Walking With Witches // Book One of 'The Hunteress' series

Chapter Two: Liza

" Right up that hill." Liza directed to Samantha as the painful to the eyes red vehicle climbed along the road to Elmswood Manor.                                                                                                                            " Take the left turn there."  Liza continued pointing from the passenger seat.  "Turn the music on Liz." Sam ordered jokingly,      

" You got it Samantha." Liza said brightly pressing the radio on button. Crooning music filled the car "My wing tips waltz across naive wood floors. They creak innocently down the stairs." Liza sang along softly  "Draaag melody. My percussive feet serve cobweb headaches.  As a matching set of marching clocks. The slumbering apparitions," Sam joined in as they pulled up to the house. " that they've come to wake upppppp."                                                                                                      " We're here." Sam said blandly.   

Elmswood was a large rustic estate on the edge of town. It had a vaguely Victorian feel to it, with big windows, whitewashed walls and creepy woods surrounding the property.
It looked like a house from a horror film; if they only knew Liza thought ruefully.
"So, are your parents home?" Sam asked her, interrupting Liza's inner monolog. "No." Liza snapped.

"Samantha," Liza said gently "Elmswood is a group home."
"Oh." Sam said, the relesation hitting her like a train, "I'm sorry."
"It's alright, I never knew my parents anyway." Liza responded.
"I just met you, and already I'm bringing down the mood."
"It's fine, let's just go inside." Liza murmured.

They entered through the set of huge double doors. Sam eyeing the woods wearily as they walked in.
"MISS EDEN!" a female voice roared, "WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT CURFEW!"
"My apologies for my lateness Madame Moors." Liza recited back, as though she had said those same words frequently.
Madame Persephone Moors was a no nonsense sort of woman. She ran the house with an iron fist. Not letting a single girl step out of line. Jet black hair, fierce gray eyes, tall and menacing.

The children of the town gawked at her on the street, small whispers calling her a witch, saying that up on the hill she performed dark rites and taught her girls spellcraft.
Little did they know it then, but rumors are sometimes true.

Samantha too gawked at Madame Persephone, but smoothed out her face and introduced herself "Samantha Marian Woodrow, ma'am. I'm a friend of Liza's."
"Off we go! Right Sam?" Liza chirped, looking as though she really didn't wish to remain in the room.
"Show me to your room, I guess!"
Liza brightened at Sam's words and showed her up the stairs.
Sam's eyes roamed over the books on Liza's shelf Witchcraft by Anastacia Greywolf , An Encyclopedia Of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham, The Book Of Spells by Nicola de Pulford, as well as several books on world mythology.
That's a little odd, she thought. 
Liza had started breathing heavy, huffing and puffing, in and out.
"Liza are you ok-" she turned "-holy shit!"
Liza's eyes had turned white. She was shaking, until suddenly she spoke, her voice and body not her own.
"The huntress has come!" she rasped, "She shall banish the evil ones!" Liza was panting now, the words coming out as if she was choking.
"And return the coven to it's former glory!" She finished, and dropped to the ground in a dead faint.
"Liza! Oh god! Liza!" Sam was practically sobbing. She's one of them.
"Liza it's okay, you'll be okay." Sam said, almost more to herself then to Liza.
"You should leave, girl." Spoke a cold voice from the doorway. It was Madame Persephone. She said the word 'girl' with contempt as she frowned at Sam.
"Fine, I'll be going then."

Samantha Marian Woodrow knew about the things in the dark, the ones regular ladies and gents thought were just urban legends or tales around the campfire at night.
Sam had been taught by her mother how to find them, how to fight them, how to protect others from them.
And she had just found out her new 'friend' Liza was one of them. A Witch.
Liza probably wasn't evil.
But who knows? Sam climbed into her beloved car. I certainly don't.