Into the Light

116 Anna's POV

"We're late," she groaned. We stepped aside to let the people by. They were all dressed in white robes, with their hoods drawn up and filed out of the cabin in a single straight line. The first woman who walked by us caught my eye and I watched her lip curl up in disgust, before she looked away. What did I ever do to her? Oh right, she probably blamed me for Amethyst and the other's deaths. Ash brought up the rear, after about 15 people walked past. He sent us a sad smile and motioned for us to fall in behind him. We did so and stayed quiet, as we followed the line down to the altar. The witches spread out, forming a circle. We started to back away, not wanting to interfere with their customs, but Ash held his hand out to me and smiled. I took it hesitantly, and gripped Colby's hand with my other. They fell into the formation beside me, with their hands joined. Katrina hesitantly took the hand of the witch on the other side of her to complete the circle. It was then that I noticed we were in stark contrast with the witches. They were all dressed in white, while we were all in black. I really hoped that wasn't considered disrespectful or anything. The witch who had given me a dirty look was standing directly in front of me, on the other side of the circle. She started speaking and her voice surprised me. I expected it to be weathered and gravelly, kind of like her face, which was rather wrinkled, but it wasn't. Instead, it was light and girlish. The kind of voice that would make you think of blonde curls and pink bubblegum. I tried to listen but my eyes kept traveling around to all the different people that were here. I heard something about the veil and how the lost could now see more clearly. Like, they were connected to the nature around us, still with us. That was a comforting thought. I looked out to the lake and admired the way the moonlight was bouncing off of the rippling surface. Even though we were at a funeral, and people had lost their lives, I felt at peace. Comforted by the service, or ritual, that was taking place. There was a calm in the air that seemed to circle around all of us. A couple of the witches left the circle to stand in the middle with the bodies. The group shuffled and closed the open spaces. The two witches set about to lighting the candles and chanting something over them and the bodies. My mind switched off again, since I didn't understand what was going on. While I was  Christian and strong in my faith, I had respect for others beliefs and I tried to make sure that I didn't offend anyone. The service was peaceful. There were some who were crying, but it didn't diminish that peace. The head witch, what was she called? The Head Priestess, I think. She pushed her hood back from her face and shook her hair out, before looking around at all of us. Her eyes lingered on us for just a few extra seconds. "Would anyone else like to say anything in honor of our fallen loved ones?" she asked. There were a few people who took their turns, speaking about how amazing the lost had been. How they did their best to help those in need, even when it endangered themselves. I felt like that was about Amethyst. Because, that's exactly what she had done for me. I owed her so much. Ash took his turn and his words brought tears to my eyes. "All of our fallen ones held a special place in my heart. They were kind people, who always tried to do their best in the life that they were given. I will mourn them all, but one in particular had my heart. Amethyst Bridden, from the Coven of Light. You were my best friend. You didn't judge me or push me to be something that I'm not. You understood that sometimes, we just have to go our own way." His voice broke and he took a minute to regain control. "I'm going to miss you, more than you know, but I know that you are all around us. I can feel your presence right now. I don't think that I'll be seeing you, but hey, if you are a restless spirit, come say hi. You will forever be missed, my love." I swiped away the tears that coated my cheek and took a shaky breath. I didn't even know the woman, but this was hurting my heart. Colby squeezed my hand and I looked over to meet his clear blue gaze. For a moment, I was lost. Sucked into that intense look that he always had. I was floating, drifting in the ocean that was  his eyes. His pupil was large, giving his eyes a black color in the dark night. His mouth moved, drawing my attention downward. "You okay?" he asked, without making a sound. I nodded and gave him a slight smile. I was at a funeral. Not an opportune time to be admiring this beautiful man. I sighed and turned my attention back to the front. "This concludes the ceremony. We will be performing the send off ritual, but that isn't open to the public. I need those that are attending to stay in the circle. The rest of you are free to leave. There is an assortment of food in the cafeteria. Please,  help yourself. Thank you for being here," The High Priestess said. She blew out the candle that was behind her and moved her arms in a circular motion. "You guys hungry?" Ash asked, coming to stand in front of us. "Sure, I could eat," Sam replied, smiling at him. Ash nodded. "Okay, let's go get some food then, and we can talk." "Sounds good," Colby replied. We made our way to the mess hall cabin and walked inside. It looked like a school cafeteria, but without the smell of teenage angst and puberty. The large room was decorated in soft colors and had tables with different colored candles on them. "This way," Ash said, motioning us with his fingers. We followed him towards the front of the room, to stand in line behind others. I felt the others eyes on me and my friends. Then, the whispering became evident. We were outsiders and not all of them liked that. It didn't matter that we were here to show our respect. They didn't want us here.