Ritual

She held the cup as if the very stem would burn her boney fingers.Her chalice was old and battered but she would use no other, it had seen her at her happiest and had been with her when she felt her heart would break into a thousand shards of glass,
She knew in her heart that this would be the day. Her preparations had been long and arduous and the timing on this Samhain Eve, was the most appropriate one that she knew.So many, that she had loved, had left our earth this year, that she felt, that tonight of all nights, she may see then again.All Summer long she had picked her berries well, had crushed the brilliant red ones, from her Yew tree, and added it to the already waiting dark and deadly Belladonna ones that were simmering out their lethal juices.
She added honey, from a silver ladle, to sweeten the bitter taste of death and stirred the mixture gently and deliberately.Chanting the names of those whom had gone before, and calling on her gods and goddesses, to give her the courage that she needed, she imagined seeing her two best friends, her mother and her beloved cat that very night.She lifted the cup to her lips slowly yet determinedly, and then she stopped, it could not have been the breeze, the night was as calm and still as a summer’s night yet the gentle breathe upon her face, let her know she was not alone. And then a whisper, so hushed and gentle, three words were all that were uttered and all she needed to hear.“The final betrayal”The nectar of death became a libation, a gift to the earth and a promise of hope to come.

Copyright Penny Little 2004

Sorceress Babysitter

"She'll be fine",said Mrs Maloney,as she sprayed a final puff of "Angel" perfume around her creamy,white throat."She doesn't sleep much,but she has every toy you can imagine, so just let her play and sleep when she's ready,it will probably be about midnight".Fat chance,thought Esmerelda,I haven't come around here for a few measly pounds,to be a playmate.The Maloneys headed off, she ensconced in fur and whinging about her husband not having had the car heater running for the past hour,they bade her goodbye and good luck.Luck,she pondered,I won't need any of that. Just my bag of tricks and she'll be out like a light so that I can settle to my work.Drusilla,the thoroughly spoiled and pandered to offspring,began emtying her toybox,with gay abandon."Shoose",she said,"You Shoose".They all looked the same,bright,primary pieces of plastic and sugary,sweet pink sets of little girl apparell."Ah,but come see my pretties", she whispered in her slow,husky voice, and proceeded to delve into her bag,constucted of of every conceivable shade of purple velvet,The bag,in itself,was enough to enthrall the small child. She stroked it and be bent down closer to look at her reflection in the sequins that Esmerelda had randomly sewn onto it.The tasseled tie swang temptingly to and fro,and with a deft motion,Esmerelda untied the knot and the gathered top fell open.Feathers in abundance,rose from it's base,flying to the ceiling and back to the floor,a cascade of eyed peacock plumes,plummeted from the ceiling and attached their quills firmly into the straps of the small girl's dress,giving her the appearance of majestic fairy. Next,the Swan feathers,as downy as the finest silken plumes,circled themselves into a band and settled on her golden curls."But look deeper in the bag,my pretty",whispered the old woman,softly."You liked the pretty sequins,do you like the ball"?"Bounce ball,throw ball,catch ball" cried the child,excitedly."No,look at the ball,hold the ball,see what's in it,see the Sandman,sprinkling his dust,feel your eyes,they are heavy and tired.See you little bed,so soft,so warm and snuggle down deep and dream your dreams"Mesmerised by the crystal's shine,the child's eyelids closed slowly,opened and closed once again.Esmerelada gently lifted her relaxed body,laid her in her bed and turned out the light.It had been seven and half minutes since her parents left, was she losing her touch? All the other children that she had babysat for had been fast asleep in seven minutes precisely.Oh,well,she thought.Money for old rope really,and set her candles in a circle on the hearth.

(c) Penny Little

Rainbow Day

“We can’t keep her, she’s not normal, look at that one, solitary eye in the middle of her forehead, people will think that we are not normal too”.“But she’s our baby, and I don’t care what she looks like”, replied her mother.“And what, my love, do you intend to tell our friends?” Nathan asked, with an arrogant look upon his face.“Not what you would have us tell them, that’s for sure”, whispered Suzy in a still, small voice.She knew that the baby would be an embarrassment to them, in their circle of influential and perfect friends.“Stillborn, that’s all we will say, leave everything to me and you just concentrate on getting yourself looking glamorous again, we have the ball in two weeks time and I don’t want you looking like a sack of potatoes for that”Nathan arranged for the baby to be taken to the Tower House, where, for a hefty sum, he would employ a woman to look after the child.Suzy grieved the grief of a bereaved mother, but her only aim in life was to keep and please her husband, so, slowly, over the years she convinced herself that Allie, the name she had given the child, in her heart, had never existed.It was twenty five years later that Nathan, met his end, while driving a car that was much too fast for his quickly slowing brain.Suzy, arranged the funeral in double quick time, she did not want to lose one single day before she could see her daughter and drove straight from the service to Tower House.She knocked the bat shaped doorknocker with hardly and trepidation, but when the wizened, old woman eventually opened the door, her heart gave a quick turn.Miranda, the old woman, knew instantly who she was and bade her to come upstairs.Dressed from head to toe in black lace, with long flowing hair, stood Allie, her one eye, made up as well as any top fashion model. She was beautiful and special and as if Miranda knew that her days of looking after her had come to an end, she packed Allie’s bag with what few things she possessed, she had had no need for going out things as for the whole of her twenty five years, Nathan had specified that she be kept behind locked doors, in case she was ever seen, and the truth revealed.

Trundling along the country lanes, Allie's face was full of wonder, it rained and then the sun broke throut,creating the most glorious double rainbow imaginable.
"one for you, Allie and one for me" laughed Suzy.
They arrived to the sound of Ben barking his greeting.
Settled, cuddled and loved the three if them sat on the sette and gazed at the rainbow's end.
They had found their treasure

Copyright Penny Little 2005