The Hunted

Chapter 15

The next morning Faith and Clare stood in the backyard of there home under ann's favorite tree.  She felt extremely embarrassed as she concentrated hard on single tree branch. After a few moments of squinting her eyes faith dropped her head in defeat as Frustration started to grow within her. "If someone told me a week ago that I would be in the seventeen hundreds, staring at a freaking tree branch in the hopes it moves because of my Jedi mind powers!" She shouted as she pointed at the unmoving twigs. " I would've took them to the loony bin!" She finished.

Clare smiled, "I believe it is still called a  psychiatric hospital..."

Faith glared at her, even though she knew that she shouldn't be angry at Clare she just couldn't help it. She was never good at separating her personal feelings from those around her.   "The point is i am not prepared." She said, as she shrugged.

Clare's expression softened as she began to feel sorry for the newbie Witch. Clare also felt bad that she couldn't relate to Faith descovoring the magic world over night. Clare's earliest memory's were of her mother trying to soothe her from the crib while she cried. She would hum a melody while she placed her hands together and created the most beautiful fire orbs to make them dance above her crib. She remembered that her mother could actually create shapes out of the fire orbs, such as horses, and fares. Her mother would tell her goodnight story's, and would use her magic to make the story's come to life.

Faith however had no such childhood. Ann had been there for her only in the early years, and chose to keep her magic a secret from her daughter. Clare couldn't help but think that that was a huge mistake, especially seeing the young confused girl in front of her now.

"You shouldn't have found out about all of this so late in life." Clare spoke, her voice soft, and gentle.

"It's not just the Witch stuff," Faith admitted. Her anger over her failed attempt at magic slipping away. "Just everything.."

Ann, Clare thought.  "Your mother."

"She was gone for so long, and now? She's been here this entire time!  it's just to much." Faith admitted. "I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up and she'll be gone again.."

Clare walked closer to faith in a effort to cheer her up. She placed her hand on Faiths arm, then gave it a pinch.
"Awech!" Faith yelped.
"You see,?" Clare explained. "Not a dream."

Faith smiled brefly. She could tell that Clare wasn't one to give comfort to others, but she was trying. "It doesn't matter," Faith explained as she turned back to the unmoving branch. If this were real, (which faith knew it was,) then she would most likely never see her father again. If it were by off chance a very lucid dream she would awake, and her mother would be gone, again.  "Either way I'm losing a parent." She sad as she squinted her eyes angrily at the branch.  To both Witches suprise the entire limb snapped in half.

Faith yelled out in shock as she stumbled to move away from the falling tree pieces

"deflectere" Clare commanded as she waved her hand out in front of her. All of the falling peices headed towards her simply fell to the floor.

"Wow," Clare said as she turned to a frightened Faith. "Remind me never to piss you off.

"In half?" Ann asked Clare once she went inside to tell her the good news.

"In half!" Clare bragged. "What can I say?" She praised herself. "I must be a fantastic teacher."

Ann however didn't find the humor. "Just like that?" She asked.

"Well she was pretty upset, but.." Clare started but Ann interrupted.

"Anger was her trigger? That's not good Clare,." She exclaimed as her voice trailed off.

"Especially in her condition." Ann added after a few silent moments.

Clare's expression grew stern. She found it odd that she was the one defending Faith when Ann was her mother. "She won't go dark." Clare stated matter of factly.

"I'm not saying she would, or will. It's just a dangerous situation. She's not a little girl anymore, and she hasn't had the guidance she's needed." Ann said sadly. Guilt however hang over her  like a looming cloud. She wanted so much more for Faith then the entire Witch world in fear of her. 

"She's got us," Clare said. "She will be just fine." She reassured.

                               
 Meanwhile Faith walked the fields of her mother's cottage. Clare had already gone inside, but Faith didn't feel up for going home just yet. She placed her hands together as she walked to calm herself, but her hands still shook. She excepted that she was a Witch, and that her mother was also a Witch,but still.  Watching that branch snap in half by a mere squint of her eyes? It scared her. She wanted to believe that she could control it, that she wouldn't hurt anyone but could she?

The Penn property was large, but in her thoughts Faith wondered off of it. Soon she began looking around utterly lost. "Take a walk," Faith began  to speak to herself. "Clear your head." She continued. "it's not like you have ever walked around here before... stupid, so stupid" she bashed herself. She stopped suddenly as she felt a wight on her neck.. Her pendent? She forgot she had even been wearing it. It was almost like the object could sense her distress. She grabbed the tearshaped shaped pendent and lifted it up to examine it. "I wonder.." She said to herself. "No" she said again as she dropped the idea. "Why not give it a shot?" She asked, just then realizing how crazy she must of looked talking to herself in the woods.
She remembered her mother explaining how the necklaces linked the coven together. She also remembered that Hazel had known about her arrival before she had ever even spoken to her. It was the pendents, it has to be.

She looked up passed the trees to see that the sun haf already started to set, and she didn't want to wait around to see what animals lerked in the woods at night.  "Mom?" She asked the pendant. She felt ridiculous as she stood there moments later awaiting a answer from a inanimate object. She let out a frustrated breath. "Mom? Can you hear me?"

Still no answer.

She was about to give up when a thought came to mind. "Ann?" She asked. "I need to speak with Ann Penn."

"Honey?" Her mother's voice surrounded her. "How did you figure out..,wait, where are you? Are you ok?" Ann's cunfused, and worried voice spoke.

Faith let out a relived breath. "Mom." She said happily.  "I'm ok, just a little lost."

"Got a little carried away on your walk?"Ann asked.

Faith smiled. "I guess so, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I'll do a location spell real quick, and I will find you." Ann said as she walked to the closet to grab the  candles. After a few silent minutes Faith herd her mother's voice again. "We," she paused, not quite sure how to Frazee the sentence without freaking out her daughter. "We can't locate you."

"What?" Faith said, panicked. "Why not?!"

This time it was Clares voice that Faith heard. "Deflation. your power won't let us find you. It's like you don't exist, but Don't worry. We are going out to find you. You couldn't have gone far.

"Stay put honey." Ann said, and just like that any connection she felt to the communicating spell had vanished.

Faith felt like such a idot as she sat down on a tree root. She felt she couldnt go one day without messing something up. Clare would no dubt hold this over her forever. Just then she heard distant sounds of a woman's screams, no dubt in distresse. Faith believed she had imagined it, but then it came again. "Stay put" her mother's words rang in her mind, but she knew she couldn't. She jumped up, and bolted towards the commotion.

                                 ~~

Newly added chapter. If you are a reader of my old book then you already know that this one is completely redone (for the better) I wrote the original when I was 12, and it's laughable. I am really glad that I finally decided to fix it, and add much needed chapters and character details and development. Any feedback would be amazing! Please vote and comment<3 Mariska <3