Two Lost Souls

Tales of Days Long Gone

Willow

~278 years ago~

"Did you have a good birthday, my little 7 year old?" My mothers silky voice asks me as she stands at the door ready to go to bed.

"Of course mom." I say trying to sound tired, so she wouldn't feel the need to check on me later.

"Goodnight, Willow." She whispers as she closes the door.

"Night.." I whisper to the darkness devouring my room.

I wait on my bed silent for 30 minutes daring sleep too try to overcome me, but I was to excited to try out some magic first. I found out when I was 4 that I was a witch. My mother is a witch, but my father is human. Thankfully, I took after my mother. My little sister Maven is only 3, but has shown no sign of powers yet.

I practice for about 3 hours before I hear it. I hear people screaming right outside our house. I look out my window and see our whole village standing outside with pitchforks, and torches. I hear ugly words being thrown at our house from the angry village people.

As I look out my window I see the people with lanterns start to throw them through our windows. I have never felt so much fear in my life. I ran out of my room so fast that it felt like I was flying. I ran into my sisters room, screaming as loud as I could. 

The fire was growing so fast that it had reached the top of the stairs by the time I grabbed my sister. Instead of wasting time by waking my sister up, I just picked her, and the blanket she had on, up. She started to slowly wake up, but I just kept screaming for my mom, fighting against the smoke that was corrupting my lungs. As I was heading for their door, though, the fire shot right in front of me. I fell backwards barely missing the flames spewing across the floor consuming everything in its path.

Maven got up on her own and started crying, but it was no time for tears. I knew I had to get her out so all I could do was pray that mother and father have heard my screams and figured out what was happening.

I pickup my sister, and throw her over my shoulder as adrenaline courses through my body fueling me. I run into the children's room, an open the window. I position Maven onto my back, and start climbing down the vines attached to our little house.

As I get close to the ground, a hand grabs my ankle and yanks me onto the ground. At the last minute I turned onto my stomach, saving Maven from the brunt of the fall.

"You should have burned up with your mother." Comes a strong male voice, as someone rips Maven off of my back.

"STOP." I scream.

"We don't accept witches in this village. We will burn you all and purge this village evil beings like your mother." Says the local priest in the village.

As he speaks, I have a minute to take in my surroundings. The village people are in the front of the house, but I see 2 local teachers start to make their way towards us. I know I need to get out of here before the villagers see us. I  learned a teleportation spell when I was younger, but I don't know if I can focus enough to use it,but it is worth a shot.

Father Smith stands over Maven and strokes her hair as she cries. She tries to reach out towards me, but he just grabs her arm. I can tell that it will bruise from the sheer force of it.

"Are you a witch too?" He asks Maven, as she shakes from the fear coursing through every inch of her body.

"Don't  touch her." I say anger rising along with my heart rate.

"What are you going to do, little girl? Are you going to curse me?." He says in a mocking tone, while the teachers start getting too close for comfort.

I start to get up slowly with my hands out in a mock surrender. When I get onto my feet, the priest starts to say stop, but I charge at him. At the last minute when he goes to grab my arm to stop me, I slide onto my back, and kick straight up hitting him in his private area.

I grab Maven and close my eyes thinking about a village outside of ours. I have transported to many places, but it usually takes about 5 minutes... I don't have 5 minutes. All I have is solid determination coursing through me.

I picture the little fountain in the middle of town, and the little red shop across from it. I picture the cold little stones leading up to each of the little houses near the fountain. The air around us disappears, but seconds later is back, but colder. We are in another village.

~2 years later~

I like to dream that one day mom and dad will come and tell us that they lived through the fire, but I know when I look at Maven's pale, sick face that they are dead. Dreaming is for children, and if I want to save Maven from this flu that is attacking her from the inside, I am going to have to crawl out of the tree trunk we call a home, and steal something worthy enough to pay for medicine.

Stealing isn't new to me, I have done it for 2 years, mercilessly taking from the rich, and the poor alike. I have to protect Maven, and to do that I have to be the thief. It does hurt sometimes in the depths of the night when I think about all the people I have hurt, but it was necessary for our survival.

As I leave the forest entering the village I can tell today will be an easy pick. Many people are walking around. Since it is Spring, many new people are coming through our village to get gifts for the Spring Solstice tomorrow. An event that celebrates all the creatures of the earth living in harmony. 

I walk around choosing a few easy targets to get warmed up; an old women, a child sent for errands, and a wife trying to control 2 rowdy babies. Then I see him. Everyone else would see an old man wrapped in a ragged cloak, but not me. In the years that I have been a thief I gained a skill; being able to see people who are trying to look invisible. It usually leads to a lot of money. This old man should have a hunch or a limp of some kind if he has lived a life hard enough to have to weir a cloak that dirty.

I walk towards him at a normal pace, blending in with a family that is conveniently walking by. When I get close enough I reach under his cloak with grace, and pull out a sack of money, but then I feel his hand grab mine. This is nothing new considering I am not the best thief, but I know to just twist my arm and run. He is older, and I am done for the day, so I take off running towards the woods.

Then I hear the old man say, "Grab her, Max."

A teenage boy I hadn't seen before takes off running in my direction, but I am already in an alley. I image our little tree, and sleeping Maven, and I appear there. 

"Thanks mom." I whisper too myself knowing without her teachings I would have died a long time ago.

Then I look into the little tree, and see Maven... not breathing.

Author's Note...

Don't forget that while this is happening, the older Willow is healing John and Fluffy while telling her tale.