Katelyn and The Witch Party

Chapter 16: The Party Convention

After school ended, she walked to the Social Unity Party's headquarters. Brittney sat at the desk nervously tapping her black pen against the smooth surface. "They're in the assembly hall."

The party had an underground hall that had been magically expanded, but it was also usually magically closed off. They were a small party after all and did not often need much space. Tonight, all the members from across the country who could travel to the meeting would be there, and then they would cast their ballots for the new party leader.

"Aren't you coming, too?" She asked Brittney as tension rises in her chest. She was worried about how the convention will go. She did not know why she even bothered asking Brittney. It did not really matter if she asked or not.

"Someone has to direct the stragglers," Brittney replied, but both she and Katelyn knew that Brittney could have been running for leadership rather than carrying out the basic work.

Katelyn did not say anything but turned away from Brittney and found the side door that leads down to the underground. She did not know many people in the party, despite having worked for it for some time, and seeing all the unfamiliar faces of the countrywide membership gave her an ominous feeling. She wished that she did not come. Admittedly, probably only a few hundred members were there and there were probably a few thousand members countrywide. Many members hid their faces behind tinted glasses, hoods, and cloaks and their hands behind gloves and long-sleeves. Some members had bright eyes while others had normally coloured eyes. They milled about, displeasure written across many faces.

She traced the faces of the candidates. Sylvan Ecclestie, the co-founder accused of performing magic in public when Katelyn was a child stood behind one table. She wore a long-sleeved green blazer with black gloves. Her eyes engaged two party members standing on the other side of the table, but there was a darkness in them. Despite vying for attention from the members, she was hiding something. She had faced punishment from the state—from the wizards. Katelyn could feel the same fear radiating off Ecclestie as off Hanna Jean. She did not want to be punished again. Did that make reverse magic an effective deterrent from repeat offences? It doesn't matter, Katelyn resolved. It is inhumane to destroy the soul of a witch in that manner, and it is a punishment that wizards do not ever have to face even though they also have magic.

Katelyn spotted Kristyn Marshadow behind another desk. Kristyn was a wraith witch, a witch who gained energy from invading other people's dreams and bringing them nightmares. She was one of the more radical members of the party, the ones who believed traditional magic should be embraced rather than shunned. She also supported the equality of wraiths within the party.

At another table, Zara Anthony tapped her hands. Zara argued that witches should be respected the same as wizards, but that traditional magic should be avoided, because of the dangers it possessed. She spoke out strongly against dark magic.

Neither Kristyn nor Zara had the same reputation as Sylvan, but Sylvan's values were less clear. Sylvan was clearly in support of witch equality and opposed to reverse magic. She clearly opposed institutionalized oppression of witches, but the other candidates also emphasized those points. Sylvan had been imprisoned and faced punishment, which could suggest that she was willing to take more extreme actions or protest, but she also seemed afraid of facing the same situation. That might make her more careful and conservative. Perhaps, some people would think Sylvan had more experience than the other candidates, but Katelyn felt uncertainty and tension within Sylvan. Sylvan's motivations might not be reliable, and she had temporarily been a criminal, although it had been an unjust charge. Sylvan was friends with Victoria, though.

Katelyn cautiously made her way to Sylvan as fear rose in her chest. She wanted to say something to Sylvan about Victoria, but she was not sure what. She hardly wanted to bring up her parents' murder. Sylvan's eyes immediately flicked to Katelyn as soon as Katelyn approached. Katelyn did not really know Sylvan, but unfortunately, Katelyn was a fairly recognizable girl with her red-tipped brown hair and dark eyes.