"We should go to the creek today." Cerci said, as they walked into the forest.. "Why, what is wrong with our apple tree?" Lucinda asked.. "We always go there.." Cerci said.. "I have snacks." Martha said with a smile.. "I am carrying them." Ruby said with half a smile.. "We could eat them by the creek today.. Maybe go for a swim too." Cerci said to them.. "But you do not like the water." Lucinda said.. "I never said I would swim." Cerci said.. "You said we.." Ruby said.. "I know, but you know what I mean.. I will paddle my feet.." Cerci said.. "'Tis a hot day.." Martha said, fanning herself.. Lucinda looked over at her and Cerci, they were both fanning themselves with a tree branch.. Ruby had now stopped to pick one up too.. "Fine! Let's go to the creek. I can not believe you three are such drama queens." Lucinda said with annoyance.. "We love you too, Lucinda." Cerci said with a smile. As they all changed direction and headed towards the creek..

"I bet I will catch the most." Thackeray said to the other two boys.. "Not if I get them first." Tobias said to him.. "You two have no chance against me." Elijah said laughing.. As the three eight year old's with all the enthusiasm of a five year old.. Sat together on the edge of the creek with their tree branches.. They had them dangling into the water with some of the critters they had caught on the end of the string.. All were silent for a time.. "Tell us again Tobias.." Elijah said to him.. "Why does thy want to know about the witches?" Thackeray asked him.. "I think it is exciting.. Witches that live in the woods.. Why did they steal Abraham, do you think?" Elijah asked.. "To eat him you fool." Thackeray said to him.. "But why? Do children taste different to other food?" Elijah asked.. Both boys looked at Tobias with an expectant look.. "I do not know why they ate Abrham.. They did not talk about things like that.." Tobias said to them.. "So what did they talk about?" Elijah asked.. "Nothing interesting, they were girls.." Tobias said to the.. "Girls can be interesting." Thackeray said to them.. "Yes, oh wait.. One of them talked about eating spiders.. She said they were yummy." Tobias said with a smile.. "Oh, really? Which ones?" Elijah asked, as he looked at the bushes near him.. "Martha did not say.. She said she would show me one day." Tobias said to them.. "Martha? What were the other ones' names?" Elijah asked.. "Ah.. Winnie, Jennifer.. No wait, that was the older ones.. Martha.. ... Lucy, maybe.. Cerci and a precious gem.." Tobias said, trying to think of their names.. "Emerald, Opal, Jade, Ruby." Elijah said.. "That's it Ruby.." Tobias said to them with a smile.. "They sound kind of cool." Elijah said.. "So their names were Martha, Ruby, Cerci and Lucy?" Thackeray asked, looking across at Tobias..

"Actually they are Lucinda, Ruby, Martha, and Cerci.. Do you have a problem with that young man?" Lucinda asked them all with her evil look over them.. "Lucinda.. I like it.. Is that you?" Elijah asked, looking at her.. "Of course." Lucinda said.. "What is thy names?" Cerci asked, stepping forward.. "This one is Tobias." Martha said going to stand with him.. "Him, we have already met Martha." Lucinda said.. "I am Thackery Binx, this is Elijah Lockwood.. We are friends with Tobias." Thackeray said to them.. "Oh yes, he told me all about them." Martha said with a giggle.. "Why did we not hear?" Lucinda asked.. "You and Cerci were too busy lying to thy Mamma's about Mrs McGrady hitting you." Ruby said with a smile.. "Oh yes, I remember it well." Lucinda said with a smile.. "Why would you lie to your Mamma's?" Thackeray asked.. "Because Mrs McGrady had already hit Tobias over the ear with the horse whip.. I was not waiting for my turn." Lucinda said to them.. Elijah began to laugh then.. "What are thee laughing at?" Lucinda asked with annoyance.. "I would have felt the same way.. You are braver than I." Elijah said with a smile.. "Do you want to catch some fish with us?" Tobias asked them.. "Yes." Ruby said with a smile.. She dumped the basket she was carrying and grabbed a tree branch...

The children sat chatting about this and that.. "Why do you live in the forest?" Thackeray asked Cerci.. "Because that is where thy Mamma's live." Cerci replied.. "They be witches Thackery.. That is why they live in the forest." Tobias said to him.. "So why did thy want to eat Abraham?" Elijah asked.. "I did not eat Abraham!" Lucinda yelled at him.. "But thy Mama's might have." Ruby said with a half smile.. "But why?" Elijah asked once again.. "So they can be young and pretty forever." Cerci said to them.. "But they are not young or pretty." Tobias said with an unbelieving look.. They killed kids to be young and beautiful, to him that did not make sense.. Lucinda raised her hand to zap him, how dare he speak about her Mamma like that.. But Cerci put her hand up to stop her.. "He is just a boy, he knows no different." Cerci said to her.. Lucinda narrowed her eyes, she flicked her hand turning his hair green.. Cerci and Ruby both laughed.. "Why did thee do that?" Thackeray asked.. "I did nothing!" Cerci said to him.. "No, but Lucinda filiced her hand and Tobias's hair turned green.." Thackeray said to her.. "Is it? I do not see that?" Cerci said to him with a smile.. "Oh my goodness, Tobias, your hair has turned green." Elijah said with shock.. Martha looked up at him.. "Nay, 'tis but river reed. See." Martha said, pulling it from his head.. Lucinda smiled at Thackery and Elijah.. "I do not know how thy did that, but do not do it again.. Or we will leave thee and never return." Thackeray said to them.. Lucinda stood, she put her hands on her hips.. "Then go! We do not need thee.. We can eat our snacks alone." She said to the.. "You have snacks?" Tobias asked.. "Yes." Lucinda replied.. "Do you have spiders?" Tobias asked.. "Maybe." Lucinda replied.. "Then can I stay with thee?" Tobias asked.. "Of course.. Come we know of a tree to share them under." Martha said.. "Are thee coming?" Tobias asked the other two boys, as he stood and brushed down his pants.. "Yes." Elijah said, standing with them.. Cerci stood and looked at Thackery, she put out her hand to him.. "Did thee want to come too?" She asked.. Thackeray sat for a moment before he stood and took her hand.. "Aye." He said with a smile at her..

When the girls reached the spot they wanted, they sat down and began to pick apples from the tree.. "Look, Cerci, I found a red one.." Thackeray said, handing it to her with a smile.. "Don't touch that!" Lucinda yelled at them.. She then hit the apple out of Cerci's hand.. "What are you doing Lucinda?" Cerci asked with fright.. Thackeray jumped back from them he thought he was done for.. "Look at it!" Lucinda yelled at her as she pointed to the apple.. It had a huge worm coming out of the other side of it.. "Oh yuckie!" Martha said, watching it.. "Worms.." Tobias said going for it.. "Why?" Cerci asked, looking at Tobias with disbelief.. "He will make thee catch the best ever fish..." Tobias said to them with a smile.. He then slipped it into his pocket.. "I would like to try that." Ruby said with a lopsided grin.. "Thank tee, Lucinda." Cerci said to her.. "I told you, I will always protect thee, Cerci." Lucinda said with a grin.. "As I will protect all of thee." Pflance said when she arrived.. "Is that your cat?" Thackeray asked.. "Aye, her name is Pflance." Cerci replied.. "She is very clever.. She was floating on air at my house." Tobias said to them.. "What?" Thackeray asked.. "On air, and you never told us?" Elijah said with disbelief.. "Sorry.. I only just remembered that they had a cat." Tobias said.. "So you live with thy Mamma's who are witches.. And a magic cat?" Elijah asked the girls.. "Yes, do thee have a problem with that?" Lucinda asked.. "Nay." Elijah said with a smile..

"So what else do thy do for thy Mamma's?" Thackeray asked the girls.. "We pick apples for Aunt Mary." Martha said.. "We pick mushrooms for her too." Ruby said with a smile.. "They have the sweetest ones here under the trees, near the edge of the village.." Cerci said.. "Aye that they do." Thackeray said.. "Who told thee of the witches in the woods?" Cerci casually asked.. "Our parents.. You see these woods are forbidden for us to enter.. The Old Reverend Traske would talk about the witches all the time in church." Thackery said.. "The Old Reverend Traske?" Cerci asked, wondering why he would say that... "Yes, we have a new pastor now.. His son is now our new and youngest Reverend Enoch." Thackeray said.. "It is not right, he is but then and six." Elijah said to him.. "Yes but Mister Buckley, your Father and mine are still his elders.. They will teach him well." Thackeray said to them.. "So is this good or not?" Cerci asked.. "'Tis of no consequence to us." Tobias said.. Thackeray then looked up at the sky.. "Come we must be going before the rain." Thackery said to his friends.. "Yes we must get home before thy Father comes looking for us." Elijah said.. "Can we meet again and play?" Cerci asked.. "Yes, I want to share a spider with you Martha." Tobias said to her.. Martha smiled at him and dipped into her pocket.. "Here is one for you to try on the way home." Martha said with a smile handing it to him.. Thackeray and Elija both lifted their top lip in disgust.. But Tobias took it and slipped it into the same pocket he put the worm earlier.. "Bring some worms, I will fish with thee." Ruby said as the four girls stood waving to the three boys..

As they turned to leave the tree, they ran smack bang into Jennifer.. "What were you doing talking to that boy, Cerci?" Jennifer asked, with annoyance... "I like him.. I liked talking to him.. There is no crime in talking to a boy." Lucinda said to her.. "Do not make me tell Aunt Winifred on you Lucinda." Jennifer said to her.. She looked directly at Lucinda with her angry eyes.. "No you will not." Cerci said.. "Why is that?" Jennifer asked, looking at Cerci with the same eyes.. "Or I will tell Aunt Winnie that I was awake when you killed Abraham.." Cerci said to her.. "You were?" Lucinda asked.. "What did they do?" Ruby asked.. Jennifer stood looking down at Cerci, she had a new determination about her.. A fierce independent streak, one that did not go along with the witchcraft she was learning.. "You will be collecting the eggs for a week by thyself." Jennifer said to her.. "Deal." Cerci said with a smile... They walked in silence for a time, picking mushrooms as they walked.. "You are going to see him again aren't you?" Jennifer asked.. "Yes.. I like him." Cerci said with a smile.. "You like which one?" Lucinda asked her... "The one called Thackery.." Cerci replied.. "That is alright then, I like the one called Elijah." Lucinda said.. "I am friends with the boy called Tobias.." Martha said with a giggle.. "Ruby, you seem to be the one without a boy to play with." Jennifer said to her.. "'Tis alright, Tobias is going to show me how to fish with worms." Ruby said with a smile..

A few days later back at the house... "I think I will go and collect some more mushrooms. Maybe collect some apples." Cerci said.. "You just want to go and talk to that boy." Lucinda whispered.. "Can I come too?" Martha asked.. "I think you should all stay home today." Jennifer said to them.. "Oh let them be Jennifer, they wish to go and pick apples and mushrooms.. They are not doing anything wrong." Winifred said to her.. Jennifer looked at the girls with suspicion.. She knew where they were going to go, and she was not happy about it one little bit.. "Thank you Mamma.." Lucinda said, kissing her cheek before rushing out the door with the other girls... "Winnie, there are things you do not know about the girls." Jennifer said to her.. "No there is not Jennifer.. I trust my Lucinda.. I can not help it if you do not trust your Cerci." Winifred said to her.. "Tis because you are perfect, Winnie." Mary said with a lopsided grin..

The girls made their way to the apple tree, they looked around to see if the boys were there.. Of course they were not.. "They may be at the creek fishing.." Ruby said.. "Yes, we should go and look." Lucinda said to them.. Once they arrived at the creek they found the same thing.. The boys were not there, nor did it look like they were going to come.. "Where could they be?" Ruby asked.. "I am sure they said they would be here this day." Lucinda said.. "I say we wait for them." Ruby said.. "Maybe we could go to the edge of the forest and see if we can see them?" Martha asked with a smile.. "Sometimes Martha, you have very good ideas." Lucinda said to her.. They all turned and walked towards the village.. Cerci was for once trailing behind the girls, when she heard a noise behind her.. She turned to see Thackery.. "Hello Thackery." Cerci said to him.. "Hello Cerci.." Thackeray said to her.. "I knew thee would come." Cerci said to him.. "Thackery Binx, where are thee?" Elijah yelled at him.. "I am here Elijah, I found the girls." Thackeray said to him.. "Have you been following us?" Cerci asked.. "Yes, for girls you move awfully quick.." Elijah said.. "We do not!" Cerci said in defense.. Just then Tobias came running out of the woods at breakneck speed.. He ran right past Thackery, Elijah and Cerci.. Before he stooped by Martha.. He stood panting as he looked at her.. "Why is thee out of breath?" Martha asked.. "I was running from thy house.. It is very scary.." Tobias said.. "Why? What does thy mean?" Lucinda asked.. "We have been chasing you from the time you left your house.. I was so scared.. I heard thy Mothers inside laughing.." Tobias said as he huffed and puffed.. "You came to our cottage?" Lucinda asked Elijah with a smile.. "Yes, we wanted to see you again.. We also wanted to see where you lived." Elijah said to her.. "You did?" Lucinda asked with a smile at him.. "Well Tobias did." Thackeray said.. Martha smiled at him.. She then handed him the spider she had just captured.. "This one's for you." She said to him.. "I thank thee." Tobias said.. "So are we going to the creek to catch fish now?" Ruby asked.. "Of course." Lucinda said, leading the way.. She glanced back to see Thackery Binx take Cerci's hand in his.. Lucinda smiled at them and tagged Elijah.. "You're it." She yelled running off.. Elijah laughed and chased after her.. Ruby, Martha and Tobias all running along with them.. While Cerci and Thackery followed them while still holding hands..............................................