Chapter 3: CHAPTER 3
Earnestine made her way inside and tapped on the waiting bell twice. “Sorry.” A girl around her age said rushing to attend to her
“Welcome to the Ice Box, what can I get you?” She asked Earnestine who stood transfixed and staring.
“Hey.” She said snapping her fingers. “Right, sorry.” Earnestine apologized.
“That’s alright, I get my head in the clouds too, so what can I get you?”
“Um, two frozen yogurts to go.” She answered.
“Coming right up.” She said turning towards the fridge before returning with her order.
“Thanks.” Earnestine said handing her the money
“I’m Earnestine.”
“Erin,” She said tapping the name tag on her green work gown. “Nice to meet you, er…see you around then.”
“Sure.” Erin smiled as Earnestine made to leave and she went to attend to other customers.
Hayley raised an eyebrow as the red-faced Earnestine stepped into the car.
“What’s got you all flustered?” Hayley quizzed.
“Nothing.” Earnestine said handing her the bag.
“Don’t tell me, you met a boy?”
“He wishes.” Earnestine huffed pulling out of the parking lot.
When they got home an exhausted Hayley trudged upstairs slamming the door behind her.
“Guess what.” Earnestine said as she walked into the kitchen where Freya was.
“What?” Freya said still focused on the stew she was making.
“She made a friend.” Earnestine announced.
“You’re kidding.” Freya said pausing to look up.
“Nope.”
“Thank goodness.” Freya exhaled deeply in relief, she hadn’t been expecting such a thing to happen, and at least not so soon. Hayley had always been the reserved one, the loner, compassionate but overlooked, finally, she had someone she could relate with outside the family.
“I’ll go tell the others.” Earnestine said as she left. Freya got back to what she was doing and couldn’t help beaming.
Once she told everyone Earnestine went up to her room and lay in bed sighing, looking to the side she saw the now empty ice cream cup sitting on her bedside drawer. Her mind drifted to the girl in the shop. Erin. She was cute, wait what? Earnestine turned to face away from the cup and clear her mind but why was she blushing? She bit her lips, she had a thing with a guy once, but it didn't work out. Perhaps, this was who she was. How was she going to tell the others? She banged her head against the pillows and groaned.
At dinner, they ate slowly and Hayley could feel the tension in the air as her siblings tried not to bring it up before Freya broke the ice.
“So, the rituals are tonight.” Freya said and Hayley paled freezing but they pretended not to notice.
“Who was in charge of the offering again?” Janeka quizzed.
“Me.” Sabrina said taking a bite of her steak. She was the second to last daughter, three years older than Hayley. She possessed charming brown eyes and brunette hair which reflected the light. She was the most beautiful of all her sisters.
“I'm not going.” Hayley declared putting down her cutlery and making for the stairs to avoid any argument.
“Hayley,” Freya called. She froze.
“Come back here.” She completed and Hayley turned around to face them.
“It's the tradition, we have to kill.” Sabrina interfered.
“It’s not like we enjoy it, this is your second ritual, you don’t have a choice.”
“I'm sorry, but I'm old enough to make decisions for myself.” Hayley said bluntly, as she turned to leave.
“We should leave her out of this. She's new to it.” Earnestine said, supporting Hayley, who was already halfway up the stair.
“She's too weak.” Sabrina scorned, as she stood going to drop her dishes in the sink. Freya followed suit, along with Janeka. Every witch would be introduced to the ritual once they turned sixteen but it only happened once a year. It was to appease their powers and make them stronger and more stable. They were born into it and raised by their mother to always observe it every year, no matter what. Hayley wouldn't be a reason to stop the ritual, instead, she'd rather not join them like she usually refused to join during the practice of pure black magic. They were dark witches, they used black magic which fueled their strength more than anything else. They would respect Hayley’s decision.
Earnestine couldn’t bring herself to leave without checking on Hayley first. Earnestine knocked on her door, she could hear the sound of crying on the other side. She bit her lip in guilt. Hayley was the last daughter, she should be treated with love and care. Slowly Earnestine opened the door and walked up kneeling beside her.
“Hayley.” She reassured. Hayley kept her head buried between her legs. She was standing back in that forest hands shaking as she regarded the woman tied to the chair in the middle of a runic circle her sisters quite younger standing around it. The woman was shaking and writhing in the chair as tears streamed down her face. She fell to the side still struggling as she managed to undo the gag.
“Please, spare me, I’ll leave town I promise,” She begged and looked at Hayley. “I have a daughter, around your age, don’t do this to her, don’t take her mother-.”
“Hayley…” Freya's voice drifted in her head like memory and she found herself slowly raising a trembling hand and then-
“No!” She cried out lifting her head, her face was ravaged with tears as she turned and grabbed Earnestine’s arm
“I can't take another life. Please don’t make me do it.” She wailed.
“It’s ok.” Earnestine comforted.
Janeka, Freya, and Sabrina were in the backyard where the car had been parked when Earnestine caught up. Sabrina opened the trunk, and they saw the girl who had fallen, victim. They took a second before attempting to close the trunk but Earnestine stopped them shocked to see those familiar brown eyes so soon.
“This ritual is not holding.” She declared.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone