“Tori, I’m not going with you. I’m not a baby and you’re not my mother. Go home and leave me the hell alone.”
Temper flared hotter than the fire. “Fine, you ignorant twit. Kill yourself. Release whatever is in that stone. Maybe it’ll kill all of you.”
She spun to leave, but Helena grabbed her. “Actually, you can help us out before you go.”
Tori tried to yank loose. “I’m not helping you do anything.”
She felt a pull and then a sudden release on the back of her head. She spun around as Helene let go of her arm to find Luna standing close with a pair of scissors in one hand and a chunk of hair in the other.
“You just cut my hair?”
Felicia walked up to Luna. “Great idea.” She glanced up at Tori. “We were supposed to get some hair before we left but we forgot. Thanks for the delivery.”
“She... cut... my... hair...”
Luna turned toward the cauldron. “Good thing you came by. We couldn’t use our own, and I don’t think the spell would have worked without it.”
Chapter Two
Tori sat by the edge of the field and watched. Anger mixed with fear kept her there even while her common sense told her to go home.
She glanced at her watch. 11:50 p.m.
Ten minutes and all hell is going to break loose.
It was that knowledge that overruled her common sense. She didn’t even know how she knew that things were about to go very wrong. She only knew there was nothing she could do to stop what was about to happen.
The witches moved the cauldron onto the fire and took turns dropping things into it.
It’s like watching a horror movie in real life. Or Hocus Pocus, whichever. I don’t see any of them riding a vacuum cleaner though.
Helene moved the gargoyle statue up onto a large field stone close to the fire pit. Tori wrapped her arms around her knees as her body trembled uncontrollably.
For something so small, that thing is evil. Why didn’t I make it disappear when I had the chance?
She stared at the monstrosity that seemed to glow under the moonlight.
Why couldn’t it have been one of the huge gargoyles attached to the side of a church? Then these idiots wouldn’t have found it at a thrift store.
She tried to tear her gaze away, but she sat frozen. Some sort of energy hummed from it; something she didn’t understand. She finally just closed her eyes and refused to open them again.
Why didn’t someone destroy it in the past?
Big dark shadows framed the bright full moon in the sky as the self-proclaimed coven started to chant. Tori could hear their words carry on the cool evening air.
Is there a storm moving in?
She peeked at her watch. One minute until midnight. Helena held her arm up over the caldron and tossed something in. Was that my hair?
Her fingers absently roved around to the back where Luna had snipped off a chunk. I wonder if you can tell.
It didn’t really matter. There were more important things to be concerned about, like what was going to happen because they used her hair.
Tori’s wrist vibrated as midnight arrived. She started to stand as all the witches threw their arms up in the air, but a sudden explosion lit up the night sky like the sun suddenly rose again. The percussion of the blast knocked her backwards off her feet, and she hit the ground hard.
As quick as the night turned to day, the darkness reclaimed its rightful time.
Dazed, Tori lay still for a moment to catch her breath.
Felicia!
The thought of her sister propelled her upright. She paused to gain her bearings in the sudden pitch dark. The world all around her turned quiet and still. Even the crickets had gone silent.
The roaring fire was gone. As her eyes adjusted to the night, not even smoke tendrils rose under the silver illumination suddenly revealed from the moon as the clouds rolled away.
Tori stepped hesitantly in the direction and then took another step. A moan carried on the breeze, and she broke into a run.
Felicia lay sprawled on her back with the other three witches close by. Pages from Luna’s books blew across the ground helter-skelter. Helena groaned and flopped her arm, but Tori ignored her and flew to her sister. She dropped down on her knees.
“Hey!” She patted Felicia’s cheeks. “Wake up!” She felt the side of her neck for a pulse, relieved to find it strong and steady.
Luna sat up. “What the hell happened?”
“You blew up the cauldron; that’s what happened!” Felicia stirred as Tori snapped. “The question is what the hell did you put in it?”
Helena sat up as Luna checked on Rosie. “Where’d it go?”
Tori paused in helping her sister sit up. “What?”
“The statute. Where did it go?”
Fear uncurled in Tori’s stomach as she searched the rock. No gargoyle.
Felicia pushed Tori’s hands away. “I’m fine, I’m fine. What happened?”
Luna’s voice sounded panicked. “Guys, we need to get an ambulance.”
Tori rushed over. Blood ran down Rosie’s head. She pulled her T-shirt from over her head and made a tourniquet.
Helena knelt down. “Looks like she hit her head pretty hard.”
“Really?” Tori snapped and shook her head. “Your crystal ball tell you that?”
Felicia, never one to keep a clear head in an emergency, whimpered. “Is she going to die?”
“No, we are not going to let her die.” Tori cussed as she felt her pockets. “Do you have your phone?”
Luna shook her head. “None of us do. Modern technology is the enemy of natural magic.”
Felicia whined. “Don’t you have yours, Tor?”
“No, I don’t. I was in a hurry to follow you and left it lying on the counter.”
Helena suddenly took charge. “Come on. Standing around bitching about not having a phone isn’t going to help. We need to carry her back to the car.”
Tori looked off into the dark. “It’s going to be a long hike.”
They half carried, half dragged Rosie along the dark trail. Twice they almost dropped the unconscious girl when one of them tripped.
Helena mumbled as they made slow progress. “I have no idea what happened. Nothing we used should have exploded like that.”
Tori spoke through gritted teeth. “You messed with black magic. I told you this would happen.”
“Now is not the time for an ‘I told you so,’ sis.” Felicia sighed. “Although you’re not wrong.”
Luna shifted her shoulder under Rosie’s weight. “What are we going to tell them at the emergency room?”
“You certainly can’t tell them the truth.” Tori wiped her brow. “So, you’d better come up with something unless you all want to get locked up in the psych ward.”
An argument ensued until they finally reached the car. Helena paused as she went around the side of the car.
Luna struggled not to drop Rosie. “Come on, open the door.”
“I don’t have the key.”
“What do you mean, you don’t have the key?” Tori rounded the car where Helena patted down her skirts.
“It’s not here. It must have fallen out when I got knocked down.”
Rosie groaned and they rushed to settle her down on the ground. Felicia’s eyes were wide. “What are we going to do? It’s too far to walk.”