Promises Beyond The Veil Of Light ( PT 1 )

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A Story About A Young White Witch. Written In Forty Eight Parts.

Part One

Birchester was much like any other county with its built up areas where rows of houses and blocks of flats stood. Some people lived on poor housing estates, while others are owners of their own homes.

Then there are the rich who live in large private estates shut off behind locked gates on private land.

 

Many of the towns have old and new parts with arrays of shops, pubs, restaurants and tea shops, where people meet up. There's the usual police and fire stations.

 

New schools and colleges crop up each time a new housing estate is built, adjoining what were once tiny, sleepy villages with rivers running through.

 

Surrounding the region are large expanses of countryside, with fields of color in Summer and farmland extending as far as the eye can see. Forests older than man hold an expanse of many trees that stand watch while nature's seasons change.

 

It was late October 1990. Birchester junior school was a red brick Victorian building that stood in its own grounds between rows of large old fashioned houses overlooking large back gardens with fruit trees, which school kids tried their hardest to get at, but to no avail as the walls were too high.

 

Every area of the playground was a mass of yellow, brown and red leaves that left a carpet of Autumn color from other tall trees that stood in the huge gardens the other side of the walled school grounds.

 

Willowmina sat at her classroom desk dressed in her usual school attire of black sweat top over black school trousers and black trainers. Her long dark, thick wavy hair shone falling passed her shoulders, curving across cheek bones that hid the pretty face her father said reminded him of a young Kate Bush. It drifted down her back like a black cape giving her a sense of mystery which she liked to exude.

 

Though other kids used her strangeness to call out names like, 'weirdo' and 'Jack shit,' because that's what they thought she talked, after finding out one of her so called friends reckoned she was a witch. But none of that really mattered to Willowmina.

 

Mina as she didn't mind being called was situated next to the window chewing on some gum but trying hard to not let it be known. Her black nail polish was now wearing off in places where she'd been scratching it with boredom. The girl was transfixed, gazing out at the caretaker in his black waxed jacket and gray trousers. He'd been trying with no avail to sweep the leaves of the playground into heaps ready for the wheelbarrow, but in the strong winds they blew in a whirlpool of circles all over the place.

 

'Silly old fool!' She pondered, as he took off his black, woolly bobble hat and scratched his bold head in exasperation. Mina grinned with amusement, pencil now sitting in the corner of her mouth. 'Don't know why he just doesn't leave them, after all they'll soon rot down.' She considered smugly! 'It doesn't take a genius to know about nature and the way it works.'

 

Miss Patricia Willis sat at the front of the class, an attractive English teacher in her late twenty's, her blonde shoulder length hair swept back behind small delicate ears, while intense blue eyes would have her class mesmerized when she read to them.

 

Normally Pat liked to dress casual but smart, but today she wore black heeled shoes, a smart pair of black trousers with jacket to match over a white silk shirt which suited her slim figure, it was ideal for work and meeting with the new man in her life.

 

He was taking her out after school for a meal at Lorenzo's, a new Italian restaurant in town which she was really looking forward to. 'Thank goodness it's Friday!' She smiled to herself, looking forward to a nice Saturday morning lie in.

 

But now her head was down preoccupied with checking homework, a job she really should have done the night before, but had been too tired to concentrate on after an evening swimming and working out at the gym.

 

Pat had always enjoyed living alone in her tidy little one bed-roomed flat with just herself to think about, but just lately the fact she was getting older gave thoughts of babies and having some real love in her life, after all she was no spring chicken and not feeling any younger.

 

Having had boyfriends in the past, they'd all just been casual, but now this new guy Michele whom she'd met at the gym seemed perfect and everything she was looking for in a husband, the typical tall, dark and handsome rang so true with this man, he was also caring with a sense of humor which made Pat feel more secure.

 

Ticking the last of the remaining books, she raised her head and peered above her rimmed glasses which sat on the end of her nose. Observing what the class were up to, aware of one of her pupils was gazing out the window. “Willowmina! Are you gong to stare out of that window for the rest of my class? Pay attention to your books and writing?” It was so annoying for Miss Willis when the youngsters wasted her time and their own.

 

Everyone turned and stared at Willowmina and began laughing. It made the girl feel uncomfortable as she bent her head and gazed down at the book, not really interested in the life of Oscar Wilde. She'd rather be studying biology her favorite subject. 'Why do I need to know about a man who no longer exists?' She thought to herself!

 

At that moment the school bell rang but no one moved, they all knew it would be a mistake to suddenly jump up. Closing their books they waited for Miss Willis to give the signal. “Okay, class dismissed.” She said in an orderly tone.

 

There was a sudden rush as everyone jumped up packing books into satchels and hurried to get to lunch first. Willowmina wasn't interested in the school dinner break, she just wanted to go home, but that would be another four hours yet.

 

“You coming Mina?” Shouted her friend Mia who was anxious to get to the dinner hall before all the chairs were taken. Mia had long dark hair too and would spend ages brushing to make it shine. She loved spending time with Willowmina, listening to her stories of magic and the animals that lived in her world. She'd wanted to visit the great forest, but Mina said that wasn't possible.

 

The last to get up from her desk, with Mia anxious to be away, reluctantly Willowmina agreed. “Yeah, I'm coming.”

 

“Don't sound so enthusiastic will you. I'm starving aren't you?” Mia swung her bag over her shoulder and played with her hair chewing on the ends, a habit Willowmina had also started doing much to her annoyance.

 

“No, I'm not really hungry, but I suppose I'd better eat something,” said Mina stuffing her books into her bag.

 

“You still worried about your mum then?” Mia didn't understand fully how ill Mina's mum actually was.

 

“Of course I'm worried, anyone would be if their mum was dying.” Willowmina had no idea how anyone could speak so casually.

 

They made their way down the corridor as kids joined them from other classrooms. “Sorry Mina,” uttered Mia quietly feeling a bit guilty for not being more sympathetic, but it was hard to feel sadness when she wanted to be happy.

 

Willowmina just wanted to be alone, but didn't want to be rude so decided to join Mia in the huge dinner hall with everyone else. There were lots of circular tables and many chairs that were placed around for pupils and teachers to sit.

 

The two girls decided to get a dinner of veggie burger, chips and salad. It was Willowmina who had introduced Mia to vegetarian food. Although she didn't mind eating meat, she was never sure of school meals, the thought of eating something contaminated made her wretch. It was different in the forest, everything there was fresh and untouched by chemicals. Mina just wanted to protect each and every creature, even down to the tiniest ant or worm. In the forest Mina would study their movements and enjoyed watching them in their habitats.

 

All Mia's life had been about technology and machines till her friend came into her life, now suddenly she too was taking an interest in nature and noticed so much she'd not given much thought to before.

 

Willowmina once told her about the time she'd saved a hedgehog from dying, by taking it in and keeping the little creature warm in a box to hibernate for the Winter. “You have to keep hedgehogs at a certain temperature, they can die if allowed to get too cold.” Mina had told her friend.

 

Taking their food over to what they thought were spare chairs, they sat down only to be faced with grim faces of the other kids that sat around the table. “You can't sit there,” said Jason one of the leaders of a school gang.”

 

“Why not?” Spoke up Mina. “There's nowhere else to sit.”

 

“Cause I say so, got a problem with that weirdo?” He slumped back in his chair looking superior, the other boys smiling smugly afraid not to approve of Jason's words.

 

“Come on Mina,” nudged Mia, “we'll find somewhere else to sit.”

 

“Yeah! You do that Weirdo, listen to your friend and get lost.”

 

Willowmina was seething inside, but she wouldn't give these idiots the satisfaction of getting to her, she had more important things to worry about. Taking their trays of food the girls walked away, listening to the sounds of laughter that came from the boys but not looking back.

 

They crossed the dinner hall scanning for a place to sit, when Mina felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking round a sad faced girl peered from behind dark brown hair that seemed to cover nearly all her face, so that only her deep set eyes, nose and mouth were visible. She was slightly shorter than Mina and gave the impression of being shy. “I saw what those idiots did,” she whispered, giving a barely noticeable smile. “You can sit with us if you like.” The girl pointed to a table close to the door where three other girls were chatting and eating.

 

Mina wasn't sure about the girls, they didn't look precarious but then you could never tell. She looked at Mia for reassurance but knew there wasn't any other chairs available. “Okay!” Replied Mina, “thanks.” It was evident that these girls were a year below her, she recognized two of them from another class.

 

“So, what's your name?” Questioned the girl running fingers through long dark hair.

 

“Willowmina, but friends call me Mina, what's yours?” It felt strange not being picked on as usual.

 

“Name's Emma, but everyone calls me Emm's.” Moving closer to the girl, Willowmina had the strangest tingling like pins and needles running up and down her spine, straight away she knew Emma suffered with back pain and would have liked to help the girl. It was only her fear of being ridiculed that stopped Mina broaching the subject, as the burning feeling intensified.

 

The girls stopped chatting as they approached the table. Emma was eager to introduce them. “This is Willowmina and...sorry what's your name?” She asked, gazing over at Mina's friend.

 

“I'm Mia,” she said sheepishly pulling out a chair and sitting down.

 

“This is Kassie – Gemma and Hannah,” voiced Emma pulling out her chair.

 

“We're having a sleepover at my house tonight,” remarked Gemma who identified with Janet Jackson and thought she looked like her. “You can sleep over too if you want.”

 

Mina made it pretty clear. “No, you're all right, I've got to go home tonight.”

 

“Me too!” Piped up Mia who was also not interested.

 

“No probs, but we do have fun getting all dressed up and trying makeup on.”

 

To Mina that wasn't fun at all and was the last thing in the world she wanted to do. “Maybe another time,” she declared, knowing there wouldn't be another time as far as she was concerned. What she really wished was that she could help Emma with her back problem and wondered how to raise the subject. That was the difference between animals and humans, animals never questioned but just accepted help.

 

“Sitting down next to Emma Mina asked. “Have you ever been in an accident?”

 

Emma stared at her in confusion at why she would ask such a strange question. “No! Why do you want to know?”

 

“Oh! No reason, I just wondered that's all.” Mina already felt like she'd made a mistake in asking and changed the subject. “So, where do you live then?”

 

“We have a farm not far from town, it's only small but we have plenty of animals and I have my own horse.”

 

“Wow! That sounds amazing,” smiled Mina. thinking Emma was fortunate living on a farm and felt that this was the kind of life she'd always wanted. “You're lucky, I'd love to have loads of animals,” Mina suddenly hungry, tucking into chips.

 

“My horse is called Amber, you should come over and see him one day, there's loads to do. Do you ride horses Mina?”

 

Mina put her head down disappointed in herself that she wasn't more worldly. “No, but I'd love to learn.”

 

“Well I could teach you,” replied Emma.

 

Mina was getting excited, when she suddenly remembered about her mother and became maudlin once more. “Won't be able to come over, I have to be at home.”

 

“Oh, okay. Well if you change your mind, you're always welcome.” Emma was just finishing up. “Right, come on you lot, let's go change into our games clothes, we've got hockey this afternoon and I want to get over to the playing fields first.” Emma turned to Mina. “What you got next lesson?”

 

“Art, then biology, one of my favorite subjects.” As the friends got up to leave, Mina was glad she'd got to speak with Emma and felt that although she was a year younger, this was someone she had a connection with. Willowmina couldn't wait to get home and tell her mum.

 

To be continued...