Book of Shadows

The sound of boot heels hitting the wet pavement grew faster and faster as Willow makes her way through the pouring rain. She keeps her head down with the hood of her long black coat pulled over, black book in hand, she walks into her local dive bar where she’s been going for as long as she can remember. Once she walks in, she makes a b-line toward her usual seat and waves down the bartender.

She sets the book down on the table and just stares at it. She can feel her hands begin to shake.

“Dammit.” She says to herself, “Chill out Willow.”

The bartender arrives with her drink and is quickly dismissed.

Willow’s routine was to go to the bar after work, sit in her spot, order a beer and just chill. She spent most of her time alone and worked at a gas station as a cashier. Willow lived a paycheck-to-paycheck kind of lifestyle and still managed to always have enough money to somewhat numb her reality with booze.

Her nights didn’t entail much socializing however this night was different. She was meeting someone and she brought the book with her. Was this it? Was she finally going to get rid of it?

This little black book wasn’t just any black book, journal or planner. This was Willow’s mother’s book. Her book of shadows, she called it.

Rumor has it that Willow’s mother Mina was a witch and used her book of shadows to hoard spells of evil and misfortune for whom ever would cross her. What’s even worse is she’s rumored to have used the magic from the book of shadows to kill Willow’s dad who died mysteriously when Willow was only 6 years old.

The case became wildly popular at the time especially erupting in the town of Salem Massachusetts where the Witch Trials had originated in 1692. It was on every news station in the state and even made it to national news with headlines reading “A Massachusetts woman is accused of murdering her husband. Her murder weapon? Black Magic.” Or “Has Witchcraft Hysteria Returned?” Willow even remembers reading one that said, “Salem Witch Murders Husband”, as if that was an everyday thing you read about in the paper. With its popularity, covens started showing up throughout the city. Girls would be witches named Mina for Halloween and local shops began selling journals labeled “Book of Shadows”.

Willow remembers the night her dad died. She saw him hit the kitchen floor as her mother stirred tea over the stove with her back turned to them. Tears rolled down Willow’s face as she witnessed her dad convulse and seize until he was no longer moving. While the coroner ruled it suffocation from a convulsive seizure causing an obstruction to the airways, Willow’s grandmother was the first to accuse Mina of murdering her son with her alleged black magic. Mina wasn’t well-liked by her in-laws or the family. She had her own way of doing things and was very spiritual in her ways of living.

Willow was aware of her mother’s practices and was always told to not touch any of her things in her room. The room was always dimmed by purple and black sheer over the windows; candles were always lit, and it always smelled like burning wood. There were different color rocks placed throughout the room and in the center was Mina’s round table where she had her tarot deck always centered. Willow grew up on herbal medicine and believing in the universe rather than religion. Mina gave her different crystals to carry around in her pockets for protection or luck and love.

Willow experienced more than her share of bullying growing up after her father’s death. Girls would whisper to each other under their breath as she walked by and the boys on the soccer field would yell “wicked witch!”. Any time another student saw her writing anything down they’d accuse Willow of writing spells to cast on the class.

Now at the age of 32, Willow still doesn’t know what to believe about her father’s death nor the accusations toward her mother based off her practices. Her parents fought often, and she always thought it was weird that she never saw her dad give her mom a kiss. She has this vivid memory of her mother crying while yelling at him accusing him of not loving her anymore because he never looks at her and that he was going to regret his actions.

What she does know is that her mother’s book of shadows was special. What was written in that book was written with intent to work. The rumors of the book being used only for evil is false. Although Mina wrote her fair share of hexes and curses, she also wrote spells for love, healing and prosperity.

Eventually Mina died and all of her possessions were now in the hands of Willow. With the years and years of accusations and bullying and all the witchy stuff thrown her way, Willow didn’t care to keep her mother’s belongings. They were more of a burden of the identity that was pushed on the family rather than sentimental items left behind from a loved one. Willow didn’t have many friends—people just wanted to know about Mina and the truth behind what happened to her father. Her romantic partners almost always talked about Mina with some sort of infatuation.

Willow wasn’t anywhere near as spiritual as her mother and if anything, those items held heavy energy and only brought more negativity into her life than good.

It wasn’t until one night after work Willow received a DM request through her Instagram.

“@ghostorygal wants to send you a message!” It read.

She clicks it open; hits accept and reads

“Good evening Willow! You don’t know me yet but I’m glad I found you! My name is Charlie and I’m in charge of a small group called Sybil—a small collective of lightworkers and spiritual practitioners. Before you click out of this message, I want you to be aware of the large financial incentives you’re in for if you’re willing to hear me out. This is about your mother Mina and some of her well-known belongings utilized in her practice. If you’re willing to meet me at our local dive bar on the corner of 5th and Redd this Friday at 6PM I promise you, it’ll be worth it…oh and bring that little black book. You know which one.”

Not sure what to make of that message, Willow sits in her own thoughts, contemplating for a moment. Of all the messages she’s received similar to that nature, why did she actually want to go? She double clicked the message, liking it, justifying that’s indication enough that she saw the message. Whether or not she actually shows up will depend entirely on how she feels that day, in that moment.

Willow knew this person wanted to buy the book. Many people did but no one ever offered a good enough amount for Willow to actually let it go. Or she’d agree to an amount and then never follow through with her end of the deal. She never knew exactly why. So, would this time be any different? Was she actually going to go through with it if they offered her an amount that’s worth it? She didn’t even know.

She pulls her hood off her head, tucks her hair behind her ears and looks around to see if anyone seems to be waiting for her or recognizes her. Nothing. She takes a large swig of her beer and lets out a quiet belch when out of nowhere she hears her name from behind.

“Willow…?”

She turns to see a petite woman of about 5’5” with a pixie haircut dyed bright blue, wearing black loose knit pants and a black poncho-style sweater with converse and an army green colored backpack.

“I’m Charlie. The one who messaged you.”

Willow didn’t say anything, leaving an awkward silence between them.

“Can I sit?” Charlie asked.

“Oh yeah, sorry.” Willow replied. She takes another large swig of her drink and slams the glass on the table. “So, in your message you mentioned there’d be an incentive? You want the book, don’t you?”

Charlie chuckled, “First off, thanks for meeting with me, I know you must get a lot of people messaging you so for you to actually be here sitting in front of me is surreal. Second—yes. I want to buy your mothers book of shadows. It’s my understanding you don’t follow your mothers’ practices and having followed the case, I think it’d be a great tool for my group. I’m willing to pay you generously to take it off your hands.”

“How much do you consider generous?” Willow asks.

“Is $20,000 generous enough?” Charlie replied.

Silence.

“You want to give me 20 grand for my mother’s black book so you and your coven can play witches?!” Willow yelps.

“That’s right.” Said Charlie.

No one has ever offered her that much for the book. The highest anyone’s ever gone is $5,000. With $20,000 Willow could begin to live her life the way she wanted to. She could move, travel, start the business she’s always wanted to—and most importantly leave the burden of her mother’s practices in her past. Especially that little black book.

After a few moments of what seemed like hours of contemplation, Willow felt her head nod up and down and she heard the words “Okay yeah” come out of her mouth.

Still wrapping her brain around the fact that someone would offer that much money for the book she sees Charlie pull out a large envelope and lifts the flap only to expose the 20 grand in cash. As she slowly slides the book over to Charlie, she can feel all the energetic cords that burdened her for the majority of her life being cut and she feels a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. Selling the book was much more than that to Willow. It was the last step she needed to take to let go of her mother’s unknown practices that she held onto all this time as well as the closure she needed from her father’s death regardless of the stupid rumors.

Willow grabbed the cash and walked out of that bar ready to begin her life having just closed the door on what is now her old one.