A Wishing Moon by Sable Hunter

is about to make witch bottles and put out red brick dust. She seems to think the killer will come after us when he hears we helped discover the bodies.”
    Arabella turned and looked at her cousin. “Wow, this is turning into some holiday isn’t it?”
    Evangeline smiled with typical teenage bravado. “Yea, the life of a witch is never boring. I wouldn’t want to be anything else.”
    * * * *
    Angelique and Elizabeth prepared the witch bottles. They took plain canning jars and filled them with sharp objects: nails, straight pins and pieces of a broken glass. Then, they added rosemary, cactus spines and rose thorns. Finally, they finished off with a mixture of red wine and a few drops, each, of their own blood and urine.
    “ I used to think this was so gross,” Elizabeth said.
    “ This combination is a very powerful barrier to evil,” the older woman said while attaching twine to the neck of the jar.
    Nanette walked in. “Sweetie, we won’t be hanging these jars,” she explained when noticing what Angelique was doing. “We will bury them. If he were to find one of these jars and destroy it, well that would never do. How many did you fix?”
    “ Nine,” Elizabeth answered. “Will that be enough?”
    “ Yes, three times three—very powerful. We will space them out all around the perimeter of the property. When you have them ready, I want you two to walk with me as we put out the red brick dust. Bring a shovel and we’ll bury these at the same time.” Nanette got her cane and they exited the back door to begin the ritual.
    Elizabeth got a shovel and the three of them headed to the back boundary of Arabella’s land. She owned twelve acres and the back of the property bordered Cypress Creek. They had to go slow, because Nanette was slow. She instructed them to bury the first bottle, and then she began. Angelique handed her a gallon bag of red brick dust. She took out a hand full and started to walk.

“ Ateh malkuth ve-gevurah, ve-gedulah le-olahm amen. Creator of heaven and earth, God and Goddess, Lord and Lady, Mother and Father of all life. Hear my cry, hear my plea. Protect this land. Protect this house. Protect all of this household. I call upon those whom you have created and given power, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. I call upon the Watchtowers, the Guardians. I call upon the Watchtowers of the East, element of Air. I call upon the Watchtowers of the South, element of Fire. I call upon the Watchtowers of the West, element of Water. I call upon the Watchtowers of the North, element of Earth. Allow no one to come over this boundary who would do harm. Allow no enemy to cross this barrier. Stop the feet of those who would do ill. Turn back any who would attempt evil against us. My will be done. So mote it be.”

    As she talked, she walked, and repeated the same prayer over and over again.
    Elizabeth could tell this was taking a lot out of her mother. She watched as her steps slowed and she became short of breath; still Nanette pressed on.
    They walked the entire outer edge of the twelve acres. She and Angelique buried all nine witch bottles and Nanette spread bag after bag of red brick dust. When they were through, they had to help Nanette back to the house. On either side of her, they walked her back until she literally fell into the recliner. “I feel better now,” she announced. In a few moments, she dropped off to sleep.

    * * * *

    Jade opened his eyes to his new surroundings. The room seemed to be much the same as the one at the hospital, except this one was painted a pale shade of lavender. The overhead lighting still buzzed monotonously and the machines keeping his heart beating made the same continual hum. His life had been reduced to a few square feet of misery. This time, however, someone had been nice enough to turn on a TV. Jade’s eyes were drawn to the old set hanging from the ceiling where Bob Barker loudly proclaimed, The Price Is Right . Soon, he saw his own face come on the