everlong| hocus pocus

021. don't loose your head

"HERE THEY COME." Binx shouted, urgency slicing through the stillness like a blade. The group froze, the air thick with dread, tension crackling like a live wire. Jasper's heart thundered in her chest as she looked up, her breath hitching at the sight of the three witches hovering menacingly just above the ground, their dark silhouettes stark against the pale, ghostly moon.
"Billy, grab Dani! Max, Jasper, spread out!" Binx barked, his voice a desperate command that left no room for hesitation. Jasper's instincts flared to life; she quickly scanned the surrounding darkness, her eyes darting between the lurking shadows behind her and the ominous void ahead, all while keeping Dani firmly in her line of sight.
"For the last time, prepare to meet thy doom!" Winifred cackled, her voice laced with malevolence that echoed through the night like a death knell. Jasper's focus flickered to Max, who stood defiant, adrenaline surging through him as he swung wildly at Winifred, only to miss as if the air itself had conspired against him. A mixture of frustration and disbelief surged within Jasper. Max muttered curses, his bravado crumbling under the weight of the moment.
"You little pest. I've had enough of you..." Winifred hissed, her eyes narrowing into slits, a wicked grin stretching across her face like a spider's web, glistening with a deadly allure. The air around them thickened, and then, in an instant, laughter twisted into a bone-chilling scream that reverberated through the darkness, echoing in the kids' bones. It clawed at her sanity, wrapping around her throat like a noose, leaving the group teetering on the brink of terror.
The moment Jasper spotted Sarah Sanderson hurtling toward her, a chill shot through her veins, and her heart plummeted into a pit of dread. The seductive witch glided through the air with an unnatural grace, a predator on the hunt. She was no match for the Weiss girl. In a frantic attempt, she shoved the last grains of salt into her palm and hurled it at the shimmering figure. Sarah's scream echoed, a chilling sound that cut through the air, as she flipped backward on her broom. The salt struck her, a fleeting victory, and she scurried away, but the relief was short-lived once a new terror loomed on the horizon: Mary Sanderson, an ominous figure with a twisted grin that promised nothing but malice. Panic surged through Jasper, her fingers fumbling as she instinctively checked for more salt, only to find the hollow emptiness of her palm. Desperation clawed at her throat, tightening like a noose.
With no time to ponder her next move, Jasper launched the empty salt canister at Mary's head. The metal struck true, but rather than a sense of triumph, a cold wave of dread washed over her as confusion flickered across the witch's face. It was a brief reprieve; Jasper stood there, heart pounding, now with no salt and just her fists, she would have to fend the witches off with her bare skin.
"Go to hell!" Billy hollered from below.
Winifred's voice dripped with confidence as she declared, "Oh, I've been there, thank you. I found it quite lovely." The air around her crackled with an eerie energy, daring anyone to defy her. Billy braced himself, feeling the cold grip of dread tighten around him as he faced the red-haired Sanderson. He knew he wasn't fully prepared for the storm about to descend. With a swift, practiced flick of her broom, Winifred sent the Butcherson's head flying, a grotesque rolling object that Jasper could only watch in disgust as it rolled toward Dani, still buried in the grave. The dirty blonde's stomach twisted; should she retrieve the head and risk becoming headless herself, or let it lie as a grim reminder of their peril?
     Suddenly, Mary charged at her again. Jasper's instincts screamed for her to duck, but Mary's grasp was like iron, fingers snagging in Jasper's curly hair, dragging her in the air. They wrestled, a chaotic tangle of limbs and desperate cries, each girl fighting for dominance. Jasper's heart raced as she clambered onto the vacuum, seizing a handful of Mary's frizzed hair, a fleeting taste of revenge. But Mary howled in anger, shoving Jasper off the broom. Jasper hit the ground hard, the shock reverberating through her body.
     Dazed, she turned her bleary eyes toward Max, who both began to crawl beside each other. Once they reached each other, they quickly checked each other for injuries as they held each other. They were miraculously unharmed, but an overwhelming sense of vulnerability washed over them; they were unarmed and completely unprepared for the nightmare unfolding. Together, they peered into Billy's grave, a cold dread pooling in their stomachs as they realized Dani was gone. The empty grave gaped like a mouth waiting to swallow them whole. Max's eyes widened in horror as Jasper gaze snapped back to Winifred, who was stalked ominously toward the spot where Dani had been, the sinister gleam in her eyes promising doom. And just like that, Dani was gone.