Hell Bound Witch

TRAPPED IN HER OWN MIND

Beep, beep, beep, beep. That is all I can hear echoing through my mind. I wish that annoying sound would just stop already. I’m aware that I am not awake and I am trapped here in my mind, but that sound is enough to drive anyone mad. I can only assume they have brought me to the pack doctor. Which would only make sense given the warning that Persephone had ever so kindly given me. Mmmm I wonder if I am able to talk to her in this state? 

‘Persephone? Are you there or am I alone?’ I questioned the darkness surrounding me. I did not expect an answer, but another voice would be nice. 

‘I am stuck here with you.’ She responds back. A creature appeared out of the darkness coming forward. It’s no normal wolf that is approaching me. Is that really what Persephone looks like? Smoke-like shadows were pouring off of her bulky body. She walks with such confidence it could strike the fear of God into anyone. I shudder a little and feel myself becoming smaller and smaller as she gets nearer. 

‘W-what are you?’ I managed to stutter out. I can’t help but fear what stands in front of me. You can sense the sins she has committed. 

A growl ripples from her throat. ‘Cursed to be part of you, witch. I am a hellhound stuck here in your mind. I have been here for many years, but you wouldn’t let me come forth. Had you let me help you sooner, you wouldn’t have been running in those forsaken woods with your tail between your legs!’

‘What are you talking about? I was scared and lost! You don’t know what you’re talking about!’ I began to argue with Persephone. She had to be lying. I was a little girl that was just lost.

‘Hm, you're right in a sense you were scared and you were lost but you can't tell me you don’t remember those witches dying in front of you? Your whole coven going POOF up in flames begging not to die? Pleading for their lives to be speared? I know those nightmares aren't just nightmares, they all align. They are memories. There is no other explanation as to those horrid dreams unless you actually were there to witness that tragedy. I need you to remember what was happening. I want answers as much as you do so I need to know the truth about what you actually know.’ Persephone was now circling around me clearly agitated and her teeth were bared as she spit almost every word at me. 

‘N-n-no!’ I yelled at her. I didn’t want to remember. I had built up so many bricks and spells to prevent me from remembering my past for a reason. I wouldn’t have done it if it was not what would help me in my own future. I wrap myself up in my arms attempting to give myself a comforting hug as I have done so many times before. 

‘Little girl, I was ripped away from my life because of what happened to you. I was happily serving by the side of the man himself. I sat with Cerberus on several occasions to prevent the dead from leaving the underworld! I was stripped of my title and sentenced to live in your mind only recently being able to stretch my legs after so many years. I could have kept you locked in the back of my mind for eternity and destroyed everything you love and hold dear. If you want to make me regret my kind actions, I will gladly return with a vengeance and torture everything in my path slowly.’ Persephone was now up close and personal in my face staring down at me. Her eyes held so much pain and anger. It was my fault. Somehow, she had her whole life stolen from her. She must hold so much resentment towards me. 

I sat down and crossed my legs. I closed my eyes and thought back. I know I used a protection spell over my mind to chain and lock up what had happened all those years ago. Was I ready to reopen those memories? With a sigh, I nod my head and start whispering under my breath, ‘sweet release I welcome back my memories.’ I hold my index and second finger to the center of my head. Some would say it is where your third eye is. I sat and waited. I could feel Persephone staring at me. Little by little, I could hear the locks coming undone and the chains falling off. I knew then that my mind was being fully opened. 

‘Wow’ I heard Persephone aww in amazement. I opened my eyes slowly. I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t afraid of what I would see. However, when I fully opened my eyes, I could see everything that surrounded us was a spectacular sight. It was like being in a virtual world. Every memory was floating around us, waiting to be touched, to reveal the truth behind my past life that I had longed to forget. At the bottom of each one was a number. I could only assume that I would have been my age at the time of the memory. 

I stared at Persephone, not knowing what to say or even ask. She had such a puzzled look on her face. After several moments, it was her that broke the cold silence between us. ‘Why would you want to lock away so many good memories?’ 

‘Persephone, for me to forget the bad portions of my life, I had to be willing to let go of the good’ I looked down at the floor. I don’t know what I had truly let go of. I can’t remember why I was so young when I asked for help to do it.

Persephone came and laid down beside me and rested her head on my lap. Whenever you’re ready, pick one. We will be here for a while.’ She encouraged me. 

‘In order we go then.’ I slowly raised my arm and touched a memory marked with one. It was like watching a blurry video. Faces couldn’t be made out, but a voice could. ‘Oh dear, now why would someone leave such a promising child in these woods? This will not do, oh this will not do at all.’ Gertrude’s voice was so soothing after all these years of not hearing it but in those nightmares. I slowly petted Persephone’s furry head as we watched memory after memory. Years from 2 through 7 were beautiful. It was always Gertrude taking care of me and showing me how to cast different spells. I was just an abandoned child she had found in some forest. Somehow, she still found it in her heart to be motherly towards me and raise me as her own. 

I lean over and click on year 8. Gertrude was in an aggravated mood, pacing back and forth. She was talking in a hushed voice to an orb in her hand. I was sitting under the wooden oak table hiding so I could see what was making her so upset these past few days. It was that orb thing in her hand making her so upset. After a few more moments, her voice finally raised to a scream, ‘DAMN IT I’LL BE THERE!’ She slammed her hands down on the table. I stayed hidden until she called out my name. ‘Jessabear, come on out I know you’re hiding somewhere. I can sense you are near.’ I scurried from underneath the table and looked up at Gertrude’s deep black eyes. They were like a set of twin ravens always flying together. ‘We must go and see my family. We will not be coming back home for a long time, if ever. Do you understand me?’ I smiled and just nodded my head. 

With a beautiful smile she patted my head and let out a whistle I knew all too well. She was calling Ambrose, the phoenix. A beautiful phoenix appeared from thin air and glided gracefully through the window. Their eyes a majestic white that sparkled as if looking into the Milky Way, constantly sparkling and swirling. Ambrose's claws were sharp to the point of a simple touch and you would no longer have an arm. Oh but how they matched the look of those majestic eyes. Ambrose’s feathers appeared to dance upon their body. I couldn’t tell if they were just multicolor with an iridescent look or if it was powerful magic that coursed through their body.

Ambrose greeted us with a simple head-to-head touch. While most people would not consider that a greeting, we consider it the most respectful greeting in the universe. So simple, but it had so much great meaning. A phoenix is a rare creature and one of Ambrose’s kind is unheard of. It was an honor to know they thought highly enough of us to not only help us and come when we called but also to greet us. 

Gertrude whispered something into Ambrose’s ear and, with a beautiful whistle that escaped his beak, I knew we were being teleported. If it was in another location in this world, or another universe entirely, I would not know until we reached our destination. It must have been urgent because Gertrude would have had us travel on our own otherwise. We would just have to gather the necessary supplies and power to do so. You could feel the wind kissing our faces as our feet softly touched the ground at our new location. Ambrose did not come with us. In most cases, they chose not to but it was always lovely to be able to say goodbye. 

Clouds of smoke began to circle around us and three women stepped out from the clouds. ‘My dearest sister, you have made it! I just knew you would come if we called upon you!’ A blonde all too uppity and fake for my liking jumps up and down clapping her hands. ‘O-oh now what is this little pet that accompanies you?’ She c***s her head at me and I scurry behind Gertrude. You could see something sinister in her eyes as she glowered in my direction. 

‘No one that concerns you sisters now let us discuss what is happening in your forsaken world, that you felt the need to disrupt my new life.’ Gertrude sneered back at the blonde-headed woman and reached back for my hand. The witches share a disgruntled glance at each other and walk back into their cloud of darkness. Hesitantly, I followed Gertrude. 

We now appear in a house where I am shushed away to go play. What seemed like many hours, Gertrude finally came to retrieve me. She appears frantic and worried and speaks quickly in a hushed voice. ‘Tonight, Jessabear, I need you to do something. Know it will not be in vain the sacrifices that are going to be made tonight. I am going to hand you a blade and you are going to cut your hand, you are going to bleed. Close your eyes and when you know the time is right, run, run as far as you can go. Do you understand?’ 

‘But how will I know?’

‘Jessabear, you will know. Now do you understand?’ 

‘...Yes, ma’ I understand.’

This is where the nightmare I have had so many times before replays. I am the little girl that I kept dreaming of. I am the girl who watched her family perish in front of her. However, there is no explanation as to why Gertrude had me make such a huge sacrifice. I sit and watch as everyone burns in front of me screaming and begging for the agony to stop. I see the transformation of my body go from being healthy to malnourished, as if life was being sucked out of me the longer I was watching them die. This memory continues to play as I ran through the forest for hours, falling down, getting scratched by branches and breaking my ankle and still continuing to run as Gertrude had told me. I never stopped, I just kept going until I was found by the Alpha and some of his warriors. Was this really all the memories I had? Was this all that I was meant to be? Confused and lost by what has been placed in front of me? Why did I even bother to unlock these stupid memories…