The Witch

[ILLYRIAN]

Elements of this tale use content from the series, where they exist they remain property of the series.

THE WITCH

Samuel stopped the car outside the house, it was Corinne’s first time at the house and her father wanted to know what she thought of the new house. Corinne thought the house looked good, that it blended into the garden, she walked to the front door and rang the brass cows bell, she liked it she rang the cows bell even though she didn’t expect on answer.
“How many acres come with the house,” said Corinne as she gazed at the forest each side of the house. Her mother Alison replied that there was five hundred acres. Her father stated that when he was signing the deeds their solicitor said about the land in the forest. Another fifty three acres though nothing was known except it used to be home to the Cathcombe Coven.

“That is where we got the name for the house from,” said Alison. Corinne said that she had read quite a bit about the coven, they were said to be a recognised coven of great power. She said she would try to find the book about them to find out where they met. After they had eaten the evening meal and the plates had been cleaned Samuel Alison and Corinne went into the main room. Her father told Corinne to go upstairs and sort out a room for herself and before it gets too late. Corinne said she would and slowly put the book she was holding back on the table, her father told her to hurry up. “Okay, okay you don’t have to ask me twice.” Corinne went towards the stairs, she stopped at the bottom step. “Sorry about that, you did need to ask me twice.”
Corinne ran up the stairs and soon found herself in the attic.

It was a good size, she had never known an attic to have such a good vibe. She looked out of the window but didn’t understand why she wanted to see into the forest. She found a golden trowel in a case and put it in a glass case by the window. Downstairs Alison and Samuel listened to the banging that echoed from above them.
“Corinne seems to be moving her furniture about,” said Alison Samuel shook his head. “It sounds to me as though she has chosen a new room up there, maybe the attic,” said Samuel.
Corinne was setting up her book shelf, she had found a few boxes with her books in. Putting them in an alphabetical order she filled the lower three shelves. She picked a book that was about a witch who lived with a druid who took a Christian cleric on a tour of England’s early pagan sites. One of the sites that was mentioned was where the Cathcombe coven met. The next book she put on the shelf was written by her father, Samuel. He was very embarrassed whenever anyone mentioned his book as he didn’t think it was sufficiently good to have sold over two million copies.

In the early hours of the morning Alison was very surprised to see Corinne at the breakfast table before six thirty. Alison stared at Corinne as she said she had chosen the attic to be her bedroom. “So your father was right about where all the noise was coming from last night.”
They both have a good laugh.
“I had a weird dream last night, I saw a ghost in the attic. I heard a voice tell me a name, Will. I think it was the ghost but the ghost didn’t move its mouth, the thing is I don’t think it is the ghost of the witch that lived in the house,” said Corinne. Corinne looked at the pile of school books on the table. “Great, here I am almost seventeen and dropped into a new school six weeks after the start of last term.” Her mother told her not to worry as her previous school had taken care of her exams. Samuel entered the room and put several more books near her. Corinne looked at the pile of books then looked up to her parents.

“History of the Cathcombe?” Corinne looked to her father she flipped open the book about the school. “Oh no, not a girls only school, and it’s a boarding school?” exclaimed Corinne. Her father quickly interrupted, he told Corinne that boarding at the school isn’t compulsory. Alison’s eyes began to fill with tears, Corinne turned to face her mother and she stared at her father who smiled to her.
“Why did you guys want to move here?” asked Corinne.
They looked to each other, Alison spoke first. “We like it here it is a nice place to live and it is surrounded by a forest and fields. And that is a good school.” Corinne looked at the books. “The school that we have registered you in it used to be an old stately home that was built as a training house for an old religion, the Druids. That was at first but then it became a home for witches.”
Corinne faced her. “Do you mean the Cathcombe witches began there?”

Her mother didn’t know the answer. “Opposite from the house, further along the track there is said to be a home for witches, a meeting place for a coven. People have said there are graves in the forest to the right though I’m not sure which coven. What you might like to know of is this the house was once a home to a witch. The name of the witch who lived in this house was Gwendolyn so I have no idea who your ghost was, is but maybe the ghost was the leader of the coven. So you have a choice, you can go to school today or you can take a walk up the road.”
Corinne decided the school held a bit more sway. She picked up the books and put them in her bag. Throwing her jacket about her shoulders she left the house and started to cross the fields towards the school. Several farmers had gathered in the field near the school one of them recognised the shadow that walked behind Corinne as she wandered over the field. The field was where a great battle was once fought it was between several hundred men and one woman, a witch. That witch wandered across the field and all the men died though none of the men bore the marks of any of man’s weapons. Nor any marks at all, if was as though the life just ran out of them. It was that witches shadow who followed Corinne.

Corinne went up the steps into the school then followed the directions on the wall into the classroom she stood next to the teacher’s desk and waited for directions to where she should sit. The teacher, Mr. Henry told her to go and sit next to Rachel she was a deeply religious girl who Corinne would bond with or become an enemy, but at least he would know more about her – where to have her be sat. Rachel introduced herself and told Corinne to start to read the bible
Corinne looked at her then the bible, she shook her head “This might be the wrong place to say this but the bible spouts crap like thou shalt not permit a witch to live. When God obviously knew witches lived in the world. God gave a commandment that said thou shalt not kill after he had sent a flood to kill the world so save your crap for the dumb of this world.” Rachel knew not to reply. The girls stared at each other. Mr. Henry asked Corinne to tell the class where she was and where she came from. “My name is Corinne I used to live on the other side of the city until my folks decided to move here. On a farm not too far away at where some of you may know as Cathcombe Park.” From the other side of the classroom a girl stood up. “My name is Mae-ith you won’t hear this from Rachel but you don’t want to live there. Some witches are rumoured to live there.

Corinne laughed. “Rumours? You can forget about the rumour mill I saw a dead witch there. Does the name Will mean anything to either of you, to anyone here. So yes there are witches here and yesterday I saw two dark entities near the house and dark entities protect only special witches which could mean they remain,” said Corinne.
Mae-ith watched as Corinne left the class when the time was right, she was sure that she saw a hazy shadow float behind her.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH
(of Cathcombe Coven)

Later that day after Corinne had made herself something to eat at her home, she left the confines of the house and stepped outside into the garden path. After admiring the garden she went to and passed the garden gate and was about follow along the lane.
“Hi there where are you going?” Corinne turned to see it was Rachel, of all the people she could have thought of Rachel would not be among them. “I’m about to go up the track to the old witches house,” said Corrine.

Rachel stepped closer to Corinne. “I hope you don’t mind if I walk with you,” said Rachel. Corinne was happy to invite her to her side. They walked along not saying anything to each other until they were at the top of the rise and were able to look down the track.
“Do you know, of all the people I know you are the last person who I’d guess who’d be here,” said Corinne. Rachel smiled.
“The reason why I came here to speak to you, it has been a long time since I met anyone who I’d trust to tell repeat the truth as they were told or as they heard or saw. I might come across as this bible basher but I’m not. My mum and my great gran were followers in the craft I’m not one who declares it. I am interested in who they are though?” Rachel said she had wondered how old the witches could be. The people talked of them women or young women but never as old women. Corinne stared at her. “You said you were going to the old witches house,” said Rachel.

As they wandered along the track though to the end of it, the end of it appeared to keep hiding from them. They saw a large building begin to appear as they passed through the edge of the forest. Corinne turned to Rachel she stopped and asked her how she could know it would be there about fifteen yards from school building. “What groups of people were being taught here druids or witches?” Corinne smiled to Rachel she knew that both groups were. Corinne invited Rachel back to her house, to her bedroom, it was eight twenty. Rachel rang her father so that he would collect her and give her a lift home.

Rachel followed Corinne up to the attic and waited while she looked on the window ledge then asked Rachel where her trowel had gone? She wandered to the walk in wardrobe to where her shoes were kept. Once again Corinne looked to Rachel. “What is my trowel doing here, how did it get over here?” She picked it from the shelf and put it back on the window ledge. Corinne took a book from the shelf and was about to read from it when Alison called to them, Rachel’s father was there to take her home. As the following day Rachel and Corinne had a day off Rachel from school Rachel promised she could be there nice and early.

A short time after ten the following morning Alison met Rachel at the door, she invited her into the kitchen then asked her to join her while she waited for Corinne to get back from the shop.
While Rachel waited for Corinne, she stood at a window in the conservatory, she was curious about the two dark figures who wandered along the edge of the forest. Rachel opened a window for a better look then stepped outside, she rested herself against the garden gate at the back of the house. She called to Corinne shouting what she had just seen, Corinne beckoned Rachel to where she was, she was also aware of the movement in the trees. Rachel started to get closer to the forest but Corinne told her to concentrate on where she was walking. Corinne told Rachel that she may have seen the entities who protect the witches. Corinne sais to Rachel that they might be there because a couple of the witches were there. Rachel realised what Corinne meant, that two of the dead Cathcombe witches were nearby.

Corinne said about the book she had seen, how it implied that one of the witches had used to live in the house she lived in. Corinne began to wish she knew what the witch looked like. Rachel suggested they go to her bedroom, Corinne agreed. As Corinne entered the attic Rachel said that Corinne’s mother had said about the witch and she had spoken about the witch. “In a séance, even if the one being called cannot be seen, it was possible to see the ghosts reflection.” Rachel said about the trowel that Alison had mentioned, Rachel said it could be used to see what Gwendolyn looked like.” Corinne stared at her generally people avoided seeing the reflection of a ghost, not this time though. Corinne went to get the trowel, called for Gwendolyn and slowly turned about the room whilst she looked at the highly reflective back of the trowel.

A vague hazy reflection seemed to wave them to the side, Corinne turned and looked in that direction in the attic, they moved themselves to be stood in front of the mirror. With Corinne at her side Rachel became very hopeful and was about to tell Corinne it was the first time she had hoped to see a ghost when a figure appeared, it was stood behind them. With Corinne she stepped to the side and turned so the ghost could see herself in the mirror. The girls now faced each other, they became shocked as they heard the ghostly voice say, ‘Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest one of all? Sorry about that, I couldn’t resist it.” Corinne stared at the mirror, at what the ghost looked like. “Are you Gwendolyn?” asked Corinne.

The ghost replied that she was, she invited both of the girls to walk with her into the forest, she would make the entities value the girls as friends. Rachel asked her how, Gwendolyn replied that she would lead them to where the dead Cathcombe witches were buried. That when the witches had risen from the dead the old chapel that was the witches home would be revealed. Corinne asked Gwendolyn what the witches would do when they returned, Gwendolyn smiled to Corinne, she said the school for girls would herald a few surprises. The secret passages that they would find at the school and the separate entrance to the belfry near the top the school. Gwendolyn told the girls that when they did go there she would tell them how to ring the bell.

Rachel had Gwendolyn wait until the whole school was there before Corinne and her were shown where the bell was. The response was a surprise to everyone except them, Corinne and Rachel had discussed the end, how some people would not expect her to know about such things and those who were friends with Corinne hadn’t expected to see them together. On the day when the bell was rung the witches who had been raised from the dead stood at the front of the school as the now life like figure of Gwendolyn showed Corinne and Rachel along secret passage ways into the belfry. Once there Rachel was shown the rope that would cause the bell to sound.

At the bottom of the stairs Mr Henry asked Rachel how she knew about the history of the school? Rachel replied that Corinne’s friend Gwendolyn had introduced her to the Cathcombe witches. Mr Henry was amazed, he said he had done some investigations himself. That Gwendolyn was never a Cathcombe witch though she was known to several Druids of old, one of them bore the name Merlin. That Merlin and Gwendolyn were friends, accomplices in the fight against blood witches. Much was written about Gwendolyn though it was from such a long time ago it couldn’t be conclusively proven but there were a few accounts of what Gwendolyn did and who she was related to. Corinne said she was related to the one who became known as King Arthur, she was married to the brother of King Ruhtra.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

And The Secret Passage

They left the school at nine in the morning, Rachel, Mae-ith and Mr Henry followed Corinne into the forest to near where the witches had been said to be. They followed Corinne who followed the path as she was directed to by the ghost from her attic. When the night started to appear Corinne, Rachel, Mae-ith and Mr Henry walked out of the forest towards the school. Though it had just been raining, though the rain ran like a river along the path neither Corinne nor the witnesses from the forest lost their footing it was as if the path was dry. Though Mr Henry did notice where they walked seemed to repeat itself, trees that grew the same trees that appeared to have the same twisted limbs. Even though they followed Corinne they never walked beside her. In front of her Will led the way.

All seemed well until Will stood in front: she faced the few from the school. “Those here are seven witches they like me I caused to rise from the graves we had each occupied, the forest allowed us to be here again. Will showed the freshly risen Gwendolyn, Deborah, Angharad, Bathsheba, Jessicah and Monicah to their new friends from the school. Letting them lead the way the witches went to the college, they spent what was left of the night in the library. At nine fifteen in the morning Mr Henry wandered to them in the library he asked them if they wanted to be given a guided tour of the college. Gwendolyn and Will asked him if he wanted to know where the secret passages were. Surprised at their reply he asked them if there was a reason for their return. Corinne grinned she said that she had been asked to be their spokesperson, that they had suggested the girls were to be told about their history then told why they were there at the school and why that college had been chosen.

At eleven that morning the witches wandered into the classroom that Mr Henry was about to teach in. He told the class they were about to be given a history lesson. Gwendolyn stepped forward. “As you will have been told by now is that you might know me by is Gwendolyn, in the latter part of my life I became a Cathcombe Witch. At the start of my life in the year five hundred and seventy two my name was Gwen, I lived in a cove called Vere on the north Cornish coast. My friends were Rosanna, Elspeth, Aldridge, Brian and Ruhtra. We had many adventures together and those adventures with Brian would last many centuries. Even after his brother Ruhtra had become King of Cornwall and he changed his name completely to Arthur, he promised true belief in God and swore to follow him in death it was in life that Brian and I followed God. We continued our lives for fourteen hundred years as destroyers of a band of blood witches. I know for a fact that King Arthur and his Knights have been called to ride out in the defense of Britain. They are at rest in a famous hill, it is marked with what is referred to as the White Horse. It isn’t a horse though as at the other end of the chalk animal are housed many hundred werewolves, they were led there by the Piper at the request of Death of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Corinne said that they were there to help Brian and Gwen to destroy the blood witches, while Gwendolyn had become a Cathcombe witch they had remained there to help the world if and when needed. That Gwendolyn had been reborn to give power to another in an attempt to right mankind’s wrongs. One of mankind’s wrongs was too follow the sins of the Son of the Devil. For the wrongs to be corrected a plan was being devised, before that the Son had to be found as were several Legions of his protectors. There is one wolf who has the ability to find the location of the son but for that werewolf to be located Gwendolyn said she had to find the two who created all werewolves, they were known to the Devil’s people as the Incubus and the Succubus.

The Devil had chosen to befriend God in this battle against the Son of the Devil, the Devil gave Gwendolyn the location of the Incubus and the Succubus. Many tales of gore filled Gwendolyn’s mind as she wandered to where she was told to go. A surprise she had never allowed to reside in her mind befell her, there in front of her was a happy couple, arm in arm. “What did you expect to see? We have been happy together for many thousand years. Just because human’s see problems after a few score years why should we be the same?” Gwendolyn was glad they were nice, she said the battles against the Son neared an end but one was sought who could direct them to the Son. The Incubus smiled, he said he had waited many centuries to hear that, he said he would notify who she wanted to meet. The Incubus said that when in human formed the werewolf bore the name Veronica. And the reason why Werewolves were first created was after man found that a dog was his best friend. Go up the ladder to the top and you will find that the Devil took a Werewolf as his best friend. And that werewolf found that a vampire was a delicacy

Will stepped forward, I have only a few years behind me, I came here from a battle against another realm of the Son She said she was there to meet one from another coven. Will looked to the door of the classroom. “I was sort of hoping that Althenea would be here now or soon, I miss talking to her,” said Will, “the leader of the evil placed his trust in the vampires then, some things don’t change. When I was there I helped another to defeat the evil, we did but as it turns out it needs doing again. It’d be good to see her again.” Mae-ith went to Will’s side, she rested her hand on her shoulder. “If you tell me her name I’ll give her a call for you?” Will smiled, “Thank you for the offer but there is no need I can feel her getting closer, soon she will be here. Boy is she going to learn a few things.” Mae-ith stared at Will, asking her questions with her eyes. “My friend often tried to find who gave her directions, boy is she going to be surprised when I tell her.”

Bathsheba rose from her chair she went to stand at the front of the class. Get ready, we are here to learn of us, of our past and you will be welcomed for any help you can provide. The end is coming, again, there is also another end coming. Targeting its leader is what we need do, as I say any help you can offer will be welcome.
“Can you guys learn from what led you to now?” asked Mae-ith. We have tried, this battle has been fought for countless generations, centuries, millennia, lessons have been learnt lessons need to be learnt stated Bathsheba. “Isn’t it obvious, you need to tell us everything,” said Mae-ith. Gwendolyn said that would take too long, reliving everything she had lived might give them the secrets to win. But all I have to do is leave out the wrong fact. No, if they can help great but if not we do what we were brought here to do. I believe it is the secrets left here by Kal-na and Ka-im that will guide us where we need, to find the paths to defeat the Devil’s Son.

Will stared at Corinne, after a while Corinne nodded then walked into the main hall, she ignored Mr Henry when he tried to engage her in a conversation. He followed her into the hall. Corinne went to a heavy sideboard that was below a large painting, it was as if she willed the sideboard out of her way. She went into the wall after several panels erased themselves, wandering along the passage Corinne entered a room that lights lit themselves as they passed under them. Corinne picked up a long hollow tube of metal. She picked it up turned then carried it back to the hall. They stepped to the classroom, Mr Henry looked behind but all he saw was the wall and no door, he wasn’t sure how to open the passage, maybe the sideboard being moved aside did it, maybe the sideboard slide onto a certain floorboard but at least he knew where to look. And he was pleased as another storeroom would not be amiss.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

Deborah and her Daughters.

Deborah stood up from her seat and went to the head of the room, she asked her daughters Jessicah and Monicah to join her, they went to her. Deborah wrote the names on the board then faced the class. “If you hadn’t been told what might give it away that they were my daughters?” asked Deborah. Rachel looked to her friends. “I didn’t know we had been told, maybe I had been asleep though I don’t remember that bit,” said Misbah.
Roger smiled. “When I just spoke to Mae-ith she said it was obvious she said that I should look at their names, that each of them had the letter H at the end of each name.” Misbah grinned to Roger she was impressed that it was so simple, she spoke to him. “And what do you think their tale is?” asked Misbah.

“I have heard a bit here and there, they were all buried in the witches burial ground it is why they were buried that I think was remarkable,” stated Roger. “I heard that Deborah grew old after her heart had been broken. She had fallen in love with a man from a nearby village. He was a very respected man, the only son of a man of God. So even though she was not married no persecution was brought against her. As was expected Deborah had a child and all seemed well until two months after the child had been born the young man stole Deborah’s child from her. The son of the man of God had been married to a woman who was from a more prominent family, the child stolen from Deborah was declared her child. Several years later the woman fell pregnant; she gave birth to twins. Deborah’s friends heard of this and chose to take their revenge,

The woman had given birth to twin girls and they were stolen. “Deborah named the twins Jessica and Monica but she gave them the letter H so they would become known as the children of her, Jessicah and Monicah. Deborah cared for the girls until they were in their seventeenth year, when Deborah died. The twins lived a year longer but their attempt to raise Deborah from the dead failed. Caught they were charged with being witches as they had killed a man and removed his heart from his chest. It was used with witchcraft to give Deborah’s heart new life. In those countries controlled by the Catholic church a witch would have been burnt but Britain was a Protestant country so Deborah’s girls were hung by the neck until dead then buried, after facing the trial.”

“They were charged with being witches and of doing witchcraft but it could not be proved that they did witchcraft, so they could not be hung for being a witch. They were however proved to be murderers and for that they were hung. The man who represented them in court was particularly clever and the magistrate was almost about to release them when Deborah walked into the courtroom. Deborah wanted to convince the magistrate to hang her daughters. The poor magistrate, having the ghost of the defendant mother tell him he should hang her daughters was more than enough. The magistrate was convinced by the ghost of Deborah. The daughters were also buried in the forest of Cathcombe only to be raised from the dead some two hundred and seventy years later after being protected while dead by a couple of dark entities.

Bathsheba rose to the fore of the classroom, she warned those in the room that her tale might scare them. A chapel had been built by the Christian church on top of the mound overlooking Glastonbury. Battle after battle was waged in the area’s below the mound at Glastonbury. Of course the Christian church claimed they were responsible for saving the town.
After several decades had passed several people in the nearby villages who believed in God sought about attacking the forests. That was until one night about to find the graves they confronted by the beautiful Bathsheba, she was quite lovely to look at and had a lovely personality. The light of the full moon shone on Bathsheba’s pretty long blonde hair that cascaded down to her shoulder blades slowly changed to become like crackly pieces of straw. The pretty dress she wore took on the appearance of an old hessian sack cloth. A long walking stick appeared in her hand as her body bent over like an old woman’s and her skin appeared to become old and wrinkly.

But they hadn’t been, the chapel had been built to the specific directions of those who protected England against any invaders. As tales spread the people knew the church had told lies. The first battles had been preceded by the howls of huge wolves that had lived within the mound. What the builder of the chapel had never considered that the mound itself was attacked by those who were friends of the blood witches. That those who lived in the hill were werewolves, that they had been led into the mound by the Piper under the direction of Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. That a witch of Cathcombe, Bathsheba, who had been responsible for sending messages to other chapels, that she was responsible for opening the hill. From hilltop to hilltop the warnings could be spread about the country. The only other mound that hid the werewolf had been marked in chalk though the humans had it as being a horse on a hill; it was and is, in fact, a werewolf.

Will spoke to Mr Henry she told him that he could if he wanted to see each of them as an individual but he could if he wanted see them as a group, a coven. She told him that they had been allowed to be there to begin to protect the world from harm. She took Mr Henry by the hand and led him into the entrance hall of the building. She had him look at the two wall height bookshelves Will opened a clear ruler until it could measure one yard, she slid it between the book-shelves and under a small lever then lifted it up the two book cases slid further apart to
reveal a secret passage. They walked along the passage until they happened upon a vast circular stairwell to the attic. Once they were above the attic the women walk to a doorway that led to the outside. Mr Henry looked at the ghost of two boys who seemed as though they were there to guard the doorway.

Once outside on the roof Mr Henry asked who the ghosts of the two young boys were. Will said the boys had been watching. They had been there so long they didn’t trust anyone they saw leave the attic to go on the roof. Will knew the ghosts of the two little boys as the ghost of the twelve year old Prince Edward 5th in line to be the King of England and his ten year old brother the Duke of York. Though it was never known who killed them belief by many was it was their guardian who became King Richard the 3rd Bathsheba became a friend to each of them as it was she who played with them on a daily basis since they were asked to be there in fourteen eighty

One of the places they could see from the roof was where Cathcombe Coven met, in the clearing near where their bodies had been buried. A dark entity patrolled the ground to make sure each had been kept safe. Even know, after all the bodies had gone the entity, Brenda, kept the graves safe should the bodies ever return. Brenda often spoke to the graves, she promised them the witches would return. Brenda knew that the longer the witches were gone the risk of people being brave enough to seek the graves would increase. Brenda called upon four more black shapes to assist her and to have each of them and her able to be seen with red eyes. So that if need be they could scare the braver unwanted away. And it did work except that the word spread
And braver people appeared to prove how brave they were. That was until Brenda caused massive sheets of flame to appear behind them as red eyes glared at the unwanted.

Monicah and Jessicah looked at the barren ground there. Each of the declared that it was where they were buried Brenda looked about then pointed at where their mother was buried though it was empty until the body returned. Stood on the dead ground Brenda held her arms wide, she slowly turned about to protect all that was from all that might be.

End Of Part one

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

Long Lost Friends

Buffy was in LA, she had gone there to see Angel who had gone to see Wesley. Having spent most of the morning finding where Angel was she was very surprised to get a phone call from Willow. Willow said she had been invited to see a relation in a town in Cornwall UK it was a place by the name of Wadebridge. Willow told Buffy that she could be booked on a flight to Heathrow with a friend. Buffy wanted to know what she was meant to say. Willow said she was asking her if she wanted to go with her. It only took Buffy a few minutes to answer Willow. On the plane to Heathrow Willow opened the letter, it said about a flight to Bristol and that a hire car was waiting for them, driven by Mrs Heathern. Willow looked at the name, she knew she knew who it was but couldn’t remember. “Buffy the car is being driven by Althenea.” Buffy was glad that there would be someone who Willow knew, that hopefully she would get to know her as well. So it came as a big surprise to both of them to find out the flight from Heathrow to Bristol was by helicopter.

At Bristol airport there was a car waiting for them as was Althenea, she was almost as excited to meet Willow as Willow was to be there. Althanea said that a room in a house had been made ready for them as had a place for them at the local college. Buffy wasn’t too impressed by that even when she was told that someone who knew each of them was there. Willow thought about it for a while then asked Buffy who she thought it could be. Someone who judging by Althanea’s reaction, she knew just as they did. “Do you mean Giles?” asked Willow. “Yes I did but there was something else.” Willow was very curious but kept quiet, even when they reached the rooms they were to stay in at Cathcombe House.

After a bite to eat Giles presented himself to them, he could hardly contain himself he asked Willow how she was, Willow replied that she was good. Giles breathed in deeply he said he was glad as what she faced there before was nothing when compared to what was there. Giles told Willow about the relation who was there to meet her. The woman was her mother’s mothers mother, Willow could only stared at her. Giles said that of those she would meet there Will was a young one. Another one she would meet had a younger sister who had married someone famous. Willow was impressed though she didn’t expect what came next, the sister was Gwenavere wife of King Arthur.

Amazed at what she heard Willow was told she would meet others who were members of the Cathcombe Coven. Willow told Buffy she had heard of the Cathcombe Coven before, when Giles took her there Miss Harkness and Althanea had spoken of the Cathcombe Coven with great reverence. Giles told them that the following day he would take them to the well - known Wadebridge Bridge. Many years before it had been a bridge made from thousands of pieces of rock, it was as though a jigsaw puzzle had been successfully completed. In today’s time the bridge was a metal and concrete monstrosity. Giles told Willow that he had been asked to contact her as it was hoped that the King of the Pixies would recognise her. In the morning Willow went to the bridge with Giles, Buffy and Althanea. Althanea said that as the bridge was so high the King could never see those who crossed, so it was hoped that Willow would walk through the river. Willow looked at the river and asked how deep it was. Althanea smiled to her, she said the town got its name from people who crossed the river; Wadebridge. Willow looked at her she was so puzzled, then after looking at the depth of the river knew what was meant and stepped down into the water. She slowly moved forward, step after step then suddenly as she was half way across the river, the King of the Pixies stood in front of her. He was glad to see her, he embraced her and thanked her for saving him from having to destroy the bridge.

At just after two fifteen Willow was presented at Cathcombe College, Gwendolyn stood at the entrance to the classroom with Will. Gwendolyn said she had heard what had happened with the King of the Pixies. Will asked Willow if she would, with her friends Buffy and Giles go to the areas that were known, to find and help the ghosts who had failed to appear at the places they were known at. The first would be for the ghost of Mary Jay at what was an internationally known haunting: Jay’s Grave. Willow seemed almost pleased to be asked to do that, as they were leaving the woman presented herself to be her mother’s mothers mother, though her real name was Philomena she was better known as Will. Buffy asked for more information about Kitty, Will suggested that Bathsheba was to go that the two princes might like to learn what was. Going to the place Giles asked that they stop at a Flower Shop so that a potted plant could be bought. Althenea stopped the car at the crossroads of the Heatree Cross to Hound Tor road the grave was at the cross roads. A sure sign that she had killed herself, suicides were not allowed to be buried in a Church of England graveyard until the middle of eighteen twenty three.

Willow placed the potted Rosemary on her grave, she saw there were several dead flowers on the grave she gave each of the plants an increase of life. Buffy asked if anyone knew about the ghost, she had asked before but was only told about how Mary Jay was buried. The child ghost of Edward the fifth spoke up. He said that Kitty, as most people knew her as, had been in an orphanage in Newton Abbott. She was moved to the farm to care for the land, later she was given duties of looking after the house as well. As she grew older the son of the farmer took greater interest in her, eventually he raped her and when it was discovered she was pregnant she was kicked out of the farm. She persevered with her predicament, a sweetheart of hers took her in he was the younger son, Jaime, at another farm he offered to marry her and a great celebration was started. Going to the church Jaime and the horse he rode were caught in a swamp and died. Kitty was at the church when she heard the news.

It was three days later that Kitty’s body was found hanging from a tree, her body was buried at the nearby cross roads. It was while they were listening to Edward that a figure in a black cape appeared near the grave, he looked to Willow and thanked her for tending to the plants. He was the farmer where Kitty worked, he hadn’t realised how horrible his son had been to her so he went there each day to keep her grave in good condition. Bathsheba felt her dress being pulled at. She looked to the side on saw the ghost of Edward the fifth he pointed along the road. Bathsheba told the others even though nothing could be seen. A sound of a horse was heard walking along the road, when fifteen yards from them the horse lowly became visible with two people on its back. The horse walked to near the grave then stopped, the two people on its back dismounting. Though Buffy watched them, she didn’t see either of them leave a flower.

Willow thought for a second turned then carefully lifted a flower from the side of the road, she wandered towards the horse and handed the flower to the young man; the male ghost. She asked him to give the flower to Kitty Jay, Willow watched as the ghost placed the flower on Jay’s Grave. After a few minutes the two ghosts got onto the horse and the horse slowly walked away from the grave, as they were alongside the horse stopped. The young man dismounted and went to Willow. He offered her a flower saying that Kitty wanted him to say thank you. He went back to the horse and got on, the horse slowly walked away Kitty waved to Willow as she left. After the horse faded Bathsheba faced Willow, she was impressed, “There are many people who are known to want to be a friend to a ghost, but not many that a ghost wants to be friends with.” Bathsheba asked if Willow would find out why the squire of Buckfastliegh needed to be buried three times. Willow looked to Althanea. I need to know what you think first, you are who drives us about?” After Althenea had agreed Buffy and Giles replied that they would be glad to. Bathsheba said that she was glad as Buffy might well prove to be an important person in discovering the squires allegiances, for it was stated that the squire was haunted by many visitations of vampires.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

The Squire near the House by the Church

It was on Tuesday at 1:15 in the afternoon that Willow, Althenea, Giles and Buffy entered the shopping area of the town site of Buckfast. Giles suggested they all go to where the Tavern was for something to eat and a drink, their accommodation was above the drinking area after having some food and the drink they could have a wander about. Willow and Buffy had them wander to the town’s graveyard. Buffy found the one grave that was empty. The grave had been empty for a long while as it had never been declared if the body had given itself life or if creatures of the undead had removed the body. A few hours in the local library gave Willow the belief that some undead creatures had been after the Squire’s daughter Lady Ernessa Brangwyn Bellamy and they had taken her body. It was true that she had been buried there and it was true that her body was removed from there but her body had been moved to protect her though no proof was found of who moved the body, only the group and why.

In the evening Willow worked on her own computer it gave the resting place of the Squire’s daughter. Her body had originally been laid to rest at the grave in the family burial plot but the grave had been decimated so much her body and coffin had been laid to rest in ground that had been blessed and soaked in holly water. At the beginning of the second night the coffin was lying on the ground next to the grave a third time the coffin was attempted to be buried, in the basement of a monastery. Which was odd as no woman was normally allowed to stay in the building overnight.

Althanea had a vision of how and where the Squires daughters had been laid to rest, in a chambers in a basement area of the monastery surrounded by a wrought iron fence and her coffin had been covered with three heavy slabs of stone. The monk in charge of the monastery had reputed the squire’s daughter as being the one who invited the devil to remover her slabs though as per usual they were wrong. The Squire’s daughter had not invited the devil to do anything. Buffy knew, her instincts told her that the Squire’s daughter had made enemies of the devil disciples. Buffy knew she could be a friend to her even though Ernessa had died several decades before. She didn’t know what the outcome might be. In the early hours of the morning Buffy had sat on the end of Willows bed and waited until she woken. When Willow had woken she sat up in surprise and asked Buffy why she was there.

Buffy explained how she knew where the Squires daughter was buried, Willow wanted to know how Buffy knew where the body. At halfway through the morning Willow Buffy and Giles got into the car with Althenea, she drove them to a chapel hidden in the grounds of a monastery. Buffy stood at the doorway and confronted the monk in charge of the monastery. He insisted that no women were allowed to be that part of the monastery. Giles tried to move Buffy aside, she refused and pushed back. “The Squire’s daughters body is deep in the dungeons her coffin is covered with three concrete slabs not that it makes any difference?” Buffy turned to Althenea “The squire’s daughter is a vampire and one who still wants to be a slayer. Since her death she has angered many more monsters.” The monk was surprised and fraught with concern that a woman vampire was on the loose.

Althenea took Giles aside, she said they needed to find out who the vampires were after, was it that they knew the squires daughter was like Buffy that she was the Vampire Slayer. That even after her death why did the Vampires pursue her? Althenea wanted to know if they could make her a vampire even after she was dead. Buffy and Willow knew that that it was possible. Spike had said he had done it to a Chinese one to keep her ripe for Drusilla. Willow and Althenea knew they would have to join hands to find the power of where to find the vampires lair. Two hours of searching the lines of dead Althenea and Willow found themselves of the belief that Ernessa had found and killed the other vampires. Althenea and Willow sat Buffy down in the quiet of the monasteries stables, Giles watched on as Buffy vanished she re appeared beside where Ernessa Branhwyn was buried. She was stood by the grave when Ernessa appeared next to her and the monk visited them. He was shocked to see a vampire stood in front of him, he was about to put a stake into her as Buffy stopped him. “Why?” he asked. Buffy looked at Ernessa then to the monk “I’m not sure that is the right thing to do how many other vampire slayers do you know that are a vampire,” Buffy faced Ernessa, “it was the witches of the Cathcombe Coven who had me be here, they thought there was a reason for a vampire slayer to be here, and now so do I. It was foe Ernessa and I to be friends.”

The following morning they all clambered into the car and left the small town and headed towards the village of Widecombe. Althenea parked in the car park for the tavern, they walked into the bar, Giles stood by the bar and asked the others what they wanted. Ernessa replied first. “I’ll have a Scotch Whisky thanks.” Giles stared at Ernessa who casually replied. “What did you expect, a spirit is always best.” Giles, Althenea, Willow and Buffy looked to each other unsure if they should laugh or not. “What is here?” asked Buffy. Giles told Buffy that a man had been sat at one of the tables he needed a few pennies to finish a bet, a stranger had passed beside him and dropped the pennies, the man won the bet, but what he didn’t know was the one who gave him the money was the devil. The man had run to the local church to try and get some help but the vicar was against gambling, he thought it a sin. The devil had many of his demons block the way from the church as he could not enter the church.

When the Devil and his demons left the area a couple of men who were sculptors were able to get into the church, they were willing and able to start writing the sculpting of the devil being kept out of the church. What we are really here for is too see the haunted house to find out that it isn’t a fact of people haunting the house but the house itself is the ghost.” The group had something to eat and a drink before organizing accommodation for the night, they made their way to the village church then once they had been given directions they went to where the ghost house was. They drove along a road out of the village until Ernessa told them to stop, she indicated a clearing. On close inspection it was discovered that the cleared area was where the house was though there was nothing to say why the house itself was a ghost. Ernessa informed the others of the group that no one was in the house, the dead owners of the house had gone out.
She suggested they go to wait at the base of the tree on top of the hill across the road. They had been sat at the tree for a couple of hours when Giles said about the two people who were going into the house. Willow led the way down the hill, she was excited at the thought of meeting them.

Buffy was only just behind her when she stopped at the gate into the garden. Buffy asked Willow why she had stopped there. Willow guided Buffy’s attention to a horse that had just appeared. “Don’t you recognise the horse.” Buffy stared at Willow and shook her head Ernessa grinned and looked as the others walked into the driveway. Giles faced Willow he wanted to know what she meant. “I do.” They looked to the doorway of the house, it was Jaime who looked at them, Kitty stepped to be behind him. “It does make sense two ghosts live in a house that is a ghost, I’m not sure why the house is a ghost though.” Ernessa stepped into the gateway, I think I know, it is the house, it obviously loves having Jaime and Kitty living here. When they are away it blends into the countryside and when they are near the house lets them see it. They all walk into the front garden, as a garden setting appears they all sit down with each other. As they looked at the garden they noticed the horse wandered over the road and along the narrow path up along the side of the hill that wound its way to the top of the hill to where the tree stood. It was casually leant over, the constant wind had blown the tree’s branches to one side enabling it’s leaves to be a constant shadow.

That evening was spent in the lounge of the tavern, writing a report and what they had seen. They knew the college students would like to know what was, they also made plans for the return to the Cathcombe College and made tenuous plans for what could be done the following day.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

Making a home

Willow met with Althenea and Ernessa, she said that a new threat had jusr reared itself into existence and that they needed to either find what was or start again anew. For that choice to happen she had to find those secluded ones. Althenea and Ernessa agreed so they entered a room set aside for them to concentrate on hearing the Astral Planes. It was two weeks before Ernessa heard that a young woman had been threatened. The woman had unknowingly seen a man killed, she had gone to look inside a factory unit. The group of lads who did the murder chased her and eventually cornered her. As they were about to exact the bitter death to her the dust around their feet began to swirl about over the concrete floor. The started to get wider and higher, then it concentrated around the woman.

She looked directly at one of the lads a woman appeared right in front of her. The woman reached towards Cynthia. “Put your hand on mine.” Cynthia nervously looked at the lads then looked to the woman, she placed her hand on the woman’s hand, instantly they were both transported to a forest. They Were. Vixana replied that they were near to where one of her houses was. She said that this was where she would bring people and have them made ready for the next part of her task.

Vixana led the way to where there was a small circular area of ground where the ground seemed to be dead, nothing had grown in the soil for a long while. Cynthia looked at the lush forest around that area. “Where you are is an area which you will get to know very well as it is of great importance. This ground will house the magic of those who I will ask to be here or bring here, we are all witches and those I seek will become members in a coven of great power, the greatest power of any coven past present or in the future,” stated Vixana. Cynthia looked around her. “All I see is the dead soil and the forest about us.”

Vixana said she would soon bring the people who are or could be most powerful, Cynthia suggested that Vixana should get those who were already most powerful. Vixana tilted her head as though she agreed with her. “Those who I need be here have a certain disposition, they all need to be women and they all need to be virgins as they are to do sex magic as was performed in the day of old.” Cynthia tried not to smirk when she asked how virgins would do sex magic.
“Wouldn’t those women experienced with sex be better?” “You pass judgment on what you know nothing about, that will change after I have made the circle ready.” Vixana knelt on the ground she leant forwards and placed both her hands on the soil. The ground beneath their feet began to emit a loud rumble, it starts to shake and from the depth of soil twelve rocks rise up from the ground, a larger thirteenth boulder rose up in the middle. Cynthia looked to see what was, flickers of light flashed from tree to tree and grew in intensity. In the tree tops there was a loud crackling. Cynthia looked all around uncertain of what was.

“This is a place the where power that exists within a person can be re-born or the earth can give new life. Bolts of lightning bore into the ground. “From the clean soil will grow a new life, may
it grow many times and build the knowledge of power.” Vixana pointed at the rocks that had
risen from the deep ground. “I know this one, those twelve rocks will be for the witches and a flat boulder in the middle will be for me I am she who will control the witches of the circle,” said Vixana. Vixana led her on a path away from there to another larger area of dead soil
where her house, the old chapel was. As they went near it appeared about to ask its history Vixana said she had often seen that form of building used so she copied them.

“It looks as though it might have been an old chapel, it even has the space up front of what could have been a belfry,” said Cynthia, she looked to Vixana and waited for an answer but only received a smile and a courteous nod. She said that the chapel was one of her favourite places and consequently she left her best cover on it, she explained to Cynthia that the cover was literally a cover to stop anyone seeing it. “The last thing I want would be to find a person who shouldn’t be in the place. So let me introduce the house to you.” Cynthia stared at the house before she turned her attention to Vixana as she was curious why Vixana talked about the chapel as a person. Vixana had Cynthia move to be stood beside her, Cynthia was quite surprised when Vixana formally introduced her to the chapel. She told the chapel that Cynthia would be taking care of the others who would stay at the house while the rest were searched for. Cynthia commented on the state of the place adding she would clean the outside and make garden beds all around the place.

A bell began to ring. Vixana was impressed at Cynthia for saying what work she would like to do to the ground around the chapel. As soon as she had finished saying what she wanted to do the doors opened. Vixana was impressed as the building seemed to like Cynthia. Vixana explained that the people who’d begin to arrive would need to have a window put in the walls of the building and soon with enough people there the house would become a home, she stepped forward and invited Cynthia into the home with her. As they went in Vixana had Cynthia look up into the belfry, curious about why she did as asked, and was more than a bit surprised.
“Where is the bell and what made the sound of the bell?” Vixana smiled, she told Cynthia there wasn’t a bell and the bell wasn’t replaced when the chapel had been moved some hundred years before. Cynthia looked into the belfry and asked what sound had she heard. Vixana told her that the chapel had bell when the chapel was used as a church, that what she heard was the ghost of the bell.

Vixana kept going she walked into the kitchen and waited for Cynthia. “What I need do now is teach you how to order the food you’ll need when the others get here. Vixana opened a cupboard took a biro and an exercise book from a drawer then told her to start on the first page, put it in the pantry close the doors, open the doors and see what you have for more foodstuffs write down those items in the exercise book. Cynthia glanced to Vixana. “I need to make a list?” Vixana said it wasn’t a list as such but a list of what was wanted, she wrote down ten pounds of potatoes on the first page of the exercise book and placed it on the shelf of the pantry. She closed the pantry doors then opened them, the potatoes were on the shelf. Cynthia put then n the basket on the floor then said she wanted a few tins of Baked Beans but she couldn’t remember the size of tins. Vixana smiled and wrote in the book for three tins of Baked Beans. After closing the pantry then opening it again Vixana asked Cynthia if the tins were big enough because if they weren’t she would only need ask for three more. Twenty minutes later the pantry, the cupboards and the fridge was full.

Cynthia seemed to be happy that she had everything ready but she wasn’t ready to clean the house or do the garden. “Is there anything else we could do?” Vixana ushered Cynthia outside and told her she was there to build a coven made from witches, one that would be capable of sex magic.” Cynthia was intrigued she asked Vixana to explain what was going to happen. Vixana sat on a step breathed in and thought for a moment, she said she would get thirteen witches to be there. Vixana said she would be the central figure of the coven, for the core to be five witches that the other were to support. “Why do you need do all this?” asked Cynthia. “Orders, yes, you could say that,” replied Vixana, “When the Son has been killed then it will be time for a Heaven on Earth to exist. Though God said he wasn’t willing to do it himself he had choose others who might. He wasn’t too sure if any would want to because of the mess he had created for now from the last time; the flood. He had Kal-na who had been given the power of the Devil and the power of God.

He had to destroy the Sons protectors a task he had done now all that was needed to be done was to find and destroy the Son. Work that God had sent Vixana to prepare the way. Even God was unsure what would happen next. Ka-im was ordered to go with Kal-na, the power of a Goddess might be needed Cameron, Mackenzie, Tianara and the Godking Aqueion decide who to save then how to do it.” Vixana told Cynthia that only a few thousand people would be allowed to live the rest would be removed from life because they had contributed to kill the planet and every one of his creations that lived on the planet. So we have been chosen to save the planet and to save those who can live without causing it to die.”

Vixana had gone to begin the search for those descended from the witches he had left the elements in. “How will you make the witches ready?” asked Cynthia. Vixana wandered out of the old chapel, she turned to make sure Cynthia was behind her then went to the circle of dead ground. Those women I bring here I will ask them to lay down with their feet touching their outer stone and their hands on the boulder. The power of that element I will take hopefully with God’s blessing I will have control of those four elements. Then the power of the fifth element will be given so I can find and destroy the Son.” “The fifth element?” asked Cynthia. “The Spirit of God,” replied Vixana and pointed to the path that led from the circle into the forest.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

TWO TO GO

Ernessa and Buffy stood at the roadside, Willow and Vixana initially fought about which of them would represent them, then they discovered that both of them were one. As a police car flew by them its lights flashing and its siren pulsating into the darkness. They watched it as the police car went to the scene of the accident, the police car was driven by Senior Police Constable Ben Major, his passengers were Snr. PC Susan Troy and PC Allanah Baird. When they arrived at the scene of the accident Snr. PC Troy and PC Baird got out of the car and went to watch the traffic on the east bound lanes of the dual carriageway. Snr. PC Major went to assist the ambulance officers though he only saw them put the car’s driver put onto the stretcher, he saw that both of the drivers legs had been broken. It was evident that he had a large gash to the side of his head, just behind and above his eye to just beyond his ear: he had hit the door pillar.

Snr. PC Major spoke to an ambulance officer he asked if the driver had been drinking. The ambulance officer looked to him and laughed as the man had just died, he said when he had spoken to him the man had said his name was Ronnie and he was a barman at The Gothic Club in Clause Street. The ambulance officer continued, he kept repeating himself saying he had served a drink to a woman in the nightclub but when he looked at the security tape later the woman was invisible. He said he had seen the woman on the road near here, he swerved to avoid her. Snr. PC Majors looked back along the road at the tyre marks where the car had swerved off the road. He noticed the tyre marks where he had swerved to avoid hitting a tree then the marks on the road. He took several photographs of the accident, got back into the police car then went back to the station he agreed with Snr. PC Troy and PC Baird they ought to go to the Gothic Club towards the end of the midday session to find out some more about Ronnie.

At just after two pm they stood at the end of the bar, the woman who was behind the bar, Rebecca Wright told them she was the owner that they were lucky to see her there as the barman hadn’t turned up for work. Sue Troy interrupted the woman and told her about the accident, and that the barman had died in the accident. The woman was visibly shaken, she meekly attempted a smile and admitted that he was a nice person. Snr. PC Major held up his identity card, he asked her if there was any CCTV cameras that showed the bar. Rebecca turned to the end of the bar and pointed up at the ceiling. “I like to keep an eye on the bar and who comes in, mainly because I like looking at the fashions of the Gothic wear. I get a lot of ideas about what to wear and what I can wear at the social event’s I go to,” said Rebecca Wright.

Snr. PC Major repeated what he’d been told by the ambulance officer, he said he wanted to see the CCTV. He repeated what the ambulance officer had said about Ronnie seeing a woman and that that was why he wanted to look at the CCTV to see if they could discover who she was.
Rebecca said she was a bit busy but if he could until after the shelves had been restocked she would be happy to accompany them. “In about fifteen minutes.” When they had been taken to a viewing room next to the bar and had begun to watch the tape the owner fast forwarded the recording to when the bit they wanted to see. “Here we go, this is what you are here for. I saw this bit earlier as Ronnie and I thought we recognised the woman. If you look carefully you will be able to see the shadow on the floor, though there is nothing or no one to cause the shadow.

They watched as the barman appeared to pour a drink for someone in front of him at the bar even though no one could be seen, then they all saw the coins appear from nowhere and drop into his hand.” Snr. PC Major stared at the screen shocked at what he had just seen. “Where the hell did those coins come from and where the hell did who or whatever it was come from?” he asked.
“I think you just answered yourself,” stated PC Allanah Baird. Rebecca Wright turned the machine off, opened the door and told them to wait in the bar as there was something there she wanted to show them. When they were sat by the bar Rebecca reached up and took down a large oil painting that covered a mirror, as she put the painting on the bar she noticed how they looked at the mirror.

Rebecca told her not to ask if it was a trick mirror as it was a trick mirror, I had a local builder install it to reflect a bit of the ceiling and the wall opposite. It really freaks out some folk because they can’t see my reflection when I walked passed it. But what I wanted you to see was the painting.” “I bought it to cover the mirror last year, I have no idea who the painting is by but it has been dated to be from the early sixteen hundreds.” “Now that had no meaning before tonight as the woman we saw at the bar, the same one who we can’t see on film, if you look closely at the woman’s face in a window on the second floor, it is the woman we saw, the woman who Ronnie saw. PC Baird asked Rebecca if she had CCTV coverage in the car park.

They followed her back to the viewing room, they sat for hours as they watched the continuous line of people as they left the club and went to their cars. PC Baird and Rebecca began to enjoy watching the people Rebecca taught PC Baird how to have fun looking at other women’s clothes what PC Baird hadn’t considered was how the man’s clothes needed to allow the woman to be better. Rebecca was asked to rewind the player for a specific minute Allanah wanted them to watch the back of a car, they watched as each car door opened then closed. then the car began to leave the car park without a driver. As they made note of half of the cars rego number, the cars colour its make and model a driver began to appear. Snr. PC Ben Major told them they had two ways to follow her one way was through the police data-base though it would involve a lot of work with only part of the number. Or they could go to the car yard advertised on the sticker on the rear window.

Snr. PC Major said he would go to the station and start trying to track down the car while they went to the car sales yard. He said he would meet them there. As Snr. PC Troy and PC Baird walked into the posh surroundings of the cars in the showroom an assistant walked towards them. PC Baird noticed the woman’s name badge on her tunic; Vera Hastings. Snr. PC Troy told Vera there had been a fatal accident the previous night that they needed a witness. They took part of a registration number and needed to contact the person, they thought the car had been bought there.

While Vera started to look on the showrooms computer the police officers looked at the other cars in the showroom. While they were looking at the upholstery on a car the woman returned with a computer readout that gave the woman’s name and address. As they left the cars showrooms they talked to each other about what they were doing, neither of them noticed the woman who approached them from behind them. That was until PC Baird turned to look at whose footsteps she had heard. Vera gave them the address for a woman at the old chapel in Cathcombe Park. Getting into the car they drove to see if they could find the old chapel, not knowing that when they did all trace of them had gone. Willow had gone north through the forest from the chapel, she emerged from the trees near a path where she was due to meet a young woman who would show her about the village of Albion. It was the middle of the morning that Willow neared the farmhouse on the small farm. As the farmhouse was close to the track Sharon could see Willow as she walked towards the farmhouse. The daughter of the people who owned the farm, Saran was aged eighteen years and was absolutely gorgeous to look at and didn’t she know it. She often wore clothes that would accentuate her figure, unfortunately the type of man she wanted never spoke to her and those she didn’t like often tried to make her interested in a quickie. Saran had resigned herself to a life as a spinster when a young woman on the track turned her to be as she was.

Saran had grew to appreciate the company of women only they liked to congregate outdoors. Saran had been contacted to take young Willow through the nearby village and show her the market and what produce could be found there. When Saran saw Willow on the track she ran to her and made her feel welcome, together they walked along the track into the village. As they entered the middle of the village Willow could see a market was underway. Pleasantly surprised by the market she smiled to Sharon. They stopped at the first stall, Willow was intrigued by the merchandise on the table. As she looked to all the other stalls she noticed they were all decorated with innocuous designs of cats, brooms and weather vanes.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

The Healer

Saran looked on as Willow, though only one pair of eyes looked at it both Willow and Vixana saw the nicely ripened apple. Saran watched as they split it in two and offered half of it to stalls owner who thanked her for such a magnificent thought. Saran looked with horror as Willow picked another one from the stall and proceeded to cut segments from it: she was about to eat it. The stall holder was just quick enough to stop her. Saran got to her only a moment later, she thanked the stall owner and said she would explain everything. Willow stepped back as Saran explained about the need for protection, about the need for the apples protection. Willow said that she had heard of the witches value for items of protection, but she didn’t know that the apple was such an item. Saran shook her head she said that apple trees were all over, that even where orchards are for oranges and Lemons. One could always find at least one apple tree. The larger orchards had several apple trees, that the trees would bear fruit at all times of the year. “An apple provides the witch with that special form of protection.”

Saran said that while it was a good apple to choose it was not there to be eaten. Willow didn’t understand why not, she asked the stall’s holder to explain it to her. Willow watched as the stall’s owner picked up her knife and was about to cut another apple into two equal halves. She looked at Willow and Saran and started to explain that the core of the two halves of the apple presented a design that would ward off evil and provide an effective area of protection for the people in that area. She cast her arm at the others stalls. “If you have a good look at other wares on any of the stalls in the market you would only see other healing remedies, sleep making recipes, psychic awareness spells and if needed even death spells, they come in useful should we ever get attacked. Saran was shown a map of the area that showed that all the other farms near theirs were protected by the apples Willow said that when she returned passed the farmhouse she would go into the orchard and place apple halves around the house.

Saran looked across the village market square, she saw that a lamb had been tied to the door and
too close. I was told that you know little of what we do, so in case you think that the lamb is a sacrifice I am here to tell you it isn’t. The lamb is as we see all lambs, they are symbols of growth.” Saran and Willow relaxed as the stall holders said that many of the people who lived there were they were are known to be the guardians of all who lived there, we are the frontline of defence should the area be attacked by invading tribes. Willow told the stall holder that she

Willow knew that Saran was who they wanted to see, she knew that Saran lived on the thirteenth hill, so neither Will or Vixana rose to the fore and asked why nothing had been stated off Saran involvement. Saran led them to the top of the thirteenth hill and to where Saran home was. Saran was glad to see her home again and she was pleased to see the wealth of bird life in the trees but at the bottom of one of the trees was a bird injured by landing on a branch wrong then as it fell it had both of its wings broken. Willow looked at it and knew great power would be needed to heal it. She asked for Vixana to make herself known. Vixana looked at the bird, she knew she didn’t possess enough power.

Saran was surprised by both of them. She thought of them as all powerful, then she realised that great power is not in all things, for the power she had was to heal, it wasn’t a great power. It was that day that Saran realised that each witch had a power which even the most powerful would covet. Saran clambered over the ground to where the injured bird was. She laid her left hand on the injury affected bird. Saran’s right hand was placed palm down on the soil. The ground seemed to vibrate then cover the hand. Energy from the soil flowed into the arm of Saran the through her body and into the body of the bird; the healing process began. Two minutes later the healing process had been completed. The bird faced Saran, called to her then flew away.

Vixana felt that her plans were beginning to seem real, she could see her plans were falling into place, she thought of who was in the coven and smiled then wandered down the slope of the hill to the river changing her appearance to that of Willow. She walked down the slope by the river, Willow saw the young woman and the young man stood beside the river. Rinn said that Brianna had a special relationship with water Rinn looked at her, he faced Willow. “The net she had me put across the river. No fish has ever been caught in this part of the river,” Rinn picked up a stick and pointed it at the edge of the net, “at the time stated she told me to pull the nets in, to bring the fish in.”

He looked into Willow’s eyes, Brianna told him to look further, if he did he might see Vixana.
Brianna told him to pull the nets in. Willow watched him carefully as he pulled the nets in, they were full of fish. He faced Willow. “These fish will feed the village for several days.” Willow approached Brianna and told her there was a place for her with them. With Rinn at Brianna’s side three day passed before they stood on the steps of the chapel. Corinne and Kate wandered from the side of the chapel. The closer they got to the people on the steps the more that Brianna became willing to hear the song that became brighter. Willow led her to the circle of stones, when there she said that one more would be found soon. Willow told her to wait there, she said they were going to find their leader. For many days they walked, they were none too happy to find the small village they hoped they would find was a small city. They stood at the fork of two roads Willow waited while she settled then pointed to the way they needed to go.

Will, Bathsheba, Allanah and Monicah followed the direction of the arrow, they began to wander between the lines of houses to the water.

Willow took notice at the houses as she wandered by them, she noted that they were all of the same the design that had them be at least eighty years old. When she had passed the last of those houses she could see the older house near an open pasture bounded by a forest. When Willow reached the old house she rang the front door bell a few times. The door was opened he stared at her, he said he hadn’t heard that name before. Will stared at the ground, grinned then looked to him. “Hear me Gethro, I have come here to seek the one known as Jessie.” She said his name as Geth-ro. He was surprised, he said that no one had said that name to him, he was always known as Jethro. He invited Will to meet his wife, my second wife her name is Grace. Jessie is my daughter but we are distant to each other. Geth-ro went outside to the local shop to get some milk. While he was gone Grace gave Will a cup of black coffee. “I am going out but it I not for Geth-ro to find out where. Jessie and I are friends we often meet and talk about times long gone.”

Will followed Grace into the bounds of the apartments in the town’s houses, being stood outside the house she had been directed to go. A girl came from the house to speak to her. “You keep looking at the flat I share with Jessie, who are you?” “My name is Will, who are you?”
“Lacey.” Will said she would not tell what she learnt she said she only wanted to find where Jessie was, to give her a reason to be. “May I tell Grace I spoke to you,” said Will, “you can tell her mother that she who controls has sent me here. The one who leads us has been told that Jessie is near to being found. I will now go to the park to try and find her.”

In the park Will went to stand near the youth centre. Being a friendly person most of the lads felt they could talk to her and she to them. The girl friends of the boys grew jealous, they chased Jessie away from their boyfriends. On that evening they chased Jessie further into the park than they had ever done. They ran after her on the paths to around the ponds. Will was lucky although she found Jessie was being chased by a group of six girls; they all wanted Jessie to stay away from their boyfriends, and they wanted to warn her in such a way she would not forget. The longer that Jessie kept ahead of them the more they shouted their taunts to her. As Jessie ran alongside the largest pond Jessie had begun to cry, she didn’t know how long she could keep running. She was so scared she didn’t see the young woman in front of her. Suddenly Jessie felt her arms about her. “Do not be afraid my name is Vixana I have come to free you from what is now, go to stand behind the tree while I make those who chase you flee.” Jessie walked to the tree and felt herself begin to rest. She turned to see the young woman who had just rescued her.

Jessie stared at Vixana, her long blonde hair had changed to be like straw, her body changed to be like a hunchback propped up by a wooden pole. Jessie saw her face, the skin was wrinkled more than any she had seen before, it began to shine like wet leather. Jessie started to trembled as the woman’s arm appeared like wings and she grew to thirty feet and her scream shook her very being. Jessie hid her head in her hands and felt warm arms about her, when she looked she saw the pretty young woman. “Sorry about that, but they needed a good scare.” Jessie smiled even though she didn’t recognise where she was or who the people were who walked towards her.

“They are all friends they want you to see them as your friends yet that is not all for you Will be one of them through you they will find where their destiny is bound. Jessie felt a wave of security pass through her. “And further more Jessie I have found what I have been searching for in you, I can feel the spirit in you.”


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

WAITNG FOR A HAVEN.

With the old Chapel now being a home for the witches and their resting place during the day being at the attic of Cathcombe College. With the threat to the witches haven having seemingly been released from reality and the ghosts of King Edward the 5th and the Ghost of the Duke of York now being frequent and welcome visitors to the classes of Mr Henry.

Willow and Buffy sought a peaceful room where they could have quiet contact with Giles, they had discovered word of Werewolves and vampires though no mention was to be found of them making their presence known. When a search was made for any activity having been made only the presence of the churches of Christians and Catholics had been found to bear down on them.

What those from the churches didn’t realise was, that just because they thought themselves right, it didn’t mean that they were right. The witches didn’t think they were right. After an hour had been spent Willow and Vixana requested to meet Jessie who could see if their deliberations were correct. Jessie made herself available then present, she joined them at the circle.

Willow explained what was, Jessie listened to her and Vixana’s degree of reasoning. Jessie thought deeply what both of them had considered. “What I suggest would be to see when those others get near the chapel, and have each of you see what the chapel sees. Have a different colour wood be placed above the door, have that wood present itself as the skull of a goat. In the forehead on the goat’s skull build into it the effigy of the all-seeing eye.

In the forest watching the people who stood on the steps of the chapel was Jessie but she was so intent on seeing who else was there she hadn’t noticed two Christians circling to be behind her. About to be discovered she started to move toward those who remained on the steps, the doors of the chapel opened to reveal two winged beings the people of the churches ran from there very quickly.

Jessie was amazed then puzzled as she recognised Willow behind them. “Jessie, Buffy Giles and I were seeking word about Werewolves and vampires until we found word of them then found existence of them. We also found the two who procured all werewolves and that is the two you see,” said Willow. Jessie glared at the two winged beings and wondered who they are. “Ladies and gentlemen, these are my two latest friends, they are the Incubus and the Succubus.” Jessie looked to Willow then looked further into her eyes. “Friends?”

Seeking friends to be in the area of the college Will decided that anyone who committed a crime against any humanity would be removed from life permanently. Any who left the courts en route to a prison and those in a prison were removed. On the first day four thousand three hundred people simply vanished from all existence. A news program that was due to be aired later that day announced a preview of the happenings that had taken place.

The previews were broadcast on a midday show into the front rooms throughout most of English countryside, it was broadcast throughout Europe and Asia as well. Part of the report was that people had begun to go missing though not all at once, some people had gone from here and some from there. The most gone missing from any one place or time was near Stonehenge. At first there was concern that people had gone missing but nothing untoward was mentioned then several student from Bristol University question who the people were and where they had gone from. Three hundred and seventeen people were found to have gone missing.

Bathsheba looked to Jessie, she wondered who could do such a thing and asked Jessie what if anything could be done to stop that from happening. She volunteered herself, Jessie asked her if she knew about the men in the field who had intended to kill all in the Cathcombe College regardless if a witch was found or if a girl who went to the school was found, Jessie wanted to know if she supported those men or if she would support any religious group who deliberately killed innocent people.

Bathsheba didn’t need to think long about her reply. Jessie said she had done all that, she wanted to protect all the people at the college be they student or tutor, she also stated that if she thought if needs be they would do more. Jessie told Bathsheba about a circumstance over a hundred years in the past that needed to be investigated to see if any remnants of the evil lived that some of them would leave to investigate what was. Though Bathsheba was intrigued by what was she asked to be left out though. Jessie said the report centered on the Island just off the coast from Fremantle.

She said that some obscure history books mentioned details of instances that related to the island she said that she hoped Giles could help her to begin with, she wanted to learn a few things. “Like what?” asked Bathsheba. “Just over a hundred and forty years ago a man was charged and found guilty of multiple murder. The last two men he killed were vicars from a church, but the church requested that he be forgiven.

The judge did but instead of sentencing him to death they sentenced him to life imprisonment. That is where I need Giles to help, the convicted man asked to be killed instead of having to go to the Island. He begged not to be sent to the island, he even threatened to kill himself. Jessie said he had found that a harbor inspector had gone fishing but the report has been mislaid.

It was three weeks before Jessie told her what Giles had found, she felt almost scared as he made her sit down in the office. “Giles did as I asked, he found out why the man was scared, the mass murdered didn’t want to go to the island, he said that devil worshippers ran the island. He also said the harbor inspector’s report had been found. He had four men from the docks row him to the island, as they drew close to the island they saw a fire on the island but the dock workers refused to get too close to the island.

The fire was like a person’s head in that it had two ears, two eyes, a mouth and a nose. Thing is it also had two horns; each one of the people in the boat saw the head. They had taken him there to where he thought he would catch some fish, he didn’t try to catch any fish. Bathsheba told Jessie that she needed to tell her more, Jessie thought about what Bathsheba had said. That murderer was scared of going to the island he said he heard voices telling him to kill the people he said the people who spoke to him lived on the island. Giles had written a footnote on his report, it said that the murderer had often asked why the church wouldn’t let him die, why they wanted him to live in the hands of the devil worshippers forever.

Buffy and Willow went and sat in the same room as Giles, they could tell he was hurting inside. They wanted to help but neither of them knew how so they sat with him and kept quiet. It caused him to contemplate the worst part of humanity, not knowing which was worst that devil worshippers existed or witches that had given up waiting for the good times. But what he hated the most was that he was part of it.

At a later date,
it will be continued
as the fairy story begins
the witches words becomes.

THE WITCH

TOMORROWS FAIRY TALE

 

[ILLYRIAN]

THE WITCH

TOMORROWS FAIRY

Giles and Willow stood on her doorstep, Willow put her bag down as she knocked on the door and waited, Giles had seen movement in the front room so they knew someone was in. “I am glad it was you two who came to see me, it means a lot that you would want to. I don’t care if you didn’t want me to face me alone, what matters is that you are here, that you were willing to be here,” said Buffy to her friends. As it was Buffy longed to see Willow’s smile and if she was inclined to do so Buffy would have welcomed Willow’s touch and probably would have enjoyed it more even if her attentions had not been laid at her feet. She was stood in salt water. Buffy longed to feel Willow’s hands rub on the soles of her feet where the skin had been broken. Even after she witnessed Willow gently caressing her hands over the smooth skin of the mermaids forearm. Buffy wasn’t sure if she had felt jealous or if she had felt that she wanted the mermaids affections.

It hadn’t occurred to her to ask why the mermaid was there although she knew Willow was waiting for her to say something. They stared at each other for a few minutes, though Buffy thought it was longer. Willow pointed to the mermaid and smiled. “Have you ever wanted to feel a mermaid touch you,” Willow suggested that Buffy sit in the shallows of the water, as the salt water might heal the cuts on your feet. It won’t be anywhere near as quick as the mermaids touch. Buffy hadn’t realised it, the mermaids hands that were caressing her feet had caused the cuts to heal. Giles had more questions than answers, question that he wanted any type of answer for they didn’t need to be the right answer, to hear the mermaids voice would have been enough. Willow faced the mermaid, “If you don’t mind, tell them,” said Willow.

The mermaid swam a few body lengths from them then pointed further along the beach. Without asking the mermaid what they might see the three of them ran along the beach. Buffy was almost beside herself with grief at the sight of sixteen whales that had beached themselves. Giles and Buffy began to pushing one of the whales back into the water, he asked Willow to help them but all Willow did was smile. “As they are now the sea water is all around them, they can suck some into their mouth and blow it into the air so it wets them. If you push them out to sea they will only return for the whales will stay there until it knows the mermaid it carried to the shore is safe.” Willow smiled to her friends as she pointed onto the sand dunes she opened her bag and gave clothes for the mermaids to wear to Giles and Buffy. “Don’t worry about them being embarrassed Giles, they don’t know anything about that yet,” said Willow.

When Buffy and Giles returned they saw two more girls run to them along the beach. Willow pointed to the mermaids in the sand dunes. “They are safe up there, now,” said Willow. The girls Tammy and Julie went to the whales then called to each one of them in whale-song. The whales moved back into the swell and swam further out to sea. “Willow, you knew about them, how?” asked Giles. “As Buffy is led by him as I am her friend, he has given me knowledge that I may help those he has chosen,” Willow waved to the mermaid in the sea. The mermaid swam to the shore close to where Willow stood, she watched as Willow picked two dresses from her bag and held them up for the mermaid to choose Willow smiled as she put one back. Willow told Giles and Buffy to help the mermaid walk. “She isn’t used to her legs yet.”

They walked a bit further along the beach to where a path led away from the sea. “Where are we?” asked Giles, “I often walk along this part of the beach but I have never seen this path.” Willow guided the mermaid onto the path. “And you won’t, this path isn’t here it is on another shore, it isn’t even on this beach, or this continent. It is where the mermaids go, to be as he wants them. Some will go into the trees where they will be met by Queen D’lucyan, they will be shown what their future holds. Some will be led onto the lawn and they will be taken to be his soldiers and one, the one with us will go to find she has a future like Buffy has,” said Willow. “She will she meet the Powers That Be, she is one lucky girl,” stated Buffy.

“All you Slayers do, it is just that none of you remember having met them and why would you, none of you could understands who it was,” Willow smiled to Buffy, “think of it like this Buffy, as with all things the Powers That Be are just the same. Even though nothing is stated there is always one who leads. Now why do you think you can’t remember meeting him?” Willow walked along the path with the mermaid at her side, Buffy looked at each cave in the mounds of rock that were near the path by the trees. She asked Willow who lived in them as it looked like a well walked path into each opening. Willow told Buffy to beware as many in them were once sirens, some were good though the most of them were bad, like all animals. Knowing which witch was which had given many a headache as they looked the same dressed the same and a lot of the time they acted the same.

It was only if their temperament changed that you would find out. Willow spoke. “Buffy do not to try and enter the cave nearest the trees, that is the cave that was once owned by a woman that everyone knows as a vicious witch,” Willow smiled to Buffy and Giles, “I don’t think that though, she is known as Veralda. She does not allow those who cross her path to continue, she will destroy them.” Buffy wanted to know why the sirens were known as the witches of the sea. “It wasn’t that the singing drew the ships towards the rocks with the sirens on them. As the witches of the sea the sirens controlled the tides and the waves, it was the tides that carried the ship with the sailors on them onto the rocks.” Willow told Giles and Buffy that the witches in the garden began as Sirens. When they lived in the oceans they hated anything that lived in or on the sea.

And if you are bothered about where they come from it is easy to know where they used to spend their days and nights. Just look about any island and see where the lighthouses are and were. The sirens that are in the garden are expectantly hoping to get the mermaids when they come in. The sirens caves are facing the water. Willow was amazed at the concept of mermaids, she wanted to know how they knew to come to the shore and why. A small voice drew her attention onto a bush despite not being able to see where the voice originated Willow learned that when the mermaids had grown older and they had shrunk they would join the other fairies as the fairy circles were placed where battles had been. That was why more and more fairy circles were required, the voice said that over two hundred fairy’s were active at each fairy circle.

To Be Continued