Vivian’s eyes lit up. “Our powers will be stronger?”
Lisbeth smiled, her own eyes now glowing with excitement. “Oh yes, my dears. You are so special. Not only are you identical twins, but you are both my daughters, and there isn’t one witch here,” she said, glancing over their heads towards the others, “who is more powerful than me,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper, “even the High Priestess, Meredith.”
“Lisbeth?” called Meredith. “It’s time. Bring the girls to the circle.”
The other witches had now formed a large circle around the fire and were watching the twins with an intensity that made Adrianne very nervous. She turned towards her mother to ask her what exactly was going to happen next, but the look on Lisbeth’s face hushed her. It was a look of pure happiness.
“Come,” she said, smiling lovingly at her two girls as she pulled them towards the other ten women.
Now the circle was complete with thirteen cloaked witches. Meredith smiled in satisfaction and then cleared her throat. “We are here to celebrate Samhain on this Hallow’s Eve. This is the time of beginnings and endings. We ask the blessings of the Wise Ones who guard the Portals of the World.”
Adrianne listened half-heartedly to Meredith’s words as she rattled on about the wind and storms, but wondered when they’d actually get to dance around the fire and where the music would come from. She loved music and dancing, which their father never allowed in their house. He was a minister, and a very strict one at that.
When Meredith was finished with her incantations, she raised her hands up to the sky and asked everyone to remove their robes.
“Oh… but I can’t,” exclaimed Adrianne, her cheeks flaming. “I’ll be totally naked.”
Her mother sighed. “Everyone will be naked, honey. It’s okay. You’re among friends.”
Then Adrianne watched with shock as all of the women removed their robes, including their mother.
“Don’t be such a prude,” snorted Vivian as she discarded her own robe and stood proudly. “We’re obviously both very beautiful and have nothing to be ashamed of.”
She bit her lower lip. “But…”
“You have to do this, Adrianne,” demanded Lisbeth in a tight voice. “It is part of the ritual.”
Adrianne felt confused and ashamed as she dropped her robe to the ground. She stared towards the fire, fighting an intense urge to cover herself with both hands.
Noticing her modesty, Meredith smiled in amusement and continued with the ceremony. “We will now ask Goddess Diana to accept her new children into our coven. Protect them and keep them safe from those who do not understand, from those who can only hate. Give them strength and power to defeat their enemies and heal their loved ones, whenever it is needed.”
Adrianne frowned. She knew she had special powers that she was supposed to keep from her father, but she also believed in God. Who was this Goddess Diana? Wasn’t it blasphemy to pray to her? This was all so confusing.
Sudden gunshots echoed in the darkness, startling everyone. Someone screamed in pain and Adrianne watched as all of the women began to scatter into other parts of the woods, their pale bodies glowing in the moonlight.
“Girls, follow me!” demanded Lisbeth, grabbing her robe. “Hurry!”
Vivian and Adrianne quickly snatched up their cloaks and followed their mother while more gunfire exploded all around them. Just when they reached the ravine that would lead them back towards the safety of their cabin, Adrianne felt intense wave of dread and she could barely breathe. It was then that her mother stopped and turned towards the girls, her face as pale as the moon.
“Mother? Why are you stopping?” asked Vivian, looking around nervously.
Lisbeth didn’t say anything¸ instead she crumbled to the ground. Both girls screamed in horror as blood began to spread across the top of their mother’s robe.
“Mother!” cried Adrianne, dropping to her knees beside Lisbeth. She touched her cheek and began to cry. “No!”
“Devil worshipper!” growled their father as he sprang out of the woods with a shotgun clutched tightly in his hands. His dark eyes were filled with loathing as he stared at Lisbeth’s still body. “Now, Witch, you can spend eternity with him!”
Adrianne choked on her sobs as father raised his gun and aimed it at her this time.
“Daddy?!” she screamed.
He stared at her for a moment and then his eyes filled with tears. “I can’t… I just can’t, dear Lord,” he moaned, falling to his knees. He held out his arm. “Adrianne… will you repent child… and seek God’s forgiveness?”