The Circle

The Circle - Chapter Three

Three:

Clarinda had been milling around the caravan for five long minutes collecting various books from the book shelves, newspaper articles from a dusty leather-bound folder and strange objects from a large wooden box that was locked and kept under the kitchen sink. Explaining this little lot to April McCabe was not going to be easy the woman reasoned but if her guesses were correct, she needed to know everything and as soon as physically possible. Clarinda had only heard rumours about the Prophecy and rumours they were. She had no real facts but then again, she didn't have the desire to know about it before now. If she spent a considerable amount of time looking through her textbooks, she was more than certain she would discover everything she feared.

A quiet life in Hilltop Green was all she wanted. It seemed trouble followed her wherever she went. 

"Now child, listen to me carefully and think very hard before you answer," Clarinda sat opposite the petite red headed girl and felt a moments sorrow. Before this day was out they'd all be in need of a strong drink.

"What do you know about your family history? Anything at all?" Clarinda carefully placed her tarot cards on the table face down as she waited for April's response. 

"Not a lot to be honest Clarinda," April thought as hard as she could but thinking about her Mother and Father always seemed to create a block in her memory as if her mind wouldn't let her remember. "I was only told that our family went back a long way in Hilltop Green, that's all I know. No offence but what the hell has this got to do with University?"  

Jinx carried in a tray of herbal tea anxiously, she had a feeling this was going to be a very long night. 

"I'm getting to that child and don't bloody swear," Clarinda snapped nervously as she flicked through a gigantic textbook that looked as if it hadn't been used for a lifetime.

It was completely covered in dust and managed to make Jinx sneeze from the mustiness, even when she was sat on the other side of the room. The leather binding was scruffy and ancient and looked as if the brown and discoloured pages would fall out as soon as they were touched.  

"A-ha!" Clarinda yelled as she found the page she was looking for and ran her finger carefully across it. "Here it is, 'McCabe'. Bearers of this surname settled in Ireland after leaving West Scotland around 1350." 

"Mum, you really have gone mad. This has absolutely no relevance to anything," Jinx interrupted her Mother's train of thought. 

"Yes it does child!" Clarinda yelled slamming the book shut and picking up another almost immediately sending dust flying. "April, have you ever heard of The Circle of Aurora?" 

April briefly wondered whether Clarinda had completely lost it. She had never seen her so manic. "All of this is lost on me..." 

"The Circle of Aurora is said to be a secret society dating back to early B.C and a family tradition that has been passed down through the generations. At this point however, I have no concrete facts. The Circle of Aurora has been talked about for decades and individuals have claimed to have seen sightings of disturbing and bizarre events, but the members of The Aurora were never identified and the whole conspiracy remained covered up," Clarinda pin-pointed another page in a second ancient looking textbook and began to read from it. "It has been said that the family whom inherits the power of The Aurora must not show themselves or let any outsiders into The Aurora for the protection of the Blood Line. The Blood Line being the family line obviously. Although that is all well and good, it has been recorded that a woman was hanged right here in Hilltop Green around 1660 for her involvement with The Aurora. She was not a member of the Blood Line which is why it is so significant. It is said she moved to England after a battle took place in her home town of Dublin in 1649 and she became separated from her family. The girl was by herself in a new country and it is rumoured that she was in fact welcomed into The Circle of Aurora. The Aurora taught her everything she needed to know about the protection of the Blood Line, the family honour and most importantly she was taught The Aurora's white magic. Her name was Cathleen Connor."