Coven

I looked through the window, trees passing us by as we entered our new neighborhood. Not only was it a new neighborhood though, it was a new state, a new climate entirely. Just a week ago, I was living happily in Miami, Florida with my mom and my older brother, Trainer, only to be uprooted from my home for the last four years, the home that I absolutely loved, to move to Salem, Massachusetts.

It wasn’t something that I was excited about; I was never excited about our moving. We always moved, at least every four to five years. Wherever we settled down it was never permanent; a temporary home, a temporary life, temporary everything. At least I would be starting the eleventh grade soon. It wasn’t like I was moving in the middle of the year. My mother never put us through that, we always moved towards the end of the summer so we had time to say goodbye to our friends and then have time to actually meet people in school when it started.

I clutched on to my locket that always hung around my neck. Inside was a picture of my father, my favorite picture to be exact. My father died the fall before we moved to Florida from Virginia. He had gotten very sick, we knew he wouldn’t make it and soon that became a reality. The picture was of him, smiling, happy, and healthy, how I wanted to remember him. He was my best friend and support system. I was closer to him than I was my mother and it showed. Even now I’m not as close to my mother as I am my father, even if it’s only the memories of him.

The car slowly came to a stop in the driveway of an old Victorian style house. “Okay, kids,” My mom smiled looking from my brother to me. “This is your new home.” She climbed out of the car, me and Trainer following her actions. As I stepped out I took the scenery in around me.

The house was white with black shutters on the windows, a wraparound porch on the front, a set of stairs leading up to the front door, and a widow’s tower with a circle window. It was different than any house we lived in before, but it was actually quite beautiful the way it was different. I shivered a bit which was when I noticed that the climate, even in the August, was quite chilly here. I pulled my pink and black striped sweatshirt closed against me in an effort to keep warm and sighed.

“Abbi, now dear, you are going to love it here,” My mother cooed. “I mean it is Salem, Massachusetts, you were fascinated by this place when Hocus Pocus came out. You should be excited!”

“Just because I was fascinated by it when I was little doesn’t mean I wanted to move here,” I retorted. “I hate this moving around, mom. When can we just stop and stay in one place? Make a permanent home.”

“I promise you, Abbi, this is the last time we move,” She answered. “We’re going to be a family here, trust me.”

“I wish I could,” I sighed, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes. My mother shook her head.

“Get your stuff out of the car and come inside when you are done,” She told me before walking into our new home.

“Yo, Ab, go easy on Mom, okay?” Trainer walked up to me. “She takes us moving hard too, you know. You aren’t the only person whose life is uprooted.”

“Trainer, I’m just sick of her making that promise all the time. Every time we move it’s the same thing. ‘I promise this is the last time. Trust me.’,” I sighed again. “After a certain amount, you stop believing it.”

“Look at it this way,” He started. “By the next time we move, you will be getting ready to go off to college and you can go wherever you want and stay as long as you want. For now, we need to put up with this place. Who knows, you might actually like it here.”

He took his three bags out of the trunk and went into the house leaving me in the driveway. I ran my fingers through my hair and shivered for the second time. I really wasn’t used to the cold anymore. Sure, in Virginia we had a winter but I hadn’t been there in four years and in Florida it was summer all the time so you easily adapt to it.

I knew I couldn’t put it off for long so I went to the trunk and grabbed my four bags, two roll away luggage cases, and two duffle bags. These were just filled with my clothes and some essentials, everything else had been shipped here a week ago and probably in our rooms right now. I set off, carrying one roll away luggage and pulling the other, a duffle bag on my arm and on top of the luggage being rolled. Trainer helped me with it up the 2 flights of stairs, one into the house, and the other up to our rooms.

He pointed me into the direction of mine and I walked in, putting my suitcases and duffle bags in a bare corner and looking around. The room was all white, except for the floor which was hardwood. In the corner was another set of stairs leading up to the widow’s tower and in the front of the room, a window seat. The room needed much work, but I guess I could deal with it.

“I thought you would like this room,” My mom had walked in and was smiling. “The window seat and the widow’s tower seemed like something you would enjoy in your room.” I didn’t say anything, I just looked around my room. “I know this isn’t your idea of great, but we’re in this together. You, Trainer, and I are a family and we will be a family here. You’ll grow to love it here, I’m sure.”

“I’m not counting on it,” I told her, walking over and sitting on the window seat. I hear her footsteps over to me.

“Abbi, I love you dear, I really do and I want you to be happy and you will be happy here, I know it,” She said and I shook my head in response. “Why don’t you go into town and get something for us to eat tonight, huh?” She took a hundred out of her pocket and handed it to me. “Get something for yourself too, something for your room. Maybe try and meet someone new, make a friend before school starts on Tuesday.”

“Okay,” I sighed, putting the money and headed downstairs and out the door. I had a pretty good memory so I knew how to get to town from the car ride here. I set off for my destination, determination in every step.