Huntress

"By skull and tooth, our blood sisters rise! By haven or hell, we shall never divide!"

My grandmother's words echo throughout the chamber of souls. That's what we call the basement but that wouldn't be spooky enough. My father was never allowed down there. Maybe that's why he left and I've always been wary of it ever since. The rituals done by my mother, my grandmother, and their ridiculous little coven is nothing short of a long running joke. They've never achieved anything and when they did, my mother took all the credit. She still believes she got all the powers in the family but really, it was me.

There were powers that got passed down, supposedly, but I know they never really existed. It was just a myth made to insinuate. The females in my family were never special until me. I know because I can communicate with them. They were all filthy liars and their lies got them lead this 900-year-old coven. This coven has survived genocide and mass hangings. My ancestors have witnessed persecution and oppression and have cheated their way throughout the centuries. Others died so they can live and perpetuate their fairy tale. My whole family is made up of con artists and charlatans. Leading this coven is the only thing my family has.

I can talk to the dead and it's not a gift I would have liked to receive. I can tell the difference but that's just means I know everyone's secrets. How did we survive the Black Plague? By stowing away on Portuguese ships away from Europe. How did we survive the French Revolution? By masquerading as soldiers and running the other way. How did we survive the Salem Witch trials? By pointing the finger at everyone else while we escaped the noose. Same with both World Wars and social media. We just misdirect like a magician and his magic hat. There is not otherworldly, supernatural element to our lives. We did not make a deal with the devil. We did not sacrifice anything to obtain our leadership. We are not in league with Satan, Lucifer, or any other God. It's all a lie and my whole matrilineal line has double down in order to persevere.

My mother drove away my father to prove her powers. My grandmother killed my grandmother with a baseball bat keep him quiet. My great-grandmother poisoned her husband with strychnine to keep up this charade. This has been going on for centuries. No boys have been born but that's also a lie. They've been discarded and aborted, once again, to keep up this farce. I don't know how to keep up this sham and it's going to be up to me to continue this naive scam.

My psychic abilities have started to kick in. I can speak to the dead and read people's minds, apparently. I know every secret now. Nothing is off limits. While my mother recites her spells and conjures new ways to manipulate, I can see the truth in her mind. She's been afraid of the truth for all of her life. She misses my father. She doesn't want to do this anymore.

The cup in the kitchen is now floating in the air on its way to me. I can move things with my mind as well. What a freak I turned out to be. My blood sisters speak of favors done by the devil and of malignant events done to certain individuals. I can speak of paid off assassins and tipped off authority figures. Those in positions of power are well aware of the power of my coven. If they only knew they were afraid of nothing. This is a train that cannot be stopped. My coven is a force made up of false treaties and conniving disguise. We wear masks in front of our cauldrons and wear them everyday in public. Eye of newt and blood of raven, we have come to far to rely on maybe.

I am burdened with the truth and it's driving me crazy. The dead were wrong to lie their way through life. The living are just pathetic. Organic matter is just too desperate to be ignored. I can control most everyone and everything around me but I do not want to. I don't want this power and and I have never wanted this. How can I trade these powers? How can I get rid of these? How can I bring down my own coven without betraying it? My blood sisters will never forgive me. My mother and my grandmother have wasted their entire lives relying on a lie. Their focus has been this coven and I don't want to end up like them. I have to burn this coven to the ground. "By skull and tooth, our blood sisters rise! By haven or hell, we shall never divide!" I cannot allow this treachery to be reborn, over and over again. This coven should be allowed to die and I am the nail in this coffin. The dead have seen the light and the veil must be lifted off of the living. Blood sisters, we will rise again. We will be remade and we will be glorious. I am the sin eater and I will cleanse our souls once and for all. I am going to hell for this betrayal and I am glad for it.