Bad Holiday in Witch Town

by Mark Hockley

try."

  "And that's the best that can be done?"

  "Unless I have misunderstood the law." From the way that Abigail spoke this seem unlikely.

  "The other stuff. The property, my role in the Coven. You know those things are not important to me." Ellie fixed the witch with a fierce gaze. "Only my friends."

  Abigail nodded and her expression was compassionate. "We are not all the same here, Ellie. Some of us recognise mistakes have been made in the past. And mistakes continue to be made. But in Witch Town the five Houses vie for control. Some might say that our laws are flawed but then in what institution is it not so? We have to accept and abide by the rules of our ancestors."

  The girl nodded absently. She was thinking about so many different things. A dull ache had begun to throb behind her eyes. "Do I have to see anyone else tonight? I'm really tired."

  The woman shook her head. "Not if you do not want to. The Black Coven are the only ones left to speak. That can wait until the morning."

  "Thank you," said Ellie simply with real gratitude. "I need some time to rest and think about everything."

  "Of course. And that is wise. This is a very important decision. More important than you realise now." But Ellie wasn't really concentrating on the woman's words. Her mind was drifting. And in her thoughts there were images of Zack and Luke and Beth. What were they thinking? What were thinking about her? She was a witch after all. It could not be denied. Did they even trust her anymore? "I will inform Margaret that you will meet with her tomorrow. Good night."

  Ellie didn't even respond and hardly noticed Abigail leave. Now she was alone once more and she was glad of it.

  It was all becoming too much for her and she felt completely exhausted, both mentally as well as physically.

  She wondered idly what other Words of Power she could use. She didn't even understand how it worked. She just said something and then it happened? Was that it?

  She contemplated trying out a few random words. How about disappear? Or Godzilla power!? But she found little levity in her ideas. It was all too serious and far too grim.

  These were matters of life and death. And these people were playing for keeps.

  No, there were lives at stake and she was the only one who could do something to save them. There was no time for games. Even though the witch Covens seemed intent on playing them with her.

  Ellie knew she would need to negotiate much harder if she was going to win against these people. And now all she had left was the Black Coven to talk to and she found it hard to believe they would offer her anything to help her. But that would have to wait until the morning.

  Now she needed to sleep. The idea might seem ridiculous with all that was turning over in her head, but she really was wiped out. Tomorrow she would come up with something. She had to.

  Luke's dreams were the worst kind imaginable. He was forced to relive the moment when he had murdered the young woman in the black ribbon over and over again. There was nothing he could do to stop it. The scene played out in exaggerated slow motion. A sickening charade for his entertainment. He felt feverish and his mind whirled, his emotions even within his dream distorted and wild.

  Please let it stop. But there was no one to listen. The night crawled by. And he continued to bear witness to his crime.

  I didn't know. His pleas to his own mind were ignored and mocked.

  You knew. You knew exactly what you were doing.

  But it was Zack. Wasn't it his idea, his plan, his fault. The sound of the words in his head reverberated. It was Zack. It was him. Always him.

  Take responsibility for your own actions. It was his Dad's voice speaking. Cold and cruel. His Dad had always been so hard on him, expected so much. But he could never live up to those expectations. He was a failure. He knew it only too well.

  It's not my fault. It's not.

  But the truth was they all knew it was. Zack knew. His Dad knew it too. It was down to him. He had ripped off the necklace and the girl had died. And what if it had been Ellie? In his dream he saw that the woman who was dying had changed her face. Now it was Ellie. She writhed in pain, clutching at her throat.

  No, no, no!

  Then the girl changed her appearance again and now Beth stood before him. Please, not her.

  His feelings began to amplify, to expand, his heart felt too big for his chest. Not Beth. Luke couldn't bear it. He thrashed about, desperate to wake up. Please, please don't kill Beth.

  I won't kill her. I promise. I won't. I'll do anything.

  Abruptly, he started awake. Opposite him Zack snored gently. Luke felt sweat all over his body and he tried to control his breathing. For a long time he sat up in the bed, holding his hands to his face. He had no idea what could be done to relieve the guilt that he felt. In the end, Luke knew it was his burden to carry. There was no point trying to pass the buck. He felt vaguely ashamed that he had even considered trying to blame Zack. Even if it had only been in his dream.

  No, this was his problem. He had done what he had done.

  He would have to come to terms with it. Whether he liked it or not.

  Margaret seemed preoccupied and Ellie waited patiently for the old woman to speak, but there was only silence. "Did you want to ask me something?" she questioned when she could tolerate it no longer.

  The elderly witch shifted her gaze and reminded Ellie of a lizard focusing on their prey. "We offer nothing."

  The girl just stared blankly. "Nothing?" she repeated, feeling a little stunned.

  "Oh, you can have a house and the usual trappings. But we will make no bargain with you. Why should we?"

  Ellie had to admit that she was baffled. "So why are you here then?"

  With just a slightest of shrugs, the woman curled her lips as she spoke. "Protocol. Politics. Call it what you wish."

  "So you won't try to save my friends?" Ellie was feeling more and more at a loss.

  "They deserve to die." It was a simple statement and Margaret seemed to carry the conviction of her words.

  "It was self defence!" the girl cried out, her voice shrill.

  The old woman's expression became openly hostile. "A single girl alone. Bound and helpless. They murdered her."

  "They had no choice," countered Ellie.

  "Choice!" roared Margaret, "what choice did Diana have?" The witch paused as her eyes became wide with sorrow. "She was my daughter and they took her from me. How dare you call it self defence. They will die, be sure of it. And I will see it done."

  Ellie didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry," she offered feebly.

  "Do not insult with your hollow apology. You are as much to blame as those you came here with."

  Now Ellie felt anger coursing through her, her pent up feelings of frustration and fear threatening to come spilling out. "Who do you think you are anyway!? You forced this on us... all of us. What choice did we have!? You think you're so high and mighty. You think this place is so special! You're nothing! Just some throwback to the past that's not even worth remembering. I wish they had killed all of you when they had the chance!" She felt a little breathless and knew that she had probably gone too far, but it felt good to let rip and tell this old witch what she really felt about her.

  "And yet," Margaret breathed softly, "you are one of us." Now Ellie didn't know what to say. Her fury left her all at once. She felt defeated. "There will be a vote," the woman went on as if nothing of any significance had been said. "Two separate votes in fact. One to decide the fate of the girl...this is of little consequence. The other to judge punishment for your friends, the murderers. Five votes. Majority rule."

  Majority rule.

  Ellie saw that there was no hope. Even if Abigail voted for banishment as she had suggested. Two of the other Covens would have to agree.

  It just wasn't going to happen.

  Zack and Luke didn't stand a chance.

  When there was a knock on the door of Beth's room and Abigail entered, the girl didn't know what to think or say.
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  "I have been speaking to Ellie," the woman began.

  "Is she okay?" Beth blurted out the question, gratefully breaking the tension that she had felt building steadily inside her.

  "I don't think it is her you should be concerned about."

  Beth took the point. "But she is, you know, alright?"

  Abigail nodded. "But your others friends are in grave danger."

  This brought a frown to Beth's face that made a look a good deal older than sixteen. "What's going to happen?" Then after a moment's consideration, she added, "why are you here?"

  "I am here," the woman told her evenly, "to offer you a position in our House."

  "As a witch!?" Beth almost shouted in disbelief.

  Abigail gave a wry smile. "As a housemaid."

  "A servant!" Now Beth's voice was raised. "What!?"

  "Are you forgetting that under normal circumstances trespassers are put to death. You are most fortunate not to find yourself in that position."

  Beth looked less impressed than the woman clearly thought she should be. "So why aren't I? What makes me different?"

  Now Abigail's expression became much more intense and serious. "It is not you that is different. It is your friend."

  The girl tried to absorb this and make sense of it. "Ellie is one of you, I know that." She said this carefully, trying hard not to reveal her true emotions. "But how does that affect me?"

  "Ellie wants you to be safe. And she is in a position to bargain at the moment. So my offer stands. Join the White Coven as a housemaid and your safety is assured."

  "And Ellie will join you too? Is that it?"

  The woman gave a