As the burning sun began to descend beyond the distant mountains, the young children abandoned their game of ball and left the park. They were well-trained, and were all inside their front doors just as the top of the sun hid itself behind the snowy mountaintop. There was no moon that night and as directed, all street lamps were extinguished leaving the sky as black as the devil's soul.

Deep inside the park, not a single sound could be heard - even the trees knew to be silent. Suddenly, a startling melody erupted from the clock in the town square as it announced the Witching Hour. Furtively, four women crept towards the park from each corner of the town. Their black skirts floated noiselessly around their ankles as they made their way to the disused central fountain. They met and greeted each other with the prescriptive kiss before laying down the black cloth between the four tallest trees. On the cloth were placed four offerings - one from each of their pockets - a glass bottle, and a black candle. They knew the strict law - that they must not light the candle until the gift is fully realized.

Each woman sat on a corner of the cloth with her eyes closed. One woman then started to hum a single note as she lifted her arms toward the sky. Soon, the other women did the same with their arms and from their mouths came a continuous phrase.

‘Earth, sky, sea, space. Soil, wind, water, air.'

The women sat, spoke and hummed until the sky was lit up by a blinding flash of lightning. Their eyes then sprang open and they bounded up so that they were on their feet once again. Each woman knew what had to be done, and they went about their work silently. Between them they collected a piece of ripe apple, a leaf, a piece of bark, and a black beetle and then placed them all in the glass bottle.

The women then ventured out of the park and onto the main street. They kept together - that was essential - as they checked the windows and doors of each house. At one house, while they were looking into the window and checking the lock, they noticed a small face peering out at them. The child was not afraid, he knew that as long as his bedroom window was locked they could not hurt him. After waving at the young boy, the women left the house and turned onto a back street. Here they continued the same ritual of checking all entries to the living quarters and were unsuccessful in finding an unlocked window until the third house.

This house belonged to a family new to the neighborhood, and they had left their young girl’s bedroom window unlocked. When the women realized this, they wasted no time in opening it and taking the sleeping child from her bed. They carried her down the street and into the park to their personal offerings. Their touch was gentle and she did not wake as they lay her on the black cloth. The women placed their offerings with her. A small teddy bear was put in her left hand, and in her right, a shiny penny was placed. The space beside her right foot held a gold ring and by her left foot was put a red ball.

The black candle was placed above the girl’s head and was lit, and the glass bottle was put between her feet as she slept soundly. The gift was now ready, and the women resumed their positions on the four corners of the cloth. The note was hummed and the chant was spoken.

‘Earth, sky, sea, space. Soil, wind, water, air.’

There was another flash of lightning and the women opened their eyes. The candle had burned down to the base, the bottle was empty, and the young girl was gone along with the four personal offerings.

The glass bottle was wrapped in the black cloth and was taken by one of the women as they kissed goodbye and walked back to where they had come from. It was almost morning and each of them had children to cook breakfast for. They reached their houses, and were inside the doors just as the top of the sun peeked out from under the sea.

‘Fear the dark not for what it hides, but for what it makes all too clear.’

©Amanda Ferguson