a witch's halloween

Aradia stood at the cauldron stirring and stirring in the smoky shack. "Did you get the fire hot enough?" The wooden spoon clacked on the side of the cauldron as the liquid inside boiled, bubbled and spit up out of the cauldron. "The meeting is in an hour."

Allegra, the bent over crone, looked up and answered "of course." She poked at the fire as sparks and smoke flew everywhere. The black cat ran and hid.

"Did you put the right ingredients in? The potion needs to work tonight. It's Halloween night and a full moon. It's a good night for a meeting." Allegra watched Aradia stir the cauldron.

Aradia looked up from her stirred and picked up an eye of newt and threw it at her , cackling. Just then Amethyst came in and slammed the door. She carried an old crock she had washed for tonight. It was well-worn with a holed lid. She said "you must be all ready to go if you can mess around like that. Tonight is the big night." Hew eyes moved from one to the other. She didn't feel angry. Just tired. Old. She'd been doing this for a long time.

The other two women looked at her - standing and stretching. They weren't quite as old, wrinkled and beat. Not so tired. Aradia stopped stirring the cauldron, took the crock and filled it replacing the lid. "I'm ready," she said as she adjusted her ragged dress. "Are you ready, Allegra?"

Allegra snapped - "I've been ready - just waiting on the potion."

Aradia rolled her eyes and all three women went to the car. Aradia sat in the back and seat-belted the lidded crock in sot it wouldn't spill.

Amethyst said "hold onto that so it doesn't spill."

Arardia kicked her seat and sat looking out the window. "The meeting in in half an hour."

"We'll be there in time." Amethyst started the car and they were on their way to the meeting.

Amethyst pulled into the drive and parked the car. The three women got out with the lidded crock adjusting their clothes and hair like women do.

Everyone turned and watched them enter with the potion-filled crock. Every eye was on them in their "Sunday best" - tattered ragged dresses. Amethyst moved the slowest with a slow bent over gait. Aradia and Allegra came behind. Allegra carrying the crock with the potion sloshing around.

They climbed the stairs so slowly - almost dropping the crock. They opened the fire pit in the center of the outdoor sitting area - placing the crock on the fire removing the lid.

A rainbow of sparks flew up from the heated crock. Allegra stoked the fire. Amethyst spoke words over the colored smoke. Aradia watched the gathered witches. There were 19. Who would the potion affect?

She looked over all the women frozen in time. All ages present - some moms, some grandmas, some just reaching adulthood. Then Aradia saw her looking around surprised. She was pretty with streaks of grey in her hair. Her teeth chattered. Her body quivered. Her hands shaking. Aradia took her hand. She shivered. She led her to the fire.

"Your name," she asked her.

"Circe," she replied. She had kids but they were adults. Her own daughter stood frozen with the other women. "What's happening," she asked through shaking teeth.

Aradia and Allegra looked to Amethyst. They just sighed. Allegra grabbed the crock and car keys. Aradia led Circe to the car. As they walked away, the other women began to move and groan holding their temples. The potion had done its job.

The four women got into the car and drove the shack in the middle of the woods.

Once in the house, Aradia, Allegra and Circe stirred the two potions back together. They all had been given glass. Aradia said to Amethyst - "she'll be missed. May she remain at peace."

Circe looked around the decrepit hut. "What is this place?"

"The Sacred Hut" or home we call it." Aradia continued to stir the cauldron. Allegra stoked the fire. "Circe, put the crock in the sink and come here." Amethyst stood staring out the door and se suddenly faded away. Her clothes dropping to the floor. Circe inhaled sharply.

"What happened?"

"The story has existed for so many years. There are always three of us to protect the village, help the crops grow, keep the people healthy. You will take her place and learn the old ways. You family will benefit greatly. Their activities will never fail."

"How did you pick me?"

"The potion knows who will be chosen. We pick on Halloween night - the night where life and death live in the same room. She died so you were chosen."

Allegra went to close the door and Amethyst's dress turned to dust and blew away. Circe just stared at the fire.

Aradia continued to stir the cauldron. "Stoke the fire please."

Allegra turned from the door. "We almost waited too long this time. Times change. People stop believing. The old ways die." Allegra placed the wood by the fire.

"Do you accept the choosing," they asked her.

The woman stared into the fire, her mind racing. She knew this could happen when she went to the witches meeting. But it

happened in so long. She never believed it could be her. She stoked the fire absentmindedly, while she decided. Allegra put the wood in a neat pile. Aradia continued to stir the cauldron and added a few more ingredients.

Finally, Circe looked up and said "I accept."

Aradia said, "you can never go back. Here's where you'll live, grow old and die."

"I know," she replied. "I still accept. It's an honor to be chosen."

Aradia filled three bowl. Allegra handed her the bowl with the potion from the cauldron. She pointed to a chair at the table "sit." She started to tell the younger woman the story. "Long ago we were the wise ones. We knew how to heal the sick. There were always just three of us that knew the ways of old - to keep it safe."

"When one of us dies another has to be chosen to protect the village. Then the one who dies, her spirit can be free."

The younger woman spoke, stirring the food in the dish before her. "We learned that myth as children. I even told it to my own kids. I didn't believe it was real."

"Yet you came to the meeting," Allegra interrupted.

Circe laughed. "I know. I just never expected this. This smells really good," she continued.

"The potion becomes whatever you want to eat." Aradia smiled at Circe. "We'll start training you tomorrow."

Circe looked sadly down into the bowl knowing she could never go home. No one would ever know what happened to her. They'd never know her sacrifice. She took a deep breath. "Let's get started."