8.

Evil does not always need to be created, it does not need to be inspired, it does not even need to hear whispers of voices coming out of the shadows for it to exist, for sometimes it comes about all by itself. It can watch and wait as it also can act and react in any manor it sees fit. It can wait on no one and it does not need permission to do as it pleases. Evil, however, is always attracted to darkness.

Majella Smith, up to the point of becoming a teenager and perhaps even beyond that too, had no idea who or what she was and is, for this there must have been a reason. She had never received instruction; she had never been directly visited and she had never been informed of who or what she is. Yeah, she knows she is different though she can deal with that and so could her family ... or at least they believed they could.

The night she had been taken, despite all the ruckus, there were very few others paying attention to the thirteen-year-old girl. Very few offered condolence after she had been taken and even less offered to be of service in any way they can with the aid of her return and any offer which had been made had been done so out of nicety and with no intention of any actual follow up.

Had anyone local to where the Smith family had been living, in some way or other be responsible for her being taken? In some way that could have been quite possible. Majella had been called many things, witch being just one. So perhaps someone had been watching, someone had her taken away, local oddities would certainly be attributed to her without an opportunity being made available for her to prove her own innocence.

That night though, there had been someone watching, a boy, a boy who could be closer to darkness than what Majella will ever be. He lived in a neighbouring home, not being all so much younger than Majella herself.

Arthur Billingsworth from two doors down, he watched as Majella had been taken from her home and he took joy in what he saw. He smiled as pain and despair got the better of Tom Smith, he smiled at the sight of two sisters in tears with the fact of a third sister being carted away and he smiled as he wondered to the fact that they may never see her again.

They would as it would be, see her again, all except Abigail that is. Abigail would not live long enough to see the return of her youngest sister.

Just two weeks before Majella Smith had been taken; aneighbour went looking for a dog they had owned for years, a German Sheppardwho generally would not wander too far from home yet it had not been seen for quitethe while. It had been early morning when the owner went looking so thelocality was fairly quiet, certainly quiet enough to hear a dog bark if saiddog had been anywhere near though as the dog's name was being called out, noresponse would be returned. And then it happened.

In a nearby field, a play area for the local children, the dog was found dead, hanging from a tree as old as the neighbourhood itself. A rope held it high up off the ground, tied around its neck, now how could a young girl have done this? Why would a young girl do this? She hadn't, yet she had been blamed.

This and so much more had been thrown at the Smith family and more precisely to the youngest daughter. Confrontations came along with demands. What community would ever want a witch in their midst? Yeah, such people quick to provide confrontation and quick to make demands were the same people to offer false condolence and false promise, they may pretend there is sorrow in the fact a child had been taken away when in fact such people were glad a job had been done for them.

How could everyday people be so cruel and heartless? Majella Smith is a child, a child of Darkness yes, but it was never like anyone could actually know such a thing and she was always innocent of any allegations made of her.

A week prior to Majella being taken, as she walked home with her sister Lisa, it became clear and obvious that they were being followed. That boy, Arthur Billingsworth, kept a constant distance behind them. He stopped when they did, he ignored their warnings and demands to go away and leave them be, he smiled eerily whenever they paid him any attention.

If anyone had been responsible for the odd local goings on then one could be sure it had something to do with this boy if it weren't for the fact that no one gave that idea a first thought let alone a second and after Majella had indeed been taken, those local oddities completely subsided.

Darkness often seeks out darkness and if a darkness were to create light well someone would have to take that on and snuff it out. This would become Arthur Billingsworth's mission in life, children are still children no matter how else they may see themselves so while Majella Smith is ... away, Arthur Billingsworth would wait and ready himself for what he feels he must one day do.

Whatever would be in Majella Smith's future Arthur Billingsworth would make sure he would never be all so far away.