills to do his chores faster, thus having even more time to study; he also uses them to discreetly protect Prunella when he can. Then the fateful day of Prunella's testing arrives.