Thanks for the reviews. They're keeping me going. Still not sure where
I'm going, though.
Chapter Three
What to say?
I stared in front of me, confused. The girl smiled nervously up.
"Hi," She finally said. She quickly stood up, and joined the four girls behind her.
"Where did you come from?" I demanded.
"You didn't see us come through the door?" The girl with long brown hair asked jokingly. Then she whispered to the girls, "I can fix this if you want me to."
The blond quickly shook her head. "Must you always try to dodge responsibility?" She said angrily. "Remember the time in the boy's locker room?"
I looked over at Hunter. I don't think I've ever seen him so confused.
"I was wondering if you could tell us where Alyce Fernbraker is," The Spanish girl who had seemingly fallen from the sky asked.
"That would be me. You must be Jimena. And her friends," Alyce said, stepping forward.
"Could you not mention our names at the moment?" The girl who looked even more like a goddess than the others asked as she stepped forward.
"Certainly," Alyce said, a little baffled.
"Morgan, I think we should go," Hunter whispered in my ear.
"Not until Alyce answers my question about the Atrox," I muttered.
A gasp came from one of the girls as they were being led out of the room. She walked up to me, black hair dipped in crayola red hair bouncing on her back.
"Don't mention that. Not when they can hear you," She said, gesturing to shadows.
Okay, maybe these girls were crazier than I had originally thought.
"I'm not crazy," She said very seriously. I looked at Alyce. Now I was sincerely lost.
"Morgan, we should really be going," Hunter urged. The girl looked at him, as if for the first time, and then smirked.
"Jimena, wait until I tell you about this one. Now the whole story's hysterical," She said.
The dark girl threw her a warning glance.
"No names. And don't ... do that," She said.
I brushed past them. There was no way I wanted anything to do with these girls. They must have been on drugs or something. But then again ... I looked back. They knew about the Atrox. If Alyce and Hunter wouldn't tell me, maybe they would. Oh well, I'd find out eventually.
Just beware of Stanton, A voice said in my head. I glanced over my shoulder to see the girl with the red watching me. She was a blood witch? She must have been, if she could send witch messages. But when I cast out my senses, I didn't get anything.
"I'll see you later, Alyce," I called as I stepped outside. It had finally stopped raining, but it seemed to be getting dark rather quickly. Hunter caught up with me.
"That was unusual," He said as we climbed in the car. I looked around.
"Killian's gone," I acknowledged.
"Good riddance," Hunter muttered. He started the car and backed out as I pulled the small book from my pocket. I opened the first page and started reading.
Catty flopped down nervously on the couch, and looked up at Alyce.
"Would you girls like some tea?" She asked.
"Just like Maggie," Catty said with a warm smile. Their mentor had been the one to tell them they had to go. Apparently, Selene had something important planned for the girl. But they hadn't been provided with a name, address, or anything. It seemed a little frustrating.
"Who?" Alyce asked.
"Just a friend," Tianna covered quickly. Catty could feel all the girls glaring at her.
"So would you like tea?"
"I'll take some," Vanessa said.
"No thanks," Serena said, preoccupied. Catty narrowed her eyes at her. What could she possibly be thinking about now? Then it hit her – she was probably worried about Stanton. After all – he had betrayed her. Well, he will betray her. If the Atrox got their hands on this girl, then –
"What was that girl's name?" Jimena asked.
"Morgan Rowlands," Serena said absentmindedly.
"You know her?" Alyce asked.
"Hmm?" Serena inquired, looking up. She quickly realized she had spoken. "Oh, I've heard of her," She said quickly.
"She is a bit notorious, I guess. The whole witch world is talking about her. But I didn't realize you were Wiccan. What did you say your name was, again?"
"I didn't," Serena said. "But it's Serena. Serena Killingsworth."
"I didn't sense you as a blood witch." Alyce lowered her eyes, slightly suspicious.
You guys, Morgan is the girl from Jimena's vision, Serena planted the thought in all of the Daughters of the Moon's heads.
Catty looked nervously around.
"Well, I guess, since you're a witch and all, you could understand that there are other things out there, you know. Like the Greek gods – heard of them? Well back in the times of Pandora, the box was open, and hope was let loose – shorter version? Selene sent us to help stop an ancient and evil force known as the Atrox." Catty took in a deep breath. "Now we're here to help protect Morgan Rowlands – is that her name? – because Jimena over here -," She pointed her thumb in Jimena's direction, "had a premonition of Morgan being pushed into the cold fire by Stanton – who, by the way, is Serena's demon boyfriend, and heir to the evil thrown - which will make her evil and immortal, which is a really bad thing, because -."
"I think she gets it," Tianna said, lightly touching Catty's arm. Her cheeks burned bright red as she settled back in her seat.
"Oh no. The Atrox is after Morgan, you say? This is worst than anything she's had to face," Alyce said.
"You know about the Atrox?"
"In my religion it's a very important myth. Every Wiccan child has heard of it. Very few know of its actual existence, though," Alyce answered.
"We need to protect Morgan. Selene has something very important planned for her," Vanessa filled in.
"How long do you think until she gets home?" Catty asked suddenly.
"Oh, about half an hour – why?" But by then Catty's eyes were already dilating, and within a moment, she was gone.
I quickly sat at my desk, preparing to start reading the book when I heard a loud crash coming from inside the closet. It was quickly followed by a groan.
"Hello!?" I called nervously.
"I'm okay!" The voice answered. I felt like shuddering.
"Who's there!?"
"It's me, Catty! Oww. Why do you have a footlocker in your closet with a lot of hard dishes?" The voice called.
I jumped up and raced to the door, throwing it open. In the back of my closet, the brown haired girl from Practical Magick sat, one of my ceremonial bowls sitting on her head. She lifted it up and looked at me.
"Oh, um, what to say?" She wondered aloud.
Chapter Three
What to say?
I stared in front of me, confused. The girl smiled nervously up.
"Hi," She finally said. She quickly stood up, and joined the four girls behind her.
"Where did you come from?" I demanded.
"You didn't see us come through the door?" The girl with long brown hair asked jokingly. Then she whispered to the girls, "I can fix this if you want me to."
The blond quickly shook her head. "Must you always try to dodge responsibility?" She said angrily. "Remember the time in the boy's locker room?"
I looked over at Hunter. I don't think I've ever seen him so confused.
"I was wondering if you could tell us where Alyce Fernbraker is," The Spanish girl who had seemingly fallen from the sky asked.
"That would be me. You must be Jimena. And her friends," Alyce said, stepping forward.
"Could you not mention our names at the moment?" The girl who looked even more like a goddess than the others asked as she stepped forward.
"Certainly," Alyce said, a little baffled.
"Morgan, I think we should go," Hunter whispered in my ear.
"Not until Alyce answers my question about the Atrox," I muttered.
A gasp came from one of the girls as they were being led out of the room. She walked up to me, black hair dipped in crayola red hair bouncing on her back.
"Don't mention that. Not when they can hear you," She said, gesturing to shadows.
Okay, maybe these girls were crazier than I had originally thought.
"I'm not crazy," She said very seriously. I looked at Alyce. Now I was sincerely lost.
"Morgan, we should really be going," Hunter urged. The girl looked at him, as if for the first time, and then smirked.
"Jimena, wait until I tell you about this one. Now the whole story's hysterical," She said.
The dark girl threw her a warning glance.
"No names. And don't ... do that," She said.
I brushed past them. There was no way I wanted anything to do with these girls. They must have been on drugs or something. But then again ... I looked back. They knew about the Atrox. If Alyce and Hunter wouldn't tell me, maybe they would. Oh well, I'd find out eventually.
Just beware of Stanton, A voice said in my head. I glanced over my shoulder to see the girl with the red watching me. She was a blood witch? She must have been, if she could send witch messages. But when I cast out my senses, I didn't get anything.
"I'll see you later, Alyce," I called as I stepped outside. It had finally stopped raining, but it seemed to be getting dark rather quickly. Hunter caught up with me.
"That was unusual," He said as we climbed in the car. I looked around.
"Killian's gone," I acknowledged.
"Good riddance," Hunter muttered. He started the car and backed out as I pulled the small book from my pocket. I opened the first page and started reading.
Catty flopped down nervously on the couch, and looked up at Alyce.
"Would you girls like some tea?" She asked.
"Just like Maggie," Catty said with a warm smile. Their mentor had been the one to tell them they had to go. Apparently, Selene had something important planned for the girl. But they hadn't been provided with a name, address, or anything. It seemed a little frustrating.
"Who?" Alyce asked.
"Just a friend," Tianna covered quickly. Catty could feel all the girls glaring at her.
"So would you like tea?"
"I'll take some," Vanessa said.
"No thanks," Serena said, preoccupied. Catty narrowed her eyes at her. What could she possibly be thinking about now? Then it hit her – she was probably worried about Stanton. After all – he had betrayed her. Well, he will betray her. If the Atrox got their hands on this girl, then –
"What was that girl's name?" Jimena asked.
"Morgan Rowlands," Serena said absentmindedly.
"You know her?" Alyce asked.
"Hmm?" Serena inquired, looking up. She quickly realized she had spoken. "Oh, I've heard of her," She said quickly.
"She is a bit notorious, I guess. The whole witch world is talking about her. But I didn't realize you were Wiccan. What did you say your name was, again?"
"I didn't," Serena said. "But it's Serena. Serena Killingsworth."
"I didn't sense you as a blood witch." Alyce lowered her eyes, slightly suspicious.
You guys, Morgan is the girl from Jimena's vision, Serena planted the thought in all of the Daughters of the Moon's heads.
Catty looked nervously around.
"Well, I guess, since you're a witch and all, you could understand that there are other things out there, you know. Like the Greek gods – heard of them? Well back in the times of Pandora, the box was open, and hope was let loose – shorter version? Selene sent us to help stop an ancient and evil force known as the Atrox." Catty took in a deep breath. "Now we're here to help protect Morgan Rowlands – is that her name? – because Jimena over here -," She pointed her thumb in Jimena's direction, "had a premonition of Morgan being pushed into the cold fire by Stanton – who, by the way, is Serena's demon boyfriend, and heir to the evil thrown - which will make her evil and immortal, which is a really bad thing, because -."
"I think she gets it," Tianna said, lightly touching Catty's arm. Her cheeks burned bright red as she settled back in her seat.
"Oh no. The Atrox is after Morgan, you say? This is worst than anything she's had to face," Alyce said.
"You know about the Atrox?"
"In my religion it's a very important myth. Every Wiccan child has heard of it. Very few know of its actual existence, though," Alyce answered.
"We need to protect Morgan. Selene has something very important planned for her," Vanessa filled in.
"How long do you think until she gets home?" Catty asked suddenly.
"Oh, about half an hour – why?" But by then Catty's eyes were already dilating, and within a moment, she was gone.
I quickly sat at my desk, preparing to start reading the book when I heard a loud crash coming from inside the closet. It was quickly followed by a groan.
"Hello!?" I called nervously.
"I'm okay!" The voice answered. I felt like shuddering.
"Who's there!?"
"It's me, Catty! Oww. Why do you have a footlocker in your closet with a lot of hard dishes?" The voice called.
I jumped up and raced to the door, throwing it open. In the back of my closet, the brown haired girl from Practical Magick sat, one of my ceremonial bowls sitting on her head. She lifted it up and looked at me.
"Oh, um, what to say?" She wondered aloud.
