WITCH

SIX

"A hundred years ago this academy was packed to capacity. They had bunk beds and slept eight to a room. Now, notice anything?"
Zoe asked the three other witches, a picture laying on the table in front of them.
"Yeah, Luke's not here. His mom keeps slamming the door on me."
Nan said, making Mickey roll his eyes.
"We don't care!"
Mickey yelled at her, his arms crossed over his chest angrily.
Ever since Madison had gone missing Mickey had been more unbearable then ever.
"Guys focus, look at the pictures."
Zoe insisted.
"Our numbers have gone down every year for a century straight."
"So what? Girls don't want to be under lock and key of old witches with sticks up their asses."
Mickey huffed, the dark circles under his eyes bulging.
Zoe sighed, looking up at Mickey's disheveled state.
His hair was going all different ways, his usual black hat no where in sight.
"Witches are dying. In Salem there were hundreds of us. Now there's four, used to be five until-"
"Don't."
Mickey growled darkly, his face twisted in hatred.
"We'll go to Fiona."
Queenie suggested, Mickey snorting.
"Fiona would rather have us all burned then risk one of us taking her Supreme title."
The boy told them.
"Okay, Madison wants us to find her, and we can't afford to lose a single witch if we want to survive."
Zoe told them, Mickey's eyes filling with hope as he caught onto what she was implying.
Zoe poured out a shot, Nan taking it with a crunched up face.
"From now on,"
Zoe poured another handing it to Queenie.
"We watch each other's backs,"
She poured another holding it out to the boy.
"Even you."
Zoe looked to him with a hopeful glance.
"This is bullshit."
Mick sighed, taking the shot glass.
"But if it helps Madi I'm in."

"Where'd you find a spirit board?"
Queenie asked nervously.
"More like it found me."
"Do you know what these things do?"
Queenie asked her.
"You'd have to be stupid not to."
Mickey scoffed.
"You don't know shit,"
Queenie glared.
"Spirit boards have two stages, contact and release. I saw my grandma use one once, and she thought it was cool too till a bad spirit came out, burned her house to the ground, and took half her face off with it."
Queenie hissed.
"Oh, so scary. No really, I'm shaking in my Versace jockstrap. Can we do this shit or what?"
Mickey hissed, annoyance taking over him.
"There's four of us, you want to find Madison? Witch up."
Zoe glared at Queenie, Mickey holding back a grin.
"So, what do we do?"
The four witches placed their hands on the shot glass resting on the spirit board.
"Ask the questions. Be polite."
"Are we alone?"
Zoe asked shakily.
The cup slowly moved to 'no,' the three girls gasping as Mickey's eyes widened.
"Did you die here?"
Queenie asked.
The cup moved to 'yes,' Zoe and Mickey sharing a nervous look.
"Were you murdered?"
The glass stayed on yes.
"Yes."
Zoe repeated breathlessly.
"Who killed you?"
She asked.
The cup moved around the board, everyone staring in suspense.
"'You did.'"
Nan read aloud, each of them quickly pulling back their hands in shock.
"Madi is it you?"
Mickey asked, his face contorting into one of guilt.
The cup hurtled over to 'no,' the witches gasping.
"Who are you?"
They watched in suspense as the cup ran over the board.
"Axeman,"
Queenie whispered.
"Wait stop. Stop! Stop!"
Queenie yelled,
"If survival is this important to you, you better find out who you're talking to."
Queenie pointed a finger at Zoe, taking the cup and blowing out the candle.
"You shouldn't have done that!"
Mickey yelled at Queenie angrily.
"We could've found Madi!"
"Or maybe it would have killed us!"
Queenie shouted back.
"Maybe because you're all insufferably stupid,"
Mickey's voice fell oddly calm, his face contorted in pure anger.
"Maybe that's the reason we can't find Madison. Because you all are too incompetent."
Without another word Mickey stood abruptly, his chair falling to the floor as he stormed out of the room and away from the people he hated most at the moment.

☾

"Mickey,"
The boy's swollen eyes met Zoe's, her expression alone setting him on edge.
"What happened?"
He sniffled.
"You need to come downstairs."

Mickey followed the girl into Cordelia's garden, his blood running cold.
There on the table was his sisters dead and decayed body.
"Madi!"
Mickey shouted, tears pouring from his face as he rushed to her side.
"Madi, no!"
Mickey cried, feeling sick at the sight of his twin.
"Hey, kid. I'm Misty."
A blonde girl with wavy hair wrapped her hands around Mickey's shoulder.
"Let me,"
The blonde pushed Mickey away softly, leaning close to Madison and blowing softly as she tried to bring her back.
"I need your help,"
Misty told Zoe softly.
"There's too much death inside her, I need you to put your hands on her stomach and push."
Zoe did as told, moments later Madison began coughing.
"Madi! Madison!"
Mickey tried to rush forward, Zoe wrapping her arms around him as Madison regained her senses.
"Keep pushing!"
Misty told Zoe, the two girls doing so as Mickey raced beside Madison.
"Hey, you're okay Madi, you're okay."
Mickey repeated over and over, tears falling as he waited for his sister to wake up.
Mickey jumped back, Madison waking with a loud scream as she shot up.
"I need a cigarette with Mickey, now."