A Slither of Death

Ellie the teenage witch

As they walked, the road somehow matched their collective mood. It became murky and darker, disgusting to be honest. It wasn't calm, hauntingly beautiful or even fun anymore. The knowledge that there was a real chance that they all almost died every trial weighed heavily on their minds. Ellie was ignoring them as they walked.

She found her brother but they have spent three years apart, living such different lives and now he expects for their relationship to go back to normal? Ellie didn't think it would be like the one inside the hex. She wasn't that same little girl clinging to her mother to sing her to sleep, nor the playful sister who would team up with her brothers to play pranks on their father.

That's not to say that part of her is gone forever, it certainly isn't gone, it was simply, subdued to say the least. Ellie has played more than 4 dozen pranks on Rio and she did the same while they lived together but she has always been a perceptive child, and because of this trait, she learned to watch the world and its horrors around her. She grew up, some would say faster than she should have but Ellie liked it. She liked being treated as an adult but knew when to let go and be a 16 year old girl.

She learned and flourished under Rio's care and guidance. And yes, she may have developed some of her traits but honestly, was that really a bad thing? Well, maybe. Because right now she wants to hit her brother for currently trying to pry into her sacred head.

"You'll get a nosebleed trying that hard to read my mind." Agatha said after a long while in silence between the three of them.

"'m not." Billy grumbled. He gave up trying Ellie, trying to understand her thoughts on what has happened but her walls were high, enforced by a spell so it was impossible for him. Perhaps someone who had actual training in witchcraft could break down her walls, but that was not him.

"Oh." Agatha chortled "Okay. You just can ask me your questions. Aloud. Ellie? Any questions for dear old Auntie Aggie?"

"Okay, then, where's Rio?" Billy quickly asked before Ellie could say her piece, making her scowl at Billy.

"Not that question." Agatha retorted back just as fast, not knowing that Ellie knew the answer.

"Any other queries for your old babysitter? It's the whole reason you bought a ticket to ride, isn't it? I'm your mom's ex... best friend." Ellie furrowed her eyebrows at Agatha.

"Why'd you pause between ex and best friend?" All she got was a wink that made Ellie stand there with a gaping mouth open. Holy shit...

"I'll get what I want at the end of The Road." Billy declared before turning back to Agatha, his voice hard and firm "And she's not my mom. I have a mom."

"If she's not our mom, then you're not my brother." Ellie bluntly said, causing Billy to suddenly stop. Agatha watches the siblings back and forth like an enthralling match.

"What? Of course you're my sister." Billy tried to convince her with a smile but her frown deepened at seeing it.

"No." Ellie shook her head "I hardly know you Billy. You hardly know me, at best we are friends but right now, I don't consider you a brother."

"Ooh!" Agatha unhelpfully commented from the side.

"And what will it take for me to convince you?" Ellie shrugged her shoulders, not knowing either.