My Sisters are my Soul
Summary: "I sold my soul to Satan a very, very long time ago… But I don't miss it. Who needs a soul when thou hast sistahs?"
Disclaimer: I do not own Hocus Pocus or any of its plots and characters. This is simply for entertainment purposes. All rights belong to Disney.
Chapter One
"Winnie!" Both Sarah and Mary rush forward, attempting to grab their older sister as she is seized by the townspeople of Salem.
"Stay back!" one townsperson snaps, waving his aflame torch towards them, causing them both to jump back out of fear of being burned. Winnie watches, keeping a stoic face, knowing to not allow the townsfolk to see any form of fear. She looks on, unbothered, yet a malicious glint plays in her eyes and the smallest, twisted smile is apparent on the corner of her mouth. "Tell us, wench," the man says, turning his attention to the redhead. "Tell us! Was it thee who has caused this town endless pain and torment? Was it thee who hast slaughtered our children and taken our homes?! Is it thee who has corrupted thine own sisters to live the same life as thou?! Where is thy heart?! Have thou any soul?!"
Winnie gives an evident smile now, her eyes becoming darker with mischief as she studies the faces of those who watch her, yet it falters as her gaze lands upon her two sisters who looked terrified beyond belief. Her younger sister, Sarah, barely surpassed the age of 16, trembling in the grip of those who hold her. Those bastards… They better not have left a mark on her.
For more than half a decade, they had made refuge in the forbidden wood, seeking comfort in their powers and in each other, the book granted by Satan a strong contender in helping them enact their revenge that they saw as rightful, as justifiable, that of which the townsfolk have had coming for years upon years.
The sisters do not perceive themselves as evil, at least, not yet. They see themselves as righteous. They see themselves as the protector of each other, of their small family, their coven. They have seen the Christian, the Puritan faith as horrendous as a belief can get, where these people are so radical that they could not have stayed in their home in England, that they were not accepted by the Protestants. They were made fun of, outcasted, by writers of Milton, of Johnson, of Shakespeare. They have been ridiculed, mocked and they had no place back in Europe, none at all. The most hated of the Christian branches due to how uptight they were, how power hungry.
And the three sisters have been born under this rule, in the New World, living with those who mock those who are different, more and more generations growing under this ideology, this… dictatorship. But they have no one here to suppress them and after decades of oppression from the English, they continue their trickled down hatred towards those who do not follow their ideological beliefs. They are those who reign in a constant limbo, settled within the hatred for themselves and for others.
And the Sanderson Sisters feel a need to suppress them, make them pay for their actions, towards them and many others whom they have suppressed. Their deeds will not go unpunished for they shall see to the fact, accordingly. While they do not see themselves doing God's work, they do not see themselves doing the Devil's work, but it appears that Satan has been far more accepting than God could ever be…
They've met him. They worship him. It might be a delusion that he is presenting them. It might be a trick, for he is the Prince of Lies. But he has never scolded them, told them they didn't belong, be vengeful towards them for they have not worshipped him properly. God, the evermore fearful, evermore spiteful, and hateful deity that He is within the Bible… God has been otherwise. He has been oppressive. He has been hateful, malicious, incapable of good despite all that He preaches.
And they have never met God, for they are unworthy of Him. They shall never meet Him, for they are witches, not wiccas. Wiccas are those who do magic under God and under the angels. But they are less powerful. They have more restrictions. They cannot punish as they seem fit. Witches have none of that. Witches are free reign over Earth, for that is where Satan himself reigns. That is where Satan has always reigned, from the moment Eve has plucked the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, from the moment Lucifer was casted out of the ethereal palace of Heaven… He has found his new palace on Earth. And he has been far more caring of his dominions. The Sanderson Sisters will forever oblige to the wishes of their masters.
"… What is it thou wish to do?" Winnie inquires, shifting her attention back to the first man. "And why is that thou do the interrogating? Surely the Reverend has much to say about this? He has been audibly upset about the nature of us…"
"He has had enough of thee witches! He lives in fear of being killed by the three of thee!" Mary and Sarah hold back a giggle from the sound of the statement, only to be jostled back into reality rather harshly, a dog like whimper escaping Mary whilst Sarah merely responds with a gasp. "Has thou not tormented him enough?"
"Has he not doth the same to us?" Winifred inquires now. "Banishing three children out of their home? Three orphans, lost without a mother or a father, to fend for themselves… in the name of God, he claims that it was for our own good… I scoff at those words. No God would ever permit this!"
The townsfolk gasp, several paling and one the verge of passing out, stumbling back to be caught by her son. "… Have thee no soul?" the man whispers, aghast with everything she claims.
Winifred smiles broadly now, her twinkle shifting into that of affection. "I sold my soul to Satan a very, very long time ago… but I don't miss it. Who needs a soul when thou hast sistahs?" she announces before she raises her hands. "I speak these words from my tome!" she chants, her sisters joining in now.
"It-chi-ta ka-pi-ta me-la-ka my-sti-ka."
"Break through my flesh and past my bones!"
"It-chi-ta ka-pi-ta me-la-ka my-sti-ka."
"For I have wandered, and I have roamed. Bring them with me to our home!"
With that, a bright green smoke envelopes the three sisters and they disappear from the scene, leaving the onlookers appalled and muted over what has just occurred.
The puff of smoke appears back in the small cottage, Mary and Sarah celebrating the escape. "We've escaped! We've escaped!" Sarah says with glee, clapping. "Escaped, escaped, escaped, escaped, escaped, escaped, escaped, escap-!"
"Sarah!" Winnie snaps, causing the blonde to falter.
"Sorry, Winnie," she says, her tone lowering.
"What were thee doing in Salem? We have been outcasted for eternity! Has Reverend Traske not made that abundantly clear when he first banished us? And thou!" She turns around on her heel, looking towards Mary who cowers beneath her big sister. "Why was thou abiding her? Aiding her?"
"She wished to see how everything has changed," Mary whispers. "See who was alive, who has perished…"
"Nitwit! We can find that at night!" the eldest snaps. "Thou cannot believe the horror of waking up to find thine sisters gone, only to head to town and see thee in the clutches of those… those madmen! Have thou lost thy minds?!"
"… We're sorry, Winnie," Mary says, staring up at the 22-year-old. Winnie says nothing, turning around and rubbing her face out of exhaustion. She's never been good at conveying emotion, emotions other than that of anger and sadness, emotions that she has always suppressed. After their father died when Sarah was but four, she always felt it her duty to take care of her younger sisters. She knows that they love her dearly. She loves them just as much, perhaps a bit more and while she would never convey it in words, her actions have always established it, more times than not.
"… No. I'm sorry. I should have kept an eye on thee far better than I have…" She turns, facing the two. "I need thee to promise me something. Something very, very important. Thou need to promise never to venture off without me, especially not here, especially not now. Unless Book ends up giving me a solution." She eyes the large book on the pedestal in the middle of the room, the skin-bound book opening its eye and glancing over at Winifred. "I know Book will give me a spell to ensure that thou can't leave without me but know that I'm only doing this for thine own good."
Sarah and Mary immediately nod, rushing over and engulfing her into a hug, holding onto her tightly. "We love thee, Winnie," Sarah whispers. "Love, love, love, love, love, love, love…" Winnie relents in the warmth of her sisters, enjoying it before other thoughts pull her from it.
"That's enough," she says with a sigh before pulling away. "We still have much work to do. Book!"
The book immediately flies over to Winnie who catches it, no longer stumbling by its sheer weight and mass. "Book… We need a spell to ward off the effects of me..." Winnie looks over at Sarah, her eyes running up and down her little sister. "This one has become far too frisky for her own good. We do not want any unwanted pregnancies…"
Sarah, now finally having reached puberty, has begun her growth into womanhood, growing more attractive day by day, beauty that is not only evident to her sisters, but no doubt will be evident to those in Salem, if they venture there again. But while death is feared upon these women, both Mary and Winifred fear something far worse would happen to Sarah: rape.
The men of Salem are not as virtuous as they believe themselves to be. A bar that turns into a brothel once the sun goes down is very popular on the near outskirts of the town. While there are a few town whores, it is typical for wandering gypsies who have been travelled from Europe to make their way to Salem, wishing to explore the New World and hoping to find it more accommodating than the other world they left behind. But many of those gypsies are witches or practise some form of witchcraft. Their energy is renewed in these sacred woods in Salem, but they keep the appearance of regular women in the daytime. They never stay long, though. Only for a few days, a week at most, but the men get their fill, and the gypsies get coins in their pockets and are on their way…
But Sarah has been recently lingering by the whorehouse, typically ending up there because of her nightly walks, and the men have been taking notice. Sarah has had to result calling her sisters for help several times, especially with a peculiar group of drunk men who seemed interested in the young girl for more reasons than one.
While Winnie is jealous of the growing looks of Sarah, she would never once allow that jealousy to get in the way of her love and protection. She would kill whoever to ensure that her baby sister is safe. Hits and insults are nothing and are tossed around absentmindedly between the three, one dissing out more towards the other two, but nevertheless, the love is always there, and it will never falter. They are Winifred's coven. Winifred would die to ensure that they are safe, even if she'd never openly admit it.
But it is not as though Sarah does not have her own fun, her own revenge in the sense of the word. She has secrets that neither Winifred nor Mary is aware of. The population of young men, around the age of Sarah, has been steadily declining, as well as a few girls, but that is only when she gets really curious. While she does enjoy the thrill of discovering her own body, her own needs and wants, she enjoys the power she has over the boys when she is always the one who could fall victim to the older men. She shivers with the thought of taking these boys, luring them to a night of passion, of pleasure, only for it to abruptly end when she grows tired of them. Sometimes that occurs in that night, when she decides that they shall never be of use again or were barely of use the first time. She decides it best to dispose of them fully. They have nothing in store for them in the future. But some, she allows to linger for a few more nights. There are only a few boys whom she constantly erases the memories of, letting them leave and return to the village.
It's the luring that makes it worthwhile, though. She could do without the sex. If she was incapable of having sex or eventually grows tired of it, the luring would not stop. But it's towards only those who are incapable of escaping. The older men have a stronger chance of leaving, of harming her. She knows her limitations. But it is delicious, especially when they squeal like pigs. When they beg for mercy, beg for help. What she lives for is the moment their eyes shift from being filled with lust to fear, fear for their lives. There is no fun in killing an animal that doesn't realize he's being killed. And she sees it as revenge. She finds it justifiable.
Sarah is not as dumb as her sisters believe. She is very intelligent in more ways than one, just not on the brighter side of things. But she knows the horrible atrocities of these men in Salem. She knows their preachings. She knows their uptight religious beliefs, and the most infuriating aspect of it all is their hypocrisy. But it is only "natural". So, if it is only natural, then why do they hate it when others do it? Are they not exempt from it themselves? But if women are as active as men, they are whores, sluts, prostitutes, a complete shame in God's light. That was the injustice of it all and that is what Sarah is taking back. She is punishing those whom the others have refused to punish. Eventually, she'll become stronger. Eventually, she can punish more. Eventually, she'll get her fill. And Winifred suspects this in her youngest sister. Perhaps not entirely, but there is a tinge of suspicion and her suspicions are never really misplaced.
"What art thou thinking, Winnie?" Sarah asks tentatively, seeing her older sister lost in thought as her eyes stare at the page blankly, not even reading anything.
"… About much," she mutters, her voice lowering, wavering. "… About what could have possibly happened if I did not get to thee in time… We have our whole lives ahead of us, do we not? We have much power… Much to do, more revenge to enact… But we are… unsafe here…" She pauses, looking over at the two. "…Should we leave?"
"Leave?" Sarah inquires, looking sceptical at the proposition. "Why?"
"Perhaps… perhaps we can explore the world! We have the ability to fly! We shall see what everything has to offer! And if we miss this… place, then we can always return home!"
"Oh, that is a terrific idea, Winnie!" Mary exclaims, growing excited as she bounces on the balls of her feet with glee. Sarah gives a weak smile, though seems unsure about it.
"Thou are not excited?" Winifred inquires, looking at her youngest sister.
"… This is our home. We've never been outside of Salem before. Even in the Forbidden Wood… We do not know what awfulness lurks outside of this place."
"But we have what those dangerous people do not have. We have each other," Winifred whispers, ushering them closer. "… and… Book," she adds with a devilish grin, smiling down at the heavy object. "We can be protected! We have disguises, we have an infinite amount of food and, if needed, we can turn anything inedible into something edible! Dost thou comprehend? We have no fear! No danger! We have Master with us, even if we do not see him!"
"That's true, that's true. We have Master," Mary says with a smile, looking over at Sarah who still seems unsure.
"I-I do not know. I mean, we've been here for our whole lives. And if we leave, would Mother be able to find us?"
"Mother is Mother! She's a witch! She knows things!" Winnie exclaims, hesitating when she sees her sister still distressed. "Why dost thou cry? Thou cannot possibly wish to stay here."
"But this is our home! It is bad enough we got exiled from our home before, but to leave Salem altogether? Certainly, we shall be in more danger?"
"We shall be in less! If we leave, the village folk will believe we have left for good. Then we can sneak back here one day and live forever, for as long as we're careful, they won't notice us."
"Well, I suppose so… Might I bring my lucky rat tail?"
"Of course. Thou may take whatever thou like," Winnie whispers, attempting to comfort her, relaxing when she receives a wide and excited smile in return.
"Oh, goodie!"
"It's been settled! We shall leave! Tonight!"
"Tonight?" Mary inquires, looking alarmed at how quickly they are to leave.
"Tonight is our best bet. They witnessed us perform magic. They will be on the look out for us. They might even head to the Forbidden Wood to kill us. We cannot take that chance. If they find this house, all they shall do when they enter is find nobody. They cannot take us. We shall be safe."
Both Mary and Sarah nod at that, turning around and scrambling to grab everything that they could possibly need. Winifred heads up to the second floor, following her sisters who end up slamming into each other more often than not, barks and whimpers escaping from Mary and laughs from Sarah each time.
Heading to her own private room, Winnie closes the door behind her, letting out a huff. "What am I supposed to do with them?" she mutters to herself. "They're just so stupid half of the time! What if I didn't get there in time? What if they died? Oh, what then could I possibly do? Certainly, Book has a resurrection spell. He must have one! Just in case!"
The redhead stands, rushing downstairs and grabbing the book, the cover and pages spewing open, immediately bringing her to a resurrection spell, somehow knowing what it is she wants. Winifred lets out a breath, sitting down on a wooden chair as she reads over the spell. "Nothing too bad," she whispers as she looks over the ingredients. "Newt's eye, rat's blood, a soul to give up replacing the ones lost. Ah, it's a sacrificial spell."
She stops, looking down past the ingredients to a warning. "The one who casts the spell is the one giving up thy soul for the replacement of one or more souls."
Winifred pauses, reading over the warning again and again, realizing that if one of them dies, they shall never be a trio ever again. There has to be a way to circumvent that, surely. She looks through the next few pages, growing frustrated when it only leads to more spells. Sighing, she slams the book shut, knowing that she needs some way to ensure that her sisters and them can always be together. There has to be someone who can help… Maybe Mother?
Satisfied with that thought and knowing that if anyone could help, it would be Mother, she carefully puts the book away and sneaks out the door while her sisters continue to rush around the house, not paying attention to their eldest.
Heading deeper into the Forbidden Wood, she comes across the clearing of where they first met Mother. Sitting down, the 22-year-old closes her eyes, waiting in silence, using her mind to call upon her. Soon, barely about five minutes later, she hears the caw of the crow, and her shoulders relax. The leaves rustle around her and she opens her eyes, looking up at the beautiful witch. "What ails you, child?"
"Fear," she returns simply. "Fear of my sistahs…"
"Yes, I saw what happened earlier today in Salem."
"Yet thou didn't help."
The witch smiles gently. "Thy already knew what to do. If I fear thou wouldst die, I would have helped but I knew thou were capable of taking care of thyself and sisters. But what is it thou fear?"
"I fear that if I lose my sistahs, I'll be incapable of getting them back. I know Book has a resurrection spell, but it says that I need to sacrifice myself to bring them back. I don't wish to live without them, and I know that they are nothing without me."
"You love them."
Winnie turns a light pink, not wanting to admit it but knowing that it's best to. "… I suppose. Please, can thou help me?"
The witch walks over, kneeling down in front of Winnie, seeing her anguished face, the tears threatening to overflow. "… Child… I give thee one promise in this world. I have already told thee a witch is nothing without her coven… If any one of you die, then I shall happily give my life up to bring thee back."
Winifred pauses at that, her eyes twinkling with that, but she falters, growing upset with that information. "I don't want to lose thee, either. I have already lost Father… I don't wish to lose anymore people. Why can't it be simple?" she whispers, her heart breaking.
"Oh, child… Hush," the witch whispers, pulling her into a hug. "Thou know magic well. Thou know how to take care of thy sisters… Thou needn't fear about losing them… But if there ever comes a time where one or more of thee do pass, then I will give my life up for thee. I wasted that opportunity long ago. I shall never make that mistake again."
"Could thee not save thy coven?"
"No… I couldn't locate my coven. I need to know where the bodies are in order to bring them back from the dead. To this day, I do not know where they are… They are in hallowed ground which means I can't even track them if I wanted to… I miss them and I know the pain of losing a coven. I will always ensure that thou never lose thine coven. Now… cheer up. I hate to see thee so upset." The woman pauses, thinking of something. "How about I come back to the house and make my scorpion pie?" she suggests, taking Winnie's hand and leading her back into the cabin.
"Scorpion pie?" the redhead inquires upon entering the household.
"Did someone say scorpion pie?" Mary peaks over the balcony from the second story, the witch looking up and smiling widely to see the sisters grow so excited. "Sarah! Mother says that she's making scorpion pie!"
"What is that?" Sarah heads downstairs with her older sister, eager to find out what it is.
"A special recipe that I've perfected. Now sit down and let me make it for thee and tell me how thee like it after. I can come over and make it far more often if thou would like."
"Oh, we'd love it!" Sarah exclaims, taking her spot left of Winifred at the table while Mary goes on the other side. "We've never had scorpion pie before! I've taken some spiders and eaten those but to concoct a whole pie out of it? Sounds marvellous!"
"Yes, yes! Remember the time when we made the jelly? Out of goat's blood? On Winnie's birthday!" Mary says, remembering happily as she turns her attention to her sister. "Did thee ever try it?"
The smile on the redhead's face dissipates as she shakes her head. "No, we never did… Dost thou remember the recipe?"
"Um… Sarah, dost thee remember?"
Sarah pauses, thinking. "Oh, I think I do! I grinded pig's hooves and mixed it with water! Then I added a drop of goat's blood and-!"
"Thou did not add the goat's blood! I did!" Mary chirps in.
"Oh, thou dost not remember correctly!" Sarah retaliates.
"And thou suddenly have a spectacular memory?" Sarah quips back. Both Winnie and the older witch take a glance at each other, watching the younger of the group quarrel amongst themselves, Winnie finding it rather funny as well as quite endearing over them arguing about something so insignificant.
"Oh, it dost not matter, dost it?" Mary relents. "As long as we remember the ingredients, which we do, perhaps we shall reconstruct the jelly whilst Mother makes her scorpion pie?"
"That sounds brilliant!" Sarah agrees, clapping her hands. "Oh… what is it that Winnie shall do?"
"She can help me make the pie," the eldest of the four says, looking over at Winnie. "If thou would like to?"
"Oh, I'd love to!" Winnie responds happily, jumping up from her seat, happy to be involved.
And in no less than a few minutes, the cabin is filled with conversation and light heartedness, all four of them clamouring over each other, struggling to find ingredients, bickering over the little things with more than enough falls and trips, stains and messes occurring. One might have walked in and seen this as a typical family, nothing completely out of the ordinary, just a family enjoying each other's company as a family does. Except…
"Hast thou found the spider's egg sack?" Sarah announces, jumping on top of Mary's back in an attempt to reach a higher shelf.
"The one that has been petrified or the newly created one?"
"The one that has already been hatched. I am certain that we put it into the collection of the spider's."
"No… But I've finally managed to find that rat that's been decomposing in the corner! We can use its skeleton for a ritual!" Winnie returns. "What else do we need for the recipe?"
"Well… to make it taste even better," Mother begins, flipping through the pages of a conjured book. "We can use the blood of a bastard."
"Oh! I know a bastard!" Sarah says. "Ryan Locksmith! He resides with his mother!"
"Did he not get banished?" Mary inquires.
"Why should he? His conception has never been revealed. Everyone believes that the father has died before the mother gave birth to him."
"Then how dost thou know?"
Sarah hesitates and Winnie gives her a knowing look, watching as she shrinks back. "She has been leaving at night and bringing these boys into the woods, have thee not, Sarah? I am curious… What dost thou do to some of these boys?"
"Well, the ones who I find would be useful to me again, I erase their memories of all the events. Book has a wonderful memory cleanser spell! But the ones that I have no need for…" She shifts her gaze towards a shelf of disembodied parts, ranging from eyes to ears to tongues and hearts and organs, mimicking an anatomy class's shelves. She smiles widely. "The collection has been coming along quite wonderfully if I do say so myself!"
"Thou must be careful though," Winnie warns her. "Too many boys missing and we shall have the townsfolk knocking upon our door again. But the boy… can you obtain him again?"
"Oh, yes! I shall lure him in with my voice!"
"Splendid!" Winnie claps her hands out of excitement. "We shall have the blood of a bastard! How exciting! I never liked Locksmith anyway. Foul little prick he is… As haughty John Hawthorne and as ugly as a gobbo!"
"Gobbo?" Sarah and Mary inquire simultaneously.
"Hunchback! Wretched, hideous fiend!"
"But he is… good…" Sarah says suggestively, a wide smile on her face.
"Better not be good enough so that we might dispose of him accordingly."
"But we do not have to kill him. We just need his blood."
"Oh? Thou wish to keep him alive? For how long?"
"Until I get bored of him," Sarah says.
"Has thou grown feelings for the wretch?"
"Oh, no! No feelings at all!" Sarah quickly defends herself from her big sister. "But I would much prefer to have those around my age than the elders and he is the only one foolish enough to keep falling for my tricks. But I would like one more night with him before we leave."
"Marvelous. Mother!" The three turn to the older woman who is halfway done with her dough. "Mother, we are heading out back into town. Hast thou have any luring powder with thee? Just in case Sarah's voice fails to work?"
"Right here, child," she says, offering them a small pouch, a smile on her face. "Now go and have fun. And don't get caught. Thine luck only works so many times in one day."
"Shall we fly into the village?" Mary inquires, looking towards their broomsticks. They have just recently taken up flying and all three of them have been attempting to find any and all excuses upon utilizing them.
"Dost thou wish to?" Winnie returns, already inching towards the broomsticks that are above the door.
"Oh, we would!" Sarah exclaims, jumping onto Mary's back again and grabbing her own broom, tossing down Winnie and Mary's. "Come! We fly!"
"We fly!" Winnie and Mary respond, Mary shoving her sister off of her back as the three exit the house, cackling as they take off into the night for one final visit to the village of Salem.