Neighbors; Book 1 of the New Generation Chronicles. (BEING REVISED)

Chapter 4

Let's see. . . Where were we? Ahh! Right.

So the golden snake flew straight for me, it's mouth wide. Then before my eyes it morphed. In a bright flash the snake was gone. Instead, a woman stood in front of me. She had white hair and a bent back. On her wrinkly face, her green eyes examined me warily. Of course, the witch signature was the large wart on her nose. 

I sighed. "What is with this place and scaring the bejeebes out of me?"

"This," The old woman croaked to Asim. "is the chosen one?"

"Yes Grizelda." answered Asim, bowing. "She needs your help. She was enchanted as a baby and must learn her powers."

"Very well. Come tomorrow after your school day." 

"Yes, Ma'am" said Asim. We left and parted to our different houses. I went straight to my room, not really wanting to talk to either of my parents. Soon, I was fast asleep.

The next morning I went to school. There was the usual laughing with my friends, and the bullying from the dynamic duo. Even with this, I couldn't get the questions out of my head.

Who exactly is Grizelda? And Bala? Al? What did Asim mean by enchanted when I was a baby?  Why are all those people brainwashed? What does Bala plan to do with them?

I was sitting at an empty bench after lunch, while I watched my friends play wallball. I usually play too, but the worry was messing with my brain. Instead I sat, my head in my arms. 

I felt someone sit next to me. I looked up. It was Amy's boyfriend! Brady's twin.

"Ummmm. . ." I mumbled.

He smiled. "Hi! I'm Trevor."

"I'm Serval." I looked around. "Um, I'm not supposed to talk to you, let alone, sit next to you."

Trevor sighed. "So, you met Amy already."

I nodded.

"Don't worry about her."

"How?" I asked, my voice starting to rise. "How can I NOT worry? She has bullied me ever since  I came here for no reason that I can seem to think of!"

"She has?" He raised an eyebrow.

 I looked into his deep brown eyes, searching for a joke. "You really don't know? She does it to practically everyone."

"This is one thing that I'll have to look into." Trevor said gravely.

As he said that, the bell rang. Before I knew it, the school day was over. 

Asim and I raced to the pond. When we got there, Grizelda was whittling a piece of wood. When I inspected it closer, I saw that it was the basic form of a raven. "Concentrate, Serval. Imagine the details of this magnificent bird. Sit down, close your eyes and imagine. Take deep breathes."

I did as she told and I heard Asim gasp, and Grizelda began to speak. "The raven is the first source of magic to ever come upon the earth. It was found by the first witches. They harnessed it's power and split into good and evil." she paused. "Yes, Serval. There are such things as good witches. I am one of the wisest of the malevolent witches."

I kept imagining the beautiful glossy feathers and the long sharp beak. The gleaming and intelligent eyes.

"Open your eyes." Grizelda ordered.

I did and gasped as I saw that the wooden bird was exactly as I had pictured it, save the color.

"Put your hand over it." Grizelda said softly.