Modern day
I woke up to the sound of some sort of metallic sound, and had completely lost all memory of what had happened the day before for the first few moments after I was awoken.
Ding, ding, ding. Ding, ding, ding.
"Elise? Elise, wake up. It's time for breakfast," a moderately-familiar voice whispered softly from the side of my bed. It was Farah, my savior from the police station.
My eyes shot open, crusted over from a surprisingly good night's sleep. My hair was a mess, so knotted that my earbuds would probably be jealous. My clothes were wrinkled. My eyes had bags. My skin had red marks and lined indentations from the wrinkles in the sheets from where I had been laying.
"I'm... I'm not decent! I'll be out soon," I assured her.
"Don't keep us waiting too long-- everyone is beyond excited to meet you!" Farah's kindness bellowed throughout every facet of her voice, and suddenly I couldn't wait to see her again. She felt familiar to me, no matter how new our friendship was.
As I heard her footsteps shrink away from the door, I shouted one last question that popped into my mind: "Farah?"
The footsteps stopped, and her voice echoed through the door. "Yes, Elise?"
"Where... where is the shower?"
"Make a right when you exit your room, and this hallway's showers will be at the end of the hall. You share three showers with ten other girls, so please be mindful of your sisters." It was as if I could feel her smile as she finished her sentence. "I'll be downstairs when you're done."
After a quick shower and moderately-quick preparation, I threw on a white blouse and some blue jeans that Farah said the coven had for spare clothing. Quickly brushing my stringy, damp brown hair and tossing it up into a bun, I walked downstairs to find an entire buffet of fresh breakfast food at the bottom and an enlarged dining room of approximately fifty girls ranging from ages 6 to 25, all engaging in conversations with other girls around their age while they enjoyed the breakfast that I was practically salivating over.
Ding ding ding!
"Hello all, I apologize for interrupting your morning breakfast, but I have an announcement that I think we will all be ecstatic about," a familiar voice stated calmly through a microphone. "We have a new sister." The sound of silverware clanging against china rang throughout the dining room as the girls paused to applaud. I peered my head around the corner and into the room, searching for the source of the voice.
Farah.
"As your Supreme, I truly feel that this young witch has great potential. I hope that you will all welcome her into our home as she discovers her abilities as you all once had to do, and that you will all help her become the witch that she is meant to become."
"What does Supreme mean?" I blurted out, suddenly throwing my hand across my big mouth. Farah peeked around the corner and caught a glimpse of me, suddenly flashing a bright smile.
"Ah! Here comes our sister now," she spoke into the microphone as she gestured for me to join her. "Everyone, please welcome Elise. She is our sister, and I have a strong feeling that she's going to fit right in here." After one last smile, she stepped away from the front of the room and took my hand in hers to guide me to an empty seat.
As everyone continued with their breakfast, Farah finally stopped near the back of a room. At that table sat approximately five other girls, all of whom seemed to be around my age.
"Elise, this is where you'll sit. Brooke is going to be your oraculi. That's latin for mentor. Brooke, would you introduce the rest of the girls at the table please? I must return to the instructors," Farah finished as she made her way to a table with some women who appeared to be no less than 30 years old.
