𝑾𝑰𝑪𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑳𝑬

They say bedrooms are the best reflection of one's mind. One's deepest, inner thoughts, we subtly whisper to those who enter, between every cramped window and floor, through our open closets and chipped wood drawers. We have our urges, we have our needs, and most importantly, we have people to help put them in line. For most of us, with our mothers and fathers as our next door neighbours , we test how many lies can be stuffed under fluffed grey pillows, and mink white rugs. In Alicia white's Case, there were many secrets to be kept, and many more to later be found...

If you ever looked down at Alicia's Calendar, you would find the 13th of August completely crossed out. Just before the 14th, and just after the perfect 12th was a space of only darkness. There was no day, there was no night. Perhaps there was nothing at all. But across the 13th page was an emblem of black, crosses tattooed over and over, some remarkably small, others remarkably large, scissoring away at each other. The 13th day had been crucified with ink splodged markings. Flip the back, and now the rest of the once white pages were equally bruised.

But why was this so? What made the 13th a day of eternal darkness? The only way to find out was to touch Alicia's body. Flip her collar back. Push up the sleeves of her shirt and scoop your fingers under the cotton. Cup a handful of sagging flesh, and then you'd hear her choke up with tears. A patchwork of perfect blue was stitched across prominent black, Up till recently all people had ever noticed the black, and even then, that was really brown. For her, that was how she believed life worked: the lighter you were, the more your pain showed to others, the darker you were, the more pain blends into the rest of you, as if being dark and being in pain go hand in hand, as if one can't entirely exist without the other. Alicia's pain had gone unnoticed for far too long, some might say to the point of no return. So what else would a young college girl do than turn to other things? Whimsical colourful things, some you sniffed, and others you sucked. rolled, lit with a lighter and inhaled from the tip of your tongue.

This pleasure would not last very long. The pleasure would be found out. Under Pillows, white sheets, their scent stitched between old cupboard doors, and bedroom floors. Substances were hard to hide when you were constantly high. So now, every evening before bed, after opening her new curtains and unbuttoning her one fine blouse, Alicia closed my eyes, becoming one with the dark and the pain, and gently blew the flame on her nightstand out, hoping her fears and mistakes would be swept away with the smoke. Then she buried herself into her Grandmother's mattress, letting her shadow sink below the earth and her mind return to the home she once shared. Before the great accident. Before pills had been popped and body parts had soiled the kitchen floor. At least she had a home with Maw Maw now. Eccentric, ancient Maw Maw....

As she slid open the kettle lid, a hiss of orange flew across the window, as if even the equipment wanted to sigh alongside her. When was she finally going to be allowed home again? Addicts may be dangerous with the stem of a cigarette between their fingers , but even the worst of them still needed some love to make it through the week. 'Sweetheart-' came a bitter tone down from the hall. 'Where is my Tea?' Alicia shot up, all 5 feet that hadn't been beaten out of her. 'Maw Maw!' She cried. 'I'm so sorry, I got distracted!' Now that the sun was beginning to set, and bits of evening yellow had melted across the woodlands outside, Maw Maw curled herself neatly into the shape of a matchbox, reserving her heat until her meals were prepared. After all, with the Sky loosening its grip on the sun, the moon would soon be clasped between the clouds. And what comes with the moon? A little smile was suddenly tucked between Maw Maw's cheeks.

Alicia brightened at this little quirk of her Grandmother's. One of many she had yet to observe. Suddenly, strange smiles by sunset. Remarkable smiles at that. While the usual women of seventy, gracefully exposed their wrinkles from grinning ear to ear, Maw Maw's lines seemed to curl away any chance they got. Especially when she smiled, an uncanny flaw which always made her granddaughter frown in return. 'Maw Maw.' Alicia cautiously asked, beginning to pour a large helping of tea.

'What...are you thinking about?' Silence brewed. An orange tea bag was dunked into the water. '...Do you smell that?' Maw Maw breathed, her nostrils twitching. 'There is magic on the Horizon, my water petal, change is headed this way.' Alicia's nervous hands moulded around the mug before dipping her head and blowing into the water. 'My Dear.' Maw Maw's eyes lit with colour. 'Do you know what you must practice when the time has reached?' Alicia's eyes shot up. 'Making Tea?' Heavens no, though a large helping of hot water in your room may help soak up the dark energy. around you, Maw Maw proposed. 'I see it, brewing, like storm clouds around your body, deny the darkness, and it shall only grow.' 'What! There's no Darkness-'

The hot mug of chai flew straight from Alicia's hands and jetted towards the floor. 'Argh!' She yelled, jumping back. When she looked up, her Grandmother's hands were outstretched. Mamaw's nails were the colour of freshly cut grass, and so whenever she moved, a wave of green flew with her. 'I'll make you another right away.' Alicia promised, hunching over. 'Just please don't come too close, or you'll hurt....yourself.' As she looked down, the floor was spotless, not a single crack of China anywhere. In fact, the Mug stood proudly upright, its contents still inside, as if it had never fallen. 'Never mind the mess.' Maw Maw assured her, ushering the frozen girl over. 'Just come and sit with me, beside the fire.' Alicia blinked. 'What fire?' The logs of Wood under the Kitchen Hearth erupted with colour. 'That fire.' Maw Maw spoke decidedly, patting a spot next to herself. 'Come, child.'

___

'Maw Maw...' Alicia pursued, sitting next to her with the same, mysteriously fine mug of Tea. 'What were you talking about before, something about change?' Maw Maw's hands held tightly onto her mug before she lost track of her thoughts. 'Change...yes, you, my dear, will awaken something very special, now that your birthday is nearing. In twelve moons time, it shall be your 21st, is that not something?' Alicia bit her lips, looking away. Twenty-one years on this earth, and she was still a total and complete mess. One year of being sober, and yet it felt as if things would never change. 'Your feelings will last, for as long as you so allow it.' Maw Maw quipped, causing Alicia to freeze. 'Come with me, they have something to show you.'

'They?' Alicia asked, immediately straightening her spine. 'Who???' But Maw Maw was already gone from her chair, standing at the opposite side of the room. Since Alicia could remember, Maw Maw's twelve different house Keys had always hung on the cream white Kitchen wall. Unlike most Modern houses, Maw Maw's rooms each came with their very own lock, which Alicia had always found fascinating. Every door to a room was pierced with a latch. The keys were also unusually pretty, each tattooed with a different symbol. It was now Dusk, the time when the keys were orbiting their usual shadows across the tile floor. Here, Grandmother's secrets hung on the kitchen wall, built from bodies upon bodies of brass. But instead of reaching up to the wall, Alicia found Maw Maw bending down to the floor, where her unkept plants had always remained. Maw Maw's hands grappled around the smallest of the flower pots, and behind them lay a small wooden chest. Maw Maw began to rattle the chest accusingly until a sliver of unfamiliar gold dripped out from wherever it was once hooked. 'A secret Key?' Alicia murmured as Maw Maw slowly rose again, turning it over in her matted hands. 'I've...I've never...' Maw Maw gave one of her unfamiliar smiles. 'I know, child.' She spoke. 'I know.'

The golden key spiralled away into the wooden hole of the treasure chest, and a loud click! came from within. Maw Maw's long green hands pulled at the latch, and with it, the Hallway exploded with air. As the wind hit Alicia's face, she realised that the Windows had blasted open. The array of smaller, silver Keys began to swing irrationally, like strange metal fruit ripping from a tree. 'Maw Maw???' Alicia shivered, glaring inside the box. 'What is going on??' Maw Maw's grass-green hands slipped inside the wooden box and pulled out a slim, rose pink Candle. Alicia blinked. Woah. Even without being lit, the pink wax seemed to inwardly glow. And as Maw Maw gently passed the candle onto Alicia, she felt its heat, a strange, fluttering warmth, rising from the palm of her hands up towards the centre of the wax. What in the hell???

Maw Maw raised her grass green hands and allowed her body to grow up towards the sky blue ceiling. 'Ancestors.' She beckoned, eyes and arms swaying side to side. 'May this right of passage my grandchild is about to take, help her, heal her, empower her. May her awakening powers be strong. And with this new power...may her body not betray her!' The Kitchen Chandelier returned her prayers with a vibrant shake, the shadows of a thousand Murano crystals splattering across the hardwood floors. Alicia didn't move a muscle, afraid the infestation of little crystals might soak her up and devour her. 'Maw Maw?' She asked, ducking her head.

'Is this some sort of spell-' 'Shh, my water petal.' Maw Maw hushed, her skin beginning to glow. 'Now listen to me, and listen well, place your lips above the wax, make a wish between the flames, and blow till you feel the spirit within, set aflame.' Sudden golden Light spiralled between Maw Maw's eyes, and Alicia felt something soft and warm, like a child's heartbeat, flicker between her hands. As she looked down, she felt the candle's strange heat shoot straight to the top of the wax, and with it, a yellow teardrop flame had suddenly sprouted from its end. Alicia could hardly believe her eyes. A magic Candle was lit just between her fingers.

'An early birthday present.' Maw Maw winked. 'You honestly don't think your parents sent you here to live with me, just because of your substance abuse, do you?' Alicia froze, not knowing what to say. '...Am...' She finally managed to release it from her mouth. 'Am I...are we... witches?' Maw Maw's eyes glowed even brighter from under the light of the candle. 'Now would be a good time as any to find out.' She smirked. 'Now, make a wish, and Blow.'

And so she did, and as she released her wish, Alicia watched the long, brown whisps of stroke trails that followed, curling like old autumn leaves, before their scent finally shed, just like the smell of fall. The spell was finally cast. The wish was made. Alicia spun round, facing her Grandmother's grass-green hands and warped smile. 'What happens now?' she asked excitedly. 'Now?' Maw Maw smiled, glancing at the smoke trailing in the air.

'We wait.'