The Spell of Salacity

Chapter 1

Traci looked over at her friend Harmony and then back to the girls in the field. One of the girls was Harmony's older sister, Dawn. Dawn and her 4 other friends were raking the Autumn leaves away from a sparse section of earth not too far away from Glebner's Park. It was Harmony's idea to follow the girls ever since Traci had overheard Dawn on the phone a week before. Now they hid in the woods, in the light of the day, within spying distance.

The phone call was not accidentally overheard as Traci was led to believe. Harmony often picked up the phone and held her hand over the muzzle and listened to Dawn's conversations whenever she could. Harmony found it an art to play spy on her family. She hid in closets, under beds and even entertained the idea to slip into the cabinet under the sink; at least until she smacked her nose against the pipe, then all bets were off. She loved to be in the know. Soaking up information like a sponge, she wrote down all she heard on a memo pad she kept under her mattress. Often this new knowledge was useless drivel, but sometimes she used it for her own gain.

There was one time when Harmony overheard her parents discussing a private school for her. It was the last thing she wanted, so that night, she told her parents that one of her teachers was recommending her to be class president. She further explained how much she was loved by the teachers and they thought she would represent her school and her fellow students proudly. This of course was eaten up by her parents and later on while hiding in their closet, Harmony was relieved to hear that the new school issue was dead and buried. She of course never made class president, nor did the school have a class president for 8-year olds.

Harmony had informed Traci that her sister Dawn was going to do something involving a sacrifice of some kind. They mentioned the date, time and place, but since Dawn and her friend knew the specifics, they just talked in generalities. This left Harmony to speculate with Traci. At first Harmony surmised that it was just some sorority thing she was being told to do. Dawn had been in the Sorority for a year now, but they might be doing something to the new pledges this year. Harmony had found out that pledges were girls who applied to be members of the sorority and had to undergo various challenges. Once their pledging was over the pledges became Sisters. Harmony found it extremely fascinating at the time she had eavesdropped on her Mother's and Dawn's phone conversations. It seemed that their Mother was also a Sister in the same sorority. They called it a chapter which had confused the young girl.

The girls had planned on joining Dawn and her friends or Sisters or whatever they were called as soon as Harmony mentioned the sacrifice to Traci. Since it was the Saturday before Halloween, the girls used the excuse that they were having a costume sleep over at another friends house that night. Their parents were more than happy to get rid of them for the night. Later on when they came home, they would use the excuse that they got a little sick and got dropped off. Another ingenious idea Harmony had was that they both would be dressed in army fatigues posing as soldiers. This would hide them well in the bushes and trees of the woods.

"I wish we could hear what they were saying?" Harmony stated moving a branch to the side so she could see better.

"I am more curious about why they are raking leaves," Traci replied.

"It seems they are making a huge circle," Harmony said.

"Yeah, it does look like a circle. Maybe it's just part of the sacrifice."

"My sister is wearing all white. I never seen her dressed like that. The other girls seem to be just wearing ordinary clothes."

"Your sister also seems to be telling the others what to do. She isn't raking anything."

"I saw that," Harmony responded. "It seems that she is in charge of the pledges. I guess the other girls who are in the sorority will be here soon."

"In the meantime," Traci announced, reaching into her backpack and pulled out some foiled-wrapped pop tarts, 2 small bag of chips, and fruit box drinks with the little curved straws. She winked at Harmony and her friend returned a smile.

Traci and Harmony had been friends since 1st grade and became inseparability best friends after that. Traci loved her like a sister because she had no siblings up to this point, and wasn't sure if her parents were going to ever have anymore. Traci loved to come over Harmony's house as much as possible and often ate dinner with her family. Harmony's parents had kids 11 years apart. They were still were madly in love, and treated Traci as one of their own. Traci's parents were a source of constant bickering, and it was those times she felt invisible. It was too different worlds. In Harmony's world she was noticed, and Harmony's Mother and Sister formed a girlish bond she was drawn to. They never looked at her as an 8-year old child, but as an equal friend whose thoughts and ideas were of merit. It was something Traci cherished when they asked her opinion on things. In fact, the kitchen wallpaper was chosen because Traci liked it the best when they went shopping. Anytime she was in the kitchen it reminded her how this felt more like home than her own.

The girls were growing bored with the scene unfolding in front of them. A little while ago, a group of 7 more girls showed up at the clearing. 2 of the girls were carrying a young, skinny tree, 2 more were carrying a group of garden tools consisting of shovels, hoes and other odds and ends. The last 3 girls were dressed as Dawn was, in all white. The only thing they carried were velvet pouches the size of a small hand bag. The working girls stopped their raking and helped with the next phase, digging a hole while some of the other girls made a circle out of small, purplish rocks. The girls in white barked orders while they started to pull various items out of the satchels. Traci strained to see what it was, but even with Harmony's binoculars, it was blocked from their view. Now the girls yawned in frustrated exhaustion as they sat still and waited for something interesting to happen.

Time ticked on by as the sun set and the darkness closed around them. The night air was getting a bit chilly and the girls had not really thought of warmer clothing. They watched the pledges mass a pile of dirt outside the circle next to the hole that was dug. They moved the tree into position and hoisted it together into the hole. After the tree was placed in the hole the pledges filled it back up with the loose dirt. They made sure it was firmly in place before they moved on to the next project. Gathering all the tools they walked away from the clearing, leaving the 4 sisters in white behind.

After a while the pledges returned wearing white clothes as well. They were followed by a taller hooded figure dressed similarly. The four Sisters in white now placed their own hoods on as the taller, hooded figure approached them. All the pledges had the hoods down until they reached the circle where upon Dawn approached each one and pulled their hoods over their heads, obscuring their faces from view. Each of these girls carried a bag or two with them and promptly were instructed to place them down, away from the circle. Several large wooden bowls and silver-colored goblets were removed from some of the bags. Bowls were organized in two rows of four.

Traci and Harmony waited to see what else was removed but the scurrying of girls cast shadows from the moonlight and they couldn't see much of anything for the moment. It appeared that the tallest Sister of the five standing was directing the action. Orders were given and they were thus relayed to the pledges. The pledges moved around the whole area preparing for what was to happen next. Several place mats were dropped around the circle and a small cushion on top of that.

Things seemed to be slowing down as the girls in white told their pledges to stop their work. They sat around the purple rock circle. Each pledge had her own place mat and pillow. A bowl and cloth was placed in front of each girl within the circle. They were instructed that they were to wash their faces and hands of the dirt that had accumulated during their last bit of work. As soon as that was done, those bowls were replaced by another bowl. This too was placed within the circle. It had various fruits and vegetables for the girls to eat. A silver goblet was placed to the left of each bowl and then was promptly filled with a reddish liquid. Presumably wine, the girls surmised as they whispered to each other.

"Notice how the moon lights up the entire area," Harmony declared.

"It's a full moon too," Traci countered.

"Those purple rocks are probably amethysts too," Harmony added. "You see how they glisten in the moon light?"

"I have heard of that. It's a type of birthstone on the calendar we have in our kitchen. You're probably right about that. I wonder why they used that rock to make the circle."

"I bet it doesn't mean a thing. It just looks fancy. Its nothing more than a prop."

"A prop?" Traci questioned.

"Maybe that isn't the word I meant," Harmony answered. "I just think its there for the effect. Kind of like when you go to the circus and they have the drum roll in the background when some dangerous trick is about to happen. The drum roll isn't part of the act, but it enhances the trick."

"Oh, I get you now," Traci replied. "You just think that getting some pretty shiny rocks that captures the moonlight makes the pledges believe that something cool is going to happen. Right?"

"Exactly, my good little spy friend, exactly," Harmony agreed.

Harmony and Traci watched the pledges eat. They felt their own stomachs ache for some nourishment. They were not prepared to be out here the length of time that they had been so far. It was really boring too, and they were getting exhausted sitting there as the hours passed on by. They had arrived at 4PM and now it was closing in on 10 o'clock. The leading Sister was directing the other sisters including Dawn. Because of the hoods, they soon lost track of Dawn because she just looked like the other girls. Every now and then, guessing by her height or mannerism they thought they could spot her, but it was difficult to know for sure.

It seemed that the pledges were told to place the tool and the block of wood on their laps because they all did so at the same time. The small block was approximately the size of a paperback book. Suddenly the leading Sister, the tall one, walked towards the inner circle. Harmony put a finger to her lips and hissed a little to Traci who was repeatedly snapping an empty tic-tac box opened and closed. Harmony got her attention and pointed at the gathering. Something was finally going down. The girls smiled at each other in excited anticipation.

Walking around the girls and the circle, the white hooded figure came upon the thin tree. She slid her hand along the surface and tied a red ribbon about halfway up the tree's length. Continuing around the circle once more she stood at the opposite end of the circle. One of the Sisters met her and handed over a lit red candle in a semi-clear crystal holder. She placed it just within the circle directly across from the skinny tree. She proceeded to the right, behind the girls. From beneath her white robe she produced a feather. Bending over, she laid the feather gently down on the earth within the circle approximately a quarter away from the tree. She then moved swiftly back towards the candle and one of the other Sisters met her there again carrying a large wooden bowl. The bowl was handed to her and she continued onward to the left side of the circle where she laid the bowl slowly to the earth.

The girls looked on from the woods, but couldn't see what was in the bowl. It was just too dark, even with all the moonlight. The other four Sisters gathered at different points within the circle, in between the blind-folded pledges. The leader stood facing the tree, also within the circle. She raised her hands up to the sky holding what looked like a black-handled knife. It was hard for the girls to hear as the woman finally spoke aloud.

"I call the energies of stability, prosperity and fertility." She moved clockwise around the circle as did the other Sisters. When the leading Sister stopped they all did staying at the same distance apart the whole time. She stopped at the feather on the ground, looked up towards the heavens again and said, "I call the forces of freshness, communication and wise council." She stood still for a minute as the wind bristled her white robe. She seemed to be doing something with the knife in the air. She was aiming it towards the ground as moved it around the circle. It looked like she was just cutting the air in a circular motion. Finally the Sisters moved again.

Bending down to the flame of the candle, the tall woman beckoned, "I call the energies of transformation, love and healing." She hesitated briefly before continuing on to the wooden bowl. She lowered her left hand- the one without the knife- and plunged it into the bowl, and it made an unmistakable water splashing sound. She then announced, "I call the energies of purification, transformation and gentle movement."

"I bet that was water," Traci whispered to her friend. Harmony agreed by shaking her head in the affirmative. They watched as the white Sisters moved back to their original starting spots within the Circle. This time the leading Sister faced the circle.

"I think that my Sister is a little weirder than I ever thought," Harmony stated quietly. "Why are they making such a big deal about this? The pledges can't even see what was happening?"

Before Traci could respond, the Sister in charge spoke again, "From the soil to the stone, from the wind-swept sky. From the flaming powers cone, to the water's sweet cry. I now call blended force of elemental power, come here from your primal source, be here in this hour!"

The wind seemed to pick up a notch as the trees whistled around them. Traci and Harmony exchanged curious glances at each other. The woman continued, but she spoke to the pledges directly.

"With the betula pendula a tribute you will create, fashioned from the mind once a blank slate. Whittle down the harsh realities we caste away, give into your heart and don't stray. My words are your eyes and from this you will see, a sacred blessing that is wiccan it is to be."

"She said wiccan," Harmony whispered softly to Traci. The lady continued with her poetic verses as the pledges around the circle began to carve the block of wood with their tool.

"So?" Traci asked.

"So?" Harmony repeated sarcastically. "Wiccan is associated with witches."

"No way," Traci gasped.

"Shhh," Harmony scolded her friend, looking back towards the circle making sure they weren't discovered by her friend's sudden outburst.

"Sorry," Traci apologized. She whispered quietly, "You just caught me off guard. You think Dawn is a witch?"

"Maybe. I am starting to think so. She has been very secretive since joining that so-called fraternity. She called it a Sisterhood, but she might have been referring to a Sisterhood of witches."

"What do you know about witches besides the black cats and flying broomsticks?"

"That is horse phooey," Harmony interjected.

"Remember it is the night before Halloween." Traci countered. "I don't know about you, but I think this is way cool. Harm, you got a witch for a sister."

"Maybe," Harmony muttered quietly. Thoughts were cascading through her mind like a waterfall. She was going over everything in the past year, and it seemed the more she recalled, the more she was led to believe that Dawn was a witch.

Last Halloween Dawn came through the door of the house very cheerfully. She never said why when asked, but Harmony did notice a wooden object in her hand. She tried to look for it the next day, but it wasn't there, so she put it out of her mind. Around the Christmas holidays Harmony listened to a conversation in the kitchen with their Mother. Harmony was hoping to find out what gifts would be under the tree this year. Instead Dawn was reciting a poem about rebirth and it wasn't about baby Jesus. It was mostly gibberish from what Harmony thought. She spoke of a tree and healing and Dawn told their Mother that she was nervous about reading it. Harmony got bored fast not getting the information she wanted and she just walked into the kitchen. Dawn folded the poem which was written on some old parchment into her pocketbook, and they both greeted her as if no conversation was going on. Harmony went to the refrigerator for a drink and walked away innocent of the whole ordeal.

There was one other time when Harmony found an old book called, "The Book of Shadows" in Dawn's night table. It looked like an old diary from 1000 years ago. She was going to look at it, but Dawn had come upstairs so she put it away and hid under the bed. The next time she looked it was gone. She forgot all about it until now. Thinking about it now, Harmony thought perhaps it was some kind of witch's almanac or bible. An idea flashed in her head.

"I'm thinking," Harmony began, "we need to take a trip to the library tomorrow for some research."

"On Halloween?" Traci objected.

"Yes," Harmony answered, "there is no better time. The library will be empty of kids and there won't be any classmates that might ask us what we are doing in the library on Halloween."

"True, but don't you want to go trick or treating?"

"We have plenty of time for that," Harmony argued. "Besides witches are what Halloween is all about. I would love to corner Dawn and question her about this, but I will let her have…"

Harmony stopped talking and stared out at the inner circle where the women were removing their hoods one by one. Traci followed her gaze and stared in amazement as Harmony's Mother stood tall in the circle as the leader of the Sisterhood. The pledges removed their blindfolds, entered the circle and drank from their goblets.

"I can't believe it," Harmony whispered to herself.

"Hey, at least she is a good witch," Traci added amusingly. Harmony was too stunned to comment. She waved at Traci to leave the area while they were celebrating in the circle.

"Harm, they didn't have the sacrifice yet," Traci mentioned.

"I think the sacrifice was just the ceremony or something. I had enough tonight Trace, let's get out of here. At least I know no one is home."

"Where's your Dad?" Traci asked.

"He's away on business," Harmony stated.

Then there was a flash of bright light around the circle and as the light dimmed, only the circle remained. Both of the young girls gasped and stared in disbelief. Then a moment later a flicker of light like a firefly would shine for a brief time held the visage of dancing naked women. Harmony saw her mother and sister dancing freely with their arms waving to and fro in the air. Then they were gone. The scene repeated itself every other minute with the women in new positions still dancing to no music that could be heard.

On the fourth flash of light, Harmony stood to get a better look, when her mother stopped her prancing around and locked eyes with her daughter. Her face was expressionless, but it was enough for Harmony to kneel back behind the bushes as the light dimmed once more. Harmony didn't want them to be caught so she instructed Traci to clean up their stuff, so they could make a hasty retreat ASAP The girls retreated out of the woods unseen and returned to their homes for the night speculating what they had witnessed.

Thinking that they had seen more than they bargained for, the girls had not seen it all. The sacrifice was unfolding at the midnight hour. The young pledges would never be the same again. All Hallow's Eve had begun.