When the silent ones speak

CHAPTER 2: WHISPERS OF THE PAST

Anastasia rushed home that day. She had the amulet clutched tightly in her fist. She had managed to get it from Madison when Madison tossed the amulet away like it meant nothing.

Anastasia small house on the edge of town felt safe. It was surrounded by woods that had a lot of weeds and tall trees. The air in her house smelled good. There were herbs hanging in the kitchen to dry. There was lavender to help her feel calm. There was rosemary to help her remember things.. There was sage to keep her safe.

Her mother was asleep. Her mother was a nurse. She worked at night. Anastasia father was at the garage where he fixed cars. He was a mechanic. Anastasia was alone in the house, with her mother sleeping. The amulet was still clutched tightly in her fist. Anastasia went to her room by herself. The room was a mess with a lot of stuff in it. There were books about old stories and crystals and things. She also had some bottles of special drinks hidden away. Anastasia liked having all these things around her it made her feel comfortable. Her room was full of books, on folklore and crystals. She had hidden vials of potions in there too.

She sat on the floor with her legs crossed. She put the amulet in a circle of salt. She closed her eyes. She whispered a special saying that her grandmother had taught her. The saying was "Reveal the threads of fate bind the wrongs to make." The amulet started to glow and she saw a lot of things in her mind. She saw her ancestors, the women, in her family who had magic. These women had to hide their magic a time ago because people did not like it. They had to keep it a secret so they could stay safe. The magic had been passed down to her. Now she was using the amulet to see things that had happened before.

One thing really stood out to me: her great-grandmother was accused of being a witch, in a small village.. Instead of using her powers to get back at people she used them to make things right. I remember the vision saying something that really stuck with me. It said "Power is a edged sword". The vision kept echoing this in my mind. It said "You have to be careful when you use power or it will hurt you the most". Her great-grandmother really understood that power is something you have to use carefully.

Anastasia opened her eyes. She felt a strong decision forming inside of her. She was not going to do anything without thinking it through. Anastasia wanted her revenge to be very thoughtful and affect Madison, Tyler and Sophia in a way. Madison, Tyler and Sophia would soon find out what it means to be cruel to Anastasia. They would learn this one small step at a time. Madison, Tyler and Sophia would pay for what they did, to Anastasia.

That night the moon was really high in the sky. Anastasia decided to make a potion her one in a long time. She made a truth serum but she added something extra to it a little bit of bad luck.

She went to her garden to get the things she needed. She picked nightshade, which's good for hiding secrets and foxglove which is good for when people are not telling the truth. She also added a drop of her own blood to make the potion work.

Anastasia stirred the potion in a pot on her stove it looked like a normal pot but it was not. She said some words, like a magic spell to make the potion strong.

The day at school she put a few drops into Madison's water bottle when they were in gym class and nobody was watching her. This was a risky thing to do but the protection from the amulet kept her safe, from getting caught.

By the time lunch came around things started to happen. Madison, who is usually really cool and sharp with her words began saying things she probably should not have said. She said loud at her table "I cheated on my history test last week." Her eyes were wide with shock as she said this. People who were laughing. Were surprised. Tyler just stared at her. Sophia tried to get Madison to be quiet. Madison kept talking. She said, "And Tyler you are really bad, in bed Madison thinks that everyone knows this about Tyler."

The cafeteria erupted. Anastasia watched from her corner table, a faint smile playing on her lips. The quiet one had whispered, and the echoes were just beginning.