Chapter 2: the spirit of true evil

Charlotte’s pov

“come on open up already” May said knocking on my door like a maniac.

May is my best friend and cousin, we are both 16 years which means that she will also be joining the coven alongside me and other 16 year olds.

I looked outside and realised that the sun is already out, I couldn’t sleep all night, so I decided that I finish up my painting of the mysterious stranger I saw last night.

I opened the door and May engulfed me in a hug, “I missed you so much, there is so much I want to tell you about the things Jake did when you were away” she said  pulling away.

She then sat on my bed and was about to say something when her eyes landed on the painting, “OMG who is that? why is he so handsome?” she asked practically drooling at the sight.

If she is drooling at my badly drawn painting then I don’t know what she would do if she was the one who met him.

I locked my bedroom door and started telling her about him, I told her every single detail and by the time I was done her mouth was wide open.

“you like this older man? I don’t blame you, I mean he seems like a dream. Are you sure you met him? You didn’t just make him up in your head?” she asked me, and I shook my head.

Showed her my empty wrist and she smiled, “OMG, what will you do if you meet him again? and he turns out to be a teacher at our school? OMG do I smell a student*teacher affair??” she asked jumping around.

“what? Get off your high horse? I don’t think we will ever meet again. he doesn’t strike me as a teacher, he gave me CEO vibes. Anyways tell me what you were about to tell me about Jake” I responded, and she nodded.

The moment she started talking about all the gossip she had stored up she completely forgot about the handsome mysterious stranger.

We hang out for the rest of the day getting ready for the ritual which happens at midnight, it’s not a ritual if it doesn’t happen at midnight.

My mother came upstairs to check on us, “you girls look amazing, I can’t believe you are all grown up” she said with a smile almost about to cry.

“come on Mrs Bishop, don’t ruin your perfect make up with tears now” May said, and my mom nodded as she tried to wipe them without ruining her make up.

30 minutes before midnight we started walking to the place where the ritual is usually held, we live just outside the city in a tightknit town.

Everyone here is a witch so we don’t have to worry about people finding us doing the ritual, there are people who are making sure that there will be no intruders or trouble on the way.

we stood in a line with the rest of the teenagers, everyone was clearly happy about this, and I looked up at the sky.

The sky seemed darker than most days, it was void of stars and dark clouds would cover the moon once in a while.

the ritual started and we were all taught a spell to chant, I looked at May who had a big smile on her face and every other person there.

They didn’t seem as anxious and as scared as I was, why was a feeling this way? why did I feel a cold shiver run down my spine?

This is something I have always wanted to do ever since I was young but why does it feel like my fate will change after this??

I looked around and my eyes landed on my father who has a thumps up with a wink and I smiled.

As long as he is by my side I know that I don’t have to worry, I am much closer to my father than I am to my mother.

As we said the final words of the spell the sky suddenly turned darker, I looked around and the elders seemed confused and worried.

This means that it was supposed to happen like this, a strong wind hit and there was the sound of thunder and I looked up.

It was like the sky was furious, then the earth joined in, and the ground started shaking uncontrollably and that’s when I felt it. it was like someone was slicing a large sword in my neck drawing something.

It was so painful that I fell to the ground and a large scream of pain escaped me, it was so painful that I found myself screaming and crying.

I was basically rolling on the ground because of the pain, everything hurt, my head and my heart.

I tried looking at the other kids who were standing in line with me, but they were still standing looking at me.

why is this only happening to me?

what is happening?

Why am I the only one rolling in pain? I looked around for my father and he seemed worried.

The pain stopped, I touched the spot where it originated only to find nothing, it was swollen a little like I just got a small tattoo but that’s all.

All that pain for what?

“OMG, oh lord, she has, she has, it’s the blood, it’s the blood mark curse, she has the cursed spirit of the blood mark witch” one of the coven members screamed.

All the other elders joined her staying as far away from me as possible and when the kids saw this they did the same.

They were looking at me like I was some kind of abomination, “she has the blood mark curse” another screamed and before I knew it my father was by my side.

He bowed down and looked at me with his usual smile, “honey, you are going to get up and run as fast as you can okay? I will be right behind you. I will try to buy us more time but run home and pack anything valuable that we might need, start the car and wait for me” he whispered to me.

I looked at him confused but I could tell that he was dead serious, and he then looked at my back and smiled sadly, “run Charlotte, run” he said.

I didn’t even waste a minute and got up and started running as fast as my feet could, maybe it was the adrenaline, but I have never ran so fast in my entire life.

“she is running away, she has the blood mark curse. We have to kill her before she gets far” one coven member yelled, and I ran faster after hearing that.

What is the blood mark curse?

Why do they want to kill me?

what have I done?

What is going on?

I looked behind me and saw that my father was right behind me. he would occasionally cast a spell to delay the people after us.

when I got home I did as he told me, I knew where he kept all our valuables, the cards, jewellery and took our bags. Lucky for us we didn’t unpack right away when we came back yesterday.

I put it all in the car and was about to go in when someone held my hand, I turned around and saw my mother.

“mom, hurry and get in the car. Where is David, we need to get out of here, they are coming for me, and I don’t know why” I said looking around and seeing a crowd running towards us.

when I turned my gaze back to my mother my heart dropped, she was looking at me the same way the elders did.

Like I was a monster, an abomination to witches, a curse, “mom” I whispered and she sneakered and shook her head.

“you are not my daughter, you are her, the evil witch sent to destroy this world. You are her, a monster” she said with hatred and fear in her eyes.

my father got to our side, and she looked at her, “don’t do this Grace, she is our daughter. She is Charlotte the daughter you gave birth to” he said to her, and she shook her head.

“you heard me, she is nothing but a monster, this isn’t my daughter. She is the spirit of true evil, the reincarnation of the devil” she said, and I felt my heart break even more.

“I am not asking you to come with us, just let us go please. I will take Charlotte and you will be left with David, I am begging you Grace let her go. If not for her then do it for me, I am begging you Grace” he said, and I saw my father bow down to her.

It was only as she looked at him that her eyes softened and she let my hand go, “take that abomination as far away from here as possible, I don’t want to ever see her again. and you will be sorry for this John when she turns around and kills you” she added.

I looked at her surprised and confused, how can my mother love me one moment and then hate me the next?

Why did she look at me like I was the devil?

Why did she call me her?

Who is her?

My father put me in the car and my mother didn’t even look at me as he drove away. How is this happening? What is happening? “dad what is happening? Who is her? What did mom mean by the spirit of true evil?” I asked him.