Chapter 1
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Salem's heavy morning fog clouded my bedroom window, the yellow light of the sun barely illuminating the walls, its weak shimmer just bright enough to light a candle, I picked the lamp off my bedside table, bringing the lit candle to the crude oil pooled in the basin, producing a small flame. I snuffed out the candle, walking towards the cabinet, stomach growling as I sorted through my options, settling on an apple and a bite of the dried rabbit I'd made the other day. I took a bite of my apple, chewing slowly. It was crunchy, sweet, freshly picked, red, and ripe as could be. The rabbit, however, was the star of the show, it was perfectly salted and so tender that it melted in my mouth.
Dropping a lid back over the lamp, smothering the light. I strode outside, closing the door behind me. After I finished eating my apple, I grasped two buckets and walked down to the stream, filling them with crystal-clear water. I carried the water back up, careful not to spill it with each step, before leaving it just out the door, going inside to grab some matches for the stove. I held the matches in my teeth as I poured river water into the pot, before striking a match, placing kindling on the small flame, and then four split logs, stacking them like a cabin. Watching the flame roar, I sat on a small wicker bench by the flame.
Soon, steam floated up from the pot, the powder white fog sharply contrasting the deep gray of the smoke. I pulled it out of the flame, setting it on a large granite plate. I hear the door open, and I turn to see my father.
"Hello Mary." he grumbled "Make me some tea, would you?"
"Sure thing," I said
He stumbled through the door before righting himself, closing the door softly behind him.
The day sped by quickly, doing dishes and preparing food all day. just past midday, Mother told me to take my brothers and sisters to the park by the house where I sat watching children laugh and play.
A girl sat beside me "Nice day, isn't it?"
"Nice as it ever gets" I chuckled. "What's your name?"
She hesitated. "It's Eros, what's yours?"
Never heard that name before. "Mary," I said. "Mary Eastey"
"Mary Eastey," Eros repeated, her lips curling into a warm smile. "That's a beautiful name, Mary. I've never met anyone quite like you before."
I blushed, not accustomed to receiving compliments from strangers. "Thank you, Eros. It's not a name you hear often around here either. Are you new to Salem?"
Eros nodded, her eyes scanning the children playing in the park. "Yes, I am. I just moved here with my family. It's a bit different from where we used to live."
My curiosity was piqued "Where did you move from..." I asked, "If you don't mind me asking?"
Her gaze returned to me, her eyes seeming to hold a hidden depth. "Oh, it's a long way from here, Mary. A place where time seems to stand still, and secrets linger in every shadow."
I couldn't help but be intrigued by her mysterious demeanor. "That sounds like quite an adventure. What brings your family to Salem?"
Eros sighed softly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Family matters, you could say. We're here to start fresh, away from the troubles of our past."
I nodded understandingly, sensing that there was more to her story than she was letting on. "Well, Salem can be a welcoming place once you get to know it. If you ever need a friend or someone to show you around, I'd be happy to help."
Eros smiled gratefully, and there was something in that smile that made my heart flutter. "Thank you, Mary. That means a lot to me."
As I continued chatting with Eros, I couldn't help but notice that there was something different about her. Her skin seemed to have a pale, almost ethereal glow, and her eyes were a mesmerizing shade of a deep blue-green. There was an air of mystery about her that I found intriguing.
But as the sun started to fall in the west and a beautiful haze furrowed over the ocean in the distance, I gathered the kids and made my way home.
The days in Salem had a way of blending into each other, with the same routines and chores occupying most of my time. But Eros brought a spark of excitement and curiosity into my life. She was odd, her eyes would seem to turn a glistening when she laughed, and she moved with such grace and dexterity that it was hard to believe she was human.
One foggy afternoon, Eros and I decided to take a walk along the forested trails that surrounded Salem. The woods were dense, the trees tall and imposing, their leaves rustling with the whispers of secrets untold, unlike the forests that encompassed my home.
"Where are we going?"I asked
She stayed silent. She pulled me to venture deeper into the forest, the sunlight filtered through the canopy, creating patterns of light and shadow on the ground, and her strong grip on my wrist pulsing a dull pain.
"Where are we going?" I asked again, louder
Eros suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. I followed her gaze and saw a small, dilapidated cabin nestled among the trees. It looked abandoned, its windows shattered, and the door hanging off its hinges.
"Have you ever been inside that cabin?" Eros asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
I shook my head, feeling a sense of unease wash over me. "No, I've always been told to stay away from it. They say it's cursed."
Eros grinned mischievously, her crimson eyes gleaming. "Isn't life meant for a bit of adventure?"
Before I could protest, she started walking toward the cabin. I hesitated for a moment but couldn't resist the allure of the unknown. I followed her, my heart pounding in my chest.
As we approached the cabin, a chill ran down my spine. The air felt colder, and the atmosphere was heavy with an eerie silence. Eros pushed the creaking door open, and it revealed a dimly lit interior. Dust danced in the beams of light that filtered through the broken windows.
Inside, the cabin was filled with old, tattered furniture and forgotten belongings. It seemed frozen in time, like a relic from a different era. Eros and I explored cautiously, our footsteps echoing in the stillness.
In one corner of the room, we discovered an old journal. Its pages were yellowed and fragile, but the words written inside were still legible. Eros carefully picked it up and began to read aloud.
"The woods hold secrets older than time itself. They whisper to those who dare to listen, and they reveal mysteries that the world has long forgotten."
"You can read?" I exclaimed, shocked.
"There are a lot of things you do not know about me" she grinned. "I can teach you"
I smiled. "I'd like that"
As we continued to explore the cabin, we came across a hidden trapdoor beneath an old rug. Eros knelt down and pulled it open, revealing a narrow, steep staircase that descended into darkness.
"What's down there?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
Eros smiled, her eyes filled with excitement. "Only one way to find out, Mary."
With that, she descended into the depths of the cabin, and I followed her down the ladder into the darkness, however, when the heel of my soal hit the creaking wood flood, it was anything but dark, the air was cool and damp, and a sense of ancient mystery hung in the air.
Eros led the way, her footsteps barely making a sound on the mossy floor. I followed closely, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement. We reached the center of the chamber, where a large, ornate chest sat, covered in intricate carvings and symbols I knew weren't English. What is going on?
"This is what we came for," Eros said, her voice hushed. "This chest holds the key to the secrets of these woods."
I watched in awe as Eros opened the chest, revealing an assortment of ancient scrolls, books, and artifacts. Some were covered in dust, while others seemed to glow with an inner light. It was a treasure trove of knowledge and magic.
Eros picked up a particularly ornate scroll and unrolled it. The writing on it was in a language I couldn't understand, but Eros seemed to read it effortlessly.
"These are spells, Mary," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Spells that have been lost to time, hidden away in this chamber for centuries."
As Eros continued to explore the contents of the chest, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of wonder and trepidation. The power contained within these scrolls and artifacts was immense, and I knew that we had stumbled upon something far greater than we had anticipated.
"Eros, what are we going to do with all of this?" I asked, my voice filled with uncertainty.
"I'm going to teach you to read," She said, "now repeat after me."
"Okay," What the actual fuck is going on?!
"Verba video,"
"Verba video," I repeated
"nomina eorum cognosco," she spoke
"nomina eorum cognosco," I repeated slowly, barely managing the words
I felt a spinning sensation wash over me, my head began to throb, my body ached, and I felt I was going to puke. My eyelids were pulled shut. I groaned, and a powerful surge of energy coursed through me like a river of knowledge flooding my mind. The spinning sensation intensified, till it shuddered to a stop. I opened my eyes, and there she was, holding a piece of paper up to my face.
"What the fuck Eros," I groaned, "what did you do to me?"
"Look at the paper," she commanded.
I complied, and looking at the paper, I found, the little scribbles on the paper seemed to convey a meaning. I looked at Eros, who had the biggest shit-eating grin I've ever seen plastered on her face.
"For the past fifty years," she spoke "I've been looking for a witch, ever since I first found this place, to help me. And I never expected that witch... to be you."
"fi-fifty years?" I was dumbstruck "Witch?"
The spinning came back, and darkness clouded my vision, I tried to keep my balance, but it was no use. I fell over, and everything went dark.
When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on the mossy floor of the chamber, the chest of ancient knowledge looming beside me. Eros knelt beside, a look of concern on her face.
"Mary, are you all right?" Eros asked.
I slowly sat up, my head still throbbing from the sudden onslaught of knowledge. "I think so. But what just happened?"
Eros helped me to my feet, her grip surprisingly strong despite her seemingly delicate appearance. "Well, you fainted, and, long story short..." she paused, taking a deep breath, "you're... a witch."
"What? How hard did I hit my head?"
"You're a witch, a creature of magic," she said, more confidently this time "And, actually, you didn't hit your head, I caught you before you hit the ground."
"Wh-what?" I stuttered, "I didn't sign my name in the devil's book!"
She let out a small laugh "All of that religious shit... it's not real" she said, "There is no god, there is no devil, there is no holy spirit. My father wrote that book for shits and giggles two thousand years ago, and it just kept getting rewritten and rewritten to the point where it resembles nothing of the original."
"This is a lot to process," I said, sitting down on the chest, out of breath.
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