Chapter 4: Our "Errands"
My mother and I rode off on our horses. Hers was a majestic, tall, light gray gelding named Daredevil (she named him after the Horseman's steed). Mine was a tall black mare named Winnie. These were the only horses that we rode since we couldn't trust most other horses in our journeys to the Western Woods. Other horses spooked too easily.
Our first stop was the murder scene. We wanted to see how well our work was done by the Horseman. We dismounted our horses far enough away that so that they wouldn't be heard by the men that were examining Van Garrett's body. We crept toward them to see our work and hid behind trees that were nearby. We snuck a glance at each other and smiled, seeing that the Hessian had done our work magnificently. We looked at where the Horseman had dislodged the head from the body. The wound was red with the man's blood and all different sorts of insects were swarming around the body. The head, of course, was gone, taken by the Headless Horseman. We watched them as they looked at the body and the wound. These men were for some reason beyond me very squeamish around the body. I enjoyed being there with my mother, seeing how all our hard work was finally paying off. The only part I could not handle was the smell, which reeked of dead things and blood.
Finally, as the coffin carriage came for the body, we left. My mother had given me a glance and whispered, "Let's go." We went back for our horses and started to go to our next stop.
We rode further into the Western Woods, back to the house where my mother, my aunt, and I had grown up. It wasn't really a house, actually, just a cave. But it was a homely cave, full of things for witchcraft and fond memories of mine.
When we got to the door, my mother knocked. We heard some movement inside.
"Who's there?" asked a familiar voice.
My mother sighed. "Aggie, let me in," she said. My aunt's name was Agnes.
The door suddenly flew open. I jumped back a bit, but my mother remained motionless in her spot, obviously unaffected by her sister's swift movements.
"Come in, come in," she said to us, "Mary, Andi, I haven't seen you in so long! What has been keeping you away?" We had never actually told her that my mother was married. She's just a twit, like Katrina. She thinks we keep going out.
And not coming back for a long time.
My mother looked at her sister and rolled her eyes. She didn't like her visits with Aunt Aggie, but she had to. It was the only way to find out information.
You see, my mother's good in most areas of witchcraft. I also am fairly good, but not as good as her. But there is one thing that neither of us can do, and that's telling the future.
Yes, sadly, the twit in our family has one of the more essential powers. The one that we needed. So we had to keep coming back here occasionally for her help.
Luckily for us, we came at a good time. Her veil was over her face. She only wore her veil when the Other was coming.
And the Other was the reason why we had come. My aunt was born possessed, and every week or so her possessed side would come out. The Other, as she has always called this side, had psychic powers. Many times we would go to her when the Other came just to find out about our future. We also used to be in charge of chaining her and making the potion for her, but that was only when it was very serious. The worst that the Other has ever done was almost chopping off my arm. If I hadn't moved away as quickly as I had, I would not have my left arm anymore. But that's the worst that's ever happened. She also never remembers what went on when the Other came. She just wakes up not remembering falling asleep. So she never remembers what is said or done, which usually turns out to be a good thing for us. She also had a ritual of stepping outside the cave afterwards. The fresh air seemed to calm her down a bit after an ordeal with the Other.
As we followed Aunt Aggie into the cave, my mother had me go with my aunt. We took turns when it came to talking with Aunt Aggie. Neither of us really liked our visits with her. This time it was my turn to get the information needed.
"Aunt Aggie," I said to her, "I will go with you when the Other comes. To help you and protect you. Just in case." I walked her into her transforming room. That is what we had always called that portion of the cave. It was set aside years ago for its sole purpose-to contain the Other in a room where no one could be harmed. It was fully equipped with chains, ingredients needed for her potions, and a padlocked door. This way, no one could get in either and risk endangering him or herself.
Aggie nodded. At least, I think she nodded. Sometimes, it is hard to tell what's going on underneath her veil. She turned to me.
"Alright," she said to me, "but be careful. I feel a sense that this time, when the Other comes, he will be very powerful. I will have to double my potion." She walked into her part of the cave, the transforming room. I followed her in. I closed the door behind me and heard a familiar noise-the padlock being locked. My mother was already prepared, just in case.
Aunt Aggie sat down in her usual spot. She did the same procedure she did every time the Other came. She put the chains around her wrists-tighter than usual, I noticed.
Something big must be coming, I thought, She seems to be going to a lot of trouble doing extra things to protect me from the Other. The information received today will probably be vital to our plans.
I watched as she worked on the potion. She threw all of the usual ingredients in, but doubled everything.
Except the baby bat's head. That she did not double.
She tripled it.
Yes, she cut off three baby bats' heads. A bat's head holds restraint powers which is why it is included in the potion.
I was beginning to get a little worried. In all my years of coming to my aunt, I had never seen her use three bats heads. Almost always one, and on some occasions, two. But three?
Never.
I started shaking a bit. Then I remembered my mother. If she saw me in a state like I am now, I would have had a paddling. My mother is very disciplinary, and one thing that she always punishes me for is my lack of control over my emotions.
"Miranda," she always said to me, "You need to learn to control your emotions. We can't have the Archer line ruined by a sensitive person. One person who can't control herself in our line could completely throw it off. Work on it, dear."
I sat in the chair, working on containing the shaking. Once it had finally stopped, I sat completely still. By then, my aunt was hunched over a bit.
Then, I heard her say those fearful words.
"Hush," she said, "The Other comes."
I closed my eyes for a second. When I opened them, I was ready to face the Other, no matter how bad it was. I looked at my aunt, who was now practically lying on the table.
"Aunt Aggie?" I asked, "Are you still there?" I became nervous. This was my least favorite part of our visits. When the Other finally comes out.
It scares me half to death every time. By now, if that was actually true, I probably would've died fifty times at least.
So I sat in my chair and braced myself. I reassured myself that everything would be okay.
When suddenly, the Other came. My aunt lunged toward me, her eyes and tongue coming out of her head attached by snakes. Her skin began to shrivel up like it always does and her hair turned whiter than it already was.
I jumped a bit, as always, and then sat straight up. I had to listen intently to what my aunt said. One missed piece of information could cost me my head-literally.
The snakes pulled themselves in. My aunt now had no eyes, just sockets where they used to be. She was pulling at her chains, the hardest I'd ever seen her before. Some of the screws holding the shackles to the wall came loose. I almost screamed for my mother to come in, but then decided it was probably best not to. But I did scoot back about a foot, just in case. I waited for her to begin speaking.
She looked at me. "Soon," she said, her voice sounding eerie and bizarre, "a man will come from the south, New York City. He is a constable that goes by the name Ichabod Crane. There will be only two more successful killings before he comes. He will come to inspect these murderers in two days."
I thought about what she said. I assumed she was finished, so I started getting up to leave. That is, until she said one last thing.
"Beware the constable," she said, "he is the one who could ruin all your plans."
And with that she collapsed onto the table.
I slowly made my way out of the room. I knocked on the padlocked door three times, our secret knock telling that the Other was gone. I heard a noise from outside as my mother unlocked the door. The door opened quickly as my mother faced me.
"So," she said cautiously, "Any good news?"
I looked at her for a minute then looked down. "No, not really," I told her.
She gave me a worried look. "Why? What did Aggie say?"
I thought of how to say it. Finally I just decided on telling her straight out.
"Mother," I said to her, "Aunt Aggie said that there is a constable coming soon. In two days, to be exact. From somewhere south of here called New York City. She warned me that he is the one that could ruin our plot," I said. She looked even more worried now. I wanted to give her some good news. I couldn't think of any at first, but then I remembered something she said.
"But she did say that two more people will be successfully killed before he comes."
A satisfied look appeared on her face. I could tell she was still worried, but this did seem to cheer her up a little. She looked away from me and glanced at my aunt's possessions. I could tell she was trying to keep her mind off something by looking around and not meeting my gaze. And I knew what it was.
She was worried that this constable would be a threat. A very big one. I didn't know what this New York City was, but she seemed to know. She seemed to know that it meant something bad was going to happen when this man arrived.
This man named Ichabod Crane.
"At least there's some good news," she said to me, "We will just have to keep a close eye on this constable when he comes. If he seems like too much of a threat, we will just have to get rid of him." She smiled slyly, trying to mask her fears, "With the Horseman's help, of course." She finally met my gaze again, something that had taken her five minutes.
"I wonder," she said mysteriously, "who our next two victims will be."