The Witch of Vera Wood: Chapter 4

Note: this isnt the best chapter ever, but kind of essential. I promise it'll get more exciting next time :)

The Witch of Vera Wood

Chapter 4

            “A-a witch?” lina stuttered, astonished. “Y-y-you mean l-like y-you?”

            “Yes, like me,” said Tarja. “I think you have what it takes, and it is my duty as a witch to train at least one other witch. That is how our numbers grow, you know”

            “So, you want to teach me how to do…” said Lina, wide eyed.

            “Magic, yes,” finished Tarja, smiling.

            “Wow,” said Lina. She’d always wanted to be like those witches on TV. They could do anything with a snap of their fingers or a twitch of their noses. Life would be so much easier! “So you could teach me how to do anything just by snapping my fingers?”

            “Oh no, dear,” said Tarja, chuckling. “What you see on that television of yours isn’t real magic either. That stuff is just as silly as that stupid coven out in that clearing. No, real magic is really the control and redirecting of the energy that exists inside everything. You can’t just teleport or conjure things out of nowhere. If you accept my offer, I’ll teach you everything there is to know about real magic.”

            “But don’t you have to be born with some kind of power or anything?”

            “Of course not! Magic can be learned by anyone and anything. You just have to unlock its secrets, which is exactly what your father and his coven are trying to do, but, of course, without success,” said Tarja

            “What do I have to do?” asked Lina.

            “Three things,” said Tarja seriously, “First, you have to come live with me, and until you are done your training you are not to go back to your house to see your family. Second, you must never tell anyone what I teach you. And third, you must see this through to the end. Failure to do any of these things will cost you dearly. Once you become a witch, there’s no turning back. Do you give me your word that you will follow these rules?”

            “C-can I think about it?” asked Lina nervously.

            “Of course you can. Tell you what. Sleep on it, and meet me at the clearing tomorrow morning with your answer,” said Tarja. Lina nodded and walked out of the cabin, heading toward her home.

            She could be a witch! A real witch! But that would mean leaving her family. Leaving Nikki without anyone to care for her until dad came home. But all she ever did was cook and clean. She hated that life. The same thing every day. She had always dreamed of going away somewhere. To school, or to go traveling. But they didn’t have the money, and she was needed at home. This was her chance to escape that life that she hated. It was a hard decision, but she made up her mind.

*          *          *

            Lina sneaked down the stairs to the kitchen and turned on the lights. The pale light of the rising sun was just starting to poke out from beneath the horizon. Hastily, she searched for a pen and found one lying on the table where her father was going through bills the night before. She grabbed a piece of paper and started scribbling the note.

            Dear Dad and Nikki,

I’m leaving. I don’t think I can bear this life anymore. I don’t think I can take the responsibility anymore. I want to do something with my life and get away from all of this. I’m not telling you where I’m going because I fear the consequences of doing so. Don’t try to look for me.

I’m sorry I have to leave, but I think I must, for my own sanity’s sake. I just want you guys to know that I love you guys and I will always remember you. Goodbye.

                                                                                                            Love,

                                                                                                            Lina

            She reread the note four times to make sure she didn’t leave anything out. She wanted sincerely to write that she was going to come back one day, but she had no idea if that was true. This may be the last time she ever saw them. Lina went upstairs quietly to take the gym bag she’d packed with a few clothes and a book. On the way back downstairs, she passed Nikki’s room and silently opened the door. Nikki was sleeping peacefully, her back to Lina. Tears welled up in Lina’s eyes.

            “Goodbye sis,” she whispered. Closing the door, she proceeded downstairs. Placing the note on the kitchen table she walked out of the house, closing the door quietly behind her.

            Taking one last look at the house, she made her way toward the forest. She walked along the path toward the clearing. Through the leaves, she could see that the sky was still on the dark side, and underneath the trees, it was still as dark as it would have been hours earlier.

After about twenty minutes, Lina found herself at the clearing. Realizing only now that it was a bit too early to meet Tarja, she plopped herself down, leaning against the boulder in the middle of the clearing, in the center of the large, dirt pentagram drawn there by her father’s followers, and fell asleep.

*          *          *

            Tarja left her cabin that morning with Peter. Deciding that she would run a few errands before meeting Lina, she left a bit earlier than she would have. Holding a basket in her hands she walked in the opposite direction of the clearing. After walking about a quarter mile, she stopped, and walked a few yards off the path into the trees. She stopped again and bent over to inspect something. Smiling, she tugged on a weed and pulled out of the ground what looked like a large, white, bulky potato, and threw it in the basket. Finding about four more of these, Tarja, satisfied, made her way back to the path and walked on.

            Over the next hour, with the help of Peter, she harvested a few other strange plants and other things, including a few large, scary looking, black, leech-like worms. After she had collected everything she needed she headed toward the clearing where Lina had fallen asleep.  As they entered the clearing, Peter bounded toward the sleeping Lina and started licking her face. Lina woke up instantly, startled.

            “W-wha…? Oh, hi Peter!” she exclaimed as she noticed the dog. Tarja walked up to her and set her basket down on the boulder.

            “Fallen asleep, have we?” she asked with a slight hint of sarcasm.

            “Oh, sorry, I guess I just dozed off for…” Lina said, checking her watch, “3 hours.”

            “And I thought I was coming too early,” said Tarja, chuckling slightly. “So, do you have an answer for me? I’m going to assume it’s a yes on account of the gym bag.”

            “You’d be right then,” said Lina.

            “Well then! Come along dear, we have to start your training!” exclaimed Tarja, picking up her basket. The three of them headed off toward the cabin.

            They arrived at the small cabin and entered to find a woman with long, curly, fire red hair sitting at the table, a smile on her face as they entered.