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Chapter Forty-Seven
First Spell
As the week went by Prue's hand started to glow more and more, although there was never any sparks coming out of her fingers. Ethel was just about to tuck into the pasta Julie had made her, Prue had kept her and Esmie up all night as she was teething and cranky so she was glad to be able to sit down to eat as she had just got her off to sleep. Ethel lifted her fork and it was a few inches from her mouth when Prue started screaming, Ethel sighed and moved to get up but Mildred spoke up.
"I will go" Mildred said knowing Ethel was exhausted and wanting to give her a break she went to the bedroom and found Prue turned on her side and bawling as she looked on the floor. The rabbit Esmie had brought her at the time when they were buying the pram was her favourite toy and it was on the floor meaning she must have dropped it. Mildred picked up the baby and the toy and walked back into the kitchen.
"That was quick" Esmie commented covering her mouth as she was eating.
"She just dropped her toy and couldn't reach it, she is so dramatic like her mummy" Mildred told the group as she sat down and Prue giggled proud of herself.
"You silly girl, mummy was worried you were hurt" Ethel said stroking her cheek as Prue smiled at her happily as she played with her toy.
Prue then reached forward trying to grab everything as she was at the age where she grabbed everything in sight.
"You are a cheeky little thing" Mildred said kissing her face happily.
Prue was growing each and everyday. Her personality was coming out more and she was becoming her own little person. As well as Prue growing her magic was growing too and the family knew it would not be long until she produced sparks. They were right only it was not how they thought it would be.
The family were out enjoying the sunshine one weekend, excited as the summer holidays were coming up quickly. They had decided to go to the zoo as they knew Prue would love looking at the animals. She loved looking at the penguins and giraffes, and was fascinated by the size of the elephants and would stare at them intently. Although she did start to cry because she didn't like the lions so they took her to the chimps, Prue giggled happily as she watched them swinging from branches and clapped her little hands.
"Do you like the monkeys you monkey?" Ethel asked her as her baby clapped happily being adorable.
"Of course she likes them they are cheeky like her" Esmie told Ethel as she removed her sunglasses to see the animals better. It was a really hot day, everyone was in shorts and t-shirts or dresses or skirts, as it was way to hot to wear anything else. Prue was in a little summer white dress and she had no socks on as it was to hot for shoes or socks. She moved her little feet happily, liking feeling the air on them.
"Well what can I say she is her mother's child" Ethel said proudly and smugly. Sybil laughed at that as it was true.
"Truer words were never spoken" Sybil said to her sister who glared at her but was messing around.
The day was great until after about an hour. Prue was still teething and she did not like the heat and became cranky. Ethel was trying to settle her in the cafe as she was not a happy baby. She was busy and did not notice a young couple come in but Esmerelda did and so did Julie.
These were what the girls had started calling starers, because they would stare at the girls and in particular Ethel with the baby and shake their heads, after she had lost it with the last woman Esmie had learned to ignore them, she held in her anger this time.
"Teen mothers shouldn't be allowed to have babies if they can't calm them" the woman whispered loud enough for the family to hear, not seeming to realise babies cried all the time and it had nothing to do with her age as to why Ethel couldn't settle her. Esmie glared at the woman but didn't get up. Ethel was upset but took a breathe telling herself not to react.
"It is alright girls, you have every right to be here, just ignore them" Julie told them sitting closer to them as she wanted to make sure none of them flew of the handle.
Prudence though was a baby and did not understand what was going on. All she knew was her mummy was sad and upset because the lady was being mean to her and that her auntie was angry and upset because her sister was being talked about. Prue became angry at the woman then because she did not like her mummy and auntie being upset.
"You are doing great Ethel ignore them" Mildred said, annoyed herself at how causally the woman was talking about Ethel like she was not there to hear.
Prudence's anger made her hand glow orange and Ethel gasped and tried to hide her hand under the table, not wanting the woman to accuse her now of painting her hand or something but for the first time Prue's magic did not end by her hand glowing.
Sparks shot out of the babies hand and hit the mean woman straight on. Everyone gasped as they realised they were no longer looking at a woman with dark hair but they were looking at a monkey. Prue giggled to herself as she liked the transformation she did. The man with her and the server in the cafe just stared at the place where there had once being a woman and there was now a chimp.
"Oh no what do we do?" Sybil whispered to her family, not wanting them to get in deep trouble and wondering how they were going or explain this.
"Distract them" Esmie told her family. They all looking confused as to why but they knew they should trust her and Sybil stood up and started to sing. The people in the cafe looked at her and as they were distracted Esmie pulled a small bottle out of her pocket and opened it, a substance went through the air and everyone shook their heads confused.
"What is going on?" the young man asked and Esmie shrugged trying to hide her smirk.
"What just happened?" Julie asked confused.
"Forgetting powder, you are a genius" Mildred said thinking she was smart to think of that.
"You gave me the idea from the story about your first year parents evening, I thought I would buy some, just in case we find ourselves in a situation we can't get out of" Esmie said as she tickled Prue who giggled.
"Good spell" the eldest aunt whispered. She knew she should probably tell her off but that woman had it coming to her. Prue clapped happily and Ethel smiled.
"Ahh a monkey!" the man said noticing and backing away as if he was afraid it was going to attack him. The server called the zookeeper who came to retrieve the monkey and take it back to the cage. The Hallow and Hubble family knew they should say something but no-one remembered the woman and she would not be missed.
"Come on let's go home before Prue curses someone else" Julie told the girls as they rushed to the car.
After Ethel had strapped her daughter into the car and everyone climbed in and put their seatbelts on Sybil suddenly burst into laughter.
"Sybil it really wasn't that funny" Julie told her but then Mildred looked at her and started laughing as well.
"It really was, did you see the woman's face?" Mildred laughed and before long the other girls were giggling away too, Julie wanted to scold them for finding someone's bad luck amusing but she had to admit the woman deserved it.
"Remind me never to anger Prue" Esmerelda commented and everyone laughed more. Prue joined in with her little giggling.
"Only two months old and already causing trouble" Ethel said stroking her face and Prue smiled happily.
"I am so happy, her first spell" Sybil said kissing her niece's face
"Shame it wasn't on HB" Mildred said imagining the woman being turned into a monkey and laughing more as did everyone else as they had that imagine in their minds.
"I don't think HB will like Prue much" Sybil said as everyone laughed as Julie drove home. Prue's first trip to the zoo would be a story they would tell her all the time when she was older.