LOTTE HOLLOW'S LIST OF LIES

A list by Lotte Hollow, Witch-in-Training

Lie #10:

The Time I told Billie Manchester I Was a Vampire

Self-explanatory title.

Billie Manchester was teasing me for being creepy and living in a dark, shady, tree-surrounded house where the plants bloomed toxic purple in the middle of winter, where the paint was peeling and black, where strange lights poured from the windows, where wispy-looking, transparent "ghost-girls" with soulless black eyes seemed to be spied every halloween, where the gnarled, eerie trees cradled the old mansion like elder witches around a newfound babe, and where the high stone walls carried a sense of foreboding that made grown men run in fear.  

So I did what any witch-in-training would do.

Lie.

"Now, you be glad that you don't have to SLEEP there," I said, my silver necklaces clinking together, the skills and ravens colliding noisily. My black tank-top revealed my bare, bone-pale arms, tattooed with strange black and blue ink, and my long black hair fell around my deathly pale, heavily makeuped face.

"Because at night..." I got as close as I could go to her nervous, pretty face, "my bat sisters come alive with a flutter of wings..." I waved my fingers spookily, a grin revealing my sharp teeth, "and we fly out into the dark night and drink the blood of annoying girls like you!"

There. Lie explained.

I mean, the Batt sisters do show up at night, but we don't drink blood.

And sheesh, I'm a witch, not a vampire.

We only drink Elixir!

Does this take off some of my punishment? PLEEEEASE?

No?

Fine.

So continues my list of lies.

Lie #9:

The time I lied to the Batt sisters.

"Come on, Latte, we've got to gather some bones for this! fresh bones!"

(Bella Batt calls me Latte. Not sure why.)

"Lot..." Benni Batt said slowly.

(She calls me Lot.)

"I'm afraid! I don't like trespassing on graves! Some-- no, all ghosts don't like that! I got haunted two years ago and I still have nightmares!"

The Batt sisters exchanged a glance.

I tugged on my leather gloves. You needed bare hands to dig up bones and perform the incantation to get she spirits away from you.

I could not take off my gloves.

As a side affect of that poison I accidentally drank a week go, I had these indigo thorns all over my hands. You remember-- I was sick in bed for so long, screaming in agony.

Well, I still had thorns on my hands, and I didn't want them to see the thorns. they'd tease me. Plus, they were poisonous. I didn't want to hurt them.

"I'm afraid of the skulls," I added.

"Latte, you WEAR skulls!"

"Bird skulls. Besides, the only human skulls I wear are fake and make of silver. I don't like them."

"You've never had this weird fear before, Lot!"

“Uh…”

I stared at them, with their matching bat cloaks, matching black braids, matching two-colored blue-and-green eyes. 

I couldn’t.

And so I scrambled “HEXER!” and ran inside the mansion. 

I know, a double lie, first about the bones, and again about the nonexistent Hexer. 

Yeah. Lying about a witch-hunter.

I’m shameless.

The list of lies continues. 

Lie #8:

The Time I Skipped School To Go Hexer Hunting

I told my teacher that I felt sick and snuck away from the nurse. Not a bad lie, but when I snuck away I went chasing a potential Hexer. H. E. X. E. R! 

I, Lotte Hollow, chased a potential Hexer down First and Main. I’m not even embarrassed. 

Lie #7:

Wait, Can I tell You The Good Stuff I Did, Too? 

I know, I know, I KNOW! “List of Lies” and all that. But can’t I let you hear the truths I told? 

I…

When we went out to fight that Hexer… to get Samara’s Magic back… 

I was afraid. 

But I fought and I won.

That counts, doesn’t it?

Lie TRUTH #6

When we were in the desert, I told James how I felt about him.

I know.

I LOVE him.

I hid it from you.

Isn’t this a truth?

Lie TRUTH #5

This one’s a lie. I lied because I had to protect Samara, okay? I told the King Hexer that I was on his side. He’d leave Samara alone if I distracted him. But the lie was for good! 

Can I have my voice back?

No?

>:(

Lie TRUTH #4

I know, I know. People reading this won’t know what I’m talking about. All “what’s a Hexer?” and “who’s James?” and “Whaddaya mean, your voice?”

Sheesh, people! I can’t talk, okay? I can’t tell you the story! I’m only writing this list so the Head Witch gives me back my voice. Then I can tell you. 

Here’s the truth:

I’m a witch.

I’m a cool girl.

I’m a creep.

I’m a rebel.

I don’t care.

But now…

Now I do. 

Because what’s happening below your feet and above your head is a raging war of danger and death. 

And I’m in it.

Let me finish my list, and I’ll tell you the story.

Lie TRUTH #4

I’m not naming them.

The lies TRUTHS. 

These are personal confessions.

This truth?

I NEVER PASSED MY SECOND WITCHING EXAM!

AND THEN I WENT ON A QUEST!

WHICH IS ILLEGAL TO WITCHES!

WITCHING EXAMS ARE EVERYTHING!

And I failed mine for exploding a few dozen ice cream cartons full of the good stuff, the nectar, the ambrosia-- strawberry cream.

So, I ran away and went on a quest to defeat the King Hexer.

(Who the heck is that freak? You ask me. I’ll tell you later.)

Lie TRUTH #3

Listen.

I’m a liar and a freak. 

I’m a literal witch.

I live with my magic friends (and enemies and sisters and whatevers) in a giant, ancient mansion. 

But I have a conscience. 

And the Hexers don’t.

This is a truth:

When a baby witch is born, she is left in the woods for elder witches to take to safety.

I wasn’t left in the woods.

I was left at a bus stop by a man who’s tattoos revealed him to be a witch’s enemy: a Hexer. 

But why didn't he kill the tiny witch that was me? I know that answer.

He was my father.

Witches and Hexers hate each other.

But he cared enough. 

And that will get me in trouble, but I don’t care.

TRUTH #3

Hey, can you hear me?

You can?

Good. 

My deepest dream is to be a singer, not a witch singer, but a human singer.

I know it’s a weird dream, but I’m Lotte Hollow.

I’m weird. 

TRUTH #2

Witches take on the last names of their trainers. Not their parents. 

So I’m named after Eslanda Hollow, my trainer. 

Just a weird truth no one but a witch knows.

Truth #1

I,

Lotte Hollow,

am afraid of him.

By him I mean the man that was my father before I became a witch.

There.

Ten lies-- although most of them are really truths. 

CAN I HAVE MY VOICE BACK NOW? THESE READERS NEED TO HEAR MY STORY!

No?

Another day?

Fine.

You’ll have to wait until after the new year for it.

Sorry.

#WitchLaws

Author's note:

I was going to write Lotte's story first, but it was so long that I just wrote this List of Lies. I'll be submitting the real story (guess when) after the new year. :)