Just Witching

Primitus

Gwenoveve Hanley has just been hung for being found guilty of experimenting with witchcraft. Each time a woman has been executed, the village gets quieter. Families have even accused each other of strange, spellbinding activities from natural curiosity. Friends have left one another simply because of weaving in a different way than you're supposed to or staring at the boys at a young age.  Children cry as their mothers' life is taken. Fathers say, "Hush, the devil has gone away." But those women and few men who die are always mistaken. The real witches live invisibly with them.

On the small porch of a brick cottage that rests on the edge of the village, Veronica weaves a crown of flowers in her lap, without using her hands. She pauses for only a moment as she sees Ainsley, her twin sister, giggling with a boy two years older than the two under a large tree trunk.

Ainsley has a natural talent to read the minds of people and sort out their entire life in her mind, making it easy for her to know all about them and connect with them through her lies. Veronica, on the other hand, has always been able to control plants with her mind, which has an affect on the weather, and make animals do what she wants. The girls look and act almost exactly alike, but Ainsley has always been easily distracted during her studies, unlike Veronica.

  Veronica rolls her eyes and focuses back on practicing her magic. She hears Ainsley bid a farewell to the stranger and walk over to the other side of the wooden bench. "It's a lovely day, is it not?" She asks.

"Only because I've relaxed the trees when I was practicing, like Montania said we should." Veronica snapped.

Ainsley looked at Veronica for a moment, searching through her mind. Could you please stay out of my head for today? She heard Veronica from the inside.

"Something's wrong," Ainsley replied. "Who? I know its someone, I heard you. You know you can't lie to me." She pressed.

Veronica stopped her weaving. She knew her sister was right. Lying would be useless in front of Ainsley. She turned so that she could face her. Ainsley's hair was slightly blonder and her green eyes weren't as vibrant as Veronica's, but they were equally beautiful in their own way. She took a deep breath, about to tell her twin the reason for her sorrow. It was always easier for Veronica to tell her things through her mouth, not her head, because of their close relationship. Ainsley preferred that too. "Briton Winters," Veronica began.

"Briton Winters. He was the reason I couldn't meet with you, Montania, and Rabecca last Wednesday," It felt like a huge weight was lifted off Veronica's chest when she confessed about him, "I had been sneaking off to see him every other night. Briton is sensational." Veronica always got this way when she talked about interesting men. Her eyes would drift to the sky and she'd stare at it with awe until someone snapped her out of it.

"But? Come on, please tell me! I'm trying really hard to stay out of your thoughts because I want to be surprised at the ending!" Ainsley was so eager she gripped Veronica by her shoulders and lightly shook her out of her daze.

"But... He, um... One night, we were supposed to meet for a walk by the stream, and I saw him kissing Gwenoveve! I didn't know what to do when I saw them together so I ran to the priest! I told him I suspected her as being a witch and controlled the plants to make it look like she was guilty!" Tears began to fill in Veronica's eyes but she fought them back until they were gone. Clouds formed in the sky and light raindrops fell on the roof.

"Oh, don't worry about her," Ainsley responded, "She's dead, hung for everyone to see! Her body is still hanging from the tree in the village square. Now you'll definitely be able to have love with Briton!"

"No," Veronica bowed her head. "He and I were supposed to meet last night to talk about telling the village about us and speaking to the priest about a wedding,"

"He didn't show did he?" She meant it as a question though she spoke it like it wasn't.

"No, he did. Apparently he never loved me. Only Gwenoveve. I assume we'll never speak again."

The girls sat next to each other in silence for a while. Ainsley's arm moved from Veronica's shoulders to around her arms in a hug. Thunder boomed in the sky as Veronica finally let her tears fall. Ainsley smirked. She felt terribly sad for her sister, thus compelling her to find a way to get Briton to fall back in love with Veronica. Her smirk grew fast and soon she was smiling big, urging to tell her sister her brilliant plan!

Ainsley had this spell memorized, Adamo Adaugeo. A simple potion she had used before on a handsome man who visited the village. She couldn't resist, and after she had gotten what she wanted, gave him poison so he wouldn't stay. Ainsley never enjoyed being obsessed with. She broke away from her sister and yanked her up from the bench and into the cottage. Humming giddily, she searched through all their cabinets and drawers until she found all the right ingredients.

"Ainsley, what the hell are you doing?" Veronica asked, suspicious and curious at the same time.

"I'm only trying to help you Veronica," She answered. "A love potion. He'll fall in love with you and you'll fill him with pleasure like that!" As she snapped her fingers, she looked away from where she reached, accidently grabbing the wrong vile. "It's the perfect plan!"

Veronica considered this for a moment. Is she really willing to allow a man she loves to be put under a spell as the only way that he'll be able to love her back? She decides to go along with it. What could go wrong? He acted like loved her the same before right?  Ainsley may not be the best at spells, but she is better at making potions than Veronica. The girls laughed wickedly as they entered all the ingredients into the boiling pot.

As they entered each piece, the liquid would turn pink, green, and red! Night began to fall. Montania, and Rabecca would be coming back soon. As the older, wiser twin witches who took them in as their own, they would not approve of the girls doing this without permission. They began to work faster and faster! Working quicker as the wind blew stronger! The sisters smelled their broil. Smiling, they both tasted a bit, making sure it was right. Something seemed off to Ainsley... As if they were missing something. No, it's probably just me. She thought.

They poured a sample into a tiny vile. Just enough to cast Briton under this crewel spell of theirs. The twins hid it behind their dresser to keep it a secret. After changing from their day clothes to nightgowns, they lay on their beds and lye awake.

"Perfect isn't it?" Ainsley asked her sister.

"I suppose. It won't ware off will it?" Veronica wondered.

"No. Now hush, I think I hear them coming. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." With that, the girls drifted off to sleep, unaware of what they were to encounter the next day.