The Witches of Marble Falls

VI

Agatha gathered the ingredients for the ritual and placed the herbs on the wood cutting board. She grabbed her mortar and pestle from the cabinet and chopped the fresh fern. She placed the dried flower petals in the mortar, and when she finished chopping the fern, she ground the flower petals into a powder. Kittie sat at the dining room table reading Agatha's notes on the ritual.

'Are you sure this will be safe?' Kittie mused, following the words on the page with her finger. 'Two of the three ingredients are toxic.'

'Kittie, trust me. It will be safe. Why don't you stop worrying about the ritual and gather the candles.' Agatha said, pouring the powder into the bottom of a mug. She added the fresh fern and pulled the kettle off the stove as it whistled. She filled the mug with boiling water and followed Kittie out of the kitchen.

The small den located off the living room was dark, the curtains pulled over the windows, all the artificial light removed. A small mat lay on the floor in the centre of the room—Kittie and Agatha placed the candles around the mat and lit them.

'Sit down, Kittie. Here, drink this whole cup.' Agatha handed her sister the cup and helped her to sit cross-legged on the mat. She grimaced with the first sip of the tea, but powered through the entire cup until she drained the last drop. Agatha leaned her back onto the mat and stood at her sister's feet. She raised a small drum from the ground and tapped out a slow rhythm.

'As the herbs race through your system and you feel your body laying on the ground, visualise a void behind your eyes. You are floating in the void.' Agatha said, her voice in time with the drum beats. 'The darkness engulfs you, blankets you, and pulls you down farther and farther until your feet touch ground. The darkness recedes and you find yourself at the entrance to an ancient forest. The trees tower over you, the ground is covered with needles and leaves and moss, and there is a path that stretches out in front of you, turning and winding through the trees out of sight.'

Agatha sat on the ground beside her sister and continued to drum the slow beat. Kittie's breathing had slowed to a point where, if it were to slow any more, it would be dangerous. It was the place where she needed to be, teetering on the brink of death. She stopped the drumming and checked her sister's pulse, noting that it was significantly slower than healthy. Though it would be a medical emergency for anyone else, Agatha knew the risks of the ritual and she knew how to keep a hold on her sister's life. She resumed the drumming, picking up speed as she spoke again:

'As you are walking through the trees, feel the energy guiding you in the right direction. Don't fight the urge to in a different direction, to veer into the under-brush. This is your Spirit leading you to the place where the Lost Part is hiding. What do you see before you?'

'I see a great White Oak tree.' Kittie whispered; Agatha slowed her drumming and leaned forward:

'Do you feel still and at peace?'

'Yes. My Spirit has led me here and is waiting.'

'For what?' There was an odd feeling in Agatha's stomach, a pit of doubt and fear that struck her deeply. 'What else is around you?'

'For Them.' Kittie said. 'I see open fields, the forest behind me, and a small opening at the roots of the tree. I hear crying. My Spirit is telling me to comfort whoever is weeping.'

'If you are safe in this place, move toward the sound, but be cautious.' The pit in Agatha's stomach grew. Her Spirit was waiting for someone, or something, which was unheard of—Agatha contemplated the meaning of it while watching her sister and waiting for more information.

***

The sun had set behind the mountains, casting a fire-like glow over the lake and the garden. Agatha stood from the floor and stretched her limbs, stiff from sitting beside her sister for hours. She had led Kittie back through the forest to where she had started, but her sister had yet to explain her experiences. She continued to lie on the floor, unmoving except for her shallow breathing.