Broomstick by A.L. Hawke

Author:A.L. Hawke
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732956377
Publisher: A.L. Hawke

After I finish relieving myself in Alondra’s bathroom (which is very chic and cool, with marble countertops, a bidet, and a fancy tub and sink), I return to the living room. The lights are off, and lit candles are lying along the floor, beside the door. The rain has stopped. It’s silent. Beside an end table near the sofa are my and Maddie’s half-drunk glasses of wine.

Bryce is standing by the door in a black cloak. “Come, Cadence.” He reaches out his hand. “Put on your cloak. And R-E-L-A-X. Try to. Don’t let the ceremony scare you. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

Through the glass, I can see the coven. There’s a bonfire, just as there was for the ceremony for my mother, only this time they’re not sitting. Everyone is slowly circling the fire in their black cloaks. I can’t make out any faces, but I count twelve.

I put on my cloak and step outside. It’s damp but it’s not raining anymore. The clouds are moving away quickly in the moonlit sky. It’s a half-moon. I put my arms around myself because the cloak is really not warm enough. Bryce sees it and puts an arm around me. He’s warm enough. I walk across the field to the fire, held by Tall, Dark, and Handsome.

The witches in the circle are chanting something not in English. When I’m close, I see a single plastic chair. Oddly, Bryce directs me to sit with my back turned to the flames as they continue to walk around the fire, and they walk behind me. The fire is warm, and the cold no longer bothers me.

Then I see faces circling me. I recognize Tammy, Hannah, Hope, Gilda, and Mira. Then I spot Dr. Reardon. There are other girls I don’t know well. I remember seeing them in the kitchen when I walked in. They all look at me. They don’t look drugged, nor are they particularly menacing. If anything, they’re friendly. They all smile, even Mira, as they pass slowly by. They move fluidly; it’s more like a dance than a march.

They circle very slowly for what seems like a long time. I’m tempted to check the time on my cell phone, in my pocket, but I recall Mira’s séance and that stops my hand. They continue circling, but they turn so that none of them is facing me. I understand this to mean that I am not yet part of the group.

None of them makes me nervous. Except Reardon. He just creeps along, continually watching me. I don’t like him.

When he passes me for the third time, he speaks. “Turn your back on me, I still am,” he says in a commanding voice. They all say “Atman,” and the head wizard continues to speak. “Be it virgin or harlot, I remain. From the seed of man art thou. That is all. Do not fall into trickery. To dust you go, to the depths of hell. In such abyss, nothingness shall pass. And there, you find me.

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