Everyday Witches

That night, once Tom had been safely transported to a secure location to await the ceremony and the judgment of the Gaia, Marge and Jeff were in their room getting ready for bed. Jeff stepped out of the adjoining bathroom and stopped in front of the sink, adjusting the towel that was wrapped around his waist. His short hair was plastered to his head and his chest still glistened from his shower. Across the room, tucked into bed, Marge edged her reading glasses down and watched as he fiddled with the towel, admiring the view of her husband without the suit. With three kids around it seemed like there was never enough time for them to just appreciate one another. Jeff finished securing the towel and padded softly across the carpet to Marge’s side of the bed. He leaned over to give her a kiss, a few stray drops of water dripping from his shoulder onto the comforter.

“How are you, honey? I know it was a rough day, and you’ve got a lot on your plate with the initiation coming up and all.”

Marge looked up at him with a smile, setting her book down on the bed beside her. She took off her reading glasses and set them on the nightstand beside the bed. “I’m fine, just a little tired. It took a little more effort than I would have thought, chasing Tom all over his house.” She gave him a wry grin and pretended to flex. “I’ve still got it, you know, it’s just that I’ve never had to be the long arm of the law before. That’s usually your job.”

Jeff smiled faintly and reached a hand down to wipe up the stray drops that had fallen onto the blanket. “Oh, I know you’ve still got it, believe me. I’ve seen you in those yoga pants.” He patted Marge’s leg, hidden beneath the blanket. His face grew more serious. “I hate having to drag you into stuff like that though. I feel awful about it, really. Next time I’ll just ask James.”

Marge sat up quickly, the bedspread falling down to reveal her lacy nightgown. “No, no, that’s not what I meant!” She reached a hand up to Jeff’s arm, stroking it gently. “You are the one with the big guns, though,” she said wryly, admiring his muscled physique. Jeff wasn’t one of those policeman who let the doughnuts spoil his form. “It was fun, really. And I was glad to do it. Now that it’s over, anyway. Let’s just let it be and enjoy this little bit of time we actually have to ourselves.” She should have known better than to mention it, she thought to herself. With a sign, she added, “Anyway, it’s mostly the initiation that’s on my mind now. Everyone will be arriving soon and we’ve still got to get Cade off to my sister’s.” She made a face and took her hand from his arm, setting it delicately on her lap. “I haven’t seen my parents in a while now, and trying to make sure everything will be perfect for them can be exhausting.”

The initiation of a new witch at the age of thirteen was generally considered a huge right of passage, with a large celebration preceding the ceremony itself. Marge’s parents and Jeff’s sister would all be flying in for the event. Since he wasn’t of age yet, their youngest son Cade would be going to stay with Marge’s sister for the weekend. There would be plenty of family and friends at the party though and there was a lot of pressure to get things just right.

Jeff grinned, the smile lines creasing pleasingly at the corners of his mouth. Marge reached a hand up and caressed the side of his face, wondering how on Earth he managed to avoid becoming jaded like so many of his cop buddies.

“Yeah, having the folks over is enough to make anyone worry,” Jeff chuckled, placing his hand on top of hers, rubbing her thumb gently with his own. “I’m sure it’ll be fine though. Even your mother will be impressed, with all the time and planning you’ve put into it. And they’ll be on their way back home before we know it.”

“I hope so,” Marge replied, taking her hand back and tucking a stray curl behind an ear. “It’s been several years since we had to pull off one of these ceremonies and I think that I’ve got everything down, but you know what a bear my mother can be.”

Jeff rolled his eyes and chuckled again. “Oh yeah, she’s a nitpicker, for sure. But you’re amazing, and I’m sure that what you have planned will be perfect.” He leaned over to give her a gentle kiss on an exposed shoulder, clutching the towel around his waist tightly so that it wouldn’t drop. Marge exhaled audibly and he grinned against her skin before kissing his way slowly up her neck. “You. Are. Amazing,” he said between kisses. When he had finished, he moved his head back a few inches and looked her in the eyes. “Really, anyone who can put up with everything me and the boys put you through can definitely pull off a killer initiation ceremony. I’m not worried in the least.”

Marge looked back at him, her eyes shining and her mouth curling into a sultry grin. “Well, I may have a lot to put up with, with you all around; but at least I’m appreciated. And, let me remind you that you are much appreciated too.” She reached a hand out and tugged at the knot that held the towel around Jeff’s waist. His eyes widened and his brows shot up. He laughed softly and held tight to the towel.

“Come on now, bring those big guns over here,” Marge said breathily, reaching her arms behind his back and pulling him gently towards the bed. Jeff smiled, letting the towel drop to the floor and sliding his weight gently onto the bed with Marge.

**

Two days later, a full moon dawned and the day of Ricky’s initiation had come. Cade had gone and Marge’s parents had arrived, and the family had been working together all morning to get everything ready to transport to the Murphy house; where the ceremony would be held. The party favors and decorations were all packed, and now all that was left was the food. Jude had promised to haul the family grill down to the campsite and Marge and Jeff had prepared a whole Texas barbecue for the party. Ribs, sausages, brisket, along with corn on the cob, baked beans, and Marge’s famous cole slaw. Everything was stored in the extra refrigerator in the garage, and now Marge was transferring it all into a cooler to take to Jude’s. She was excited for the upcoming ceremony, but as she worked to pack up the food, she couldn’t help but worry a bit.

The night before, she and Jeff had begun the discussion with Ricky about their true nature as witches, in preparation for the upcoming initiation. This morning, as they had been getting ready, Marge had noticed the boy pacing the room often, lost in thought. Sometimes he would pause and stare blankly into space and then shake it off and continue whatever he had been doing. She remembered all too well what it had been like for her at his age, and she had tried to do everything she could to ease the transition. It was like telling the boys that Santa wasn’t real all over again though. It was definitely a life changing event. She was sure that once they got to the campsite, with all of the friends and family around, and all the fun things to do, Ricky would start to come to terms with things. But just hearing the words that had altered his view of the world had certainly been hard.

A knock sounded on the frame of the door that led from the laundry room in to the garage, and a wrinkled face appeared, peeking around the corner. “Heleeeew there, Marge,” her mother Julia said happily. “Can I help you with something?” She strutted into the garage and stood beside Marge, who was kneeling over the ice chest.

“Hey Mom,” Marge said, reaching a hand up to pat her mother’s affectionately. “I’m just getting everything loaded up into the ice chest right now, there’s not a whole lot left to do.”

“Nonsense,” Julia replied, moving in closer to the fridge and edging Marge out of the way. “I’ll hand you everything and you can get it packed away. It’ll go a lot quicker that way.” She reached in to the fridge and began quickly pulling things out and handing them to Marge.

“Slow up, Mom,” Marge said laughing, a pile of food quickly forming around her feet. “I’ve got to get it packed in there so it’ll all fit.”

Julia turned around and looked at Marge, wagging a gnarled finger, “Come on girl, let’s get a move on. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Marge sighed. “Mom, it’ll be fine. We’ve got plenty of time, and everything’s almost packed already. She crammed a package of cabbage into the ice chest, piercing the bag. “Darn it,” she said loudly, taking the package out and folding it over so that the contents wouldn’t escape the bag.

“Let me do that,” Julia said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She nudged Marge out of the way once again and leaned over the ice chest. She reached in and began hauling everything out, stacking it in neat piles beside the chest. Then she slowly started to re-pack it, lining up everything just so. Marge gritted her teeth, but said nothing.

“How is Ricky doing with the transition,” Julia asked sweetly as she worked. “I saw him wandering around, starry-eyed earlier today.”

Marge sighed again, pulling up a box beside the ice chest and adding some canned goods from a shelf beside the fridge. “He’s going to be fine,” she replied unhappily. “It’s been a little bit hard on him though, for sure.” She studied her mom’s face, noting how the lines had become deeper since the last time she’d visited. The last trace of brown had disappeared from her gray hair as well. “You know how it is. It’s just a difficult adjustment. How are you and dad doing?”

Julia waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, we’re fine dear. Just the usual. Dad’s been doing a lot of bird watching and I’ve been spending time with the sewing circle.” As usual, she changed the subject right back to Marge’s family. “Ricky though, is going to need some support in adjusting to being a witch. Did you tell him about our history yet, that he has a choice in how he lets this news affect his life and how he chooses to live it?”

Marge exhaled in frustration. “Of course I did, Mom. I told him everything that I could in such a short space of time. We’ll go over all of the rest of it in time. And he knows that we’re always here to support him.”

Julia interjected, as Marge was finishing her sentence. “Well, I really think…”

“Mom,” Marge said with conviction. “Really, he’ll be fine. I’ve got it handled. And we’ve been through this before, with Brandon. He turned out fine, didn’t he?”

Julia stood up from her crouched position and threw her hands up, indignantly. “Well, if you don’t want my advice, then fine. But I raised several children too and I know a thing or two about it.”

“Okay, Mom, I appreciate it but he’s my son and I know what I’m doing here too,” Marge replied, trying to smooth things over. She loved her mom dearly but the woman could really stick the pins in at times. They had been through arguments just like this so many times before. Closing the fridge behind her, Marge knelt and began to pack the last few items into the ice chest. She could tell that her mother’s feelings were hurt, but she had learned through the years that she had to stand up for herself if she didn’t want to have her own feelings run over. Everyone had their own opinions when it came to raising children, but Julia could be unrelenting.

Closing the lid to the ice chest, Marge stood and reached for one of her mother’s hands. She patted it gently and gave her a small smile. “I appreciate your concern, Mom, really I do. But it’ll be fine. You can talk to Ricky about it, if you want. I’m sure he’ll be glad for the support. But I’ve got it handled from my end.” Julia’s pinched expression softened a bit and she nodded. She looked like she probably had more to say about the matter, but thankfully she held her tongue.

With the last of the party fare packed and ready to go, the Johnson clan loaded up in Marge’s SUV to head over to Jude’s family’s house. Marge’s parents followed behind in their rental car. When they arrived, they each parked in the long driveway that formed a U- shape in front of the farm house. Then they climbed out of the car and Brandon went up to the house to get Jude while the rest waited together in the driveway.

The area where the party and the ceremony would be held was at the very back of the Murphy’s property, near the cattle fields. The farm itself encompassed around 200 acres and it would be too far to try to carry all the supplies over to the campsite on foot. Luckily, James had a pair of old golf carts that he kept around to traverse the property, and after a short wait Jude appeared driving one of the carts around from the back of the house. Brandon sat in the passenger seat beside him, a huge grin on his face and there was a large empty wagon attached to the back. Jude pulled the cart right up beside Marge’s vehicle and then climbed out to help the Johnsons load up. The back of Marge’s SUV was packed with boxes in addition to the large ice chest and it took several minutes to get everything transferred over into the wagon. When the supplies were finally loaded, Jude ferried Marge’s parents and Ricky over to the far side of the property where James and Maria were already waiting. Then he returned for the rest. It would be another hour or so before the remainder of the guests arrived.

The day was sunny and bright, and would be perfect for the tonight’s celebration. The ceremony required a full moon, but the absence of rain and clouds would be an added bonus. On their way to the campsite, they drove past the horse pasture; Jude’s newest addition standing sentry near the gate and watching them curiously. In the distance, rows of corn stood tall, waving gently in the wind. A tractor stood silently and unmoving in the middle of a half shorn row, waiting until the day’s festivities were over to start back up again. As they neared the place where the party would be held, they passed a large concentric circle of stones that Jude had placed out the day before. All together, there were three stone circles, each one progressively smaller; ending with a large intricately stacked pile of wood in the middle for the bonfire. About 20 yards past the place where the circle had been set out lay the tree lines that converged to form the back corner of the property. In the shelter of the trees, up against the barbed wire fence, James had placed three long tables that would hold the food and other party supplies. His barbecue pit sat strategically at one end. In between the barbecue and the cow field on the other side, James had parked the other golf cart. It also had a long wagon attached to the back and this one was filled with beach umbrellas, folding chairs, and everything they would need to serve the meal.

Pulling up alongside the other cart, Jude parked his golf cart and everyone climbed out. Jeff held a hand out to Marge and helped her out of the cart and then, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he and the other men set to work placing the umbrellas and chairs out near the circle of stones. Marge and Julia made their way over to the food tables, where Jude had already set out the ice chest.

As she began unpacking the side dishes and already prepared items, setting them on the table for Julia to place; Ricky came running up from somewhere out in the fields. He wiped at the sweat on his brow and then picked up a large plastic serving spoon and began to fiddle with it nervously; spinning it around and around between his hands.

“Mom,” he said finally, his large blue eyes far away and lost in thought. “What does it mean that we’re witches, really? Are we even human?” He stopped fidgeting long enough to give her a look so sincere that it hurt her heart. She noticed Julia looking at her pointedly from the other side of the table, but brushed it off.

Reaching an arm around his back, Marge pulled him in for a side hug and leaned over to kiss the top of his hair, blonde and curly just like hers. “Of course we’re human, sweetie,” she said gently. “Our bodies are the same. We just have an enhanced connection with the magical parts of the Earth that regular people don’t. We’re human just like they are, but once we have been initiated into a connection with the Gaia, we have access to a little bit more.” Her mother was pointedly eyeing her from down the table and so Marge pulled Ricky to the side and turned around to face the trees.

“The important thing to remember, Ricky, is that we are human in all the ways that matter. We uphold a standard of dignity and respect for one another and for the Earth and all of its creatures. We have love and compassion and we strive to maintain balance; in our lives, and in the Gaia. We’re really not so different.” She leaned down to give him a hug, rubbing slow circles on his back. He leaned his head against her shoulder momentarily and then pulled back, embarrassed. He still looked a bit shellshocked, but he was calm and paying attention, and had stopped the nervous fidgeting.

“So, I’m still me,” he asked softly.

Julia stepped forward and looked as if she were about to say something, but Marge held up a hand. “Absolutely, you are. This is not a bad thing.” She put a hand on his shoulder and looked him directly in the eyes. “It doesn’t change who you are, what you like, or what you care about. It just adds an extra layer to the world you already know. You may feel different right now, but it’ll all come together. I promise. And you’ll decide exactly how much and what part of the magical side of life you want to incorporate into your own life. There’s no right way to go about it. I’m sure that you’ll find the pieces starting to fit before too long. And there’s quite a bit to it that will even be fun.” Ricky nodded and smiled faintly. He was obviously not convinced yet, but he was somewhat mollified.

“You know what, I have an idea,” Marge said, her eyes twinkling. She gave a little whistle and then scouted the air for Annabelle. “We have a lot of fun things planned for today, but why don’t you spend a little time with Annabelle while we finish getting everything set up?”

Eventually the fairy came floating over from somewhere among the trees, with Price following closely behind. The pair flew up beside Marge and Ricky, landing daintily on the table in front of them. Marge greeted them both, glad that Price had decided to come today. He had had a bit of difficulty adjusting to being a freed fairy and had been spending most of his time in a cardboard box that Jeff had converted to a living area for him. Annabelle had been adamant about his attending the ceremony today though and he’d agreed, sticking close beside her. When Ricky saw the fairies his eyes lit up, and Marge smiled indulgently. Who could resist a fairy, really?

“Annabelle,” Marge said, smiling brightly at her tiny friend. “Why don’t you take Ricky over to the circle of stones and show him your fairy dust?”

Annabelle smiled in return and nodded vigorously. She lifted off of the table in a graceful arc and turned back to beckon to Ricky. Then she flew quickly towards the circle of stones, Price lagging a little behind her. Ricky looked back up at his mother and smiled, the weight of uncertainty having lifted momentarily. Then he turned and made his way around the table and towards the circle, leaving Marge to deal with Julia and finish setting out the dinner spread.

Reaching the stone circle first, Annabelle and Price hovered in the air as they waited for Ricky. Price, being more wary due to his own experience with witches, tittered something to Annabelle about the wisdom of showing Ricky their dust.

“It’ll be fine,” Annabelle said in her clipped, high pitched voice. “He’s Marge’s boy and I’d trust anything that she asked of me. She would never do anything to harm us.” As Ricky neared the circle of stones, the two fairies quieted down.

“Hi Annabelle,” Ricky said, somewhat shyly; his arms crossed tightly over his thin chest as he approached. He had only met the fairies the night before and while he was amazed and intrigued by them, he was also a little bit nervous.

“Hi Ricky,” Annabelle replied, annunciating her words even more carefully than usual for his benefit. Price said hello as well, in his indecipherable fairy voice, waving animatedly for good measure. “I’ve got something really cool to show you,” Annabelle continued, dipping down in the air so that she was level with Ricky’s face. As she hovered in front of him, her purple organza dress fluttered in the draught from her wings. “One of the things that fairies can do that other creatures cannot is to generate a dust that highlights the Gaia’s essence. Would you like to see it?” Ricky nodded, the too-long curls on his forehead bouncing as his head moved.

Annabelle flew over to his shoulder, landing nimbly and then perching there. She grabbed a tiny handful of hair to hold herself steady. Without any fanfare, she rubbed her colorful wings together briskly, eliciting a loud chirping sound that carried across the field. The sudden noise startled Ricky and he jumped, sending Annabelle flying into the air. Ricky looked around, wide eyed; wrapping his arms tightly around his chest once again. The two fairies floated back down, warily, and when they were level with Ricky again Annabelle began to apologize. When he realized what had happened, Ricky burst out laughing.

Looking at him curiously, Annabelle formed a little smile and then began giggling helplessly along with him. Price drew near and joined in as well, hitching up his sock kilt that had slipped a bit in all the sudden motion and slapping a hand along his leg as he laughed. Eventually, the laughter began to die down and the two fairies flew closer to Ricky. Looking at the boy wonderingly they each came near and patted his cheek affectionately. The carefree laughter of a young boy was just as foreign to them as fairies were to Ricky and the tiny fae were enchanted with him.

Hovering at head level again, Annabelle smiled angelically and said, “Well Ricky, thank you. I guess you were just what we needed too. I haven’t laughed like that in ages. Now, if you’ll allow me, I’ll show you the magic of our dust. There’s nothing to be frightened of.”

Ricky agreed, promising not to flinch this time and Annabelle returned to her place on his shoulder. She rubbed her wings together again, holding a hand out below them to catch some of the dust. When she had gathered enough she directed Ricky to turn around so they were facing the tables and the tree line beyond. He did as she asked and Annabelle lifted off of his shoulder, a faint trail of the remaining dust sifting from her wings. She flew until she hovered directly in front of his face and then put her hands together, palms up, in front of her own face. Then she scrunched up her lips in a tiny ‘o’ and blew softly so that the dust flew towards Ricky’s face, iridescent shimmers of fine glitter swirling around and then settling gently onto his skin.

Ricky blinked in surprise but then his mouth dropped open in wonder as the dust took effect. The magic of the Gaia became visible to him and he scanned the landscape slowly, taking in the changes. His family and friends who were standing around the buffet tables were each surrounded with a faint glow that looked to him almost like fire; some of them orange or yellow like the innermost part of a flame and some the blue that appears where the fire burns the hottest. A tiny movement caught his eye, just above the spot where Marge stood and he glanced up into the trees that lined the field. The trees themselves appeared to be wrinkled living creatures and in between two of the branches, he could see a large nest built into the hollow that had previously been hidden. Now it glowed and pulsed softly with the life force of the Gaia that concentrated highly around the magical creatures of the world. While he watched, he saw two small winged creatures exit the nest and fly off into the forest, a glowing trace of light surrounding them and fading slowly once they had passed. He turned to survey the rest of the farm, gazing in awe at the vision granted by the fairy dust. The grass appeared more vibrant, softer looking and richer in color; and even the cows in the neighboring field seemed to be painted with an extra dimension of life. Although they didn’t share the halos of the witches, the color and texture of their fur made Ricky feel like he could almost feel the softness of the hair just by looking at them.

He heard a chirping sound like the one Annabelle had made before and he turned to look for her. She was hovering near the circle of stones that had been set out along the ground for the ceremony. When he noticed it, Ricky put his hands to the sides of his face and gaped. In the air above the circle there was a dome of hazy greenish light that pulsated softly just like the nest had. It looked like a portal into another realm.

“Wow,” he said, drawing the word out and moving closer to the stones. “What is that? It’s beautiful.” He held a hand out above the stone circle as if he could feel the glimmer of light on his skin. Annabelle flew up to perch on his shoulder again, so that he could hear her better.

“It’s the Gaia, she responded, reverently. “This is how it always appears to me, but you can see it now too because of the dust. When Jude set the stones out he began the ceremony by casting a runic spell that would invoke the magic of the Gaia in this space.” As she spoke, Price began to fly in circles around the ring; spinning, diving, and spilling dust from his wings as he went. “He likes you, she said with a grin, and then continued with her explanation. “The Gaia is really all around us all the time. But its resonance can concentrate in places so that it becomes visible and more accessible. In this case, it was called up for the ceremony tonight. Just wait till they light the fire and invoke the magic that will complete your initiation.” She patted his ear in excitement. “It’s going to be really neat.” Ricky grinned, thinking that maybe this witch thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Oh,” Annabelle said, flying up so that she could hover face to face with Ricky as she spoke. “About the dust.” She smoothed down her gossamer dress and then clasped her hands in front of herself as she did often, particularly when she was nervous. “You must be careful with the dust of an unknown fae. The dust bridges the gap between the Gaia and the rest of the world but its uses vary depending on the intention of the fae. And pixies are notorious for using their dust to irritate. You’ll learn more about it from Jude later on, but I thought I should mention it.” Ricky nodded slowly, his joyful expression fading as he began to feel uneasy again.

“Don’t worry though,” Annabelle amended hastily, immediately regretting the worried look that had overcome him. “There are just some things that you need to be aware of. The magical world is just like the world of humans in many ways. Most of the people are good, but there are some of them who aren’t, too. When used properly, fae dust only enhances the natural magic around us, but you need to know to be cautious too, just in case.”

The sound of the golf carts’ engines starting up startled them both and Ricky flinched again, while Annabelle dipped low and then lifted herself back up to head height. Realizing what was happening, Annabelle grinned widely and gestured towards the house across the field. The driveway was filling up with cars as the guests began to arrive. James and Jude were each manning a golf cart and they simultaneously started off in the direction of the house to begin ferrying the guests over.

“The party is about to begin,” Annabelle said excitedly, clapping her hands together and smiling brightly.