Halloween at Midnight | 31 Days of Halloween. (2019)

Day 17- A Witch's Book.

"What kind of book do you think it is?"

I examined the big antique looking book as my little sister stared at me with doe-eyes.

"I don't know Lizzie, it's locked." Who'd lock a book? It can't be a diary... it's too huge.

I flipped it over and found an interesting clue. A name. Well, a last name.

Ours.

"Property of the Graham family." I read aloud.

"Ohhhhhh! That's us!"

I smiled and ruffled her hair. "That's right. Now if only we could open it."

"I don't hear cleaning!"

I rolled my eyes at our stepmother downstairs.

She orders me and six year old little sister to clean the attic because she spent the money my dad gave her to hire someone to do it. All she does is use him for his riches...

I'm glad he signed a prenup.

"There's weird writing on the back. You see that Lizzie?"

She nods.

I studied it and realized I learned it in school. It's Latin.

Realization dawn on me quick. This book probably belonged to my grandma. It's big and wide and there's Latin on the back. It can't be... I read the words out loud and the book sprang open. Lizzie and I both jumped.

"Steffy! It opened! It opened!"

I looked through and confirmed my suspicions. It's a book of spells. A spell book. It belong to my grandma. She had to have been a witch and because I opened it , I must be too!

"Now, let's see if there's something in here than can help us with the attic. Shall we?"

Excited, I scanned through all the spells. They were all in latin. I eventually found the one I was looking for.

"Clean spell? What's that?"

I gasped and turned to Lizzie, "Lizzie, you can read this?"

She shrugs, "A little."

Huh. Seems like I wasted my years learning Latin when odds were I probably knew it already. No wonder I aced that class.

I moved her out the way, a safe distance. I chanted the spell and the room came to life. It was amazing to watch.

When the last item was put up Lizzie jumped up and down squeaking. "Again, again!"

Bending down to her level, I turned her to face me, "Now Lizzie, this is very important okay? We mustn't tell anyone what has happened up here okay? Not a soul."

"Not even dad?"

"Not even dad, at least for right now. Okay? Promise?"

She nods.

"Good girl."

My stepmother Janice stopped us at the steps. "Where do you two think you're going?"

"My room. We're beat."

"Not until you've finished the attic. Your father is expecting it to be clean when he gets home tomorrow."

"Yeah, and if I remember correctly, that was your responsibility not ours."

"Doesn't matter. It better be cleaned." She was about to walk away before she noticed the book I was carrying. "What's that?"

"None of your business." I walked past her with Lizzie and locked my room shut. I threw my phone to Lizzie. "You know what to do. She needs to learn not to mess with us."

She nods and calls dad. As soon as he picks up, she begins to cry. "Daddy?" "Daddy it's so awful. Janice made me and Steffy clean the attic all by ourselves. I hurt my foot and Steffy almost broke her neck."

I thumbs her up.

"I don't know what happened to the money you gave her. She probably spent it Daddy she's just horrible!" Lizzie cried.

Boy was she selling it.

She sniffles, "Okay. Love you too bye." She hands me back my phone proud.

"Well?"

"He's going to cook her."

We high-five as yelling was heard downstairs. Following angry screaming and loud stomps heading up to us.

She pounded on the door, "Open this door! Open it right now you little brats! Which one of you told your father I made you clean the attic, huh?!? He's cutting off my credit cards and canceling our cruise to the Bahamas!"

"Oh really? Seems like a fitting punishment for spending the money he gave you to actually hire a professional to clean the attic!" I yelled back.

She pounded the door again, "Open it! NOW! I'll show you and that kid what a punishment really is!"

Increasingly getting angrier by the moment, I got up and stood on the other side of my door. "Lizzie, earmuffs."

She covered her ears and put her head between her knees.

"You are an insufferable bitch Janice! Do you actually think my father loves you?!? He doesn't! He loves what's between your legs because there ain't shit between your ears. Your a gold-digging slut and we don't like you. We will never like you, so do us all a favor and GO AWAY!" There was a bit of darkness in my tone at the end. It scared me a little.

I waited a few seconds before opening the door. There's was no one on the other end of it. "Hello?" I peeked out into the hallway. I went over to Lizzie and got her out of the position she was in. We looked around upstairs and downstairs and couldn't find anyone.

"Where could she have gone so fast?"

"Who Steffy?"

"Janice."

"Janice? Who's Janice?"

I looked down at her confused expression. It matched mine.