Chapter 2

As the night in the heart of Scanahare was coming to a close, the night in the deep of the forest was just beginning. As of the last few years a new folktale was forming amongst some of the resident’s in the provinces and some other surrounding areas. Not many spoke of it but a growing number of people were starting to believe it. The existence of witches. There was even widespread rumors and whispers that three witches lived in the very province of Scanahare, deep in the forests of the village of Emitville. This year marked the third year of the newest tradition on celebration night, the hunt for the witches of Theurgy Falls. 

Horses neighed as about 20 drunken curious men rode through a dark uncharted forest in search of this folklore. “We wont tolerate these abominations,” the tall heavy set man named Virgil on the lead horse shouted as he moved branches out of his way with his stubby fingers. The collective group of men all shouted “No!” The men were righteous in their beliefs and loyal to their leader. “These lands are our God given right. And it is our duty to defend them from the forces of Satan, the Devil himself and his demons!” the lead horseman continued spitting with disgusting force. “Amen” the men all shouted as they continued to push their way into the forest.

The deeper they rode the thicker the forest grew. Some of the men began to fall behind. Some the horses refused to continue and some became trapped in the thickness of the trees and bushes. “Push forward men! We’re approaching the falls. Stay on your guard,” the leader shouted as more and more men began to fall behind in the thickness of the trees. It was almost as if the tree themselves were wrapping their limbs around the men like a hug. “We’re losing all the men,” another man expressed to the determined leader but the Virgil continued on blinded by his drunken rage and obsession for leadership. By the time he stopped there were just three of them on their horses standing in the clearest spot of ground they’d seen in miles.

“What do we do now,” one of the men asked as they sat stagnate on their horses waiting for direction. Deathly silence took hold of the night as the moon’s light began to fade in the strangest way. “What do we do, Virigl,” the other man whispered loudly with shaken breath. “Do you hear that,” Virgil finally uttered as he picked up on a foreign sound from off in the distance. Lighting began to strike  all around them and suddenly a swarm of bats surrounded the three men clawing at their faces and shredding their clothes. “Be gone demons!” Virgil screamed as he tried to pull out his crussifix for help but it was knocked away by the vicious bats . 

Virgil’s eyes grew with horror as suddenly his two remaining followers were being lifted into the hair by the bats. It was like nothing he had ever seen. His heart began to pound with such vengence that he began to consider that he was having a heart attack from all the excitement and that this was all an illusion. He felt the truth as he watched the two mens heads separate from their bodies and drop 35 feet to the ground. Lightning struck the night sky again as the bodies rolled in front of him before the entire forest went black. When Virgil was able to see again he was frozen by the sight of a beautiful woman in a coat with black hair hanging down in front of half her face straddling his horse and staring right into his eyes. She slowly began to lean towards him. As she grabbed his head her face morphed. Her skin and eyes turned black. Her teeth sharpened and fangs grew. She hissed and Virgil fell back off his horse onto the trampled ground. 

Virgil’s heart continued to pound like thunder against his chest as he lay frozen while a second woman with a blue glow glided her way towards him. She leaned down and put her hand on his stiff shoulders and whispered, “ You will leave these lands and never speak of what you saw. May it only live to haunt your memories.” Virgil was taken by the words as if they were permanently sketched into his DNA. He nodded at her as his eyes began to glow the same blue tint. “Feel the shame of leading your lambs to slaughter,” the blue witch continued as Virgil got up and mounted his horse with tears falling down from his glowing blue eyes. 

“May every evil eye upon them go blind. May every ill intention against them return to sender. May the hearts of those in loss hold no ill will to the necessary,” a slender red headed young woman named Constance whispered in front of a blazing fireplace with crystals grasped tightly in her hand. She sat and rocked back and forth chanting her words over and over as she heard lighting strike the night sky. Her palms dripped sweat onto her shinning crystals as she rattled them in her hands. She jumped as she finally heard the front door swing open. “That’s getting to be a bit too much fun sister,” the dark haired woman said as she busted threw the door and threw down a gray sack. Constance let out a big sigh of relief as her chanting had seemingly worked. “Daliyah, where Eva?” Constance asked with the last bit of worry in her tone. “Sorry, she didn’t make it,” Daliyah replied with blood still dripping down her clothes. “Dayliay!” Constance shouted back. “I’m here little one. You know your sister would be hung before passing up a chance to play with your head,” Evaliyah said as she walked inside without her blue glow. 

Evaliyah was the oldest of the three sisters. She had been alone in raising them for the last 17 years since their mother passed. It has been a long strange life of isolation. The three of them had grown up together and developed a deep bond but there was no question the three of them had their differences. The biggest difference being the youngest sister Constance, was a Stripe, a witch with no powers. “So what’s in the sack,” Constance asked curiously. “Heads,” Daliyah replied with a sinister chuckle. “Look how pretty this one’s eyes are. We shall add them to our studies. Take them downstairs little sister. We’ll start with them after you’ve finished in the garden,” Dayliyah continued as she held up one of the heads from the sack and admired it in the light of the fire.

Daliyah was always finding different creatures and body parts to experiment on in their studies. She and her eldest sister Evaliyah shared the teaching duties of young Constance with Daliyah being the expert in science and potions. Daliyah also had a passion for the dark arts of witch craft and would sometimes go out at night to practice on unsuspecting passerbys. 

Constance did as she was told and took them downstairs to the study room and left the sack of heads in the icebox before making her way to her bedroom. There she found herself worn out from all the excitement of the night and quickly put herself to bed. As she dozed off she fell into one of her nightmares…

‘She floats in calm water unable to move towards shore watching as she nears the edge of the waterfall. She makes her mouth to scream but nothing comes out as she starts her fall. She dives fast through the air, her limbs flailing, her chest getting tighter. She looks down but can see no bottom to the fall. She begins to fall faster and faster. Her chest continues to tighten until it feels as if her entire body is shrinking down to the very bones. The pain increases by the second. She looks down again and still see no end to her fall. Then suddenly something she hears a loud squawk, a glimpse of red and something knocks her out of the air,”…