CACKLE- Book 1

Chapter Six

When Remi woke the next day it was early afternoon. She had slept over fifteen hours. She sat up and saw Anna tending to a pot of stew over the fire. Levitating it and watching the wooden spoon slowly move round and round, her eyes glazed over.

"Smells good." Remi said.

Anna didn't look up at first, her thoughts taking her far away. Remi cleared her throat and walked to her. "It smells good, Anna." She said, placing her hand on Anna's shoulder.

Anna gave a little jump.

"Oh! You're awake!" She smiled and looked at the pot. "Yes, I threw together all the vegetables I could harvest from the garden. We won't have any use for them after tonight." She chuckled but looked away from Remi's eyes.

"Are you scared?" Remi asked.

"Oh, no! Of course not! We've gone over this many times. I have complete confidence in you. In both of us." She said, patting Remi's hand.

"How much time is left?" Remi looked at the sky above the cavern. Though the sun was no longer overhead she could still see the faint streaks of orange and red, indicating the sun had already begun to set. It was likely only a couple of hours till dusk.

"Enough time to get your strength up!" She smiled and gestured to the table, "Hand me those bowls, please."

Remi did as she was asked, watching Anna's smiling face closely as she divided up the stew. Anna was usually smiling and bubbly, but her smile was somehow not the same tonight. Remi handed her the bowls and watched the smile meet her eyes, that's when she realized what was different. Though beaming with light, there was a darkness in Anna's eyes. A sadness and maybe a bit of concern. She would never admit it to Remi, but Remi could practically feel the emotions radiating off of her. She was scared of what was coming.

They sat by the fire eating in silence for some time, both of them deep in their own thoughts.

"Do you think it will hurt?" Remi asked.

Anna did a double take, seeming to not hear the question at first. She smiled and took a deep breath in as though she was going to reassure Remi, until she didn't. Her smile wavered and she blinked a few times rapidly. Remi thought she saw Anna blink away the twinkle of a tear.

"You know, I'm not really sure. I've never seen it done before. I've never known any witches to cast this spell, but I have faith that if it was written and passed down it would have to be tried and true." She nodded once and returned to her bowl, selecting large pieces of potato and scooping them in her mouth. She seemed to chew for a long while before swallowing.

It wasn't lost on Remi that Anna had said the spell was tried and true, but she didn't say if she was worried it would hurt. There was no point in sugar coating the situation. Remi knew the answer but had hoped Anna would provide some reassurance that no matter what they have to do, she would be okay with it.

"I don't have much of an appetite either." Remi said, knowing this was how they both felt.

Anna had always tried so hard to be strong enough for the both of them, but over time Remi had learned to pick up on the slightest sign of unease. A smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. A breathy laugh. Little things that Remi grew up seeing over their nearly sixteen years together.

Remi would be sixteen as of midnight that very evening.

The night they had been waiting for since she was born. The moment Anna knew would have to come when she realized what Remi was. What her full potential could mean, and the promise that brought to all of humanity. They would only have one shot to get it right.

Anna's coven had possessed a grimoire, which during the culling had been lost for some time. It was here in this sacred space that the grimoire made itself known to Anna, so many years ago. Her long since dead sisters had buried it in stone and soil. The book called to members of the coven, as it had with Anna.

An ancient spell that allows a witch to travel back in time. In order to complete such a powerful spell would require an incredible witch; one with the abilities to create the elements. The spell demanded all four, as well as two lives. The life of the witch travelling back in time and the life of another willing witch.

Remi would be brought back to nine months before her date of birth, reborn from the ashes on the very ground where the spell would be conjured. A witch can only travel back as far as they were present in time. She would have nine months to complete her mission, save the royal family and by so doing- prevent the apocalypse.

Then Remi would be born and she would need to allow her adult self to be absorbed by her infant self. A process that was both necessary and ideal. Two of the same witch cannot survive in the same timeline for long. Should the infant grow enough to start retaining memories- the mind of both would battle for consciousness. Two souls of the same, two minds of the same, only one memory can exist.

Anna had explained that the spell to absorb into her infant self would not be painful. It would give her what she had always dreamed of, the opportunity to grow up never having known this world. Perhaps, if she were so lucky, she may grow up with her mother too. Since she knows her mother's fate and that Anna was present for the birth, they will know what to expect. If all goes well, maybe her mother won't have to die. Remi can grow up with both her mother and Anna. It would be the best gift she could give herself.

Anna poked at her potatoes for a while longer before Remi suggested they finish off the remaining berries.

"We need something sweet!" She proclaimed, jumping up from her seat and skipping over to the garden. She gathered a bowl of juicy black berries for Anna and the remaining strawberries for herself. "Yum!" She was being as enthusiastic as she could, and her plan was working.

"Oh! My favourite!" Anna started popping the berries in her mouth one by one. Her eyes practically rolled back in her head as she groaned with delight.

"Don't you just love how they explode with flavour?" Remi asked.

"Oh, they're the best. My most favourite fruit. Other than peaches of course. You're going to love them! So sweet and they're great in pies. Oh, you're going to love pies!" She was getting excited now, so Remi kept going.

"Pies? What are those like? What other desserts should I try?" She asked.

That had done it. Anna didn't stop talking about food until the light in their cave began to shift. The two laughed and cackled together. A sound Remi told herself to commit to memory now. This beautiful moment, in their cave, enjoying each other's company. Talking as if there wasn't a care in the world. When really, after tonight, this world would end.