Experimental Magic ✔

Hystopheria

~ 10 Years Earlier ~

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Millie whispered to Misty and Markos as the three of them gathered at the top of the stairs.

Downstairs in the living room, their parents, Mary-Beth and Miles Tarby, were seated with Sir Franklin, Lady Katina and Head Assemblyman Thomas Derringer. They huddled close together and spoke in hushed tones. Markos, Misty, and Millie had been given strict orders to stay in their rooms. This was grown-up business and being that they were only 13, 9, and 7 the siblings had no place in the discussion. At least that's what they were told. Markos had other ideas.

"Of course we should be doing this," Markos said with confidence. "She's our sister. We deserve to know what's wrong with her."

"I guess," Millie said, not completely convinced. "I just don't want to get in trouble."

"We're not gonna get in trouble," Misty said as she looked to her brother for reassurance. 

When they were young, there was hardly a time when Misty didn't look to her brother for reassurance. He was there whenever she felt unsure and had an answer for every question she had. When there was a problem, he had a solution. She absolutely adored him and hung on his every word.

 "Right, Markos?" She said. 

"Right," he said. "Even if we do get in trouble it'll be worth it. I mean, who do they think they are keeping secrets from us? We're just supposed to sit back and watch her suffer and not ask questions? They have no right to do this to us. They can't keep the truth from us. The truth doesn't belong to them. The truth doesn't have an owner. The truth belongs to everyone. At least that's the way it should be."

"Markos, you're ranting again," Millie said.

"Sorry," Markos mumbled, although he really wasn't sorry at all.

It had been weeks since Meadow fell ill and not a single thing was said to him or sisters about it. All he knew was that one minute they were playing in their yard and the next Meadow had crumpled to the ground like a delicate flower during a harsh rain. It was three long days filled with agony before she woke up again. Even when she woke, there was no healing. There was no getting better. She only got worse, growing weaker and weaker with each passing day. And they had no idea why. The not knowing drove Markos to the brink of insanity. He needed answers and he wasn't going to sit around and wait for them any longer.

"I gotta get closer," he muttered. "I can't hear a damn thing."

Markos crawled down the stairs until the conversation became clear. Finally, he could hear.

"So," Miles said as he sat on the edge of his seat with his head in his hands. "What's the diagnosis?"

The Assemblymen exchanged glances with one another, none of them willing to be the bearer of bad news. After a heavy silence, it was Lady Katina who bit the bullet and spoke up. 

"Your daughter has what is called Hystopheria. It is a degenerative disorder that dates back to the Salem witch trials. We believe it happens when there is a imbalance of magical energy in the body. You see, a healthy witch has an equal balance between both dark magic and light magic. Although it is extremely rare, a witch can be born with an overabundance of dark magic. The excessive dark magic acts like a parasite and feeds on the body's life force until it is rendered useless." 

"Okay," Miles said as he did his best to process what he was told. It was a lot to take in and to say he was in shock would be a massive understatement. "So what do we need to do to get her better?"