Never Fated To Be |✅|

Chapter 12 : Enter, Knowing Of The Unwanted

If I had to describe the room we had just entered in Donna Ravenglass' store in one word, then that'd be-
Dark.
If I had to describe it in two words then that'd be-
Very dark.

There weren't many signs of light in the little space that was behind the door beside the counter. Looks like Donna needed to buy more torches or install more bulbs. Her place was just way too dim. Anyone would freak out if they were left alone in such a spot. And not too surprisingly, Jake and I were not an exception.
'Don't worry. I don't like harming children, so you both don't have to be afraid.' Donna tried convincing us.

Yup, this woman was definitely great at calming people's minds. We tried hard to look around the room. Luckily it wasn't pitch black so we didn't have to grope about like blind fools.

The faintest bit of light streamed in from a crack in the ceiling making me wonder if this room ever got flooded in the rainy season. However, it was enough to spot the main things in the room. Surprisingly, there weren't any huge pots full of bubbling liquid perched upon a stove with ladles hanging onto the handles or flying brooms or skulls or voodoo dolls in there. No signs of creepy stuff. Not even a rat was seen scurrying about anywhere. No dark cloaks, no crows, no frogs, no cages full of insects or crickets. No scepters or wands or witch hats.

Just a number of shelves overflowing with books, scrolls and other yellowed papers, that seemed like papyruses from Egypt or something. There was a huge table at the end of the room with a wooden chair accompanying it. Many notepads and pens were stacked neatly on the table. Besides those, there was a single cupboard in one of the corners. Not even a window was present on any of the four walls. Just a clock that ticked away, was pinned on the wall beside the only cupboard.

I'll admit I was a bit confounded. After all, anyone could have such expectations from a person who was termed a witch by the inconvenient society. I could see that Jake had thought the same.

Donna's room looked like any other normal school teacher's normal study or in precise words, it could possibly be labeled as a historian's office. It just seemed like it. It all was perfectly unobvious of course.

'Now don't look so astonished. I know what you both are thinking. But yes, every "witch's" workplace won't always fulfill expectations, I suppose.' Donna said.
'Yours is certainly not like anyone would expect.' Jake muttered.

'Everything related to black magic doesn't necessarily have to black or,' Donna struggled to find the right word, 'Seem like it is supposed to be magical. In an excruciating way. Though it is true, black magic is something exceptional. But I don't do voodoo, mind you, so no dolls lying about in my place.'

Her words suddenly and momentarily reminded me of my dolls. But I reverted back to the topic which was currently being discussed.

'And I know you both will probably start demanding me for better explanations any minute. So I'll get to it right away.'
Donna shuffled across the room and produced two folding chairs. She beckoned to us to take a seat. She sat down on the other chair behind her table, placing her arms on its surface.

'Let me begin by saying this- the society might prefer to call me a witch, but I was originally a psychologist. But during those days, I started reading books related to mythical fantasies. I wanted to research deeper into a world, that I realized, existed but was unknown, unexplored. I wanted to understand unscientific things like magic or curses.' She suddenly cast a doleful look at me, 'But I didn't want to leave my career behind. After my retirement, I spent more time figuring things out. Finally, I reached a conclusion that things like curses can be cast. And are cast. I read more hidden and forbidden books and found out ways for resurrections, revivals, resuscitations, and also, certain things like spells for lifting curses or marring symptoms of death.'