The Dark Witch

Aran saw flames engulfing his home, the flames were that hot he felt like he was in the furnace of his home’s heating system. There was so much smoke he couldn’t see what was in front of him, never mind how to get out. ‘Mum, mum,’ Aran cried. He knew the fire was in front of him, but he didn’t know where the door was, so he was feeling the floor, hoping to find the door. Aran woke abruptly to the sound of the bedroom door opening; he was sweating as if he’d been at the gym.

Aran was tall for his age, taller than most teenagers at school, and very muscular. He got out of bed in a hurry and started looking for clothes to put on, he picked out a blue sweater and grey jogging bottoms. He had blue eyes that sparkled just like the clear ocean. Aran was adopted at the age of 5, his parents' house got burned down, he always had nightmares about it. For the past year Aran has been hearing voices, they started during puberty, sometimes they are loud and clear, other times just like a whisper, always warning him about stuff that was going to happen.

‘Aran come and get your breakfast,’ Kristine called.

‘I’m coming mom, let me get dressed.’

Once Aran was dressed, he ran down the stairs, nearly tripping as he met the last step.

‘Hey mum, what we got for breakfast?’

‘Just the usual for a Saturday.’

Aran and his mum Kristina always had a full English on the weekends, it was a treat to congratulate Aran for doing good at school. Even though she wasn’t his biological parent, she was all he had known from being little.

‘We have the doctor coming anytime now son, hopefully he will be able to help with your mental health’.

Just as soon as they finished clearing up the plates and pans the doorbell went.

‘This is Dr John’ Kristina announced.

‘Hi Aran, nice to meet you, I am a paediatric psychiatrist.’

Aran came and sat down near his mum.

‘Please start at the beginning,’ Dr John announced.

Aran started at the beginning, explaining when he first started hearing the voices and what they say.

‘Okay I think you are suffering from a disorder called psychosis, we need to try and find out what type of disorder it is and how best to treat the symptoms. Kristina, I think we will have to admit him into our hospital.’

Erm why? I don’t want to go mum; I want to stay here.’

‘I think its best you go Aran; they will look after you.’ Kristina said with tears in her eyes.

‘I also think it would be best to not visit for a while, just so it doesn’t impede his progress.

Aran hugged his mother and said goodbye. He was stood on the doorstep, a car was parked on the driveway, the car was black with tinted back windows. A man of unusually large stature stood holding the back door open.

‘Please get in the car,’ the man said in an irritated voice.

The car journey took almost 3 hours. When Aran looked out of the window he could see the hospital, it had a big building first which looked like it had three floors. It was surrounded by big black gates with guards on the inside and outside. When they got through the gates, he could see what looked like 3 ground floor wards, he wasn’t sure which one would be his. There was no escape Aran thought.

The wards were all separated by a garden and a hill between what looked like a second and third building.

Aran walked in cautiously, he was miles from his home and everything he knew. He took one deep breath; slow and steady he thought to himself. Aran was introduced to a nurse at the front door, she was designated to show him around and where he would be sleeping. Aran took another steady breath, the ward he was on smelt clinical but at the same time looked welcoming. Aran walked into what looked like a very large living room.

‘Here you can sit and chill and watch television, to your right here is the female corridor, you must not go down that corridor.’

Aran followed the nurse to his left, down another corridor. Walls had a floral wallpaper. The nurse stopped outside room 16.

‘This is your room, please get yourself settled in. I will give you this so you can get in and out of your room.’

Aran walked into his room, it was larger than he thought it was going to be, again the walls are wallpapered. The room smelt clean and had a double bed. Aran went and sat on his bed, why do hospitals have high security, thought Aran. The voices started as soon as Aran closed his curtains.

‘You’re not safe, you’re not safe, get out Aran GET OUT.’

Aran shoved the pillow on top of his face, nearly suffocating himself to block out the voices. The one this that did not make sense was that the voices always helped him and when he didn’t listen the disasters always came true. Once on the 16 ^{th of} September 2012 Aran jumped over a railing on the train tracks, he didn’t see or hear the train until it was nearly too late. The voices saved him that day when they told him to jump down the hill. So, if it always comes true and they help, how is it a bad thing Aran thought.

The next morning the nurse he saw yesterday walked into his room silently waking him up.

‘Here are the tablets the Dr has prescribed.’

The nurse watched him take them and left the room. About an hour later Aran felt sleepy and heavy and could not keep his eyes open. What was that tablet thought Aran, and he fell into a deep sleep. Aran shot up when he heard a knock on his door. He looked at his watch before giving whoever it was permission to come in, 2pm, I couldn’t have slept for that long, Aran thought. Aran had a consultation with the same doctor who came to his house.

‘How are you feeling?’ said Dr John.

‘I want to go home’ said Aran regretfully.

Dr John looked at Aran cautiously. Even though Aran was adopted, he had a good relationship with his adopted parents.

‘I just miss them.’

‘You will be home soon, now please go sit in the lounge’ Dr John reassured. Aran went to the lounge and sat on the sofa. He felt too tired to join in with any activities so went to his bedroom and had sleep. ‘Please can you get up Aran, we need you to do some activities’ said the nurse. The nurse was dressed in casual clothing with red hair and was quite chubby. Aran went into the activity room; they got him doing some puzzles. He was told they were to track his intelligence. ‘What have all these got to do with my voices?’ Aran asked. ‘Please just complete them’ a nurse said angrily. Aran had met a friend called Harry; he seemed to know every inch of this hospital.

2 months later

Aran has been in hospital now for two months. Harry, the boy Aran befriended, told him that the medication they give you stops his powers working. Aran was confused.

‘What powers?’ said Aran.

‘We are here for research; they take us away and the ones that have gone away never come back. They seem to take someone every time they find someone new,’ said Harry.

Harry was a slim build and very small for his age. He was a year older than Aran.

‘We are witches, my mum and dad are witches. Your mum and dad will be too’ said harry.

‘I don’t know my parents though, I was adopted at a young age’. Aran was dejected that he never knew his parents.

‘All of us are adopted here. They would never be able to get people in here if they still had parents that were witches. Have you ever heard voices?’ said Harry.

How did you know? thought Aran. Everything was making sense, since Aran had been here all they did was drug him and ask him questions about his history and get him doing weird activities. Nothing to do with what Dr Jhon had told him he was going for. Now Aran had to find a way out.

‘I have a plan’ said Harry, like he can read Aran’s mind.

‘The security guards go to a meeting about 9pm, we make our escape then, go to your room, I'll meet you in the foyer.’

Once Aran got out of this place, he could get off this medication and get home. Harry and Aran met in the foyer at 8:45pm.

‘We can fit through this window and go to the train station, we just need to figure out where to go,’ said Harry.

‘If we explain everything to my parents they will help us’ explained Aran.

They fitted through the window just like it was meant to be, and security was low just like Harry had said.

‘This way’ whispered Harry.

Harry whispered a few words that Aran could not understand, and the gate opened.

‘How did you do that?’ said Aran in a low but shocked voice.

‘Like I told you, we have magic, we are magic. I will explain more on the train, but for now we need to get out of here’.

They camped out in the woods overnight but neither of them dared to sleep. They knew the train was not going to come until the morning and being out in public would make them more noticeable. The next morning, they both set off for the train station, jumped on the northern train praying that a conductor did not come round. Staffing was very limited because of the train strikes. They got off the train at 12:34pm.

‘Now just the walk to my parents' house’ Aran said.

‘Who is that following us?

He has been behind us four blocks now’ Harry said in a quiet voice.

As Harry spoke, they both started running.

‘Follow me’ Aran said quickly.

‘This way’.

They ran left then right trying to get rid of their pursuer.

‘This is my house, quickly I will lock the door’ said Aran panting.

Harry shuts the door behind them and locks it.

‘What is that?’ said Harry.

There was blood everywhere, it looked like someone had been slaughtered.

‘My mum!’ cried Aran.

Harry ran over to his mum laying on the floor.

‘I… I, I need to check if she’s breathing!’

‘She’s dead Aran’ Harry said sympathetically.

Aran couldn’t help but check, his mother had two stab wounds, one to the stomach the other to the heart. He was certain she was dead now.

‘What do we do now?’

‘We need to get out of here, I don’t know where to go but we can plan on the road.’

Harry could see someone walking up the driveway.

‘Quick hide Aran, in the back!’

They both rushed to the back of the house. Someone is fighting in the front yard, and then before they both even have time to blink the front door comes crashing down.

‘We need to fight Aran, get ready.’

Harry prepares a spell ready to use as soon as they come round the corner.

‘Araba caprice tor’ he threw the spell at their opponent, but they blocked it with a blocking spell.

‘Hold I am here to help, you might not trust me, but I’m related to you Aran, follow me once we go through this portal, we will be safe,’ the woman quickly said.

She whispered a spell, and a portal appeared, once all three of them walked through the portal they felt all their magic and felt at home.

THE END

E-mail: Adam Wroot

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