Story Snippet: Witches & Warlocks

Writing snippet from an untitled story involving Witches and Warlocks. Not a final piece, simply musings.

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“A girl!”

Mixed reactions filled the room, half cheering, the rest cursing. The women began herding the men out, no longer were they needed with the babe not being a boy.

Anna-Lisa couldn’t help but feel guilty. They had been so sure it would be a boy… how could they have been wrong? “I’m so sorry Luc… I thought for sure…”

He was already shaking his head, smiling as he took her hand and kissed the back of it, “A simple mistake. We will try again, and it will be a boy. You did so well, Lisa, and she’s a lovely little thing.”
She didn’t quite believe him, knew how much he had wanted a son, a child to raise. To keep.

Her eyes fluttered shut as Luc, too, was shuffled out of the room, a hush falling over the room before there was a sudden scramble. Anna-Lisa looked on in confusion, not understanding. They were warding the room, ensuring none could enter… but why? Confused eyes sought out her mother, seeking answers, and she was given a smile.

“Almost there. You’re half done already, precious.”
“Half…? What do you mean half…” Her eyes widened as she trailed off and the pain hit her again, and then she knew. They hadn’t been wrong, they had simply overlooked the girl, focused solely on the boy… Tears hit her eyes, relief flooding her. Twins. A boy. Luc would be ecstatic…

Why had they made the men leave? The boy would have to be handed over. Witches couldn’t raise a warlock…

“Oh, Mama, you can’t! Call Luc, bring him back! You can’t keep the child from him!”
Goddess above, what were they thinking!?

Some were shaking their head, murmuring to each other, giving her irritated looks, or looking at her as if she were some stupid child who didn’t understand.

She understood better than any of them. This would ruin them. They barely managed to co-exist with the Warlocks and now they were going to start a war between them…

“Luc!”

 --

 

“I was so sure it would be a boy…” Luc murmured to himself. Anna-Lisa had admitted to him she wasn’t ready for children, that she wanted a boy so she would have a bit more time before needing to care for a daughter. That had been more than fine with him. The both of them had done spells, sacrifices, asking for a male child. The entire coven had been doing everything they could to help… of course the witches would want a girl, but he thought, with Lisa siding against her coven, they would hold the favour.

Evidently they hadn’t done as well and the Goddess had won over their God.

“You must have been blinded by your desire for a son.” His father never seemed to have a useful thing to say to him…

“Both of us though? We were both so sure… It just seems so strange for us to make such an error.” It just didn’t sit right with him. They weren’t weak little castors who didn’t understand their craft. They were the strongest of their lines, heirs, unstoppable together…

“Something’s wrong.” Luc said suddenly, “She’s in pain. Different from before…”

His father gave him a hard stare, as if trying to determine how in the world he could possibly know, before it dawned on him, horror quickly replaced with fury.
“What have you done, Luc? What did you and the Witch do?”
“We bound ourselves. We’re stronger for it, and-”
“You’ve tied yourself to a Witch! It was one thing to insist on marrying her, but this is going too far!”
Luc snarled, eyes darkening, before his head snapped up, gaze locking onto the door. Something had gone terribly wrong…

“Anna-Lisa!”

Poem: Too Much

Too Much

By: Jacqueline B.

Somewhere inside, there's an ache.
With every passing moment the pain increases.
They say it's merely a figment of the imagination,
But…
How can something so painful be a figment of the mind?
No one can help, since the 'illusion' is ignored.
The ache morphs into emptiness,
And now time is running out.
The hollow feeling of loneliness induces cold thoughts.
Ever so slowly pressure builds,
Reaching a point where it can no longer be ignored as an illusion of the mind.
Cold thoughts again infect the mind,
Feeding fuel to the unbearable pressure.
And end is wanted…
Sought…
Found…
And the silence is broken by the sound of cries,
The sorrow filled ones belonging to the ones that ignored.

Poem: Herzlied

Herzlied

By: Jacqueline B.

The ocean calls to me.
Waves tempting as they pull away,
Silently beckoning me in their peaceful way.
I am drawn to the blues and greens of the water,
The colours blended perfectly, yet remain true to themselves.
A gull's soft cry sounds in the distance.
I am not alone as long as I stay beside the silent calm.
And here I stay,
Near the waters edge,
The gull's lull in my ear,
Tempted by the waves silent invitation.

Poem: Curse of Macbeth

Curse of Macbeth

By: Jacqueline B.

Curse upon thee
Who play Macbeth.
Curse upon thee
And end in death.

Have you heard of the deaths?
Thirty-one before Macbeth
Where the show was to be,
Ending before the play began in true misery.

Would one
Play one
In this act,
When it is said to be fact?
That the play Macbeth be cursed,
And dealing out its worst?

To all who come, act of hear
Beware!
For the curse takes any and all,
And may result in your downfall.

Poem: Song

SongBy: Jacqueline B.

Soft and soothing,
It calms and evokes a sense of self.
The beauty is evident
As a hearts hidden keep is opened.

And then a break in the peace;
Passions flare
Another change,
And Hate seeps in.

A battle of emotions begins.
All wanting reign,
None being granted.

And everything ends
In silence.

Poem: Ode to Beginnings

Ode to Beginnings
By: Jacqueline B.

Everyone single one of us
Starts out small.
Like a seed from a tree.
It still amazes
That something so small, becomes something so beautiful.
When a child is born,
None can believe the beauty that was created.
The amazement further increases
When bright eyes peer up intoglowing faces.
When the first smile is seen,
And the first sound is heard,
The delight that makes itself known
Is contagious to those around,
You can't help but delight as well.
Brighteyes glance curiously at all the world offers,
Wondering what everything feels like;
Tastes like.
Unable to reach something
Causes the want to solve the problem.
Movement is a wonderful thing when discovered.
The pure and innocent sound made when able to reach
Is truly special,
But it isn't until the first steps are taken
That the true glee is shown.
A sense of freedom and control is found
When one can rely on one's self.
Even at such a young age,
The first step
Is the true beginning
On the road of who we will become.