1 Move a hailstorm

A smile rises on my face as I inspect the different stones. They were so pretty! Many of the colors shine differently as they glisten on the table. Mom is too busy pressing the rosemary and holy oak in the ceramic bowls to pay attention to me. With a tongue sticking out of my mouth and my eyes focused on the stones, my sticky fingers reach for the pretty pink stone. My skin brushes the rough surface before Mom slaps my hand away.

"Do not touch with negative intention, my lovely." Mom scolds me softly. There's a beautiful smile upon her lips.

Her delicate green eyes flicker over to me. I frown in disappointment. "But, moooommm!" I whine. I turn completely to her and stomp a foot on the dirt.

Mom only smiles. Her lime green hair illuminates her face in such a crystal light from our makeshift candles that I admire her while she finishes the recipe. Mom is just so beautiful and lovely. Her smile could brighten a cave, could cause a wave, or even move a hailstorm! Mom is so magnificent, and I want to be just like her one day!

Mom suddenly chuckles, and I gaze up at her through my lashes. "Do you wish to learn or not?"

Without hesitation, I jump at the chance to learn a spell. "Ooo! Yes. New spell, please please please mom!" I plead her. My hands lock onto her dirty dress and slightly pull at her skirt. I wanted to become strong, beautiful, and bright. Nothing would stop me from becoming a Grand Elder Witch like Nana!

Mom gracefully picks me up and settles me on her hip. I lean on her shoulder and watch her work. She takes her time, softly humming a tune while the debris from her muscle straining falls onto the parchment that's laid out on the table. I inhale her scent of honey and grass. My chubby kid fingers twirl a strand of her hair. Mom ignores me while she concentrates on her magic and a faint spark of green bursts from mid-air.

"Woah.." I gush in amazement.

Mom's power is so strong! A big spark as big as my palm floats down from my eye-level and unites with the plants and bark she's mixed. My eyes grow big from the magic that takes place. The soft glowing light engulfs the mix and illuminates. The second the parchment and the green magic touch, a soft hum comes from the mixture.

I look to Mom and see she's smiling. Her giant green orbs dart to me for a moment. I give Mom a big, happy smile. "What do we do now?" I ask.

Mom giggles for a moment and picks up the pretty stone I was trying to steal earlier. "Now, we shall place this stone atop the pile and-" Mom does as she says and gently flicks her wrist once- "with just a simple snap, the spell's fini." Her accent is quite funny, so I laugh at her. The parchment paper magically seals itself on Mom's command.

All I can do is marvel at the sight of my mom.

Her bright smile and compelling aura fill me with light while she attends to the parchment once more. Because I'm so small, I manage to slip from her grip to stand on my tippy toes and brace myself against the edge of the table to watch Mom work. She's diligent and quiet, two attributes that Dad finds amusing. Mom isn't the type to be loud and stern, rather, she's more becoming of a gazelle and has the soft voice of a baby kitten. Her gentle features and subtle attitude is something I find honorable.

My purple irises gleam up at my mom as she finishes off the twine sealing the parchment together. The silk ribbon is a bright green that proves this is Mom's creation. It's been a few days since she last allowed me to help her with a spell. Last time it was a Purity Spell that needed enhancing. I was the one who came up with the idea to use white lotuses instead of white lilies. It took Mom three days to complete the spell, and she had to use the moon water preserved for another spell that the king wanted.

I don't care much for the king, mostly because the royal kingdom of L'Ablette discourages any supernatural creatures. Witches, even as humanizing as we are, are considered banned unless the king or nobles have a use for our abilities.

When Mom pats my head with a gentle smile, I return it tenfold. "Go find your mates, my lovely, and I'll see you for supper."

Without a word of protest, I pull on the ends of Mom's skirts. "Bye, Mom! See ya at supper," my voice crescendos a bit when she leans down to give me a kiss. I kiss her cheek as well.

I skip out of our home, a hut made of wood and metal, to find my best mates. I twirl a lock of my hair around my pointer finger as I traverse through the village. There's the stall where the little boy's family, who has a crush on my friend, sets up for selling their crafted candles. They're such good engravers that I actually had three of my own that I still haven't lit yet. I'm saving them for important times.

Aztiel, the boy who has a crush on my mate, had been passing them out and had forgotten that he all ready gave me one. He only came back because he saw Asha and I grabbing bread from Miss Penelope. I suppose he thought she would like him when he gifts her with presents, but Asha never talked about Aztiel on her own before, so I sympathize with the lad.

As I pass by Miss Penelope and her husband, Gerald, she waves at me, then returns to berating her husband for burning the bread. I giggle at the two and wave as well. I sneakily grab some bread from the edge of their stall and run away. A smile lights my face as I race to the edge of our small village. My eyes search the dense woods for wolves or cats. There's nothing but the green foliage swaying with the breeze.

My eyes follow the trail that leads me to the sea. We aren't far from the water and I couldn't have been happier! Dad always has time before the sun fades to bring me here every other day. Dad's always been a recluse, stuck in his workshop. I'm thankful he finds time to spend with me and Mom.

It's only a few more feet towards the beach before I hear a certain familiar scream.