Here is the first of the spooktober stories! Sorry I didn’t get this up until now, just things at work have prevented me from writing all that much but I am hoping to get more going this weekend. This chapter’s slightly short but the next one will be longer, I promise you.
(gif not mine credit nerdbrose )
TRIGGER WARNING: MAYBE LANGUAGE, MENTION OF PREVIOUS DEATH
Synopsis: Willow Hartwick has never stepped foot in Salem Ma until the other day when her mother literally packed them up and brought them there. Now Willow is learning interesting things about the family that she never knew existed and who’s that strange gorgeous man Finn Balor following her. Willow learns that not only are witches real but she’s also one with a very dangerous and dark secret about her that can destroy everything that she holds dear.
A painful scream pierced the quiet Salem night. Rebekah Hartwick felt like her entire insides were rebelling against her as another contraction hit her body. She panted and tried to breathe like her midwife was instructing her but it was getting harder to accomplish.
"Come on bekah one more push, you can do it," Anna soothed to her gently. Rebekah groaned screwing up her eyes tightly and trying to push with everything she had inside of her. She finally heard what she had been waiting to, the wailing cry of a baby coming into the world.
Rebekah slumped back on the bed as Anna carried the baby over to the table that had been set up to clean the baby up and swaddle her in a blanket. She smiled as the little girl tried to open her eyes blinking them, with some of the most beautiful blue eyes starring back at Anna.
She carried the baby over to the bed and placed her gently into Rebekah's arms. Rebekah couldn't hold in the tears that just started streaming down her cheeks. "Hello little Willow, I'm you're mother," she cooed at the tiny bundle of joy in her arms. She couldn't believe it, her daughter was finally here, she just wished her husband was still alive to see this moment himself.
"Thank you so much for..." Rebekah started saying as she looked up at Anna but froze when she saw that Anna was standing there still as stone. "Anna?" She called out to her, but the girl still didn't move.
Suddenly Anna's eyes flew open but the look was so far away and glazed over. Rebekah opened her mouth to say something when Anna opened her mouth as this strange voice came forth.
"You're daughter will not live to see her twentieth birthday." Then Anna blinked and looked around the room like she didn't have any idea what had just happened. Rebekah felt like her heart was in her throat, bile was rising quickly and she had to fight everything inside of her to keep it from spewing from her mouth. The tears started coming faster and Anna ran over to the bed thinking maybe something was wrong with her or the baby. "Is everything okay Rebekah?" She asked.
Rebekah took a deep breathe trying to control her emotions, she had just given birth, her daughter wasn't even an hour old and she hears that. But she couldn't explode on Anna, it wasn't her fault she had a premonition like that, she couldn't control what she saw or said. "I'm fine Anna, will you go and fetch my mother please," she remarked and Anna nodded quickly leaving the room.
Rebekah held her daughter closer to her chest, rocking her back and forth gently. She hummed a lullaby to her but her heart was still lodged in her throat.
The moment Ramona Deveraux entered the room Rebekah lost it. It only took Ramona a few strides to reach her daughter's side and pulled Rebekah into her side. "Willow isn't even a hour old and Anna just had a premonition about her, about Willow." Rebekah cried as her mother comfortingly rubbed her hand up and down her daughter's arm.
"What did she see sweetheart?" Ramona asked and Rebekah took a deep breathe dreading saying these words. She had lost her husband a few months ago and how she had heard her daughter wasn't going to make it to her twentieth birthday.
"She didn't say what she saw, just that Willow wouldn't live to see her twentieth birthday, Mama what am I going to do, I can't lose her," she replied looking down at the wonderful sleeping daughter in her arms. Ramona sighed pressing a gently kiss to her daughter's temple.
"We will figure something out my darling, I promise you, nothing will happen to Willow." She remarked standing from the bed, "I will perform a spell to see if we can figure this out." She then swept out of the room quickly making her way back into the main house. She traveled down the long dark cellar stairs and over to her book of shadows. She started flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for. She started to perform the incantation closing her eyes as slight images flashed behind her lids.
Rebekah continued gently rocking Willow in her arms hoping her mother would be able to fix this, she couldn't bare the thought of something happening to her daughter. She brushed the wisp of hair out of her face and smiled as Willow started squirming in her arms.
She jumped as her mother stride back into the room a forlorn look crossing her features. Rebekah felt her body freeze at the look her mother had, feeling this growing dread creep into the room, seizing her heart and squeezing it.
"I couldn't see much, I only saw glimpses, I don't know what happens to Willow but I do know that it happens here, in Salem." The moment those words left Ramona's mouth Rebekah was slipping off the bed placing Willow down in the crib there.
"Then we are leaving, I won't lose my daughter mom, I can't." She replied as she went to the closet grabbing out her suitcase. She threw all of the clothes she had in the room into it before turning to her mother who had a disheartened look on her face. Rebekah sighed going over and pulling her mother into her arms hugging her close. "I'm sorry mom but I can't stay here if it means losing my daughter." She replied and Ramona nodded her head against her daughter's shoulder.
"I understand my darling, any mother would do the same, I just want you to know that I love you and support whatever decision you decide." She replied pulling back to get a good look at her daughter.
Rebekah quickly made sure she packed everything that she had in the room, she knew that she was going to have to leave her house behind, thankfully she had a large sum of money from her husband's life insurance policy that she could tap into. She packed up everything that she thought she would need at her home, sighing as she locked the door behind her.
She headed back to her mother's were she picked up little Willow and said her goodbyes to her parents and younger sister Rachel.
"I wish you didn't have to leave but I understand why you are going, I'm going to miss you so much Bekah," Rachel whispered holding her sister in a emotional hug. Rebekah gave her sister a gentle squeeze back.
"I'm going to miss you as well Rachel, but I have to do this, I know that are going to growing into such an amazing witch," she replied stroking her sister's cheek gently before getting pulled into her father's strong arms. She melted into them wishing she didn't have to leave but her daughter's well fair was more important than anything.
"I love you my spitfire, you take care and call when you get somewhere safe." He gruffed out, trying to hide the fact that tears were slipping down his cheeks. She gave him a watery smiled nodding her head and then her mother was on her, and they both started balling together. Her mother was her rock, her light, the woman that taught her everything that she knew. It felt like someone was craving her heart out of her chest having to leave the only home she ever knew.
"I love you mama and papa, I promise the moment we get settled in I will call." She had to pull herself from her mother's arms, her father wrapping her mother up and comforting her the best he could. Rebekah walked back to her car, sliding into the driver side and looking at her daughter sleeping peacefully in the backseat and knew that she was doing the right thing.
As they left the town, the sign announcing their departure from Salem a spike of pain went through her chest at the knowledge that she was leaving her home, her family and her life, but she kept on going knowing that this was what she had to do.
Hehehe so I have been in a better mood and here is the second chapter of Circles in the Dark! This chapter is MUCH longer than the Prologue had been. I hope you guys enjoy and I will get more up in the coming days.
(gif not mine credit nerdbrose )
TRIGGER WARNING: UMMMM, LANGUAGE MAYBE, FINN’S HOTNESS
Willow sighed as she looked out the window of her mother's car. She reached over changing the radio station again causing her mother to grind her teeth together. She still didn't understand why they were rushing to see family that she didn't even know about. To say she was shocked when her mother told her about her grandmother being sick would be an understatement.
Her hand moved towards the dial and she jumped when her mother gave a growl of annoyance. "You change that channel one more time and I'm turning it off." Rebekah snapped making Willow roll her eyes some.
Willow yanked up her purse and dug through her bag pulling out her ear buds and jamming them into her ears as she pulled up spotify and one of her favorite playlists.
She was restless having been stuck in the car since they left New York City. They had spent the last few days in her mother's car as they headed from Colorado to Salem Massachusetts of all places. She tried to get comfortable but every position she put herself in made her muscles scream in protest. She huffed crossing her arms trying to let her mother know that she was annoyed which Rebekah got loud and clear. "I know you are tired of being in the car but we only have another half hour to go and then we will be in Salem." Her mother tried to reason with her.
"I don't understand why we are even here, why are we doing this mom, I mean, they don't contact us for years out of mind but then out of the blue we get this phone call, it doesn't make sense." Willow replied, she didn't understand why her mother was going to the aid of a woman that didn't even have a courtesy of staying in touch with her daughter and granddaughter.
Rebekah sighed as her eyes drifted over to Willow. She wished she could tell Willow the reason that she didn't know her grandmother, why she never stayed in contact with them. She wanted to tell her what and who she was but that would unravel too much that Rebekah just would rather stay buried.
Finally Willow saw the sign welcoming them to Salem and suddenly her interests were perked. She had always been fascinated with Salem and witches. She kept it from her mother though because whenever she would bring it up Rebekah would roll her eyes and tell her that there was nothing fascinating about witches.
Willow watched the buildings fly by and they made their way into the heart of Salem. Rebekah felt old familiar feelings come rushing back, nostalgia was definitely grabbing hold and squeezing her heart like a vise. She felt like her old self and that she was finally whole for the first time in decades. Ever since the moment she left Salem all those years ago. Looking over at Willow, her beautiful nineteen year old, she still knew she had made the right decision.
Rebekah sighed knowing that she was taking a huge risk being there but her mother needed her. She hadn't ever heard Ramona Deveraux sound so scared in her life than when she had called on the phone.
Willow watched as her mother park the car and her eyes drifted over to this enormous mansion like house. She couldn't believe her grandmother lived there, it was huge. Willow turned to look at her mother who had this look of sadness cross her features. "Before we go in there are some ground rules I need to go over with you. One don't venture into any rooms without permission, two our family is a little eccentric. If you hear someone talking about something weird just ignore it, living in Salem we are pretty big into witchcraft. The family even has a store down on the main street that we've had for years out of mind. And three please be respectful of anyone you come across." Rebekah said as Willow nodded her head.
They both got out of the car and up to the front door. Rebekah felt strange knocking on the door but she didn't live there anymore and she would have felt like trespassing if she had just entered without an invitation.
When the door opened the woman on the other side looked like a younger version of her mother. She screamed and pulled Rebekah into a hug and then turned her eyes to Willow. "Wow, you have grown into quite the young lady." She remarked making Willow raise an eyebrow at her. Who was this woman, she spoke as if she had meet Willow but that wasn't possible.
"Willow this is your Aunt Rachel, my younger sister." Rebekah sighed making Willow whip her head around to look at her. Her mother had a sister, what other family members did she not know about.
"Hello Willow, it's great to finally meet you," Rachel replied holding out her hand but before Willow could take it Rebekah brushed past them walking into the house. Willow arched her brow again at her mother's actions but kept her mouth shut not wanting to deal with her mother's wrath just yet. The moment she walked into the house her jaw was practically on the ground. This place was huge, high ceilings and artwork everywhere.
"Honey I want you to go into the next room while I go upstairs and talk to your grandmother." Rebekah replied making Willow roll her eyes but did as her mother had asked walking over into what looked like a den of some kind. She plopped down onto a extremely comfy couch and got comfortable resting her head on the arm closing her eyes.
Rebekah followed her sister up the stairs and into her mother's room. Her heart seized as she saw her mother laying in the bed. She had always known Ramona Deveraux to be the strongest women on this earth but the woman sitting in the bed was slightly frail and pale. "Momma" Rebekah replied running over and pulling her mother into a hug. She felt tears slipping down her cheeks as her mother hugged her back.
"My darling, you didn't have to come back, I told you it would be okay," she murmured lightly into her daughter's hair.
"What happened, you wouldn't tell me over the phone?" She asked and Ramona sighed her eyes drifting down to look at her hands.
"I was investigating a disturbance at one of the old cottages and something hit me. I haven't felt this sick in forever, I don't know where it came from but it felt like my energy had been wiped out." Ramona replied making Rebekah sigh lightly.
"Do we know what caused it or who?" She asked and she saw a look pass over her mother's face. "What momma, what do you know?" She insisted and her mother gave her a look as she sat down.
"There have been rumblings about the Hartwicks making a play for power, before I fell ill I thought I felt a trace of their magic in the air." Rebekah felt like the air had left her lungs. It had been decades since she had thought about her in-laws, her husbands family.
"Do we know anything for certain?" Asked Rebekah and Ramona shook her head some.
"No, I only could sense a trace and when I tried to do a spell my magic was blocked. I don't know for sure and we can't prove anything." Rebekah sighed lightly looking at her mother. "How long do you plan to stay?" Ramona asked and Rebekah lifted her eyes to look at her mother.
"Not long, just until you are feeling better mom." She remarked. She watched Rachel move into her line of sight and her head turned her eyes starring at her sister.
"Does Willow know about our heritage?" Asked Rachel and Rebekah shook her head looking down.
"No, Willow knows nothing about our heritage, she doesn't know about us being witches and I don't plan for her to find out either." She remarked looking over at her sister.
"How do you plan to keep her from finding out, you are in Salem after all and there are witchy things everywhere." Rachel replied.
"I have already told her that our family was eccentric and big into this whole culture having grown up here." Making Rachel scoff lightly.
"You really think that's going to work Bekah, she's a Deveraux and a Hartwick, words going to get out about you guys being here. What are you going to do if she finds out who she really is?" Asked Rachel.
"She won't," was Rebekah's only reply. Rachel rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something else when Ramona cleared her throat to get both girls attention.
"Rachel if Rebekah doesn't want Willow to know then we will respect her wishes, but Rebekah you have to consider that she might find out being here." Her mother replied but Rebekah was adamant that her daughter not find out.
"I will figure something out if it comes to it." She replied letting them know that this was the end of that discussion.
"We can discuss things tomorrow, I imagine that you and Willow must be exhausted from your travel and in need of rest. Go home and get some sleep and I will see you tomorrow, I love you my daughter and I am so glad you are home." Ramona replied making Rebekah start to tear up.
"Thank you momma, and I'm sorry I didn't make it back for Dad's funeral, I really wish I could have made it." She replied pulling her mother into a hug. Ramona gave a small smile and hugged her daughter back.
"It's alright dear, I understand why you didn't, just know I love you and I always will." She murmured kissing her daughter's temple gently. Rebekah pulled back and gave her sister a hug before exiting the room.
Willow was startled awake when she felt her mother touch her shoulder gently. "Come on sleepy head, we are going to be staying in one of your aunt's houses while we are in town, don't want to impose on your grandmother." She whispered and Willow nodded absentmindedly as she stretched and stood to her feet.
They headed out of the house and down to her mother's car getting back in. They made a very short trip, not even five minutes until they arrived outside of a very cute looking house. Her mother parked the car in the drive way and went to the back to start grabbing their things. Willow looked up at the house and then back over to her mother. There was something about this house that seemed familiar, it reminded her of their house in Colorado. "Who's house is this mom?" She asked and Rebekah froze what she had been doing to look at Willow.
"This is one of my other sister's house, she's out of town for a little while and said we could crash her for the time we are in Salem." She replied hating having to lie to Willow but she couldn't tell her the truth, it would bring up to much she couldn't tell her about.
Willow shrugged going over to her mothers side grabbing up her bags and then turning to head into the house with her mother leading the way. She pulled the key from her purse feeling that nostalgia again as she placed the key in the lock and turned it. The door creaked open and she had to remember where the light switch was located. It was a small cape that was supposed to be their home but fate had decided otherwise.
"Go upstairs and get changed and I will show you the place," Rebekah remarked to her daughter. Willow brightened considerable and practically ran up the stairs. "Your room will be the second door on the left." Rebekah called up to Willow. Willow rounded the stairs and went into the room her mother indicated and looked around. It was a nice sized bedroom, not as big as her bedroom in Colorado.
She pulled her suitcase over to her bed sitting down and digging through. Willow had felt that bitter chill outside and knew she would have to put on something warm. She wasn't a stranger to cold but this Autumn night was definitely making her glad she brought mostly warm clothes.
She slipped on a black cashmere sweater, her favorite pair of jeans and some boots. She decided to leave her purse here, she probably wasn't going to need it and threw on a scarf just to be on the safe side.
She bounded down the stairs to find her mother already waiting and she had changed as well. Willow smiled as her mother opened the door and they both headed outside grabbing their jackets as they went. Willow couldn't contain the excitement she was feeling knowing that she was staying in Salem Massachusetts. She was standing where centuries ago witches or what people thought to be witches stood.
She saw her mother raise an eyebrow at her reaction but shook her head and indicated that they were heading down the street. As they were walking her mother started talking about the history of Salem. Every new sight had Willow stopping to stare, sometimes pulling out her phone from her back pocket to take pictures. She stopped in front of this old looking house and had to take a few pictures of it. Willow snapped a few and turned to ask her mother something when she realized that her mother was not there.
"Mom?" Willow called out, quickly heading towards the end of the street. She turned the corner and ran into a wall of flesh. Willow squeaked as she hit the ground, biting her lip to keep any more noises inside. She opened her mouth to give the person who had run into her a piece of her mind when she was struck mute. The man standing above her was gorgeous beyond words. He had short buzz cut hair, and she could see some of his defined muscle through his shirt. But that wasn't what had her mouth hanging open. Willow was looking into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen in her life.
"You alright there darling?" He asked holding out his hand to her. Willow timidly slipped her hand into his, gasping at the way it felt to touch him. He gracefully lifted her to her feet and gave a crooked grin in return. "Ya really should be looking where ya going darling," he remarked causing her to break out of the trance she was in.
"Yea I umm, yea thank you for that," she muttered out the blush on her cheeks getting redder by the second. "I..." Willow had started to say when she heard her name and snapped her head around to see her mother standing not far away her hands resting on her hips. "I've got to go, again sorry for running into you," she mumbled as she ran to catch up with her mother.
Finn watched her retreating back as she ran to catch up with her mother, a dark chuckle rising from his chest as he shook his head and kept on moving.
Rebekah tried to keep her annoyance to herself but the moment Willow was standing right in front of her she let some slip. "What were you doing? Who was that boy?" She asked causing Willow to raise an eyebrow at her mother.
"I was talking pictures of that house and when I went around the corner I ran into him. I don't know who he was, he didn't give me a name." Willow replied making Rebekah roll her eyes some.
"I don't want you talking to that boy again is that understood," her mother remarked as Willow raised an eyebrow. She had only just met him but something about her mother banning her from seeing him made her bristle. "Let's go and keep up." Willow moved in step with her mother as they headed closer into downtown.
Willow marveled at all of the different little shops that were scattered about. This place was amazing, she could spend all day walking the streets and never get bored. She saw her mother heading in the direction of a restaurant and that's when Willow's stomach gave a lurch in agreement. It had been a while since they had stopped anywhere for food and Willow's stomach was happy at the thought of being full.
The conversation during dinner was light, Rebekah would talk about growing up there, what it was like, making Willow a little jealous at the fact that her was born and raised there. When it was done they left the restaurant and Willow could tell her mother was ready for bed but Willow felt so alive, she didn't want to go home just yet. "Please mom, just let me walk around for a little bit, I already have figured out how to get back to the house, please, mom please." She begged and finally her mother relented sighing some.
"Okay, okay but please don't stay out to late I want you home before midnight," she replied pulling her daughter into her arms hugging her close. Willow furrowed her brows at her mother's reaction but said nothing as she hugged her back. She watched Rebekah pull away and headed down the street before the excitement took over once more. She was in Salem, she had to fight the urge to jump up and down in glee.
Willow made her way around the different shops, stopping in and wishing she had brought her wallet with her. She made a mental note to return the next day before she just walked around the town commons. Willow took so many pictures that her phone told her she had no more storage left to save them. Willow got caught up and didn't realize the time until she looked at her cell and squeaked realizing it was almost midnight.
Willow started heading in what she thought was the right direction but things were starting to look strange to her. She groaned when she realized that she was lost, she was going to get into so much trouble if she wasn't home before midnight.
She went to head in another direction, jogging when she collided once more that night with a strong body. Willow felt like screaming, this was the second time and she lifted her head feeling her heart catch in her chest when she realized that it was once again the same guy as before. He once more held out his hand to her and she took it lifting herself up. She dusted off her pants as she watched him looking at her. "Ya know Lass it's illegal to stalk someone in the states, I'm pretty sure." He remarked making her scoff some.
"What, I'm not stalking you, you're the one that ran into me twice now." Willow muttered, hoping she hadn't gotten dirt on her sweater. She heard him chuckle and snapped her head up to look at him. "What's so funny?" Willow grumbled out.
"I'm pretty sure that first time, ya ran into me Love." He replied with a grin plastered on his face. She wanted to wipe that look off but she refrained from doing so.
"Okay well, I have to be going so if you will excuse me," Willow replied and went to walk around him when he stepped in front of her. She rolled her eyes and went to go around him when he stepped into her line again. She tried once more but he again stepped in front of her impeding her progress. Willow threw her hands up into the air in frustration causing another chuckle to leave his lips. "What do you want?" She asked him crossing her arms over her chest.
"Ya shouldn't be out here on yer own, don't ya know this place is haunted at night?" He asked her and Willow arched a brow at him. "The spirits of the dead witches walk the streets at night, haunting those they feel have done them wrong." Willow rolled her eyes mumbling under her breathe but keeping quiet.
"I'm not kidding with ya, I promise darling." He replied making the hairs on the back of Willow's neck stand on end some.
"Thank you, I will keep that but I have to be going, my mom wants me home by midnight being a new place and all." Willow replied and Finn chuckled in his head lightly. That wasn't the reason Rebekah wanted Willow home by midnight. Them being back in Salem Willow's magic would be more sensitive at midnight in the moonlight, it could cause her powers to manifest.
"Let me walk ya home, it's the least I can do fer having run into ya at least once tonight." He replied and Willow pulled her bottom lip into her mouth chewing on it for a second before relenting as she nodded her head at him.
"Okay, as long as you tell me what you're name is," she remarked back and Willow watched him carefully.
"Deal, I'm Finn Balor," he replied holding out his hand to her as she slipped her smaller one into his.
"Willow Hartwick," she whispered feeling this electric like spark go through her when he placed his lips on the back of her hand. Willow yanked her hand out of his and looked at him slightly shocked.
"Well Willow Hartwick, where do ya live?" Finn asked and she again thought about it, should she tell him where was staying or her grandmother's house. Willow didn't know this boy but something was telling her that she could trust him and gave her Aunt's house address. Finn seemed shocked at first but then covered it up with a smirk as he placed his arm around her shoulder and headed down the street.
When they got outside of the house Finn stopped which brought Willow to a halt as well. "Here we are, it was a pleasure to meet ya Love," he murmured as he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it gently once more. Willow opened her mouth to say something when he turned and headed back towards the way that they had come before she could say anything.
Willow shook herself out of her stupor and quickly headed into the house. She found her mother nestled into the couch with a book and a mug of what looked like tea in her hands. Rebekah lifted up her head and smiled as Willow walked into the room. "Did you have fun looking around?" She asked and Willow nodded her head, not telling her mother about meeting Finn Balor.
"Yea, I took so many pictures, I will have to show you tomorrow, but I want to go to bed now," Willow replied sealing it with a yawn and her mother nodded her head.
"Go on up, I set an alarm for you in the morning, we are going back over to your grandmother's house, she wants to meet you tomorrow." She remarked as Willow nodded once more. She trotted up the stairs and into her room. Willow slipped into a long sleeve shirt and pants before practically falling into bed, her eyes sliding shut the moment her head hit the pillow.
