Good afternoon,
Today has been busy and filled with household chores and life in general. The temperature has continuously dropped and I am doing my best to stay warm. Snow is still on the ground though not as much as anticipated. that is not a bad thing at all.
I am working on the third story in the series of The Witches of the Forest series. I hope to have it finished and submitted by next week. It will be as the first two are, seven to eight chapters long. This story will begin in days after the battle between Rachel and her brother, Eli and bring you to exactly where One More Forever ended. I am looking forward to seeing where the story takes me. I will give to you the first chapter and then tiny excerpts from each chapter to keep your pallet hungry for more.
Please enjoy the first chapter of "Journey to Salem Village; a Forest
and a Queen."
Journey to Salem Village; a Forest
and a Queen
Sometimes, control over our heart seems more evasive then
eternal life. For Rachel, keeping her heart in check had disappeared after
Jacob had been consumed in the fires. The child they had made together was lost
to the forest and the flames that scorched her body. Her mother had assured her
that she would have the children we so deeply wanted. Two daughters would walk
side by side, each doing battle with the evil that would be a part of their
lives for as long as they dwelled on earth. The loneliness that swallowed her
every thought grew with each passing day. She knew she would need to leave the
forest to find companionship. Jacob, her only true love, taken from her arms by
the very forces she sought to destroy, was gone forever. This was a time before
Ellie and Karen, only weeks after she had given her brother to the demon.
Leaving the
protective covering of the forest would bring to her a sense of vulnerability
she had not felt since the battle. Her powers would be lessened without the
forest to watch over her. The outside world was not prepared to deal with her
or any witches, for that matter. What is not understood was far too often met
with fear and aggressiveness. Better to erase them from the earth than to try
and understand what a witch truly was. She had neither the time nor the desire
to explain it to those that chose to pretend they did not exist. She would seek
out a man they possessed the qualities she desired for her child. Rachel packed
her things and then called for her coven to meet.
It took only a few
hours for them to assemble in the cabin in the middle of the forest. Trees
stretched out their boughs, touching one another until they had formed a tunnel
that led from the outside world to the cabin. Guardians of the witches’ cabin,
they stood ready to close and engulf anyone that was not part of the assembly.
With their proven power to crush anything or anyone, they wanted only to keep
the witches safe and were unafraid to sacrifice themselves to do so. They
watched as witches from all parts of the outside world enter their realm.
Rachel stepped
outside the cabin to greet her faithful ladies and gentlemen. As she reached
the edge of the clearing, trees, tall and strong, bent their heavy trunks
towards the ground. Each bowed before the Queen of the forest. Rachel blushed
as they touched the ground, creating a carpet of spruce needles, soft and long.
She knew her status within her coven but none the less, was still awed at the
forest itself giving reverence to her. She watched as each member of the
assembly came through the opening in the forest. Each of them had a special
gift that was theirs alone, save Rachel, who held nearly all of the gifts.
Together, they made up the strongest coven of good witches ever assembled.
The first to greet
Rachel was Debra. She could conjure up nearly any “witches brew,” as those that
feared them liked to call what she created. Her magic was vital should a witch
become ill, whether it was by nature or a spell. She was second in line should
anything happen to Rachel. She knew well her place and that she could only hold
the position of leader until a true Queen was found again.
Sarah, watcher of
children followed close behind her. Her soul was gentle and her care for
children of the coven was essential. She taught them the ways of the forest and
what they would be called to do. Alone, the children were weak but as a group,
they could stand their own ground against common enemies. Lila, keeper of the
water wand and Ella, keeper of the “Book of Laws” bowed to Rachel as they
entered the clearing. Timothy, keeper of animals of the forest, along with
Matthew, warrior and protector of the Queen, filled out the group. Though the
coven was over ten thousand strong, the eight that gathered in the woods this
day were the strongest and most knowledgeable of covens. Rachel led them into
the cabin and after serving all of them drinks, she stood before them.
“I have gathered
you all here today for a specific reason. I am leaving the forest today, in
search of a mate. I know that sounds crude but I want to be open and honest
with you. This is something that I am compelled to do from within my soul. We fought side by side when we went against my brother and
we defeated him. During the battle, I lost a precious child that will never see
this world. There are things of this world that we do not understand and we
must bow to its laws as long as we take from the world. I feel there is someone
waiting for me this very minute and I must go to him.”
“My Queen, how
will you find this stranger you seek?”
“Debra, I ask
myself the same question and yet, somehow I know the answer. I will be drawn to
him like hummingbird is drawn to sweetness. I will follow the essence that is
him and bring him back here.”
“Do you think that
is wise, My Queen?”
Rachel did not
answer the question. She stepped into the middle of the half circle that her
followers had formed. Reaching out, she took Debra’s hand and held it tightly.
“You will watch
over the coven while I am away, Debra. You will be safe here, I pray, and you
will have these people that surround you as you protectors. I will…”
“But who will
protect you when you leave the forest?”
Rachel turned and
looked at Timothy, the man that kept a constant vigil over Rachel when she
slept. He had been faithful to her long before she had become Queen.
“I will be able to
call on you should I find myself in peril, dear Timothy. My powers are lessened
when I leave the forest, but they are not gone from me. I will have the ability
to defend myself against the common enemy.”
“Not all are
common, dear lady and you; you are precious to this coven.”
“I will call on
you if I need to, Timothy. I need you to keep watch over Debra and the others.
I entrust the witches of the forest to you. I know you will not let me down.”
“When will you
return to us?”
Rachel smiled at
Ella. “I wish I could tell you the answer to that. Hopefully, it will not take
long to find him. As much as I wish that it were Jacob that I was going to see,
the Gods and the forest have not ordained that for me. The child that would
have been ours together was taken from me.”
There was a scream
that came from behind them. The scream was so loud that it caused the trees to
pull back from the circle. A window shattered in the cabin, the glass spewing
razor sharp shards of glass into the air. Witches ran to find shelter from the
glass, some feeling the sting of its bite before they reached safety. Only
Angelina and Timothy stood in the clearing now. A shield crafted by witches of
long ago, held tightly in his hand, Timothy stood firm, the shield stopping any
shards from striking him. Witches cried out as the glass cut deep into their
skin. Blood ran down their arms and legs. Some hand the pieces of glass still
stuck in their skin.
Looking out from
the protective burros they had found, the witches could see where the screams
came from. Angelina was standing near the cabin, her mouth agape, the scream
not as piercing as it was moments ago, still resounded throughout the forest.
Tears ran from her eyes as she began to sway from side to side. She shook as if
she were having a seizure, clawing at the empty air as if she were battling
some unseen foe. Timothy ran to her side and shielded her with his own body.
She went silent and collapsed in his arms.
The glass all
settled to the ground and the screaming ceased, the witches slowly emerged from
their hiding places. They turned to one another and tried to help those that
were hurt the worst. Lila used her water wand to wash away the blood and glass
that had punctured the skin of the witches. She had been the least harmed by
the shards. Matthew lay holding his hands over a wound in his leg that bled down
his entire leg. Sarah and Ella worked together to keep the bleeding slowed as
Sarah made a mixture from the moss and pines of the forest. She placed it on
Matthews’s leg, pressing hard as Matthew writhed in pain. She saw the pain
registered in his eyes and wished she could stop the bleeding without the pain.
“This will hurt
for only a moment, Matthew. It will stop the bleeding and begin healing the
wound. I am sorry that I have to cause you more pain.”
He looked at her
and smiled through gritted teeth. He touched her cheek and Debra leaned in to
his palm. “Do what you need to do, sweetheart. I trust you with my life.”
Debra and Matthew
had been lovers for many years. They met while learning the laws of the Wicca
when they were children. Ella had been the teacher for more years than most
knew. Her years were known to but a very few witches.
Rachel knelt
beside Angelina and laid the young witches head on her lap. Angelina was the
youngest witch in the coven and yet she possessed one of the most powerful
gifts; the seer that could forewarn or guide the coven by seeing what was to
come. She was still learning all of the elements of her gifts. One thing she
had learned early on in her life as a witch was that all things, past, present
and future were still governed by certain laws of the forest. What was to be
would be as long as the event was allowed to progress too far.
“Angelina, wake up
for me.” Rachel patted her cheeks and hugged her. “Wake up and tell me what you
saw.”
Angelina began to
stir. Her eyes fluttered open and shut, a look of confusion set into them. She
did not jump or jerk awake but rather slowly focused on Rachel and Timothy. Her
voice was soft and kind as it always was when she spoke.
“It came from out
of no-where, Rachel. I can sometimes feel the visions coming to me. This one
left me no warning at all.’
“It’s alright,
Angelina, you did nothing wrong.”
Angelina stood and
looked around her. Tears welled up as she watched her sisters tend to one another’s
wounds. “Oh my, I caused all of this, my queen. I am ashamed that I did not
have more control.”
Rachel hugged her
again, trying to give her comfort. “What has happened is done now. Their cuts
will heal with time. It is far more important that you tell us what you saw. I
need you to tell us what caused the scream.”
The witches had
all moved to encircle Rachel and Angelina. They were all aware that the
scenario that had just erupted before them was brought on by a vision. Not
always did chaos precede a vision but they knew if it did, there would be a
battle of some sort coming. The coven was always ready to do battle to protect
the forest and its queen, though being ready did not always mean wanting to
fight. This, they did only to protect the world from the evil that lived right
in its midst.
“You will go to
the outside realm, Rachel. I saw you leave the forest and enter the filth that
abounds there. The man you seek waits for you to join him but there was a
darkness that surrounded where he is. Demons and creatures born in the
cesspools of a rotting society also wait for you. I am afraid for your safety
and think we should all follow you to your destination.”
“Tell me what you
saw that made you scream in such a manner, Angelina. I need to know what I am
about to face.”
“A demon, not only
from Hell but earthly, will come to you. It will take on the guise of love and
friendship, but be warned, our queen, it will not be either. I saw it reach out
it’s horrible hand and grab you. It took you to a place I am know of and yet cannot
recall how it is I know this. I saw only a glimpse of where you go and that is
what caused me to scream.”
Angelina’s
breathing became labored and sweat poured from her skin. Her eyes rolled back
into the depth of their sockets, showing only the white of her eyeball. She stretched
out her arms and opened her mouth to speak. Timothy and the coven closed the
circle around Rachel, leaving Angelina on the outside of their protective ring.
Her voice echoed through the forest, causing trees to stand tall and shake the
snow from their branches. The ground was instantly turned white by the falling
snow. Coldness, such as can only be brought by a winters chill, made the forest
itself to shiver. The sisters and brothers of the coven huddled closely,
warming their queen with their own body heat. The voice that came forth was neither
the gentle tone nor sound of Angelina’s own speaking. There was no wind or
windows shattering this time; there was only the voice.
“I speak to you
from a place forgotten by many and raised high on a pedestal by as many others.
It is a place that you travel too, queen of the forest. The trees are young and
still learning their place. The people are cold as the very snow that has
fallen at your feet here today. To find what you search for, you must be prepared
to fight for the right to conceive the child that is to be born.”
Rachel pushed
herself through the circle and reached out to touch Angelina. She pulled her
hand back from Angelina’s body and saw the frost that had appeared. She rubbed
her hands together to warm them. She wondered how Angelina’s body could cause
such a frost and yet no frost was on Angelina’s body. What evil or good was at
work here and how did it penetrate the forest.
“You saw
something, Angelina. Tell me what it is I am to do battle with.”
“I speak for her,
queen witch, but do not worry; she is safe and well. Where you go, witches and
warlocks are hated and killed. The people will try and call out those they
believe to be evil. You must not reveal your true self to anyone except those
most trusted. They will know you as a queen and come to you. But remember this,
your enemies, both mortal and those of the enchanted, will also seek you out
and try to take your life. Though things have happened in your future, know
that should you be killed, all that was shall no longer exist. Be cautious and
do not linger longer than you must. Blend in and find this man who awaits you.
Be done with your task and return to your faithful coven. Do not allow any more
time to pass here. Go… and be safe.”
As the voice
faded, the trees opened their tops, allowing the sun to enter the clearing.
Snow was melted and the trees drank the wetness in to their roots. Angelina
fell to the ground, her body suddenly shaking from the cold. Matthew knelt and
picked her up from the ground. He carried her in to the cabin and laid her on
the bed. He covered her with blankets to warm her.
Timothy spoke
first. “I think that we have heard enough to know that you cannot pursue this “task”,
as you call it, my queen. To do so might mean your death and we cannot allow
that to happen.”
“I agree with
Timothy, Rachel. You must fight this urge and stay here in the forest where you
will be safe.”
Rachel looked at Debra
and Timothy. She pondered their words as she moved towards Angelina. She had no
doubt that their words could be true. She also had no doubt that she was going
to follow through with her intent.
“I thank you both
for your concerns and I will not hide that I too have concerns. The fact
remains that there is a queen to born and I will be to the one to carry her
inside of me. If Angelina could see what was going to happen, then she has a
window in to where ever it is I am going to. We have the connection that should
allow us to communicate in some way. Should I feel the need, I will call on you
to help me.”
“And if we cannot
hear you, Rachel, then what do we do?”
“I will find a
way, Matthew. For now, I need each of you to play your part in keeping the
forest safe. The trees are where we are at our strongest and this is where we
are best protected. I will go and I
will find the man I seek. To not do so, I am neglecting my duties as your queen.
I should therefore relinquish my power and my place as your queen to another,
more fit queen.
“There is no one
more qualified to be our queen, Rachel. You stand where you are not only by
your blood rights but because the forest has deemed you worthy to be our queen.
That is good enough reason for us. We will do as you have asked of us and await
your safe return.
“Thank you, Matthew
and I will return to you all. Watch over Angelina and do not worry for me as I
will be fine.”
Rachel gathered
her things and without another word, she walked out the door. The trees once
again bowed to their queen. Some reached their branches out and touched her
skin. Rachel felt the surge of energy given to her by their touch. She knew she
would be taking part of the forest with her. This gave her comfort enough to
follow through with what she needed to do. Debra had walked with her to the
opening in the trees. She watched as Rachel stepped out on to the cement. No
sooner had she touched her feet to the hard surface, a wind swept through and
began to blow her hair around. They both knew this was not a force born of
anything mortal. The winds began to sweep Rachel off of her feet. Struggling to
free herself, she reached out to Debra but failed to grab her hand.
“I will be fine,
Debra! The wind will take me where I need to be. Listen for me and know that I
love you all dearly!”
As her words faded
into the wind, Rachel suddenly disappeared from Debra’s sight “Be safe, my queen,”
Debra whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the winds died
down, Rachel found herself standing in the middle of a town square. People
rushed by her, pushing her and knocking her to the side. Her surroundings told
her she was not in her forest any
longer. The trees were only half as tall as when she had left there. Some
things looked the same but the cabin was smaller. She walked to the door and
went inside. A fire was burning already and she warmed her hands by the heat.
She heard shouting outside the cabin. Glancing out the window, she saw four men
dragging a woman behind them. They shouted as the woman fought to free herself.
“You will die this day, Witch! We will string
your neck up and watch you die by the rope. Your body will be burned so that no
more of your kind can exist!”
“No-o-o-o-o-o-o,
please, I swear to you I am not a witch! Somebody told you wrong and I should
be free!”
“That will not
happen today or any other day, witch! The fire shall consume you and Salem will
be one less evil resident. So say I and all who witnessed your spells!”
As Rachel watched,
horrified at the sight before her, suddenly she recognized where she was. She
was now in Salem, Massachusetts, right in the middle of the witch hunts. The
year was 1692 and she realized she was not
dressed for this time era. She opened the closet and found it to be filled
with clothes. Dresses and under garments of the time line she stood in. The
door burst open as she was taking one of the dresses out to wear. She moved
back against the wall as the door was slammed shut.
“Please, dear woman,
I know you are of good heart. Hide me from those men, lest I die at their
hands. I beg of you, save me!”
Rachel stared at
the young woman, clutching her daughters hand and pressing against the door.
Part of the teachings given by Ella was the accounts of the Salem witch Trials.
She knew the names of some of those accused and put to death. The age of this
woman caused Rachel to remember such a young woman with a child.
“Sarah, Sarah
Good?”
The woman turned quickly to look at Rachel. She spoke in
a whisper now. “How is it that you know my name when I have never set eyes on
you before this moment?”
“Tell me how you
knew to come to this home for refuge and I will answer your question.”
“I felt the
essence of one such as me. The home has an aura that surrounds it. Only those
gifted with the magic can see it.” She reached out and touched Rachel’s arm.
Closing her eyes, she seemed to breathe in the air surrounding Rachel. “Ah-h-h-h,
you are a powerful witch. I can feel your strength through mine own skin. I will
not allow them to come to you. Stay where you are, Witch, and pray for the soul
of my daughter and I.”
Saran opened the
door and peered out through the crack. Seeing that the crowd had vanished, she
grabbed her tiny daughter and exited the cabin.
“Wait, don’t go
out there! They are going to kill you and imprison your daughter. Please come back in here.”
“Shush witch, lest
they know you. We need you to save our souls before they kill the entire coven.
Go back inside and wait for him. He will guide you to safety until your task is
finished. Be careful who you speak to and trust none but Johnathon. Close the
door now for they are returning.”
Rachel heard the
crowd returning, their words the same as before. “There she is, with her
accursed daughter. They will not elude us any longer.” She watched as they
seized Sarah and her daughter. “This time, Witch, you will stretch on the end
of a rope. Take the youngster to a cell while we hang her mother until the evil
within her is dead!”
“We will do as you
have spoken, William. Be assured this witch is dead before morning’s light.”
Rachel closed the
door and stood silent. She tried to take in all of what had just happened. She
wondered why it was here that she had to be. What was her purpose and how could
she help any of those accused of being witches. Mostly, she wondered when and
how she would meet this Johnathon.
“William, the man
said,” she whispered to herself. “William Stoughton, one of the most
influential men of Salem’s witch hunts… I hope you rotted in Hell for what you
did here.”
The loud slam outside made Rachel jump and
wrap her arms around herself. The sound of the floor door being released under
the feet of the accused was a sound she would never forget. Rachel sat in a
chair and cried for Sarah good and her tiny four year old daughter.
