The Evil and the Good

“Where’s Helga?”

“I don’t know she should’ve been here by now. Did you see her anywhere after we split up?”

“I did; she was heading to the 6^th street. I heard the house with the white dog had peanut butter chocolates again.”

“Ah, I love those! I hate dogs, though. That’s why I can never go near that house,” the younger witch said. The older one was leaning to deadwood. She was carrying a black sack full of gummies and coffee bonbons.

“Do you think,” the younger witch said, “do you-I mean nothing would’ve…”

“No, don’t worry, Enid. She’s fine. She’s just late. I’m afraid of dogs, too, you know. Last year that white dog ran after me till the Green Drive when I tried to get some chocolate. From 6^th to Green Drive, can you imagine? How stubborn is it? I can’t believe people are irresponsible enough to not tie their dogs up.”

“I know,” Enid shook her head and mumbled. She was digging the earth with the back of her broom, leaning to a gravestone.

“Ah, here she comes!” Gwendolyn said. A girl was running towards them. She was younger than both of them and was wearing a black cloak like all the rest. Her plum-colored pointy shoes were covered in mud. She was looking behind sometimes to see if anyone was following her. She was carrying a heavy-looking grey sack.

“Why are you late? Where have you been?” Enid said furiously.  

“I’m sorry, that dog…” Helga said, trying to catch her breath.

“You sure no one saw you coming this way?”

“No, Enid. I checked, no one saw me. Everyone was busy trick or treating. Oh, guess what? I saw a little girl dressed as Great Brianne! She had that iconic white lace on her wrists. I didn’t know people commemorate the Great Witch! They burned her after all!”

Enid sighed as she delved into her bag and pulled out a couple of gummy snakes after some search.

“You’re so dumb. They probably don’t, Helga. They don’t respect witches. It’s probably just a coincidence. Okay, what do you got?” Enid said, and shove the gummies into her mouth, and started chewing. Helga put down the sack she was carrying on her back and opened it to let everyone see. Gwendolyn and Enid got closer.

“Woah! I can’t believe you got so much, Helga!” Gwendolyn said as she leaned onto the sack.

“The old woman living in that house put a big plate full of these on the porch. I would’ve taken more, but that stupid dog started barking at me, and I got scared.”

“I wonder how come no one took those chocolates before you got there,” Gwendolyn said and took a bite from the biggest chocolate she could pick from the sack.

“It’s probably the dog,” Enid said, she was still chewing the snakes. She was leaning to a gravestone that was so old, it was covered in moss. Gwendolyn and Helga shook their head in approval.

“Hey,” Helga said, giggling, “I saw some kids calling Mr. Benny a witch! I bet he was flattered!”

“A witch!” Enid raised her voice. She was finished chewing the gummies and was reaching for a peanut butter chocolate. “How can they think he’s a witch! How offending! I don’t know why people think we turn into black cats! We have done nothing so grave to deserve that punishment, and even if we did, Mr. Benny? He’s not even a beautiful black cat. We would’ve made gorgeous black cats.”

All the girls let out a laugh.

“I don’t know, I like Mr. Benny. He’s not bad like the others. He does not harm anyone. I don’t understand what he could’ve done to end up as a black cat. I saw some boys trying to hurt him the other day, tying metals to his tail. He did nothing to them, just tried to escape. I couldn’t help him. Poor Mr. Benny,” Helga said. Witches stayed silent for a while.

“You know,” Enid said, “sometimes I think Aunt Jade is right about people.”

“Enid!” Gwendolyn raised her voice, then looked around immediately to see if anyone heard. Then she continued, whispering. “We’ve come to an agreement, Enid. We said we will act the way we think is right! We promised each other that we wouldn’t act the way the Witch Council decided for us.”

“And the way every other witch chose, of course,” Helga added, looking down.

“You don’t know that,” Gwendolyn said, “no one knows about us; maybe we don’t know about others as well.”

“I know, it’s just-” Enid said, “I saw a couple of kids making fun of a girl because her costume was sloppy, and now Mr. Benny… Also, we all know what they did in the past, and they call us evil! Can you believe the audacity? Sometimes I think, they’re right; I must act like I’m evil if they treat me like that! They deserve what comes to them, after all!”

“Enid!” Gwendolyn said compassionately, held Enid’s both hands, and looked her in the eye. “I know it doesn’t feel good to be called that, but what they call you is nothing to do with who you are.”

Enid didn’t answer. Her eyes were filling with tears, so she turned her head away.

“Sometimes, it makes sense to me, too,” Helga said. Gwendolyn looked at Helga in dismay. Helga averted her gaze.

“I mean, you heard what Enid said. They are the evil ones, yet they blame us for the misfortune that comes upon them. Maybe they deserve it; maybe the Witch Council is right! They make us do bad things to people anyway; what is wrong if we enjoy it? What harm would it do to punish them a little, even if it’s only for Samhain?”

 “Don’t call it Samhain! What if anyone heard you?” Enid said between her teeth, looking around anxiously.

“I know, I just use it with you. I’m not an idiot!”

“You know what things your carelessness can cost! It happened before, no guarantee it won’t happen again!”

“I know! I told you, I’m just-”

“Girls!” Gwendolyn said, raising her voice to silence them. She looked at the two young witches standing in front of her.

“I know it’s hard to believe in a different thing and act a different way when everyone around you does otherwise. But both of you know deep inside that we chose the right way. It is not right to be bad to them, only because they are bad too. If you’re going to decide who you are by yourself, you must do it independently from the things surrounding you. Also, it does make a difference, not believing that it is right to do bad things to others, even if you’re forced to do those things. If you can’t oppose them materially, oppose them with your existence, with your thoughts. That is the least we can do.”

Enid and Helga were looking down. Enid was deepening the hole with the tip of his broom, and Helga was playing with the earth with her foot while she tried to fit the seventh peanut butter chocolate into her mouth. Suddenly Enid raised her head.

“Did you hear that?”

“Quick, hide them!” Gwendolyn said, and the witches put their bags under their cloaks and pricked up their ears. A green eye shined between the gravestones, and a black cat appeared, blind in one eye, walking slily towards the witches.

“Girls?” it said. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have to be somewhere else? You’re not enjoying yourselves in Samhain, this sorrowful day of remembrance, are you?”

“No, Mr. Torind. We were preparing for the ceremony,” Enid said, “spiritually.”

Mr. Torind smiled cattily, showing its sharp teeth.

“Ah, I see. Spiritually, you say. You must have many misfortune to bring today upon the evil after the ceremony with the Witch Council, don’t you?”

“Yes, Mr. Torind,” said Gwendolyn. The disgust on the witches’ faces was visible, even if they tried to hide it.

“I see. So I don’t need to report anything to Ms. Jade, do I? I could not possibly shut my eye to any disobedience to her. She’s the head of the Witch Council, after all. Also, she’s a very close friend of mine, you know?”

“I doubt that,” Helga whispered under her breath. Enid poked her with her elbow.

“What was that?” the black cat asked.

“Nothing,” Gwendolyn said, “we were just leaving.” She grabbed her broom that she leaned on the deadwood, and put it between her legs; the others followed.

“Good night, Mr. Torind,” Gwendolyn said, and the other witches repeated.

“Yes, may your night bring misfortune to those who deserve it as well,” the black cat said. The witches looked away and followed Gwendolyn as she took off and flew towards the night sky. The black cat watched three witches' silhouettes fade into the darkness after flying across the full moon. Then it walked towards the deadwood, stepping on the chocolate package Helga accidentally dropped on the ground and climbed to one of the branches. Its fur black as coal, shined under the moonlight. It kept its only eye open through the night, looking upon the people walking on the streets outside the graveyard, casting ominous feelings to those who notice its presence.