The legacy of the hagstone

Harper Stone had always been told that her great-grandmother was with who threw herself into the ocean from the highest point and became one with the sea. Completing her connection with her element. Harper usually tuned her grandfather out when he rambled like that, there was no way her pencil-pushing mother was a witch. Tiredly she made her way out to the coastline where the fishermen were already bringing in the catch of the day. As usual, she was all alone or so she thought when a dog ran past. At her feet, he dropped a stone. Barking happily he called the attention of a young boy the p age as her. 

“Hello”

“Hi there, ” the boy said flashing a pearly white smile. “I'm logon I just loved here”

“That's cool I've lived here my whole life but we leave in the summer a lot,” Harper said trying to sound interesting.

“So what do you like to do?”

“Umm I don't know, I don't get to do a whole lot”

“That sucks, you should come to my house tomorrow we're having a huge picnic. My whole annoying family coming there will be so much food you'll explode” Harper said with a small chuckle. “I'll ask” 

“Wanna play for a bit?” Harper asked excited for a new friend. The two got lost having funny. They built sandcastles, climbed trees, and swam to the caves and back. When they returned Logon was exhausted and the dog; spike was laying out basking in the sun. Login collapsed by the dog and began panting.

“Are you okay”

“I'm fine this was the best day ever, I should have told you why I don't get to have fun I'm sick and I'm not getting better but don't worry you can't catch it,” Logon said getting to his feet.

“Logon James Leon where are you!” a woman called frantically her pleas of terror dying down as she saw Harper.

“Mom this is my friend harper we went exploring, she invited me to her house tomorrow, I can go right?”

“I suppose,” she said not realizing the can of worms she was opening. Every day for the next month the two were inseparable until Logan‘s condition began to worsen. Harper made every attempt to be by his side then like a clockwork the wired far-off relatives begin to show up. Like she usually did she tried to make herself scares as to not get in their way. Harper was about to dash out of the family home when one of her older cousins stopped her.

“You can stay today, you're old enough to know the truth” Harper stared at her In disbelief in her 15 years of life never once been allowed to stay in one of the family meetings. 

    At first, it began like any stuffy family get-together then like lightning the room went static; energy hummed around. Great-grandma Mary was wheeled into the room. She gave an inspiring speech before turning to Harper saying.

“We welcome our newest witchling next week” Hushed whispers spread around the room as auntie explained how not everyone in the family was privy to the classified information. 

“So grandads right?”

“Oh yes,” 

“Grandma became the sea then?” Harper asked confused. “It’s complicated my dear”

“For now you must find your connection to the world around you, it will ground your magic” Harper watched in awe as her family members explained their affinity for the world around them. Marveled an in thrall Dave went to the one family member who could never lie to her. With great haste, she fleed to the barn across the long lush grass.

“Shamus you in here?” Called Harper up into the barn. Her tall lengthy uncle emerged with a grin.

“Did the old Hags tell you the family secret?”

“Yes, why the hell didn’t you tell me!”

“Would you have believed me or thought I was yanking your chain?” Harper laughed as she asked every question that raced through her mind. The last least selfish one made her sad.

“Can magic heal someone?”

“Sometimes, magic is fickle” Shamus explained running a hand through his long ginger locks.

“There are spells that can heal another but cost something if you, so it’s not worth it”

“I see” Harper whispered tearfully.

“Why what’s eating you up”

“Your ember logon?”

“Oh, your little boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Harper said her pale cheeks flushing. “I just care a lot about him and he’s sick” she sputtered biting her lip. 

“Babe just let it go,” Shamus said leading her out of the barn and back to the house where she looked for any sign of magical items. After a thorough examination of the whole house, Harper found three spell books and a useless book in what she assumed was Latin.

   After mulling over the book for days she did her first unsupervised spell on a tree. The spell worked too well. The old mulberry tree grew to an ungodly highest. Panic filled Harper as she tried to undo the spell. To her delight, the tree deflated and a firm voice stated.

“What the hell is wrong with you, barn now!” He snapped pointing at the barn. Harper sulked into the barn and waited for a lecture.

“For so many reasons you can’t be doing unsupervised magic it’s dangerous”

“I just want to help my friend, what good is having magic if I can’t help”

“If you get caught doing magic, most people will not understand and people fear what they don’t understand, they will burn us at the stake,”

“For all of our sake leave that poor boy alone” her uncle snapped snatching the spellbook from her hands as he tucked it on a high shelf. A low and audible grumble left her mouth.

“Speak up”

“I said, Why can you do magic?”

“That's a myth only women get it, though it is true that only women can make the transcendent connection with the earth”

“What does that mean”

“There are items on earth that embody the essence of magic like the fairy circle, four-leaf clover, hag stone, or a fallen star,” he said rattling off a list.

“But they're extremely hard to find, it’s like they find you it’s destiny” 

“What’s a hag stone, I don’t like that name”

“ Another name for it is holy stone and it’s a part of the ocean it’s said to hold the life force of the sea it’s magic is unparalleled in the hands of a powerful witch”

“Could I find one?”

“People spend their whole life searching and never find them”

“Please show me I have to try”

“If I show you, you have to promise me you’ll just enjoy him while you can”

“Promise now show me” Her uncle disappeared returning with a worn-down hook.

“They're found at the sea edge but there externally rare the sea doesn’t just give them up” Her uncle Midas said, pulling out a reference book. Harper's eyes widened as she traced the familiar shape. “It’s our friendship rocks,” Harper said, reaching into her pocket to reveal the smooth whitish green stone. 

“You found this?”

“Yes with my friend technically his dog found them”

“How old are you again?”

“I’ll be sixteen next week but mommas making me celebrate it when we go on vacation in august” 

“Your a solstice baby blessed by the moon and sea, okay you win, I’ll help”

“Why the change of heart?”

“I think your gonna do great things”

Harper beamed as her uncle turned around pulling out a beautiful string. 

“This will make the talisman work for only you as long as you wear it around your neck, as for welding the pour it gives i and our people can only speculate it’s been decades”

Harper spent a lot of time locked in the bathroom practicing spells but nothing came in defeat she went to see Logon. When Harper arrived Mrs. Leon was in tears. “Please tell me you’ve seen him” Harper shook her head and ran from the adults to the only place he could be this late. The caves at high tide were impossible to leave. Diving from the highest cliff Harper swam fighting the current. With each movement, she propelled herself towards the cave. Once inside she made her way up the rocks to the highest point. To her delight Logon was curled up in a ball clutching his dog. Spike gave a happy bark bustling his human. Logon gave no sign of life and panic kicked in. Frantically Harper began CPR but nothing happened.

“No please, don’t go” Harper cried hard tears falling onto her friend's face and chest. The Hag stone talisman began to glow the sea around turned the same strange blue-green. A gust of wind picked up and thousands of light flew around settling on Logon who became engulfed in light. Strange chanting and spirits gathered around. Though the energy was powerful Harper did not feel threatened instead she let the magic move through her into logon who set up in a daze the energy jumped diving back into Harper who was knocked on her but by it. The two stared at each other in silence before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

“Never do something so crazy again,” Harper said squeezing her best friend. Harper helped logon swim back and neither said a word as the adults appeared. Logon weaved a web of lies and over the next month, he received a clean bill of health. The two were closed than ever. Both had five into the occult learning all there was to know about magic and its many uses. Harper even listened to her grandfather's outlandish stories deciding to fill him in on her adventure. His face had become one of delight. “Hah my granddaughter the moon spirit,” he said kissing her forehead. Unsure of what her grandfather meant Harper ran off to join her friend leaving her grandfather and uncle alone in the house.

“You know they’ll be trouble”

“I know I’ll protect her”

“Not if they burn you at the stake,” her uncle said walking out of the house onto the deck where he watched Logon spin Harper around. What was curious however was the fact little mushroom rings were forming all around them. A sign of high magical output. With a shake of his head, he notices a gleam of light whizz by. The spirit of his grandmother stood staring back.

He waved to the spirit in the distance, smiling fondly. His grandmother had always wanted to be the head witch but the title only occurred every 1000 years at the solstice. The child in front of him would someday unite both human and magic kind until then he couldn’t wait to see what other adventures she would have. Her name would go down in infamy just like the prophecy given three hundred years ago.