The Battle of Wits and Witches

PROLOGUE

2012
Elle Past:

The warm afternoon sun rays is filtering on their cheap ultrathin magenta curtain with floral prints that her mom hesitantly bought at the public market for a bargain price. It gives her black shiny hair a radiant glow as she sits earnestly on their wooden bench with an upholstered backrest at their small living room. Her feet is on top of the wooden coffee table while scanning an ancient-like magazine that they have. Elle is reading a super outdated "Home and Garden" UK magazine that her aunt who works in London bought for her a long time ago after asking her aunt non-stop. She kept on going through the pages of the magazine every time she sees it on their shabby unvarnished plain wooden cabinet with random stuffs. There were her sister's messy old school books, multiple leaflets and brochures kept by her parents from attending farm seminars in town, old pictures on vintage frames and few wedding and birthday tokens her mother collected from several ocassions.

Elle is quite immersed in reading the magazine. She has always admired the numerous stunning British houses made of massive red bricks and wood sidings painted in white with intricate ornaments and patterns of classical interior design, when suddenly she's disturbed when she heard there's someone at their front door.

Her parents came home earlier than she'd expected. They are wrapped in their working sweaters patterened with stripes and checkers. She noticed their foreheads popping with sweat. Her parents went to work in their farm so she already expected that they'd be exhausted when they arrive home. She immediately stand, laid the magazine carefully on the table and headlong to their mini kitchen and took two glasses of fresh water from their primitive pot water jug. She came back to her parents and asked them to take their seat motioning them on the bench. Her parents, determined in catching their breath, panting swiftly,  looked at each other nodding with a very pleased facial expression, maybe thanking God for blessing them such a beloved daughter.

"awww, our little baby is so sweet..." Her mom said sighing gratefully for having Elle as their dear daughter, who always waits for them to arrive to soothe their drained energy.

"Yeah right, she is very thoughtful." Her dad commented while assisting her wife to sit on the bench, moving his eyes around their little home which is always kept neat and tidy. Elle stepped out of the kitchen smiling, with two glasses of water on her delicate and fair hands.

"How's work guys?" She asked her parents sweetly, handing them the glasses and raising her brows waiting for their answer.

"Owww, it's very tiring baby, but seeing your adorable face is refueling our energy! Right love?" She glanced to her husband and he just grinned while nodding at them with his sleepy eyes. After they finished gulping, Elle took the glasses and brought it back to the kitchen, and then came rushing back to them, laying on her mother's lap and her head on her father thighs.

"Owww, sooo this is what we get?" Her dad said giggling but with a very delighted expression.

"I just miss you guys." She said holding her dad's hands and rubbing and feeling his rough palms, massaging them. All the while thinking about the sacrifices both her parents are making to give her a bright future.

"Darling, we're all sweaty and smelly..." Her mom said but still happy clinging onto her.

"I don't care, mom, i wanna stay like this." She took the magazine on the table and continued her reading.

"Sooo... that's what you've been reading... again.., you've already read that for like a hundred times." Her dad said stroking her hair gently.

"I'll never get tired on looking at this, mom, dad? You've always known that it's my dream to make and design spaces and i am desperate to give you guys a better life soon.", She said, squinting around the room and to their grilled window without  glass insert with the curtain waving because of the lashing wind.

"How sweet of you dear but you know that studying fine arts will definitely cost us a fortune and....."

"We'll support you my baby, whatever you want to pursue in the future." Her dad said snapping at her mom's remark.

"Yeyyy... I love you dad!"

"Ok, i give up! As long as you pursue and study hard our baby, we'll support you." Her mom said, rolling her eyes and started laughing and then they all laughed filling their simple home with so much warmth and laughter.

"Thank you so much guys. I love you so much. I promise i'll do my best to study interior design and be successful in the future, " she said, kissing her parents hands.

"It's ok baby, just don't pressure yourself too much, and don't forget to enjoy your youth while studying." Her dad said and she just smiled to their open ceiling with exposed trusses and beams and roof and a single pinlight on the center. Closing her eyes, resting the magazine on her belly,  she made herself comfortable on her parents lap.

Her mom and dad looked at each other with a smile up the the corners of their eyes creating beautiful wrinkles, thinking on how to escape their sweetly sleeping daughter.