THE WITCH'S BRACELET

The Witch's Bracelet

Five hundred years ago, in a small farming village far from the capital city, lived a pleasant couple named Charles and Jane. After five years of marriage his lovely wife Jane began to swell with a child. In time, twins Electra and Akira were born.

When Electra and Akira were 6 years old the parents and town people could clearly recognize the difference between the identical twins. Akira was a lovable, kind, and helpful. She tried to help animals and birds to heal from their wounds. Once cured, she would let them go by kissing them good bye. She cared for her dolls as if real children. Akira combed their hair, changed their clothes, bathed them clean, washed their clothes, and sang songs to them. Akira loved to help her mother in their garden and soon gave names to all of the plants.

Standing in stark contrast, Electra pulled the heads from her dolls, rip their clothes off, and stomp and grind the dolls with her full weight into the dirt. Then, Electra would lie and say that Akira had broken her doll and demand Akira's doll. In the garden, Electra crushed the rose petals in her hands instead of putting the pretty flowers into the vase on the kitchen table. When innocent butterflies chanced to rest upon Electra, she clasped their wings and set the hapless butterfly on the outside table. There, her face delighted as she slowly tore the wings from the butterfly's body.

Jane worried about Electra’s behaviour. Jane told her about right and wrong and tried to reason with Electra. But it always resulted in the same behaviour; Electra would blankly stare and then run off screaming to sit by herself in a swing under a big tree at the far end of the property.

On their eighteenth birthday, Electra and Akira tended the grape vines when they saw a hawk swoop down upon a flying sparrow. Akira reflexively said, "I wish I could protect that little sparrow from the hawk." The little bird changed course and headed straight to Akira's outstretched hand. The hawk changed course and flew to his perch in the large tree with the swing. Akira kissed the little bird and gently lifted her hand to signal it time to leave. "You're safe little sparrow. We'll see you another day."

"How did you do that?" asked Electra.

"Make a wish and see what happens, Electra," replied Akira.

Electra said, "I wish my hair would change from brown to blonde." After a few seconds her hair became an unnatural platinum blonde. "This is so great. I want a book of spells and potions so that I can make other people like me, like they like Akira."

"What happened to your hair, Electra?" demanded Jane. The girls told them what happened in the vineyard.

"Are we really witches, mom?" asked Akira.

"I have heard it being passed to twins in my family before but that was long, long ago." Jane was pleased Akira had this power because she knew it would only be used for good. "Remember girls, your powers are only to be used for good. Otherwise you will destroy yourselves." Jane was frightened to think of Electra misusing the powers.

She told Akira to watch over Electra and if she did anything wrong and use her evil powers Akira had to stop her immediately and not stop just because she was her sister. They grew older and Akira used her powers for the good and helped the needy. But, as her mother feared, Electra used her powers for evil. She conjured a portion to stay young forever. This potion needed to be repeated weekly and required Electra to kill one baby animal a week to steal it's life force.

No matter how hard or what Akira tried, Electra would harm Akira to prevent her from stopping her practices. Akira knew she had to stop Electra for everybody's good but she could not figure out what to do. In tears, Akira walked into town and stood atop the foot bridge which overlooked a slow moving creek. Legend said that a river fairy lived in the water and that she provided comfort to the despondent.

Popping her head back from a trance, Akira knew just what to do. To stop Electra from doing more harm, Akira used her powers to seal the book. She created a special bracelet, one that was a simple silver broad based with just one purple gemstone in the centre. Simple but elegant.

Akira presented the bracelet to her sister. Electra was surprised to receive the gift but clasped it on her wrist. "May you reside in the hidden compartment of this bracelet unable to use your evil spells."

As the spell began to take effect upon Electra, she shouted, "May you turn into one of your little animals." Electra disappeared into the bracelet and the bracelet dropped on the floor. A plain white housecat struggled out of the pile of clothes Electra had been wearing.

Though a cat, Akira immediately locked the bracelet inside the book and pushed to book into the storage cellar under the house where canned goods were stored. Akira guarded the house and garden for 400 years.

###

Nana Mary loved to tell stories to her granddaughter Eve. "After all these years, legend says Akira still guards the book and her sister. The house fell down years ago and no one ever lived in that pile of rubble. I saw Akira the cat a few times when I was a kid, like you."

“Tomorrow Daddy and his men will bulldoze that land. Do you think the witche's bracelet is still there?"

"Oh, that's right. They're gonna begin building that new mall out there. Why yes, I believe its still there. Someone should save Akira, Electra, and the book, but who? Now go to sleep, honey."

Eve’s father James was the new mall construction superintendent. As he left early to go to work, Eve awoke and begged her father to save the old cat and look for a magic book for her.

By noon the workers had found the old bound book and retrieved the old cat. Everyone knew the boss's daughter liked to collect antique stuff.

James returned home late that night. Eve was fast asleep so he left the old book and the Bracelet on her table. He kissed his daughter on her cheek, set the confused cat next to her, and left the room.

In the dead of the night, Eve was awoken from her sleep by a curious light on her table. Startled to see the light came from the book, she screamed. Nana got up and hurried to Eve's room. Both Eve and Nana looked at each other and then back to the light emitting book of spells. Neither knew what to do.

Nana told Eve that it was not a good idea to wear the bracelet and open the spell book as it would only cause trouble. Nana took book and bracelet and hid them in her closet. Nana told Eve to go to bed but Eve could not sleep because her mind conjured up images of what the might be inside the beautiful purple stone bracelet.

The next day without telling her Nana she wore the bracelet and Electra was freed. “You have released me from the spell. Now you have to die, little girl”.

Eve screeched aloud and her old grandma ran up the stairs to find Electra stealing Eve's age and her body, as well. Immediately, Nana tossed a handful of turmeric powder at Electra. Electra cursed Nana and turned her into an ant.

Nana watched Electra fly away with Eve. Nana found Akira and asked for help.

Akira was upset at first but then told Nana that the way to get rid of Electra was to trap her back in the bracelet, smash it to pieces, set fire to it, and wash off the ashes with salt. But, all this must be done when there is no moon.

Akira and Nana found Electra hiding under the old big tree, which had fallen and lay rotting. Electra kept Eve in captivity because she could not steal the life force of any child not showing fear. Eve knew this of the legend.

Back at home, Nana and Akira waited until the day dawned and there was no moon in the sky. Akira pawed through the book of spells left behind and cast a spell on the bracelet to sing a very sweet song and enchant Electra.

Ready, Akira cleared the sky and the bracelet sang the sweet song which covered the sky and reached Electra's ears and she immediately went onto the trance and followed the song into the secret storage section of the bracelet. Back under the tree, Nana the ant chewed off the bonds of Eve. Eve picked up the bracelet and Nana and ran to her house.

Eve found a hammer belonging to her father, James, put the bracelet on the table and smashed it to pieces. Then, she set the pieces on fire and later dissolved the ashes with water and threw the remains down the drain.

They joyously hugged each other until they witnessed Akira suddenly drop to the floor dead. After a few seconds, the spirit of Akira stood before them, as young and beautiful as she was the day she became transfigured.

Akira blew a kiss to the ant and the Ant again turned back into Eve's grandma.

Akira bent down to Eve. "Now I am free. Electra is dead and my work here is done. Thank you for setting me free."

Nana and Eve waved Akira good bye as the spirit vanished.

MORAL: GOOD ALWAYS WINS OVER EVIL