season of the witch, m.dennison

𝖎𝖛

                 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖞 had ran as far as the Salem Cemetery, gasping for breaths at the gate. The group of kids had followed the black cat to the gates.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Come on, this is a graveyard." Max pointed out the obvious to the cat, his hand finally letting go of Donna's. Her fingers were stiff from clutching the spell book so tightly.

"It's hallowed ground. Witches can't set foot here." The cat explained, his green eyes blinking up at Max.

"He talks." Donna whispered to Dani under her breath. The cat jumped between to metal bars in the gate and into the graveyard.

"Follow me!" The cat beckoned for them to follow. Max pushed open the squeaky gate and stepped in, followed by Dani. When Donna reached for the gate, it was as if an invisible force field kept her from moving forward. The gate stung her hand, she jerked back with hiss.

"Ow! What the hell?" Donna asked aloud, Max, Dani, and the cat all looked back at her.

"You're a witch?" The cat sneered at the girl, his voice now bitter. "Did you bring those witches back on purpose?"

"She didn't do it on purpose. There's gotta be another way." Max shook his head walking back over to Donna at the gate. "She's not a bad witch either."

"I'm hardly a witch at all." Donna scoffed, reaching for the bars again. This time it didn't sting, and she was able to press through into the graveyard. They walked through the graveyard until they came upon a grave belonging to Billy, Winnifred's dead lover. This lead to the conclusion that the cat was Thackeray Binx, the boy who was turned to a cat by the witches. He had told them to just call him Binx.

"Because of me, my little sister's life was stolen. For years I waited for my life to end, so I could be reunited with my family." Binx told them, the teens nodding on with the story. "But Winnifred's curse of immortality kept me alive. Then one day I figured out what to do with my eternal life." Binx went on. Donna sat next to Max, who hugged his knees to his chest, with her head resting on his shoulder. Dani leaned against the other side of Max. "Now, I had failed Emily, but I would not fail again. When Winnifred and her sisters returned, I'd be there to stop them. So for three centuries, I've guarded their house on All Hallows' night, when I knew some airhead virgin might light the candle." The cat directed the last part to Max with a glare, the boy rolled his eyes.

                     "Nice going, airhead." Dani quipped at her brother.

                   "Hey, look, I'm sorry, okay?" Max scoffed and stood up, Donna's head slipping from his shoulder. He muttered to himself as he walked away, taking a moment to be alone.

                   "It's not entirely his fault. I let him do it. Mostly because I wanted to meet... Well, my ancestors." Donna shrugged, not meeting Binx's eyes.

                     "You're a Sanderson witch descendant? How is that even possible?" Binx asked her, his voice unbelieving in what he was hearing.

                 "It's a long story, but to sum it up, there was a fourth sister. One who had the power of witchcraft but used it for good. She left her sisters all those years ago when they started using the immorality potion. Fiona Sanderson lived, had a family, and passed down her witchcraft through blood. All the way to me." Donna explained to Binx and Dani, she knew Max was somewhere nearby listening as well.

"So that makes them... You're crazy aunts?" Dani asked, a slight smile cracking.

"Yeah, pretty much." Donna smiled back, nodding. Binx seemed at a loss for words, because he didn't know something for once. "So what exactly should we do with the book? Burn it?" Donna suggested jokingly. Max came back and lifted the book from Donna's arms, pulling her up with it. Then dropped it onto the dirt.