"HOW'S FREEDOM TREATING YOU?"
Eszter propped the phone against her cheek and shoulder while she loaded groceries into her cart.
It's only been six days after their big fight with Agatha and Wanda becoming the Scarlet Witch. Eventually, Wanda gave up Westview and said goodbye to the family she never got to have; it was an emotional day for the sisters, but it's been more devastating for Wanda. After Wanda had put her boys to sleep and said farewell to her beloved husband, Eszter could see that her sister was anything but healed.
Like an opened wound, the fantasy of her family was like a fruit; they were sweet until they weren't. Wanda never properly gave up the ideal life she yearned for. She grieved for Tommy and Billy as if they had died and mourned the loss of the man she loved for another time. Wanda couldn't seem to catch a break.
"It's different," Wesley chimed through the line. Eszter could practically feel his smile through the speaker. "Good different. I couldn't go somewhere because I wanted to without Agatha forcing me to practice more spells."
Eszter smiled softly at the thought; she was happy for him. After decades of being bonded to a psychotic witch like Agatha, Wesley was finally allowed to be a kid again. He was robbed of his childhood after the witch manipulated a young Wesley.
It was almost strange; after everything had gone array in Westview, everyone went their separate ways. Eszter wasn't sure whatever happened to Monica and her friends, nor did she know what ever happened to Wesley. Even though Eszter encouraged him to leave, it was as if she felt lonely all over again. While Wanda was great company, Eszter knew the empty hole in Wanda's heart would never be filled.
Eszter's company wasn't enough for Wanda, and she was beginning to understand. Part of Eszter was yearning for her friends. They were always there beside her since she moved to New York, and being away from them for so long feels abnormal. Lonely is what it really is. Eszter misses her friends more than anything. It was like this bottomless pit in her heart, wishing to be filled, but nothing she did would fill the void.
"That's good to hear," Eszter hums, practically distracted. She absentmindedly tossed a few items into the cart. Some are nonperishable, and some she can easily snack on.
Wesley mumbled something under his breath but spoke louder into the speaker. "Everything good since I left?"
Eszter paused as she picked up a loaf of bread, but her breath was caught in her throat. Should she even tell Wesley everything that's been going on? It wasn't Wesley's concern what Eszter did, nor should it be his responsibility. Eszter promised he would find a way out with Agatha, and she did. Wesley was finally getting the life he never got the chance to get. Wouldn't that just make Eszter selfish for reeling him back in?
Besides, Eszter had everything under control.
Shaking the thoughts from her head, Eszterter dropped the bread carelessly into the cart and pushed it down the aisle. "Yeah," Eszter chirped into the line. Eszter slouched against the cart. "It's been . . . an eventful couple of days. Wands and I have been lying low ever since everything that's happened, and it's been . . ." Eszter stalled for an answer.
However, Wesley seemed to understand her silence. "I'm sorry. I know it couldn't have been easy for your sister," silence carried the conversation. "Sooo. I've been meaning to ask . . ."
"Well, spit it out, then, Wes."
"Wes?"
She rolls her eyes. "I'm gonna hang up."
"Okay, okay. No need to threaten. I didn't want to ask because of all of that, but . . ." Wesley seemed to be contemplating his following words carefully. Eszter raises her brows. "I stopped by Agatha's house right before I left. I noticed the Darkhold was missing. Do you know anything about that?"
Eszter's feet skidded to a halt in the middle of the store, earning an earful from the person behind her. They muttered incoherent insults at the teenager, something about too distracted by their phones, stopping in the middle of the aisle. But Eszter couldn't care less. She'd been too caught off guard by the question.
Wesley was bound to wonder what happened to the Darkhold shortly after he left. Eszter had kept in contact with him every other day since they split up, and not once had Wesley mentioned the Darkhold. A part of Eszter was grateful Wesley hadn't bothered to bring up the whereabouts of the book--how else would Eszter explain to him that it was she who stole the book? Eszter wasn't going to tell Wesley her reasoning for taking the book.
It was a calling, and Eszter needed it to complete the spell. This was Eszter's chance to bring him back whole again, and she was pretty sure she could finish it now.
Eszter closed off. "No, how am I supposed to know?" She scoffs a little under her breath. Eszter pushed forward, steering toward the self-checkout. Her eyes cautiously scanned around her. "It's your mom's book. Maybe she took it."
"My 'mom' didn't have it. Your sister turned her back to her 'nosy neighbor,' and I doubt she'd have it," Wesley huffed. A beat passed between the two as Eszter scanned her groceries, haphazardly tossing them into bags before they went into the cart. "Eszter, is there something you're not telling me when you went back for your friend?"
"I've told you everything I know, Wes," Eszter forced a sigh. She carefully scanned around her before returning to the register, placing her hand on the pin pad. The screen glitched momentarily before the screen switched, showing that it'd been paid. "I really don't know what happened to the book. I just went back to find my friend, and we both left."
"And that was it?"
"That's it," Eszter snatched the receipt from the computer and shoved the cart forward. With speed in her system, Eszter rushed out the doors and down the side of the building.
"Eszter . . ." Wesley drawled.
"Look, Wes, I've gotta go. Wanda's calling me," Eszter lied as she ignored Wesley's attempt to stop her. She continued as if she didn't hear him. "I'll call you in a few days. Don't have too much fun."
Without bothering to listen to her friend's calls to get her attention, Eszter hung up without a second thought. Swinging her bags from the cart, Eszter turned around the corner and disappeared through the shadows.
💜
Eszter dropped her groceries onto the table and searched for one, grabbing it and walking away. While everything was being put away by itself, Eszter walked toward the bathroom when she paused at the sight of her reflection. Staring back at her was merely a shell of a girl she once knew; the person staring back at Eszter looked lost . . . forgotten. She seems tired from the world's weight falling on her shoulders as if everything is her fault or her responsibility to deal with the problem. Eszter remembered seeing sheer excitement once in those green eyes, love for the people she came to care for.
Eszter smiled at her reflection in hopes of finding that person she used to know, but the smile looked anything but genuine. It was like putting on a mask and calling it a day. Even through her fake smile, Eszter told herself that's all she needed nowadays. She has to put on a brave face.
She splashes her face as if washing off the grief. Eszter avoided looking at the mirror again as she turned around, patting the towel against her face.
Eszter dug inside the bag and retrieved the few boxes and gloves, a brush, and a clip.
Hours later, Eszter was staring back at her reflection, gazing back at a person who looked like her. Her brown hair was now painted a dark purple, and even her skin somehow dyed to the color when she sloppily smeared the product all over her hair.
Memories flicker through her mind momentarily, recalling the moments before she fled Wanda's cabin.
She knows. She has it. Eszter was goddamn glad she got to see what she needed, but Eszter was pissed. She was fuming. Eszter couldn't believe Wanda would flip out on her and chase Eszter out of the house.
But there was more to the Darkhold than Eszter anticipated. She had to leave--Eszter had no choice. And as far as she's concerned, Wanda has no clue where Eszter is. Until she can figure out how the hell to get the Darkhold, Eszter was going to lay low for the time being.
Eszter sighs, darting out of the bathroom and toward the room and into the closet. Eszter opened the door and stared at the person tied to the chair. Their mouth was covered with a cloth to keep them from screaming, but it would go unheard; Eszter ensured she stayed far from anyone, hiding from the world that seemed out to get her.
The person wailed behind the cloth, shaking their body fleetingly, desperate to escape. But they were bound by the magic, making getting free nearly impossible. Eszter had made sure of it.
Eszter merely ignored his cries as he begged Eszter to let him go, crying for mercy. Eszter had heard it so many times, but she couldn't let him go. She didn't care because she knew she needed him for the remainder of the spell.
"Thank you for your sacrifice," Eszter smiled to ease the man's panicked state. He merely screamed in response. "You don't know how grateful I am."
Eszter nodded with appreciation. Then, the world went silent.
☁︎isabel's thoughts☁︎
the end is finally here. I decided on not writing the big fight, mainly bc it felt a little unimportant and I genuinely couldn't get myself to write something for it.
I hope this is still good, but I really wanted to close this book. I struggled with writer's block for a while and couldn't find the right inspiration for it.
I got into a little bit of a funk—I couldn't find the inspiration to write. It was disappointing me a lot that I couldn't get myself to write whatsoever. I wanted to give this a good ending, but I feel like I had lost my passion a little.
Thank you guys for giving the book a chance—or the entire series, really. I appreciate all the love you guys give it. I adore Eszter and I really do love this series. I hope you guys stick around.