The Dark side

"Jewels, it's time for school hunny" her mom said. Jewels woke up slowly, stretching every muscle in her body before she got up. "Mom, I'm up, what's for breakfast" Jewels said. She got a hair tie and pulled her long silky red hair up in a ponytail and walked out of her bedroom and started to slowly walk down the stairs, the smell of the pancakes and broths made her stomach growl in hunger. When she got downstairs she went straight towards the kitchen and every step she took closer to the kitchen, the stronger the pancakes and broths smell got.

She walked into the kitchen and sat down and started to eat. " I see you found the food" her mom said while coming out of the bathroom into the kitchen, "Yeah, I don't feel so good Anne" Jewel said to her mom while cutting up her pancake that was covered in syrup. Anne walks over to the wooden shelf and grabs the thermometer off the bottom shelf. "Open wide" Anne said while putting the thermometer in Jewels mouth. They waited about 5 seconds or so to get her temperature, it started to beep. Anne took it out of Jewels mouth and said "it says your temp is 101.5".

Jewels looked at Anne with a worried look on her freckled face. "Go upstairs and lay in bed, I'll call your school and say you have a fever and won't be coming to school" Anne said. As Jewels was slowly walking up the stairs, she felt really dizzy and blacked out and fell down the stairs. Thomas woke up from the big loud thumping of Jewels falling down the stairs. Thomas was unemployed because they had to move. Anne was a nurse who did heart surgery on people, I guess you can call her a heart surgeon. Anne saw jewels laying on the floor and ran to her, slowly putting Jewels head on her lap.

The next day Jewels woke up in the hospital, guards were in front of her room guarding her door. She looked at the grey clock next to her bed, it was exactly 1:03 am, she started to fall back asleep until she heard a girl scream. The guards ran towards the sound of the screaming and left her door unattended. Then Jewels felt uncomfortable, thinking to herself that maybe those screams were a trap. She saw this black figure go past her door, Jewels gasped and ran into her closet behind some clothes hanging on a rack. The closet door had a tiny hole, so she could see through.

She remembered what her mom told her, she said "if you feel in danger say, fear shall not ruin me". Jewels said that quietly and when she did, she saw a big blue ball behind the shadow. The ball hit the back of the mans head, he growled in pain and ran out of the room. That is when Jewels found out she had powers, her eyes were very wide from what she had just done. She got up and slowly opened the doorknob, came out of the room and ran towards the telephone. She called Anne and Thomas and told them what had happened and that someone was coming after her, her hands were shaking and she was feeling dizzy again, she blacked out once again. The next day, Jewels woke up in a dark cellar that was so cold her toes were turning slightly purple. "Hello, is anyone here?" Jewels said while trying to wiggle her way out of the rope that her hands were tied in. A shadow ran past these two pipes and got closer every second to Jewels. She heard someone giggle quietly in the background behind a wall, she could hear her heart beating practically out of her chest while breathing heavily. Finally, the shadow man started to speak with an evil grin on his face, "I know what you are". Jewels looked confused for a second forgetting what she did while in the hospital, "What am I then?" Jewels asked.

The shadow man walked slowly with his hands clenched into fists, "you're a witch". "Prove it, do you have any evidence?" Jewels said with a grin on her face. " No, but I can have the town drown you to see, or you can just tell me you are one and I'll leave you and your family alone and I'll keep your secret safe" he said with an evil smirk on his face. "Fine, I am a witch. I only found this out while I was in the hospital, I don't even know what powers I have and how to control them." Jewels said while trying to get out of the tight ropes that was scraping her skin. The man started to whistle and walked up the stairs, slammed the door shut and left, there was complete silence. She started to look around to find something to cut her loose, Jewels looked down and saw a little sharp blade, it seemed like it was purposely put there. But, she didn't care, she just wanted to be free.

Jewels finally got free and started running towards the door but when she got there the door was locked. At this point, Jewels started having a panic attack since she didn't know where she was, what day it was, or even if her family was looking for her. She had to figure out how to get out of this cellar, and fast. She wonders, how come her family never told her she had powers? or did they even know she did?, as her mind is racing and she's looking around to find something to get this door to open, she saw loose bricks in the wall. Jewels thought it was sketchy and the whole cellar could collapse around her, but she had to take the risk. So, she grabbed a brick carefully hoping nothing would collapse, kind of like Jenga, she managed to get the brick safely and went straight for the door. She starts throwing this brick at the door over and over realizing that the door wasn't budging, so she starts pacing once again to find a little key behind where she found that brick. Was it a trap and the man purposely put the key there? who knows, but at this point she didn't care, she just wanted out. She shakily put the key into the hole, when she got out, the man was standing there waiting."Oh, you're here." Jewels said to the shadow man. He didn't say a word, he just stood there staring at her then immediately put a bag over her head, took her through the front door and shoved her in the back of his car. Jewels was starting the feel claustrophobic and started begging the man to take the bag off and that she'd do anything he asked as long as the bag came off. Next thing she knew the bag gets ripped off her head and she immediately gasps for fresh air through the car window. Jewel's legs and hands are duct-taped together so there was no escaping, "Where are we going, man?" Jewels said with a worried look on her freckled face. "We're going to where I grew up, oh and by the way my name is Florenzo, so you can stop calling me man anytime now," said Florenzo. Jewels looked very confused, why would he tell her his name knowing he kidnapped her and has bruising all over her legs and arms to prove it?. She studied his face long and hard if she survives this she knows she will be going to the police station.

He was a tall thin man with a sharp pointy nose and a tattoo on his right arm that has someone's name on it, maybe his family member passed?. Before Jewels could ask about the name on his arm, Florenzo said "I noticed you are staring at the name on my arm, that my mom who was killed in a car crash a few years ago, her name was Martha. She was a sweet lady who loved cooking and never judged others, definitely was taken too soon from this world, and that's why I have you, you are going to bring her back." Jewels had a weird expression on her face, her eyebrows were arched so high they were practically in her hairline, her lips started quivering and she took a big gulp nervously, "Say what? I don't even know how to use my powers, or if I have any at all" said Jewels. "I'll show you how, you aren't he only witch in this world, but you are the only one with enough power to complete the spell" replied Florenzo. 2 hours go by and they are still driving, Jewels looks outside her window and watches the cornfields go by as they pass, "We're getting close, would you like a drink of water?" Florenzo said while opening the lid to his water bottle. Jewels takes big gulps of his water as he's holding it for her, shortly after she starts to feel dizzy again, the cornfields seem like they are going in slow motion as they pass now, a few minutes later she dozes off to sleep.

A few hours go by and Jewels finally wakes up, it's dark outside and the only thing she could see through the windshield was the bright full moon ahead of them. Florenzo takes a sharp right turn towards what looks like a very small town. There were cows, horses, sheep, and goats everywhere, he really lived in the middle of nowhere it seemed like. "My town doesn't really like strangers coming here, they all have some form of a weapon so I'd suggest not to make any sudden movements or give me a hard time," Florenzo said. He pulls up to a small gas station that looked like it was abandoned for over 13 years, he gets out of the car and cuts off Jewels restraints. Down the road you could see the biggest building there was in this town, it was a big ware house that had broken windows and vines everywhere around it. Florenzo picks Jewels up and carries her over to the warehouse, her long thin legs could barely move for being in the same position for over 5 hours. When they got there, Florenzo put Jewels on her feet and opened the big warehouse doors, they creaked like they haven't been opened for years. They got a big whiff of what smelled like death when the doors opened, what Jewels saw was indescribable. Jewels waved her hand in front of her face trying to get the smell to disappear while Florenzo walked in the warehouse like the smell didn't even exist, she believed he had been there for so long he became almost nose blind to the smell. Jewels coughed and asked "Why did you bring me here? and what is that god awful smell?". Florenzo looked at her like she was crazy since he didn't smell a thing, "My mom was buried in the back, she worked here many years ago, this used to be a factory, her and my dad built this place in their younger years and it was running up until she passed." Jewels had a disgusted look on her face, why the hell would his mother be buried inside a warehouse?. If his mother died years ago, then how come it smelled so bad in this place? was she not properly buried?, "We didn't have the money for a proper funeral, but we knew she wanted to be buried where her favorite place was, so my dad and I did it ourselves." Florenzo said. He grabbed Jewels by the arm and ran over to the side of the warehouse and grabbed a shoved and a pickaxe and handed them to Jewels, "You're going to dig her up", Jewels immediately said no and tried running away, but she tripped over something and Florenzo caught up to her, she looked over to what she tripped and it happened to be another dead body. But, this one was fresh and the only thing that she could see was the human hand with blood on it. Jewels looked over to Florenzo with a frightened look, she wiped the tears off her face and asked "Is that what you're going to do to me if I don't help you? who is that? why is there blood on the hand?" she kept rambling on with fright in her words, Florenzo covered her mouth with an evil look on his face, his eyes were almost black it seemed like. "That's my father, that's what happens if I don't get my way and you try to stop me from getting what I want. so I'd suggest to listen to my demands and follow them exactly how I want or you'll be next." he then took his hand off Jewel's face slowly and yanked her back up off the ground, she was shaking so badly she could hardly move, but he made her. "let's get back to where we left off, shall we?" Florenzo said while handing her back the pickaxe and shovel. Jewels took them both hesitantly, she slowly inched her way over to where his mother was buried while Florenzo was far ahead of her. She thought about running away again, but she had no clue where she was or even what state she was in, she was trapped. Jewels caught up to Florenzo, she had the most reluctant look on her face, "I really don't want to do this, why are you making me do this? how do you know I'm even powerful enough to do this?" said Jewels. "Because, your youth is what makes you strong, every witch is at their most powerful when they turn 17, no more questions, start digging." Florenzo shoves Jewels to the burial spot, it's covered in cement and who knows how far down Martha is, could be 3 feet or 8. Jewels takes the heavy pickaxe and starts slamming it into the cement, barely making a scratch, but she keeps trying.

An hour goes by and Jewels finally got passed the hard cement, she's drenched in sweat even though it's 39 degrees outside. Florenzo starts to see that she's starting to get exhausted, "You're almost there now, not much longer and I'll let you rest up for the big day." He laughs while dangling his feet while he's sitting on a shelf watching Jewels do all of the work. Another goes by and Jewels heard a big clang with her shovel, she hits the ground a few more times and realizes she finally got to the wooden coffin. Florenzo walks up, pushes her to the side and says "Good job, young one." She must've dug at least 6 feet deep, Jewels was so exhausted she could barely stand, her legs were trembling along with every muscle in her body.

Florenzo wipes the coffin off with his boot, he slowly opens it up and all you can see is ripped clothing that is almost disintegrated and bones. "What now?" Jewels says while wiping the sweat off her freckled face, "Get some rest, you'll know in the morning." Florenzo said while closing the coffin up, they both walked back to the car, he tied Jewel's arms and legs up again, "Good night." they said to each other. The sun was shining through the windshield and the birds are singing their morning songs like they always do, Jewels starts tossing and turning fighting waking up for what's next to come after she wakes, randomly a big bang hit her side of the car shooting her up faster than a cheetah can run. "What the hell was that?" she said while rubbing her squinted eyes that are trying to close again, "Morning sunshine", Jewels slowly looks up and there is Florenzo standing there, he looks like a black shadow again with the sun shining down on him covering his face. He opens the car door up and unties Jewels from the restraints he had put her in last night, "It's time" Florenzo said while helping Jewels get out of the car, she tries to walk but her body is too weak, it feels like she hasn't eaten in 10 years when it's only been almost 3 days. "Do you have anything I could eat, please? I'm starting to get too weak to go on, I'm starving." Jewels hesitantly looks up to Florenzo hoping he doesn't harm her for asking, he pulls out a candy bar and a warm sandwich that has sat under the sun inside his bag for god knows how long. She scarfs it down like a dog, they then head back to the creepy old warehouse.

The sun was shining so bright Jewels could barely see in front of her, everything seemed hazy to her, was this real? is she really about to bring a person back to life? she's swarming in her thoughts and before she knew it they were in front of those big doors again. Florenzo slowly opens up the doors trying to not make them squeak as loudly since it's daylight out, they walk in and Jewels can still smell what seems like death, Florenzo hands her a big giant black book that has a bunch of satanic carvings all over it, Jewels is too young to understand what they mean, she just thinks they're stars. When she touched the book she felt different, energized if you would say, she felt powerful. They walked their way across the warehouse to the very back where you could see concrete and a big dirt mound piled up, Florenzo opened his mother's casket again and started taking her bones out piece by piece lying them gently on the concrete floor. Jewels keeps gulping up her dry saliva out of fear, she's wishing that right about now her family and police would come rushing in to save her from this terrible mess she somehow got put in. 10 minutes go by and Florenzo just got finished putting all of Martha's bones on the floor, or what he thought was Martha. Along this tiny town was surrounded by woods, you could hardly see through inside it was so dark, for some reason the sun never shined on the trees inside those woods, Florenzo put the bones inside of his bag, "The ritual has to be done in those woods outside of this town, there cant be any light and I'm too impatient to wait until nighttime." Florenzo said while making his way to the doors, Jewels stood there frozen, she didn't want to move. Florenzo turned around at the doors and realized she wasn't coming, so he practically sprinted towards her, yanked her arm forward and made her move. Why was he being so nice to her? Jewels kept hoping he wouldn't kill her after he gets what he wants from her. On their way to the woods, Jewels kept seeing more shadowy figures passing through the trees, maybe he had friends? Florenzo ripped the spellbook out of her hands and the shadow figured people disappeared. Every time a powerful witch touches that book it opens a portal to another dimension, not a nice dimension either. They finally got to the edge of the woods, it's almost evening time now since they woke up too late, "We're going to have to set up camp somewhere, I didn't realize how fast this day has gone. For this ritual to be complete you need to do it at 9 pm exact, do you understand?" Florenzo looked at Jewel's waiting for an answer, all she could do was nod her head, she was so scared she could barely open her mouth to speak. So, they went into the woods. The environment around them was oddly quiet, you couldn't hear the birds chirping anymore, or even crickets. The only thing Jewels and Florenzo could hear was the sound of their breathing and every twig snapping that they stepped on. It was starting to get dark, the only source of light they had was a flashlight and what was left of the sun going behind the hills, they still haven't set up camp either. Jewels was scared, going into the middle of very dark woods with a complete stranger to raise the dead wasn't something a normal teenager does or would do.

It seemed like that every second that passed it got darker faster, they were so far into the woods there was no turning back now, not like they could anyways. The farther they got, the less they could see behind them. About 15 minutes go by and they walk upon what seemed like an abandoned fort made with sticks and large leaves, but what could've made such a thing with how dead it is in this place? Jewels thought. "Here, we can set up camp here. It's only 8 pm right now, we have time to set up what needs to be done." Florenzo said while gently placing his bookbag onto the dirty moist ground and placing the black book on top to keep it from getting dirty. The whole way there Jewels felt a weird presence, she's felt it since she last touched that weird book, she kept checking behind her shoulder thinking something or someone was coming up behind her, but every time she looked nothing or no one was there. This place felt odd, almost all of the trees were dead, they looked singed almost like there was a wildfire recently, there were no animals around, it was too early for them to migrate. Florenzo started grabbing little thin twigs off of the ground and placed them into a big circle, "Grab my bag will ya?" Florenzo reached his hand out while Jewels gave him the bag. He slowly took the bones out piece by piece and placed them inside of the circle, he grabbed 6 little candles out of the bookbag's pockets and placed them around the circle, "You light these when it's time, while you light these that's when you say the spell, now it's time to go over the verse for you." Jewels slowly grabbed the book that he handed to her, she sat on a big rock that was next to her and Florenzo sat with her, he turned to the page that said 'Make the dead become undead'. About 10 minutes go by, it's almost time. Jewels could not get the verse stuck in her head, her head was so scrambled. "Say it with me, De Da Viem Fruen Dravum Sefrv Dead" Florenzo kept speaking the verse trying to get Jewels to understand, he was starting to get frustrated but kept his cool because he knew if Jewels was gone then there would be nobody to do this for him. Jewels kept seeing those weird shadow figures again, but she continued to say nothing to Florenzo about it. "Now, make sure you say this verse 6 times. You light one candle, say the verse, then light the next, got it?" Florenzo looked at Jewel's and watched her nod her head hesitantly again, he could tell what he was making her do was hard on her, but he didn't care, he just wanted his mom back, he wanted a family again since apparently, his father didn't make the cut, Jewels kept wondering why his father tried stopping him. It was exactly 8:59 pm, she used her hand to help lift herself up off the rock while she had the book in the other hand, Florenzo grabbed his book bag and placed it next to Jewels while she started going down to sit on the ground, she placed the book on top of his bag. Florenzo handed her a lighter that was in his jean pocket, and Jewels started the ritual. "De...Da...Viem...Fruen...Dravum...Sefrv...Dead.." After Jewels said the verse, a thousand little white orbs flew out of the book. They were coming out so fast the book practically flew out of her hands, she looked at Florenzo, he didn't even know what was going on, I guess that's what you get for messing with dark magic. They both sat on the ground frozen, the bones started shaking and making a growling noise, before they knew it skin started forming onto the old dusty bones.

"What's going on?" Jewels yelled with fright, she grabbed onto Florenzo's arm then immediately pulled back remembering he's not there for comfort. "I'm not sure, I didn't read about this happening in the book, maybe you said the wrong verse?" Florenzo replied. A body formed onto the bones inside the ritual, but it wasn't Martha, it was something else, someone dark. The person saw Jewels and Florenzo sitting there staring at her and yelled: "I'm finally free!". She tried running away but they caught up to her pulling her down to the ground, "Who are you? you aren't my mother?" Florenzo looked confused and frightened at the same time, Jewels, on the other hand, didn't care, she just wanted to go home, or did she? after what she had just done she felt on top of the world with freedom and power. Florenzo questioned the woman with a thousand questions, but never got an answer besides "I'm free" and hysterical laughing. He started violently shaking the woman showing her he isn't messing around, he had a look into his eyes that made Jewels sick to her stomach. The woman's eyes got big, "I'm nobody, I never was in an actual body, I was created from Satan himself. But, you can call me Monica, Monnie for short". Florenzo slowly let the woman go, "Then where is my mother?" Florenzo still had that look in his eyes. Monnie let out a little giggle and had a smirk on her boney face, "Martha? she didn't want to come back, she's having too much fun with the devil". Florenzo started to rage, he was punching trees and kicking whatever was in his sight. "I will get her back, no matter what it takes". He pulled Jewels by the arm, "I have this little thing for the next week until she turns 18, then I'll just have to find a new minion if she can't finish the job". Apparently, Florenzo stalked Jewels for years, studied her whole life to make sure she was the perfect match, I guess she was. Monnie looked at Jewel's and said "Good luck", then ran away. The woods were so dark, the flashlight they had barely covered any ground, Monnie was gone for good it seemed like, nothing to be heard, nothing to be seen, just nothing.

"I apologize for grabbing your arm so tightly, I'm just so furious right now, I need my mom", Florenzo started getting close to Jewels, touches her shoulder, then turns around and heads to the fort. Jewels oddly felt somewhat safe with him, although he had threatened her life, bruised her and scarred her, she still felt safe. The poor guy just wanted his mom back, or at least he says it's his mom, he's still in his young adult years, maybe 20, but too young to live without a parent, I guess he messed that up killing his father. Jewels follows him back to the fort, she picks up the book and hands it to him, she still gets that sense of power every time she touches it, maybe it's what she's meant to do? He grabs the book from her and tucks it under his coat to form a pillow, then lets out a big sigh.