***Salem, Massachusetts, 1693****

The 17th Century

The weather was just perfect. Fall is my favorite time of the Year, red and orange leaves are scattered everywhere from the trees. It's not too hot or too cold. The small village is perfect as it is, I saw from far away and saw almost everyone doing their own chores with kids running around playing.

I held onto my broom and continued to fly down the familiar path. I always love heading into the village since my home is further away from it. I watched the trees below me and many rivers as I flew by.

"There it is." I tell myself once I spotted my home hidden by the many trees. "Astoria!!" They sensed that I've arrived

"Coming!" I shouted and landed safely on the ground. I placed my many books down outside and didn't have time to even enter because I was given a basket.

"I need you bring some more bones!"

"And some vegetables!"

"And rats tail!"

I stopped and turned to face my three sisters. "More bones? But far too complicated to find some." I tried reasoning with my oldest sister, Winifred.

"Don't test my patience child! Now go! And don't get yourself distracted-"

"With boys!" Sarah intervened.

I held onto my basket and nervously looked at her and back at Winifred. "A boy?" She hummed and tapped her long nails against the door she was holding open.

"What have you seen, Sarah?"

I bit my lip and hoped that nothing bad would happen. Winifred would hate me if she found out I was hanging out with a boy my age.

Sarah stopped playing with her blonde hair and paid attention. "Well, I believe I saw our sister talking to a boy-"

"Sarah's right! I was with a boy, bcause he was the one selling some fruit to me and chicken. Remember? The one I brought a week ago for Mary." I remind them and try to fool my sister.

"That's right dear sister, I remember. But, Winnie. I don't think that the idea of our sister hanging out with children her age is-"

Mary stopped when Winifred glared at her. Out if the three of them, even though a little dumb, Mary was the most understanding. Winifred hummed and shooed me away.

I quickly ran off and smiled when I made it closer to his home. I tossed the basket aside and jumped onto a barrel when I reached the small home. I opened the window and peeked my head in.

Thackery Binx was sound asleep. I stared at him lovingly, he was the first boy I met two years ago, he asked me where I was from, all I said was that I lived far from the village. If he or anyone else were to know that I and my sisters are witches, well they would hang us.

Maybe if we were born in another century we would be together.

"Pshhh Thackery.." I knocked on the window and saw him just stir in his bed. I hummed disapprovingly and reached for my shoe, "Thackery Binx!" I threw my shoe at him.

He let out a scream and I watched him fall to the ground with the many blankets on top of him. I giggled and saw his figure trying to get rid of the blankets.

"Astoria!" He jumped up form the ground and tried to tidy himself up. His blonde hair was almost all messy.

He for sure didn't expect me to scare him from his window. "I knew you were fast asleep, you're like a cat falling asleep for hours." I tease and smile at him.

"Very funny, Ast." He grabbed my shoe which had hit him and tossed it. I easily caught it and jumped down when he came over to the window and joined me outside.

"I'm surprised, Elijah wasn't the one to wake you up this time." I say and we began to walk alongside each other.

"He's working with his father. Winter is coming soon and we all need wood to stay warm once it snows."

I look at Thackery lovingly and see his pale cheeks turn pink when he caught me staring at him. "Your hair finally matches the leaves." He says taking a strand of my red hair and letting it go.

"Here, I made this for you. I'm not as skillful as Elijah when it comes to crating things but I did my best." Thackery grabbed my hand and placed something in it.

I opened my palm and saw a simple yet beautiful necklace made out of wool and a heart shaped black rock. "Well, I think it's beautiful. Thank you, Binx." I tease by calling him his last name.

"Binx? Since when have you started calling me that."

"Since now, so you better get used to it."

Thackery chuckles and continues to walk with me. "It's been two years since we met and you haven't told me about your parents. You've met mine once."

What should I say?! I never got the chance to meet my father and I for sure know mother was also a witch. "Umm well.. Father died when I was about three, my mother she also passed away a long time ago. My sister's raised me-"

"You have sisters? That's the first time I've heard about them, what are they like?" Thackery asks now completely intrigued which is something I didn't want him.

What should I even say? One of bossy, the other one is crazy and the other one is weird.

"..They are..nice.." even I didn't believe in my words.

"Well? Shall we be going then?" I stopped and raised an eyebrow. Thackery rolls his eyes and smiles, "You woke me up because you said we'd be having lunch today near the woods. Have you forgotten?"

I almost forgot about it. "I haven't." I smirk and I see him holding onto a basket and offers me a red apple. "Milady." He holds it and smiles lovingly.

Of course I accept the apple and began biting on it while we made it to our usual spot by the woods where no one will interrupt us. My black dress would surely be stained by the dirt but no matter.

We began to enjoy and eat our fruit and bread. I sighed and laid down on the ground filled with leaves and stared up at the sky. "I do wish things would be peaceful like this."

Thackery joined me by my side and I saw him smile. "I really do enjoy spending time with you, so does Emily." He reminds me.

His sister would hang out with us from time to time. She liked spending time with me since there weren't many girls she could play with. "If you're not busy, she can join us tomorrow."

"Even, Elijah is welcome is he isn't busy... What do you think of witches?" I decide to ask. His father despises them and so the rest of the village.

I turn my head and see his face change a bit. "They're awful. I've heard of the witches that live far in the woods, that's why father doesn't let any of us go any further."

"What if there were good witches?"

Thackery faces me and of course his face is turned to a confused one. "I don't believe there's such thing."

That hurt a little, but it's not his fault. If only people could accept that not all witches are bad. "Can you meet me here tomorrow morning?" I sat up and saw Thackery furrow his eyebrows while he stared up at me.

"Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry, nothing bad has happened. There's something important I want to tell you." Wether he accepts me as being a witch or not, I must tell him the truth.

"Alright, I'll tell Elijah to wake me up." Thackery lightly jokes and went back to close his eyes and enjoy the breeze.

I look around and make sure Sarah isn't around to spy on me. She knows I like to hang out here on my own, or that's what I like them to believe.

"Thackery Binx!" A voice screamed near me . I looked over and saw Thackery was holding his stomach. His sister Emily jumped on him.

"Emily! You're the last person I expected to see at this time. Weren't you helping mother?" The young girl shook her head smiling.

"Being in the kitchen was boring, so I snuck out and followed you." She giggled which made Thackery and I look at each other.

Was she hidden the entire time then?

The little girl wrapped her arms around Thackery. She loves him very much, she's a sweet girl who loves helping and being around people. "Astoria, will you come and play with me?"

"I wish I could, but im afraid if getting a bit too late for me. But, I promise I will tomorrow." I patted the girls back and saw Thackery had stood up straight.

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Binx." I leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his pale cheek and smiled when I saw his face turning pink.

"See you both tomorrow!" I said running off and headed back to my home.

********

"Foolish girl! You forgot the ingredients again!" Winifred shrieked and pointed at me angrily. "Now, our potion will take even longer to make because of you."

I hung my head in shame and knew it was best to stay quiet. I won't win anything in fighting with her. "Now our stupid sister will have to fetch them..and another important thing."

I saw a wicked smirk on Winifred's face when she held a book in her hand. "Now behave, You don't want to end up like Billy do you?"

That poor guy was killed by her because he cheated on Winifred for Sarah.

"Now grab a broom and dust the floors." I frowned and held my hand out and saw the broom floating to my way. I held it right and began to clean the house up.

"Oh, sister. I think I know the perfect child-" Sarah was interrupted when Winifred smacked her stomach and the poor woman painfully held onto it.

"Silence!" Winifred and Sarah looked over to me. We shared odd looks but I ignored them and continued to broom the place up.

"There's some tea if you'd dear sister." Winifred all of the sudden said and came with a cup of tea for me to drink. I inspected her up and down, but shrugged my shoulders and accepted the tea.

The door opened again and I saw Mary coming in with a few apples she picked. "Astoria dear sister would you mind helping me out with baking a pie."

"Mary, I made it clear that the apples aren't for eating!." Winifred shouted from across the room.

Winifred sighed and she came over and inspected my work. "I believe you've worked enough my dear. Why don't you rest up for the night? Take a long sleep if you'd like."

She is acting weird. "Alright.." I simply told her and slowly I started walking to my room and saw my three sisters looking at me. I turned around and saw them waving at me. They are so weird.

I waved my hand and the door had shut behind me. "They are acting stranger than usual." I said to myself and went over to sit down on my bed, I flicked my finger over to the cabinet far from me. Two books floated over to me and I grabbed them.

One book was a journal I had written down, and the other was one I was saving to give it to Thackery as a gift for being my closest friend. On the first page I had written a confession, of my true feelings for him.

I hugged the book close to my chest and touched the necklace he gave to me too. "Tomorrow's the day. No matter what happens I'll love him and accept him no matter what.

I yawned and felt myself beginning to get tired all of the sudden. The book fell from my hand and I fell onto my bed and closed my eyes.

************

I gasped and woke stared at my surroundings, the tea! The tea has something which made me fall asleep.

"Ah, Look! Another glorious morning. It makes me sick!" I heard Winifred loudly exclaim.

I jumped out of bed and when I did I was met with, "Emily?!"

How long was I asleep for?! How did Thackery's sister come in? Did she follow me last night?!

"Emily wake up!" I reached out and held onto her shoulders shaking her lightly for her to react. She's under some spell, Sarah's spell.

No no this cannot be happening. I won't be able to live with myself if my sisters were to harm her in any way. "Sarah! No one saw you correct?!" Winfield asked when she came into the room and said the girl down.

"I'm sure, Winnie. I flew up and brought her into the woods with me."

"She smells so delicious." Mary said eyed Emily.

"What are you three doing?!" I panicked when I saw him really close her eyes.

My sisters finally stopped and paid attention to me. They looked at one another and smirked, "My dear sister we only did what was necessary."

The three of them took off their cloaks and looked at each other in the mirror. They no longer had white hair or wrinkles on their faces.

Mary let out a happy laughter while Sarah jumped up and down.

"I'm young again! Boys are going to love me!" Sarah chuckled.

Winifred held onto a mirror and smiled a bit. "Well, younger." She emphasized.

"You wouldn't understand us, sister. You are still young and naive to understand. All of the ingredients I told you to pick up what's because of this potion."

I walked closer and saw Winifred had cooked up potion on a big cauldron. "Mother must be shaking in her grave because you still can't cook up a simple potion or spell."

Winifred mocked to me and try to bring me down. "You should have paid more attention in classes." Sarah tries her very best to scold me.

"Oh. Don't be fooled sisters, I've seen our young sister making things float on her own." Mary tried to tell them but of course they failed to listen.

Winifred scoffed and began to laugh wickedly. "Don't make me laugh." She said looking over at me. "Astoria can't even cook a pie without burning it."

I can do plenty of things they don't even know. I've had to learn spells and many other things because they were so focused on themselves.

Before I had the chance to defend myself, I ran over and knelt over to Emily. "Please please open your eyes." I continue to say but I knew it was too late.

"Sister, I smell child."

"And what is that?" Winifred asked Mary who was smelling around.

"A child."

Suddenly the door bursted open making the four of us jump, I looked over and saw it was Thackery. I felt my heart bursting out of my chest when I saw him, I wasn't prepared for him to see me. Today was supposed to be a special day and now it's all ruined and he knows I'm a witch.

"Emily! Astoria!" Thackery looked very surprised and shouted our names. Sarah and Mary tried to catch him but he was faster. Does Thackery think that they've kidnapped me too?!

"No! Let go of my sister and Astoria!" Thackery grabbed the cauldron and tossed most of the potion to the floor.

Winifred hummed and smirked. "So, you have been lying to us. I'm impressed sister."

"Sister?!" Thackery was now even more surprised than before.

"I was going to tell you." I whisper and felt extremely upset. He must be so heartbroken that I lied to him for so long.

"Thackery! They did this to Emily it wasn't me!" I shout so he could think clearly. "You know I would hurt her, she was like a sister to me."

Winifred rolled her eyes while Sarah and Mary held Thackery down. "Now what shall we do with you? Astoria?" Winifred looked back at me wickedly.

"I casted a protection spell on him. You can't harm him." I warned them and stood up front to try and protect him.

"Believe me, Binx. I'm not a good witch unlike my sister's." He looks at me concerned and I look back at my sister's determined.

"I even casted a spell here in Salem for you not to harm anyone else!"

Winifred squinted her eyes. Sarah grabbed me and pulled me aside along with Mary who covered my mouth with her hand.

"There are not enough children in the world to make thee young and beautiful."

"Did you hear that sister?"

"His punishment must me more lingering then." Winifred ignored me while I tried to fight back. "Ah! Perfect! His punishment will not be to die, but to live forever with his guilt."

"Twist the bones and bend the back. Trim him of his baby fat. Give his fur black as black. Just."

"Like."

"This."

Thackery began to whimper in pain until he fell to the floor and my eyes widened when I saw him transform into a black cat. Winifred laughed loudly and so did my sister's.

"Thackery.." I began to cry and tried to reach him but he hissed and glared at us all.

The door began to pound. "Witches! Daughters of darkness! Open this door!" I saw the entire village outside with torches.

"Hide the child!"

"Witches? There be no witches here, sir." Mary said placing a blanket in Emily. I quickly reached for my book and began for recite a spell quickly before they'd catch us.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist!" Mary annoyingly said holding onto the door until it bursted open and we were all taken outside by force.

**********

I held my head in shame and felt helpless, there's nothing to be done now. The entire village was staring at us. My sisters were place to be him with ropes around their neck, I was placed next to them but tied onto wood with dead branches and leaves by my feet.

There are going to be hung and I'll be burned...

"Winifred Sanderson!"

"Yes?"

"I will ask thee one final time."

"Yes?"

"What hast thou done with my son, Thackery?" His father asked glaring at my sister who refused to answer.

If I could I would but they placed a cloth on my mouth so I wouldn't speak.

"Hmm? Thackery?"

"Answer me!"

"Well, I don't know. Cats got my tongue!." Winifred and my sisters began to laugh. "Sisters, sing!" They began to harmonize and sing until Winifreds book was opened.

"Fools! all of you! My ungodly book speaks to you! On All Hallows Eve when the moon is round, a virgin will summon us from under the ground. We shall be back! And the lives of all children shall be mine!"

My sister ended with laughter from them all again. I closed my eyes when I saw them hung, I kept mine eyes shut when I felt warmth around me.