Bad Holiday in Witch Town

by Mark Hockley

lost, they all were. And knowing this, tears filled his eyes, not just because it hurt so much, but because he believed they were caught up in something monstrous and terrible. He was powerless to protect not only himself, but worse still, his sister and his friends. The pain just went on with no sign of relenting. He had his eyes closed tightly, his face twisted in a grimace. Please, he thought futilely. Please.

  And then it stopped.

  He lay sprawled in the road, unaware of anything around him, his body exhausted.

  The pain had left his body as abruptly as it had begun. But he felt no relief. He knew that something that could be initiated so easily could happen soon again. And he also knew he was at the mercy of whoever controlled such a power.

  4

  So now I'm really in the deep stuff. I used to think I was weird. What with being in therapy and everything. Now I know just how true that really was. I'm not only weird, I seem to attract weirdos! My brother and friends excluded of course! But this place is full of them. And I'm pretty scared. No scratch that. I'm terrified.

  Ellie stood very still, shaking slightly, trying to hold it together. Beth was beside her, tears running very slowly over her cheeks. They were both very afraid.

  They stood in some kind of auditorium on a raised stage and there was a vast seating area around them much like in a lecture room. And these seats were filled, every last one with a host of female on-lookers. There was not one man among them. Their ages appeared to range from not much older than themselves to positively ancient. As before they all wore beige outfits, but now Ellie saw that they were divided by the colour of their accessories, the same types she has noticed when they had been met on the town outskirts. There were five distinct groups. Red, White, Black, Green and Blue. One in each group stood out because they wore cloaks of these hues, while others wore sashes and many more wore scarves, belts or ribbons in their hair. They were sectioned off in these colour based units by small panelled walls about two feet high.

  Ellie looked towards the red assembly and saw the woman in the cloak who had somehow hurt Zack. She still couldn't believe it, but she knew this woman had been responsible. It had all happened so fast and before she could move to help her brother they had surrounded her and held her wrists in incredibly strong grips. Her screams had made no impression on them.

  She glanced at Beth and their eyes locked for a few seconds. They both saw fear there of course, but there was also anger. An anger that was battling the terror, refusing to stand by and let these people treat them this way.

  Almost as if this thought had solidified in Beth's mind, she turned away from Ellie and shouted at the crowded gathering. "Who the hell do you think you are! What do you want us for!?"

  There had been a very low murmuring among the audience, for that was what they appeared to be. Now there was silence. All eyes were upon the girls.

  An elderly woman seated among the black faction at the centre of the room stood up. She wore a cloak of that colour, was tall and upright and although her face appeared lined and weathered, she had bright eyes that belied her age.

  "I am Margaret of the Black Coven. Calm yourself, child," she said and her voice was strong and clear. "You are among friends here. "

  Ellie nearly choked. "Friends!?" she cried out in utter disbelief, "do you think we're stupid!? You hurt my brother..." she hesitated, trying to control her emotions. She still didn't even know if Zack was okay or not. "Is he alright? Is he!?" She took a long breath before continuing. "Don't call yourself our friends." She said this with a steel in her voice that surprised herself and even Beth looked quickly at her before fixing her gaze back on the old woman.

  "You have spirit." There was a slight nod of approval and her eyes flicked to Beth to include her. "But spirit can be broken." Now there was a stir of noise among the others in the congregation. It seemed to Ellie as if there was some dissent in the sound, as if not everyone there was in agreement. The woman resumed as if not noticing. "Your...brother is perfectly well." These words caused Ellie to let out a small sob, something that this time she could not control. "But he, as you must, will need to learn that here obedience is expected. Here in Witch Town, there are rules that cannot be broken."

  Now it was Beth's turn to speak. Her expression was one of irritation and disbelief. "So let me get this straight," she began with undisguised scorn. "Are you seriously telling me that you are all witches!?" She seemed for the moment to have lost all sense of fear and was going for it in a way that Ellie knew all too well. Once Beth was on roll, it was very difficult to stop her. "I got the hint from the catchy name of the town," she went on, rolling her eyes with contempt. "But come on, who do you think you are, dressing up in your stupid costumes, putting on this pantomime!? This is the twenty first century, you do know that, don't you!? Maybe it's time you starting to move with the times a bit. Just a suggestion. But really, I mean, this is ridiculous! And if you think I'm just going to stand here and play along, you can forget it." With that and an almost deliberate flounce of her hair, she turned away and began to walk across the stage, heading for a side door.

  "Stop." The word was spoken quietly, but it resonated with force.

  Beth stopped.

  Ellie looked at her friend quizzically, everything happening so quickly that she was having trouble processing it all.

  Beth just stood there, facing away from her friend, not moving. Ellie became even more afraid and moved over to her, worried that something was wrong and then she saw the other girl's face.

  Beth's eyes were wide with shock. Nothing else moved. Her lips were still. Only her eyes were alive with confusion and mounting terror.

  "What have you done to her!?" screamed out Ellie, turning back to the old woman.

  She looked down with interest at the girls and around her neck the crystal pendant shimmered with a red glow. "You will learn soon enough the ways of Witch Town. You will learn your place." She gave a final, definite nod of certainty. "And we will teach you."

  Zack sat slumped in a high-backed chair. He and Luke were in a room furnished with only the basics; table, chairs, cupboards. One or two pictures adorned the walls, portraits of women in their standard beige garb, but for a flash of colour here or there. In these paintings the colour was white.

  Standing before them was a man. Zack was almost startled to see one. He was beginning to think this place was for women only.

  The man was maybe in his mid-thirties, well built, average height. He wore a plain shirt and jeans with weathered looking work boots. He nodded at Zack as the boy looked at him. "Feeling better?" he asked in a voice that sounded friendly enough. But Zack trusted no one here. Not after what had happened.

  "What did she do to him?" It was Luke who asked the question.

  The man glanced at Luke quickly and then returned his gaze to Zack. "Don't you know where you are?" he questioned with a brief frown.

  Luke gave a snort. "Oh yes, of course, this is Witch Town, I forgot. So everyone's a witch! Does that include you?"

  The boy only got a glare in return. "My name is Jeremiah. I am husband to Abigail of the White Coven. I'm sorry you were hurt." He addressed this to Zack. "How did you get here?"

  This was said with a combination of anxiety and confusion.

  "I wish I knew," Zack started and stood up, testing his body to make sure there was no lasting damage. He looked around, rapidly noting a door and two windows. Possible ways out of there were already foremost in his mind.

  "No one can enter without power," Jeremiah told them. He considered this for a moment. "One of the girls, your friends, does one know the old ways?"

  Both boys just stared. "Sorry to ask," said Luke with undisguised sarcasm, "but what exactly are you talking about!?"

  Jeremiah seemed perplexed for a moment and then nodded. "You don't know then."

  "Of course we don't know!" exclaimed Luke, " we don't know anything about what's going on. How could we!? We stumbled in here, we're basically lost. This place is a lunat
ic asylum!" He eyed the man with quiet fury, but then forced himself to calm down a little. "We just want to get out of here. All of us. Can you help us?"

  The man held his gaze and shook his head slowly. "In with power, out with power. No man leaves. Not from here. Some, like you, come. But none are allowed to leave." He hesitated, trying to find the right words. "You need to understand. Witch Town will be your home now. You don't have any choice."

  Luke stood there, unable to respond, completely dumbfounded. As for Zack, his mind raced. But at the centre of his being, one thing dominated.

  Escape.

  They would get the girls and find a way out of this place. Whatever it took.

  5

  I remember when I was little. Maybe five. Mum used to read stories to me. And sometimes they scared me. I always used to think if I had a Dad he would protect me. But I didn't have one, so basically, I was on my own. Can't help thinking about that now. Even if it is stupid and I'm supposed to be grown up. Problem is, I still feel like I'm five. I still feel like I'm on my own.

  Ellie and Beth were taken to a small room and ushered inside. A woman with a green ribbon in her hair told them it was where they would be sleeping and they should make themselves comfortable.

  They were not at all surprised when she left and closed the door and they heard the very definite turn of a key.

  "So we're locked in here." It was a statement, not a question and Beth didn't expect to get a response.

  Ellie looked around, took in the two single beds, the chest of drawers, cupboard, wash basin. All the mod cons! "What is this!?" she said aloud, although it was more for herself than for Beth.

  The other girl sighed and there was a quiver in her voice that revealed how frayed her emotions really were. "We're in Witch Town. They can do magic here. Just a normal day in the life of Beth and Ellie!" She paused before adding. "We're in serious trouble aren't we?"

  This time Ellie really didn't need to answer. They both understood how bad things were.

  Trying to come to terms with everything they had seen and experienced was proving incredibly difficult. Their rational minds tried to reject it, but in their hearts they knew they had somehow stepped over a line they never knew existed and entered a new world where the rules were entirely different from anything they had believed possible.

  "What are we going to do?" Beth said very softly. She sounded almost defeated.

  Ellie took her friend's hand and held it tightly. "We will get through this okay. We will. I don't know what they want from us and you know I'm just as scared as you are. But if we stick together, we can get through this."

  "What about Zack and Luke?" The other girl asked, trying to control the rising sense of desperation that threatened to overwhelm her.

  Ellie frowned, but held Beth's gaze. "We're all in this together aren't we? We're not going anywhere without them. I guess for a while we will have to play along. Until we work out what's really going on here."

  Beth shook her head a little. "I'm not sure I really want to know."

  "But it's the only way we have a chance of getting out of this damn place. Witch Town, for God's sake, what a stupid name!"

  Her friend tried to smile, but it died on her lips and a tear crept down her face. "I still can't believe it's real." She knew how pathetic this sounded, but she couldn't help herself. "This was supposed to be a holiday. This was supposed to be..." She trailed off, realising that it was pointless.

  "We need to be strong. You and me. I know it's hard, but it's the only way we have a chance."

  This time Beth nodded. "I know," she managed, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

  Her friend gave a nod too, one of determination. "It will be okay...I promise." But even as Ellie said the words she knew that it was a promise she doubted she could keep.

  "I want to see my sister."

  Zack was ready to use force if he had to. He squared off with Jeremiah, even though in his heart he understood it wasn't really the man's battle to fight.

  Jeremiah just regarded him steadily, his body relaxed. "I will see what I can do," he spoke mildly and Zack let some of the tenseness he had felt subside, realising that he was being foolish.

  Luke watched them both carefully, not knowing how things were going to play out. But he was ready to support his friend in whatever he choose to do. For Luke, this whole bizarre situation was almost comical if it wasn't so potentially dangerous. After all, how could there be real witches? It was ridiculous. But he had witnessed the way that that the red cloaked woman had hurt Zack with apparently just a word. And what was more, he sensed something odd about this entire place, something that seemed to make his skin prickle as if there were unseen forces at work, powerful undercurrents that pulsed and vibrated the very air around them.

  "Luke," Zack's voice cut through his thoughts and he turned towards his friend. "Are you okay?"

  "As okay as anyone can be in the mess we're in."

  Zack just gave a nod. It was all that was needed. He turned his attention back to Jeremiah. "Please try to find out what's happened to Ellie and Beth." He paused, searching for the right way to continue, struggling with conflicting emotions. "I would...we would both be in your debt if you could help us."

  This gained a look from the man that was hard to read, but there was something in his eyes that said the words had affected him in some way. "They are staying at the Old School House for the time being, at least until after The Testing."

  Both boys gazed at Jeremiah apprehensively. "What's the testing?" Luke asked slowly, not liking the sound of it one bit.

  The man eyed him for a moment, as if unsure of what to say. "Once a daughter comes of age..." He paused, taking in both boy's confused expressions. "At the age of sixteen years they become a Mother."

  "A what!?" Zack blurted.

  Jeremiah looked almost embarrassed "No, please do not misunderstand me. This is merely the title given to those who pass The Testing."

  Both Zack and Luke let out the breath they had been holding. "So what exactly is this testing?" Zack wanted to know.

  Now Jeremiah seemed uncomfortable, as if regretting telling them as much as he already had. But he went on nonetheless."When a Daughter becomes a Mother she must prove she has the gift of the Word. She must prove she is of the true lineage. Then she will join one of the Covens and take her rightful place."

  Luke gave this some thought and then asked the question that that was turning over in his mind, nagging at him with uneasy persistence. "And what if they don't prove it?"

  Jeremiah cast his eyes downward. He obviously did not want to answer. But eventually he did. "There is no place here for a Daughter who has false lineage. Only death awaits those who have no place in Witch Town."

  The girls wanted answers. No, they needed answers. And they were determined to get them.

  When their door finally opened and a young woman in perhaps her early twenties entered, both Ellie and Beth confronted her, their expressions resolute.

  "Will you please tell us what is going on here?" began Ellie.

  "Why are you keeping us prisoners!?" demanded Beth forcefully, her body tensing.

  The young woman took an involuntary step backward. She had a Blue scarf around her neck and she clutched at it briefly, perhaps a little nervously. "Please," she offered, "please calm yourself." She had a kind expression, far more so than any of the women they had previously encountered.

  "Will you tell us?" asked Ellie, her voice just as strong, but her tone slightly softer.

  "Let me introduce myself first," the woman said, "I am Allana of the Blue Coven. Can I ask your names?"

  Both Ellie and Beth were a little taken aback by the formality and bristled at first, but then Ellie gathered herself and managed to answer with some show of courtesy. "I'm Ellie and this is Beth. But that's not important. We need to know where the two boys we came here with are?"

  Allana regarded them gravely for a few seconds. "I have been appointed by the Cou
ncil to be your escort until after The Testing."

  "You didn't answer the question," Beth stated, choosing to ignore what the woman had said.

  This only gained a frown from Allana.

  "My brother! Our friend!" Ellie snapped, all thoughts of civility lost.

  "They are in the Husband Quarter. They are of age are they not?"

  Beth shook her head. "This is getting ridiculous!" She hesitated, recalling how the other woman had controlled her with just a single word and how she had felt so utterly powerless. Her mind had still been her own, but her body had been paralysed. It had only lasted for a few minutes but it was more than enough for her to understand that she was vulnerable to these people, whoever and whatever they really were. "If you are supposed to be our...escort," she went on more carefully, "shouldn't you explain to us how things work here?"

  This made the woman smile, one that was both relieved and sincere. "Yes, of course. That is my appointed task. All Daughters are advised by an escort before The Testing. It is tradition."

  "The Testing?" asked Ellie, "what is it?" She felt very uneasy, something within her stirring. Anxiety, fear, anticipation. She was almost light headed with it.

  "You must both be tested. One, or even both of you, will become a Mother. It must be so, or you would not have been able to enter Witch Town. In with power, out with power. Your friends are merely men, so they were only able to enter with you. Do you already know if you possess the gift?"

  Ellie glanced at Beth, but the other's girl's expression was blank. "We don't even know what you're talking about. All we want is to get out of here. Can't you tell us how to do that. We won't tell anyone about this place and what goes on here, we promise." She was becoming increasingly desperate, as if her life depended on it. And deep inside her heart, that's exactly what she believed.

  Allana just looked confused. "You can't leave now. Perhaps in time, if you become a Mother and there is work for you beyond Witch Town. But for now, you must prepare."

  Beth tried a different approach. "So what do we get tested on?" She threw a quick look at her friend. "I'm rubbish at maths so I hope it's not that!" It was a lame joke, but for Beth it was a coping mechanism, always had been.

  With a dismissive wave of her hand, Allana went to the door. "Would you like me to give you a tour of the town?"

  Ellie brightened at this. "Yes please," she replied quickly. "Can you show us where our friends are staying?"

  But the woman only gave a solemn shake of her head. "That may prove difficult. At least until after The Testing. But all the Sons will be at The Dance when new Mothers choose a spouse."

  "Choose what!?" Beth nearly spat out the words.

  Allana seemed perplexed at the girl's reaction. "Spouse. All Mothers take one once they have passed The Testing."

  Both Ellie and Beth had no idea how to respond. They were clearly in some kind of