I did as my mother asked and ran. I ran until my legs ached and I had a stitch in my side. I ran until blisters were forming on my heels. I ran away from the horrors behind me and didn't look back because I knew if I did, it will make everything that just happened real, and that wasn't something I could accept yet.

Instead, I ran in a daze, simply allowing my adrenaline to propel me further and faster until I was out of breath and my clothes were saturated with sweat.

It didn't take long for the evening sun to descend behind the mountainous terrain of the Maine skyline. Still, I kept moving, until it felt as though I couldn't take another step.

Eventually, I fell to the ground in a pile of leaves, as the last burst of energy left my body. I knelt for several minutes, focusing on the expansion and contraction of my chest as I willed oxygen into my weary lungs.

Water, was the only thought that crossed my mind, as I became hyperaware of my parched throat.

The sound of dripping commanded my attention, and I turned to see the gentle flow of crystal clear water in a nearby stream. Ny exhaustion was quickly forgotten, and my yearning took center stage. I staggered over to the creek bed and took a large gulp of the cool liquid. I drank greedily, swallowing handful after handful of water in a desperate attempt to quench my unrelenting thirst.

When I cannot hold another drop, I leaned back on my heels and surveyed the area around me. I had spent a large portion of my childhood in the woods with my father, something I sulked about during my teenage years. But I was thankful for that experience now, as I sat alone in the abandoned forest.

I was familiar with the miles of woodland surrounding my house, but this was an undiscovered area with large boulders that towered dauntingly overhead.

I knew that I needed to keep moving, to put as much distance between myself and these horrendous happenings as possible, but my body refused to cooperate. I ached all over, and the thought of hiking any further into the wilderness made me want to whimper. I knew that I would have to rest for the night.

But where can I go? I wondered, as an overwhelming terror bubbled inside me.

Knowing that I was far too vulnerable in the open, I scanned around fervently for somewhere to hide. Further down the stream, I spotted a cluster of rocks so close together, they formed a makeshift cavern. Although it wasn't an ideal shelter, it would at least keep out any unwanted predators for the night.

Between the massive rocks, there was a small opening that would be easily overlooked from the outside, but was just big enough for me to wedge through. Once inside, I sat down on the cool dirt floor of the cavern, resting my weary legs.

I felt an awkward bulge on my back, and I realized that I was still wearing the backpack my mother had plunged into my hands at the last minute. It was obvious that my parents had anticipated a situation like this might arise. Gratitude filled me at their pensiveness, but along with it came anger. I knew this must have something to do with the secrets they had been keeping from me.

I opened the backpack carefully. The first thing I found was a flashlight; it was an appreciative sight as the cavern became eerily dark.

The backpack also held an empty canteen for water, a small first-aid kit, a folder, and a little container that could easily fit in the palm of my hand.

I picked up the small case and realized that it is a dark mahogany jewelry box. On the top, the words "To thine own self be true" were engraved in the dark wood. I furrowed my eyebrows in thought, unsure of the inscription's meaning.

Curious, I opened the hinged container. Inside the jewelry box, there was a shimmering gold necklace, lying against a blanket of soft, red velvet. The pendant at the end was shaped like an eight-sided star, with a large white diamond in its center.

An audible gasp escaped my mouth, as I stared at the charm sparkling so brightly, I almost had to shield my eyes. I didn't know a lot about jewelry, but the necklace's cut and style suggested that it was very old, and very valuable.

Although I didn't remember the necklace belonging to Abigail, I felt as though I recognized it. I reached out and touched the jewel with my index finger, and an image flashed before my eyes.

I saw this necklace around a young woman's neck, but I wasn't able to see her face.

Like that, the picture was gone, lasting for only a nanosecond. I couldn't explain what happened or why, but I swiftly removed my finger from the jewel, not eager to repeat the experience.

I continued to stare at the necklace as though drawn to it. Subconsciously, I reached into the box and pulled it from it's bed of velvet, latching the clasp around my neck. Once securely fastened, I felt a sense of tranquility emanate over me. Sensations of desolation and resentment that I didn't even realize I had been feeling were instantly whisked away, as a warm ambiance flowed through my body, gathering at my heart.

Remembering the necklace's value, I hid the locket beneath the neckline of my blouse, just out of sight.

Once the necklace was secure, I continued searching through the backpack. I pulled out the Manila folder and opened, revealing three different documents.

The first was a large map of the United States, with small circles pinpointing various locations throughout the country. Some of the dots were red, some were yellow, others were green, and each one had a number on it.

Attached to the back of the map, I found a list of names in three separate columns. The names in the left column were also green, the list in the middle was yellow, and the far right, red. I assumed that the numbers on the map were meant to correspond to this list of names, but what did it all mean?

I realized that there was only one dot listed for the entire state of Maine. It was yellow, and corresponded with the names "Jeremiah and Katherine Taylor".

I felt a rush of relief flood through me. Jerry and Kate were my parent's best friends, who lived just a few towns away. They were extremely close, like the aunt and uncle I'd never had growing up. Although I hadn't seen them as much in recent years, I knew that they would be willing to take me in.

Knowing what my next move was helped to ease my anxiety.

The final item in the backpack was an envelope with "Alexis" written on the front in Abigail's delicate manuscript. I ran my fingers along the cursive letters, an aching lull forming in my stomach at the thought of my beautiful and kind-hearted mother.

Drawing a deep breath, I ripped open the envelope to see several pages in the same handwriting.

"Alexis,

If you are reading this letter, Chris and I have not survived to tell you this face-to-face. For that, I am so sorry. There is much we wanted to tell you, but there never seemed to be the right moment.

There's no delicate way to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it- Christopher and I are not your real parents. You were brought to us when you were very young, and we adopted you, promising to take you in and raise you like you were our own.

I understand this will come as a shock to you, and I hope that, one day, you can find a way to forgive our deceitfulness. We truly only had your best interests at heart by keeping this from you.

Your biological parents' names were Samuel and Brianne Galloway. Brianne was my best friend growing up. We were so close, people often mistook us for sisters. We had so many things in common, one of these being that your mother and I were natural born witches.

Yes, you read that right- we were witches. Not the kind that are mocked on Halloween, but actual, practicing witches with real, active powers.

We learned from an early age that these powers were gifts from our parents, and their parents before them, to continue the legacy of our ancestors , to use them to help those who could not help themselves.

Your mother and I were part of the same coven, and with a group of others, we used our magic to promote amity and well-being in the world.

Brianne was my rock, always there to support me, even in the worst times. She was my best friend, my sister in the craft, and the heart of our coven. No one wanted universal love and peace more than her.

One member of our group, however, had other plans. We didn't know it at the time, but Samuel was meddling in the dark arts, something that is forbidden because of how extremely addictive it can be. It doesn't take long for even the most level-headed witch to turn bad if they exploit this magic, and Samuel was no exception. For years he hid this from the members of our coven, as well as the strength of his power. We were all oblivious, and in time, it would result in our downfall.

There was a very strong attraction between Brianne and Samuel from the moment he joined our cause. You could almost feel the chemistry between them. So it came as no surprise when they began dating.

Brianne was over the moon for Samuel, and as her best friend, I was delighted that she'd found him. They were perfect together. Everyone who met them was envious of the bond the two had formed.

A few years later, Samuel proposed to your mother, and she said yes. Of course, I was thrilled. We were friends for such a long time that we fed from each other's happiness. I stood there, maid-of-honor at her wedding, and cried tears of joy with her. We were both completely ignorant to the terror that would soon impact us all.

When Brianne found out she was pregnant with you, we rejoiced together once again. She had always wanted to be a mother, and on August 13th, 2002, she received her wish. I was happy because she was happy, and through my bliss, I failed to see the darkness that was Samuel slowly corrupting her.

Over time, I began noticing small changes in your mother- turning up late for rituals, or using her powers for personal gain. Brianne, who unequivocally opposed abusing our magic, began using her gifts for darkness. Other members of the coven tried to warn me, but I was blinded by our friendship and refused to see what others so easily saw- Brianne was turning dark.

One day, I walked in on your parents performing forbidden magic on a man who had murdered a friend of ours, but was found innocent in the mortal courts. This was, of course, not permitted. Our gifts were meant to help people, not to punish them.

Before I could stop her, Brianne had channeled her magic into killing the man. At this point, I could no longer turn a blind eye - murder violates our most crucial decree.

I had no choice but to rally the members of our coven to come up with a plan. Many people suggested assassination, but I refused. How would that make us any different than Brianne and Samuel if we took their lives, just as they had taken the lives of others? Besides, I couldn't bear the idea of living in a world where Brianne didn't exist.

Eventually, I agreed that we would bind Samuel and Brianne's magic to help contain their darkness. I knew that she would be furious with me because the craft was the most important aspect of her life - a major part of who we were - but I would rather she be angry with me and alive, than the alternative.

The coven was able to lure Samuel and Brianne to a nearby forest on the pretense of a normal Wiccan ritual. When they reached the center of the field, the members of our group interlocked hands, essentially trapping them inside a ring of magic. Dozens of witches put the full amount of their power into the incantations, but this proved futile, as we had underestimated their darkness.

What began as an innocent binding spell, quickly turned into a bloodbath. Your parents began using magic that we had never even seen before- on their own brothers and sisters! By the end of the ordeal, we had lost over twenty friends, and Samuel and Brianne had managed to escape.

By that time, we knew that they had fully crossed to the darkness, There's no coming back from that. There would be no way to save them, now that they had sealed their fate with blood magic. As much as it pained me to admit it, I knew we had to take extreme measures to suppress their dark powers. It hurt me in a way no one can ever understand to do what we had to do next.

Your birth parents became ruthless, dominating over our land with an iron fist. Dozens of innocent people were dying daily, as they continued their terrifying reign on our country, continuously driven by their greed for the ultimate powers.

We tried so hard to stop them, and to turn them back to the light, but once a witch has been corrupted with evil, it is difficult, if not impossible, to revert back.

Time and time again we tried to subdue them; time and time again we failed. Innocent lives were being lost with each endeavor, and things had progressed so far, that we were left with only one choice.

Eventually, Samuel and Brianne were captured and executed for crimes so horrific, I cannot bring myself to describe them in this letter.

You were young when this happened, so you probably don't remember. The coven found you after everything was finished, and brought you to live in the mortal realm for your own safety. We suppressed your powers for fear that you may have been corrupted by your parents after years of watching them perform dark magic.

For this reason, we knew your new family must know of the craft themselves. Christopher and I understood the importance of keeping you safe, so we volunteered to stay behind in the mortal realm. We adopted you when you were a toddler, and you have been with us since.

Protective incantations were created by the members of our coven to guard you while you are in this realm, but we didn't bind your powers permanently- they are too vital to your survival. But we wanted you to grow up in a house full of warmth, love, and kindness first so you wouldn't be as tempted to use your magic for evil when you receive them.

On your seventeenth birthday, this binding will come undone, and along with it, the protection it brings. Your powers will begin returning to you little by little until your birthright has been completed. But I caution you, Alexis, because you will need to learn to control this magic, so you don't share your parent's fates.

Brianne and Samuel were the two most powerful witches we'd seen in centuries, and their blood runs through your veins. Odds are that you will be just as powerful. This makes you rare and coveted, but not in a good way.

We knew that others would be able to sense the power in you, so we cast a spell that would shield you for as long your magic was suppressed. Once you start receiving your powers, this enchantment will come undone, making you susceptible to being tracked by other witches who will want your powers for themselves.

The necklace in your bag belonged to your mother. It is a pendant that represents the North Star, a beacon of hope and guidance for all who are lost. Just as the North Star guides the path of those who have gone astray, your destiny is to guide the lost and to help them find their path. It has been blessed by all of the remaining members of our coven, so as long as you wear it, you will have extra safeguards; we will all be with you on your journey to the world you rightfully belong in.

I'm sure you have so many questions after reading this, and I wish that I had more information for you, but I don't. My only goal has always been to keep you safe. This is still my intention, so I hope you are not too angry to heed my advice now.

The first thing you need to do is take cover. There are several family friends who might be able to help you with a safe place to stay. I know you don't know many of them, but there is a list of names in this folder, their most recent locations marked with the corresponding dots on the map. You need to go to them, explain who you are, and seek refuge for the time being; it's not safe for you to be alone. They will explain things to you further.

But be cautious, Alexis. These are dark times, and you will learn that people do desperate things during dark times.

I know this is a lot of to take in. I wish Chris and I had told you before, but we couldn't bring ourselves to do it. We may not be your biological parents, but we've had your best interests at heart. We love you as if you were our blood because, in our eyes, you will always be our daughter.

Please try to forgive us, because we love you more than anything. Be strong, sweetheart, and remember to always stay true to who you are.

Love,
Mom & Dad"

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© Dawn Norwell