When I was younger, Mother and Grandmama told me that pure mortals don't usually believe in witches. For the most part, they just believe in those stupid stereotypes that Hollywood and books make up about them. The only time mortals know the truth about us is when witch families live in the same town as they do, or when a mortal unknowingly marries a witch.

The 'marrying a witch' scenario was the case with Mother and Daddy. Daddy used to live in Richmond, Virginia, in which there are no witches within a 150-mile radius. Then his family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, a town that forty percent of the population are witches. And not too many of the mortals in Tulsa necessarily know about witches, even with the number of witches there are.

Mother came to Tulsa for her Coming of Age challenge, which is otherwise known as the C.O.A. challenge. Mother and Daddy met within the year. Seven years later, the rest was history. Daddy and his side of the family knew the truth.

Witches have been around as long as mortals have. We do ride broomsticks. We rarely use potions for anything. Warts on witches are pure Hollywood. Witches have the use of wands, but also have the use of their pointer fingers, to cast spells. Witches have black cats and only the female black cats are allowed to guide witches. Black cats live longer than any other animal and only the witch that has the black cat can hear it speak human.

An interesting fact about witches: ninety-five percent of the time, the offspring of witches are female. The five percent of the male offspring of witches are called wizards or warlocks. When a male witch starts off, he's a wizard. Once he's had thirty years of experience in his craft, he'll be called a warlock.

Finally, witches wear tall pointed black hats. They are only allowed to wear these for a special occasion. They start doing this at the age of eighteen when they receive their hats. This is what the Coming of Age challenge is for.

Witches start their real training at the age of thirteen and do it with the head witch in their hometown. For the next three years, witches in training will learn the many different ways of witchcraft. They learn the proper ways to cast spells, make the few potions that witches use, and, at the age of fourteen, how to ride their broom side-saddle.

At the age of fifteen, the head witch presents the trainee with her own black cat. For the next year, the trainee will learn how to ride her broom with luggage and passengers, like their cat. While the year is going, the young witch continues her studies and also picks out the two skills that she'll concentrate on for the challenge. These two skills will be what the trainee will specialize in for the rest of their life.

Then, when she is sixteen, the witch is now prepared for the final milestone of witchdom: the Coming of Age challenge, which lasts for two years. The witch in training improves on the skills they have chosen by traveling to the town or city of her choice. However, the town or city must have a relative of theirs, whether the relative is mortal or witch. After the two years are done, the witch returns home and, after a ceremony, will officially become full-fledged.

I've done my training with my grandmother, who is the head witch in our town, and tonight I begin the Coming of Age challenge and will be going on my way to becoming a full-fledged witch like all other witches before me.