The Beginning - The Coven

The Beginning - The Rite

It's time.
It's late afternoon. It's warm outside and there is no signs of rain. It's weird because it feels so calmful to look around me and watch the sun move out of sight and as soon as this happens everything will be different. Everything will change if everything goes to plan. I think of the look Caleb had all day of worry but also restlessness, I can feel he wants to be done with everything one way or the other but he is also scared if we do escape. He and I never lived anywhere else beside here being what our lives were till now so I thing that the unknown scares him. I know that when we get to have the chance to make a new place our own, this will change and he will feel safe. I could also feel a part of him kind of rebelling against the idea of running away. The part that is feels obligated to the coven and more importantly, to our parents. I don't know if I will miss them, but I know that I will always know that I will be happier not being part of this anymore, besides you know the whole reality of what my future was going to be anyway, but if this wasn't the case, and there was no sacrificing, not even The Merge happening, I think that I would still want to leave as soon as possible. It's a weird controversial feeling I have of our life here. On the one side, the more dominant one, I never want to breath the same air that is here, and on the other hand, when you are being born into something is weird to want to leave it, leaving logic outside of this. I know how Caleb must be feeling in some way. I haven't talked about my parents in details at all. And I don't want to think that now because emotions could get the better of me and cloud my focus. I am writing this last paragraph before everything starts. Depending on the outcome, there will be more written down. Imagining writing in a safe place where I see the sky and the setting sun below the horizon and just breath calmly and look at Caleb and see him happy...

I can't believe it... I simply can't believe what happened in the last 24 hours. This is not what I intended not how I planned it. And I feel almost empty. But at least free... Let me tell you -

We were escorted in front of the alter and all of the coven was there, the Elders behind the alter, the coven in both peripherals and our parents on the right side of the Elders. Me and Caleb, ready as we will ever be standing there looking at everyone, thinking to ourselves who is going to duel us. I am going first of course that is always been the case set (I am the "first" born of the two) so this is perfect for our plan as I already explained. It's almost dark, but the air is nice, I can hear birds in our forest nearby and hear the east wind on my cheeks. Caleb is looking strong and I am proud of him. I still can't believe he decided to stay with me, and chose me and my crazy plan. I haven't told him about the plan B though. I fear this will make him uneasy and nothing will matter then, because we will be.. well, you know, not even really dead. But I did it, not telling him, not because I am scared that he will betray me, no if we lose and this is the end and it is because he got scared or couldn't  go through our plan, I will never hate him, I will never judge him. I understand why and I will only want out last minutes to be by his side and go down together. He went through A LOT growing up and saw and the things that were done to him that can leave anyone scared for life, and both of us are, scarred for life that is. So if this happens I don't want be anywhere else but beside him. So I didn't tell him because if it has to be done, I will be bearing the consequences, not him. And still why I get this feeling that something is going to be off about everything. About The Rite, about our plan, even now about Caleb. Nothing really is out of the ordinary with him so why I get that feeling. I know that it was weird to hasten the process, I have a theory as to why, but there is something on their eyes that speak of a plot against us.
The ceremony starts and one of the Elder speaks out to all of the coven in a grand manner of the special day this is and the importance of what we do for our coven and I am starting to get sick but I tighten my jaw and wait. I have magic but I sooo want to punch him in the face so that he would stop talking. So he ends his despicable speech and turns to us to greet us and thank us for our contribution to the coven. And now is the time for them to pick the first born and present him his opponent so that the duel commences. I can see in my peripheral my mom and dad gleaming with joy and for a second I turn my sight on Caleb and see him staring at them with a look that I so very well know and dread. A look that always makes me sad and it's one of the reasons I want to escape with him to a safe place, a safe life for us. A look of obedience. Of defeatedness. And in that moment the Elder calls Caleb out and asks him to get ready for his duel and in my disgusts I see my dad taking the opponent's place and now I know. Now I understand everything. This is not happening. This can't be happening. I am not about to lose everything.

Caleb didn't look at me at first but when I started screaming in anger demanding explanation from everyone, he was startled. The Elders said that this was decided yesterday when our parents came to them to explain that their son Caleb volunteered to be first and if he looses right then and there, the ritual for becoming one with the coven should commence. I looked at him and he just said this is for the best and the decision is his. I KNOW this words, I know that these are not his words, and not his decision. It was my parents doing. These words were something they said to us when they wanted to manipulate us into doing something they wanted and Caleb knows that as well so hearing this statement from him is just... hurtful. I didn't mind  going down together in this, but for him to just give up in this manner and just leave me alone here it made me even angrier. My mom came in front me and started to talk in her soft manipulative voice to calm down and started to explain to me that this is a great thing and Caleb is doing this for me, for the coven and I should be proud of him. She told me that HE came to THEM and wanted to do that. I KNOW this is a LIE. Every time when my parents wanted something they knew that by going to him and talking to him about it they could convince him to do something and when I or somebody asks him why - he would always say because it is for the best and that he is doing it for the coven. No, not today, not about this. I WILL not have it. I am sad because I truly know that he is doing that for me and no one else. He thinks this way the coven wouldn't stop me and punish me, kill me even for disobeying. He thinks that my plan will fail or at least they will find us and I will be punished. He is always been like this with me. I remember the very first time he convinced our parents that something bad I did, he did it. He got punished by being hexed and in pain for days for embarrassing them in front of the coven. When I asked him why he did is, he said that he did not want to see me hurt. But now I will not take it. I am sorry Caleb but I will take this into my own hands. I started my plan. I played into the role of the sobbing son who begs his parents to reconsider and to talk to him and make him change his mind and to just let me go first as by protocol. I begged my dad, but he didn't even look at me. I demanded the Elders to take my side but they were final. My mom try to calm me down, thinking I was making a scene. And the moment she touched me I did it. I syphoned all that I can from her until she screamed and blacked out. And in the shock of everyone I casted my spell and  it happened just as I made it to be. I slammed my hand on the ground and a wave on energy move through everyone and all got stunned, petrified in their place and fell to the ground. I can't say that I did not enjoy the surprised, horrified angered faces of the Elders, the coven and most of all my parents. Their look of "you are in big trouble", as if I was acting out like a little child and not trying to save me and my brother from imminent death because in my book we are as good as dead. I didn't expect the anger in Caleb's eyes though. He was angry with me I could tell. But I don't have time for this right now, later he can yell as long as he wants at me. I took his hand and sprinted to our rooms ( I am glad that he did not protest now and just followed our plan), grabbed the bags filled with clothes, books, potions and ran out the door, out of the woods (got passed by the barrier spells) and into the world... We are finally free, we escaped