Hocus Pocus: Rising of a Little Witch

Chapter 26: Gone

    The first thing I noticed before I opened my eyes, was the smell of old wood and smoke. When I opened them, I saw rays of morning light shine on a room of antiquated wood furniture and realize I'm back at the Sanderson house. This time however, I'm not lying in my pile of sheets on the downstairs floor, but instead I'm in one of the beds upstairs. I look down slightly and see that it's Sarah's by the purple quilt covering me. I moved my eyes up a bit to my chest and see that I'm wearing one of their night gowns, that I was again assuming to be Sarah's. I sat up and saw my reflection in an old mirror directly across from the bed I'm in, and noticed that the blood and dirt had been washed from my face. That must have been some sleeping spell Mary used on me, if the sisters were able to carry me back here, bring me upstairs, wash my face and change my clothes without me waking up. I don't know why I was surprised by that though.
    Just then memories from several hours before flooded my brain and the image of Mallory helplessly collapsing beside that pickup replayed over and over again in my mind. I fell back down onto the straw mattress and rolled over onto my side. I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my face with my hands, willing my head to forget the awfulness that was last night.
Moments later, I heard footsteps make their way up the stairs. I open my eyes to see Sarah enter the bedroom, a teacup in her hand. When our eyes meet, her lips upturn into a soft smile. She walked up to me and took a seat on the side of the mattress after she placed the tea on the bedside table.

"There you are" she said softly, "How dost thou feel?"

   I honestly couldn't find the strength to muster any words and was only able to give a weak shake of my head.
   She gave me a sympathetic look before her attention was drawn to the sound of heavier footsteps now ascending the stairs. Moments later, Mary appeared holding a plate of food on a tray in the doorless archway that separated the bedroom from the stairway. She came bustling in and made her way over to us.
"I wish I could say this was the roasted remains of Bartholomew, but unfortunately I cannot." She said somberly, setting the tray next to me on the bed.
    I appreciated the sentiment but I definitely wasn't witch enough to willingly eat human flesh yet, even if it was the flesh of the one who blasted a hole in my cousin.
   I sat up a bit more and rested my back against the headboard.

"Has either of thee heard anything about Mallory?"

Both shook their heads sadly.

"Winnie is out lurking about town to see if she can find out anything." Sarah said.
   I breathed in deeply and nodded. I was holding out hope that the guy who pulled over for her was able to get her to the ER in time.

"I am so deeply sorry we were not able to help her". Mary said
I shook my head.
"It's not your fault".
   Truthfully I blamed myself for even getting her involved with this. When I decided to ask her for a place to stay, I had no idea that the person after us was this powerful. I also had no idea he'd find us and target someone with nothing to do with anything. Someone who wasn't even a witch.
   Just then,we heard the cottage door open and shut with a loud thud. Our gazes turned towards the stairs as we heard Winnie begin making her way up. A knot began to grow in my stomach.

"Oh good thou is awake". She said when she reached the top. Her tone was much milder than usual. She was wearing Aunt Lisa's clothes, probably so she could blend in around town.
   I gave only a slight nod. She walked to the end of the bed and stood before us. I was hoping for good news but something about her face told me that wasn't what we were going to get.

"What did thou find out, Winnie?"
Sarah asked softly.
Winnie's head tilted sideways slightly and I could see her body tense up. She sighed and I knew before the words ever left her mouth that it wasn't good. Tears immediately began to well up in my eyes.

"She's gone". She said somberly.

    I immediately crumpled down towards the pillow but was caught by Sarah. She pulled me close and held my head in the crook of her neck. I felt like I was screaming but no sound was coming out except for an occasional labored wheeze for air. Even with Sarah's arms tightly, around me my whole body shook like never before.
Eventually I began to audibly wail in between wheezing. Sarah kept holding me and rocking me from side to side. She didn't say anything, however, none of them did. What was there to say? Mallory was dead and it was fucking awful. The person I was the closest to in life was suddenly ripped away from me forever. And my poor aunt and uncle. They'd never truly know what happened or why the hell she was even running around the woods that night. She was a 24 year old adult. She should have been at home on her couch with some wine and her cat, not running around outside because of some shit her stupid 17 year cousin got her into.
   I later learned that Winnie heard she died from the Salem morning news that was playing on a TV in a coffee shop downtown.

"A local elementary school teacher, 24 year old Mallory Bleak, was found by a motorist alongside North Salem Parkway late last night with an apparent gunshot wound to the stomach. It was later discovered that her wound was much too large to have come from a gun. Doctors and law enforcement are at a loss at what could have caused her injuries. The victim died upon arrival at Salem Hospital. There is currently no known suspect. The Salem Police Department asks anyone with information about this, to please come forward immediately."
   I watched the newscast about 20 times on YouTube in the following days until my phone died.
    I must have eventually cried myself back to sleep, or maybe Mary put me out again because of how hysterical I was. Either way, the next thing I knew the sky was a dim blue with purple and pink clouds spread across it. I laid still for a few minutes just gazing at the dusk that surrounded the barren treetops outside. I then noticed that it was beginning to snow. I thought about how just a day ago, we were sledding trash can lids on the hill behind Mallory's house. That was possibly the happiest I had ever been. And now, at this very moment, I might be the saddest. I don't think I've ever felt this empty. It's crazy how a day, no a couple of hours, can take you from being so high to so fucking low.
   I thought about getting out of bed and going downstairs but my low mood made my body feel like led. I really only could find the strength to roll over and get further under the covers. I laid awake for some time after, just staring at the wall. At one point, Sarah and Mary came up and checked on me, but I faked being asleep because I didn't feel like talking.