Which Witch is Which

“Do you really think we should be doing this?” Lexi muttered apprehensively as she pushed her blonde hair behind her ear.
“You’re such a scaredy cat!” Stella snapped as she pulled her Mercedes in a clearing right outside of Confederate Memorial Park and parked. Stella, Payne, and Lexi sat in their car and discussed the night’s agenda as they waited for their friends. Stella and Payne, the crazy wild girls of the group, had been plotting for weeks about what exactly to do Halloween night, but Lexi could only think about why did they pick this?!? Before Lexi could further complain to Payne and Stella about their crazy decisions, another car made its way into the clearing. Out of the other car stepped Davie, Lena, and Blake with their bags in hand, ready to go. Davie and Lena were discussing the week’s events, and Blake was just looking around mysteriously. Lexi was just glad to see Drew, her best friend, in the driver’s seat because he was the only other person who understood her apprehension.
“Drew, this is crazy,” Lexi mumbled as Drew pulled his duffel out of the trunk.
“Tell me about, it’s only because you made me that I’m here,” Drew informed Lexi sarcastically.
“Y’all stop complaining because you know you’re going to have fun,” Lena ensured jokingly. With that the group broke into littler groups to talk and watch for sundown. Just before closing, Keegan’s car finally pulled into the clearing. Stella ran to meet her boyfriend at his car and to discuss the evening’s events.
As dusk finally fell, the park workers proceeded to leave and lock the gates, but they didn’t detect the guests who were in hiding just outside the gate. The girls walked towards the fence on the south side of the gate and proceeded to thrown their belongings over the fence as the boys showed out and hopped the north side fence.
“Y’all are crazy!” Lexi exclaimed after everyone except her was already over the fence.
“COME ON!!” yelled her friends with frustration as she slowly slide over the fence, but first Lexi took one last look at the outside for she knew she wouldn’t return there until sun up.
“So where to set up camp?” asked Drew, letting his boy scout skills come out.
“The old church sounds like a good idea to me,” Lexi stated, but she was thinking, “Maybe the church will be safest.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Keegan stated as he helped the other boys pick up the girl’s belongings. As the group ventured into the old one room church, they all took in a breath of dust and old oak. It was very dark and scary inside the church for the only light was a lone security light on a power pole outside and the slight glow of the full harvest moon peaking out from behind the trees. Stella and Payne began to pull many candles out of their bags and place them around the room as everyone else unpacked. Keegan and Davie proceeded to light the candles with the lighters their brought and a glow spread around the room. The old church began to look mysterious and creepy as the glow made everything cast shadows on the walls. After everyone had settled their beds on the floor and pews, Lena inquired about what was going to happen next.
“Well,” Payne started, “After the moon is completely over head, Stella and I have planned a trip to the cemetery to explore, but for now we’re going to eat.”
“What’s for supper?” Drew asked curiously.
“That was for Lexi to decide and pick,” Payne informed.
“Yes, it’s all in that bag. There are sandwiches, chips, sodas, and other junk,” Lexi informed the group. The boys then advanced hungrily towards the bag. After everyone had filled their bellies, the conversation drifted towards myths and legends. Every story from “Bloody Mary” to “The Candyman” was stated until it got around to Lexi’s turn. Everyone knew that Lexi’s grandmother had lived in Marbury, Alabama, her whole life and that her stories had been handed down to Lexi.
“Lex, tell us one of your granny’s stories,” Lena begged.
“Ok, but y’all better watch my back because these stories sometimes even give me the creeps. My grandmother would tell a story about Miss Emma Spool who lived here in Marbury for decades. The townsfolk believed she was a witch who lived in the woods somewhere around here. She is rumored to only be seen during full moons, and it is around that time that pets disappear. Also, its whispered that every ten years, she takes a human sacrifice for her witch-craft. Their bodies are reportedly found drained of their blood in the woods days later after the full moon has since gone.” Lexi told.
“It’s also occasionally said that Miss Emma was an evil vampire witch,” Lena added.
“True and I’ve heard many people at school talk about searching for Miss Emma’s house but all I’ve heard they’ve found is the ruins of a shed and markings on the surrounding trees,” Blake ended.
“She isn’t someone to mess with,” Lexi muttered as her voice cracked.
“Don’t tell me you believe in this crude?” Keegan joked.
“This is a serious myth of Marbury, Keegan, not crude!” Lexi snapped.
“Whatever you two,” Stella defended as she looked out the window. “Look the moon is over head, let’s go to the graveyard.” Everyone reached into their bags and grabbed their jackets and flashlights, preparing to venture out into the night. As Davie opened the door to the church, a wave of heat smacked everyone in the face. As Blake walked out into the moon light though, a shiver ran down his spine. Keegan and Stella led the way to the cemetery on the hill, hand in hand. Lexi tagged to the back with Drew very close ahead for she was scared to death.
“You’re ok,” Drew whispered as he turned to comfort Lexi, but as he looked, Lexi was no where to be seen.
“Has anyone seen Lexi?” Drew inquired as they made it to the top of the hill.
“Maybe she got scared and went back to the church,” Stella joked.
“Well, I think I’m going to go back and see,” Drew stated as he headed back to the church. No one else looked back as Drew disappeared down the hill to find Lexi, and no one missed him when he didn’t return.
“Ok, so what are we going to do know that we’re up here?” Lena asked curiously.
“I bought a few more candles and I thought we might call up some spirits,” Payne informed the group.
“Who?” Keegan asked arrogantly.
“What about Miss Emma Spool, if she even existed?” Davie jokingly muttered.
“I don’t’ know if that’s such a good idea, guys. What about one of these soldiers?” Lena requested apprehensively.
“Lena, are you scared?” Blake laughed.
“No I just know how serious this stuff is,” Lena informed.
“Well, then you can go back to the church, and the none chickens can do it!” Blake snapped.
“Fine!” Jena yelled back. “If Miss Emma comes for your butt, don’t come back haunting me because I told you so!” Jena then got out of the group and walked towards the gate of the cemetery.
“Wait, Jena, I’ll walk with you,” Davie called after her. “I don’t want you to go by yourself.” Jena and Davie made their way back to the church, as the others formed a circle in the middle of the cemetery. Blake, Stella, Payne, and Keegan took a candle from Stella’s bag and began to light them. They placed their candles in front of them and joined hands as Stella flipped there an old book.
“I found this in a box in my attic; it belonged to my great great grandmother. It has a spell for reincarnating a dead person into others body. Y’all want to try it?” Stella questioned.
“Go for it!” Payne encouraged. As everyone joined hands and Stella started to chant, a light breeze made leaves dance around them.
“Guys, I’m going to go for a walk,” Blake stated mysteriously as he got up and left before anyone could say anything further. Stella continued the chant, and the closer to the end of the chant they got the louder the wind blow and the darker the sky became. As Stella said the last word, all of a sudden the candles blow out and a scream rang out.
“Who was that?” Payne screamed.
“I don’t know but, let’s find out,” Keegan stated as they both jumped up. Stella followed suit and Keegan and Stella ran down the hill. As they neared the church they ran inside not even detecting the trail of dragged through leaves that lead into the woods.
“Wait for me!” Payne yelled as she tried to keep up with them as she tripped out of the grave yard and down the hill.
As Keegan and Stella rushed into the church the heavy door slammed behind them. Stella screamed and grabbed for the next arm she could find, for it was oddly dark again in the church. To Stella’s despair when she realized what she was holding on to it was too late. Stella felt a slash rip in to her side as she fell to the floor with a scream. Keegan rushed towards her scream but was only met with the same sharp object as he hit the ground beside her. Payne was right outside the church when she heard Stella scream. Payne rushed towards the door but something was causing the door not to open. Payne felt suddenly alone and scared as she looked around herself apprehensively. Suddenly, a cloud fell in front of the moon and made the sky pitch black. Payne put her hand in front of her mouth to try not to scream, but that was all she could do when the church doors suddenly opened only for a sharp object to plunge into Payne and pull her inside with a slam of the door. Blake seemed to be in a daze as he made his way out of the woods behind the church. He knew he needed to check on his friends because of all the screams, but he mind was not making him move any faster. When Blake finally made it to the church door everything was calm and the sky was lit again. The church door opened easily for Blake but he could see inside. As he reached for his flash light in his back pocket, he wasn’t prepared for what was before his eyes. As he shown the light around the room, Blake was knocked unconscious and the heat in the room got suffocating.
* * * *
At dawn, fire trucks began to spray the old church just inside Confederate Memorial Park as park workers and paramedics looked for survivors. As they searched the surrounding woods, they came upon a bloody discovery. There they found a shacking and bloody Blake and in his hand he held a sharp silver knife covered in blood. He was chanting something about Miss Emma strikes again, but everyone else formed a different opinion. I on the other hand, knew what happened. As they placed Blake in a straight jacket for his safety and their own, no one saw me from my perch on the top of the hill. My grandmother had taught me well, and thanks to me our family would last in the woods until the next full moon. All the rumors were true; Miss Emma Spool did live in these woods, but what no one knew was that she had a granddaughter walking among them that no one expected. The only thing I didn’t agree with my grandmother on was the necessity of keeping the bodies until after the full moon was black. I knew there was no trace of me left in that church for there was only six bodies found inside, and when asked I would deny knowing what went on that Halloween night. As I turned my back to walk back into the woods, a slight breeze picked up that made my blonde hair rustle.