The Season Of The Witch: But It's 1984

EPILOGUE

My mother was sitting on the couch, talking to a student.

"Thank you so much Miss Cordelia!"

"It's no problem. I hope that it will help you in your studies."

I passed by the girl and sat next to my mom, handing her the spell book.

"Circe? How did you get-?" A look of disappointment crossed her face. "What have I told you about breaking into my office?" She peered closer at my face and noticed the tears that were forming. "Circe, what's wrong?"

I broke down and told her about what I had done. She listened quietly and intently. She hugged me tightly and told me that everything was fine now that I was back home. I took a moment before asking her, once more, the question that burned in my mind.

"What is the Scarlet Witch? I need to know."

She paused, then said, "Follow me."

I followed her down the hallways to her office. Mom kept the Grimoire close to her chest. We entered her office, mom closed the door behind us, then laid the book on her desk.

"The Scarlet Witches were unnaturally powerful witches, capable of magical feats that came close to the Supremes power." Mom dug through her desk and pulled out a large silver key.

"Witches? As in more than one?"

"Yes, there were Scarlet Witches all through out history." Mom said as she opened the big wooden chest -in the corner of the room- with the key, lifted the lid with her magic and made various framed pictures and other old artworks float out of the chest and hang in the air around me.

"The Scarlet Witches are rare, and only appear in times of great crisis." She said as she pointed to one painting that displayed a woman clothed in red hovering in the night sky of what appeared to be Europe, bodies lined the streets. "The Black Death."

Another picture floated in front of my eyes, "The Taiping Rebellion, 1850. China." Mom explained. A dark haired asian woman cloaked in red stood in the middle of a battlefield. Bloody bodies surrounded her, and her hands were caked with blood. Picture after picture, appeared before me. I saw crisis and devastation. Chaos and death. So much death.

"Some of the Witches fought on the side of good, others did not."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" I asked, trying to take in what I saw.

"The Scarlet Witch has a destiny. One single purpose in their life." Mom took a deep breath, tears formed in her eyes. "They confront the great evil they are destined to face, defeat it, and then with their purpose fulfilled, they die."

"Die?" I said shakily.

"The Scarlet Witch dies when facing the evil that threatens the world. They kill each other. However, if the Witch is lucky they survive, but-" Mom hesitated.

"But what?!" I shouted the stress of the truth getting to me.

"The Scarlet Witch dies some time after. They never have very long."

"I'm going to die?" I felt tears stream down my face.

"No! No. You're not going to die." Mom quickly held me tight in her arms. "You haven't faced your great evil yet, and as long as I am here you won't have to." She cupped my face in her hands, "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you."

I believed her then. I believed that I would live, that I would never have to face whatever monster the universe had planned for me. I was wrong.

To Be Continued In: The Season Of

The Witch: But It's The End Of The World