Chilling Adventures of the Spellman Sisters

Father Blackwood

"The Dark Lord. Satan himself blessed the union of your warlock father and mortal mother, but even then, even then, it was not without difficulties." He said in a raised voice. "Some girls at the Academy of Unseen Arts have suggested that our parent's deaths weren't accidental," I started and Sabrina finished for me, "That maybe they'd been...murdered." 

He lifted his head up a bit, "An inquiry was held. No malfeasance was detected." He said simply, trying to move on. He seemed like he didn't like our father that much, which is weird because everyone always tells me they were close. "It was a terrible accident that befell your mother and father, but it was just that...an accident." He finished faking sympathy.  

I kind of just moved on from the subject, "Lastly: Earlier today, we both took a bite of a malum malus." I started but Aunt Zee cut her way in. "You did, what?" She said in disbelief. Sabrina continued, "And the future it showed us was..." "Horrible," I said looking down a bit and then looking back up to wait to see his answer. He shook his head and laid back, "The biting of a malum malus for the truth of the future hasn't been recommended for decades, in fact. Specifically, because of its wild inaccuracy." 

He said and then rolled his fingers across his cane again, I looked at him with furrowed eyebrows, "But if I may, your father was one of the Church of Night's greatest thinkers." He started and I let my face go neutral again. "He wanted you two to follow in his footsteps. It's right that you two have so many questions." He said, I just nodded and smiled a bit, it was making me feel a bit more comforting. 

He brought his hand to his chest, "My advice? Take your baptism. Come to the Academy of Unseen Arts. Learn our history. Find answers to your questions. Challenge them. Make better answers." He said passionately. "Make us stronger. Will you two try, at least?" He asked genuinely. 

"And should it not be to your liking-" He said and was cut off by me and Sabrina. "You'll let us leave the Church?" We asked calmly and quietly, but still excitedly. "Free choice, children. That is the bedrock on which our church and religion are built." He finished. I was feeling a lot better about my baptism now. If I didn't like it, I could leave. Not that I think I wouldn't like it, but at least I had the option now before it felt like I had no options. 

"But I do hope I'll see you both in the woods on Samhain." He said resting his chin on his cane. "They'll be there, Your Excellency. Won't you, girls?" Zelda asked while standing up along with Hilda, more like a demand though. I didn't care, I definitely felt good about it now. We both just looked and smiled, "Looking forward to it." We both said at the same time. 

Father Blackwood stood up, "In that case...if there's nothing else..." He said expecting to be leaving. "There is one thing, Your Excellency," Ambrose said worriedly. We all looked over to Ambrose, "I'll lead you to it, this way." Ambrose said walking and everyone following him. I didn't really want to go, I'd seen enough dead bodies - but I went anyway. 

Ambrose led us down to the embalming room, to a dead body with multiple stab wounds on it, and a mark on his right arm. Ambrose showed him the mark, "I wanted to make sure, with you, that what I think it is, isn't what I think it is." Ambrose explained. Father Blackwood touched it, "A witch's mark, without question." He said indefinitely. 

There was a moment of silence, "What about the boy's parents?" He asked Hilda with a serious face. "Oh, mortal. They adopted him, Father, they didn't know." Hilda said empathetically. He looked back down at the body, "Poor boy. Alone in the world. Raised by mortals. Never baptized." He said a looked at me and Sabrina, along with everyone else.

I shifted uncomfortably, I didn't like when people looked at me, look at something else. "Think of what he might've accomplished. Tragic, really." He said looking back at the body and putting on some type of disinfectant. I tuned out and whispered to Sabrina, "So, do you wanna get baptized? Because I'm feeling better about it, and I need to hear your opinion about it...since we are getting baptized together." She looked at me and then back at the body.

"I'd like to talk to some people about it, see what their doubts are. But no matter what they say I think I still wanna be baptized. As you said, I'm feeling a bit better about it." She whispered back. I nodded and watched Father Blackwood walk out of the room while looking at us, along with Aunt Zelda who showed him out. 

I walked out of the embalming room and Father Blackwood was gone. "Okay, well I'm gonna go to bed. I'm tired." I said yawning. "Yeah, I am too," Sabrina said rubbing her eye. We walked upstairs, "Oh! I'll come and tuck you two in." Aunt Hilda said following us. We went upstairs and got changed, and went to our beds to wait for Aunt Hilda to tuck us in. "Well, he's a bit dramatic. Isn't he? Father Blackwood." Hilda said coming to Sabrina and tucking her in. "He was your Father's mentor, you know." She added. 

"But then, Dad surpassed him," Sabrina said smiling a bit. "Yeah." She muttered, smiling excitedly. "Your father, was incredibly charismatic, girls." She said to come and tuck me in. "People wanted to follow Edward, wherever he went. He was so handsome." She added fixing my blankets and going over to the stool that was in between our beds. I smiled a bit, "He could've been a movie star if he'd chosen, like Cousin Mongomery. But received the call early. When he was six years old, you know." She finished. 

It was silent for a moment and I decided to ask something, "Hey, Aunt Hilda?" I asked her. "Hmm?" She replied turning to me. "Did you ever have any doubts about your Dark Baptism?" I asked. She sighed, "When I was your guy's age, I signed my name in the Book of the Beast. I mean..." She paused and scoffed, "Us girls didn't have any options back then. Do I have regrets?" She paused, again. 

She sighed and hesitated, "You mustn't tell you Aunt Zelda, this, but..." Sabrina and I nodded. "Some days, some nights...I dream that I am walking through the Greendale woods, at the peak of the dry season...with a lit torch in each hand...so I'd watch the whole forest burn, like so much kindling." She said zoning out with a blank face. I leaned back a bit, weirded out by this. 

She got out of her trance, "Have a lovely little sleep, my darlings." She said and laughed. She got up and kissed both of our cheeks, goodnight. She turned off the lights before going out the door, "I wish you sweet dreams." She said and closed the door. "Um," I said blankly. We both started laughing a bit, but after about fifteen seconds calmed down. "So, do you still wanna get baptized?" Sabrina asked me honestly. "I mean, it's her experience. We could have a different one, good or bad. Plus, if we don't like it we can leave, you heard Father Blackwood." I said getting on my stomach to sleep soon. 

"Yeah, I guess I'm ok with being baptized. Worst case scenario, we can leave." She responded. I hummed in response, closing my eyes. "Goodnight, Sabrina," I said dozing off. "Goodnight, Y/N," Sabrina said, also closing her eyes. 

And sure enough, I woke up twice in the middle of the night, and Casper was licking my face and laying behind me the entire night.