SOMEWHERE IN ALASKA
(In Agatha, 1000 year old witch’s tent)
Note – Three people are involved in this chapter. Our female lead’s parents and Agatha, a witch.
AGATHA’S POV
“Greetings Agatha, greetings great one.”
“Step back. Step back, take of your shoes before you get in here.” Agatha commanded the young lady and man, who had started to come into her tent, with their shoes. “Sorry ma.” The young lady said and bowing her head as her and her husband did as Agatha commanded.
After they had removed their shoes outside, bowing their heads they walked into the tent slowly, and the female servant standing dressed in white, brought two low stools for them to seat in. “What brings you here?” Agatha asked and coughing slightly again.
“Good day great one, I am Michael Hati and here…” The young man stopped as Agatha raised her hands up silencing them. “I know who you both are. No need to begin with the introductions. You don’t need to start telling me your names, you are supposed to know that I know your names already. You are witches like me.” Agatha said with a slow smile and Michael and Lucy’s eyes widened
“What’s with the look?” Agatha asked and chuckled loudly, “I already know your problem, it’s written over your face young lady.” She said looking at Lucy Hati, and then added, “But I would want you both to say it with your lips. So the gods can listen.” With a strike of her staff, Agatha raised her hands indicating for them to talk.
Clearing her throat, Lucy started telling Agatha all her problems, while her husband Michael, squeezed her hands slowly and gently.
At a point she couldn’t even take it anymore and she began crying, breaking into heart wrenching sobs.
She just welcomed a daughter two years back, and since the past year they’ve been trying to conceive but their efforts proved abortive. Lucy, now had gone through six miscarriages in the span of a year and half. Waking up to dark blood stains on the bedsheet, and dashed hopes, she just couldn’t take it anymore, and she’s now looking for a solution.
All the while, as she narrated her story to the point when she broke down in tears, Agatha has usual wasn’t fazed. If she pitied their condition, or felt pain due to what Lucy and her husband had been passing through, well she showed no emotions.
Her grey brows wrinkled as she listened, she waited patiently even when Micheal gave Lucy a handkerchief so she could clean her face. She was quiet all through.
As if also listening to them, the wind outside howled silently, the cold breeze entering the tent through the small opening and Lucy and her husband both shivered, with the latter huddling in her husband’s arm gently. Agatha could see that this young couple were really in love.
It was evident in the way they affectionately held themselves, and she didn’t know why, but she could see a dark mist over their head. It was hovering over them, and Agatha no matter how hard hearted she tried to be, she felt nothing but pity. Something bad was going to happen to them, and even though it was not in her position to disclose, she did nevertheless.
“Danger is close.” She began, and they both looked at her eyebrows raised in fear and shock.
“What do you mean?”
“Danger is close, the black mist of pain is hovering over the both of you. I can see it clear as day, but not to worry, I’ll do my utmost best to help you two. Now be quiet, let me speak the gods concerning you both. About the miscarriages, surely there must be a solution.” Agatha said, smiling weakly at the sad couple.
Without waiting to hear any response from them, she turned her back to them, and bowing her head she chanted some foreign words slowly, and then she went in a trance.
…….
LUCY HATI’S POV
Lucy and her husband, stared at the old woman’s back. They were both in shock, and other feelings that they couldn’t even put a name to.
Personally she was scared. So scared.
The miscarriages from earlier, she just didn’t understand it, and thankfully her husband had heeded her advice that they seek more powerful supernatural powers. Not once, not twice, not thrice but six times she had lost her children. Six time she had conceived and lost her seed. This was beyond even their own power as witches, and now they were here.
They had been referred by a friend, who had claimed that Agatha as she was called was the most powerful witch in all of Alaska and even beyond. She was 1000 years old, but she looked nothing like it.
She had grey hairs quite alright, and wrinkles on her skin and forehead, patched nails and all that, but for someone who had lived many decades, she sure did look young and nice. Young and nice, no that’s not a way to put it, she did look less intimidating.
They had expected to meet a very wicked looking witch, with dark eyes and even a dark soul, but since they had entered this neat tent, all they had seen and felt was the cool sense of aura, peace and warmth.
Back to what was at stake now… The cause of her miscarriages, and the new found revelation that there was danger close. What had she meant by a dark mist, a mist that even they themselves didn’t see? Agatha lifted her back slowly, and turned suddenly, facing both her and her husband. The action, causing Lucy to stop thinking and instead focus on what she was about to say.
“The miscarriages are as a result of the birth of your first child, Ruby…” The witch paused and looked at them straight in the eyes, the stare so piercing Lucy wondered if she could see straight inside her soul.
Agatha the witch continued again, “Ruby is going to be very powerful, and there’s an itty bitty nice and somewhat twisted story about her future, but the gods told me not to reveal that. She must have sucked enough life from your womb, and even though she’s small and doesn’t know a thing, her aura is fighting so hard so that she wouldn’t have any one to share the affection you both lavish on her. She wants to be alone.”
“Oh…” Lucy said trailing of and her husband just rubbed her shoulders gently. Her poor daughter, with the brightest smile, and green colored eyes, why would she or her aura choose to do this.
“You’re still going to birth another child. Soon, you’ll birth another little girl, who surprisingly won’t be as powerful as her sister, but she would be unique in her own way. This young lady holds the key to someone’s future.”
“Huh? Ruby or our next child would hold the key to someone’s future? What do you mean great one?” Michael asked, finally saying something and Lucy just nodded agreeing to her husband’s question. “It is not in my place to disclose that sire. Besides the gods are not giving me a full picture of things. It’s Ruby’s sister though, she’s the one I’m talking about.”
“Oh well…” Lucy and Michael both said with a sigh. If it was a sigh of relief they both didn’t know, but Lucy’s mind was spinning helplessly.
“The dark mist, it can’t be averted, but it can be prolonged and that’s the only I think I can help you both.” Agatha said, bringing Lucy’s thoughts again back to the present. “Oh great one, please do help us?” Michael said pleadingly.
“I will, of course I will. When it’s time, I’ll let you know. I’ll be communicating with you spiritually. There will be a ritual and all will be well. But for now you both should go and relax, the gods are with you.” That said, Agatha stood up and walked further into the tent. They were effectively dismissed.
Michael stood up and so did Lucy, it was time for them to go back home. Lucy didn’t know if now they had solutions to their problems, or even more problems, but as they left the tent, she prayed that the gods truly would be with them.
She prayed.