EVEN WITCHES FALL IN LOVE

BROKEN TOGETHER

     Mary slowly blinked her eyes open, the sterile white ceiling of the hospital room coming into focus. The soft hum of machines and indistinct chatter of women filled the air. Her head throbbed, and as she tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through her side. “Ah!” she screamed. Magdalene, who was sitting on a chair beside her, quickly stood up to attend to her. “What am I doing here? Where are my daughters? We were having a meeting and all of a sudden… I don’t remember anything more.”
“You need to calm down, mother,” Magdalene placed her hands on the hospital bed in an attempt to comfort her.
“Where are my daughters? Where are they?” Mary exclaimed.
“They’re all dead, mother,” Magdalene answered. “I was fortunate enough to find you covered under the debris.”
     Upon getting the information from Magdalene, Mary’s fingers trembled and her throat tightened. The news of her losing her daughters to the cold hands of death overwhelmed her, and tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks as she allowed herself to grieve her loss.
     “Mother, there’s something else,” Magdalene said.
“I can’t feel my legs, Magdalene,” Mary admitted. “I can’t feel my legs.”
“I found your body under the rubble. A section of the mansion’s roof and walls collapsed onto your lower body. The impact of the debris caused severe spinal injuries, resulting in paralysis from the waist down,” Magdalene explained.
Mary scoffed and asked, “So I can’t use my legs anymore?”
“The doctor said it would take a miracle for you to walk again,” Magdalene responded.
“Where am I?” Mary questioned.
“An underground hospital owned by one of our sisters,” Magdalene answered.
“Is it Tolulope?” Mary inquired.
“Yes, mother,” Magdalene answered.
“Do you have any idea who did this?” Mary queried.
Magdalene brought out a strand of cloth from her bag and said, “I found this at the scene of the incident.”
“Let me see,” Mary requested.
     Magdalene handed over the cloth to Mary, and she analyzed it. She noticed the green-red cloth had an imprint on it. The imprint displayed, “AK.”
     “This belongs to The Alpha and Kings,” Mary revealed.
“How did they get to us? How did they know about the mansion?” Magdalene questioned.
“My vision was right; we have a betrayer in our midst,” Mary gave a stern look. “Call me the doctor, every sister in the building, and bring my wheelchair. We have work to do.”
Magdalene walked to the exit and revealed, “Mother, Jane’s husband is dead.”
“Who killed him?” Mary inquired.
“He was shot by one of her old clients. The client revealed that Jane made her miserable, so she wanted revenge,” Magdalene answered.
“I refuse to believe that. Go now, we will talk when you get back,” Mary commanded.
Magdalene walked out of the room.
     A whirlwind of emotions washed over Mary. Having lost twelve daughters and her legs, Mary felt the world was over for her. She was burning with anger. The cult she had mercy on many years ago had once again proven that they would not stop till they saw her destruction. A surge of determination coursed through her veins; she was ready to take deadly steps to have her revenge.
     Gazing around, she observed the white-painted walls of the hospital, illuminated by a gentle glow from the overhead fluorescent light. The room was filled with a delicate radiance, and the air carried a faint blend of disinfectant and the subtle fragrance of bedside flowers. At the heart of the space, her bed was accompanied by a nightstand hosting a water pitcher. A modest-sized window filtered a trickle of sunlight into the room, while the soothing hum of medical equipment added an aura of calmness. The room seemed to shine with a glimmer of hope.
     Magdalene returned with eight sisters, among whom was Tolulope, wheeling a power wheelchair. Tolulope meticulously assessed Mary’s vital signs, verifying their stability, before tenderly assisting her into the waiting wheelchair.
     “The Liberation Sisterhood has sustained a huge loss. I had a meeting with eleven sisters about two weeks ago, but it was abruptly interrupted by an explosion. Magdalene found a strand of cloth at the scene, and we have so far concluded that the explosion was initiated by The Alpha and Kings. How they knew our location, I don’t know, but one thing is for certain: they’ve won a battle but the war is still on,” Mary began. “Few years ago, I shared with The Sisterhood the nightmares I had at that time. I also shared with everyone that one of you will betray me. The Alpha and Kings didn’t need to check a satellite to know about the mansion. They had an insider, and I will fish that person out. A dagger will I throw to her heart, and I will burn everything that concerns her. As for Derek, he will face my wrath. I had a truce with him some years ago, but he kept molesting my daughters. Now, he has gone over the edge. I will do the same. You all know what to do. Now, leave.”
     The sisters left the room, and Magdalene drew closer to Mary.
“You’re the sole person I trust at this moment,” Mary admitted. “The Alpha and Kings understand not to target a single faction. They’re aware another leader will emerge. Given the presence of an informant, I suspect they aim for a widespread assault. Your task is to venture into the mansion’s ruins and recover The Book of The Cause for me. Within its pages, you’ll uncover the entirety of The Sisterhood – our laws, operations, adversaries, branch locations, leaders, and of course, our future endeavors…”
“But, mother, the entire area is in ruins, and authorities have taken control of the scene. I’m skeptical about retrieving anything, let alone knowing how the book looks,” Magdalene interjected.
“In the interest of security, only Esosa and I know the book’s whereabouts. We feared other sisters might harbor ill intentions, so we concealed it,” Mary explained.
“So, where can I find it?” Magdalene inquired.
“Underneath the grand table, there’s an inconspicuous tile. If you break it open, you’ll uncover a black box housing The Book of The Cause,” Mary replied. “Set forth now. As you leave, contact the sisters who will escort me to Jane’s residence. I must pay her a visit.”
“Yes, mother.” Magdalene swiftly exited the room.

     One of the members of The Sisterhood, Sophia, knocked on Jane’s door. Ivie, who was dressed in a white shirt and a knickerbocker, opened the door and saw Sophia with Mary.
     “Hello, we’re here to see Jane,” Sophia began.
“Ivie, leave the entrance,” Mary commanded.
“How did you know my name?” Ivie questioned.
“Child, leave,” Mary gave Ivie a stern look.
     Ivie shoved off the entrance, and Mary navigated her wheelchair to the living room. Ivie joined her while Sophia stood outside.
     “Go call your sister,” Mary commanded.
“Have we met before?” Ivie raised her eyebrows in a disrespectful manner.
“Ivie, please excuse us,” Jane said, walking down the stairs.
     Ivie hesitantly left, and Jane stood in awe.
     “What happened to you?” Jane questioned Mary.
“What happened to you? Isn’t it past the mourning period? Why are you wearing a black robe?” Mary counter-questioned.
Jane took a seat on a sofa and confessed, “I don’t even know what time it is right now.”
“You know, when I lost my husband, I mourned for a year. I hardly came out, and I contemplated suicide a couple of times,” Mary revealed. “The only reason why I kept going was that I made him a promise. I promised him that I would keep living even if he died.”
“Mother, I have two kids. I can’t raise them on my own. What will I tell them about their father? ‘I counseled someone, and the person came back to kill the love of my life’? That’s ridiculous,” Jane scoffed.
“The Sisterhood has begun an inquest. We believe your husband’s death is linked to the explosion that happened at The Sisterhood mansion,” Mary uttered.
“There was an explosion?” Jane asked in shock.
“Magdalene told me it was on the news. Didn’t you see it?” Mary counter-questioned.
“Since my husband’s death, I haven’t left my room until now. Ivie has been the one taking care of the kids,” Jane answered.
“I understand. I was having a meeting with a couple of sisters, and the last thing I remember was hearing the sound of an explosion,” Mary explained. “Magdalene found me covered in debris, and since she wanted to keep me safe from the perpetrators of the disaster, she took me to an underground hospital. I was confirmed paralyzed, Jane.”
“Jesus Christ! I’m really sorry for what happened to you. Who could have done such an evil act?” Jane asked.
“Apparently, it was The Alpha and Kings,” Mary replied.
“I thought you said you breached a truce with them some years ago? How did they even know about the mansion?” Jane questioned.
“I don’t know, Jane,” Mary admitted. “I believe they have an insider working with them. But worry not, we’ve already started sorting things out. I’m really sorry for what happened to Jeremiah. He was a good man.”
“I blame myself for what happened to him. If I didn’t have an encounter with that woman in the first place, all this wouldn’t have happened,” Jane cried profusely. “He was trying to protect me, you know. His last words were, ‘look after the kids for me’. But how? How does he expect me to take care of two kids on my own? Where will I tell them their father is? What if they hate me? God, I messed up.”
Mary navigated her wheelchair towards Jane, placed her hands on Jane’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort Jane and said, “Child, letting go of guilt is the first thing to do if you want to move on. Who told you they’ll hate you? Jeremiah accepted you for who you were, and they would do the same. And who said you will raise them alone? You have your in-laws, your parents, Ivie, me, and of course, The Sisterhood. We’re here for you, child.”
“Thank you so much, mother,” Jane expressed her gratitude. “I really appreciate it.”
Mary sighed.
     Sophia walked into the room and whispered in the ears of Mary, “We’ve found someone.”