Friday 23rd June 1995, Loperèc, France
"I didn't even know it, but there I was living for a week, with who would end up being my future mothers, asyou noticed Diana, my father was a big alcoholic, he didn't care much for me, which even ended up making itvery easy for the mothers to adopt me, my paternal grandmother also allowed it, I don't remember why, but Iwas able to live very happily in their presence, it was quite marvellous, I was finally feeling what it was like tobe truly loved, something that neither my paternal grandparents nor my father did, nor the town, with theexception of a few people, but even then it wasn't the same, I was taken by surprise when the news arrivedright at my bedroom door."
I'm going to play a lot today, Mrs Laura and Mrs Bernadette are very nice, they've really come to stay here and play with me, I don't want them to ever leave, I want them to stay forever, I go outside and see that the two of them were here, will they call me to play? I hope so, they've even said they're going to teach me to speak their different language, English, it's going to be really fun.
"Good morning, little Chariot" said the cabbage-haired girl, as friendly as ever.
"Good morning, Mrs Laura, good morning, Mrs Bernadette" I say politely.
"Now do it in English, let's see if you've learnt with us" said Mrs Bernadette and I shook my head.
"Good morning miss Laura, good morning miss Bernadette" I learnt this new word, and the two of them even clapped their hands happily.
"Chariot, now that you're awake go pack your bags, you're leaving" said my father and I was confused.
"Am I leaving? No! No! I don't want to be away from Mrs Bernadette and Mrs Laura! Marry them, Dad! I want to stay with them!" I don't want them to leave or me, they're very nice.
"It's not that Chariot, there's no need to cry, you're going with us, we'll help you pack, get ready to say goodbye to your father" What? You mean I'm going with them? I'm going to their land? So far away, I'll get to know them there? That's great, I'm going to get excited.
"Bernadette has adopted you, she's going to take you with her friend to Scotland, we're not in much of a position to bring you up, we've sorted things out here, if you want to visit us just ask your new mum" New mum? Mrs Bernadette and Mrs Laura are my mothers? That's great! Does that mean I'm leaving? It doesn't matter, it'll be nice to stay with them.
I shook my head and ran into the bedroom, tidying up my things, trying to put them in my suitcase, but I didn't have any, I was very agitated, then I saw the two arriving and I calmed down, Mrs Bernadette started folding the clothes, she kept everything organised and it was a huge suitcase, they were putting everything in and I was very amazed, I'm going to live with them! That's great! I'm going to have a new house! I love Dad, but I really want to stay in this new place! Sometimes it feels like Dad doesn't even like me.
"You see, it's much simpler to put things away like this, there's more space in the suitcases, let's see if you can learn from us" said Mrs Bernadette and I was all smiles as I followed her folding the clothes, learning everything.
[...]
I say goodbye to everyone, we fill the car with things, it's a nice big car, it looks black, I hug everyone, I'm feeling like the happiest person in the world, I never thought I'd get new mums, they're the best people in the world, I'm going to play a lot these days, it's going to be a lot of fun, ahhhhh, I'm jumping with excitement, then Mrs Laura opens the car door, where I sit in the back seat, there's plenty of room.
"Woah, look at the size of the car in here" I say impressed.
"You can make yourself comfortable in the seat, but don't forget to put your seatbelt on" said the lady... You mean Mum? It's Mum Bernadette now.
I put my seatbelt on, they even put a support on the car seat to make it higher so I could see out of the window, the car started, made a bit of noise, then it started, where I waved to everyone, getting very excited, I'm finally going somewhere new, I'm leaving Loperèc, how happy I am.
"Now let's go, our next destination is going to take a while, we're going to Blightonbury first, where we're going to stop there and rest, sleep and then we're going to go straight to Wedinburgh, it's going to be a long journey" explains my current mum Bernadette.
"[Blightonbury? Really, love? We can continue the journey straight to Wedinburgh, I'm in the mood, there's so much to stop for and you want to stop in the neighbourhood where the portal to the Ley line is, do you want to show her Luna Nova]" I can only understand a few things about Mum Laura, very few indeed, I still have to learn to speak her language.
"Why not? I don't see any reason why not, she'll be able to get to know the future magic school where she'll study when she's older, you know how Luna Nova was where we met, maybe it's a transforming place]" Luna Nova? They're talking a lot about this Luna Nova, I wonder what's there. I'd like to understand what they're talking about.
"[Apart from the fact that it's an old-fashioned and very conservative place, well I suppose it could be, we'll show you more of it then we'll go home, I just really hope that Daryl doesn't get a chill about the presence of our adopted daughter there]" I don't understand anything, sometimes it seems that they even speak another language within another language.
"[Let her make whatever fuss she wants, I'm the boss of this place, let her mature, she's 20 years old and she hasn't learnt to accept it yet, let's be very happy with Chariot, it could be a great way for us to learn how to be better mothers when we have Diana]" She said my name, but I didn't understand a word.
I keep looking at the landscape, the streetlamps passing by, the wires inside the car, which I start to make into a little man with my fingers, jumping over the wires and the streetlamps, it's great fun, look at the birds, they're obstacles, be careful, I even make noises, while they're also playing songs and I hear the two of them singing to each other, they're really close, I don't understand why Dad called them friends, they're wives, even the wedding rings show that.
[...]
We're arriving in a town, the car even slowed down, it was so nice, lots of scenery, we passed the sea, we were on a huge boat, we entered this place called England and the policemen wanted to know about us, then we passed, now we're in this town, I saw the sign and it says Blightonbury, the car soon stops where there's a very strange building, which my mum Bernadette gets out of the car and tells us to wait.
I just listen to Mum Laura singing, all relaxed in the car, it doesn't take long and Mum Bern is back in the car, keys in hand, she drives off with the car, where we go to the red and yellow place.
"[Our daughter has barely been adopted and you're already going to give her bad eating habits, Laura? Are you really going to take her to McDonald's?]" What is this McDonald's? That's what was written there and all I see is Mum Laura nodding.
"[Oh come on, you're hungry too, remember that was the first time I took you to a McDonald's and it was here, why not for our daughter? She must be starving by now, it's a shame I can't still speak and she can understand me, I should have learnt to speak French by now]" They get out of the car and open the door for me, I get out.
"[I'm not going to complain to you about this, let's eat, I'm really hungry, come on]" I'm sure this place is for food.
We go inside and queue until it's our turn, the people here all speak the same language, it's very different, I'm a bit confused, then they pay, the money in this place is very different from what we have at home, they pass something through the machine, it looks like a card, what strange money, at home they used our money.
Then the girl at the counter appears with several packages and I don't understand anything, then I'm helped up by Mum Laura and I'm a bit confused, what is this, am I supposed to take one? I think that's it, they're toys, I want one, I think I'll take this one.
"[Love, go with Chariot, I'll get the snacks]" says Mum Laura, who lets me go after I've picked up the toy and I go hand in hand with Mum Bernadette.
We go to a table and she sits down, where I see there's a toy nearby, I get all excited, can I go and play, it must be fun, we sit on the chairs, I open the packet with the toy and I touch it, it moves, how cool, I show it to my mum who takes a photo of me and I point to the bigger toy, watching the children go off to play.
"Go on, daughter, leave the toy here and go have fun, don't forget to take your shoes off" Daughter? That's the first time she's called me that, so I run off happily to play.
Woah, there are lots of places in here, there are tunnels, a slide, that's great, I can climb, look at that, I'm the queen of the world, I can see Mum Bernadette taking photos, I've never been to a place like this before, it's more fun and colourful than the playground near our house, this is soft, I can climb up here, run around, I love this place.
There are these things, it's a tic-tac-toe game, how cool, spinning the reels, there's the clown who was appearing everywhere, these little guys who are his friends, this McDonald's is really cool, I want to live in it
"Chariot!" I hear their voices calling me, and I go down the slide.
"I'm coming!" I go downstairs and see a little box, it must be food, I'm starving, I'm going to eat it all and then go and play.
"Eat and then you're going to play a lot, you're going to have a lot of fun here, then we'll show you a nice place where we used to go" said Mum Bernadette and I marvelled at everything.
I open the little box, there's a sandwich, there's chicken empanada, French fries, I've never seen this kind of food before and there's even more outside, wow I was really hungry, I hadn't eaten since we left my house, I take a bite of the sandwich and it tastes really good, it's not the same as the one from home at the restaurant they give me, but it's also really good, food, I love it.
They keep taking photos of me eating with this camera next to me, I think they really like my presence, ever since they met me they only take photos, they even ask me to pose, my father and grandparents never did that.
[...]
I think I'm getting tired of playing, I've already been up and down this slide a lot, I want to go to the magical place that the mums told me about, I put on my boots and walked over to the mums who were stroking my head, then holding hands, which we did together, I could see that some people were staring at us with strange looks, I don't know why.
We got into the car and I was enjoying the new toy, playing on the wires on the poles, now it's the clown who jumps from wire to wire, how cool, yay, I can't wait to get there.
"[Didn't I say she'd like it?]" Mum Laura said, and I still didn't understand a thing.
"[What children don't like, that's exactly why McDonald's works, they attract the attention of children so that they become future customers and the parents always take their children, then they're fed badly]" And they talk about these things, all I know is that she talked about McDonald's.
"[Say that, but you sounded like Chariot seven years ago when I took you here for the first time, come on then Miss Fitness, all healthy]" They must be talking about me? I don't know.
"[I really enjoyed myself, it's a good thing McDonald's left you with this marvellous body]" I get even more confused.
"[You and your ways of calling me fat, I know I'm hot and you love it, we're getting there]" I want to learn how to speak their language soon, this way it's very hard to understand.
"Chariot, we're coming" said Mum Bernadette and finally a way to understand, I'm relieved.
They stop the car, get out, then help me down, it's strange, this place looks like a park, only much bigger than the one at home, they walk with me, I hold their hand, the looks on people's faces continue to be strange, it seems they've never seen two mums, this is all very strange, I don't know why it happens.
We go to where there's a tower with a tree, they take brooms, just like witches, they start to float and Mum Bernadette gives me her hand and I take her hand and sit on the broom, it's the first time I'm flying on it, it's very different, it's very cool, it's fun, I'm a witch.
"Hold on tight to me, the speed is going to get a little higher" Mum said and I held on.
They fly to a place where everything speeds up, it's too fast, it even gives me a bit of a chill, I lean my face against Mum Bernadette's back with a bit of fear, but it quickly gets quieter, I take my face away from Mum's back and I see a huge place, it looks like a giant building, we land there and I look around, it looks very empty.
"[You seem to have forgotten the fact that it's summer and that most of the girls aren't here in Luna Nova at the moment]" Is this Luna Nova? Wow, it's huge.
"This place is Luna Nova, this is the biggest magic school in the world, you're going to study here one day" Mum said and I was delighted.
"Luna Nova! Am I going to be a witch? Like you?" They just nod.
"Here, this is the first thing you do to learn magic" said Mum Bern, handing over a stick.
"[Not knowing French sucks, I'd love to teach her the basics of magic]" Mum Laura said and she said something about France, that's where I live.
"[You should learn to speak better first, shouldn't you Laura McLaren, don't end up teaching our girl to speak that sort of thing, but don't worry love, you'll soon teach her too, it's not like she's...]" The two of them talk about something and I pick up the stick.
Little things come out, lights, butterflies, fairies, everything comes out of the stick, it works like a wand, look how cool it is, yay, I'm a witch, I do magic, I spin it and it keeps coming out, they're both very impressed, it looks like I've done something really big, I'm going to make that flower turn into something, let's see.
I move my hand towards the flower and it ends up making it increase in size and others appear, I stare in amazement, my eyes fill with glitter, I could be a witch, how cool.
"[Holy shit, her potential is enormous, this girl either already knew magic, or she's awakened to it now]" Mum Laura is very impressed.
"[Language Laura! And you started learning magic much earlier than her, I started at her age or so, but if it's the first time, that's marvellous]"
"Mums! I'm a witch! I'm a witch! I am!" I say all bouncy and Mum Bernadette goes off taking photos, while Mum Laura keeps holding me in her arms, spinning me around and I'm still glowing with the stick.
"You've managed to use magic, my little witch, you've seen that everyone can be a witch, you just have to believe" said Mum Bernadette.
We even take more photos together, and then I see the two of them doing magic together, they show me more spells they know how to do, transforming into animals, changing their clothes, moving things, levitating me, flying on a broomstick, I'm very impressed, it's all good fun, you can do anything with magic, I'm going to be a witch like that! A very good witch.
"Tya Freyre" Mum Laura said on her broom what made her fly, then she handed it to me and I think it must be the magic word.
"Tya Freyre" I speak and I feel something coming up from the ground, my feet were coming up from the ground, I was flying.
I'm starting to feel it, I'm floating very slowly, I can fly, I can, how cool, I'm free, I'm a witch who flies on broomsticks, just like in the stories, just like everywhere I've seen, they're real, I'm one of them, Mum taught me, even though Mum Laura speaks another language she still taught me to fly, how cool! I'm in paradise.
[...]
"I learnt magic for the first time that day, I'd never had the slightest contact with magic before, since my fathermade a point of hiding that part, he really wanted to erase it from the family history, but I didn't understand atthe time, I was able to learn the basics of awakening that day, I felt like the happiest child in the world, westayed there in Luna Nova for a while until we got back to the hotel at dusk, those were the happiest days ofmy life for me, the very next morning we left after eating a lot, we went travelling early in the morning, I wasacting like a five year old does in the car, we even stopped once in the middle of the way, eating in arestaurant on the road, then we continued our journey, where I was able to pull over for the first time inScotland, it was very different from France, I was amazed, the place was a little colder than at home, we gotto where the Cavendish mansion is and that's where I discovered that not everything is flowers, there are stillflaws there".
What a huge house, it looks like a castle, it's a princess's castle, are we really going into the castle? That's great, we're going in there, the car drives up to the front, where we get out of it, my door is opened, which is
followed by several men in suits and women in very elegant dresses, helping to get things out of the car, I feel like I'm being a princess.
"[Mrs Bernadette, welcome back, we were already worried about your delay]" said one of the girls.
"[This is Chariot, treat her with all the respect in the world, she's our new adopted daughter, I want her to be treated very well]" Mum said and I didn't really understand.
"[It seems they've actually found the missing French Cavendish, but she's a Du Nord, how will she fit into our moulds?]" My surname was mentioned, which is Cavendish, I remember it's Mum Bernadette's surname.
"[We're not going to force her into anything, Chariot deserves to have a comfortable place, her home was in a deplorable state, there was no way a child could be brought up like that, Anna as I told you it's possible that she only knows French for now, so I think at first try to speak to her in French]" They're talking about me.
"Yes, hello, what's your name little girl? You can come in and make yourself at home, we'll take your things to your room" She speaks my language, how nice!
"My name is Chariot Du Nord" I say to the brown-haired girl, she looks friendly.
"Come with us Chariot, we'll show you your new home" said mum Bernadette and wow it's like a castle in here, I never thought I'd end up in a place like this.
I walk in, holding their hands, nobody looks at me strangely, these well-dressed people take our things from the car, they take the car somewhere too, inside there's a red carpet and on the stairs we soon come across a woman just like Mum Bernadette, it must be her aunt, I wave to her, but she doesn't wave back, I feel as if her gaze is intimidating me in a way, this girl looks very evil just from the way she looks.
"[You really have no shame, do you? Your fertility stone experiment failed and you've already gone to adopt a child, that's why it took so long, who knew, you brought this brat here, don't expect me to treat her with respect, because she's nothing but a bastard]" I hide behind Mum Bernadette's dress, this girl scared me just getting close.
"[You'd better respect Chariot, if you like living here and its luxuries so much, she's my daughter with Laura, if I hear of any disrespect towards her you'll see me Daryl]" They look like they're fighting.
"[Oh what an exaggeration, why would I treat a child badly, it's not her fault she has mums like you, I'm not going to do anything to this little girl, you're the ones who put her in this place, look I'm nice, she's from France isn't she? I'll be very receptive] You don't have to be afraid, Auntie Daryl is very nice, you can come and give me a hug, I'll give you lots of toys" I can't trust this woman, that look in her eyes scares me, her pretending to be someone receptive, that will never stick with me.
"[Daryl, stop scaring her, you're not fooling anyone with your fake face]" I don't know what Mum Laura said, but I got even further behind the skirt of Mum's dress, which I saw her get up next.
"[Well so be it then, I'm not going to bother you with this adoption, my position as boss is guaranteed anyway, it seems that your fertility stone didn't work, what a shame, you could put your pride aside and give in to a man, or even buy sperm from a sperm bank, I'd be happy to do that, but it seems that you want everything to be perfect, or even your blonde friend who pretends to be a woman, oh no more, he's already mutilated his own penis to make a fake vagina, I forgot, too bad, I'm going]" I didn't understand what she said at all, but the tone of voice was that of a person being evil, she's like the evil queen of the castle, Mum Laura even kept
her fist tightly closed, she was really getting angry.
"[I swear, every day I feel more like sinking her face into the ground, love, don't expect me to answer for myself if she's disrespectful to Chariot, I was already here with the way she treated April]" This woman just wants to annoy.
"[Stay calm, love, we'll tolerate Daryl, she won't want to break any rules, she won't be that stupid, now come on, we have to show Chariot the house]" I think it's amazing how easily Mum Bernadette calmed Mum Laura down.
"[I'll try to stay calm, after all we have a daughter now and there will be more soon]" She was very calm, it seems that the two of you are very connected.
"Shall we? We'll show you everything" said Mum Bernadette.
I'm taken through the house by them, we get to the dining room and it's huge, the kitchen too, it's all very big and colossal, there are several rooms, the elegant people of the house walk around, they're always very polite to us, paying respect and everything, it's really strange, on the outside people look askance and in this house they look with sympathy.
[...]
Wow, my room is huge, there's lots of stuff, they left a telly, lots of toys, it wasn't just my stuff, there's even more, I was so happy when I got there and I started watching and enjoying myself, there's even a video game, I never thought I'd play one for the first time, woah, it's all so cool, these things must be from another world.
"It's all yours, enjoy it as much as you want" said Mum Bernadette.
"Really? I have all this? I can play with all this? I love you so much!" I say, hugging them and they hug me too.
After the hug I start to play, Mum turns on the television and shows cartoons, but it's all in English, which makes me a bit frustrated because I don't understand, but it's cartoons and there are toys, that's the important thing, I'm going to play with everything here, I'm going to be so happy.
"Let's get dinner ready, enjoy and play all you want, girl" said Mum Bernadette as she left the room with Mum Laura.
I just enjoy it, playing with the cars, the dolls, there are so many options, there are weapons, there are video games, there are drawings, there's everything, I feel like the happiest child in the world, I have a huge bed so I can play however I want.
That woman who looks like Mum appears in the doorway, she stands with her arms folded, she looks at me, I look back at her, I'm a little intimidated, even more so when she sees me from above, but I see a smile coming, a scary smile
"Oh you're Chariot, from what I can hear, look I'm going to teach you something, don't mess with me and don't even try to get near anything in this house, if you don't bother me I won't bother you, you have to learn something, I'm in charge here, not your fake mum, who didn't have the guts to do it the right way" said the girl and she can speak my language, but in a very intimidating way.
"Why are you evil?" I ask her while holding a toy gun and aiming it at her, who laughs.
"Evil? Hahahahaha, girl, this isn't a fairy tale, I'm not evil, there's no such thing as evil or good, there are losers and winners, unfortunately you've been taken in by losers, if you'd just stayed in your corner you wouldn't be at such risk, but don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you, nor do I want to, but you have to know your place and with them it's not" She talks like an evil witch.
"You're a loser! Get out of here! I'm calling my mums!" I tell her she still has the same impression.
"Oh how cute, go and call mummy, I'm not afraid of them or you" she said, picking up a teddy bear that I was hugging with fear, using her wand.
She made the teddy bear levitate, she turned its neck and then ripped off its head, which made it explode and foam fell everywhere where it went away, I'm looking at it crying, she destroyed the teddy bear for nothing, she's an evil witch, she's really evil, I went crying to the rest of the teddy bear, I took a pencil in my hand, I think the spell Mum taught me might work.
"Sossome Tiddiare" I say the spell and it makes the teddy bear return to normal, and just then my mum appears to hear me shouting at the evil woman.
"Are you all right, my heart?" asks worried mum Bernadette.
"The evil witch made the teddy bear explode and said a lot of nonsense to me, I fixed him up and protected him from the evil witch" I say as I cuddle the bear.
"[Ugh Daryl, that bitch, I swear I will]" Mum Laura said and I only heard the name of the evil witch, so her name is Daryl.
They hug me afterwards, I feel happier, with the good witches defending me, at least with them I know I'll be fine, I love mums, new mums are very different from dad, dad wasn't like that, he never protected me, he always said I have to manage and the world is cruel, grandparents too, but they're here with me.
"I arrived to a warm welcome from your aunt, she's never stopped being the bitch she is today, it's not likeshe treats people like shit, you weren't the only one to be mistreated by her Diana, I know that from thethings Akko told me about the days she spent there, Daryl didn't like your mum, she still doesn't, that's whyshe attacks you so much, just like she hated me when I turned up, the first night I was at least able to sleepwith them, but on the second night things went differently, I was haunted by a different nightmare every day,but I still put up with it, Daryl was always badgering me and she made a point of leaving everything in a wayso that it didn't look like her, but we knew it was her, my mums were always protecting me, even so, livingwith them was still marvellous, even with Daryl, I've never been treated so well, they really showed that theyloved me, I was gradually understanding them, learning English and it didn't take me long to be able to learneven from living together so much."
See you, travelling witches...