Bad Holiday in Witch Town

by Mark Hockley



  BAD HOLIDAY IN WITCH TOWN

  Book One of THE WITCH WAR CHRONICLES

  By Mark Hockley

  Copyright 2013 by Mark Hockley

  Some things just don't work out the way you planned. My life has gone crazy and everything is completely out of control. You see, people are dead here and the truth is I'm the one who killed them. It was self defence, but what difference does that really make. I still did it. I'm sixteen years old for God's sake. Maybe it's just that girls like me were never meant for anything good to happen to them. But there's one thing for sure and maybe I am losing my mind, but this really did turn out to be a bad holiday in Witch Town.

  1

  Another therapy session. Must be one of my lucky days. I'm so fortunate! But then, maybe this day will be okay after all. Anything can happen, or so I've heard. Anyway, I'm off to see Ruth, my therapist. She's okay, but do I want to be there. No way.

  "Hi Ellie, how you doing?"

  Ruth Kimble was in her early thirties, pretty with short blonde hair and always meant well. This did nothing to make Ellie like spending time with her though. After all, this was just another freak show with her in the title role.

  "I'm okay," Ellie managed, slightly envious of the woman's fashionable hairstyle. Her own dreary, brown shoulder-length locks were a constant disappointment, as far as she was concerned.

  Ruth nodded sympathetically. "Let's just talk for a while, okay?"

  They did just that. Ellie didn't give too much away. She wasn't exactly happy to be therapist material after all. Oh, for a stable life.

  After half an hour or so, Ruth decided to try something different. "How about some word association," she suggested.

  Ellie looked glum. "If you want to."

  "Okay, you know how this works, the first word that comes into your head. Don't over-think it, be spontaneous."

  Feigning an indulgent smile, the girl nodded.

  "Pain"

  "In the butt," Ellie intoned.

  "Just one word," Ruth countered with infinite patience. "Pain," she repeated.

  "Full."

  "Are you taking this seriously?" The woman's patience still held, but now there were little cracks.

  "Sorry."

  Ruth pushed on. "Love."

  "Life."

  "Peace."

  "Quiet"

  "Mother."

  Ellie hesitated. "Melodrama," she mumbled.

  Ruth gave her a penetrating look, but continued. "Father."

  Now the girl shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Absent," she said quietly, not enjoying this at all.

  Ruth nodded sagely. "Friends."

  This brought an unexpected, genuine smile to Ellie's face. "Holiday." Just a word, but suddenly she felt as if everything was going to be okay.

  She, Zack, Beth and Luke were planning a road trip. A holiday. They didn't know where they were going. But who cared. They were just going to get away from everything here. That was all that mattered.

  "You can't go," her mother announced with the certainty of a righteous parent.

  "What do you mean, I can't go!?" Ellie shouted louder than she meant to, but this was getting way out of hand.

  "Just what I said, you're not going," she began, searching for something extra, "you're too young."

  "I'll be sixteen in two days time, how can I be too young!? " the girl demanded to know.

  "And that's another thing, what about your birthday. How can you think you're going away when it's your birthday. I wouldn't see you. No-one in the family will see you!"

  "I'll see Zack, he's family!"

  "I don't mean your brother, I mean everyone else. And what about me? Doesn't your own mother count for anything!?" Carol Landis was not handling this very well and she knew it, but as hard as she tried she could not reign it in. Her emotions had taken over and she went with them. "Why do you do this to me, Ellie!? I just don't understand you."

  The girl glared at her mother. "That's the problem, mum, you don't, do you. You just don't understand anything!"

  They stared at each other for a long moment, until another voice broke the silence.

  "It will be okay, mum." It was Zack. Almost eighteen, taller than average, dark haired and experienced family peace-maker. He stood in the doorway looking on. "We can do something for Ellie's birthday when we get back." The boy took a breath, weighing up his words. "This is important. To both of us. We need some space for a week or so. We've been talking about it for ages and now's the right time." He waited, eyeing his mother carefully and then glancing at Ellie.

  Ellie looked back at him, hopeful. For teenage brother and sister they got on incredibly well. They had a lot in common and amazingly, agreed about most things. She acknowledged it was weird, but she was glad about it. That was one thing in her life that she was genuinely grateful for. And the truth was, there wasn't much else.

  Their mother tried her best to come to terms with the battle she was losing. Two against one wasn't very fair. But then things were very rarely ever fair. Finally she nodded. "You'll ring me," she said quietly.

  It was Zack who agreed. Ellie remained silent. As far as she was concerned, a week without hearing her mother's voice sounded like the best birthday present she could ask for.

  At last it was time to leave. There had been awkward goodbyes with their mother, but now Ellie and Zack were on their way to pick up the others. After that they would just drive. There was no definite destination. They had two tents packed in the back of the small van Zack had bought with his hard earned savings six months before. Zack said his job in HMV was a means to an end and as far as Ellie was concerned this holiday would make everything worthwhile.

  They pulled up outside Beth's old townhouse and waited as a slim, blonde girl bounded out to meet them. She was Ellie's age, or at least the same age Ellie would be in one day's time. Beth liked to remind her that she was two months older and of course, deserved respect and honour for her much greater wisdom and life experience. Ellie couldn't wait to be sixteen too. An adult at last.

  "Hi," Beth said as she jumped in beside Ellie in the back seat.

  "Hi to you, old woman!" Ellie replied, grinning. She was even more excited than she had expected to be about going away. For her, it was an escape from the city. A city full of people who made her feel bad about herself. Maybe I need therapy, she thought and giggled a little.

  Beth shot her a look. " I may be old to you now, dearest, but tomorrow you will join the ranks of womanhood!"

  This made Ellie laugh even more and they set off to collect Luke. He only lived ten minutes away so the boy was soon in the front seat beside Zack and they really were ready to be on their way.

  This was a journey into the unknown, a genuine adventure. It was what they all needed, that was a common bond between them. Zack was sick of his job and felt like a failure. Luke, his best friend, darker and stockier than the other boy, was the artistic one with dreams of becoming a painter or a writer. He was always looking for something different than what city life offered. And Beth, Ellie's best friend since she was five years old, was always up for anything she thought might be fun or out of the ordinary.

  The four of them meant to see some of the more out of the way places in England, quaint towns, forgotten villages. The countryside beckoned.

  They slept overnight in their tents. The girls laughed and joked about. The boys were more practically minded, taking great pains to put up the tents correctly so they would not collapse on top of them.

  Ellie listened to the night as she lay there waiting for sleep to take her. There was a mild breeze and it brushed the canvas of the tent and created a soothing sound that she liked.

  They had all waited until midni
ght to say happy birthday to her, but they had agreed that presents and celebrations would wait until daylight. Ellie was fine with that. She lay very still, listening. She was sixteen years old, her life up until this point had been a mess. No dad, a neurotic mother, rubbish school life, academic failure.

  But now, maybe things could change. Maybe.

  She let her consciousness fade and drift and then she was dreaming. Dreaming of strange things she had no knowledge of. Dreaming of a place she recognised but had never been to. Witch Town.

  2

  Away at last. Here I am living the dream! Or am I just kidding myself. You can run but you can't hide, isn't that what they say? Whatever, better to have some time to think away from Mum, away from everything. I'll find a way to change things. I will. And nothing is going to stop me.

  Her presents from the others were modest, but then none of them had any money to speak of. An HMV voucher from Zack was not very original, but always useful. From Luke she got a book on personality disorder. Very funny. Beth gave her some perfume. Everything was fun and they were all getting on really well. Except.

  There were underlying tensions.

  Ellie tried to sum it up in her mind. It wasn't very complicated. In fact it was the same old story.

  Beth liked Zack. But Zack wasn't interested. Problem was, Luke liked Beth. But of course, she only had eyes for Zack. Always the way, mused Ellie. She on the other hand was just fine. She wasn't interested in anyone at the moment. She was still waiting for the right guy to come along. She