It began in a small town called Arcville, near Lake Ontario in western New York. There in the small village stood a big house that hung out among the small cottages, but it wasn't the biggest house in the town, but was the biggest by the lake. In the house lived four sisters, Shina who was nineteen, Demeter who was seventeen, and the twins Hestia and Skrina who were fifteen. Their parents were killed in a car accident long ago when they were just little girls, and since then their grandmother, Tallulah took care of them. The one thing no one in the small town didn't know about this family was that they were witches. It was their mother's wish that Tallulah would teach them to become witches like she had taught her, when she was a young girl.

Tallulah did as her daughter asked, and taught the girls well of the power that was within them. They were taught in the powers of the elements. It was ironic that the elemental powers each girl worked best with went along with their names, it was like their mother knew what was going to happen. Shina worked best with the element power of air; she was named after an ancestor of theirs that had the same gift. Demeter did best with the earth, and she was named after the Greek Goddess of the harvest. Hestia worked with fire; she was named after the Greek Goddess of the hearth. Then the youngest, only by minutes younger than her sister Hestia, Skrina had a grand time with water. She wasn't named after anyone, but her name meant, Water giving triad.

Amazingly the girls fit in with the schools, then again they kept their gifts secret from everyone, even their closest friends. Which they didn't have many and none of their friends ever went to their house. Not that they were really frightened that they would find out their family secret, that they would have to share it. It sounded selfish yes, but their magick was something sacred to them. It was the only thing that had left of their mother and father. It made them feel safe.

Everything would change though, when a young girl moved into this town. Her name was Nicole Jordan Piper; she went by her middle name Jordan. She was seventeen and she and her mother had just moved into a cottage by the lake. They had been kicked out of their apartment for having a dog, but with the irony of it all the dog died soon after they moved in. The cottage only had one bedroom, but it suited Jordan and her mother okay. They had been in worse situations than this. They agreed that Jordan could have the room and her mom would have the living room as her room.

Jordan waited a few weeks before she would go to school. It wasn't something she was exactly looking forward to. She had always been that kid in school that everyone, even the geeks and nerds picked on. For some apparent reason there was something wrong with her, at least that's what the other students thought. Of course she had her faults like everyone else, but there was no reason those students should have treated her like they did. In the end it was for the best when she thought back and looked at it. It made her a lot stronger, and she pitied those who teased her. She pleased her mind somewhat with the satisfaction of knowing that it would come back to them.

One day she decided she was going to take a walk. To check out her new niche. She told her mother where she was going and went off into her little venture. She began at the bottom of the big hill they and the other people in the cottages lived on. Above she noticed on top of the hill overlooking the lake were some lovely houses. They were big and gothic looking, like they had been there for a long time.

The first place she went was the lake. The cool breeze of that September morning chilled her pale white cheeks. How good it felt, she breathed in and sucked in all the sweetness the air could give her, and let it out with a little bit of herself. She felt as if she just shared a thousand thoughts with a thousand people.

She walked along the shore, just barely away from the water before it kissed her shoes. She played with rocks and threw them in the water, and the waves seemed to play with her and catch them. She walked along the side of the hill looking up at the houses. They were mammoth. She wanted to go look at them close up. So she walked back up to where there was a road and climbed up the hill.

Her long red hair waved as the wind combed its fingers through it. She felt this wonderful feeling from it. It was like she was truly home. A feeling she hadn't felt in a long, long time. She made it to the top of the hill and walked down the road that had the lovely houses planted on it like a jeweled crown. Jordan fell in love with the biggest house there, the loveliest of all the jewels, the house that belonged to the Morven family. It was radiant of all the houses, yet it looked the same, aside from the two gargoyle statues at the front gate. There was just something different about this house. She wondered what kind of person, or people lived in a lovely house like that. Sure enough she would and was going to find out. Right now though she wasn't brave enough to go through the open gate and knock on the door, so after a few moments of staring she went on walking looking at the other houses. No matter what, she could only think about the Morven house. It haunted her, she knew she had to find out who lived there.

A few weeks passed and Jordan everyday went for her walk. It became a ritual. First to play catch with the lake and then to walk up the hill and stare at the Morven house. Today was special it was September 21 the beginning of the Autumn Equinox. Jordan could sense that there was something special, but she didn't know of how special it was. Maybe it was her trying to convince herself that today was going to be okay. It was her first day of school.

Memories of how people treated her in the past floated in her mind. She shook them off and tried not to think about it. Stop it Jordan! She thought. Things aren't going to be like that. How are you ever going to make any friends if you are so paranoid! Then after that struggle she had the struggle of what to wear. I've got to be me. So she was. She put on dark blue baggy jeans and a yellow tee shirt. Then she looked into her mirror; it showed her that she was looking great for her first day. Her curly hair wasn't frizzed; it was shaped in perfect ringlets, her eyes where her favourite shade of blue, her make-up turned out great. What was missing? She pondered the thought a while until it hit her like a brick in the head. Her necklaces. Her mother had given them to her. One was a Celtic cross, the other a five pointed star within a circle that had a dolphin on top. It seemed to be jumping over the medallion. There she was ready to go. She ran out almost forgetting her backpack. She hugged and kissed her mom goodbye and she ran out down the street.

She stopped when she saw all the kids her age standing there at the bus stop. She just took in a deep breath and walked up the hill to where the street ended and joined the other teenagers. The other kids looked at her. She just smiled at them, then just looked at the ground to avoid their looks. Among the teenagers were three the Morven girls. Hestia was first to notice the pentagram Jordan was wearing. She whispered to her sisters what the new girl was wearing.

"Do you think she could be a witch?" Hestia asked her copy.

"Well, why would she be wearing a pentagram if she wasn't one." Skrina said back.

Demeter hadn't really taken notice of Jordan, but when she looked at her, her eyes widened a bit.

"I know who she is, well, sort of. Remember about that girl I've been telling you about? The one who stands in front of our house and just stares at it? The one you thought was my imagination or an apparition. That's her." Demeter said looking at her sisters in that I told you so kind of way.

"I wonder why she does that." Skrina said. "Maybe she heard old man Paul's stories about us or something."

"You know," Hestia said with a grin coming across her face.

The other girls just looked at her in some fright, because their sister was thinking of something and they never know what goes on in Hestia's mind.

"We're never gonna find out unless we ask!"

"Hestia! No! We can't do that, then if she doesn't know, then she will." Demeter said. "Then she would want to come over."

Hestia shook her head to her older sister. She had been considering something by herself that she finally had to speak out loud. "We can't hide forever Demeter. You know mom and dad wouldn't want us to be selfish like this. Grandma, Skrina, Shina and I have been talking about this--"

"Wait. You guys were talking about this and you didn't even consult me?!"

Skrina put her hand on her older sister's shoulder to try and comfort her. Demeter only shoved it away and she glared at her two sisters.

"Demeter, we were going to talk to you about it. We were pushing it off because we'd know how you were going to act."

"DON'T talk to me. Just don't." Demeter said holding back tears as she turned away from her sisters.

Hestia shook her head to her twin. Skrina shrugged and they went over to Jordan. Demeter's little fit wasn't going to stop them from the decision they had made. Hestia tapped Jordan on the shoulder. Jordan jumped out of her skin just about. She was daydreaming about the house. She looked up at Hestia, then noticed Skrina. She shook her head to make sure she wasn't seeing double. But it was no clone. They both were tall, skinny, black haired, green eyed, pretty girls. The only difference between them she noticed was Hestia had a small mole on her left cheek.

"Hiya. I'm Hestia! So you're the new girl huh?" Hestia said with a cheery smile.

"Hi, I'm Skrina." She said with the same identical cheery grin.

Before Jordan had a chance to introduce herself the bus came. The two girls darted in front fast to get on the bus. Demeter got in front of Jordan and kind of shoved her. Hestia and Skrina noticed this looking out the window of the school bus. Jordan got on, and looked for a seat. Hestia had saved her a seat.

"C'mon, sit down. I saved ya the seat." Hestia said waving her hand toward Jordan.

Jordan sat down. "Thanks for saving me the seat. I'm Jordan by the way."

"I know this is kind of an odd question, but are you a witch?" Hestia asked pointing to her necklace.

"What?" Jordan said laughing a bit, and raised her eyebrows at Hestia.

"Well, you are wearing a pentagram. I just thought you were a witch. Are you a Irish? Scottish?"

Jordan laughed. She knew why Hestia had asked her that though. It was because of her Celtic cross.

"No, no, no. I'm not, well, I don't think so, and I don't think I'm a witch either."

"Think?" Skrina said poking her head out from the seat behind them.

"Uh-- Yeah, I mean my mom's the one who gave me it, and she always kids about me being a little witch." Jordan said smiling.

The twins just looked at each other. Maybe she was a witch, or had the bloodline of one at least. It was better than nothing, and if she was, it would be so much fun for them to teach her the ways of the craft.

"Another odd question." Skrina asked. "Why do you stand outside our house all the time?"

"That's your house?" Jordan asked in shock. She blushed because she was now embarrassed.  "I was just taken away from the beauty of your house."

The two girls laughed. They knew that Jordan was some how drawn to the house. For what reason? Was it good? Was it bad? There was only one way to find out. They knew Demeter would do anything from bringing an outsider to their home. So they were going to discuss it with someone with more authority than Demeter, their grandmother, Tallulah.

Jordan's first day of school went fairly well. Lots of people were eager to talk to her. Willing to be her friend. This was something Jordan longed for, for a long time. She finally had it. She wasn't happy though. One thing, one person, who didn't like her, Demeter. This bothered her very much, and she didn't know why. She didn't even know why Demeter didn't like her. She knew she was Hestia and Skrina's sister, they liked her a lot. Why couldn't she? This simply boggled her mind.

She got onto the bus and sat in the same seat as Demeter's. She thought she would be brave, and she didn't know why, but she was going to say something. She could sense the irritated vibes coming from Demeter.

"Demeter…" Jordan began.

Demeter looked at her as if it bothered her to even glance towards her.

"I-- well I know for some reason you don't like me. I just want to know why."

"Why? It won't change how I feel about you."

"I doesn't matter right now. I just want to know why. I'm not asking anything else but that."

"Fine. You really want to know? I find you as a threat to my family."

Demeter got up and crawled over Jordan's skinny white legs trapped in her blue denim. She went to the back of the bus and sat alone. Jordan looked back to her; Demeter just gave her a glare that was a warning, to leave her and her family alone. Jordan read this message clearly. She turned back and Hestia was smiling in front of her. She jumped.

"What's a matter?" Hestia asked, not knowing the conversation she had with her older sister.

"Demeter. I asked her why she didn't like me and she said I was a threat to your family. I don't know how or why I would be." Jordan said puzzled, looking at Hestia for maybe an answer.

"Well, it's this. Our family has a … secret, and well, no one knows about it. No one has been to our home, because if they did, they would know. We want to share with our dear friends about it, but Demeter can't let it go. That's why."

Jordan looked a little relieved. At least she knew the basis from where this problem was coming from. But what was the Morven's big secret. She didn't want to intrude with more questions with Hestia or Skrina, she wanted to keep them as friends, but she really wanted to know what that secret was. She really wanted to prove herself to Demeter. To show her that she's not so bad. There's nothing to fear from little Nicole Jordan.

She rested her head against the cool glass of the school bus window and left her thoughts and wonders on what the secret might be, linger in her head all the way until she got home. She didn't speak or acknowledge anyone until the bus stopped at her stop and she stood up and went out. She walked down her street not looking at anyone. Not paying the slightest bit of attention to Hestia or Skrina, or the dirty looks coming from Demeter. She just went home.