A/N: And now . . .

Jani and the Witch

I wrapped an arm around Rachel as she kept staggering as she walked. Her pupils were the size of golf balls and she was becoming paler by the minute. Oh my! I knew I should've taken away that weed. There was no way I was taking her home this stoned. But what choice did I have? Take her home to my uptight parents? Ha! They wouldn't even listen to my side of the story; just ship me straight off to India, like my aunts and uncles have done with their troubled children.

"Oh Jani." Rachel let out a too loud laugh that could've woken up the whole night. I tried to shush her but she ignored me. "You know Jani; I think you and I should open a store together. A store . . . . that sells . . . . babies. Yeah, babies! Cute little one! We'll get babies from all over the world . . . . and sell them, to people who want little babies but just can't have them. Oh my God! I'm a genius! Is someone writing this down?"

Mark looked behind him and just stared at his stoned friend. "Dude, she is completely out!"

I nodded. "You're telling me." Poor Rachel was wiggling her fingers. "I made a heart!" she squealed.

Ugh! Last time I sneak out for a party with this group. Yeah sure, Mark, Tom, Bill, and Rachel were all fun to hang out at the mall and stuff, but with all honesty, they weren't exactly the "goodie" kids. Sometimes it annoys me how when they get high or drunk, they just expect me to play Mom and take care of them. It's vexing! Now look at us. We're hiding back here because the cops somehow found out there was drugs at the party and were doing arrests left to right. Luckily, Bill was able to sneak us out before the cops came to us.

I checked my cell phone. Great. 1:30 in the A.M. Well that's fantastic. Maybe I should just go home. But I looked down at Rachel. She was making spit bubbles. No way I can go home leaving her in this condition.

With a sigh, I sat down with her, leaning us against a fence. Mark joined them, not that he had much of a choice. He was Rachel's cousin, originally his responsibility, however tonight just didn't go as planned.

Mark rubbed Rachel's back with his big "manly" hands (the boy couldn't even use a hammer right). He too sighed as Rachel went off into her crazy drug phase.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"Wait," Mark shrugged. "Wait until the weed starts wearing off a little, then we can start heading home. I'm sure the cops are there right now. They'll probably be going to your house too."

I froze. My blood turned to ice and cold sweat dripped down my forehead. Crap! Crap! Crap! And double crap! "No! Please tell me you're joking."

Mark shrugged. "Drugs at a party, the cops would want to know everyone who was there."

My knees began to tremble terribly. I could only imagine what my parents would do if two cops came to our house. And then they go up to my room to show them that I wasn't at any party, only to find a bed stuffed with pillows. Hell has no fury than two Indian parents' scorn.

Bright lights shone on the other side of the fences. Mark and I sat up and looked between the cracks. The house lights were on. Oh crap we're busted!

Rachel looked at the lights. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh my God . . . it's . . . Jesus!"

I couldn't help but smile at that. I wish it was Jesus, the Savior. Maybe he could save us now.

Tom came running up to us, panting. "Yo!" he called to us. We tried to shush him, but it was too late.

"Come on!" he yelled. "The cops will be searching here. We need to get-"

"Hey!"

An old, wrinkled man popped his head over the fence. He squinted eyes to see us in the dark, and then once he realized, his mouth formed into an ugly scowl. "Get out of here you damn teenagers!"

Lights in the two houses next to him turned on, and soon I heard door opening. Panic spread through my entire body.

The man reached down for something. Next thing, he had a cell phone against his ear. "I'm calling the cops on you brats! Hello, nine one-"

"Run!"

At Mark's command, we all jetted, even Rachel. I guess the drugs were starting to wear off. There was commotion back at the houses. I heard different voices, but I didn't care. The farther I got, the more they couldn't see me. Ugh! Could this night get any worse?

Crash!

Right into a mud hole I fell. Mud was all over my hair, chest, and brand new low ride jeans. I really just wanted to punch a puppy right now.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and freaked out, thinking it was a cop or something. But Tom's friendly face stared down at me as he helped me up. "You alright?"

I nodded. "Let's jet."

We kept on running until we met up with Bill, Mark, and Rachel, who seemed a bit more relaxed now. The three were sitting against the side of a small wooden house. I stared at Bill. "Are you crazy? Chilling on the side of a house after we were just chased from another?"

Bill shook his head. "Relax, would you Jani? This house is abandoned."

I scanned the house. It looked like it was falling apart. The shutters were falling off, splinters poked out from the wood, and the glass in the windows were all cracked. Who would ever live in such a dump?

Trusting Bill's word, Jani sat down next to Rachel against the house. Even though it was abandoned, the house scared Jani. It creaked and moan is despair, like it was in pain. I wonder what storied this small shack held. Who once lived here? What were like? I shrugged away all these questions and shivered as the cold night wind blew.

"How much longer until we go home?" I asked.

The boys all looked at each other and shrugged. "In a while," Tom said. "We just need to stay here a little longer in case the cops are out."

I groaned and hugged my muddy knees to my chest. This was miserable. I was cold, muddy, tired, and hungry, considering all there was to eat at that party was drugs and month old food from the fridge.

Suddenly, out of the blue, Rachel started laughing. She pointed in front of her and laughed like a child. "What a funny looking cat!" she exclaimed. We all followed her finger to see what she was pointing at, but there was nothing there except for air.

Rachel kept on laughing. "It's all hairless. It looks like an old lady's butt!"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at the boys. They all exchanged glances with each other.

"Um, I guess allusions could be a side effect of weed?" Mark suggested, but he was talking out of his ass I could tell.

As I leaned back against the wall, I jerked forward and grabbed my head. It felt like someone just jammed a screw through my temple. I let out a tiny screech of pain. It was like I was having the world's worst migraine.

Everyone turned to look at me, expect Rachel who was still laughing at the imaginary hairless cat.

Mark reached a hand to me. "Hey are you ok-"

Tom suddenly shushed everyone. He slowly got up and walked towards the front porch, not making a single squeak with his sneakers. He dropped low as he turned to the front of the house. We lost sight of him.

It was like the night paused. The air was thick and still. My throat dried up as I sat there with my mouth open.

Suddenly there was the sound of a door opening, and Tom came sprinting from around the front screaming his head off.

"The witch! The witch!" he cried, waving his hands. "Run you sons of bitches! Run!"

We flew from our spots and began running in all directions. I sprinting and I didn't even know where. It was so dark out, I couldn't see a thing. Then something tripped me and I skidded to the ground. Grabbing my chest in pain, I stood up again, but only to stagger to the ground again. I looked up and saw that it was a root that tripped me, and the root belonged to a bring tree that loomed overhead. Ten beautiful white flowers grew on it. Oh how lovely they were.

I heard footsteps behind me. Quickly gathering myself up, I got up and ducked behind the tree. My chest heaved up and down as I tried to catch my breath. What was Tom talking about a witch? And then to run? Hmm.

Witch . . .

Witch . . .

Witch . . .

The word loomed in my head for another minute and suddenly I remembered! The witch in the old shack! I've heard my neighbors talk it about. Supposedly, an old woman lived alone in a wooden shack. She was haggard, her skin like wrinkly leather, teeth rotten to little sharp points, and hair so old and gray, it looked like thin gray seaweed. They say she practiced sorcery in her small home and that she comes out ever night, except for when there's a full moon. No one knows her name, and anyone who's ever tried to learn was never seen again.

I always thought there were silly little stories to tell during tea time, but evidently they were not. My heart beat faster as the footsteps approached to the tree. Time stopped, and I covered my mouth with a trembling hand.

Silence hung in the air. The wind didn't breath, the crickets didn't chirp, not even the hoot of an owl could be heard. Just old silence.

I sat there, hand over my mouth, eyes closed shut, praying to God or anyone who listened that I would get out of here alive. I didn't want to learn the witch's name either.

A bony, ice cold hand touched my shouldered. I screamed loud than I've ever screamed in my entire life and jolted out from the tree. I was running as fast as the speed of light but trembling uncontrollably. But I kept running, I didn't even bother to the look to see if someone or something was following me. I just kept running. Running, running, running, and running until I reached my house. Jamming open the door, I sprinted to my room dived into the sheets pulling the blanket tightly over my head.

I was dirty as a pig and my sneakers were still on, but I didn't care. I was alive, and at the moment that was all that mattered. Nothing else nattered to me.

A thin gray mist hung around me and I blinked open my eyes. Small little shaped crept up towards me. I peered closer to them, I saw they were . . . cats?

Their little tail swished as I looked at them.

"The time has come," one said.

They nodded.

"This is the one. She's ready."

Before I could say anything, the cats all disappeared. And as I opened my eyes again, I stared into something even more terrifying: My mother.