Witches and Devils

Memories

Michael feels that after this development he must communicate with his father. I have seen him do this ritual once before and refuse to do it again. So I walk about the halls until he is done. As I walk I hear Mead talking through a cracked door, so I decide to listen, hopefully she will remember something about Michael, "I'm not a sentimental woman, some people have described me as cold, harsh, without empathy. None of which mattered, because I know who I am. I have a past and treasured memories. I remember the first time I was allowed to go treat-or-treating by myself. I was nine years old and I made my own costume. I loved candy. I hated fruit. I remember my first date. Rosemary's Baby, the Lyceum Theater. Bobby Lombardo. It was my first horror film. I was petrified. But I discovered I liked being scared. It made me feel alive. Bobby, on the other hand, made me feel dirty. I remember my first kill. I was an agent for Mossad. Orin Goetsch was a terrorist. And I found him living in a suburb in Maryland. Our struggle was brutal and bloody, of course, but... almost romantic too. Like a waltz. Till I choked him to death. I can think the world 'Halloween,' and all the memories come flooding back. I remember all those moments in the most minute detail. I remember a little boy, beautiful blond hair. I took care of him. And I remember a young woman, with chestnut brown hair, I remember the boy loved her. I can feel the love I have for him and he has for her. But when I turn to look at their faces in my memories, they're just blurs. I loved him. I loved them both. But I must have lost them in some way, because..." Mead pauses, "every time I think of them, I cry. Do I even have feelings? Are they just programmed responses?"

'Shit,' I think to myself. I shake my head as I stand, Mead found out she is a robot that Michael had two nerds create after the Coven burner her at the stake. I hurry down stairs and see Michael kneeling on the ground, blood smeared on his neck and chest, and his eyes blacked out. I grab the towel Michael was going to use once he was done and step into the pentagram, careful not to break the circle and cover Michael, wrapping my arms around him from behind and blowing out the candles with one blast of air.

When the candles are extinguished Michael looks up to me, a bit confused as to why I broke his trance-like state. "What is it?"

"Mead knows she's not human."

"She what? How did she find out?" Michael stands and turns to me, wrapping the towel around his waist.

"I don't know. But what I do know is she remembers you. She remembers both of us." I smile up to Michael.

"Really?" Michael smiles as a tear comes to his eye, reacting the way he would when he was my student.

I nod, "yes, but she doesn't remember our names or faces. Just the love that our family has."

"That's something, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. And it's good."

"But she can't know yet." Michael shakes his head, "not until Venable is gone."

"The sooner the better." I look around as Michael cleans up and starts getting dressed. "Right now her loyalty is with Venable, so it won't be easy to get to either of them."

"I know." Michael nods, "but the sooner we get Venable out of the way, the sooner we can get Mead back and start our real work. Killing the last witch."

As Michael and I start to our room to begin planning, an alarm begins to blur and red lights begin to flash. I look over to Michael, "What is that?"

"It should be the supplies that were sent after us."

I nod, "right, the apples. Do you think everyone will get one?"

"Hard to say."

It doesn't take long for Venable to call an emergency meeting in the library. Of course, Michael and I weren't called, but we go anyway. Watching from above a Venable speaks to the group, "these past several months have been difficult for all of us. And perhaps, in my efforts to keep us safe, punitive measures have been taken too far. I believe now what we need is a moment of celebration, camaraderie. Which is why this weekend as a gesture of goodwill, we will have a Halloween soiree... in the style of a Victorian masquerade ball."

Gallant looks over to Coco, very excited, "it's Halloween this weekend?" He clears his throat and gets sad, "if only my Nana were here to enjoy it with me."

"We've all lost track of time a bit. And this festive occasion is the perfect opportunity to remedy this. And I encourage you all to use your imaginations, to create what I am sure will be exquisite costumes. Attendance is mandatory." Venable looks up and over to Michael and I, smiling.