Katelyn and The Witch Party

Katelyn Valedette thought she was an ordinary girl, and she was glad that she was not a witch. Witches could get punished for any public appearance of magic, even healing someone. Katelyn's parents were afraid of witches, so they insisted that she have a mentor to protect her. She resented those mentors, and they left her feeling more alone until her thoughts got too loud.

Then, her father hired a different mentor, Victoria Leste. Victoria was a witch, but she was nothing like the rumours. Victoria introduced Katelyn to a supportive community, the Social Unity Party, which was both a political party and a sharing network. With Victoria's support, Katelyn learned to accept that she too was a witch whose powers manifested as telepathy and telepathic empathy. The thoughts that overwhelmed Katelyn were not always hers.

Then, Katelyn's parents discovered her magic, blamed Victoria for infecting their daughter, and murdered Victoria. Katelyn wished she could forget about her mentor and bury the truth like her parents would want, but Victoria deserved better. Still, Katelyn was terrified that she would be punished if she spoke out against her parents' actions. Her magic had been used in the murder, so she could be punished.

Rumours surfaced that The Constant, the popular newspaper associated with one of the major political parties which her parents often read, was stoking anti-witch hatred. Victoria's death could be at the centre of proving the dangers of anti-witch sentiment and turning the tide against the ruling party enough to provoke change.

Without Victoria, the voices overwhelmed Katelyn with regret and pain. Her soul began to fracture, unravelling the control she held over her powers and her mind. If she did not find a way to cope with her thoughts in a world that would hate her, she could become the destructive Carrie-like figure that everyone feared.