A Witch's Way

Chapter 5

A scuffling from out in the living room. A clack from the wood of the window hitting the top of the windowsill. Serena sat up in bed, looking around.

Rosemary laid in the shadows, sleeping peacefully, unable to sense Serena's panic so deep in her sleep. Serena threw off her covers and tip-toed across the carpeted floor of her room, pushing the door open slowly.

Serena had half a mind to call out to see if it was Stella, or maybe Jasper, but she doubted it. Stella would knock, and Jasper...wouldn't be here at this time of night, she'd figured.

She peered out into the dark living room, eyes landing on a shadowy figure shutting and opening drawers rapidly, as if they were looking for something.

Pushing open the door, she stepped into the room and watched the person, afraid to breath or step even further.

The figure turned around with a bunch of papers in theirs hands, freezing when they saw Serena standing there.

"Hey! Those are mine!"

The person wasted no time and sprung out of the window, Serena rushing over to the window. She waved her hand and muttered, "Earth Element: Vine!" and a vine sprouted out of the ground and wrapped around the intruder's ankle, rooting them in the middle of the garden.

Serena scrambled out of the window and landed on her face, quickly getting up and ready to fight. The shadow in return shot out a hand, and little yellow, blue and purple flowers sprouted on the ground, unknown to Serena.

A fox sneaked around the house and eyed Serena, launching forwards to grab onto her ankle. Serena kicked as the teeth dug into her skin, sending the fox familiar flying into the bushes.

Her ankle throbbed, but focused on the intruder. Who were they? Serena took a step forwards, then stumbled backwards as the ground rumbled. Thick, thorny vines divided Serena and the figure.

"Dearest? What's all this noise?"

"There's an intruder and they stole something!" Serena told Rosemary, leaving her focus off the vine sprouting on the ankle.

Spores puffed into the air, and Serena covered her mouth, viewing the small particles floating around. When had she put those there?

Rosemary stepped beside Serena, sniffing the air and shaking her head. "Serena, there's.."

A vine shot up and hit Rosemary in the stomach, sending her to the ground, grunting in pain. Serena widened her eyes but kept her mouth shut, hand clamped firmly over nose and mouth.

The vines disappeared and left the girl, and her fox familiar stood there, looking proud. A hood covered her face, a shadow covering any part that the hood was unable to. A long, dark green cloak covered her body. "Thanks for the information, Serena,"

Serena noted that her voice sounded female, and felt her hand being ripped away from her. A vine wrapped around her wrist and tugged, removing her only means of staying away from the spores.

Serena fell, and tried to reach for the cloak when the female stepped closer to her, sneering under the hood. Serena heard Rosemary scramble up, unable to move her head or any part of her body. She felt herself getting sleepy.

"Dearest? Dearest, answer me!" Rosemary said, nudging her head with her nose. Serena laid there, motionless, her breathing going shallow.

In the chaos, the female and her familiar got away, leaving Rosemary to care for Serena. She laid next to her and nudged at her with her nose, hoping that she was just sleeping.

"Jasper? I'm not sure if you may hear this at all, but do you, please respond. Serena is in trouble." Rosemary waited, and nothing happened. Curse this body! If she could only be like familiars and have a human form as well, none of this could've happened, Rosemary thought bitterly.