The Magical Realm of Shadows Part 1 Chapter 1

Hallowtide by M.K O 'Brian

Lily led the mystic procession along the garden path, muttering that she was too old for such childishness. Brigit and Diana followed in her wake. They all wore black from head to foot complete with capes and wide-brimmed, tall pointed hats, and carried pumpkin lanterns. Trailing behind them at a short distance skipped the little boy wizard, his royal blue cape and tall conical hat covered in symbols of the stars and planets. The mystics approached a trellis archway set in the middle of an evergreen hedge.

Brigit looked back over her shoulder calling out to the wizard, “Go away, Billy Boy, you can’t come to the secret garden.”

“Can too, Brigit.” Billy had some sort of nasal issue making him sound like he always had a cold. “It’s just as much my garden as yours.”

“This is for girls only, Billy,” Diana called back.

“Do you think you can stop me, Di?” He raised his voice, swinging his wand through the air like a sword. “You and who’s army, like?”

The procession passed into the moonlit secret garden. In the right hand bottom corner stood the ancient sacred oak. They headed for the battered old summer house facing it.

“What are we gonna do about him?” Brigit whispered as Billy was about to enter the temple.

“Tell him a ghost story, Lily,” said Diana.

The witches sat on the toy storage boxes set around the edges of the summer house. Billy joined them, yawned in boredom, and then took out his Gameboy.

“You know it’s All Souls Day, don’t you, Billy?” Lily frowned at him.

“So what,” Billy shrugged his shoulders.

“You don’t know what it means, do you? Tonight’s the night when souls and ghosts wander the land.”

“Am I bothered?” He shrugged again, using the well-worn phrase picked up from his sisters.

“You know that big old tree in the corner,” Lily pointed out of the window and waited for him to look. “Before we moved to this house, a tree surgeon came to trim that tree, but he fell and broke his neck. His name was Billy Bags. Every Halloween his ghost comes back looking for his tools.”

“So, why aren’t you lot bothered then?”

Lily was trying hard to keep a straight face. “He’s only interested in scaring boys, especially boys who are called Billy, like him.”

As if on cue, a twig snapped in the nearby bushes and the girls shrieked together. Billy bolted out the door and ran up the path yelling, leaving his sisters laughing so much they had to clutch their tummies.

When they had recovered from their giggling fit, the witches got down on their knees, facing each other.

“Did you get it then?” Lily asked Brigit.

“Yeah, I got some hair from her brush.” She removed a small plastic bag from her robes and passed it over.

Diana produced a roll of sticky tape and set it down between them. Lily pulled out a small, scruffy rag doll and stuck the real hair on its head.

“Have you thought of a good spell, Lily?” asked Diana.

“I think so, it’s better than the last one, anyway.”

They all linked hands and became as one, closing their eyes.

Hokus pokus bats and mice,
Give Abby Truman nits and lice.
Make her teeth and hair fall out,
Let her always do without.
If you make her chest stay flat,
I will sacrifice a rat,
If her boyfriend fancies me,
I will praise the sacred tree.
Hear my prayer, I beseech,
Sacred mother on my knees.

Satisfied with the ritual, they collected their lanterns and left the sacred temple, just as Father was calling them in to eat.

The coven entered the brightness of the house, passing through the patio doors and the conservatory into the dining room, where a feast awaited them.

But what also waited was Mother, with hands on hips, and that meant war. Billy stood beside her copying the stance, his eyes red from crying crocodile tears designed to get them into trouble. He even had the same black hair and pale-grey eyes as her.

Candy, the pink-nosed Jack Russell terrier pup, scrambled on the polished floorboards towards Lily, as Candy jumped up Lily caught and used her as a shield between herself and Mother.

“Lily, what have I told you about telling my little angel ghost stories. You should be ashamed of yourself, young lady. Well, what have you got to say for yourself, madam?”

“Oh, Mother, you know how he exaggerates everything to get attention. We told him not to come. He’s too young to be hanging around with us.”

“Who in heaven's name is Billy Bags, then?”

Billy cut, in acting the drama queen, as usual. “He’s coming tonight to get his tools, Mam…He’ll get me when I’m asleep.” He grinned impishly and winked at the girls; safe in the knowledge that his mam couldn’t see him.

“Well!” said Mother, her chest heaving.

“Oh, whatever,” Lily raised her hands and stared back. “Do we look like we’re bothered?” Only then did she realise her partners in crime had sought shelter behind her back.

“Brigit, Diana, go sit at the table, now!” Mother snapped.

Obediently, they took their places at the long beech-wood table, relieved to be out of the firing line. Lily rolled her eyes at them.

Having become the sole martyr to the cause, Lily’s defiance ebbed away, even though Billy was still sticking his tongue out. “All right, Mam, I’m sorry. We were just joking, honest.”

“That’ll do then,” said Father who was sitting at the far end of the table. “Let’s have our supper.”

Mother moved her hands from her hips. “All right, Lily, sit down. But think on in future, young lady.”

Mother wasn’t one for bearing grudges, but she did insist on discipline, even where father was concerned.

Once Mother had said a Hail Mary as grace, they all tucked into the meal, differences forgotten. Usually, Mother was a stickler when it came to providing them with a healthy diet, but tonight was a special occasion, so they were allowed hotdogs, homemade hamburgers, gingerbread men and brandy snaps filled with fresh cream - not to mention their favourite dessert of toffee apples.

“Come on.” Mother pointed at the salad bowl. “If you don’t eat more you’re not having the toffee apples.”

“What were you girls doing in there, anyway?” said Father, brushing a strawberry-blond lock of hair away from his eyes.

“Just playing magic,” said Lily, obviously struggling not to look guilty.

Trust Billy to have something to add though. “They’ll have been sticking pins in dolls of Abby or summat, Dad.”

“Get lost, Billy, you fibber!” Brigit blurted out.

“All right, that’s enough,” said Father. “No arguing at the dinner table, you know the rules. And don’t make up tales, Billy.”

“Well, kids,” said Mother with a smile. “Are you looking forward to tomorrow?”

“But, Mam, I don’t even remember Aunty Sibyl,” complained Diana.

“I know it’s been a few years, but that doesn’t matter. You know, when I was your age, the best times I had were with Aunt Sibyl. I guarantee you’ll love it. Do you really think I’d send you there, otherwise?”

“She is a bit eccentric though,” said Father. Then he added with a cheeky smile, “She reminds me of a witch.”

Mother turned her wolf-like eyes on him, as if to say, don’t contradict me, darling.

Lily broke the tension. “I remember a bit about Aunty, I know that she was really nice.”

“There you are,” said Mother. “Just trust me, it will be the best holiday you ever had.”

“How long will it take to get to the Dales, Dad?” Brigit asked.

“Oh, not long. It depends on the traffic and how long we stop for the picnic.”

“Mam,” whined Billy, “can’t I stay here with you, please? It’s not fair me having to go away with a bunch of silly girls...”

“How do you think I feel?” Lily interrupted. “Having to go on holiday with a bunch of kids, at my age?”

“We’ve been through all that, Lily,” said Mother, before turning to Billy. “No, darling, I’m going to be really busy. Charities don’t run themselves you know. Besides, I wouldn’t want you to miss out on an opportunity like this, you’ll thank me when you get back. Just you wait and see.”

“But, Mam…” Billy put down his gingerbread man and placed his hands on his hips. “I love you, but I don’t like girls. Why did that stupid stork have to bring us three girls?”

“Why don’t you write a letter to Father Christmas, asking him for a brother?” Diana suggested.

“Don’t be silly, you can’t bring a baby down the chimney, can you, Dad?”

Everyone burst out laughing. Billy’s quizzical expression revealed that he didn’t understand what was so funny, but he liked to be the centre of attention, so he laughed along.

“If you love me, Billy,” said Mother, “you’ll love your sisters. We’re all as one. And you can forget about a brother, I couldn’t cope with any more little terrors like you lot. I’ve done my duty.”

“I know how you feel though, Son,” Father sympathised. “We’re outnumbered by women in this house; we’re victims of democracy.”

“Anyway, girls...” Mother adopted a serious tone and expression. “When you’re up at Aunty’s, with Billy, I want you to promise you won’t bully him. He’ll be all alone with you lot. I need to know you’ll put aside your sibling rivalries and look after him.”

Lily displayed how hard done by she felt with a goldfish impression, but she pledged her promise along with Brigit and Diana.

“Yeah,” said Billy, sticking his chest out. “It’s like Mam says, do as I say, not as I do.”

“All right, Billy, don’t get carried away,” said Father.

Then it was time for the apple bobbing. Mother went to the kitchen and returned with a large bowl of water. Father placed four apples in the bowl, so they could try taking them out with their teeth only. Everyone was successful except Billy, who went into a strop and refused to let anyone help him.

“I don’t want a silly apple anyway; I wanna get stuck into the toffee apples.”

“Come on, darlings,” Father looked at Lily and Brigit, beaming his pride. “Give us a treat, please.”

They collected their instruments and settled on stools to play Paganini’s “Caprice No. 24,” Brigit’s flute accompanying Lily’s violin.

When the recital over, everyone clapped, except Billy, who had wanted “Lord of the Dance.”

Once all the toffee apples had been chewed down to the sticks it was time for them to wash, clean their teeth and get ready for bed.

Diana supervised Billy’s teeth brushing while Lily and Brigit stood in the doorway giggling.

“Come on, Billy; get the ones right at the back, or you’ll lose them.”

“Get lost, bossy boots. I don’t care if I loose 'em, the tooth fairy will come. When I grow up, I’ll never brush 'em again. So there!”

Brushing taken care of, Billy went into to his single room. The bedroom was decorated with astronauts and wizards in equal measure.

“What you all following me for, you numpties?”

“We just wanna make sure you’re tucked in,” said Lily.

Billy pulled back the quilt, yelped and jumped back, startled by the sight of a large spider in his bed. He was about to shout out, when Brigit ran up behind him putting a hand over his mouth.

“It’s all right, Billy, it’s just a toy.”

Brigit took her hand away. Billy picked up a pencil to cautiously poke the spider with. It was a hard plastic toy. He picked it up and threw it at Brigit. With a shake his head, Billy climbed into bed, followed by Candy. The pup lay down with her head on the end of the pillow and he carefully covered her up to the neck with the quilt.

“Go away, silly girls,” he demanded.

“Night night, Billy Boy,” the girls chanted together, before retiring to their own room.

Lily pulled off the hat and tossed it on the single bed, then combed her long auburn hair with her fingers. Brigit threw her hat on a chair and shook her blonde locks, before belly flopping onto the larger divan.

“You shouldn’t tease him so much,” Diana stuck her nose in the air. “You should be more gracious.”

“Oh, chill out, Di,” said Lily as she checked her phone for text messages.

“Hark at Lady DI,” Brigit giggled and turned to Lily. “How did our little sister get so posh, Lil?”

Diana ignored them and neatly folded her witch’s costume. She hung up her hat and brushed her chestnut-brown hair.

Lily left the room and eased open Billy’s door. Candy growled as the light seeped in from the landing.

“What do you want, silly Lily?”

“Hey, Billy, watch out for Billy Bags, won’t you.”