As Above and So Below

2: Cachiche

I am 16... Not 14, not 15, not 17... I am 16, the age of a new beginning, the beginning of my practice. I stare at my ceiling, blinking my dark brown eyes until they're shut, collecting my inner thoughts.

"Por favor protégeme en mi viaje para convertirme en una verdadera bruja, por favor guíame," I whisper softly, opening my eyes again once I finish, sitting upwards, surveying my surroundings. My room painted light grey, climbing plants hanging from my ceilings all over my room. My heart was beating fast as salmon swimming upstream, but now, it is slowing down, I breathe in relief and jump out of bed. I get dressed, putting on flowy black shorts, tied up with an aqua string, paired with homemade aqua and white patterned tube top paired with Nike shoes.

I walk out my bedroom door after doing my eyebrows and mascara, right into my mother. I glance up at her.

"I must braid your hair my young bruja, you have a lengthy journey to New Orleans, or at least a headscarf... I have an aqua one to match, mija..." She tells me, running her fingers through my curly black hair.

I sigh but smile, "if you must, mami, I'll sit in the living room." I tell her, doing as I said, and sat in front of the couch, waiting as she walked over and sat down with a rattail comb, parting my hair in the middle. But... She stopped abruptly, gasping as she tossed her comb at the wall in fright.

"Cachiche! Don't move, don't move!" She whispered, trying not to shout. I obeyed, squeezing my eyes shut, as I said the words; "why?"

She breathed in and out as she moved in front of me holding something in her hands, opening them up in front of me so I could see. I opened up my eyes again, seeing 3 moths, near dead In her hands. My mouth was agape in shock, "h-how..." I said as I closed my eyes, resting my hands over them, whispering a healing spell in the little Quechua until I could feel their wings hit my palms.

"Aye! No, no, stop bringing everything back to life, someday somebody gonna catch you and kill you for it!" She scolded. "But! It's a Good thing I wanted to braid your hair mi amore or I wouldn't find the Omen..." She whispered, a little humorous but ended off serious.

I raised my brows, moving closer, staring into her eyes. "A what?!" I asked in confusion.

She sighed, "an omen mija, an omen, the deceased are telling us something... Something dangerous, something worth telling. It's a warning mi amore, you cannot be safe leaving, Cachiche, I don't know if you should go to that Academy in New Orleans..."
She told me as she dropped the three moths in a mason jar, poking holes in the cap and twisting the cap back on.

I threw my hands down in disappointment and stood up, my eyebrows raised and my eyes wide. "I have to go! It's part of being a full bruja! Do you want me to be safe in a coven someday? Because mama, we both know Lima is no place for a bruja right now... With all the deaths by bruja hunters, I'd be safer in New Orleans... Omen or no Omen!" I shouted as she frowned, her eyes filled with hurt.

"You are correct Cachiche, but at least you have two strong witches in me and your father to protect you... You don't know who to trust in New Orleans!" She told me sternly, but with care... But I ain't worried bout' care right now...

"You can't protect me forever mami, neither can papi... He's never here anyway..." I shouted, grabbing my luggage on the counter, running out the door into my cab outside. "Airport please, quick," I said as I shut the door, staring out the window seeing my mama running outside as we drove away.

"I love you mija! I always will, I'm sorry, please don't leave like this..." She cried, waving goodbye...

"You leaving Lima, huh?" The cab driver asked, looking at me in the passenger a bit. He was around mamas age, thick brows like me and a gentle smile.

"Yeah, starting a new beginning with school," I replied, grinning a little just imagining how it will be. Smart and ambitious brujas, voodoo practitioners and witches like me... And don't get me started on the sorcerers and warlocks... Whewwww.

"Good stuff kid..." He said, ending the convo and driving to the airport as I gaze out the window leaving my old life in Lima behind...