Today was the red moon fesitval.
Lora had been preparing for this day for so long and today at the witching hour she would finally be invited into the coven.
The remote village of Glamora was one of the only villages left with witches. And The red moon festival was the initiation festival for the new witches. Being a witch was a taboo in the continent of Torsqera, but the witches of Glamora always took pride in it.
Lora Hathaway was 12 years old already. And today she was making the Glamora special vanilla cake. She hummed a happy tune as she baked. The strong smell of vanilla spread across the kitchen.
TRRRIIIINGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!TRRRRIIIIINGGGG!!!! TTTRRRRIIINNNNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!
Suddenly, the vintage rotary telephone in the living room started ringing.
Lora paused, jumped down from the stool she was standing to reach the kitchen counter, and briskly ran towards the living room. Her golden locks which reached up to her knees danced in the air as she ran.
"KNOCK KNOCK !"
At the same time, she heard a knock on the door.
Lora's deep blue eyes were lost in the conundrum.
'Should I open the door or take the phone call first?' She thought to herself.
"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!"
Just as she was lost in thought, the knocking on the door became more forceful and urgent. Lora decided that she will open the door first then call back later.
"Creeeeakkkk!"
She reached out to the ancient-looking wooden door decorated with cute house plants. There was no one there. The door also looked the same from outside. The dead snake and Goats head she decorated were still there, fresh and dripping with thickened blood.
The night sky was just as serene as it used to be and a full moon hung on the skyline looking like a ball of cheese.
Lora stepped pout into her porch to look for the one who was pranking her. Her 'off white' frock she prepared for tonight's ceremony looked immaculate under the serene moonlight.
"Hmmpffff!!! What's wrong with people? I am already rushing."
She stomped her feet in the new black mary jane shoes and angrily returned to the living room.
The phone was still ringing.
She closed the door and went towards the telephone. The golden vintage rotary dialled telephone which had been here since the time of her great grandfather was ringing furiously.
"Hello!"
She said as she picked up the receiver.
"LOOK BEHIND YOU!!!!!!!"
Screamed a familiar voice from the other side of the phone.
Her heartbeat quickened and she turned back.
No one.
There was no one!
The living room still looked the same. The fireplace was lighting up the room. On the red carpet was a grey obese cat lazing about.
"Hey! It's an important day for me. Stop pranking!" She furiously screamed back at the phone.
"Beeeeeep!Beeeeeep!Beeeep!"
Again, the person hung up on the phone. Just as she was pondering over who was the lady with the familiar voice on the phone, she smelled something burning.
"Burning?"
"Meow!"
The obese cat on the carpet was looking towards the kitchen.
Lora looked at the cat then towards the kitchen. Then the realization dawned upon her!
Her cake!
She put back the bright red receiver and ran towards the kitchen to discover just what she had imagined.
There was an overwhelming burnt odour in the kitchen. She hurriedly opened the oven and pulled out her now black as charcoal cake.
"I am never going to make it in time now. It will take too long to make another one now! What a mess!!!!"
Lora mumbled to herself in both dejection and anger.
"Anyway... Let's get started!"
She hurriedly took out all the ingredients to make a cake again and started working on the batter with skilled hands.
Soon she put another batch of cake into the oven and closed the oven's door.
"Phew...!" Lora sighed as she looked at the grandfather clock on the opposite wall.
01:30am
Still about half an hour left till the festival starts. Lora decided that she should get ready now as the cake bakes. She continued to hum as she took a bath and wore the same 'off white' frock again. As she was bathing she couldn't let go of the feeling that something was amiss.
Ever since young she was good at taking care of herself. Her parents were the coven's previous leaders. They died during an attack to exterminate witches 5 years ago. Lora was always respected and taken care of because of this. Since she was the only daughter of the coven's heros.
Soon She was ready. She looked at the clock again.
02:17am
"Oh no.... I am late!"
She rushed and took out the perfectly baked cake. She packed it hoping everything goes well since she didn't have time to wait for it to cool down and put decorations on it. She just slathered some jam on the top.
She put the cake in the box and rushed towards the door.
"Tring Tring! Tring Tring!"
The vintage rotary dial telephone rang again. She put the cake on the coffee table besides the fireplace and picked up the telephone.
"Hello!"
There was no reply. Just stillness.
"Hello?" She repeated.
She waited for a few seconds but there was no reply.
"Meow!"
Lora turned back towards the sound. Only to discover the obese cat trying to pry the lid of the carrying box for the cake open.
"Spooky No!"
She exclaimed and just as she was putting the receiver of the vintage telephone back, she felt a cold sensation on her hand. As if an ice cold hand was holding onto her wrist.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
She screamed at the top of her voice in fright.
She dropped the holder in shock.
She looked around in the living room. There was no one in there other than herself and Spooky.
"Thud!"
She turned her head only to discover that Spooky had thrown the box off the table.
She didn't react for a long time. She just picked up spooky and ran out of the house towards the village's community hall. The festival was supposed to be held there.
The witching hour was close and she didn't have any offerings, but the phenomenon back at her house was too scary for her. She couldn't make a sound no matter what.
The b;omd haired and blue eyed little girl with a cat was running with all her might in the woods under the full moon. Her off white calf length frock fluttered as she ran with all her might. She looked scared.
For the first time in her life she felt alone. Even though she didn't have parent's she was able to take care of herself well. She could us the money her parents left behind to live comfortably. Make friends at the coven school. She was never lonely.
Even the empty house was still her home since it was filled with happy memories of her parents. But tonight she couldn't stay there.
After a while she saw a familiar building before her.
Why familiar? Because it was the same house she ran out from few minutes ago.
Loraa breathed heavily. She tuned back and ran again. Few minutes later she was again before the same house.
"Why.... Why is this... happening?"
She felt hopeless. There was nowhere else to run. She steeled her resolve and stepped back into the house. The house looked the same as she left it.
Wait!
There were a few differences. The box that was on the ground with the cake spread on the carpet, was neatly put back on the coffee table. The reviever of the vintage rotary telephone was put back in the right place.
She couldn't believe her eyes.
Was she just hallucinating?
Was she just too excited and started feeling things?
Just to confirm she opened the lid of the box. There was a perfectly fine cake inside. The jam was messy, but it was what she made herself.
Unsure of herself she closed the lid again and opened just to make sure.
The cake was perfectly fine. No doubts about it.
Just as she was pondering the phone started ringing again.
Tring Tring! Tring Tring!
She froze in place.
She recalled the feeling of some icy hand grabbing her wrist and shuddered.
Tring Tring! Tring Tring!
The phone continued to ring.
Looking back at the cake she steeled her resolved again nd turned towards the bright red vintage rotaty dialed telephone.
Tring Tring! Tring Tring!
"It was just my imagination. I was just making things up in my head." She nervously mumbled to herself as she picked up the receiver.
"H-hello?"
"Honey! Take care! I'll call you later!"
This time it was the same familiar female voice. The other person hung up soon after saying that.
"Mom?"
There was no doubt about it. It was her mom.
Tht was why she found her voice so familiar. She looked at the grandfather clock in the living room.
03:33am
The witching hour had already started.
She missed the festival.
She dejected and ponderingly went towards the window. What she saw made her jaws drop.