Dear Diary,
Tomorrow is my birthday. I am rather excited to write tonight. I have a feeling tomorrow is when everything in my life starts getting better. I already lined up a job at the local diner, even if it is dishwashing. I know I need to get my shit together and move forward, if I'm ever gonna get out of Littlerock. This is gonna rock. Anyways, I better tie this entry to an end, it's almost midnight, I don't need auntie Melinda mad at me again for staying up late.
June 17th, 2021
I put my pen down and close the diary on that exact page and sigh. I look at my hands, the ale skin being met with my dark purple nail polish. I already know in my heart, I'm far from average. I can't even ask auntie Melinda about my mom. That even goes for hearing about my father. I don't even know how auntie Melinda is my auntie.
"When does life really begin?" I ask.
I hear my door creak as my auntie steps in. "The sooner you sleep, the sooner it comes." She says, chuckling.
"That's not what I mean, auntie." I sit up in my bed.
"Not this again..." Melinda sighs as she sits beside me.
"I just, I feel different from people." I say.
"Because you are Annie." She replies to me. She goes into her pocket and pulls out A silver locket.
"What's that?" I ask.
"Your mother's medallion." She says. "My brother, he was like me, a normal person." She explained for a moment.
"But mom?" I ask.
"Your mom was unique. Things happened around her nobody could explain." She says.
"Like when the microwave exploded last year?" I ask.
"Exactly." She says. "You have a special blood. Now that you're turning 16, it's time to let you find her." She sighs.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"You are a Bloodline witch and only your mother can explain the rest." She says.
"Where can I start?" I ask.
"Let's start with waiting until breakfast for you to leave. We can talk all you like. After some rest." She replies.
"Fine." I give a lengthened whine. I don't really want to wait till tomorrow, I am getting answers. Finally!
She gets up from my bed. Her golden brown hair is ever slightly glistening as she closes the door. My mind still races.
Is that why I have seen things in my dreams to come to pass in life? Maybe I just need to maul this over. As they say overactive minds gets the imagination going at night. As my mind races about, eventually I manage to drift to sleep.
Bright warm light hits my face. However, the house is still and quiet. The old house creaks a bit with the eerie silence. I get into a blue cardigan and jeans. I slip downstairs to look for auntie. She never had time for a man, she always told me. She's practically like my mother, seeing as I only remember her for one birthday, when I was five.
"Auntie? Where you at?" I call out. Silence responds.
The houses' pale beige walls only are met with my presence. No one else around. I move toward the kitchen. I smell eggs, but look around to find she isn't even in the kitchen.
As I turn around, I see a shadowy figure in the reflection of a mirror hung beside our sink. The marble counter-top is softly shining with the morning light. I find myself going towards the hallway door to find the mahogany coloured halls.
"Auntie, is that you?" I look down at each end and see no one.
Something's wrong here. I think as I move back to the counter and grab a broom stick. At least this will give me a chance to get out. I think to myself.
"Who's there??" I call out.
I see a blonde woman slip into the room wearing a black cloak with a purple under cape. Stitching of red is all about the back of it. They look like symbols from Nordic times.
"A friend." Her soft voice meets the hollowed halls.
"Where is auntie Melinda?" I ask.
"The house was empty when I got here." She says.
"Well, I was here, asleep." I snarl.
"Point. Either way, I've been waiting to meet you finally. Happy Birthday, Annie." She says to me.
"Do I know you?"I ask
"No. But I know you and your mother." She says.
"Who are you then?" I'm getting impatient. Her face seems to be reading this clearly.
She paces around me in the room. She looks me over and nods. She smirks and smiles.
"You really are your mother's daughter." She says with a chuckle.
"Stop dodging the question." I demand.
"My name is Asphodel." She says softly. Creepy name. I think.
"And so why are you here? Where is auntie Melinda?" I demand more answers.
"To take you to the Crescents of Night." She says. The softness to her voice is getting eerie.
"What is that?" I ask.
"Your mother's coven." She tells me. "As for you aunt, the Eater, she isn't exactly important." She adds.
"The eater? excuse me?!" I ask being alarmed.
"Yes, non-magical folks are nothing but useless eaters." She says to me.
"Maybe you see it that way." I cross my arms.
"Don't try my patience." She replies.
"Annie..?" I hear my aunty's voice faintly.
"Auntie! Where are you?!" I exclaim as I run past Asphodel, into the hallway, into the living room.
"Annie, get out of here." She says to me. Her soft face, light blue eyes and voice seem to all be fading. Blue dots begin to fill my field of vision. What is this? I wonder.
"Auntie...?" I can hear her last breath escape.
"Pity. Anyways, come with me." Asphodel says flatly.
"You... killed her..?" I ask.
"She's an eater, get used to it, child." Asphodel says as she grabs my shoulder from behind me.
I twist quickly and punch her in the face as quick as possible. My hand doesn't even get to make contact before my hand is flung back. I lose my balance and fall onto my ass.
"Your coming home, Annie."She says as she picks me up by the hair of the top of my head.
I Screech out in pain from the weight of my body being lifted by hair. I can even feel it being ripped from my head in spots. When I hit my feet it relieves the pain, still being sore. I glare at Asphodel. She lives up to her name. Reminding me of the place mentioned in mythology.
I don't know what to do. She takes my wrists and ties them together behind my back. I can't even move my arms at all, my shoulders burn with a searing soreness. I close my eyes and I see fire. Not a lot, but a flame.
"What Annie? Don't you want to learn about all the amazing skills you have?" Asphodel taunts me.
She kicks me in the back as we cross the threshold of my aunt's home. Dread begins to sink in. I can't imagine living like this, being kicked about and demanded from. Murdering of helpless people. This is wrong. I think. I can't stand by. I add. The image of the flame becomes bigger.
I open my eyes and spin to my feet and trip her. I start running into the downtown area of little-rock. I can't pay attention to my exact path. I just need to get away. I tug at the ropes that hold my arms together.
"Ugh." I struggle with the ropes. I need these off first. I think to myself.
I dip behind a red bricked home. Damnit! I rub my arms against the walls, hoping for the ropes to cut. I see the flame in my mind once more. An instinct washes over me.
"Ignis!" I exclaim quietly and I smell smoke as my arms break free. I look to see what happened. The ropes are burning away.
"I did that?" I ask myself aloud. "Right, I gotta keep moving. No time for questions." I speak to myself.
I turn around to keep moving and run smack into someone's chest. When I look up, it's exactly who I didn't want to see. Asphodel.
"You really should watch where you're going, little witch." She says as she grabs me, forcing a potato sack over my head. "You're coming home now. So it's time you take a nap. 'Somnum'." She speaks the last word in Latin, as my world goes black.