Daisy's Witch Board

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Tabitha’s POV

When I look into the mirror my own darkness consumes me, I barely recognize the fair haired woman looking back at me. My eyes are haunted and my vision blurs from my own sorrow; my heart aches for my sweet Daisy. It’s been five years tonight since she was found murdered in the woods. Even now as I think of her sapphire blue eyes that penetrated through my soul, do I feel the grip in the depth of my soul. The thought that I have not held her in five years is killing me and all I want to do is be with her, run my fingers through her long red hair and tell her how much I love her. She was my heart, my soul and my love.

Gently I touch the picture of Daisy that I have taped to my mirror. She looked so beautiful that day when we took a walk in the forest behind our house. She wore a light pink peasant shirt and a flowing white skirt. I still remember how excited she was to find the daisies growing behind our favorite oak tree. I can still hear her laughter in my thoughts as she picked a bundle of flowers. She ran back to me giving me a chaste kiss on the lips before she handed me the flowers.

“Here you go my love, beautiful daisies from your beautiful Daisy,” she said playfully.

Without a thought I kissed her as I took them from her. “Awe, thank you. Beautiful flowers from a beautiful lady. Oh, I have to get a picture of you with them so we can remember this day always.”

She smiled at me mischievously and grabbed the flowers back and posed with them in front of her. How the light glowed on her though the trees. She looked like an Angel, my angel.

I am drawn out of my thought from the past when I feel a cool chill sweep over me. I gasp for breath and my breath freezes, which startles me. I look around the room and I feel her. I have felt my lover near me the last week, and I can sense she is not at peace. It breaks my heart knowing she has been gone so long and her spirit has found no peace. I do not understand why I never felt her until this week. Desperately I call out to her, “Daisy, how can I help you?” I know she won’t answer back, she never does. But I know it’s her, that I feel watching me.

Suddenly I hear a loud thump in the closet. Fear rises inside me and I know I need to see what fell, but something inside is holding me back. Taking in a deep breath, I stand up and walk to my closet and open the wooden door. Laying on the floor is Daisy’s purple scarf with a pentacle on it. Picking it up I hold it close to my nose, smelling the faint essence of my sweet lady. My eyes moisten in tears, oh how I miss her. I have not seen this scarf since the day of her funeral when I laid it in her casket. More tears swell in my eyes and I can’t comprehend why and how it could be here. I am so confused.

Looking around the room I feel a deep panic turning in my gut. Who’s fucking with me? How could her scarf be in my hands now when it was buried with her? I look around the room in desperation. “Who’s there? Why are you doing this?”

I am startled when I hear something moving in the closet. When I look down to the ground I see a box being pushed in my direction by unseen hands. Gasping in fear, my whole body freezes and I look into the closet seeing nothing but clothes. Quickly I overcome my fears and push the clothes to the side hoping and expecting to see one of the neighbor kids standing there laughing. But no one is there.

Hesitantly I pick up the wooden rectangular box and I take it to the bed then sit down laying the box and scarf upon my comforter. Taking in a deep breath I look down and see that I am holding Daisy’s witch board. I stare at it with dread in my heart and soul. The engraved words seem to leap out at me, “Witch Board.” She knew I hated the thing and I was always thankful she kept it hidden. Standing up I step away from the bed hoping that the box would disappear as mystically as it appeared, but I know it won’t and I know what she is trying to tell me. She wants to talk to me.

I shout out into the room, “I can’t. You know that damn thing scares the hell out of me!”

Slowly I walk over to the mirror and gaze at my own reflection trying to figure out what to do. I am startled when I see her image overlapping mine. Daisy smiles sadly and her voice whispers softly, “This is the only way, my love.” Her voice sounds so sweet to my ears and I know I can‘t deny her this. I see relief cross over her spirit as she sees me caving into her whim. Daisy speaks again. “Take the board to where my body was found. You will be able to find the truth of what happened that night.”

As I close my eyes I can feel my tears moistening my lashes, “I’m not sure if I can relive that night.”

Opening my eyes I see her hand reach out from the glass and she gently caresses my face. “You need to do this for me, For us, so we can have eternal peace.” Gently I turn my head and kiss her hand that evaporates like mist upon my lips. I look into the mirror once again, only seeing my own reflection, yet something about it scares me. I seem almost translucent and my eyes are haunted, more than usual. They almost glow in an unnatural manner. A gasp parts from my lips as I notice the purplish bruises upon my neck and my sunken in eyes. Shaking my head I try to vanish the image before me. I am startled out of my thoughts when I hear Daisy. “Come to me, my love, It is time, time for peace, time for rest.”

I feel like I am in a dream; nothing around me seems right. I hear noises within the house. I have never heard them before. Quickly I grab the wooden box and scarf, making my way through the house and out the door, holding the objects close to my heart.

The sky seems to darken with every step I take, until I am deep within the forest. I can hear the birds overhead and the fallen leaves crunching underneath my feet. My heart quickens as I draw closer to the small cove where my lover’s body was found. Hesitantly I make my way through the paths of the trees and see the rock where Daisy’s limp and battered body was found.

As I look at the now empty spot, I can still see her lifeless body and a scream parts from my lips. I feel my body shake in grief as the tears and emotions well up in me when I think of that day. Slowly I kneel down. I lay the box and scarf on the ground and brush my fingers over the dried blood that still exists there. I try to look up to the heaven but all I can see is the covering of trees.

Bowing my head, I say a silent prayer to the goddess that I once knew, as I lay out the scarf and then open the wood box. A gust of wind blows around me and I feel a chill run through my spine when I lay the witch board upon the pentacle. I look into the wooden box and see the other items I will need to make this ritual complete. Taking a deep breath I pull out three white candles. Setting them above the board, I light them as I envision a white light surrounding me, and I pray for the powers that be to protect me. But I still feel fear deep within my gut. I know I’m not doing this completely right, but I don’t know any other way. I am just taking a step in faith.

I feel comforted when I sense Daisy’s hand resting upon my shoulder. Carefully I sit down in front of the witch board, cross-legged. When I place the triangle on the board I instantly feel small tender hands covering over mine. I look before me knowing My Lady is there even though I can not see her.

I speak softly. “What is it you want me to know?” The triangle begins to move on its own and the words that form in front of my eyes startle me. A.N.O.T.H.E.R. B.O.D.Y. W.A.S. F.O.U.N.D. T.H.A.T. D.A.Y.

My hands tremble as I look around the cove desperately. “How can that be? I only found you, I only found you?”

Daisy’s hands cover mine gently, soothing them. I hear her voice whispering through the Veil of time. “Remember that day my love. Close your eyes and think back.”

Taking in a deep breath, I close my eyes and the memories play within my thoughts. We had taken a picnic lunch into the woods to celebrate our anniversary. It was a beautiful sunny day. We ate and made love under the cover of the cove, and after that, all I can remember is blackness.

I am drawn out of my thoughts when I hear something stirring. I look down to see the triangle moving on it’s own on the board. H.I.D.E. A.N.D. S.E.E.K.

A jolt of panic rises inside me. I try to gasp for breath, yet I realize I have no breath to take. The forest around me spins until darkness, surrounds me, and all I can hear is the joyous laughter of my lover echoing all around me. She calls out to me, “8, 9, 10, ready or not here I come.”

Her laughter continues until her voice turns to panic. I can hear the rustling of the trees yet. That is when I feel the tightening around my neck. I cough and grasp at the offensive material that is being pulled tightly around it. Panic rises in me as I try to scream. I try to kick at the person I knew was behind me. His malicious laugh echoes in my ear and I know that laugh. I would know it anywhere. The tears swell in my eyes as I struggle for my life. In that last moment I hear Daisy’s voice calling to me in desperation.

“Tabitha where are you, where are you?” I hear her voice trembling until she is very close. She gasps. “What are you doing here? What have you done to my love?”

I hear a male voice in the distance. His voice is filled with malice. “That bitch stole you from me and I told you one day you would pay, both of you.

I can see everything so clearly. My limp body lying on the crumpled dead leaves as I watch my sweet daisy being beaten to death, and there is nothing I can do but scream.

I am drawn out of my nightmare when the world around me changes. My sweet daisy is standing in front of me with tears of joy swelling in her eyes. “You have come back to me, my love.”

I still feel so stunned from everything, yet it is so good to have her near me. Slowly she walks to me wrapping her arms around me, as she gently kisses my lips. I feel the warmth and sunshine of her love caressing over my whole body, and for the first time in five years I feel at peace and completely in love.

Daisy draws back and smiles lovingly as she reaches out her hand to mine. As our fingers entwine, I see the portal of heaven opening up. The birds sing like angels as the brilliant colors greet us to our new life together for eternity.
 

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