CHAPTER 1: The Beginning

December 1522

Christmas....

The favorite season of the year for almost everyone in Crispy Hallows.

The sweet aroma of cakes being baked and turkey filled the air, sweet sounds of Christmas songs coming out from different houses, children chattering and running around happily.

Everything was perfect.... 

Hailey thought as she placed the heart shaped cake on the kitchen counter to start decorating.

Soon the neighbors would start coming in for their own shares of Christmas cake and turkey.

This was how she loved it ... Peaceful. 

Crispy Hallows was a very small village where everyone knew each other and were like family... They ate from each other's pots, do things together and they have a common routine

When their father drove up to this small cottage ten years ago, she and her twin sister had been disappointed to say the least because It was a far cry from the big mansion in New York that they grew up in. 

It had taken them about two months to love the village, because of the quiet and how lovely all the neighbors were.

"Hailey..." 

Hailey smiled and turned away from the icing she was mixing.

"Lily..."

She spread her arms wide and her twin sister walked gracefully into them.

"You look lovely" she commented and Lily twirled, showing off her beautiful green gown.

"As do u sis" 

"Oh Lily please..I'm covered in flour and icing sugar" Hailey giggled 

"You do look lovely no matter what you are covered in" 

"You are a charmer Lily" Hailey replied, returning her sister's bright smile.

Lily was Hailey's best friend and closest companion. Maybe it was because of the fact that they were identical twins.

Though identical in appearance, they have very different personalities. Lily was the outgoing, stubborn and sharp one while Hailey was more the introvert type and domestic sister.

"What's all this cake for?" Lily asked, scooping up an icing sugar with her finger and licking it clean.

"I invited the children over".. 

"Was that necessary?" 

"Yes dearest sister...it was. It's Christmas" Hailey laughed, hooking her arms around Lily's arm. "It's the season to be jolly. We are lovely neighbors aren't we?

"That we are womb mates" Lily replied and then sighed "We have come a long way haven't we? It seems like it was just yesterday when everything came crashing down"

"Yeah...we have really come a long way, Lily. And that's because we have each other and we have Pa"

"Where do you think she is right now? With another man? Does she have other kids? Doesn't it ever bother you that the woman who birthed us hasn't once asked after us for ten years?"

Of course it bothers Hailey...but she does not want to talk about it at the moment. She hated talking about their mother. Vanessa made her choice, which was to abandon her children and husband because of wealth and status. She chose material things over her blood, and nothing would change that.

"Let's not talk about it Lily. Whatever she is or isn't doing is none of our business. We didn't ask her to leave...she made that choice on her own" She frowned and went back to mixing her icing sugar so Lily won't see her tear filled eyes

"We are going to be better mothers. Very soon we will start our family Hailey...does that excite you?" 

"Not as much as it excites you I bet. Why you already have two suitors going after you? I'm the boring twin" She said with a laugh and turned to give her sister a brief hug.

"You are going to be a very good mother Lily, whenever the time comes.... Because you are not Vanessa"

"Yeah yeah. You really should go out more sometimes. I think the Sheriff's son has an eye on you. I'd love to wed next to my sister"

"The Sheriff's son has an eye on every girl in skirts" Hailey replied with an eye roll and they both laughed.

"Hmmm.... What smells nice?" A deep voice called from the sitting and the two sisters glanced at each other with a smile. 

"Over here Pa" Lily called

Their father walked into kitchen hair covered in snow with a wide smile.

"Aaahn, my favorite girls" He said, dropping his bag on a stool by the door.

"How was the meeting with the elders?" Lily asked.

"Well ....same old thing. They need volunteers for the Christmas carol dance blah blah blah. Hand me one of those delicious looking cookies will ya" 

"It's for the children Pa" Hailey said but still passed him the tray filled with different shaped cookies.

"And someone was found dead by the stream last night" Jonah continued then bit into the cookie and groaned.

Hailey frowned 

"Found dead? What do you mean? Who's that?"

"Miss Kate" He replied and they both gasped

"What??... Miss Kate of the village library? What happened to her, did she drown?" 

Miss Kate was never much of a swimmer

"Sadly no. It was an animal attack. Their were deep bites on her neck " 

Animal attack? But wild animals have never attacked the village before. In Fact there were no wild animals there. And the stream was a very open place...what was Miss Kate doing there in the night?

"What animal?" Lily asked and their father shrugged

"I have no idea. The Sheriff is investigating the case. In the meantime everyone is warned to stay off the bush and indoors once it's 6pm. . Lily, no more sneaking off at night to meet that boyfriend of yours. This is a serious matter"

"It's a scary matter," Hailey replied. What animal could have attacked and killed Miss Kate?

She never liked to visit the stream let alone at night. Why her though?

"This is fishy," she replied.

"I know right?" Lily chipped in but their father shrugged

"The elders will look into it. You two will stay out of it and I mean it. If there's a wild animal in the village, the men will find it and kill it. Till then we have to keep the children and everyone else safe"

Hailey sighed sadly. 

Crispy Hollows was a very city village. What on Earth is all these now!?