Freya Hale only wanted to have a normal life. Everyone had always said that there was something different about her. It only took someone special for her to realize that they were all right.
When the Aunties arrived, Sabrina and I launched ourselves into their arms. It had only been two days, but it seems like an eternity since we had seen them. And in the short amount of time that I have been close with them, they are basically my aunts too now. Zelda and Sabrina marched into Father Blackwood's office. I opted to stay with Aunt Hilda outside as she wasn't even supposed to be here since being excommunicated for witnessing a Christian baptism.
"Oh Freya, darling. How exhausted you must be." Aunt Hilda coos, pushing some stray hair away from my face. "Oh it's nothing Sabrina and I can't handle together. I'm just glad that you and Aunt Zelda are here now." I say giving her a big hug. "Oh! Before I forget..." She says digging around in her bag. "This is for you." She says handing me a small sachet. I hold it up to my nose and take in a deep breath. It smells so beautiful. Like a garden after a storm. "I believe it's a protection charm. From your dear friend Ambrose. He told me to tell you to hold onto that whenever you feel threatened." She explains with a coy smile. "I knew he had been acting so strange and worried lately. Now I guess I know why." She tells me. I put it into my pocket. "Thank you, Aunt Hilda. Really." I tell her.
"I just don't know why he didn't tell us after he met with you at Dr. Cerberus's." She says. My eyes instantly widen. How did she know? Was she supposed to know? Would this get Ambrose in trouble. "Oh relax darling. Who do you think helped him Astral Project there." She says nudging me. "I've never seen that boy act this way. He cares about you. Your special darling." She says which makes me blush. Before I can say anything else, Sabrina and Aunt Zelda come strutting out of Father Blackwood's office.
"What did he say?" I ask. "He's going to look into it." Sabrina says obviously not believing him. "Do you believe him, Zelds" Hilda asks. "Of course not. Take us to the children."
After a short walk through the woods, we end up and the little cemetery that Quentin had showed us only a few hours before. The Aunties are obviously taken aback by this.
"Quentin." Sabrina calls. "Would you please come out?" She asks. "We want to help. Feel free to bring the others." I add. The wind suddenly picks up and blows my hair across my face. We all turn around and are greeted by all the same children as before. "Oh the poor dears! Your heart breaks for them." Aunt Hilda sighs out.
"I think they are bound to the academy because they died here." Sabrina says. Wow okay, thanls for sharing that theory with me. "Witches hurting witches." Zelda spits. "It's unspeakable." "How can we free them?" I ask.
"Is that what you want, children?" Zelda asks taking a step towards them. "To be released from here?" She adds. "Where would we go?" Quentin asks sadly. "This is our home." He says. Ouch. As if my heart couldn't break anymore. "Yes, yes it is." Zelda says turning back to us. "I-I believe I know what they want." Hilda says walking towards them. "I was harrowed back in my day. By my own sister, no less. And the thing that I craved more than anything in the world was revenge." Aunt Hilda says to the children. They all perk up at the sound of revenge. "They just need someone to give them permission to do it." Hilda tells us before huddling up the kids.
"Okay, come on. Gather around my darlings, you listen to your Auntie Hilda."
That night, instead of even trying to get some sleep, Sabrina and I sit on our beds, waiting for the sisters to come to us. I tuck the protection sachet from Ambrose into the pocket of my dress that the weird sisters had left out for me.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was cute, I'm not going to lie. But I knew the purpose of it was to keep me cold and exposed. They left nothing but a plain slip for Sabrina. They also left notes saying that if we didn't put these on, that they would just harrow us naked. No thanks.
"Are you ready to meet your fate?" Prudence says walking up to us. "Prudence, please, I'm begging you, leave us alone." Sabrina pleads. What an actress. Someone give this girl an award. "There's not a hope in hell of that, half breed. Now get moving." She says forcing us up. It's another cold walk to that same tree. Only this time, the weird sisters are guiding us by the nooses that have hanging around our necks. Prudence holds Sabrina's while Agatha holds mine.
"You know, it's not too late to back out." Agatha whispers to me when Sabrina and Prudence take the lead. "I'm sure if you beg, Prudence will let you go." Dorcas says. I shake my head. "Please, Freya. You're our only friend besides our sister. We don't want to see you die just because you think you're connected to the half breed." Dorcas pleads. "Real friends wouldn't harrow their friends." I hiss at them. The two look at each other and sigh before pulling me along.
"Do you know what it's like? To die by hanging?" Prudence asks. "Most people think it's fast, but it's not." She tells us while the sisters throw our ropes over a sturdy branch. I clutch the protection charm in my pocket. "Any last words?" Prudence asks us. "Yes. 13 witches were hanged here by witch hunters. Those women couldn't possibly have imagined a place like the academy." Sabrina says. "A school were witches would be safe. Even if they could, they'd never believe that the women inside its walls would turn on each other like this. Which is why..." I say. "The academy tradition of harrowing ends tonight, Prudence." Sabrina says defiantly like we had practiced. Oh yeah, we had practiced.
"It's 3 against 2, you're going to die. So give the Dark Lord our best, won't you?" She says mocking us. Oh bitch, if only you knew. Suddenly, our ropes are pulled and we dangle a few inches above the ground. The rope scratches and burns and I swing my feet, desperate to get down.
"Light as a feather, stiff as a board. Light as a feather, stiff as a board." Voices chant behind us. Just as quickly as I was in the air, I was back on my feet. The ropes had dropped and I pull the noose over my head. The ghosts of the harrowed witches continue chanting. The weird sisters are lifted into the air and they claw at their necks. They were being hung without their ropes.
"Like Sabrina said, harrowing of any kind will no longer be tolerated." I say spitting at them. Literally spitting. I try to ignore the scratchy feeling in my throat from where the ropes were. "Understood?" Sabrina asks stepping forward. "Understood?" Sabrina asks again after a moment of no response. I turn and wink at Quentin. He then signals for the rest of the children to stop chanting. The weird sisters fall to the ground trying to catch their breath.
"Dorcas. Agatha." I say holding out my hands for them. The sisters look up from their coughing and eagerly take my hands. I help them up and try to give them a genuine smile. I did like these too. I didn't want to hurt them. It was Prudence that I had a problem with. Sabrina offers her had to Prudence. Only instead of friendship, this was showing the power she had over her. Prudence accepts her hand, therefore, accepting defeat. I look over at Sabrina and flash a smile.
