Elizabet handed Erin her cellphone. "Call them."
Erin dialed her phone number. She recognized her mother's voice pick up the phone. "Hello, who is this?"
"Erin."
"Erin who?"
"Your daughter Erin, stop messing around it isn't funny."
"I'm sorry, but I don't have a daughter. I think you may have dialed the wrong number."
When the phone clicked from the other end, it slipped through Erin's fingers and landed on the floor. They forgot her? She turned to Elizabet, "Why would you do that?"
Elizabet looked like it was the most obvious answer. "Because, as I explained before about the police and missing persons, it would just be a hassle for us."
"You could have wiped my memory. You could have let me go."
"As I told you before, that simply isn't going to be an option. You have a gift."
Erin scoffed. "I refuse, I don't want to be a part of this cult or whatever you call it. Take it back, un-do the spell. I want to go home."
"I'm sorry darling, but that simply isn't a possibility. The spell can not be undone. You are with us now."
"No." Erin called out as she fell to the floor, her knees hitting the floor with a soft thud. "Why? why would you take them away from me."
"It's not like I killed them. They are still alive and well. They just don't remember that they had a daughter. Everyone in that dining room lost their families. Suck it up." Elizabet instructed, like it should be easy to do.
Erin shook her head in disbelief. "It wasn't some outside force that took my family from me. YOU, you took my family from me. It was YOU." Erin's voice shaking with anger.
"At least they are alive. Would you rather we had killed them?"
"NO! But-"
"Enough, I am growing tired of this conversation, why don't we head to the dining room for lunch and I can finish our story?" Elizabet held out her hand to the girl that had fallen to the floor.
Erin glared at the woman and got up on her own. She wouldn't take her help. Elizabet didn't mind and turned around and walked into the dining room.
As Erin walked in the dining room the table was prepared and the women sat around the table eating. As Erin stepped through the door, the room grew quiet. Everyone turned and looked at the girl expecting her to freak out again. The woman with snakes for hair, Cicely, sat at the far end of the table.
Erin took a step back. Elizabet grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her forward and gently leaned in close, "You have nothing to fear. I promise."
Erin looked at the woman, how could she trust her!? That woman!? But Erin was confident enough that the women wouldn't hurt her. Erin glanced across the table and looked into the direction of Cicely with her sunglasses and snakes for hair. Erin took a deep breath. She could do this! Erin took the seat at the end of the table furthest from Cicely. How come nobody else was bothered by it?
"Now Erin, the fact that you could see through Cicely's glamour is why we are keeping you with us. We think you will be able to help us in our fight."
Erin's eyes kept moving between Elizabet and the women. Who were these women?
Elizabet spoke up as if answering the unasked question, "We are a coven, you can see there are 8 of us."Elizabet paused thinking how to continue for the girl. "First a coven is like a family."
Erin winced and Elizabet realized her mistake. Family.
Elizabet shrugged it off and continued, "We formed this coven a long time ago because we are stronger as a unit. Every woman sitting at this table is here for the protection that the coven provides. Each of us here because we really have nowhere else to go. There used to be more of us. Many more. But they have been killed. Coincidentally there are 8 now and as you very well know is a powerful number. But I guess, it is 9 with you now." Elizabet chuckled. Erin remained motionless.
"Anyways. You saw Cicely and her hair? She is a gorgon and each of us at this table are what you would call mythological creatures. A long time ago there were many more of us scattered throughout the world. But as the enemy grew stronger the number of mythological beings became fewer and fewer and now we are the last of our kind that are free. The other beings were either captured or killed. Each woman here has her story and it is for her to tell alone."
Elizabet looked over at the girl. Still quiet and not moving. So she continued, "While we can do spells as a coven none of us are witches with the exception of Hattie.
"And me, I'm half witch." The woman called Flora called out.
Elizabet smiled and nodded, "I'm sorry Flora dear. Hattie and Flora."
Erin nodded with the wish she hadn't gotten up today.