Forged (Part two)

Margaret stood to meet with Chelsea, “Hello Chelsea, I just have a few questions.” Noticing the uneasiness Chelsea’s Mother felt she added “ It may be better if you’re Mother heard what I had to say and ask as well.” 1

Chelsea had black eyeliner on that made her blue eyes glow, she had obviously died her hair a fiery red and left the two front streaks black, her hair fell about three inches below her shoulders and held a wave to it. She was wearing Hot Topic bondage pants and a black tank top. Her mother on the other hand, had long wavy brown hair that reached her waist and was wearing a green bellowing shirt that reminded Margaret of a gypsies, and navy blue jeans. Her eyes were blue, but unlike her daughters they held a mist to them.2

“Well you two sit down, I will go make us some Chamomile tea,” her mother walked into the kitchen. Chelsea sat in a black cushiony recliner, while Margaret took her seat back on the sofa.3

She could sense that Chelsea knew she was witch and had begun using her powers; she was pretty sure Mrs. Bluff and Chelsea could both tell she was a witch as well. A few moments passed in silence, Chelsea picked at the black polish on her nails while Margaret looked around.4

“Here is the tea.” Mrs. Bluff handed a cup to Margaret and Chelsea then took a seat next to Margaret on the Sofa. “Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Bluff.” She decided that being polite was a good way to make a good impression. “Oh, please just call me Judy, no reason to be formal” Judy gave her a warm smile, “Well in that case, call me Margaret.”5

The tea calmed her stomach and soothed her mind, she felt confident enough to speak now. “I would like to know how my daughter acted at school yesterday Chelsea, I will explain why after you answer.” Her mother seemed to understand, and willed her daughter to answer.6

Chelsea put her tea down on the table besides her chair and began speaking, “She seemed weird, and normally she is not a happy go lucky type of person. But yesterday she was, she told me she was just really hyper. She said she just pigged out on sugar. Besides that nothing really weird happened”7

Margaret knew getting something out of a teenager would be hard, so she cut to the chase, “I need to know Chelsea, everything and anything she said. I am sorry I have to say this to you like this but she commit suicide. And I personally have reason to believe she was killed.”8

Chelsea’s eyes widened in shock, immediately Margaret regretted saying that. “Please keep all of this between the three of us, between us three witches.” Judy understood perfectly, Chelsea on the other hand was still in shock. Slowly Margaret asked Chelsea another question, “Did she say anything along those lines Chelsea?”9

Chelsea looked down for a moment in deep thought, she felt like she was betraying her best friend but it had to be said. “She told me at lunch the other day that she life was turning around and that she was sorry about what her tarot cards said. When I asked her about it the bell for lunch rang and we had to get going to class. She handed me a letter and told me to open it today.”10

“You didn’t open the letter yet?” Margaret’s heart nearly flipped in her chest when Chelsea shook her head no, “Would you mind going to get that letter?” Chelsea rose and ran up the stairs to get the letter, leaving her mother and Margaret to exchange words. 11

“I am sorry for the way that came out, your daughter is very strong.” Margaret looked at Judy with caring in her eyes as she spoke. Judy replied, “It’s alright, she is very strong. You are a remarkably strong woman to take this quest alone, I would be more then happy to help you investigate.” She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down her number, “Call me if you need me for anything” 12

Margaret gave her a smile and took the number, but she doubted she would call. She wanted to do this alone, but at the same time Judy seemed to understand so much. As if she read her mind Judy leaned forward and said “I lost a sister to suicide once, I understand. But I don't believe your daughter killed herself” 13

Before Margaret could say anything Chelsea came back down the stairs, the letter was in her hand. Thoughts upon thoughts threatened to break into Margaret’s mind but she refused their entrance, reminding her of the statue in front of the park she had passed early. 14

When Chelsea had sat down and finished off her tea she began to read the letter out loud:15

Dear Sister,16

I know you are probably reading this to my mother that is if she is following the right path. I am sorry that I had to leave this world, but in your heart you know I did not kill myself. You are my coven sister, blood beyond my blood. Follow on to your destiny lead the others onward. And help my mother to find who filled me, my cards refuse to show me who. Do not weep over my departure; remember I shall always be with you.  You knew me better then even I knew myself, now try to learn yourself just as well. You can always reach me in your dreams; I will meet you in the Summerland.17

Blessed Be, Sarah18

Tears filled up in Chelsea’s eyes, she clutched tightly onto the envelope. That’s when she noticed the small bulge in the envelope, opening it a small charm slid out. There coven charms, she knew what she had to do, she had to keep the charm and wear it forever. Always cherish the part of her sister that she could forever keep. Quickly, not caring what her mother or Sarah’s mother though, she ran with the letter up the stairs and closed her door.19

Her back was pressed against the door as the tears slid down her face she slid her body down the door in till she was sitting on the floor. Grabbing her necklace she added Sarah’s charm next to her own and slipped the chain over her head again. Clutching the charms so tightly she thought they were going to break through her skin and draw her blood, the blood that would mix with her sweaty palms in a symbolic sacrifice of her old life. Tears blurred her vision, her head began to pound, and slowly she cried herself into a deep sleep on her hard wood floor.20

For a moment Judy let Margaret absorb everything that had just happened, then she escorted her into a side room she usually used when doing paid tarot readings. “I know that was hard to hear her read out loud Margaret” 21

A round table was placed in the middle of the room; a black cloth was draped over the wood, two chairs sat opposite on each side of the table. A crystal sat in the middle of the table and a deck of tarot cards next to them. In the northern corner of the room a cabinet was placed, Margaret guessed it was to hold candles and incense, a Witch’s closet. Unburned incense was already set up on the top of a small round table in another corner, she guessed that everything had already been cleansed and waiting for the next paying customers future to be unfolded or a problem in their life to arise within the cards, but instead they got her. 22

“It was hard, its tradition in our clan of Witches to wait in till the age of sixteen to let them know of their witchery and their destinies.” She followed Judy’s lead and sat down across the table from her.23

“In our clan we tell them at the age of thirteen” Judy started to shuffle the deck of cards, and then she handed them to Margaret to shuffle. Once they were shuffled, she handed them back to Judy who cut them into the past, present, and future spread. She gracefully took Margaret’s hands and held them over the deck along with hers; Margaret already knew she had to send some of her energy into the cards with Judy to get an accurate reading. Once that was completed, Judy flipped the cards over. “Past you have the card of Death, Present the Devil, and Future Justice. I believe you understand what this means”24

She did, she had memorized the cards since she was sixteen and had first found out about her witch hood. The exact definition of Death was, the end of a phase in life and the start of a fresh, although not necessarily the death of a person, transformation, loss, and failure. The exact definition of the Devil was, shake up, troubles, wallowing in self pity, disruptive influences leading to loss, if great care is not taken. The exact definition of Justice was, the outcome was to be successful and fair, equity, virtue, honor, and just rewards. The only thing that really bothered her was why they were all from the major Arcana, which are the main twenty-five cards, so she asked, “Did you use just the major Arcana for this spread?” Judy nodded, “I always use the Major Arcana in a spread like this.”25

“The cards were not to bad, at least the future holds the card of justice in it,” Margaret had to point that out, not just to Judy but also to herself. She knew had found a friend in Judy, which was a rare thing. Usually Margaret was a secluded person, anti-social to say the least. A clock hanging directly behind Judy caught her attention it read four- thirty. “I must be going, thank you for your time.” 26

The mist of Judy’s eyes held on to the hazel eyes of Margaret for moment, before she said “Thank you for stopping by” She showed her to the door and watched as she walked down the street and crossed over heading back to the library. “Blessed Be” Judy whispered, and then she slowly shut the door.27

Margaret made her way back past the cemetery, paying once again her respects to those long forgotten, and past the bus station and crossed the busy main street road, once again fighting off the urge to run down to the harbor. 28

The statue greeted her as she walked by the park, the little boy and the teenagers long gone by then. She paused for a moment and looked past the park at the building of town hall, she had to remind herself that she had to get moving. When she finally reached the library she had decided that instead of barrowing books she wanted to buy them, so she went through the library and into the used bookstore.29

Margaret had always liked the used bookstore; she could buy a novel that would bring her into a different world for only fifty cents, sometimes for less. Browsing she saw all of her favorite authors, and grabbed about ten books before deciding to leave it at that. 30

She brought her armful of books up to the table at which an old woman sat behind, the wrinkles in her smiling faces indicating all the years her tired old body had seen. Smiling back at her, I waited as she pulled out her calculator and added up all my books. Some were only fifty cents the highest was a dollar. “That will be five fifty please.” She smiled up at Margaret. She counted out her money and gave it to the woman, “Here you go, and might I add I love this place.” 31

“Thank you dreary, I see you in here often. Well come again.” The woman put the money into a pouch and kept on smiling. 32

Margaret then walked into the library and had a chat with the police office that worked upstairs in the adult section of the library. She had remembered the man since she was young girl, and had made it a point to say hello to him whenever she say him. He didn’t know about her daughter, and that made the conversation easier, she knew people meant the best but hearing ‘I’m sorry for your loss’ didn’t make anything better. 33

Jonathan came promptly at five- thirty and the rest of the night was spent trying to force her to eat, while she figured out how she was going to go about figuring out who killed her daughter. The phone rang around seven thirty; a weird feeling emerged in Margaret’s stomach so she answered the phone, “Hello? McBeth residence.” 34

“Hello. Is this Margaret?” It was clearly Judy’s voice on the other end of the line.35

“Yes. Judy, how did you get my number?” That was a stupid question, she told herself. 36

“Chelsea had it, I don't mean to over step my boundaries but I have a brother who is a police officer. If you need him for anything I could get him to investigate, he is a witch also, he would understand this.” 37

Relieve and a plan flooded over Margaret, “Thank you so very much, can I call you tomorrow? I think I may have a plan that both you and your brother could help me with.”38

“Why don't you just stop by? I will be home all day tomorrow and I am expecting him to stop by for most of the day as well.”39

“Okay, thank you so much I will.” They hung up after that.40

... 41

The next day it rained, she awoke to the cold tears of the heavenly skies slapping against her windowpanes. Thunder rolled in and lightening lit up the darkened sky, Margaret loved to look out the window and watch the storm cause mini chaos. She skipped breakfast, instead she took a cup of coffee and walked over to her window and opened it up wide. Rain did not come pouring in due to the wind blowing it in the opposite direction; she stood there in a trance, staring at the divine being of which was the storm. 42

The interviewer for the local paper came around noon; they ate shortly before the woman arrived. Her questions would have brought tears to Margaret’s eyes if her mind had not been on those letters and on solving her daughter’s death. No longer did she feel the pain of loosing her daughter, she felt the rage of the murder, she felt fury. The fury ran hot and pure from the very essence that was her being, she didn’t want revenge. She knew better then that, the rule of Karma had been instilled in her mind, but she did want that bastard in jail. Behind bars to rot for the rest of his life, or her life. The though of it being a woman had never occurred to her. The fact that they found no evidence at the scene was going to make this extremely hard to solve. 43

After the interviewer left, feeling extremely satisfied with her top of line column. Margaret told Jonathan she wanted to drive over to the beach to watch the storm over the water. He almost decided to join her, but he had paper work for the shop to finish up so he left her to go alone but warned her about how dangerous the roads would be. Not as dangerous as our daughters killer running loose, she thought to herself as she nodded and smiled at what he said.44

She walked slowly to her car, letting the wind push the rain upon her skin. A bolt of lighting struck in the sky but she didn’t mind, nor did she mind the sound of the thunder. She was beginning to see the sun peeking its way through the storm. Symbolizing more then she grasped at the time.45

No one else was crazy enough to be out unless they had to be, except for Margaret. She had already made it onto Judy’s street; the parking was going to be a bit difficult. Luckily Judy had left room for her in front of her house, a brown truck was parked in front of her. Margaret assumed it would be Judy’s brother’s car; it was ironic how destiny was playing out. But why did it have to play out with her daughter ending up dead? She asked herself this as Judy let her into the warm and welcoming home. 46

When she walked in the first person to catch her attention was Chelsea, she had her hair pulled back, decided to wear jeans, and had a black tank top on. Over the tank top she had a sweatshirt have way zipped up that read ‘I hate you’ in bold green letters.  47

Judy’s brother sat on the sofa wearing his police uniform; he looked identical to Judy, which made Margaret come to the conclusion that they were identical twins. Judy once again had jeans and a bellowing shirt on, this time it was purple with black design. Judy’s brother stood to greet her, “Hello, my name is Gwen. It is a pleasure to meet you, but I am sorry for the circumstances under which we have to meet.” 48

She took the hand he offered her, “Hello Gwen, I’m Margaret but I’m sure Judy has already told you that.” She felt a spark when there hands met; she passed it off as the magic they both shared. Tea was already on the table, a cup had been placed aside for her, which she now picked up and began to sip. 49

Judy could feel the awkward feeling that was pressing down onto them, so she broke through it. “Gwen, how can you help with this situation? By the way Margaret I hope you don't mind I filled him in.” 50

Margaret reassured her that it was fine and let Gwen explain what he could do in this situation. “I have close connections with some CSI’s on the case. I could call in a few favors and get them to go over the evidence again. Maybe they just missed something, many CSI’s when they are sure it’s a suicide miss something on the scene. And I mean all people make mistakes. So I can first have them reopen it and look through the evidence and get myself onto the case. If we go through it and nothing shows up, we will have to find a magical solution.”51

Judy thought for moment before cutting in, “Why don't we do a little spell to help the CSIs along. A spell to help justice to be served.”52

They all sat in a circle on the floor holding hands; with a candle for each element burning bright they began to build energy. When the energy hit its peak they said a spell that Judy whipped up just minutes before. In unison they said “By elements four, by the goddess who shines. We call for Justice we call for justice. By the powers that be, bring justice to thee. By thy will, so mote it be.”53

Tea was again served and they all took their places as before.54

Margaret looked down into her tea, longing for this nightmare to be just that, a nightmare. But she knew it was real, she knew she was really sitting in her new friends living room while they talked about how they would solve her daughters murder. She knew the blood her daughter shed would always haunt her, even the rain could not wash it away. She halfway expected the Earth to spit the blood back at her, shunning her for letting her daughter get killed. But then again, she knew there was nothing she could do, because she didn’t know because her daughter never told her what was happening. 55

He wanted to give her some comfort; slowly he reached over and gripped her hand, which lay on her knee. “We will get to the bottom of this,” he paused for a moment. “I promise” She gave him her home number and then gave them both her cell phone number telling them to call if the CSIs found anything of importance, then she began her journey home. 56

... 57

Gwen heard back from his connections the next day, he just hoped he could get to Margaret before she became a victim of murder like her daughter. They had found a hair on the clothes Sarah had been wearing, and after practically ripping apart the knife they found the residue of latex. It wasn’t much but if he put two and two together it meant someone very close to them had killed Sarah and made it look like Suicide by wearing gloves.  Motive was not clear yet, but he still needed to trust his instinct. He tried her cell phone but the machine answered immediately. The house phone just rang and rang in till the machine came on, and he didn’t dare leave a message. He needed back up, and then he needed to find her.58