“Let’s go back in and forget about boys. Boys are yucky and not worth our time. We’ll go dance together and forget about everyone else. You’re my best friend, and I’ll do whatever it takes to put a smile back on your face, okay?” Valerie tugged Anya’s hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.
An upbeat pop song blared through the speakers, and bodies writhed around them in a frenzy of musical excitement. Anya and Valerie let the music move through them as they danced and lost themselves in the revelry.
As the song ended and some weird rap song came on, they walked over to the snack table.
“I have a surprise for you,” Anya confessed as she spotted the cupcakes. She slyly reached into her small purse and pulled out the one birthday candle and a lighter she had brought. She turned her back on Valerie and stuck the candle in the small confection and lit it.
She whirled around and presented her surprise. “Tada! Happy Birthday!”
Valerie choked the tears back. “You remembered!”
Anya had a tendency to forget people’s birthdays. For her to remember was a huge deal to Valerie.
“Yup! I actually remembered this time. Make a wish and blow out the candle. You just can’t tell anyone the wish, or it won’t come true,” Anya joked as she lifted the cupcake closer to Valerie.
“Wanna help me blow it out? We can both make a wish. How about it?”
“Sure, why not?” Anya and Valerie puckered their lips and leaned in to both blow out the candle. The air that left Anya’s lips was chilled. The flame sputtered once and then extinguished into thin air without so much as a puff of smoke. Small snowflakes formed over the fluffy, pink frosting where Anya’s breath touched it.
Frost clearly layered the top of the cupcake and around the base of the candle.
“What the…” Valerie’s eyes widened, and Anya yelped, dropping the cupcake on the hardwood floor of the gym. “Anya?”
Anya shook her head but didn’t say a word. She was too shocked.
Over Valerie’s shoulder, she thought she saw Heath hiding behind a heavily-decorated fake Christmas tree. His face looked hard and cold, and he looked right at her. Had he seen what happened?
“Anya?” Valerie said again.
Anya bent down and retrieved the cupcake before throwing it away in the nearby trash can. “You’re not to speak a word of this to anyone.” She whipped her head around the room, trying to see if anyone else had noticed her little stunt.
“I would never tell anyone. Come on.” Valerie pulled her past the Christmas tree where Heath had been hiding. By that time, he was no longer stationed behind the tree. They scrambled into a hallway lined with black lockers and made their way toward the end to lean against the window ledge. “Talk.”
“What’s there to say?” Anya fidgeted with her hands and fell silent.
“You’ve been acting strange lately, and now I know why. Spill it.”
Anya didn’t look up, but she could feel the glare being cast her way.
“Okay, okay. It started at the beginning of the week when we were complaining about how hot it was in homeroom. When I…” Anya paused, unsure if she should really divulge all of this, but Val was her best friend, and she always told her everything. It killed her to keep anything from her.
“Go on. I won’t judge.”
“I’m scared you might. Well, when I pulled my hand away from the desk, there were snowflakes on it. That room was burning up, and I had snowflakes under my hands. I don’t know how I did it!” Anya started to freak out and rushed on. “And then, during lunch when Heath had asked me out… I’d been clutching the lunch tray pretty tightly because of how nervous I was… and… and when I pulled my hand away, there was a thumb print melted into the plastic!”
“Shh. It’ll be okay, Anya.” Valerie hugged her and stroked her back soothingly.
“I’m a freak,” Anya choked out on a sob. “The town is going to come chasing after me with torches and pitchforks like in the old days. You know how crazy this town is. They’re so closed-minded that they can’t see straight!”
“I’m not going to tell anyone, so no one is going to know. I don’t think anyone saw you in the gym. We’ll be careful. Maybe you could practice whatever this is so you can learn to control it. I promise I will not let any harm come to you. So help me…” she trailed off, the anger wrapped tightly around each word. “No one touches my best friend.”
“Thank you,” Anya breathed into her hair. “You’re the best!”
“No problem. That’s what best friends are for. Let’s head home and call it a night. Sound like a plan?” Valerie leaned away, waiting for Anya to answer.
“Yes. Oh! What about Heath?” Anya’s eyes widened.
“What about him? That loser can find his own way home for the way he treated you!” Valerie scoffed.
“Let’s head outside. It was really windy earlier.” Anya paused and remembered how the wind had picked up with her anger.
“Anya? What’s wrong?” Valerie looped her arm through Anya’s as they meandered down the hall.
“Earlier, when I ran outside, I was angry…” Anya sniffed. With all of the crying she had done tonight, her nose was all runny.
“I would have been angry, too! What happened?” Valerie asked softly.
“I ran into the woods and fell down at the base of a tree to wallow in my own self-pity. Then my anger came back, and it was as if the wind knew I was angry, and it picked up, as well.” Valerie’s eyes widened in looked like disbelief. “I’m not making this up! It was like the wind was angry for me! I swear!”
“I believe you, Anya. After what I witnessed with the cupcake, I believe you.”
They picked up their pace, went back through the doors into the gym, and made their way to the exit. Anya kept an eye out for both guys. Heath was nowhere to be found, but Devlin was brooding in a corner, and as soon as they entered the gym, his eyes locked on hers.
A shiver ran down the length of her body. It had nothing to do with the gym itself, which was suffocating in its heat, and everything to do with Devlin.
Anya tore her gaze away from Devlin’s piercing green eyes and reluctantly allowed Valerie to pull her from the gym. Why did she not want to leave? Both guys had been jerks to her, but there was this pull she felt toward Devlin even though she kept trying to make herself hate him. He’d ruined her night. He’d made Heath mad, and now the dance was ruined, not only for her, but for Valerie, too.
Valerie pulled the car around. Anya slipped into the passenger seat while Valerie buckled up.
When they pulled into the driveway, Julia was peering out the front door.
“Where’s Heath?” she asked, as Anya and Valerie slipped inside.
“He got another ride home.” Anya crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the floor.
“Mrs. Sutherland, Heath was acting like an asshat,” Valerie blurted.
“Valerie! Language!” Julia scolded.
“I’m not sorry at all! He really was!” Valerie described what went down in great detail, while Anya stayed silent. She retold it from how she saw it and included the little tidbits Anya had provided for her. She only left out the magical incidents.
Valerie stayed the night, giving the reason that she didn’t want Anya to be alone. They both knew that if she was, she’d only dwell on all the negative that happened this past week.
Anya took comfort in her assurance they were going to get through this.
*
A week flew by without anything strange happening to Anya. Winter break arrived, so she didn’t have to worry about dealing with Heath or Devlin at school. No one came to her door crying witch, so she figured Valerie was right when she said no one had seen what happened with the cupcake.
On Friday, she and Valerie had plans to grab dinner at the Vanmere Bistro. They had the best bacon cheeseburgers in town, hands down. Afterward, they were going to hit up the theatre to see a new release they had both been dying to see all yea
r long.
At four o’clock, Anya was still trying to figure out a top to wear when Valerie breezed into her room. “Hey, hot stuff! You gonna slum it in your jeans and bra, or are you going to pick out a shirt already?”
Anya grumbled and stomped back into her closet. She settled on a blue-striped sweater and shoved it over her head. Whenever she wore blue, it made her eyes pop, so she couldn’t go wrong with this choice.
“Your dad comes back tomorrow from his business trip, right?” Valerie asked as she gave two thumbs up on the sweater choice.
“Yup. Mom has a big dinner planned. You’re welcome to come over and eat with us.” Anya sat down on her bed and pulled her sneakers on, snatched up her jacket from the hook on the back of her bedroom door, and they ambled down the stairs.
The doorbell rang, and Anya paused on the bottom step, an uncomfortable feeling washing over her. She suddenly felt ill.
“Well, are you just going to stand there, or are you going to answer the door?” Her mom laughed as she walked past and opened the front door.
Two uniformed officers greeted her with the tip of their hats and a solemn, “Good evening, ma’am.”
“What’s the matter, officers?” Julia didn’t even return their greeting. Worry etched itself on her face, and she clutched the door as if resisting the urge to shut it on them.
“May we come in for a moment? We have a couple questions,” Officer Skaggs said. He was Lisa Skaggs’ dad. Anya remembered him coming to career day in elementary school.
“What is this about? I haven’t done anything wrong.” Julia still refused to open the door anymore.
Anya hugged herself, standing frozen on the bottom step beside Valerie.
Oh no!
They were there for her. She could feel that knowledge deep within her bones. Someone had seen her last Friday night, and they had finally found the courage to go to the authorities. The town’s laws were backwards; all the kids joked about the crazy legislation they had learned in elementary school. Witches could still be burned at the stake. That law hadn’t been changed in all the years since it had been created.
Anya snapped out of it. She’d missed a lot of the conversation while listening to her own thoughts race through her mind. She watched as her mother led the officers into the living room.
Moments later, the two officers strode out of the living room with her mother jerking on their arms.
“No! You leave her alone!” Julia pleaded. “She’s done nothing wrong! Run, Anya!”
Anya and Valerie took but a second to glance at each other, then yanked the front door open and dashed out into the crisp evening air. They both raced down the street toward the end of the road. If they could make it to the woods at the dead-end, they’d be home free. The trees were too close together, and there were tons of hiding spots.
Suddenly, a heavy weight tackled Anya from behind. Her head hit the sidewalk with a crack, and stars floated through her vision. She was too disoriented to even fight back. What was happening?
She must have been struggling more than she thought, because Officer Skaggs clipped the side of her head with the butt of his gun, and her whole world went black.
*
I’m dead.
Anya awoke with that thought in her cold, damp cell. She was sprawled on the concrete with her cheek pressed against the cold floor. She’d apparently drooled in her sleep, as well. Or maybe it was blood? She had hit the sidewalk pretty hard. That must have been what killed her.
So if she was dead, was this hell? Inky blackness surrounded her.
She groaned as she sat up and leaned against the wall. Her eyes fought to stay open. Sleep wanted to pull her back under, but she shook it off. She glanced up; she could see the moon just outside a window set high in the wall.
Hm, so I’m not dead?
She wasn’t sure how long she rested against that wall, waiting for someone to come rescue her. She was scared, cold, and hungry. She didn’t even get the chance to have dinner. Her head pounded from both the smack into the sidewalk and the officer’s gun.
She gave up the fight and finally let her eyes close, then slumped back down onto the unforgiving floor.
*
“Wake up, freak,” a gravelly voice snarled, echoing off the cell walls. “C’mon. I ain’t got all day. I’ve got stuff to do!”
Anya lolled her head to the side and squinted up from the floor. Her cell door was ajar and a rather large, portly man stood over her with a paper plate. A uniform shirt stretched over his large abdomen, and the buttons threatened to pop off.
She didn’t have the strength to sit up. Her head injury was now a dull ache, but still bothersome.
“Are you daft?” He kicked Anya in her side none-too-gently. “Get up! Now!”
Anya rolled to her belly with a grunt and willed her arms to push her to a sitting position. Dirt covered half her face where she had been pressed against the filthy floor. She was afraid to wipe the grit from her eyes with how grimy her hands were.
Outside her window, she could hear the cries of the town. They called her names and demanded she be burned. She cowered inward, scared.
“You must be mute, too,” he grumbled, as he tossed the paper plate onto the ground. The dry toast tumbled off the plate and landed in a pile of dust. “I brought you some water. It’s all you’re going to get, you witch!” He leaned over, setting a red Solo cup of water next to her empty plate, then hightailed it out of there. The cell door clicked shut with finality.
Anya realized the officer was afraid of her. He’d acted like an asshole, but it was out of fear. People always feared things they didn’t understand. She could somewhat comprehend that. She was scared for herself, since she didn’t know what was happening.
The next two days passed in much the same way. Guards brought toast and water, kicked her, degraded her, and made her feel worthless. She knew she wasn’t worthless, though. This town was full of closed-minded fools.
Maybe her lot in life was to open everyone’s eyes and make them realize different shouldn’t mean scary. She sat huddled in the corner as her tears cleaned silent paths down her grime-covered face.
The weather outside mimicked her emotions. Rain gently fell, trying to soothe her soul. If only she were warm. If she could control whatever these powers were, she could warm herself and fight off the chill. Her throat was sore from crying out for someone to help her.
Tomorrow morning was her last day on this earth. Even then, she wasn’t getting a full day, since the guard had proclaimed she’d die a horrifying death at the sun’s first rays of light. He’d boasted of how the news had been spread all over town, and everyone was required to be in attendance so she could be set as an example.
Anya finally eased herself down onto the floor of her barren cell and drifted into a fitful sleep. Nightmares greeted her of flames dancing over her body.
*
December 21st
The slam of her cell door opening awakened Anya. The sound reverberated off the stone walls. She cried out in alarm as two officers she hadn’t met before crowded into the room and hauled her to her feet.
“Today’s the day!” Officer Number One announced in a far too cheery voice.
“Oh yeah! It’s like a celebration outside!” Officer Number Two jeered at her. “It’s too bad we have to burn all of this pretty flesh. Kurt, you think we could maybe have a little fun before we drag her out?”
At least Anya knew Officer Number One’s name. She struggled in their grasps, not wanting to be their plaything. She would not go down without a fight.
“I dunno. Chief said we needed to bring her out right away. There’s a crowd already gathering, and they’re ready for the show. I think a few of the townsfolk even brought marshmallows.” He chuckled.
Great, now she was just going to be one big joke to them all. How had her life become this?
“I’ll make it quick. No one will ever know.” He pulled at Anya’s shirt, and she screa
med.
“No! Don’t you dare!” Anya fought against their grip. “HELP!” she shouted down the hall.
Footsteps echoed from the front of the building, and another officer rounded the corner.
“What’s going on here?” he asked. He had bright red hair cut short against his head. Freckles dotted every available surface that could be seen.
Kurt fumbled with his words. “We… Well, we were just bringing the witch out. She was fighting against us. She’s going to be a difficult one.”
“Just get her out there now.”
“Yes, Chief,” both officers mumbled.
They resumed a grip on her arms and dragged her down the hall. Her feet couldn’t keep up with their pace, and she eventually gave up, letting her legs drag behind her.
Once outside, her hands were tethered behind her with her back to a large post surrounded by firewood. She raised her face to take in the eager eyes of those around her. Everyone in town was itching to see the show.
She sucked in a breath when she found Devlin in the crowd. With his disheveled hair and hollow eyes, he looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. Worry was etched into the lines of his face.
The chief of police approached her with a lighter in hand while another guard doused the firewood in kerosene.
“Please, don’t do this!” Anya struggled against her bonds.
“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. You know the law. You are an abomination to this town, and you will die today. Your death will cleanse this town of the evil you have brought upon it.” His eyes sparkled with glee.
He flicked the lid off his lighter and struck the wheel, bringing the flame to light. “Goodbye, Anya. May your soul burn in hell for all your evil deeds!” He tossed the lighter toward the split wood with a little too much haste.
Anya watched as the accelerant burst into flames, licking up and down the logs as it spread around her. She could feel the heat radiating toward her, and her fear spiked up another level.
The crowd cheered on the flames and threw more nasty insults her way. Insults that probably shouldn’t have been said with children present.
Anya tilted her head back against the post and sighed in defeat. This was the end. Her hope fizzled and winked out of existence.
She hadn’t spotted her family in the crowd. Where was Valerie? Had they all abandoned her, or were the guards keeping them away?