“Okay, Taylor, truth or dare?” Chelsea asked as she draped her arm over the back of the chair. Taylor looked at her for a moment.
“Dare.” The teens in the room cheered.
“Go Hanson!” Jeremy Watkins said, slapping Taylor on the back. Taylor raised an eyebrow.
“Can we go already?” He said.
“Okay, I dare you to go and stand on the old Farmer headstone in the graveyard on 4th street!” Chelsea said triumphantly.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Taylor said.
“Nope.”
“Come on Chelsea, everyone knows that freaky things happen at that headstone! A little girl got killed right behind it once!” Jeremy exclaimed.
“Taylor’s not afraid, are you, Tay?” Chelsea said, giving Taylor the “look”. Taylor swallowed and shook his head.
“Of course not.” The macho act was going to get him in trouble one of these days.
“Well, who is going to go with him to make sure he does it?” Someone asked. There was a chorus of “not me” around the room.
“Taylor bring us back something from the graveyard, so we know you were there.”
“Okay,” Taylor said. He got up slowly, watching the room. He grabbed his jacket and headed out to his car.
Taylor parked his car outside of the rusted gates and walked up to them. He pulled a couple of times on the lock, but it wouldn’t come undone.
“You’re not leaving until you do the dare, Taylor,” He told himself. He walked around until the fence got lower. He pulled himself over and landed on a pile of soft dirt. He yelped when he saw it was a fresh grave.
“Sorry!” He said, stepping off quickly. He walked through some trees, in which the wind was blowing eerily. It was all too much like a horror book. He hummed a song to himself, trying to lighten the mood. He saw the large headstone, in the very back of the cemetery. He approached it, and looked around. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest. Taylor placed a hand on the cool marble to steady himself as he tried to climb up. He stood up and looked over the surroundings. As scary as it was, it had a sense of “cool” to it. Besides, he’d be treated as the big man for going through with the dare. Taylor jumped off the stone and started to walk away. Then he remembered that he had to bring something back to prove he’d been there. He began to look for something as evidence. He spied a chunk of marble that had fallen off of Farmer’s headstone. He reached down to pick it up and heard a rustling behind him. Before he could turn around, he felt a sharp sensation on the back of his head and blacked out.
There was a soft chuckle from the corner of the room. Taylor could hear subdued conversation. He cracked his eyes opened and looked around the room. It was dark with a few candles scattered around. His head was pounding. The conversation stopped, and there was approaching footsteps. Taylor closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. There was a touch on his arm.
“I know you’re awake my dear, open your eyes,” A soft female voice said. Taylor slowly looked at her. She had long wavy auburn hair. She was wearing a long black dress.
“I hope that your head is doing okay,” She said, smiling.
“Uh, yeah, what happened?”
“We didn’t think you’d come with us willingly, and Aurora thought the rock would work. And it did.”
“Aurora?”
“My counterpart.”
“Where is she?”
“In the woods, gathering dinner.”
“Gathering…dinner?”
“You’re hungry aren’t you?”
“Um.”
“Of course you are.” The young woman started to walk around the room, looking in various jars. Taylor swallowed. This reminded him of something out of Hocus Pocus.
“Hey, what’s your name?” Taylor asked his captor.
“Raven.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Why would I tell you anything else?”
“Well, the cops could get you.”
“Cops? You mean the law enforcement?” Raven laughed, “Hardly my dear.” Taylor began to sit up.
“Please don’t get up,” Raven said, without turning around. Taylor froze. The door swung open and another young woman, wearing a long red cloak came in. She smiled at Taylor.
“I had a feeling you’d be awake,” She said. She sat a basket on the table. Raven walked over to the table, and peeked into the basket.
“Ah, mushrooms and cattails,” she said smiling, “What a lovely dinner this will make.” Taylor began to sit up again.
“Hey! Get down!” A shrill voice called from the corner. Taylor turned his head quickly to see who or what had spoken, and fell off the bed. Taylor looked up to see Raven and Aurora giggling. He glared at them.
“Who said that?” Taylor asked, as he stood up.
“Our parrot, of course,” Raven told Taylor.
“Your parrot?”
“That’s who I was talking to when you woke up.”
“Oh…” Taylor sat down. Talking parrots, mushrooms and cattails, Aurora and Raven. He should have never taken that dare.
Taylor shifted his weight on the uneven wooden chair he sat on. He looked in disgust at the pile of food on his plate. It smelled funny to him, and he had always hated mushrooms.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Aurora asked. Taylor looked up at her. This had to be the strangest kidnapping known to mankind. Taylor picked up the odd looking fork and gingerly picked up a limp mushroom. He closed his eyes, opened his mouth and ate it.
“Wow, that was great! I’m full!” Taylor exclaimed. Aurora and Raven looked at him with annoyance in their eyes.
“You’re amusing,” Raven said sarcastically.
“Was that mushroom magic or something? Because, honestly, I’m full!”
“We don’t use magic in our food, we can cook,” Aurora said.
“And very well, might I add,” Taylor added meekly. He received two stony glares.
“You know…” Taylor spoke up slowly, “My friends are probably wondering where I am by now.” Aurora shrugged and took another bite of her food.
“Aren’t you worried they’ll come looking for me?”
“No.”
“I’m famous you know!”
“You are?”
“Yeah…Haven’t you heard of Hanson?”
“What is Hanson?”P> “A singing group. We sing MMMBop.”
“Never heard of you.”
“Never?”
“No, sorry.”
“You don’t get out much do you?”
“We take walks everyday.”
“Nevermind.”
“Checkmate!” Aurora cheered. Taylor groaned. It was the third time he’d been beaten at chess that night.
“Okay, that’s all for me,” He said.
“Boys, they are such bad losers.”
“Sure.” Aurora and Raven laughed. Just then Taylor remembered the last time he played chess. It was with Isaac. He wondered what these seemingly nice, if just a bit odd, young women were planning on doing with him. Taylor looked up at the door. He wondered if he could outrun them. Surely he could, since they were both wearing long heavy dresses. But what if they had…broomsticks…or something of that nature? They could fly after him and zap him with magic lasers. Taylor sighed inwardly. There were no such things as witches that shoot magic lasers. It must have been the mushrooms.
Taylor tried his hardest to stay awake so that he could slip outside when his “hostesses” fell asleep. It was no use. As soon as he lay down, he was asleep. Taylor dreamed of pure nothingness. It was like he was trapped in a black box. It went on forever and ever. Taylor pounded on the side of the box, but no one would let him out. The next morning Taylor awoke even more tired than he had been last night. He could see Raven sleeping in the large chair beside the fireplace. Aurora lay on a bed close to the floor. Taylor took a glance around and quietly slung his feet over the bed. He crept toward the door, easily pulling it open. This was too easy, he almost laughed out loud. Taylor walked a ways from the cabin and looked around.
“Great, now I’m lost in the middle of the woods,” Taylor said, exasperated. He walked and walked. Taylor’s stomach began to growl, much to his dismay. He wondered what there was to eat out in the middle of the forest. Maybe he could find acorns somewhere. Squirrels lived on them, so they must be pretty tasty. Anything but mushrooms. Taylor broke a long thin branch off of a tree, and poked at the ground.
“Here acorns, acorns, acorns,” As soon as the words left Taylor’s mouth, there were giggles behind him. He whipped around, and came face to face with Raven and Aurora. They were doubling over with laughter. Aurora sat on a fallen log. Her face was bright red.
“Here acorns? Where did you learn that a nut was capable of human speech?” This remark brought fresh peals of laughter from the young ladies. Taylor sighed and turned back around.
“We’re sorry Taylor, that was just too…I don’t know what, but it was something!” Raven exclaimed. Taylor sighed, and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t think there was any way he could find his way back to the graveyard alone anyhow, so he might as well stick with the girls. He didn’t see that he had much of a choice anyhow.
Taylor sat in the chair beside the fireplace and glared at his captors. They glared back.
“I don’t get why you want me here,” Taylor said, sighing.
“Well, I think it’s been pretty fun!” Raven giggled. Taylor narrowed his eyes at her.
“Raven is right, you know you love it here, Tay,” Aurora said, leaning forward on her bench.
“No way! I’m being held captive by two freaks! My mom is probably freaked out!” Taylor exclaimed.
“Taylor,” Raven began quietly, “I think you should see something.” She cast a look at Aurora, who nodded. Taylor got a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. The girls stood up and motioned for Taylor to follow them. They left the house and began to walk through the woods. They walked a little while and came to the edge of the woods. Taylor wondered why he had never found it. They stepped out into the graveyard. Taylor held his breath as they walked toward the gates.
“How do you clever ladies plan on getting out of the graveyard?” Taylor asked, knowing the gates were firmly locked. To his amazement, Aurora opened them as if they were never locked. Taylor felt a little lightheaded. He looked around, and saw his car was nowhere to be seen. This was a little past weird. He was kidnapped, and his kidnappers were bringing him out in broad daylight. They walked all the way across town. Taylor’s eyes widened in shock as soon as he realized where they were. They were at his house. Taylor ran up and threw the door open.
“Mom! Dad!” He was so happy he could cry. There was no answer. Taylor could hear people in the kitchen. Aurora and Raven followed him through the house. Taylor walked into the kitchen where his mother, father and older brother were all talking.
“I’m back! The kidnappers are crazy and they brought me home!” Taylor exclaimed. No one even turned around. Taylor’s face fell. He touched Isaac on the shoulder. There was no recognition that Taylor was even there. Taylor turned around to look at Raven and Aurora.
“What’s going on?” He asked.
“It’s like you were never born, Taylor,” Raven said. Taylor felt a lump rise in his throat. He didn’t exist.
“But…”
“Nobody, but us, know who you are.” Taylor felt tears in his eyes.
“Why did you do this?”
“Because we could, and besides you’re pretty cute,” Aurora laughed. Taylor ran past her and out the door. He ran until he felt like his lungs would burst. He finally stopped and sat on a curb. Everyone walked past him without so much as a glance his way. He heard footsteps stop behind him, and he looked up. Aurora and Raven looked at him.
“You’ve got to stop doing that. You can’t get rid of us,” Raven said evenly. Taylor put his head in his hands and cried.
Taylor stared at the plate of food, unable to eat. He didn’t have a family. All he had were these two girls who seemed to think they owned him. And more than that, they found it funny.
“Taylor, you really should eat…” Aurora said softly, almost sounding apologetic.
“If you don’t want to eat what I fixed, just say so!” Raven snapped grabbing Taylor’s plate. The harsh tones in her voice made him jump, and almost start crying again.
“Raven, you don’t have to be mean to him. He’ll get used to living here,” Aurora said.
“Aurora, dear,” Raven said through clenched teeth, “He doesn’t need to be pitied.”
“I’m just being nice!”
“You’re always too nice!”
“You’re so… so… witchy!” Raven’s eyes widened and she threw on her cloak, stomping out of the house. Aurora looked back at Taylor, who sat shaking in his chair. He didn’t meet her gaze. She could see the tears trying not to spill from his eyes.
“I’m sorry…I guess we weren’t thinking of how this would affect you when we took you. But you’ll like it when you get used to it.”
“No I won’t! How can I like it? Living in a tiny cabin, with no friends, and I don’t even have any other clothes!” Taylor snapped. Aurora looked hurt.
“We, Raven and I, are your friends, and we can get you some clothes.”
“In velvet or something…what about jeans, and tee shirts, and doc martens?” Taylor ran his hand across his eyes. Aurora bit her lip. She was beginning to wish she’d never gotten into this.
Once Taylor was asleep, Aurora pulled the thick book out of a cabinet. Book of spells, the one that every good blood witch owned. There were wiccan-witches, and there were blood-witches. Witches that the old stories were based on. Of course Aurora and Raven had never met a witch with a large nose and hairy warts (aside from great aunt Megatha, but that’s another story altogether). Aurora flipped through the book pages until she came to the page with the spell that had erased Taylor’s past. The door flew open and Raven came in.
“I knew it! I could sense you were up to something tricky,” She hissed, rushing to Aurora’s side.
“We can’t keep Taylor, he’s so miserable,” Aurora said.
“He’ll get to like it here.”
“Raven, come on.”
“But…Aurora…he’s so sweet, angelic looking.”
“I know.”
“I really wanted to keep him.”
“I know.”
“But I guess it’s only fair to send him back, after all.”
“Yes, you wouldn’t want to be held captive somewhere would you?”
“No, I suppose I wouldn’t.”
“Well, let’s do it. He’s sleeping, and we can make this seem as though it never happened.”
“Just a second.” Raven walked quietly over to the bed Taylor was lying on. She leaned over and softly kissed him on the forehead. She walked back over to Aurora and read quickly over the spell. The young women joined hands and began to softly chant the spell. After a moment they stopped.
“It’s not working,” Aurora said, worriedly.
“Let’s say it a little louder, put all your energy into it,” Raven said. They tried again. Nothing.
“Oh no.”
“You said it.”
“What do we do?”
“I don’t know! I’ve never done a spell this big before!”
“Neither have I!”
“We can’t ask the elders for help, we’ll have to go back to school!”
“Oh no.” There was a tap on the door.
“Oh no,” The girls chorused. There was another knock.
“I know you girls are in there, and you’re up to something. Let me in,” A strong female voice said. Raven sighed and rolled her eyes. She walked to the door and opened it.
“Hello Grandmother,” She said, giving the older witch a kiss on the cheek. Aurora did the same. The woman took a look at Taylor and sighed.
“Tell me what you’ve gotten yourselves into this time.”
A short story from the girls and a long scolding from their grandmother later, the three joined hands. They stood beside the bed and closed their eyes. “Ready?” Aurora asked.
“Ready,” Raven and their grandmother answered. They began to chant the spell. A breeze began to swirl around the bed. An instant later, Taylor was gone.
Taylor blinked a few times, and sat up. He startled when he realized he was in the cemetery. He looked at his watch.
“Shit,” He said. He jumped up and ran to the gates, scaling them quickly, despite his pounding head. He drove back to Chelsea’s house, and entered through the backdoor. Chelsea greeted him with a worried expression.
“Taylor, I was getting worried about you!” She said, giving him a light hug.
“I fell off the headstone I guess,” Taylor blushed, “I woke up on the ground and stuff.”
“Well I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“I’m okay, but I had this strange dream…”