Season Of The Witch | hocus pocus

chapter seven - the night of the living dead

I remember vividly a nightmare that I had when I was eight that the Sanderson sisters were going to kidnap me and use my hair to make a potion. I didn't know what scared me the most, the witches or going bald.

My mom calmed me down that night wih a glass of milk and reassuring me that witches weren't real and that it was all just a dream.

Boy was she wrong. This night I was living at least half of my nightmare. Thank god they didn't took my hair. I hope they don't. All kind of crazy stuff was happening, starting with the fact that me, Allison, Dani and Max were being running away from witches with a talking cat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Come on, this is a graveyard." Max said as we stood outside of some gates.

"Yeah because in horror movies hiding among the dead on Halloween is always recommended." I replied, hesitantly.

"It's hallowed ground. Witches can't set foot here." The cat explained.

Allison and Dani looked at the cat, surprised. "He talks."

"Follow me." We obeyed and entered the place. "Over here. I want to show you something."

"Being bossed around by a cat. What a night!" I said, sarcastically.

Without questioning it, we followed the cat that led us to one of the many tombstones. "William Butcherson, lost soul?"

I sighed. "Please tell me were not going to dig up a body."

"No, look. Billy Butcherson was Winnifred's lover. But she found him sporting with her sister, Sarah, so she poisoned him and sewed his mouth shut with a dull needle, so he couldn't tell her secrets even in death. Winifred was always the jealous type."

Me and Allison exchanged looks, both being hit with the same realization. "You're Thackery Binx."

"Yes." The cat confirmed.

"So the legends are true."

I placed my hand on Allison's shoulder. "The three evil witches and the talking cat didn't make it enough clear?"

"Well, come along." Binx said. "I want to show you something else." 

Binx led us to another grave. Emily Binx's. "Because of me, my little sister's life was stolen. For years I waited for my life to end so I could be reunited with my family. But Winifred's curse of immortality kept me alive, the one day I figured out what to do with my eternal life. Now, I'd failed Emily, but I wouldn't fail again. When Winifred and her sisters returned, I'd be there to stop them. So for three centuries, I've guarded their house on All Hallows' night, when I knew some airhead virgin might light that candle."

Max felt all of our eyes burning in his skin. "Nice going, airhead." Dani accused.

"Hey, look. I'm sorry, okay?" Max stood up. "We're talkin' about three ancient hags versus the twentieth century. How bad can it be?"

I pinched his arm. "It could be really bad. They could use all of the children in town to stay young forever, just like they did to Thackery Binx's sister. Then after conquering Salem, they could conquer the world."

"That's a bit much."

"Well, they're witches. I'm afraid they don't care about limits."

Binx's head snapped to where Allison was holding the book. She was slowly opening it and peeking into the pages. "Stay out of there!"

"Why?"

"It holds Winifred's most dangerous spells. She must not get it."

"Well, let's torch this sucker," Max said, taking the book from Allison's hand and put the lighter to it.