Sunday after Church, Reverend Traske, called upon the Binx and Lockett's.. "I would have spoken to you in church, but 'tis a very delicate matter.." Noah said to the two men.. "Of course Reverend, we understand this has to be kept quiet." Mr. Binx said to him.. "Yes, we would not want the village to all be out witch hunting.. Especially if the girls are not those of the Brothers.." Mr. Lockett said to him.. "Well now that I have your grasp and understanding of the matter, I will inform my ah.. Team to watch over them shall I?" Noah asked the two men.. Of course he was not asking for their permission.. He had already set his spies up to watch the girls.. He was not going to take any chances, if they were indeed the daughters of the Brothers and The Sanderson Sisters.. He was going to take them and reform them while they were still young.. "Oh yes, please do that.. I would not want any harm to come to my boy Elijah.. As I am sure Thomas would not want that for Thackery.." Mr. Lockett said to him.. "Good, good.. Now next time the boys leave to go and play with them.. We will be there.. Oh and do not tell the boys.. I fear they would just become wayward children.." Noah said to them.. "Yes of course.." Mr. Binx said as Noah stood to leave the barn they were all sitting in..

It was some time before the girls decided to go back and see if the boys were there.. Even though Martha asked after them every day.. "Cerci, can we go and play near, where they have yummy spiders again?" Martha asked.. "Where would that be Darling?" Sarah asked.. Cerci looked up at Aunt Sarah.. She dared not tell her that Martha was talking about Elijah Lockett.. "I don't remember, Aunt Sarah.. Martha is always eating spiders when we are out." Cerci said to her with a smile.. "Oh what a shame, I would have come with you to collect some." Sarah said with a wishful smile.. "We can still go and collect some Aunt Sarah.." Lucinda said, rushing over to them.. "Do you remember where our special spider spot is?" Cerci asked... "No.. but down by the river they have lots of them in the trees." Lucinda said.. "We could go there, or we could go to the edge of the forest." Ruby said.. "Yes, that is where there are yummy spiders.." Martha said giggling.. "No, we will not be going to the edge of the village.. 'Tis far too dangerous.. They will try and kidnap you.." Sarah said to them.. "Who are they trying to kidnap Sarah?" Jennifer asked.. "The villagers.. I have heard Winnie talk of it all the time." Sarah said with a worried look.. "That is true, Winnie knows things like that." Mary said.. "'Tis cause Winnie is perfect." Jennifer said with a smile.. "Who is perfect?" Winifred asked when she joined them.. "You are Mummy." Lucinda said with a huge smile.. "Just as thou art." Winifred said, smiling down at Lucinda.. "Winnie, can we go and look for spiders today?" Sarah asked.. "Why are we running low on them for the cooking?" Winifred asked Mary.. "No, but we are running low on Scorpions.. How are we ever going to make Mothers Scorpion pie if we do not have enough of them?" Mary asked with a sigh.. "Then we must go scorpion hunting.." Winifred said to the girls.. Who all jumped about not worried about not seeing the boys on that day..

"What are your last names then?" Thackeray asked.. "Stein." Lucinda replied.. "But if that were true, you would all be sisters." Elijah said to them.. "No, we are cousins.." Cerci said to him.. "How can that be if you all have the same last name?" Thackeray asked them.. "Out Mama's are Sisters.." Ruby said to them with an odd look.. "Oh.." Thackeray said.. "My Papa said that the Stein Brothers were hung for witchcraft." Elijah said.. "You lie!" Ruby yelled at him.. "I do not!" Elija yelled back.. "No, Elijah do not lie!" Martha said, taking his hand once again.. "I want to play, hide and seek." Cerci said.. "Okay, I will hide with Elijah.." Martha said giggling as they ran off together.. "Close thy eyes, Cerci.. No peeking." Lucinda said standing to run and hide.. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten! Here I come!" Cerci yelled standing as she looked around.. Once they tired of that game they played Spinning tops with twigs and things, then it was time for leapfrog.. Before they finally decided it was time to head home again..

As Thackery and Elijah ran back into the village.. Noah Traske grabbed the boys by the scruff of their shirts.. "Where have you boys been?" He asked them.. "Not to the forbidden forest, Sir.." Thackeray said with a chuckle.. "Aye, because 'tis forbidden.." Elijah said to him.. "Do not lie to be boys, where were you today? Who were you with? Who are those girls you have been paying with? Answer me?" Noah yelled at them.. "Reverend Traske, unhand my boy.." Mr. Lockett said to him.. "Nay, I will get the information out of them, one way or another!" Noah yelled at him with blind rage.. "I am sorry Reverend, 'tis my son Elijah.. I will throttle him if need be." Mr. Lockett said to him.. Noah looked at him then threw both boys to the ground.. "If I catch them in the forbidden forest again, they will not be so lucky!" Noah said to him.. "Reverend, I think you need to calm down now.. They be just boys.. I will find out who they are from Thackery and come to see you when I do.. Will that be sufficient for you?" Thomas Binx asked him.. "Aye, at least one of you is thinking straight." Noah said, walking off in a huff.. While Thomas and Elijah senior looked at each other then down at their boys laying in the dirt.. "Go home to your mothers boys.. We will be with you shortly." Thomas Binx said to them.. "Aye, Father." Thackeray said dusting himself off..

What no one saw was the black cat with an orange patch on her eye, following the two boys back to their prospective houses.. Pflance knew that if Martha and Cerci liked those boys, they were not going to be easy to forget.. So for their own protection she would follow them and find out what their family's were up to.. It did not take long, when the boys arrived home, they were put to work to do their chores.. Then it was supper time and off to bed, with both of them.. Of course after an interrogation from their fathers, in the barn of the Binx family.. This is what she overheard.. "Now boys, if you do not tell us the truth.. We will have no choice but to let you go with the Reverend Traske.. If he has to speak with you, he will thrash you.. So tell us now where you both went.." Mr. Binx asked them as he stood over them.. "We are sorry, we went into the forbidden forest.." Thackeray said to them.. "We were only on the edge.." Elijah said.. "What did you do there?" Mr. Binx asked.. "We played games.." Thackeray replied.. "With who?" Mr. Lockett asked.. "With Thackery." Elijah said to him.. "With Elijah." Thackeray replied.. "Oh praise be, they were not with the girls." Mr. Lockett said to Mr. Binx.. "Yes we were, I like to play games with Martha.. She is so much fun.." Elijah said without a thought.. He then looked over at Thackery who wore a look of total shock.. "Martha who? What is her name, lad?" Mr. Binx asked.. "Martha." Elijah replied.. "Do not play with me boy.. I will tell the Reverend about your visits to the forbidden forest!" Mr. Binx yelled at him.. "Father, they not be Witches.." Thackeray said to him.. "What do you mean boy?" Mr. Binx asked.. "The girls we play with.. I think they are from another village nearby.. They do not have bonnets but they do have parents.. They speak of them all the time.." Thackeray said to him.. "What be their parents names lad?" Mr. Binx asked.. "I do not know sir." Thackeray replied.. "We do know that their Mothers are indeed sisters." Elijah said to them both as he rubbed his eyes.. "The lad's are growing tired.. They know nothing.. We will have to follow them." Mr. Lockett said to Mr. Binx.. "Yes, when do you plan to meet the girls again, Son?" Mr. Binx asked.. "I do not know Father.. Maybe in a few days." Thackeray said to him with not much interest now.. He had been playing all day with Cerci, he wanted to sleep now.. As he knew she would be.. In her bed with her nightcap on..

Once the boys were gone, Mr. Binx and Mr. Lockett sat together to discuss what they were going to do about their boys.. "If we let The Reverend Traske at our boys, he will thrash them." Mr. Lockett said.. "Maybe they deserve a good thrashing for lying to us." Mr. Binx said to him.. "They did not lie, they do not know who these girls are.. Maybe they are runaways?" Mr. Lockett said.. "What you mean children form fallen women?" Mr. Binx asked him.. "Yes, that is what I am saying.. I do not think those Witches, those Sanderson Sisters would have survived that house burn.. We did a great job of that." Mr. Lockett said with a smile.. "Indeed we did.." Mr. Binx said with a smile.. "But if those girls are from fallen women.. We must do our Godley duty and bring them back into the fold." Mr. Lockett said to him.. "Indeed. We must hatch a plan to follow them and pounce on them before they can escape." Mr. Binx said to him.. "Indeed." Mr. Lockett replied..

The next morning at the Sanderson Sisters house.. "So do not leave thy house, and definitely do not go to your spot to play with those boys." Pflance said to them.. "Why?" Martha asked.. She of course was not listening.. She had been watching the moth that was flying around the house.. "We must stay indoors, Martha." Cerci said to her.. "Oh.. alright." Martha replied.. "I do not know where that girl's mind is sometimes." Lucinda said to Cerci.. "She be thinking about Elijah.. Or spiders.." Cerci said giggling.. "So you are, of, Thackery Binx no doubt." Lucinda said with a wicked smile.. "Hello girls, what are we up to today after your chores?" Jennifer asked them.. "We thought we would just stay here for the day." Lucinda said to her.. "Why would you do that? It is a wonderful day out there?" Jennifer said to them.. "'Tis just a wonderful in here." Cerci said with a smile.. "Jennifer, are thee coming with us on the hunt?" Mary asked.. Her and Sarah were off to check their traps.. Jennifer looked at the girls.. "Would you like to come with us?" She asked them.. "No thank you.. I am sure Mama would like our help around here today." Lucinda replied.. "No thank you Mama." Cerci said with a smile.. "Alright then girls, be good for Auntie Winnie." Jennifer said leaving with Mary and Sarah..

That is how Mother Witch, Hannah found them.. "Why are the girls playing inside on a day like today, Winifred?" Hannah asked.. "They refused to go and check the traps with Jennifer, Sarah and Mary.. I can not say I blame them." Winifred said to her.. "Mmm.. Interesting.." Hannah said to her.. "I do not think so.. I am sure there is a valid excuse they could come up with if asked." Winifred said to her.. "Have you asked them?" Hannah asked.. "No, why would I.. I like them being here." Winifred said with a smile.. "Do you mind if I ask?" Hannah asked her.. "How am I going to stop you?" Winifred asked.. "You can not, but it would be nice to have your permission." Hannah said to her.. Winifred smiled at her, she placed her hand at her face and raised her eyes to her.. "Of course you may ask." Winifred said to her.. She of course wanted to know, but she, like her sisters, was not going to ask them.. "Hello girls.." Hannah said to them with a smile.. "Grandmother." The four girls yelled with excitement as they all ran to her.. They all danced around together with laughter and giggling.. "Did you bring your scorpion pie?" Ruby asked with a lot of excitement.. "Yes, my dear Ruby.." Hannah said to her.. "Yummy.. Just like Elijah." Martha said with a smile.. "Who is Elijah dear?" Hannah asked.. "A boy." Martha said giggling.. "She sounds just like Sarah." Winifred said with a sigh.. "Of course she does.. Where did you meet Elijah dear?" Hannah asked her.. "On the edge of the woods." Martha replied, smiling.. "Ceice likes Thackery." Martha said.. "Martha!" Cerci yelled at her.. "Who is this Thackery?" Hanna asked.. "He is a boy." Cerci replied.. "You met him on the edge of the woods too?" Winifred asked.. "Yes, Mummy knows I was talking to him." Cerci said to her.. "Lucinda?" Winifred asked, looking at her.. "Yes Mama?" Lucinda asked, looking at her. "What do you know about this?" Winifred asked.. "Nothing." Lucinda said.. "Do not lie to thee, Lucinda!" Winifred said to her with annoyance.. "Tell us what you know darling.. None of you are in trouble." Hannah said to them.. "Yeah but we will be." Lucinda said.. "Why is that dear?" Hannah asked.. "Thackery Binx and Elijah Lockett are from the village." Lucinda said.. "Yes?" Winifred asked her, looking at her with a disapproving look.. "Pflance said that The Reverend Traske has been spying on the boys.. He thinks that our Daddy's were Witches.. He thinks we are their spawn.. What is that Mamma?" Lucinda asked.. Winifred's eyes darkened, she looked at Mother Witch.. "No, Winifred I forbid you to.." Hannah said.. "You forbid Winnie to do what?" Jennifer asked when she entered the cottage with rabbits hanging from a pole.. "Oh rabbit stew!" Ruby said going to take the pole from Jennifer.. She and Martha took them over to the table and laid them down.. "I forbid Winifred to go after The Reverend Traske." Hannah said to her.. "Why would that be?" Jennifer asked with concern.. "Thackery Binx and Elijah Lockett.." Winifred said to her with annoyance.. "Why did you not tell us that they were playing with these boys?" Winifred asked.. "The same reason that Mother does not want you to go into the village.. The Reverend Traske will surely hang you like he did Malachi.. I do not want to lose you just yet Winnie." Jennifer said to her... Winifred turned to the girls.. "I forbid you to go near those boys again.. Am I being understood?" Winifred asked them.. "Yes, Mama." Lucinda said with a smile.. "Yes, Auntie." Cerci said.. "Uh ha.." Ruby and Martha said.. While Mary and Sarah stood in the doorway not speaking..

Later that night with Pflance curled up on their bed.. "Luci.." Cerci whispered in the darkness.. "Mmm." Lucinda replied.. "I am going to see Thackery on the morrow.." Cerci whispered.. "Alright.." Lucinda said as she rolled over.. She then sat bolt upright and smiled.. "I will come with thee.." She said with an evil smile..............................................

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