Story line is loosely based on little red riding hood here we go....
The Past
Grams is ill... mother is gone... father is away at market... I have to go...
I glanced out at the last remnants of the flaming sunset. Why did I wait so long! I should've left hours ago and not procrastinated. Yes Bracken-berry Wood is a dangerous place for a lone girl in the day lit hours, but it is deadly when the sun goes down!
"Chastity, you have to go," I told myself and glanced at the basket of herbs setting beside the door at my feet. Herbs Grams desperately needs, herbs that could save her life before the fever took her away as it did mother last winter.
I glanced again with trepidation out at the ending day, the darkening wood... "But what if he's out there?" I swallowed and scolded myself, "Chase you aren't a child anymore, there's nothing in those woods." But I knew I was lying to myself, just like the rest of them.
Bracken-berry was cursed. The Raven's Claw Wiccan had cursed these lands when the good village folk ran them out. My father headed up the angry mob.
Didn't the lack of song birds in the summer prove that we had been cursed? Didn't the lack of any ordinary wildlife in the woodland prove it?
I shuddered thinking of what DID live in the wood... and the other unnatural beasts that visited the woods in the dead of night, orgs. At least the villagers admitted the existence of those foul beasts, if not the strange, to big to be a real wolf, wolf.
The longer I stalled the darker it got. With all the courage I could muster, I threw on my red hooded cape, snatched up my basket and dagger, dashing from the house... in my haste I forgot the one thing that would likely save my life, wolf's bane.
I raced into the thick, impossibly dark overgrowth, my scent unmasked....
Baker City Oregon
Present Day
Present Day
"Chase you're gonna be late for your first day," mom shouted up the stairs, "you don't have time for breakfast."
I slammed the ancient journal I'd found in the attic of my new home closed, and tossed it in the drawer of my nightstand, "Don't wait for me mom. I'm driving myself."
"Chase, the shop is only two blocks from the high school, we should car pool," she called back.
I pulled on my black jacket and grabbed my book bag, "It's bad enough I'm starting in the middle of fall semester, do you really insist on farther thwarting any chance I've got to fit-"
"Chastity Grace Van-Helm," mom chided and I pictured her at the bottom of the outdated stair case with her hands on her hips, I mouthed along with her, "Don't be such a diva!"
"Prue, my cherished love," dad called from his study, "stop torturing the fruit of my loins and let her drive herself. Baker isn't so big she'll get lost."
"Thanks dad," I mumbled to myself and took the stairs two at a time just to panic mom.
"Chastity! Don't do that, you'll break your neck on those tiny steps!"
I wish, I glared at her telling her telekinetically how very unhappy I was to be in this Podunk nowhere town. My feet landed safely on the floor in front of her, "Look mom, no broken bones."
She sighed heavily and flipped my hair, "Why did you dye it jet black? It looks awful on you. I really hope you didn't use my good towels."
Mom and her 'good towels', I imagine the world would fall into complete anarchy should anything ever happen to those towels... "No mom I used the rags. You're the one that said I could dye it."
"I thought you'd maybe highlight your blond with some nice light auburn tones... and what is with the funeral clothes?"
I'm in morning over my lost social life, missing friends, the super job I had to quit to come out to the middle of nowhere's ville...
"I think the kids call it 'Goth' dearest," dad observed from the doorway, "Supposed to be hip. Well ladies you're both about to be very, very late and I've got an e-conference to get to." Dad kissed my forehead and then mom all mushy giving me the chance to zip outta the house to the relative safety of old VW bug.
I didn't wait for mom to emerge, she and I could argue later after she got home from the antique shop, home to the antique house, in this antique town... Guess it all goes well with my antique name.
I wondered how antique my quaint little high school would be... I'd bet the teachers were all just this side of 'museum mummy'.
"Gosh I miss L.A.," I grumbled pulling into the school's tiny lot. Not many cars in the lot, another reminder I wasn't in Cali anymore. "Oh I bet it's sunny there today," I glowered at the slate gray sky, "desert my foot." To add to my lovely morning and to mock me, the clouds opened up at that very moment, dumping bucket loads of fat cold rain drops. "Crap and I didn't bring a hat!!!"
I grabbed my bag and sprinted for the door just as the last bell rang. Hooray, the drown rat look on top of not being able to simply sneak into class. What a wonderful first day to remember...
The school secretary saw me dripping in the doorway. "Oh you must be Chastity Van-Helm?" she queried while I puzzled over how many new students she saw on a daily basis.
"Umm, it's Chase actually... Unless I'm in trouble," humor, did they have any here?
She chuckled lightly, good at least one person did... "No dear you aren't in trouble. Would you like a towel for the hair? Looks like you got the worst of the storm-"
"But I'm late," I said surprised I wasn't getting a tardy and a lecture.
"You're first day? I think you're entitled to some slack," she opened the little half door beside her counter, "Come on back here and I'll go over your class schedule with you while you dry off."
Wow, I was really liking this lady. I smiled at her the way I hadn't smiled at anyone since mom and dad announce we were moving into my late great aunts house and taking over her eclectic antique shop... all because my 'rents freaked out about a school shooting that happened at a high school my school was associated with in any way shape or form.
Originally when mom found out she'd inherited this stuff we were gonna sell it all, put the money in my 'college' fund or take a family vacation. I liked that plan... But then psycho boy got all upset and shot up his science class...
"So what do I call you?" I asked nice secretary lady as she handed me a towel.
"Emma Edwards, but most of the students call me E."
E I liked it, "Thanks for towel E, does it rain like this a lot?"
"I'm afraid so this time of year, and then the snow comes until spring."
"Snow?! But I thought this was the desert!"
She laughed, "The high desert is different than say the Kalahari."
Snow no not snow!!!!! Could things get any worse!!!!
She grabbed a sheet of paper off her desk, my class schedule. We went over it along with a simple map of the uncomplicated layout of the school. E assured when the bell rang for the end of first period, beginning of second, she'd let my first period teacher know why I missed it.
I left her office happy to know I'd made my first 'buddy' even if she was of the adult set.
Of course I was the only 'Goth' girl in school but I didn't give a flying hoot what the other kids thought, they might or might not get why I was rebelling against my parents like this. I knew my silent protest was bugging mom, but dad was rarely ever riled. 'S' kay mom was who I most wanted to get to.
I took a seat in the back of English class and hoped I wouldn't be singled out by my teacher for a class introduction... Today wasn't my day.
"Everyone we have a new student with us today, Ms. Van-Helm would you please stand?"
Everyone turned in their seats, CRAP!!! To stand or not to stand, that is the question... I stood.
"Ms. Van-Helm-"
"Chase," I lightly corrected. The last thing I wanted was my school-mates calling me 'Ms. Van-Helm'... I'd have to dye my hair gray, get an old lady dress from mom's shop, done some horn rimmed specs...
"Yes of course, Chase," he smiled nicely at me and I noted teacher man wasn't as old as I thought he'd be, "comes to us from California..." blah, blah, blah, synopsis of new girls life, class thoroughly bored.
I glanced around at my school-mates feeling uncomfortable and wishing teacher man, I glance at the board and saw his name, Mr. Thorn, would finish up so I could sit. My school-mates didn't look as bored as I'd hoped, they looked fascinated, especially at the mention of where my fam and I were cohabitating. It was making my fidgety.
"Okay Ms. Van-Helm please take your seat and class take out your Salem Witch Trial transcripts. Ms. Van-Helm you can share with Ms. Bloomingdale until I get you a copy."
'Ms. Bloomingdale' scooted her desk over to mine, "Hi, I'm Seph, don't worry most people are pretty sane around here. Mr. Thorn is fresh outta college so he's like super 'protocol'."
"So you're studying the witch trials," I said conversationally as my fellow students opened there books.
"Yeah, it's really dry. Can't believe people actually used to talk like that, 'Mayhap the Goodie wife', snore!"
I smiled I liked the red headed Ms. Bloomingdale, "We studied this one last year and I agree, at least Shakespeare is romantic."
"Totally," she snickered and whispered, "So what is 'Chase' short for?"
I made a face, "Chastity. Another ugly family tradition... What's 'Seph' short for?"
"I feel your pain, Persephone. It was my great, great, great-"
"Ms. Bloomingdale, will you please take the part of..."
"Great, grandmother's," she finished in a hushed whisper and smiled the teacher, "Not a problem Mr. Thorn."
Nothing like making friends with someone else named after a long dead relative. Several in my case.
I found out by the end of second period, my new gal friend and I had almost every class together, the only exception being first period. The more I talked with Seph the more I liked her, which was shocking cause she'd never been out of Baker.
We walked to lunch together and I was introduced to her 'crew' Daemon, Halmoni, and Moon. Moon's parents were all about living green and saving the planet, modern day hippies. It was wild to think they had those types of people out here in Podunk.
"Love the locks," Moon said, twirling a strand of my long hair around her index finger, "bet your parental units are up in arms over it."
"Mostly mom," I admitted, "but that was kinda the point. Trying to prove to her that I am in morning. Not that I think my 'rents will actually take me back home."
"Over your dead namesake?" Daemon asked confused, "I didn't think you'd met your late aunt."
"No," I laughed, "my lost life... no offense but Baker sucks."
All three concurred. Then Halmoni piped up, "You should come to work at mom's deli with the rest of us! It's not much just a few hours during the week, but we'd all have spending money and we could hang after school!"
I sighed, "I wish... nope if I mentioned a job to mom she'll put me to work at the junk shop. Dad would back her up on that one."
"So what's it like living in the 'cursed mansion' so close to those freaky woods?" Daemon suddenly asked leaning forward.
"Huh?" I gaped at him.
"Daemon, shut it!" Seph growled.
"What's he talking about?" I asked her.
"It's just some kid's story. Supposedly some witches put a curse on all the woodland and the places closest to it. It's why the Hawk's won't log it, I guess, but I think it's just a bunch of hooey."
"Spill please," I prompted, "I could use some good hooey."
"There was a cabin where your house is now a long time ago. One night the girl that lived there disappeared or something and her dad went totally nut-bunnies, killed some wood cutter accusing him of being a literal monster. The cabin burned down with crazy dad in it and the girl turned up later but she was weirded out... your house was put up in its place and sometimes bad things happen there," she glanced at me and I'd gone white, "But there's nothing to back it up!"
"W... what was her name?" I couldn't stop thinking of the journal I'd found yesterday in the rafters of the attic or the fact that my family had always owned that property.
"Chastity," she said and the other three gasped.
"I think I've got her journal," I said in a very small voice.
"I've got goose bumps," Daemon shivered, "too freaky!"
"Speaking of freaky," Halmoni and Moon glanced across the room and I followed their gazes.
Two oddly handsome boys were taking their seats at a small table in the corner. They were tall, one with very dark hair, the other light blonde, indentically colored strange green eyes, too emerald green to be their real color, watched the lunch room like uneasy wild animals... they had to wear contacts, but why did they look so wary? Both were well built under their designer clothes and their faces were too 'magazine model' good looking, completely out of place for this town.
I stared unable to take my eyes off them and the dark haired boy looked up at me, his features twisting in much the same kind of surprise I wore. His friend said something and punched him in the arm when he didn't answer drawing his attention back to him. He looked annoyed with his friend.
I blinked and looked at my small group of new comrades, they stared at me as if I'd just sprouted rabbit ears. "What?"
"Whoa," Moon breathed, "Jude never gives anyone a second glance."
"Jude?"
Seph enlightened me, "Jude and Oren Hawk. Their adoptive uncle owns Bracken-berry lumber. They're like the wealthiest family in town-"
"Your aunt was the biggest protester against everything the Hawk's touched," Daemon, whom I was quickly learning was the town historian, informed me.
I glanced up and caught the two boys looking at me, Jude with interest or maybe just curiosity, Oren with disgust.
Odd... To my knowledge I'd never disgusted anyone before...
I slammed the ancient journal I'd found in the attic of my new home closed, and tossed it in the drawer of my nightstand, "Don't wait for me mom. I'm driving myself."
"Chase, the shop is only two blocks from the high school, we should car pool," she called back.
I pulled on my black jacket and grabbed my book bag, "It's bad enough I'm starting in the middle of fall semester, do you really insist on farther thwarting any chance I've got to fit-"
"Chastity Grace Van-Helm," mom chided and I pictured her at the bottom of the outdated stair case with her hands on her hips, I mouthed along with her, "Don't be such a diva!"
"Prue, my cherished love," dad called from his study, "stop torturing the fruit of my loins and let her drive herself. Baker isn't so big she'll get lost."
"Thanks dad," I mumbled to myself and took the stairs two at a time just to panic mom.
"Chastity! Don't do that, you'll break your neck on those tiny steps!"
I wish, I glared at her telling her telekinetically how very unhappy I was to be in this Podunk nowhere town. My feet landed safely on the floor in front of her, "Look mom, no broken bones."
She sighed heavily and flipped my hair, "Why did you dye it jet black? It looks awful on you. I really hope you didn't use my good towels."
Mom and her 'good towels', I imagine the world would fall into complete anarchy should anything ever happen to those towels... "No mom I used the rags. You're the one that said I could dye it."
"I thought you'd maybe highlight your blond with some nice light auburn tones... and what is with the funeral clothes?"
I'm in morning over my lost social life, missing friends, the super job I had to quit to come out to the middle of nowhere's ville...
"I think the kids call it 'Goth' dearest," dad observed from the doorway, "Supposed to be hip. Well ladies you're both about to be very, very late and I've got an e-conference to get to." Dad kissed my forehead and then mom all mushy giving me the chance to zip outta the house to the relative safety of old VW bug.
I didn't wait for mom to emerge, she and I could argue later after she got home from the antique shop, home to the antique house, in this antique town... Guess it all goes well with my antique name.
I wondered how antique my quaint little high school would be... I'd bet the teachers were all just this side of 'museum mummy'.
"Gosh I miss L.A.," I grumbled pulling into the school's tiny lot. Not many cars in the lot, another reminder I wasn't in Cali anymore. "Oh I bet it's sunny there today," I glowered at the slate gray sky, "desert my foot." To add to my lovely morning and to mock me, the clouds opened up at that very moment, dumping bucket loads of fat cold rain drops. "Crap and I didn't bring a hat!!!"
I grabbed my bag and sprinted for the door just as the last bell rang. Hooray, the drown rat look on top of not being able to simply sneak into class. What a wonderful first day to remember...
The school secretary saw me dripping in the doorway. "Oh you must be Chastity Van-Helm?" she queried while I puzzled over how many new students she saw on a daily basis.
"Umm, it's Chase actually... Unless I'm in trouble," humor, did they have any here?
She chuckled lightly, good at least one person did... "No dear you aren't in trouble. Would you like a towel for the hair? Looks like you got the worst of the storm-"
"But I'm late," I said surprised I wasn't getting a tardy and a lecture.
"You're first day? I think you're entitled to some slack," she opened the little half door beside her counter, "Come on back here and I'll go over your class schedule with you while you dry off."
Wow, I was really liking this lady. I smiled at her the way I hadn't smiled at anyone since mom and dad announce we were moving into my late great aunts house and taking over her eclectic antique shop... all because my 'rents freaked out about a school shooting that happened at a high school my school was associated with in any way shape or form.
Originally when mom found out she'd inherited this stuff we were gonna sell it all, put the money in my 'college' fund or take a family vacation. I liked that plan... But then psycho boy got all upset and shot up his science class...
"So what do I call you?" I asked nice secretary lady as she handed me a towel.
"Emma Edwards, but most of the students call me E."
E I liked it, "Thanks for towel E, does it rain like this a lot?"
"I'm afraid so this time of year, and then the snow comes until spring."
"Snow?! But I thought this was the desert!"
She laughed, "The high desert is different than say the Kalahari."
Snow no not snow!!!!! Could things get any worse!!!!
She grabbed a sheet of paper off her desk, my class schedule. We went over it along with a simple map of the uncomplicated layout of the school. E assured when the bell rang for the end of first period, beginning of second, she'd let my first period teacher know why I missed it.
I left her office happy to know I'd made my first 'buddy' even if she was of the adult set.
Of course I was the only 'Goth' girl in school but I didn't give a flying hoot what the other kids thought, they might or might not get why I was rebelling against my parents like this. I knew my silent protest was bugging mom, but dad was rarely ever riled. 'S' kay mom was who I most wanted to get to.
I took a seat in the back of English class and hoped I wouldn't be singled out by my teacher for a class introduction... Today wasn't my day.
"Everyone we have a new student with us today, Ms. Van-Helm would you please stand?"
Everyone turned in their seats, CRAP!!! To stand or not to stand, that is the question... I stood.
"Ms. Van-Helm-"
"Chase," I lightly corrected. The last thing I wanted was my school-mates calling me 'Ms. Van-Helm'... I'd have to dye my hair gray, get an old lady dress from mom's shop, done some horn rimmed specs...
"Yes of course, Chase," he smiled nicely at me and I noted teacher man wasn't as old as I thought he'd be, "comes to us from California..." blah, blah, blah, synopsis of new girls life, class thoroughly bored.
I glanced around at my school-mates feeling uncomfortable and wishing teacher man, I glance at the board and saw his name, Mr. Thorn, would finish up so I could sit. My school-mates didn't look as bored as I'd hoped, they looked fascinated, especially at the mention of where my fam and I were cohabitating. It was making my fidgety.
"Okay Ms. Van-Helm please take your seat and class take out your Salem Witch Trial transcripts. Ms. Van-Helm you can share with Ms. Bloomingdale until I get you a copy."
'Ms. Bloomingdale' scooted her desk over to mine, "Hi, I'm Seph, don't worry most people are pretty sane around here. Mr. Thorn is fresh outta college so he's like super 'protocol'."
"So you're studying the witch trials," I said conversationally as my fellow students opened there books.
"Yeah, it's really dry. Can't believe people actually used to talk like that, 'Mayhap the Goodie wife', snore!"
I smiled I liked the red headed Ms. Bloomingdale, "We studied this one last year and I agree, at least Shakespeare is romantic."
"Totally," she snickered and whispered, "So what is 'Chase' short for?"
I made a face, "Chastity. Another ugly family tradition... What's 'Seph' short for?"
"I feel your pain, Persephone. It was my great, great, great-"
"Ms. Bloomingdale, will you please take the part of..."
"Great, grandmother's," she finished in a hushed whisper and smiled the teacher, "Not a problem Mr. Thorn."
Nothing like making friends with someone else named after a long dead relative. Several in my case.
I found out by the end of second period, my new gal friend and I had almost every class together, the only exception being first period. The more I talked with Seph the more I liked her, which was shocking cause she'd never been out of Baker.
We walked to lunch together and I was introduced to her 'crew' Daemon, Halmoni, and Moon. Moon's parents were all about living green and saving the planet, modern day hippies. It was wild to think they had those types of people out here in Podunk.
"Love the locks," Moon said, twirling a strand of my long hair around her index finger, "bet your parental units are up in arms over it."
"Mostly mom," I admitted, "but that was kinda the point. Trying to prove to her that I am in morning. Not that I think my 'rents will actually take me back home."
"Over your dead namesake?" Daemon asked confused, "I didn't think you'd met your late aunt."
"No," I laughed, "my lost life... no offense but Baker sucks."
All three concurred. Then Halmoni piped up, "You should come to work at mom's deli with the rest of us! It's not much just a few hours during the week, but we'd all have spending money and we could hang after school!"
I sighed, "I wish... nope if I mentioned a job to mom she'll put me to work at the junk shop. Dad would back her up on that one."
"So what's it like living in the 'cursed mansion' so close to those freaky woods?" Daemon suddenly asked leaning forward.
"Huh?" I gaped at him.
"Daemon, shut it!" Seph growled.
"What's he talking about?" I asked her.
"It's just some kid's story. Supposedly some witches put a curse on all the woodland and the places closest to it. It's why the Hawk's won't log it, I guess, but I think it's just a bunch of hooey."
"Spill please," I prompted, "I could use some good hooey."
"There was a cabin where your house is now a long time ago. One night the girl that lived there disappeared or something and her dad went totally nut-bunnies, killed some wood cutter accusing him of being a literal monster. The cabin burned down with crazy dad in it and the girl turned up later but she was weirded out... your house was put up in its place and sometimes bad things happen there," she glanced at me and I'd gone white, "But there's nothing to back it up!"
"W... what was her name?" I couldn't stop thinking of the journal I'd found yesterday in the rafters of the attic or the fact that my family had always owned that property.
"Chastity," she said and the other three gasped.
"I think I've got her journal," I said in a very small voice.
"I've got goose bumps," Daemon shivered, "too freaky!"
"Speaking of freaky," Halmoni and Moon glanced across the room and I followed their gazes.
Two oddly handsome boys were taking their seats at a small table in the corner. They were tall, one with very dark hair, the other light blonde, indentically colored strange green eyes, too emerald green to be their real color, watched the lunch room like uneasy wild animals... they had to wear contacts, but why did they look so wary? Both were well built under their designer clothes and their faces were too 'magazine model' good looking, completely out of place for this town.
I stared unable to take my eyes off them and the dark haired boy looked up at me, his features twisting in much the same kind of surprise I wore. His friend said something and punched him in the arm when he didn't answer drawing his attention back to him. He looked annoyed with his friend.
I blinked and looked at my small group of new comrades, they stared at me as if I'd just sprouted rabbit ears. "What?"
"Whoa," Moon breathed, "Jude never gives anyone a second glance."
"Jude?"
Seph enlightened me, "Jude and Oren Hawk. Their adoptive uncle owns Bracken-berry lumber. They're like the wealthiest family in town-"
"Your aunt was the biggest protester against everything the Hawk's touched," Daemon, whom I was quickly learning was the town historian, informed me.
I glanced up and caught the two boys looking at me, Jude with interest or maybe just curiosity, Oren with disgust.
Odd... To my knowledge I'd never disgusted anyone before...
