Rose's POV
"Come, come, come." The hooded figures chanted in unison. "Rosé" They surrounded a glowing pink orb and they had their hands out as if offering prayers. The intensity of the orb's brightness increased as they did so.
"Rosé!" Another voice called but this one sounded out of place. It was not as slow and eerie as the other one. I was panicked and scared. "What's wrong with you?" The voice sounded distant but I could still hear it. It was pulling me out of my psyche. I opened my eyes, finally out of my trance.
"What?…Your eyes were rolled back and you…" It had been Eva's voice. "What happened to you?"
"They are calling me back." I told her.
She looked at me, quietly and then asked reluctantly, "Who?" It seemed as if she already knew but I answered anyway.
"My relatives."
"Your relatives?"
"We witches don't have individual families but we… " I couldn't tell her at least not now, I didn't want to creep her out. "refer to everyone as our relatives."
"Oh…"
I looked forward to it. We were walking through the woods in the afternoon. The sun was shining overhead but the tall trees protected us from its harsh rays.
"Did what I just do scare you? I asked after a minute of uncomfortable silence. "You are quiet."
She didn't reply to me right away as though she needed to think about it. "I was scared but not in the way that you might think."
I gave a raised eyebrow to signify that I understood nothing of what she had just told me
"Well, you being a witch is already quite strange so I understand that there will be things that you witches do that will be odd to me, a human."
"Um,"
"I was only scared you were getting hurt."
"No, no it is normal for us witches, it's like a smoke signal but without the smoke."
"Or the cloth." Eva joked before going quiet yet again. Her head lowered as we walked on.
"Something else is bothering you." I stated.
"I am going to be alone again, I know it is selfish of me but" She croaked. She was holding back tears. "I am going to miss you."
She was right. How were we just going to say goodbye when we had become close? What about the questions we had about the cloak and the premonition she had? And even me leaving in itself would not be easy. I was still scared of being caught again. The witch hunters might be on the lookout but maybe she could follow me? I was so overwhelmed by my thoughts that I blurted out the question.
"Could you come with me?" I closed my mouth with my hand immediately when the words came out but then I heard her answer.
"I would love to." Her mood had lightened.
"We will have to go through the forest of…" I was the one now backing out but she stopped me.
"We will go together and know you wouldn't have suggested it if it was not worth the difficulty of the journey." She reasoned. "And I also have questions." She winked and smiled at me.
"I guess…"
"Yay," She rejoiced, intertwining her arm in my hand and pulling me. "I have a question."
"Ask away."
"How did you know we used smoke to communicate?"
"In school," I told her. "We have a subject called Human Studies." I lied.
"Wow, why?"
"We witches believe that understanding humans will one day stop the animosity." Hopefully soon, I thought.
****
Martha's POV
They were at the edge of the cliff, I could hear her scream for him to stop. He was quiet and unresponsive to her pleas. I ran as fast as I could. I had to get to her and save her.
"Don't hurt her!" I yelled. "leave her alone."
He turned to me surprised I was even there. She turned to me too, her eyes filled with fear that broke my heart. "Mom, please help me!" She was helpless in her wheelchair.
"Zelda, I am coming." Running faster, I was so close. I realized that fate had a different plan when I saw him let go of the handle and just like that she fell off the edge. "Mom!" The single word was filled with such hopelessness and anguish as though she was looking death in the face. Then everything went quiet for a moment before I heard it; a single sickening thud. I fell to the grass, unable to process it. There were no tears, only confusion. She was not dead, was she? I didn't stand but I struggled to my knees and dragged myself to the edge.
Down in the deep was Zelda. She was on her back and looking straight at me. It wasn't her, it was just a stranger that looked a lot like her. I was sure that once I got home she would be there, cutting the vegetables for dinner. I got up but my legs felt like they weren't mine. They felt like they were under a spell because they were moving away from the cliff and not jumping off of it. I knew she was dead but I didn't want to believe it because if I did it would drive me mad. I look at the boy, slight and tall. The boy I had delivered myself had taken my child away from me. He was not looking at me but blankly over the cliff. I went to him and pulled him by the collar.
"Why did you do it?" I surprised myself by being quiet.
"She didn't love me." He simply answered. He was still looking over the cliff.
I laughed as I let my tears flow down my cheeks. I cradled myself on his shirt and sobbed but he didn't stop me. He wrapped his arms around me.
"It's okay, mother." He cooed.
I pulled away immediately with my hand still on his collar. On his face was a dead smile that did not reach his eyes. "I am not your mother." I told him and with his collar, I pushed him off the cliff.
He didn't fall but instead he held on to a branch. I felt my determination wane as I remembered how we had first met, when he was fresh out of his mother's womb. I reached my hand to him, at least I would save this one. "Take my hand!"
He looked up at me, he had tears in his eyes too but he didn't take my hand instead he said. "I am sorry, mother." And let go of the branch and fell with a knowing smile on his face. I heard the same thud again and flinched. That was when I heard Agatha from behind me let out an ear-splitting scream. "My son!"