Red Ribbons
Prologue
"We're dying out," the leader tells us, as we sit around the fire. "People are scared of us, of what we can do," she fingers a little tan sack filled with herbs that she has in her hand. She looks down at the sack then at the fire and tosses the sack in. The flames swoosh up and popping sounds were heard. The flames changed color. A dark green, meaning danger.
Chapter One
Red ribbons. Red ribbons everyday. They are a symbol, a symbol of my connection to this house; my connection to my past brothers and sisters. There's a knock at my door. "Yes?" I asked wrapping my ribbon around my wrist. I tie it with a sleek knot. I put the other ribbon around my neck, like a necklace. "Lailee, do you have on your ribbons?" the leader, Reah, my mother, asks me. I look in the mirror before answering the door. My brown curls compliment my ocean blue eyes. I wave my hand sending the door open, "Yes, Mom I do." She walks in, heels clacking, I notice her ribbons are in the same place as mine. Reah's black dress makes her ribbons shine.
"Lailee, you better hurry downstairs or you'll miss Casting Hour." Reah's blonde locks flash her brown eyes at me. "Do I have to go to Casting Hour?" I ask Reah, playfully. She laughs. Reah genitally unties the ribbon around my neck and twists my hair into a bun. She, then, ties the ribbon around it. I don't know why I don't look like my mother, my hair's brown, her hair's blonde. Her eyes are brown my eyes are blue. We only look alike in our body types, hour glass shaped hips, skinny. My tan petticoat sways as I get up. Now that I'm 17, I'm as tall as my mother. She's only 5'11". Together we go downstairs.
When we get down there, everyone else is already there. Except one person, my grandmother, Joanne. I look at the box, the glass around it is highly reflective, allowing no sunlight to go through. The rims of the box are made of gold and have symbols carved on them. "Now, let's begin," Reah says grabbing my hand, and someone else's hand. "What about Grandma?" I ask as the door swings open. Reah doesn't say anything, she already knows who it is. Joanne. Stumbling steps are heard from the the hallway leading the kitchen, about to the middle of the hallway the front door closes. Clambering steps are heard again. "Mother?" Reah says in disappointment. "Yeah, yeah, I'm a comin'." Joanne sounded tired. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes wafted into the kitchen. Then came Joanne smoking. "Mother, it's 7 a.m." Reah says walking over to her. Joanne took a deep breath of her cigarette. Then exhaled, "Yep, about time for my cigarette."
"Grandma..."
"You stay out of it, Lailee." Joanne cut me off, pointing at my lips. Suddenly I couldn't talk. I couldn't move my lips at all. Joanne sets her purse on the counter closest to her. "Why didn't you call me?" Joanne blew her cigarette. Then straightens out her black skirt. "Mother, I didn't call you because I didn't want you to come across town for this." Joanne's ribbons were in her hair. "I may not be the leader anymore, but I am still a witch, and apart of this coven."
"It's not because you're not the leader, Mother. It's just dangerous for us, out there. Now that they found out we relocated they're hunting us again."
"Don't tell me anything I already know." Joanne noticed a few looks from some of the younger coven members. She squinted at them and they quickly turned around. She took a long breath of her cigarette, extinguished it, then walked over to the table; where we were gathered. Reah followed her. "Mother, please it's dangerous; please don't come back and fourth." Reah laid a hand on her mother's shoulder. "Oh, you won't have to worry about that, Dear. I'm movin' in." she pointed back to me and I regain control of my mouth. Joanne joined hand with me, and Reah. Everyone else joined hands, except Annalei. Annalei sat at the table staring at the reflective box.
