Part One: Chapter Eight

Part One: The Spider

Exhaling, Chuck stood on the humble clean porch. Her fingers twittered nervously as she reached up to rap on the green-painted door. When she finally mustered enough courage, the sharp tap of her knuckles sounded.

Lizzie answered the door. “Chuck! You changed your mind!”

“Talking to your mother’s ghost has the effect on you.”

She beamed and tugged Charlotte by her wrist into the yellow house. “Great! I want you to meet my mom. She’s a witch too. Mom, this is my friend Chuck.”

Chuck smiled meekly at the long elegant figure before her. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said politely.

“Hello, dear!” Her chocolate eyes had a warm ruddy look to them. They entranced Charlotte for a moment. “No witches in your family to teach you, huh? Poor dear.”

“Well, my grandfather was a witch, but he died when I was ten. My mom was a seer if that helps…” Speaking of her mother in the past tense reawakened the ache in Chuck’s heart.

“It sounds like you could use some help… Chuck.” She led Charlotte to the cozy tan kitchen with tiled floors. There was a large silver pot bubbling on the stove.

Chuck stared at it curiously.

“Would you like some chili, Chuck?”

Snapping out of her trance, she replied, “Huh? No thank you. I ate before I came.” Next to the chili was a smaller pot; Chuck peered into it. It was bubbling as well and an intoxicating aroma came from it. “What is that?”

Lizzie carefully capped the small pot. “I made it too strong…”

“What exactly?”

She explained, “It’s a brew.”

“A brew?”

Lizzie nodded. “A brew is a mixture enchanted by the touch of a witch’s hand. For lack of a better word, it’s a potion. Don’t call it a potion though. There’s no such thing. There are two types of brews, antidotes and elixirs. That one that you just smelled was an elixir.”

“What’s the difference?”

“An elixir is much more powerful and it’s harder to make. It can increase something such as affection, strength, or intellect, but it’s only temporary. Antidotes are used for healing. They’re much easier to make, but they need a lot of thyme.”

“How long?”

Lizzie and her mother laughed as if sharing an inside joke. “Chuck, t-h-y-m-e. Thyme.”

Chuck blushed. “Oh.”

“Lizzie, have you seen P.J.? I haven’t seen that boy all day.” Mrs. Johnston asked.

P.J. popped into the kitchen. “Looking for me, lady?”

“Paul, how many times do I have to tell you not to overexert your magic?”

He shrugged. “A few. Nice to see you again, Chuck.” He flashed a bright grin toward her.

Charlotte gave a feeble wave. All of this was way too bizarre.

“Ehem, P.J. where have you been?”

“I popped over to the other world for a little bit…”

“Paul!” She shrieked.

“There’s another world?” Chuck asked. “The surprises just keep on coming…” She murmured to herself.

“Trust me, you’ll want to stay in this world,” Lizzie cautioned.

Cocking her head, Charlotte pondered why.

“Legal witch hunting,” P.J. explained grimly.

“Does that mean it’s illegal in…this world? Who decides stuff like that?” Charlotte queried.

“Well, not illegal, just not common.”

“Either way, I’d rather not be burned at the stake.”

Lizzie laughed again at Charlotte’s Wiccan ignorance. “They won’t burn you at the stake. Jeez, Chuck, that’s archaic. You’d either have your magic devoured by a hybrid or sold as witch slave.”

“Because those options sound so much better…” Charlotte’s eyes bulged without even knowing what a hybrid was.

“You’d have to be really unlucky to get caught even in the other world,” Lizzie assured her.

“Even if my...” She struggled to remember what her mother had called it. “Mystic karma is thrown off?”

“Who told you about mystic karma?” P.J. wondered.

“My mom’s ghost.”

Mrs. Johnston nodded sympathetically. “How did you throw it off?”

“My mom tricked me into saying a spell that saved my life before I knew I was a witch,” Chuck explained. “I’m already paying with a limp, but my mom said I’ve got a lot more bad luck coming.”

“I can imagine. Don’t worry, Chuck. With us, witch hunters won’t get to you. I guarantee it,” Lizzie draped her arm around Charlotte giving her a broad grin.

Chuck smiled. A feeling of security washed over her; she hadn’t quite felt so safe since she was at home with her own family. Her peaceful moment was spoiled as a sickening thought rose in her head. “Do you know anything about Giovanni and Annette DiRagno?”

To her dismay, the Wiccan family all shook their heads. “Why do you ask?” Mrs. Johnston queried.

Charlotte figured that the DiRagno’s couldn’t be too dangerous if supposedly powerful witches hadn’t heard of them. “They said that the Johnston’s are the strongest witches in Massachusetts, so I was just wondering if you knew anything about the DiRagno’s…”

“Do you know what they are?”

Disappointed, Chuck shook her head. “That’s what I was hoping that you could tell me. They know that I’m a witch. That’s the only reason they adopted me.” Worthlessness overcame Charlotte; no one wanted her, just her power. That was the only reason that Lizzie pursued her friendship too, wasn’t it?

“And you’re sure that they’re not human?”

She nodded. “They’re far too creepy to be human. Not to mention, Mrs. DiRagno is faking way too much affection. She’s making her cover obvious.”

“See what you can find out about them and then you can borrow some books for research. Best not to bring them home for now though.”

Charlotte absorbed their instructions.

“And next Friday, we’re going to start brewing.”

“You’re going to teach me how to brew?”

Lizzie rolled her eyes. “Chuck, the brew is your best friend. When your magic is gone, brews still work.”

Charlotte nodded. “Alright then. Wait, what’s the time? I’m supposed to be home for dinner.”

“It’s five thirty now.”

Charlotte cursed. A familiar habit told her it would be at the most a twenty-minute jog. Then she remembered she no longer had that option. “I have to go. Thanks for everything.”

“Good luck with your parents.”

I’m going to need it, Charlotte thought.

Reviews

[Ardeth Lane]

I like how this is a 'part one'. It's interesting.

I think it's nice that Chuck has people to feel safe around but, I don't think it'll last too long since her adoptive parents seem like some pretty smart people. In fact, I'm begining to suspect that they already know she's at the Johnstons house. Like, they know but they just won't say...Good chapter :)