“Susie, mom is heading out with her friends, get over here we must run through your nightly rituals again.” Little Susie stumbled over in her purple skorts and yellow t-shirt. Her teddy dragged by one arm behind her. “Yes, mommie.” She looked up at her mom as her mom put on her earrings and fixed her hair. Her moms dress was short and a vibrant red, her friends stood in the background waiting to leave as she put on her black high heels. “Susie, who do we call when an emergency happens?” Susie looked past her moms legs at her friends as she spoke. “911.” Her mom smiled, “Good and where is the phone?” One of her moms friends pulled a bottle from her purse and took a sip before passing it to the others. “In the kitchen on the stool.” Her mom giggled at her friends telling her to hurry. “Yes Susie, and what do we do with the door?” Susie saw one of her moms friends sigh in anticipated frustration. “Susie, look at me, what do we do with the door?” Susie looked at her mom as she did every night. “We lock it. Both the deadbolt and main handle.” Her mom smiled at her red lipstick gleaming, “Good Susie and where do we hide if someone breaks in?” Susie could see no worry on her moms face, “In the bathroom.” It was a dark gleam of a smile. “Exactly, sounds like you are all prepared. I left dinner on the stove. Bye love.” She turned and walked over to her friends who all cheered as they closed the door. Susie walked over to the couch, jumped up and looked out the window. She watched as her mom and friends approached the cab, she could hear them still talking, “Yeah she’s seven now she’ll be fine.” Susie turned around and turned the tv on.
Susie was giggling at her favorite show when her stomach began to grumble. She knew there would be macaroni and a hotdog on the stove. The same thing she had for weeks but that was ok she had food. She reached high up on the stove and pulled the pan down. It fell from her hands with a crash sending macaroni across the floor. She picked some up and placed it on her plate with half the hotdog. She swung the fridge door wide to grab the ketchup, she had to climb a few shelves. She wouldn’t tell mom. She set her plate on the table and climbed up onto the chair and sat as her show played in the living room. She was halfway done when a loud knock came from the door. She dropped her fork in a panic and jumped to the floor. She instantly ran to her teddy, he was still watching tv on the couch. The door handle started moving like someone was trying to get in panic and struck Susie’s heart as she realized I didn’t lock it. The door swung open to a dark night sky and a tall dark lady. Susie hid behind the couch arm with her eyes just above it, fear shaking her. I’m too far from the phone. She watched as the woman looked into the house. She was so tall she had to duck under the door frame. She was a tall slender woman that looked like all bones, her face gaunt and her eyes menacing. Her hair hung down to her lower back; it was also dark like that of a raven. Her skin was jet black and her teeth a shining pearly white. She had on a long frilly midnight blue dress and a pointy very tall yellow embroidered hat. She stepped into the kitchen and Susie looked at the phone on the stool. She knew needed to get to it but fear froze her. She tried to snuffle her cries as tears ran down her face. The lady walked with grace and speed. She spoke a dark whisper, “Susie, where are you?” Susie sat down on the floor with her back to the couch arm clutching her teddy. She tried to cover her mouth and her tears with her teddy. How does she know my name? “Susie?” The voice said again. “Ah there you are.” Susie didn’t have time to register in her head what that line meant. Dark hands grabbed her shoulders and she screamed as she was hoisted into the air.
“Susie, susie, susie. Open your eyes darling.” The words struck Susie’s cheeks like that of wisps of smoke. Susie tried to open her eyes while still sniffling her red hair stuck to her face. She was sitting on her couch in her living room. Susie’s eyes met the green eyes of the tall lady, her smile still vibrant white. The lady reached out and Susie flinched as her tall finger moved the hair off her face. “Hi darling,” she said, her voice now sweet. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to meet you.” Susie sniffled, “Who are you?” The lady smiled deeper, her eyes glowing. “My name is Lilith and I was sent by the watcher.” She stood and raised her hand. Almost instantly a large book appeared in it and she set it down on Susie’s lap, squishing Mr. Teddy. “Here darling, I was told to give you this.” The book was heavy, old and stinked like dust. Susie grimaced, “Uhh what is this?” She tried to push it away. The lady stopped that from happening. “Susie.” Susie shuddered, “How do you know my name?” Susie huffed, the lady laughed, “I know a lot about you little Susie. Abandoned by an absent dad, forgotten by a prostitute mother and left to feed yourself. I know a lot because I was told to by the watcher.” Susie looked up at the woman. “He also told me to give you this book.” Susie looked at the book. “I don’t want this old stinky book.” The lady got down on her knees next to Susie. “Sadly you have no choice. You have been chosen. Like all of us the world is not a just place and so we are created to fix that.” Susie didn’t know what that meant. “Susie, can you follow a very simple rule for me?” Before Susie could speak the lady touched Susie’s forehead and her eyes fixed in place, her mind spun, and the world opened. “Yes,” she said in a trance-like state. “Good darling, open the book tomorrow at noon to begin your journey.” The lady stood and walked to the door. “What does this mean?” Susie shouted as she threw the old book and teddy to the floor and jumped off the couch. “Darling,” said the lady at the door as she paused. “You’re a witch.” she pointed at Mr.Teddy as she walked through the door. The door closed on its own with a loud thud. Susie ran to the door but a commotion behind her made her stop. Something was moving. Susie spun around and saw Mr. Teddy standing as he stood he also turned and spoke, Susie screamed.
