Halloween Magic and Mayhem by Stella Wilkinson Page B

school. Then, when it got too cold, we went inside and carved pumpkins together while she told me lots of spooky Halloween stories. It wasn’t until she’d made dinner and we sat down at her old oak table that she cleared her throat and said she had something to tell me.
    I twirled spaghetti around my fork and tried to look interested, even though I was actually focussing on not getting tomato sauce on my clothes.
    “You’re sixteen tonight.” She said a bit over dramatically.
    “No,” I corrected her, “my birthday is tomorrow. You know that.”
    She shook her head, “You officially turn sixteen tonight at midnight. There are things you should know before it happens.”
    “If this is about sex, then dad already gave me the talk , it was embarrassing enough the first time, please don’t make me sit through it again!” I begged her.
    She laughed, “It’s not about sex.”
    “Well, that’s a relief anyway. What else should I know?”
    “You should know about your powers. I think they’re going to be quite strong, and so you mustn’t do anything stupid.”
    I looked at her in disbelief. “Powers?”
    She nodded impatiently, “Yes, your magic powers. You do realise you are a witch?”

Chapter Two
    I rolled my eyes. “Yeah right, and monkeys might fly out of my butt?”
    “Don’t be sarcastic Emily, it encourages negative energy.”
    “Ok, Iris, but seriously, I know you are into all…this,” I waved my hand towards her fireplace which doubled up as an alter, “but it’s not my bag. I mean I like wearing black, it’s better than this cat sick yellow they make us wear in school, sorry Lyra, no offence,” I apologised briefly to the cat, who licked her nose in response.
    “But the black outfits aside, I don’t really dig the image, and I don’t want to be considered a freak at school, which I would be if I went around saying I was a witch!”
    “Do you consider me a freak?” Iris asked as if it had genuinely never occurred to her.
    I could hardly say yes, even though I wanted to. “Oh, ah, um.” Was the best I could come up with.
    Mercifully she just laughed. “Thanks Emily. Listen carefully, you are going to become a witch at midnight whether you want it or not. You don’t have to tell anyone and you really don’t have to wear black. But you do need to know what you’re doing. Please, just humour me in this?”
    “Humph, fine, I’m a witch.” I said. “So, do I have some magical destiny to fulfil?”
    She furrowed her brow, “No, why would you?”
    “Well I don’t know,” I spread my hands, “Isn't that normally how it works?”
    “Not so far as I know. You just get your powers. It’s up to you what you do with them. But you have to be careful, there are rules of course against openly using them.”
    “Right, yes, rules. Will the vampires rip my head off? Or the Ministry snap my wand or something?” I said, letting the sarcasm creep back in.
    Iris sighed slightly but all she said was “Your wand. Mustn’t forget that.” She went over to the Welsh Dresser against the wall and reaching right up to the highest shelf she reverentially took down a small grey book and a stick.
    Placing them on the table in front of me she wiped a tear from her eye.
    “This is your sixteenth birthday present from your mother. Her wand and her Grimoire.”
    “These were my mothers? She thought she was a witch as well?” I said it sort of jokingly, to cover my emotions. My mother left these for me? I choked back a tear of my own, I would think about that later. I ran my finger down the dusty cover of the grey book.
    Iris put her hands on her hips. “She didn’t just think it, Emily, she was an amazing kitchen witch.”
    “Kitchen witch?” I was lost now.
    “Yes, she was particularly skilled at brewing. And you’re Grannie Mara is a fantastic hedge witch, so you have it from both sides.”
    This time I choked on a laugh of disbelief. “Oh, come on! You can’t tell me that my father’s