"..It's just a bunch of hocus pocus." Sean aimed the fire at the candles wick, and eerily, the wick almost leaned over magically just to get more of that flame burning and Sean's eyes widened.
One by one all of the electric light bulbs overloaded and exploded. Emma let out a little scream and jumped at each one. By the time the last one burst she and Manny had to run to another, hugging. A sourceless wind stirred up loose papers inside the main room and slammed the door shut; it blew everyones hair in every direction and knocked Claire's witch hat clear off of her head.
Then, a sickly, green light began to shoot up from beneath the floorboards. Sean stumbled backwards next to Jay as the wooden slats in the floor began to shudder and shake beneath them.
"holy shit, dude!" Jay yelled to Sean.
"EMMA!" Sean went to run to her, but everyone had trouble keeping their feet beneath them as the very ground below the house undulated in waves. With no warning the wind and the waves ceased. For a moment no one moved.
"What happened?" Jay asked the room at large, looking quite spooked himself for the Bad Boy of Degrassi.
Emma gave him a disdainful look as Claire perched her hat back upon her head, and Darcy tried to catch her breath..
Manny then answered, squinting her eyes at Sean, "A virgin…lit the candle."
Emma caught Manny glare at her next, like it was HER FAULT for Sean being that virgin. What?! So she should just sleep with him incase he ever tried to light the Sandersons sisters candle!?
Just as quickly as the electric lights exploded earlier, suddenly every candle in the room sparked and exploded into yellow flames. The logs at the old fireplace roared to life as a huge flame of fire suddenly appeared there too. Thunder crackled from outside, and a loud witches laugh could be heard. The door to the cottage blew open – Emma jumped to one side, the girls to the other. Jay and Sean dove for cover behind the table holding some kind of book. The cat from before even hid around a corner.
Three figures stood at the door way, all dressed in colorful 1800 era dresses, . The one in the middle had stylish (wierd) curly short shaped, red hair. Her lipstick was red, but only place at the middle of her lips, and it appeared she had no eyebrows. At her sides, was one large woman, and a small petite woman with straight blonde, long hair and dark eyebrows. The large one, well, she had a crooked mouth and a pony tail that shot right up and zig zagged unnaturally.
What odd...looking..characters?
Emma gasped quietly as the three raced into the Sanderson sisters home, unaware of who else was in here. The one in the middle with red hair exclaimed, "We're home!"
Manny's eyes widened in her hiding spot.
The other two women with her giggled in delight, the blonde one jumping up and down a little...immaturely, for a woman.
"Sweet revenge! You'll see sisters! My plan worked perfectly!" she looked around rather happily and proud, "Everything is still here!"
The blonde had put her hand up into the cob webs, looking for something in the cieling until she pulled something down, "My lucky rat tail! Just where I left it!"
The teenagers hiding were all putting it together now, cursing madly in their heads. The Sanderson Sisters were home.
Cautiously, Sean peered around the table to get a look at the newcomers. Though they entered together, one of the witches was already making her way around the room and getting reacquainted with her things, the red head, and she looked like the leader. The black haired one called her Winnie, so the red headed witch who moved with so much purpose was Winifred Sanderson, the oldest of the three. While her sisters were dancing and wandering she had already honed in on the black flame candle and mused aloud wondering who had lit it.
"But who lit the black flame candle?"she stared at it, as if it'd tell her.
Sean cursed himself now. This WAS all his fault. Well, how was he suppose to know this was all real!?
Winnie then gasped, catching eye of her book, and strutted towards it. "Wake up!" she tapped on it, with her long red nails, and I mean long, like almost claws.
Emma had now peaked from her own spot, and Sean saw her, licking his lips nervously and mouthing at her to hide. But her eyes caught something else, and she wanted to scream in horror but thank god she could barely even take a breath. The book Winnie stood by, it, it had an eye! And it was BLINKING and waking up! Oh my god !
The black-haired one approached the book as well. "Winnie…" she softly lilted.
"Yes," the eldest replied.
"I…smell…children!"
Oh shit. The tracker, Mary Sanderson. Claire knew it as soon as children was mentioned, she was, after all, the youngest here!
All at once Winifred was refocused, her voice was excited. "Sic 'em!" she ordered her sister.
Mary circled away from the book and around the cauldron, calling out updates as she progressed. "It's a little girl…11, maybe 12…and a half." Darcy could feel Claire tensing beside her. "And ..I think...there are boys!…" Mary sniffed the air again. "Mmhmm…boys."
The third sister, Sarah, squeaked with delight.
Sean risked peeking around the stand again. The witches were in a pack with Mary in the lead heading toward the counter where souvenirs were sold for the 'haunted house'. When she stopped moving she gestured, pointing over the counter to where Sean knew Emma and the girls were hiding. His heart lurched uncomfortably in his chest.
Winifred called out, "Come out, my dears, we will not harm thee."
Mary was less inclined to coddle. "We love children!" She slapped the counter hard enough to make it rattle. Claire popped up, under Darcys protective arm, but she held her chin up and faced the mess they made bravely.
"I thought thou'd never come, sisters." Claire proclaimed. Sean had to give the kid credit – she had guts. She reminded him of a young Emma. Speaking of witch- erm, I mean which, Emma and Manny still hid down. "T'was I that brought you back."
"Imagine that…" Winifred exchanged a glance with Sarah. "Such a pretty, little…child." she gulped in disgust. Sarah couldn't contain another squeak of glee.
Mary made her way around the counter. Darcy moved in front of Claire, but Mary was fixated on the little girl. "And she's so well fed." Mary reached around Darcy and poked Claire's arm. The little girl shrieked in alarm and jumped back, though she kept a hold of Darcy's nun costume. The black haired witch attempted to poke her again, but this time Darcy was quicker. Mary wasn't deterred; even though Darcy blocked her from making contact with Claire the witch chuckled at each squeal she elicited from the frightened girl.
"Shish-ka-baby!" Mary continued. Darcy backed away from Mary, keeping Claire behind her, but Winifred and Sarah boxed them in on the far side of the counter.
Emma was starting to get frantic as she watched Winifred smoothly separated Claire from Darcy and settled the younger girl on a high-backed, throne like chair.
"What is the year, little one?" Winifred asked as she walked around the chair to Claire's left.
"2013."
"We've been gone 300 years, sisters!" There was a note of amazement in Winifred's voice.
From their hiding spots, Emma mouthed to Sean to help. I mean, he had to, he DID this. He nodded, furrowing his eyebrows and not knowing what the HELL to do, but anything for her.
"Time flies…when you're dead!" Mary laughed and the sisters joined in. The three of them moved in a swirling circle around the frightened girl. Darcy couldn't manage to get through the trio, and then suddenly they stopped.
Darcy, sensing that the situation was taking a turn, tried to bluff her way out of here, "Well, it's been fun, but we'd better be going."
"Oh, do stay for supper," Winifred insisted as she pushed her back into a seat too. Sarah curled to her knees before the girl and stroked her neck.
"I'm…I'm…I'm not hungry," Darcy stammered as she tried to pull away from Sarah.
"But we are!" Winifred declared.
Oh shit!
Sarah sprang up and picked Claire up out of the chair and off of her feet. Darcy yelled out in protest, but couldn't get past Mary. Sarah looked like she was going to toss Claire head first into the cauldron over the crackling fire. The little girl was struggling and screaming on the top of her lungs.
"Hey!"
They all gasped, and whipped around to Sean now standing there, out in the open, chest puffing out bravely with a 'don't fuck with me' look- but in reality, he just wanted to grab Emma, and just run.
"Let them go." he demanded.
Sarah seemed transfixed by the presence of the young man, a very goregous one too.
"Roast him, Winnie!" bellowed Mary.
Sarah took half a step forward and pleaded, "No…let me play with him." The look in the blonde witch's eyes was demented and Jay, who was still hidng, pitied any dude who spent any time "playing" with her.
Emma and Manny too shared a 'that bitch' look. Emma clenched her fists and thought to herself if that witch put her dirty slutty hands on Sean-
Sean could see that Winifred was winding up for something. Before he was nailed by a jolt of electricity let loose by the red haired witch, he dodged it quick, and Winifred cursed at the miss.
"Get him!" yelled Mary like she was at a wrestling match.
Jay cursed out loud and finally jumped out of his hiding spot to help his best friend, pushing Sean out of the way when Winnie sent another lighting bolt and it got him instead. He cringed in pain and Sean landed on the ground for his eyes widen to see Jay's body be swung to the other wall magically.
"Another boy!" Sarah clapped in delight.
"you," Winnie pointed her finger at Jay in her bolt, and swung him to the other side of the wall again, "there!"
Jay groaned when he went face first into the wall. Guess he deserved that. It was his liter that lit the candle right?
"Hello!" Winifred freezed Sean in his place before he could run to help Jay. Sean struggled, and cursed. He also couldn't pull away as Sarah came over to him and laid her head on his shoulder and ran a possessive hand from his throat to his chest. He shuddered at her touch.
Winifred's gaze narrowed at Sarah's actions as well. "Good-bye," she growled. Winifred gave Sarah no warning before hurling another bolt of energy at Sean. Sarah squeaked and leaped away. Sean would've been inclined to thank Winifred for getting him away from her sister, but he was in too much pain. There was a fire in his gut where the pulse of the witch's power was aimed. Sean could feel his feet leave the floor as Winifred's power pushed him upward against the wall.
Oh God! Not the ceiling!
Emma ran out of her spot with Manny now. Nobody messed with Sean and Jay!
"Grab your sister and run!" Manny whispered to Darcy when she grabbed Claire as the witches were distracted with the witches. Darcy nodded, and the two went running.
Emma on the other hand, had grabbed the big huge book, with the eye. It was the only weapon around she saw...
"You leave my boyfriend alone!" she ordered as Winnie turned around, confused, until the book flew into her face. Emma gasped, but happily watched Winnie fall back against her other sister.
The guys tried to struggle out of the witches magic, but it was no use. "Manny!" Jay yelled, seeing her trying to come into this too, holding a cast iron pan in hand.
She called out to get Mary's attention and then bashed her in the head.
Sean and Jay, though it wasn't the time, couldn't help but admit that it was kind of hot to see Emma and Manny taking care of things and kicking ass themselves ! They were like super girl and wonder woman. Wow, now they knew what they should be dressed as next year!
"You little-" Winifred stopped from yelling at Emma when she gasped, seeing Emma held her Book. Her darling book. The shock must of erased all magic, because the bolts around Sean and Jay disappeared and they were let go.
"RUN!" Sean yelled. He went grabbed Emma, who Winifred tried to once again grab, but that mysterious black cat appeared out of nowhere. This time, the cat bounced onto Winifred, scratching and biting the witch and holding her off from getting Emma. Winifred screamed, and her sisters tried to help her as Manny grabbed Jay and they ran too behind Emma and Sean.
Emma was confused when Sean grabbed the liter and Jay and Manny ran past, "what are you doing!?" she exclaimed when he stopped.
. "Go! Go!" he insisted pushing her forward, "It's my fault you're in this mess." Emma wouldn't go though as Jay and Manny turned to see them not following.
"Emma, come on!" Manny shrieked, and Jay grabbed the blonde, seeing Sean looked like he had a plan.
Sean went back in, much to Emma's dislike, and climbed up onto the counter. Winifred and Sarah finished scrapping with the cat and Mary was climbing to her feet. It seemed like without Winifred's direct instructions the other two were at a loss for what to do; it was something to keep in mind.
"Hey!" Sean yelled. The three witches turned toward him. "You have messed with the great and powerful OZ!" . . .damn Manny for forcing him and Emma in watching that before they left. "Now you must suffer the consequences."
Sarah and Mary looked confused, but Winifred glared at him speculatively.
"I summon the Burning Rain of Death." Sean flicked open the lighter and sparked a flame to life. All of the witches gasped in shock.
"He has fire in his hands," Winifred whispered, astonished. Her response gave Sean hope; if she bought into this charade the others would follow and this would keep them away while Sean and the gang would run for the hills and warn everyone.
Sean moved his hand until the flame was directly under the smoke detector that was affixed to the ceiling, once put in by when someone wanted this to be a museum, but it was too haunted to keep up. Immediately the system responded and water began to spurt from the sprinklers situation all around the room.
The witches' response was gratifying. They all shrieked in horror. Mary and Sarah turned in circles. Winifred yelled over and over, "The Burning Rain of Death!" while running for cover. Then she ran back into the fray berating her sisters for being idiots and urging them to take cover as well. They followed her like ducklings under the protection of the loft on the far side of the room
Sean jumped down from the alcove and landed with a satisfying thud, but his classic hoody a little wet and water dripping down from his face and botton nose. He would've made a stellar exit if he hadn't slipped on the slick floor and landed flat on his back. The black cat appeared yet again and pounced gracefully onto Sean's chest.
"Nice going, Sean."
Sean could feel his eyes go wide as he gasped, "You can talk!?" Or had he hit his head THAT hard?!
"No kidding," the cat replied sarcastically. "Now, get the spell book!" Sean could only stare mutely. The events of the night had finally caught up with him and his brain would not let him comprehend a talking cat.
The cat hissed and swiped a paw at Sean's face. "Move it!"
It was enough to break Sean's paralysis, that, and he needed to get back to Emma and their friends. He rolled to his side and climbed to his feet. Sean skirted around the cauldron and grabbed a free-standing plaque. Winifred screamed in dismay as Sean grabbed the book. "B00ooook!"
Sean ignored her cries and without a glance behind, Sean ran for his friends and Emma, who had waited halfway down the path of the forest for him, and then they sprinted as fast as they could away from the Sanderson House together.