ThE WITCH'S RECKONING

CHAPTER 4: PLANS OF THE DARK

The day of the carnival eventually arrived, but Grammie remained firm in her decision. Kamala, determined to attend, devised a plan. She had made up her mind to sneak out of the house and go to the village square, where the carnival was being held.

She knew that people would be out for the festivities that night, so she wasn’t really worried about safety. Kamala planned to wait until Grandma fell asleep, then make her escape through the window she had left open during the day. She had stacked hay at the base of the window and created a rope from torn pieces of clothing, long enough to allow her to crawl out safely. The rope was firmly tied to the wooden pillar in her room. Kamala had also stored a lamp and extra oil in her room, ready for her escape. She was confident that she had made the perfect plan. She had carried out all the preparations during the day, while Grandma was at the farm, so she was sure that Grandma wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Now, all Kamala had to do was wait for Grandma to fall asleep, then make her move. She hoped that Grandma wouldn’t decide to read her bedtime stories that night or engage in any other activity that would keep her awake. To make sure Grammie fell asleep quickly, Kamala had earlier suggested thick chicken gravy as part of their dinner, knowing it would make her drowsy.

As planned, Grandma had gone to bed before the last c**k’s crow. It was time for Kamala to make her move. She lit her lamp and tied an extra bottle of oil around her waist. She also wore the good luck heirloom Grandma had given her around her neck, According to her, it would wear off witches and evil spirits. She placed a dagger she had taken from Grandma into her pants, intending to use it for protection, even though she had no idea how to wield it.

kamala held her lamp over the open window, checking to see if the coast was clear. Then, with the lamp in one hand and the rope in the other, she prepared to crawl out. However, she suddenly stopped.

For a fleeting moment, Kamala imagined how disappointed Grandma would be if she found out. She pictured her anger, which would know no bounds. Kamala wondered if it was all worth it – just for a carnival. What if something terrible happened to her, just as Grandma feared?

Having a change of heart, Kamala decided not to go. She removed her boots, extinguished the lamp, and brought the rope back inside. Unfortunately, she couldn’t close the window, as it could only be shut from the outside. So, Kamala lay down on her bed, hoping to fall into the deepest of sleeps.

Kamala kept rolling on the bed for about an hour, waiting for sleep to come, but for some reason, it seemed far away.

It was a hot night, and the air felt stagnant, despite the open window. Kamala thought of reconsidering her plan one last time, but she quickly dismissed the idea after thinking about the consequences. The festival was celebrated every year in the village, and Kamala reassured herself that one day she wouldn’t be too young to make her own decisions. She wouldn’t need to seek her Grandma’s permission to do or go anywhere she wanted. That thought alone made her smile. She couldn’t wait; it was just a matter of a few years, or maybe ten.