Lonely Souls
brick houses as close to Gothic as Seattle could get. With upturned archways and roofs that curled and spiraled like the descriptions in the greatest of fairy tales, these homes were truly eclectic, and it was a place I couldn’t imagine ever leaving.
    My mom was so thrilled the moment she saw the foyer interior with rounded archways and coved ceilings, that she didn’t even care what the rest of the house looked like. She was just lucky it was all as wondrous as the entry hall. She was a little impulsive to say the least.
    “What are you smiling about?” Jenny asked.
    “Just thinking about when my mom and I first moved here. How special this place was,” I said.
    “It still is!” Angela exclaimed. “These homes never go on the market.”
    “Yeah, and I hope to keep that tradition alive and well,” I muttered.
    Reaching our front door, I could smell the amazing pot of stew that someone had already started. The mixture of garlic, onion, and bay leaf came rolling out as I pushed the large, wooden door open.
    “I still love this door knocker your mom put on here. It always makes me smile,” Jenny said, as she placed her finger along the cast-iron gargoyle, which looked like he had one too many.
    “Is that you, Triss?” my aunt called out.
    “It is,” I hollered back, “and Jenny and Angela.”
    “Hi, girls,” her voice rang out. A pang of grief hit me as my aunt’s voice achieved the same melodious tone as my mom’s.
    “Ellsy and I’ve made enough stew for the neighborhood, so we should have plenty to eat since they aren’t invited,” she said, laughing.
    “It smells amazing!” Angela hollered, as we went up to my room.
    It almost felt like old times as Jenny and Angela piled into my bedroom, and I closed the door behind them. One day we’re climbing the stairs as children and the next as adults.
    “Where’s Logan at?” Jenny asked.
    “That’s a good question. I would have thought he’d have said hi.” I shrugged my shoulders.
    Angela and Jenny were silent and looking at each other.
    “I know there’s something you want to ask, so you should just pop it out,” I said, smiling.
    Jenny let out a sigh and sank onto my bed.
    “What do you think is going on?” Jenny asked.
    “With my mom?”
    She nodded.
    “My heart says she’s still around. Then my brain starts getting involved, and I come up with the same conclusion as everyone else.” I shook my head, staring at them both. I decided to sit on the floor and stretch out my legs.
    “It all seems so hard to believe,” Angela whispered.
    “I know,” I sighed.
    “Are you planning on going forward with the ceremony?” Jenny asked.
    She’d already completed hers. She was with a different coven, and Angela didn’t belong to a coven. I think she lived vicariously through us. She was curious, but only from a distance. I helped heal a bite wound she had gotten from her pet rat, and ever since then she was intrigued.
    “I don’t know. I’m so annoyed with everything that they’ve pushed on me that I feel like I don’t want to. Plus, there’s that little part of me that hopes I’ll get my mom back, and I really wanted her to see me through it. What’s the worst thing that happens if I push it off?” My eyes fell to the wide-planked wooden floors.
    Jenny shrugged.
    “So what really happens when you go through the ceremony?” Angela asked.
    “There’s all kinds of things getting accepted into a coven provides. One of the biggest things I’ve been looking forward to is being allowed to go into the library. You aren’t allowed in the library unless you’ve gone through the ceremony. My mom was looking forward to taking me in there. Also, as a witch you have the right to choose who you want your apprenticeship with depending on the skills you want to develop. There’s a lot more too, but those are the biggies,” I replied.
    “You’ve been talking about getting into the library forever, Triss,” Jenny replied.
    “Yeah, but I

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