by Ronald Craig
The Little Witch
and the Magic Gift
Ronald Craig
Book 2
Copyright © 2016-2018 Ronald Craig
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10:1540397521
ISBN-13:9781540397522
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
The Little Witch and the Magic Gift
Chapter 1 | Missing friend
CHAPTER TWO | The family secret within
Chapter Three | The Magic Gift
Chapter Four | Lost Brother
Chapter Five | The Sunken Grotto
Chapter Six | The conjuring of Lost souls
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I write for my daughter's
Dedication
I write for my daughters
All characters in this story are fictional and in no way, are these real or have been real before, I took the name of my father-in-law John-Thomas who passed away recently for respect and remembrance of a huge character. For my daughters, my constant influence and inspiration, Nina and our new arrival Lettie. As our family grows we learn and find new ways to show our daughters new experiences of their exciting lives. Things Nina finds interesting fascinate us. It's the sky and moon at present, being aware of things that are not directly in her world.
She is aware of everything in our lives, for such a young person. Children know what they see and feel every day, Nina is aware of a lot, to my dismay I might add. We are also excited about our new baby. When shopping Nina will pick out clothes for our new arrival, as if she is preparing herself for her new sister to come, or a friend she longs to help her understand this world. Inclusion is high on our priority, there will be sad tears but as parents, our job is to try and create as many tears of joy and provide stability. Right or wrong, good or bad, these just are emotional situations they personally must decide what they believe from personal experience; As I’ve come to realise.
We help Nina learn new feelings every day; she knows what being scared is like and feeling hurt as mommy spent days in the hospital. Lettie demands attention. Trying to understand and accept it, all takes time. But it’s been a wonderful experience we all share is our amazing little family.
Chapters
The Missing Friend
The Secret Within a family
The Magic Gift
Lost Brother
The sunken Grotto
The Conjuring of lost souls
Prologue
The Whosley's story continues, with deep magical secrets hidden behind closed doors. The life of the Whosley’s is revealed as Nina faces dark days alone. The darker side of magic and life takes the two friends, Nina and Toot’s, in an unfamiliar direction. As I look on from a distance, I am not involved in my granddaughter's world. These are the things that hide in the night. All magic animals, unknown creatures and witches' and wizards' will learn of the destiny of a young girl. As I glimpse from a distance, I long to tell my granddaughter about forbidden worlds but have limitations to what I can share, and it feels at times as if my granddaughter is not real. I miss all the contact we would have had, I would have been able to explain to her and Relck about the world in which she lives. All I can do is hide in the dark and watch her world. Foes reveal themselves, and one in question starts to call out. The voices whisper and echo to eager ears for help, and the missing souls speak aloud from the other side. Ignored, they will not be.
When Nina was young, many years after I was charged to save our family, I was forced to take an oath I would watch over Nina while her parents struggled to cope with Relck's gift. I would comfort her with magic tricks, and she would call out ‘woo woo.' That was how I was known as an imaginary friend, exciting her mind with new experiences, amazed at her magic. Life's sacrifices take us on our journey of discovery; she needs to discover how she affects others with her kind heart. But in days and nights of happiness and pain, it is up to us how we cope with the path before us.
Chapter 1
Missing friend
IT IS LATE IN THE EVENING; there is an eerie silence that fills the house. No noises or presence can be heard only an almost deafening witch's silence as her family call it. Nina reaches to close her bedroom window. Staring, for a moment her eyes glisten as a sad internal feeling clings to her thoughts. Considering the cold night as if wanting something or someone to look back, Nina is never afraid of the dark, more curious that something is out there. The sky is dark with the blue and black colours that highlighted the cold distant stars, which seem to twinkle as soon as Nina's eyes glance at each one as if communicating with her. I wonder if any witches live on the other worlds and look up to our home, she ponders. Feeling alone and ambivalent towards the world. She is on her own, a solace or a witch’s burden, helping others, only the world does not know her for her true self.
Her thoughts break. ‘Time for bed.'
Mother shouts from downstairs, prompting her daughter to turn in for the night, Nina smiles thinking her mother must have eyes everywhere. But something inside Nina festers, it eats away at her, which makes her feel indifferent. She Looks over to the vacant perch where her best friend usually sits. 'He's safe at the order,' Nina says to herself.
‘I'm with you’. These words are spoken out loud to the night hoping her best friend will hear her assurance.
Unexpectedly a message from the order comes through the mirror, distracting her thoughts. A scroll drops on her bedroom floor. Opening it as she sits on her bed, she reads it out. ‘You must seek the under-bed trolls.' Is that it she mutters? Even so, Nina excitedly jumps up from her bed, puts on her favourite pink star jumper and jeans and grabs her witch's pouch. Leaving her room, she opens the door to Mother and Father's room. They sit reading in bed and turn their head to greet her. Father notices she is dressed raising his eyebrows and Mother gives her, the discerning mother look with a smirk.
Mother speaks.
‘I was just about to come to wish you goodnight, but you seem to have other plans! Where do you think you are going, child?'
‘The order sent a message I must seek the under-bed trolls.' Nina said, looking excited.
Her parents ponder whether this is appropriate so late at night.
Mother reluctantly agrees.
‘I suppose so,' Mother says, with a worried look on her face.
‘Don't go anywhere without telling us, it's dangerous out there she warns.'
Nina looks muddled, further guessing Mother's thoughts as if she must know something that worries her and Father so. Nina says her goodbyes and kisses Mother and Father as she walks back to her room to the mirror.
Checking she has some shrinking potion left she stands looking at the empty perch, she misses her Friend. Looking in her wardrobe for a thick coat considering the weather conditions of the highlands. She lifts her witch's bag, gets out her wand and touches the mirror.
‘Mother nature hears my cry; I offer you the wing of the bat, tail of a rat. Through time and space send me to the under-bed trolls'. Sprinkling the magic dust from her witch's bag, she touches the mirror and with a swish and swoosh and a spark of her wand she disappears.
Out of sight, Nina's Father waits until she leaves, touches her bedroom mirror and whispers to the unknown. There is a side to Father Nina doesn’t know. What is said and what plan he sets, only he knows. Returning to bed Mother looks on at Father as if confirming the safety of their precious daughter.
Arriving in the highlands at the edge of a forest where the under-bed trolls dwell, the sky is alive with stars, a moon so bright the ground is lit in pale white. There is a stillness
, a warmth in the air unusual for the highlands, a magical array of light from fireflies hovering around the vegetation, confirming a scene described previously by Relck.
She takes a breath of warm air; she is uncomfortable in winter gear. 'Ha,' she says aloud, 'typical' as she opens her thick coat to let herself breath. The highlands are a cold, hard place. Built by anger, with stone, fire and ice that once arose from the ground in the form of volcanoes. Then mother nature touches it with her gentle hand making it green and fertile. However, the hardness shows itself still in the flowers it grows. A deep purple flower grows, with a strong dark green stem, beautiful from a distance but sharp to the touch. It's called a Scottish Witch’s Pike.
Nina steps from a puddle with which she travelled, composing herself she lifts her wand, and she casts a spell and makes her offerings for the magic to light the way.
With every step, her presence sounds, footsteps echo through the trees with a crunch and crack of dried branches strewn on the floor.
A short path into the trees something stands in the dark. The shape and size are a troll and Nina's acutely aware of her mother's warning. Stopping at a distance Nina lifts her light. There in the dark stands an under-bed troll, and it's on guard! The armour is black tipped with a golden rim that shines golden bronze. She wonders why a troll waits for her?
‘Blooming Eck,' the troll cries out hiding his face from the light.
‘You were trying to blind me, Nina?' he says, with his gruff tone.
‘Oh, Sorry I didn't recognise you.' She replies with a warm smile.
‘Well yes, best to introduce yourself in the dark, because strangers get the chop,' he grunts, then chuckles. With a deep roar, he swings his axe into the thistles.
‘If you ever get into trouble my clan will help you, Nina. We are the Black-Iron Clan, tougher than the other clans; you should choose us to help you.'
Nina is puzzled but smiles in agreement at his offerings of support.
‘Come I will take you to the Queen, she wants to see you secretly.'
Following the troll, she lights the way with magic. Even in the dark Nina remembers this path that leads to the field of mushrooms. Ahead is a mushroom she had not noticed previously, it has a twisted trunk.
'This place must be the entrance to the secret place where they are to meet the Queen,' she thinks. The troll stops and stands on point, letting Nina speak to the Queen on her own. She must touch the doorway, and through it, she will go. So, wincing her face as she takes a sip of her magic potion, she becomes so small, enabling her to travel without effort through the door. It is light inside, with a tiny room, table and chairs. Noticing the Queen, Nina smiles and in return is greeted with a smile, full of warmth and kind. The Queen gets up and greets Nina with a shake of her stumpy green hand; she offers Nina a seat with a gesture from her other hand. They both sit.
‘Thank you for coming I know it's late, but it's urgent, you must know. My magic net remains with the creature who cursed us and kidnapped me with it, they can see peoples' dreams. They are looking for something or someone, but we don't know what or who. If it is the ice Goblin’s then their reputation for being malevolent and with immoral practices, using the dark side of magic is frightening. But this is all I know, my thoughts remain fuddled you best speak to the order and see what you can do about this, those owls are clever magical creatures. On a happier note, the clans want to meet you; they are how should I put it, enthusiastic. But we will be quick, as it is late, come', taking Nina by the hand. They leave through a secret door behind an empty bookcase that leads into the main hall. The laver flies glow and flutter about the candles of the passage they walk. The walls have changed from her previous visit. Moss and flowers cover the wall; the atmosphere has changed somewhat. The Queen notices Nina's smile: ‘Our home is back to normal thanks to you,' says the Queen. The flowers and laver flies have returned in all their splendour.' They look at the room in all its new life. Some of the candles even stand as high as the trolls, the uncomfortable smell of burning fills her nose.
Reaching the hall, it is full of trolls all different but similar in some way. A few rushes over to greet them, bowing to greet the Queen, their attention turns to Nina. 'We are champions of the trolls,' said one, dressed in a red tartan kilt. We have great magic. He pulls out what looks to be a small bomb with a fuse protruding from the top. One of the other clan trolls dressed in blue tartan shouts at him urgently. 'Watch what you're doing, don't harm the Queen and Nina!' Two other trolls pull him back to get the bomb from causing harm. Suddenly, a small puff of smoke fills the air from the bomb he holds as the other troll’s mutter and raises their voices in concern. ‘You and your bloody magic will get us all blown up.' Laughter fills the air with arguments coming from the different clans. The iron clan with its black and gold armour barges its way forward, belittling the other clans. What Nina presumes is the head of the clan, kneels before them. 'Our clan will protect Nina from harm,' putting his axe in the ground in front of them. The arguments became more of a free for all as the crowds gather with raised voices. A loud bellow from some out of tune bagpipes sounds. Everyone stops. Taking their leave, they bow to the Queen and run towards a stage where the King stands. Nina thinks this strange and smiles as she lets out a giggle at what was a few moments ago, a strong, forthright mass of purposeful trolls, which had now become a hoard of dancing and cheering misfits. The King is lit up by a beam of light as he begins to sing, the crowd pauses in awe of his voice. The Queen takes Nina's hand and leads her back from the doorway, from which they originally came. 'And one final thing,' says the Queen, 'Nasharie, is now forbidden from leaving the glen. If you ever see her where she's not meant to be, please send her home. If she is captured by the ice Goblins, we will be devastated'.
‘I will; I do miss her'. Nina wants to get to know her more.
‘Off you go it's late,' the Queen reiterates. ‘The guard is waiting outside for you, thank you for all your help,' she says with a grateful smile.
‘I will consider the matter in the order and get something done. Nina smiles. There seems to be uncertainty over these strange happenings.' The Queen nods in agreement as she hugs Nina farewell. ‘You be careful Nina, my friend, our guard will protect you until you are on your travels,' she says softly. Nina leaves through the door she came in, and the guard takes her to the puddle. Once home it is late.
As Nina steps onto her bedroom floor, she hears her parents moving around in their room. She walks onto the landing, and the door is ajar. The shadow of her parents is active. She opens the door quietly not to frighten her Mother and Father. They are tucked up in bed reading, much to Nina's surprise.
‘Who's moving around?' Both parents look at each other confused. ‘No one my dear, why?' Nina explains, ‘I thought I saw you moving around the bedroom, well goodnight nothing much to tell. Let you know if I find anything out at the order tomorrow'. ‘Goodnight my sweet girl,' Father says. They all hug goodnight. No sooner had she got dressed for bed, and Nina is fast asleep.
CHAPTER TWO
The family secret within
THE MORNING ARRIVES all too quickly, the sky outside Nina's bedroom intrudes as the morning becomes golden with the rising sun but with it comes a strange feeling inside. As Nina stirs, blinking her eyes, slowly adjusting to the new day, feeling exhausted, she inhales a deep breath. She glances across the room for her best friend, Toots. 'Oh,' she thinks as she gazes on an empty perch while reminiscing at the mornings when Toots is here, it seems long ago. Realising the sadness, because Toots is not here, the pain of it feels like despair. Festering over things, she feels worried about Toots and wonders how he is at the order. She misses him terribly but reassures herself he is safe. She distracts her thoughts, by listening, for noises in the house, trying to normalise her feelings to understand what she is experiencing in more depth.
She lies in bed composing the night and her hapless sleep. A disturbing dream and whispers of the night keep her stirring in and out of alertness. She r
esides in a black cave, hidden from the world. This cave is different. It feels ill-fated with no safety or reach for help, only the night and all the darkness it holds.
Laid watching her warm breath turn to mist in the unusually cold air, she looks up at the ceiling, and it seems to come alive. She reaches out her finger as if to touch the world above her head. She moves the light and shadows with her inner magic. As she watches curiously, the shadows hide, as the light chases the black back from where it derives; something pops into her thoughts. 'The light comes so you may see.' She questions this not knowing her thoughts. She feels different this morning, altered, somehow in her life, a person less tolerant, built up inside, only leaving a new awareness of her feelings. Even perhaps an emotionless state altering her happiness, of being normal for a witch. She pulls herself up from the bed; morning comes too quick; the broken sleep makes her feel listless. She realises the cold is back, it is summer, but a bone-chilling frost clings to the air. She takes a deep breath that leaves her gasping. Arms wrapped around her shuddering body she goes through the bedroom door to the landing and huddles herself in her dressing gown then knocks on Relck’s bedroom door. There is no answer, so she slowly opens it. No one is present. There is a vacant bed. She notices the blanket Nasharie asked for and taking it; she decides to leave it under her bed.
'Hang on,' she thinks. If Nasharie or the under-bed trolls are catching her bad dreams why is she having troubled thoughts and unpleasant dreams at night? Could her anxious thoughts be a form of contact from Nasharie or a warning from her friend, perhaps? Unsure she leaves the blanket under her bed and enters the bathroom to get washed with hot water, the warmth cleans her cold face, and a warm feeling makes her normal again. Not in the mood to be choosing clothes she dresses in jeans and a plain jumper, she pauses turning off the taps, and noise from her room startles her. ‘What was that?' She thinks. Fear enters by her knowing that she might be in the house alone and there is no wand at hand! Taking a deep breath, she creeps in to see nothing! No one is there. Kneeling, she looks under her bed; the blanket is not there. ‘Nasharie', she calls, but there is no answer. This absence disturbs Nina, hoping for some human comfort from her friends but no one is there.
