Red the Witch

Chapter 1: The EndJanuary 2nd, 2022, at 12:40 A.M. In a wooden cabin outside of Mourningville (the Mortal Realm) Snow fell from gray clouds, fluttering down to the quiet town like dead leaves in autumn. Before the children fell into their peaceful slumbers, they couldn’t contain their excitement at the few flurries that had invaded Mourningville. The thought of their schools being closed for the day excited them, while others wondered if there would be enough to create snowmen. The adults, however, didn’t share their children’s excitement. They knew that for every snowflake that fell, the risk of potential damage to their crops increased rapidly. The town survived by selling their bright, scrumptious, and delicious produce. Despite its deep Wiccan roots, Mourningville’s second source of income was the production of church supplies—namely Bibles and golden crucifixes. Outsiders weren’t interested in Bibles and crucifixes, though. While the mayor opposed it, the town’s history made it a major tourist attraction. As is the nature of such things, history faded into legend and became muddled with a cleaner, prettier picture of events. The mayor disavowed Wicca and ignored the Wiccan blood, sweat, and tears upon which Mourningville had been built. The townspeople smiled and nodded and cleaned up the more sordid details of the legends, turning them into ghost stories children told at sleepovers. One woman, however, refused to let the blind faithful rewrite history. Athena Devareux stood at the window of her wooden cabin, staring blankly at the mass of water known as Mara Lake. She gazed out at the beautiful water, idly wondering how long it would take for her buried corpses to float back to the surface. She always heard the whispers of the townspeople—psycho, town loon, crazy old bat—but Athena was far from any of those things. Athena Devareux was a Dark Witch who had spent the past eight hundred years helping magical beings, enchanted beings, and the occasional mortals. She created charms, curses, and spells that would harm, kill, or bless people. When she realized she could never have her own Happily Ever After, she migrated to the Mortal Realm and found comfort in a town created by Wiccans in 1921 called Mourningville. Although the town became a tourist attraction in 1922, she didn’t let that stop her from calling it home. She built a cabin that sat at the edge of town, near the last remaining historical landmark, which was not blocked by velvet ropes and didn’t require an admission fee to get in. That landmark was Mara Lake, a beautiful lake that shone bright green when the sun set. Athena figured there had to be some kind of magic at the bottom of the lake, but she would never jump in to find out. The mortals however, believed this was a pond that their deity had blessed and because of that fable, every Sunday the town’s priest would conduct baptisms in the lake. A familiar presence sent chills down Athena’s spine, and she turned away from the window. In a bright yellow light, a handsome, tall Hispanic man appeared before her. “Ah,” Athena said, “If it isn’t my favorite wizard, Dominic Ortiz. I do hope you are not here for a little rendezvous; as you can see, I’m feeling under the weather.” Dominic straightened and hid his disgust as the elderly woman grinned at him, revealing off-white teeth stained with dried blood from the frog she’d devoured for dinner, hours ago. Her face had more wrinkles than a crumpled silk shirt, and her eyes were tired, a testament to the immortal life she once had. Although Dominic had never been attracted to the witch, he was used to her flirtatious ways. It was something he had learned to deal with early in their odd friendship. He shuddered at the thought of them ever getting intimate, and addressed her. “I came here to make sure you hid the book in a secured location,” he said, folding his hands behind his back. His firm, straight posture reminded Athena of a mortal she’d met in 1920, in the wealthy outskirts of New York City. She couldn’t remember his name, but she definitely remembered how sweet his soul tasted. Athena’s wide smile turned into a satisfied smirk. “I never knew you to care so much for something that doesn’t belong to you.” “As I remember correctly, Athena, the book never belonged to you, either.” He paused when Athena opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her glare prompted Dominic to continue. “I had a dream last night—” “Did I pay you a visit?” Dominic ignored Athena’s question. “In the dream, I saw the three Realms destroyed. I could smell burning flesh; I could see ashes everywhere. Then out of the blinding smoke, I saw…I saw the book on the ground…it was opened.” Just speaking of his dream caused Dominic to falter. The dream had been so realistic, even to him; something tragic was going to take place. He didn’t know when or where, but based on the bone chilling nightmare he had, he knew it was going to be soon. Athena always hated the magical gift Dominic was cursed with. A man who has visions of future events in his dreams should not be alive, was the thought Athena always had. But she knew he would be useful one day, which is why she kept him alive, but so far, he wasn’t proving his worth. The old witch slowly walked over to a wooden coffee table, hoping to offer the wizard a cup of her favorite tea she had brewed a few minutes ago. “I assure you, Dominic, just as my heart is black and my soul is impure, the book has been hidden and will cause no harm to anyone.” Athena flashed him another smile, this one meant to reassure. Being a Dark Witch meant Athena did evil things to magical beings and mortals. In 1410, she’d devoured the souls of thirty-six children to keep her youth, beauty and magic, and most importantly, she did it to survive. The innocent souls of children made her look no older than twenty-five years old. In the past, her long hair was a beautiful shade of auburn, she had a set of plump crimson lips, and her porcelain-like face was soft and had a natural glow. But if there’s one thing the Dark Witch had learned, it was that not even outer beauty will lead someone to a Happily Ever After. Regardless of her dark past and the paths she took to become the tiresome mortal woman before him, Dominic knew one thing remained true about her: she never told a lie. He nodded and returned the smile. “It was probably just—” Athena raised her left hand, which halted Dominic before he could say another word. Her spine tingled again; this was a new sensation, something she had never felt before. Someone was coming, someone powerful. She scampered over to the window; the snow falling softly onto the quiet town had turned to black ash. “What’s wrong?” Dominic asked nervously. Without taking her eyes away from the window, Athena muttered, “You need to leave now.” “Leave?” Dominic asked, shocked that she would suggest such a thing. “No, I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on!” In the sudden darkness, a hooded figure appeared before Dominic. They loomed over him, easily six feet tall, shrouded in a strange black leather-like material; their boots were made of the same material, with an inscription written in Enchanted Dialect that translated to, “I do not cling to life sufficiently to fear death.” Dominic froze in fear—and in fascination. He’d heard stories about beings like this. They were known throughout the Realms as witch assassins. Not to be confused with witch hunters, witch assassins were mere warlocks who used their power to hunt and kill witches, not for sport, but because someone had hired them to. “Dominic, you must go!” Athena shouted, not turning away from the window. Dominic closed his eyes to disappear, but not before the figure grabbed him by the neck. Dominic tried in vain to pull away. The assassin growled and whispered, “Red.” Their voice was filled with anger and resentment that they had bottled up for centuries. The words echoed through Athena’s mind; she bowed her head in remorse. Dominic didn’t recognize the word, though Athena clearly did. He unclenched his right hand, a black orb appearing in his palm. The assassin’s grip was too tight; he tried desperately to breathe through his nose as the hooded figure tightened their clutch. Without giving him a second to think, the assassin squeezed. Dominic’s neck broke with a simple snap. He let out his last breath as the orb in his palm disappeared and his body went limp. The assassin threw Dominic across the room and with a loud thud, the man’s corpse landed a few feet away from Athena’s feet. She straightened as she felt the assassin come closer. “If you are looking for the sword,” she said, still looking out toward the glowing lake, “you’re too late. It’s gone.” “The sword is none of my concern, witch,” the assassin said. A growl followed their last word. The assassin crept slowly toward the elderly woman, who still had her back turned, and leaned forward to whisper in her left ear. “I’m here to break the curse you placed on me.” they repeated with pleasure. She turned around to face the assassin. “Don’t be a coward!” She pulled off their hood and let out a small gasp at the sight that greeted her. The man who stood before her was bald, with black soulless eyes and thin lips formed into a smirk. “Tomas? You’re a witch assassin? You’re one of us!” She’d trained him. Centuries ago, he’d been her apprentice. She’d saved his life! Tomas growled at her. “One of us?! You abandoned us the moment you got a chance at having a Happily Ever After.” “That isn’t true! I stayed and helped everyone I could.” “Helped? You cursed us with immortality. I’ve watched my family grow old and die!” Athena shook her head. There was a lot more to the story, but she knew Tomas wasn’t there to hear the details. Tomas withdrew a long clear dagger from inside his coat. She knew what that weapon was and how deadly it can wound a witch. But it wasn’t a weapon one stumbles upon, oh no, this weapon had to be handcrafted by a very powerful being. She sighed. There was no talking herself out of this. “Who sent you?” “Sent me? Are you deaf? I am here to break the curse you placed on me. Don’t you remember how you had ruined my life?” Athena nodded. Of course, she remembered. She knew they weren’t ready to be on their own, so she cursed all six of her apprentices with immortality. Causing them to live forever. To never age. She thought they would’ve been happy. Athena turned around to face the window one last time. She muttered something under her breath. There was no saving herself. She’d reached the end of her story. Truthfully, she didn’t have the strength to fight it. The snow was no longer falling, now only black ash rained down onto the holy town of Mourningville. The adults no longer had to worry about their crops being buried under a frozen blanket, and the children no longer had the excitement of school closing. Athena knew what awaited her next. She smiled at the beautiful, peaceful, and glowing lake as she whispered, “My death…is just the beginning.” Tomas tightened his grip on his dagger and thrust it into her back. Athena didn’t cry out; she didn’t let her pain show. She kept on smiling because she knew that with her last breath, the Enchanted and Magic Realms were going to change, for better and for worse. Tomas dropped the dagger and fell to his knees clutching his heart as it began to beat slowly. He smiled as happy tears ran down his cheeks. “I’m finally free.” Athena and Tomas took their final breaths. * * * * Meanwhile, at Magik High School (The Magic Realm) The rank stench of sweaty gym socks caused Kyle Wiggins to wrinkle his snout in disgust. He never imagined he would be in the school gymnasium, in the early morning, looking for a pink rose. The seventeen-year-old was pudgy, with short hair that looked like someone had cut it with a pair of safety scissors. It was uneven, stringy, and greasy. He had a spattering of freckles over his pink face, and his snout was freshly powdered so it wouldn’t run. It was something that happened whenever he was nervous. He wore a nice buttoned up black shirt with black slacks. For the first time in his life, things were going well. He was finally passing all his classes; his parents were back together now and he was going on a date with his Magic 101 lab partner, Angelica Miller. He’d found a note on his locker yesterday, signed by Angelica, which read: Meet me in the gym at 2 A.M. Find a pink rose and I’ll be right behind you. Kyle let out a sigh of relief when he found a pink rose lying on the top step of the bleachers. He dashed up and grabbed it. He took in a slow whiff of the flower, smiled, and let out a happy sigh. It smelled just like cotton candy, one of Angelica’s favorite treats. “I knew you’d come,” a soft voice said from behind him. Just where she said she’d be. His heart skipped a beat, and again he smiled to himself. He couldn’t wait to turn around and gaze lovingly into the hazel eyes of his longtime crush. Kyle took a breath, and slowly he turned. He wasn’t trying to be dramatic, he was just buying time to get control of his anxiety. The last thing he wanted was to start stuttering in front of her. “Angelica, I must say how excited I am that—” A bright flash blinded him, cutting him off. He covered his eyes. Someone was laughing. “Ew, you dweeb!” Standing before him was Bradley, the most popular boy in school. He looked at his phone screen, at the picture of Kyle making that hideous face—a combination of shock and disgust. Kyle’s sight cleared from the flash, and he looked around the gym. “Where—where’s Angelica? I…I heard her.” Bradley glared at the boy and smirked. “That was me, you moron! Chameleon, remember?” He cleared his throat and began speaking again. Angelica’s voice came out. “See dweeb, I’m not her, but I sound just like her.” Bradley laughed again, shaking his head as his voice returned to its normal baritone. Kyle looked at the older boy standing in front of him. “Why…why would you do that?” “Why not?” Bradley replied, followed once again with a crude laugh. Bradley was captain of the football team and a Chameleon. He could shapeshift into anyone and take on their likeness, mannerisms, even their voice. Kyle wondered if Bradley’s good looks—the chiseled cheekbones, the athletic body, the blue eyes, and blond hair—was even real. “I see the way you look at Angelica. The way she helps you with your homework because you can’t do anything right. And I’m here to tell you it needs to stop. She is my girl.” “But, but…you and her aren’t…aren’t even dating.” Bradley shrugged. “So? Doesn’t matter where we are now in our relationship. My dad got a magic Crystal Ball. And in it, I saw us as adults. We’re going to be married, and I’m going to rule the Magic Realm. And when that happens, I’m going to make sure you and your family of swine never see this Realm again.” Bradley laughed as he pushed Kyle; the teen lost his balance on the bleachers and ended up on his back. “Ha! Next time watch your back, buddy. Oink, oink!” Bradley jumped off the bleachers and strode toward the double doors of the gym, whistling to himself. Kyle rubbed his temples angrily as the jock ambled away. “You, you suck!” Bradley stopped as Kyle’s words echoed throughout the gym. The jock whirled, ready to pummel the pig, but he froze when a high-pitched giggle echoed throughout the gymnasium. The boys looked around, one nervous and one pretending not to be. “What…what the hell is that?” Kyle asked as he quickly got up on his feet. Bradley looked around, not entirely sure what was going on. In a black smoky light, a man appeared before the teens. He wore a black and white jester costume. The man was easily six and a half feet tall. He almost looked emaciated; there wasn’t an ounce of fat underneath his skintight jester’s outfit. His eyes were yellow, and his teeth were orange; his chapped lips were accented with black lipstick. “What the hell?” Bradley asked in shock, staring wide-eyed at the jester. “Remember me?” the jester asked. His voice was high-pitched, as if he had inhaled helium. Bradley shook his head nervously. “Why, I’m Nolan Nomore. Or you can call me—” The jester licked his black lips and grinned, “—your end.” Kyle turned and ran toward the door as the horrifying screams of Bradley mixed with Nolan’s maniacal laughter. Kyle ran across the gym and pushed open the doors, desperate to make it to safety when something caught his ankle. He looked down to find it was Nolan’s too-long gloved hand, impossibly strong for something so thin. “Wha—?” “Where do you think you’re going, kid? I’m not done with you!” Nolan laughed and yanked Kyle back into the gym, causing the double doors to swing closed. Thunder roared outside the walls of Magik High. The boys’ screams were drowned out as an impending rainstorm approached the Magic Realm.