The Four

It was the night of the 31st October, 1904 and a halloween masquerade party was in full swing at the on Emerson Street in New Orleans.  The walls and chandeliers of the house were adorned with elaborate decorations and people mingled in glamorous costumes holding glasses of brandy, old fashioned cocktails, martinis and wine. Tables were littered lavishly with assortments of candy, cake and pumpkin pie.  For some, halloween marked a special time when the material world crossed paths with those of the spirit world. For most people at the party however, halloween was just another excuse to dress up in fancy dress, bask under glowing lanterns and dance in rooms filled with music and scary looking children running around, hiding under tables. Little did four girls know that this particular party would mark the start of a night that would change their memory of halloween forever. 

"Shams!" I yelled from across the room, pulling little Bridget by her arm and pushing past several disgruntled minglers to get to her. I hadn't seen her since the end of our final term at Brenningtons school for girls and we had many stories to exchange.  "Where have you been I've been waiting here for forever!"

"Daria!"  Shams beamed excitedly, folding me into a loose embrace without apology. She was wearing that wide wicked smile of hers as well as an eccentrically glamorous black lace dress complete with a bright ruby red lip and long, plush, shiny black hair which seemed to always gush around her decolate and shoulders like a sparkling stream.  She smelt of sweet musk and cigarettes. 

"How's things with you? " she asked excitedly.  She notices the small girl stood beside me. "Where are my manners" I said. "This is Bridget, my younger niece! I've been asked to watch over her for the night. Weve become good friends. She's a witch too, you know.  "Is she now" beamed Shams over enthusiastically, looking her up and down. Bridget smiled nervously, looking up at Shams expectantly. "Well, how marvellous! You must both come and join us for drinks. Come, lets find somewhere to sit". "Shams tells some excellent stories" I said to Bridget, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry, she shocks almost everyone, but really shes harmless".  Before we get a chance to get settled, I spot Kiera in a far corner of the room. I'd almost forgotten she was going to be here. I was about to call her over but she must have already spotted us as she was making her way over. She was wearing a monster costume, and I have to admit it looked a little ridiculous compared to the glamour and sophistication of the party. "Jesus Kiera"  shams smiles. "What are you wearing?"  "Er, a halloween costume? Says Kiera sarcastically, in her infamous low, calm, cynical tone of voice. Academics, logic and hard cold fact was where Kiera belonged. She wasn't easily phased by the superficialities and glamour of the world and while she was never impartial to protest, she took her solace mostly in books and quiet contemplation. 

The girls sat down together to drink margaritas and share stories of their summer, the drib drab of still having to live with parents and the joys and woes of long term and short term boyfriends. After talking for a time about Kieras geology studies, Shams brings up a historical site she's been researching. 

"So get this" started Shams. "I've been reading about this mysterious historical site nearby which was infamous in back the 16th century. Let me tell you the story.  We all leaned in closer and Shams tone of voice took on a dark, quiet dramatic tone. "A long time ago, the old chantry was home to an old woman and her three grandaughters. All of them were witches, practicing the magic arts and conjuring up new spells and collecting fruit from the nearby woodlands. One dark, terrible day the three grandaughters were trialed and hung by the king for casting a notorious spell which cursed and killed many men women and children. "Thats so creepy" said Bridget", wide eyed and excited. "Yeah", said shams. "Whats even creepier though, is that after the girls were put to death, strange things started happening to people involved in the trials and the demolishment of the house. The king and his executers developed a strange illness shortly after the execution and died a long, grim death. A century later, the local council ordered the building to be destroyed, but on the day of the demolishment, a tree fell on two men, killing them both. Whats more, anyone who attempts to steal or destroy anything at the site is chased away from the site and experience terrifying hallucinations, nightmares and delusions for many months after afterward. Many of these cases ended up leading to permanent mental decline and illness, with some never returning to their normal mental state after the experience. This is why they say the site is still exactly the same as when the family left it. No one has dared to steal, move or mess with or destroy so much as a brick in the old chantry since the sitings.  Today, people still visit the site and report sightings of a woman with white hair, wandering the woodlands or the cemetery a few meters away from the Old Chantry . They name her 'hvit war" which means "white woman" in Old English and people think she lives there, watching over the spirits of her dead Grandchildren, protecting them.  

Quickly picking up on where this was heading, Kiera raised a skeptical eyebrow. "What you getting at exactly Shams? She queried. "Im saying, that they say Halloween is the one night of the year when the veil between the material world and the spirit world is at its most thinnest right? The night where the unseen reveals its secrets. In terms of witchcraft, anyone wishing to travel into the ethers unknown, can do so with far greater ease on this night than on any other time of year" "So?" Said kiera.

"So...what if we visited the site.  What if we saw the white woman. Wouldn't it be the best halloween night of our lives?" she beamed. Kiera looked unimpressed.  We all knew Kiera didn't believe in ghosts. "Its a ridiculous story Shams. Nothings going to happen out there you do realize that?" "Maybe" said Shams. But if something does happen, then we all get to prove you wrong for a change"! The corners of Kieras mouth were trying not to smile.  "And if it doesn't, you can go home knowing you were right. Plus it's an adventure and we may need you to help us solve mysteries. And your great with maps!" "Now there's an offer I can't refuse". Kiera said sarcastically. So that's a yes then? Shams put her hands together hopefully. "Well it's not a no is it" said kiera, rolling her eyes. "Excellent! So that's settled then. We go tonight" . 

The four girls made their way through the woodland and eventually reached a small, gray stoney building. Shams knocks on the old wooden door.   "Hello spookies! Anyone home?" She laughs. Kiera rolls her eyes. "This is such a clique" she sighs. "Just open the damn door already". Shams opened the door and it creaks open. The inside of the barn was completely dark. I remembered I had a lighter from the party and held it up to the doorway to light our way in. "Thanks!"  Shams says, spontaneously leaning in to light a cigarette and looking me right in the eye as she sported another wide grin. "That's not what I was going to use it for but sure". Shams did not seem unsettled in the slightest. I knew she'd always been brave and bold but I couldn't help but wonder whether her non chalent disposition was more dutch courage induced by the gin. How could anyone not be afraid in this situation? Here we were in the middle of the woods at midnight in the pitch black, four young women alone, with no one around for miles. Ghosts aside, anything could happen to us out here. As Shams lit her cigarette and finished off the gin I caught sight of Bridget looking at me tentatively. I knew she had come with us because she admired Sham and wanted to show she wasn't afraid, but it was clear that she found the atmosphere unsettling. I looked at Kiera, who looked comfortingly indifferent, as she always did.   With quite some hesitation, we entered the building one by one. First Shams, then Bridget, myself and finally Kiera. 

"Wow!" Shams beamed as we found ourselves in a large, stone, barnlike room. It was lined with long, decorative wooden beams, carved tables and chairs, and arched windows looking out onto the church and old cemetery. Old empty frames hung from the walls, which presumably used to contain paintings of some kind. "Well it's pretty much as described" noted Kiera. "It's so creepy" said a nervous Bridget. "This must have been exactly how they left it".  "Perfect place for a coven!" Beamed Shams. "Theres just something missing". "Whats missing?" Asked Bridget. Shams grabbed a clump of hay from a corner of the barn and puts it above her head, and starts walking around the barn with a crazed, animated wide eyed expressionless look on her face. "The white haired woman!" She says in a low deep tone of voice, teasing Bridget and causing her to jump back in fear. I spotted an old book on one of the shelves and walked up to it, sweeping off old cobweb and debris from its dusty surface.

On the front, in big black bold letters, it read 'The Four'.