Blood Moon

Chapter Three: Vodka and Ponchos

Sheltering under her spreading Maple, Lilo glared down at her phone. A black crochet top with floaty patterned trousers had seemed the peak of witchiness back at home. Now, standing in the most dramatic storm of the decade, she made a note that proper witches wore layers. After all, broomsticks didn't look very warm - not that even she thought broomsticks were real. Or probably not at least.

It was very hard to tell if the hairs on her arms were due to the surroundings or the cold, probably both. That was another thing Lilo had not considered, the spookiness. The light of the blood moon fed her terrifying fragments of images with a reddish filter. There was something about being in the dark on your own that never stopped being frightening. On the outskirts of the forest clawing branches reached out to touch her.

There was a flash of lightning, followed almost immediately by the groaning of thunder. She'd been observing the distance between the two for almost an hour now and there was no doubt the storm was almost at optimum position. Where were they?

"Don't go falling now my friend, or you'll take us both down," she announced loudly to the tree. To avoid doubt, it was not the wildness of the night that had Lilo talking to trees. That was a regular occurrence and something she was almost proud of. There was, however, a buzz in the air tonight that made her think the tree was listening.

After all they had been firm friends for a while. She remembered how on her tenth birthday, a mix of extra height and pure will power had catapulted her into its branches for the first time. Then there was the night she'd slept in it - or tried to sleep at least. The tree was so jammed full of memories that it seemed impossible to consider it didn't have some semblance of a soul.

For the last few years, though, it had been a meeting place. Not that it seemed like there was going to be much of a meeting tonight.

"Lilo, what the hell?" Before she could struggle away, Albie smothered her in a hug, then quickly withdrew a disgusted look on her face. "You look gorgeous but also very wet. Is that really what you're wearing?"

She glared up at all six feet of Albie, trying not to look like she was admiring her wellingtons and black poncho - which she most definitely was. "And who's fault is it that I'm wet? I've been here for hours!"

The tree rustled in agreement but Albie just shrugged. "An hour and anyways Nina's later than me." She opened her hiking rucksack, rustling through the contents until she found a lime green poncho that she tossed vaguely at Lilo. "I have a legitimate excuse as well I was gathering supplies. Had you even considered how we're supposed to start a fire?" The sky flashed white with lightning yet again and she grinned. "Didn't think so. Luckily I have this." Albie had withdrawn a bottle of vodka.

There was a rustling in the bushes and yet another flash of lightning. The problem with believing in the occult was there were suddenly a lot of other nasty things you also believed in. This was their night too.

"Boo!" Nina appeared from behind a bush, but by that point Lilo's taunt nerves had already been broken. Lilo screamed, jumping in shock and her tree betrayed her, putting its root out as she landed. There was a loud thud that shook the forest as her head hit against the root. As if she wasn't already wet enough, mud oozed through her trousers and into her hair.

Experimentally she moved, and the world span in complaint.

Hello, may I have your name? something whispered.

Someone else would have shook their head, got up and lived their life, never looking back. Lilo, however, had spent her whole life looking for whisperings. "Hello? I'm Lilo," she mouthed—to the tree, perhaps?

Hello Lilo.

Yellow Wellington's appeared in front of her face and a grubby hand reached down. Nina was looking at her very sheepishly. "You alright?" The voice vanished, leaving nothing but a pounding headache. She had, most likely, just hit her head a bit hard.

Refusing Nina's hand, she grabbed onto the tree and rose. "I'm fine. Where have you been?"

What a peculiar question to ask me darling, I have always been. For at least as long as you can process anyway.

There was a flash of lightning and the girls went silent. Two minutes later the thunder sounded. The storm was already passing them. Fucking brilliant.

"I'm so sorry Lilo, my parents insisted on having a last meal together before they went away. I've got coffee though—you look like you could do with it." Nina grinned, holding up a matching bottle of vodka. "Besides, we need something to light the fire with."

It had always been hard to stay angry at Nina, not when looking at her was enough to cause that overwhelmingly sudden swelling and swirling below her heart. She had long ago accepted that liking Nina was one of the most terrifying things she had ever done. The only comfort was that Nina claimed to like her just as much.

"Shots!" Albie yelled, clinking her bottle against Nina's who met her battle call with equal eagerness. They both took a swig before offering it to Lilo.

A smile teased at the edges of her lips and in one breath she inhaled it's fire. Anyway, she reflected: proper witches almost definitely drank vodka.

"Right chicketies, I'm confiscating this now." Nina stuffed both bottles into her hiking rucksack. "After all," she said winking, "We don't want the forest facing three drunk witches."

Lilo joined Albie as they yelled their complaints at Nina. The silence of the forest seemed to surround them, jostling for a way in. For a moment, the yelling held it back.

Now of course, Lilo and her maple had been on good terms for a while. Still, she wondered how the others felt about the small gang of girls entrenching on their evening. Reading from their gnarled faces, not so good.

It didn't help that the bottom layer at the edge of the forest was blanketed in utter darkness. Anything could have been staring out from the wood and they would have been none the wiser. Come to think of it, could she see a yellow eye looking back at them from the darkness?

Tonight was the night of the blood moon, the night of storm Bertha and also the Saturday night after their exams. It had felt, when she'd suggested a summoning, like the world was finally coming together. Now, the sinking feeling in her stomach couldn't help but suggest something entirely more sinister.

Don't turn back now girl—Lilo, not when I'm so looking forward to being acquainted with you.

They were all laughing, of course, but she couldn't help but notice no one stood close to the line of trees and they all stayed in the protective bend of their oak.

"Right, I'm getting cold. Where are we going, Lilo?" Nina's face was unusually serious as she eyed the woods.

Lilo gulped, raising a shaking finger to point into the darkness. She was painfully aware that despite having an excessive collection of candles, owning a pointy hat and occasionally cursing people at school, she had never successfully cast a spell. "This way."