The Witching Hour

“Years ago, there was said to have been a girl who possessed powers beyond anything any witch has ever seen. She was one of a kind. The only of her existence that we are aware of... well, so I have heard,” Luna says, shuffling uneasily in her seat. “For decades our kind has questioned the existence of her, for all we have been aware she was merely a myth, left to be questioned over. Talk of her extraordinary powers has been discussed amongst our family, and others for that matter, but not one of us is certain on what they were, even if they existed in the first place. But let me just say now, if someone of such strong magic did exist, the power they would behold would be unlimited.”
“Why is it that you are all so unsure? Surely if someone like this were to exist, then they would have been written of.” I ask, watching Luna with a curious eye, marking her every move, attempting to suss out any signs that the truth is not to be shared.
She smiles a weak smile and laughs a little, “Let’s just say that it’s rather hard to have any proof. Since she was from a poor family they were unable to note down any information that may have been useful for the future generations. And when it finally did reach her sixteenth birthday she was said to of abandoned the human ways of living and joined the supernatural.”
“Okay...” I say, registering the information as I bring my glass to my lips. “But I assume that even people of poor circumstances have access to some form of writing equipment?”
“Of course. But I should probably mention that this wasn’t a recent event, the family w ere illiterate and very scarce of even basic necessities. I believe the year to have been 1776.”
“1776!” I scoff, spitting out my water which splashes over Luna’s face.
She takes her serviette from her lap, pressing it lightly to her cheeks when she says, “Charming.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, hiding my pulled up lips behind my hand. “It’s just that, well that was ages ago.”
“Yes, it was.”
“So, what’s the ‘so-called’ myth then?”
“Her name was Katarina Carter and in the summer of 1776 she was to celebrate her ascending into gaining her full witchery. Throughout her childhood she had experienced nothing out of the ordinary – in terms of her magic. It was her parents who were said to of been something of unusual. Her mother, Lucinda Carter, was of course a witch; she had married to a man named Cole. Or what she assumed to be – a man. After nine months of marriage, Katarina was born, and it was then, that it came into light that Cole was not a man, but a demon. To have a baby conceived between a witch and demon was not heard of before, no one was sure on what the baby would grow to become.”

Katarina stood in a small open meadow, the moonlight flowed through the branches of tall trees as she gazed up at the millions of stars. The fragrance of the night air was strong amongst nature, the warm breeze pushed across her face as she shut her eyes and let herself be one with the scenery. Time was slowly approaching to the witching hour; soon enough the date would be the first of August and Katarina would be sixteen.
A high pitched scream shot through the surrounding forest, the leaves shivered as animals scurried to their dens. The light of the moon was obscured with clouds which took form; sweeping hastily across the land. Their darkness quickly descended from far, obscuring all and little moonlight that remained to reveal the meadow.
Katarina collapsed to her knees; the skirt section of her dress ruffling, its many layers of soft burgundy satin creasing on the grass. Holding her forehead between her hands, she buries her face into the muddy ground as she struggles immensely to stay conscious. Black particles no bigger than a grain of sand, begin to manifest around Katarina’s presence; multiplying into hundreds, growing into swarms as they spiral around her, threatening to sting like an enraged bee. She lifts her head once more and emits a pained shriek into the empty forests. The particles slowly begin to disintegrate, vaporizing into the air, leaving no trace of their being as her hair pulls back from her face, styling itself into a mass of tight curls, all pinned to the crown of her head as though already programmed.
“How nice it is to see that you have already ascended Katarina.” A voice said from the darkness of the forest. “I wasn’t too sure on what would be your outcome after tonight, but it seems that all that have altered is your beautiful eyes.”
She squints into the shadows the branches cast across the meadow. Feeling defensive her eyes emit a large quantity of light. Bright and blinding as she scans the area for her invader.
The sound of footsteps starts toward her from behind. “It appears that you have already become a vessel to your new powers Katarina, they seem to have already conquered you, then again you were always weak. Perhaps due to your mother and me, it is that you seem... different.”
“You stay away from me,” Katarina demands, envisioning a defensive shield around herself, which immediately translates into reality. “You haven’t spoken a word to me since I was three. What is it you could possibly want Kephren?”
“Kephren? It appears that you no longer wish to name me by my relation to you. Very well. It is you I want my dear. You see, there has never been any other like yourself and myself and the rest of the underworld would be more than delighted to see what you are capable of.”
“You can go to hell,” Katarina spat, expanding her shield.
“Think about it. Your mother has long since met her demise, you have no other family, who else is there to help you during this time?”
“I’m sure that I am more than capable to care for myself.”
Kephren turned on his heel, his jacket gliding behind him as he began for the path to the forest. Katarina weakened her shield, pressing her fingers to her eyes. Startled back when a bolt of lightening flies directly at her.
“If you were to come with me, we could teach you how to defend yourself against these,” Kephren gestures’, manifesting another of the lightening bolts in the palm of his hand. “You would have more authority than you could ever imagine. Won’t you join us?”
Katarina thought for a minute, her shield re-ignited. “Fine. However, if there is anymore use of your demonic spells upon me, I can assure you now that I will end you and all of your kind.”

“Since that day, she had been taught the dark ways of magic, using it for the good of evil and not to benefit others. She cast havoc upon her town, executing those who she saw as a threat, even for just a mere disagreement. Until one day, when the demon finally had enough of her disloyalty and dominance and killed her in her sleep.” Luna said as she set dismissed the waiter who had just finished setting down our breakfasts.
I sat, probably for the best part of fifteen minutes, taking in all that my Aunt had to say of one of our oldest ancestors. Whether it was true or not, was beyond me, the fact remained that she had eyes like mine.
“You say that Katarina was the only other who hadn’t transformed in appearances?” I ask, looking up at my Aunt who begins to scoff down her eggs and bacon.
“Uh-huh. Just her.”
“So what does this have to do with me then?” I ask in frustration, slamming my fists to the table causing my water to fall to the floor.
Luna sets down her knife and fork, her eyes wide and magnetising, leaning over the table when she says, “You are her reincarnate.”