Spirit

New Neighbors

"I am a little too different from them..."

-God-dess and She, "A Little too Different"

I knew from a very young age that my family wasn't like most others. I've been raised by a young single mother who adopted me when I was 2 or 3. She was always into the things that our society calls, "witchy." She had long blonde hair that went down to her back. She wore clothes that looked like they had come right out of Stevie Nicks's wardrobe, and her kitchen was filled with herbs and essential oils. When I was a little girl, she would teach me all about how to see aura, cast spells, and heal people with spiritual energy.

We both practiced Wicca, so quite frankly, we never celebrated Christmas like other people we knew. We celebrated holidays like Yule and Ostara instead. I'm pretty sure nobody knew of the existence of these holidays. I specifically remember going to pre-school on the winter solstice, and saying, "Have a blessed Yule!" to one of the teachers. They just looked at me weirdly, and then said, "Merry Christmas to you too, Anna."

When I started kindergarten, my mom told me I had to be careful who I told about the magick we practiced at home.

"Some people will think we're evil, or just plain crazy, if they know we're witches, sweetie," She said.

"But why?" I asked, looking up at my beautiful mother.

"I don't exactly know why," She replied, as she ran her fingers through my curly black hair. "I guess some people are just mean like that."

I blinked my blue eyes twice at her. "Okay," I said.

From that day on, I had listened to my mom. No one, except for a few cousins, knew I was practicing Wicca. Nobody had any clue that I had magickal powers I knew how to use. I'm not going to lie, keeping the secret was really painful. It almost felt as if I were carrying an invisible sack of boulders, and I couldn't say anything about it. Not to my friends, teachers, or even the guidance counselor. I just had to keep the invisible burden invisible, no matter how heavy it got or how much it weighed me down. Nobody was allowed to see it.

Now, I am a freshman in high school. I don't mean to brag, or anything, but I feel like I'm pretty popular. It kind of feels like everyone wants to be around me. People are just drawn to me. I have a lot of friends.

Well, I don't know if you could call them friends. They're just girls who hang around me at lunch who I don't hate. They tell me my hair is pretty and my eyes are beautiful. Sometimes, they even ask me for life advice. Sometimes I give it to them, but other times, I don't.

These girls are really shallow. I could tell when they met them, because almost each and every one of them had the same yellow aura. All they care about is hair and makeup. Sometimes, a boy or 2 will cross their mind. But they never think about the meaning of life. They don't think about what they want to do with the rest of their time in this earthly incarnation. And I think that is the definition of shallow.

As much as these girls tell me about their life, which can be a lot or a little, I never tell them about mine. I don't feel the need to. My life isn't very interesting, besides the fact that I know how to use magick. I don't have a rich family or a cute boyfriend like most of them do. I'm just an ordinary teenage girl who got lucky in the popularity department.

At this very moment, I am lying down on my bed, which is right next to my altar. My mom is at the house next door, welcoming the new neighbors, the Kairsons. She asked me if I wanted to come with her, but I declined. Right now, I just want some alone time with the spirits in this house. I think it's good to connect with those on the other side, but that's just my opinion.

I grab hold of my clear quartz pendulum.

"Are there any good spirits who would like to talk?" I ask.

The pendulum moves back and forth, which means yes.

"Okay. Is the family next door a nice one?" I ask.

Back and forth, and then side to side. The pendulum answers both yes and no. This is odd. I wish I could ask it to specify, but I can't. Pendulums don't work like that. I'm pretty sure the pendulum means maybe, so I just leave it at that assumption.

"Are they being good to my mom right now?" I ask.

No. I stand up immediately. I can't believe it. My mother is being relentlessly bullied by people we barely know. I rush toward my door, until it practically opens in my face. There's my mom, right on the other side.

"What are you doing, Anna?" She asks.

"I was looking for you," I reply, resting one hand on my hip.

"I told you I was next door," She says. "You knew where I was. Was there something you needed to tell me?"

"I thought the neighbors were hurting you. I asked the pendulum if you were being treated correctly and it said no and-"

My mom cut me off with a fit of laughter. After she finished gawking hysterically at me, she said, "Honey, they treated me fine! By the way, they have a daughter named Sarafina. She's actually downstairs, waiting to meet you. Put the pendulum away, and greet her."