As I held the letter in my hands I felt the cold hand of despair grip my lungs. I know what this letter means. Instead of worrying about whether or not I'm going to get into a prestigious college I'm worrying about what this one piece of paper says about the rest of my life. As a witch there are only a handful of private schools in the world and if you don't get into one, you might as well just hang up your broom.
I nervously bit my lip, I didn't want to open it. I want to have one last normal night of high school. I had just gotten ready to go to the schools last pep rally when my little sister, Luna, ran into my room with a mischievous grin on her face. I looked at what she held in her little, delicate hands and immediately knew that this was going to ruin the rest of my night.
The Family of Darkness school was the Harvard of Witch schools. Only the best of the best got in and this was my last resort. So many of my coven were going to schools closer to Massachusetts and I wanted to join them. But I'd been denied entry into every other school. I was starting to get nervous that I wasn't cut out for this. I'd been doing all of my studies and my homework religiously. My grandmother and mother would not let me sleep until I'd gotten all of my work done.
My whole life has led up to this very moment. I take a deep breath and slowly start to slip my finger under the lip of the envelope. My breath catches and I close my eyes, I'm not ready to give up my entire life's work. All I can think of is how disappointed my grandmother is going to be when I tell her I've failed our family legacy.
Luna still has a chance to carry on the tradition but it is usually the first born that determines how the other family members will do. I will admit, however, Luna has always been a lot smarter and a lot better at our classes than me. She is the better sister.
I shut my eyes so tightly that I started to see stars as I pulled the card stock out of the envelope. I opened one eye, ready to accept my defeat. Wait, this isn't right. I turn it around in my hands over and over again. I was half expecting the matte black card with gold lettering to simply disappear out of my hands in a blink of the eye. My eyebrows knit together as I start to read what the card has written on it.
Freya Rhanys Calaway you have been formally invited to the Family of Darkness for a midnight ball. 10-31-2019 12 a.m Formal Attire required.
I blinked repeatedly until I was sure what I was seeing was not just my imagination. I sat down on my bed, mouth agape and continued to stare at the black card with my name written in gold calligraphy. I thought I was going to pass out I was so overwhelmed. Luna picked that moment to saunter in on her tippy toes. She was always on her tippy toes, she said that it made her quieter. No one could argue with her, she was right after all.
"So, what does it say, Frey?" She said.
Big blue eyes studied my pathetic display of amazement. I could tell she was losing her patience, even before she walked over and ripped the card out of my hand. I felt the corner of the card slice my finger open but I paid it no mind. As Luna started to read over what the card said her big blue eyes got bigger. She started screaming for our mother and grandmother before she raced down the stairs.
I watched her go as everything was still processing in my mind. The Family of Darkness only accepts 200 witches a year into their school and with a scarce amount of schools and so many witches, it's more than an honor to get in. I was studying my now empty hands when my mother came up the stairs, card gripped in her pale hand.
When I looked up at her, I thought at first that she was angry. My mother never really smiled but you knew when she was angry. She dropped to her knees in front of me and slipped her cold fingers into mine and squeezed. I looked into her eyes and realized that it was not anger on her face but the only way she knew how to express amazement.
At that moment my grandmother, Aggie, hobbled up the stairs with my sister behind her, supporting her. My grandmother was a frail woman but we definitely got our looks from her. Even at 67, she looked like she was in her early 40's. She was always dressed in velvet, auburn going gray hair down hanging to the back of her knees. She always had a smile on her face, unlike her daughter.
"Oh, my dear sweet Freya I knew you'd get in! And into the Family of Darkness! You honor the Calaway name!" My grandmother said as she hovered over my mothers still form and placed a kiss on my forehead.
I was still staring at my mothers green eyes as she did this, the same eyes she had given me. I could see the machines from her brain working in them. I didn't know how to respond and my sister for the first time in her life was quiet.
It felt like years since I had been a normal teenage girl in high school, even though it had only been 15 minutes at the most. My life was never going to be the same again. I knew I should have just waited to open the letter until after the rally. My mother stood up and gave me the letter back, thrusting it in my direction, never saying a word. As she was leaving, one hand on the door knob she turned back to look at me.
"I'll make your favorite tonight for dinner. We have to celebrate." She said before closing the door. If I had known they were going to act like this I would have locked my door before I opened the letter. I picked my phone up from the space beside me and called my emergency contact, Margot.
"YOU WHAT?" Came a shrill scream from the other side of the phone. I winced as I pulled the phone away from my ear.
"It is not that big of a deal Margot. I just got invited to the ball. It's not like I got accepted into the school, yet." I said it nonchalantly.
I could hear Margot hyperventilating on the other end of the line. We all knew that by being invited to the ball, I had basically been accepted into the Family of Darkness. I had wanted to join Margot in her hyperventilating session as soon as I found out.
"...never talk again because you're going to be way too busy..." I could hear Margot rambling on but my mind couldn't focus on the words she was saying. It was almost like all of my senses had shut off and instead I was just in a dark and hazy room. I blinked my eyes and I was back in my room. The same lavender walls and tan carpet that had been put in here when my mother found out she was having a girl. It never really felt like mine until now, when I was faced with the fact that I would have to leave it all behind.
"Freya, are you even listening to me? I'm dying over here and you're off in lala-land again." I could hear Margot with her hands on her hips through the phone, irritation edging her voice.
"Yes, sorry I'm here Margot. I'm just so..." I trailed off.
"So over the moon about getting into the best school ever? 'Cause I would be too, you lucky bitch." She said, slight smile on her lips.
Margot was ridiculously smart and everyone knew it. She never had to study for a test and she already knew all of the spells that our coven taught, she read ahead. But she was still just as nervous as I was about getting into a school. I took another deep breath before I opened my eyes again. My eyes immediately went to the clock on my night stand. 4:40 p.m it said. The pep rally starts at 6. I should have plenty of time to have another existential crisis and eat dinner before going out in public.
At precisely 5:45 p.m my best friends Adam and Phoebe pulled up to the curb outside of my families house. I had decided to wear black leggings, my doc martens and an oversized 'Pantera' hoodie for the pep rally tonight. Phoebe whistled as I walked down the stairs towards the jeep wrangler. I climbed into the back seat and buckled myself in. In a couple of weeks I'll be shipping off to a new school; I might as well make tonight the best it can be. I smile as the car pulls away and I wave at Luna who is peering out of the window. She doesn't wave back and as a wave of guilt washes over me I absentmindedly tuck a strand of my auburn hair behind my ear.
Half way through the pep rally, the bitter winds of Vermont bite through my hoodie and nip at my bare skin underneath. I had decided that I would get too over heated wearing a long sleeve shirt under my hoodie so I put a tank top on instead; big mistake. I hug my arms around my body tighter. Adam and Phoebe are wrapped around each other to keep warm. I'm happy that they've found each other at such a young age. Their love is the kind of love that really does last a life time.
When they first started seeing each other I was immensely jealous. I didn't want to accept Adam into our friend group, it was ours after all. It had always just been Phoebe and I our entire high school career until the start of junior year when Adam had moved here. Phoebe had immediately been enthralled by his tawny hair and hazel colored eyes. No one could blame her, he had a pretty great personality too.
As the pep rally droned on, I decide I'm going to get a cup of hot chocolate from the concession stands by the bathrooms. As I walk over I notice a large group of boys my age all dressed in Lettermans jackets.
At first they pay me no mind, I keep my eyes straight forward and avoid all eye contact. But one turns around and looks me dead in the face. Randall Jenkins. I don't know what I ever did to Randall to make him dislike me as much as he does but the hate he harbors is terrifying. I can see it in his aura and I can feel it in the energy he gives off.
"Hey guys look, its Freya." Randall said. Smile plastered onto his face.
I can already feel his body heat radiating around him. He's drunk and if he's drunk then his friends are too. I swallow hard and keep my head high as I walk past. I pick up my speed a little bit, I'm almost to the concession stand.
I'm roughly pulled back and I can feel fingers crushing my wrist. I turn around ready to scream if it comes down to it when a hand clamps down over my mouth. I look around wildly to find anyone who is seeing this or can help me. There is no one. I bite down hard on the hand covering my mouth and I hear someone mutter a curse word and then another hand yanks hard on my hair; I'm scared.
As I'm being dragged into the bathroom I kick and grab and try to wrench my wrist free from the strong grip to no avail. I'm really scared now, it's dark in here. I close my eyes and try to think of an incantation of any kind that can get me through this nightmare. I can hear Randall's laugh and my eyes snap open. No. This isn't how this is supposed to go. This is not how I'm spending my last few weeks here.
I slow my breathing and close my eyes again, think Freya. I can feel the weight of someone's body on top of me and I feel the hands drift from my wrists. I haven't moved since they dragged me onto the floor of the dirty bathroom. I won't move, for this to work I need to be as still and calm as possible. I only have one chance to do this, if I fail I'll become the towns next rape victim.
As I slowly chant the words in my head I can feel their wet palms ripping at my clothes and touching my bare skin. They pay me no mind as I start to chant the words out loud. All of a sudden all of the lights in the bathroom are on and the boys are gone. I look around worried, they are no where to be seen. I try to get up but realize that my muscles will not let me. I will lay here for just a few minutes longer.
I wake up to the sound of clapping. My eyes open and I see a boy all in black walk towards me.
"Well done, Freya." He says to me with a small smile on his face.
He is handsome, dark black hair that is just long enough to pass his ears and slate gray eyes. He's wearing a suit that seems to me that was made for him. He crouches down beside me and I can feel him tug my clothes back into place.
"H-how long have I been out?" I say as I try to ignore how good he smells. I still can't force my muscles to move so I lay there.
"Not too long. I had to make sure those muscle heads got what they deserved. They won't be bothering you again. Don't struggle, I'll help you up." He said in his sing song voice.
I let him help me up. My legs were like jelly and as soon as I was on my feet the whole world went black.
Before I completely passed out I heard a soft chuckle and the ground went out from underneath of me. My senses were suddenly overwhelmed by the stranger that made me feel so comfortable already.
The next morning I woke up in my bed unsure of how I got there. I pushed myself off of my bed without any issues. I was wearing my pajamas, I didn't do that. I let my toes curl into the soft carpet underneath of them and took slow breaths. If last night was real then how did I get home? And who was that guy? No it couldn't be real, he was way too perfect to be real. Right?
Convinced last night was all just a dream I wandered downstairs. Before I made it half way I heard my mother laugh. I stopped dead in my tracks, my mother never laughs.
"Freya, sweetie, come downstairs." My grandmother wandered to the bottom of the stairs, dish towel in hand.
"Oh, there you are love. Why don't you come down? Breakfast is ready for you." She said happily.
I heard my mother laugh again and I narrowed my eyes as I took another steps down the stairs. I looked back up to the top where Luna's bedroom door is, it was open. Weird, she must already be up. I shake the image of the perfect stranger from my memory and continue down the stairs, hand on bannister. As soon as my feet touch the hard wood floor of our living room I immediately know something is amiss. There is a blanket and pillows on the couch, as if someone had spent the night. Margot lives over an hour away and I know that Phoebe did not have any intentions of staying over. I immediately feel a knot in my throat form. I turn my head towards the door and I feel like I'm going to throw up.
It's him. The perfect stranger that had helped me in the bathroom. He's in our kitchen flipping pancakes for Luna as he's telling jokes to my mother. My mother and Luna are both sitting at the barstools by the island in our kitchen, head on hands admiring him.
Before I realize I'm ogling him he turns his perfect face towards me and raises an eyebrow in my direction.
"Goodmorning, Freya. Are you hungry? I've made your favorite, chocolate chip pancakes." He says, smile from ear to ear.
