A Witch is Born
With fall weather finally starting to unveil itself, I have felt especially drawn to the fantasy world. You could say I am in my “witchy” era. Here is a piece that was started in my Salt’s Substack writing class that I wanted to share. I hope you enjoy.
In a remote village nestled in the shadow of the Unseen Mountains, a coven of powerful witches resides. Correction, used to reside. The Unseen Mountains were named thus not because of how insignificant they were, but rather the fog and mist that surrounded them in all seasons and all types of weather veiled their icy peaks and vast bodies until you could practically touch them. It was the perfect place for the witches to thrive undisturbed.
Unfortunately, that is not where our story unfolds. Our story begins deep underground, in a bunker that has long since been forgotten and is now solely inhabited by some of the unseen witches. The fog hid many things and although the witches drew power from it, they were blind to what else moved within its many folds.
Especially, the vampires.
The vampires came the night after the Fall Solstice, when many of the witches were at their weakest after the previous night's festivities. The vampires slaughtered the men and boys with their vicious speed, strength, claws, and fangs. The stories of vampires have been told time and time again but to see the brutality up close clung to your soul like a leech to a warm body. They left the village in ruin, taking only the women and young girls with them and shoved them in a metal box where all ties to the earth and its beauty were completely severed.
The underground bunker was complete with 12 compartments for living spaces, one kitchen, one recreation room, four full bathrooms, and an atrium. The entire bunker itself was in the shape of a rectangle. It had two levels, the first level housed the common areas and an atrium with the second level consisting of the living compartments and bathrooms.
Walking into the lower level, you were met with an atrium that was devoid of anything except a staircase leading to the upper level and two areas behind the staircase. These areas were the kitchen and recreation room. The recreation room had a radio, several moth-ridden couches arranged one behind the other as if you were looking at pews in a church, and one weight lifting machine. The radio only ever delivered static and yet, a daily ritual was set to scroll through the stations in an attempt to reach the outside world. The kitchen contained one large table, a refrigerator, some basic utensils, and a stove with a vent that disappeared behind the wall. The once empty atrium became the living soul of the place once the witches settled in. It unintentionally became a meeting place for all as well as a healer’s corner.
On the upper level, four living compartments were settled on three out of the four perimeters with a bathroom in each corner. Each “living compartment” consisted of two beds, two nightstands, two dressers and a single lamp.
In total, there were 76 women and children taken, including one woman newly with child. How do I know all of this, you ask? My mother was pregnant with me when she was taken. I became the 77th resident of our forced prison. I was not born and presented in our traditional ceremony to honor the Earth’s Gods and Goddesses. Instead, I was born to steel and sterility.
To be continued…
I love it! A continuing series...