Annual Witch's Ball

Every year the Southern Belle Witch Society meets at their magical hide away cottage in the woods. It only appears for those who are magical. The hide away is so isolated that the witches can only reach it by flying on their brooms and landing in the distant wooded area. Set back deep in the dark forest and tangled woods they gather each year to celebrate the witch’s ball. This year it is not just another ball, this year it is a special ball. It is their 1000th ball. It will be filled with extra magic this year as it fell on Halloween night.

It will have blazing fires conjuring up spirits, bubbling cauldrons, and gold on every single surface. Spell books will fly open for all to read them, witches will cackle and howl into the night air, and sparks will fly from everyone’s collective finger tips in an attempt to open a portal so wide that their sisters who have passed before them could speak with them for one special hour from the beyond.

All the witches were dressed in their best floor length robes. The robes were gold and even when the witches remained still as statues, the robes flowed like a light breeze was constantly blowing in the wind. Once the witches moved about the robes set to dance in a swishing motion on each witch.. They all wore their gold pentacle star necklaces and each could feel it pulsing with electricity. Dancing would normally take place, but this ball was filled with a fluid movement that allowed the entire coven to appear as one witch. They all whished around as light as a feather and it looked as if they passed through one another as they moved around. This ball would last a full twenty-four hours. Soon other covens would arrive and share in the pulsing electricity that was hoovering in the air over them all. The more covens the wider the portal, so this year all were welcome to join. They needed to harness their collective powers.

The woods appeared uninhibited should anyone without magical powers look on; the witches were contained in a suspended place that was not of this land, nor of another. They were in the in-between. A spot away from prying eyes of those who would rather hang them then ask for their help in anyway. What looked like woods to others was a magical place to them. Each witch dancing at a pinnacle of the star they had drawn around the woods. Magic seeped through the ground into the witches’ feet as they danced. They took off their shoes and were barefoot to ground them to mother earth to easier harness her magical powers.

Quickly more witches arrived until a frantic pace, a blur of golds were achieved and suddenly it stopped! There was a violent shake of the earth and all the witches collapsed to the earth, a black cloud hung in the air above them, and the portal was open! As each witch regained her bearings, they stood again. Who would go first was already chosen and as the first witch attempted to go under the void to ask her question voices were heard and she ran back to the outside of the circle unsure of what was happening. All Hallows Eve was a sacred night, but even still evil could attempt to kill them.

Voices chanting softly at first and then a roaring came through the void. Sisters long gone from this time all talking at once. One older witch held up her hands and demanded silence. She told the witches that one by one they were to approach the blackness and ask their one question. The first witch cautiously approached the circle again and all was quiet while she asked her question of her sister.

No one knew how long this portal would remain open. One sister after another stepped forward, spoke with a deceased sister got their answers and stepped back. Only the one asking the question could hear the answer to their question. It was a personal message just for them from the beyond.

Well into the twilight hours, the ball carried on. As dawn approached, the black void shrunk. The portal closing before the dawn arrived. All the witches sitting on fallen trees, talking in small groups, and hushed voices. Each one speaking about what a wonderful and magical place this was and how blessed they were to learn from their sisters.

Speaking to the dead on this night enhanced the witches’ powers. Their sisters shared words about their futures. About the dangers, that they faced and that they needed to bind together instead of break apart. That a darkness was lurking in the shadows of their lives and only their sisterhood could save them or many would die. No one was told what loomed ahead. The deceased sisters could only give so much information or they would be banished to the dark layer below where their powers would be striped. Even from the beyond, darkness could take their souls. They would be forced to help evil triumph and live in their suspended void with no chance of speaking with another sister again. The would have to work for the minions of hell. That was worse than living in the void and they knew that from when their bodies roamed the earth many years ago.

As dawn crept into the circle, the circle shifted back to the earth. Robes were changed from gold to black. Herbs and potions properly stored again. The witches knew that this ball was special before they came. Once every thousand years the portal opened. Souls were touched, magic was spun, a space expanded and contracted, all the sisters would leave this ball exhausted and all would know that their individual powers combined made this night achieve a level never seen before by any coven. One coven at a time saying their goodbyes and climbing back on their brooms to fly home. Combined the witches knew they could take on any evil creature or monster. They had witnessed something miraculous; speaking with their dead sisters was a gift. Together they knew they were a force to be reckoned with and each left feeling connected to each other, knowing that they were always there for each other from that special day forward. All Hallows Eve night on their 1000th anniversary will live in each witch for all eternity.