Weeping Willow

My eyes shoot open, chills running up and down my spine. Before I can think my legs are pulling me out of bed, through my bedroom door, and down the hall. Feeling like I am awake in my mind but have no control over my body... I can’t stop moving, I can’t wake up. It has to be some form of sleepwalking or the weirdest dream ever.

A light flickers on and I feel myself being pulled back to reality, “Willow?” my mom’s sleepy voice wakes me.

I try to regain my balance, placing my hand on my forehead, I spit out, “I was just looking for a snack…”

“Honey, you’re in the bathr--” is the last thing I hear on my way to the ground.

When I wake up I’m in a hospital room hooked up to ivs and fluids. Still a little groggy, I roll over to see mom passed out on the chair, it’s still dark out. I drift back to sleep with the humming of machines, in and out of sleep for what felt like a few hours.

I feel a soft shake on my shoulders, “honey, honey can you hear me?” My eyes slowly open revealing my mothers worried face.

“Willow,” my eyes drift over to the woman in the white coat. “My name is Dr. James, you were brought to the hospital Wednesday night after passing out. Do you remember that?” Her voice calm.

I clear my throat afraid I am not going to be able to speak. “I-I kind of…” stammering I take a deep breath, “I remember waking up and being hungry but I…” my head feels foggy. Like the memory of the night's events are just out of reach. I feel the sweat collecting above my upper lip as the room starts to feel hotter. Why can’t I remember anything?

The doctor sensed my distress, “Willow,” she says gently. “It’s okay if you don’t remember. It’s common the first day you wake up. However, you have been in a coma for eight days.”

I shot up in my bed, too fast because I started to get dizzy all over again. I manage to stumble out, “eig-eight days?” I cannot believe it!

“Your body was severely dehydrated, and it seemed as though you had been awake for weeks instead of a 24 hour day span. Your body truly needed rest Ms. Willow. Though the tests are inconclusive, we would like to keep her for one more day of observation.” This last part is directed at my mother who has not taken her eyes off me.

“I would actually like to take my daughter home.” my mother insisted.

There was a slight confusion on the doctor’s face for a semi-second, but she recovered well. “Ms. Lewis, I highly recommend you keep your daughter here for at least one more night.”

“With all due respect, doctor, no. You said it yourself, Willow’s body needed rest and fluids. Which she got. You will not be running any more tests on her. We will be leaving.” The Doctor doesn’t say a word, just looks puzzled. “Now.” My mother speaks forcefully pulling the doctor out of her confusion and snapping her to get my discharge papers.

When the doctor leaves mom takes a huge sigh, “we will talk more when we get home.”

I start to protest, “but mom.. I don’t-”

“When we get home.” She states coldly.

In the car mom doesn’t say a word. I have so many questions, the top one being why she would take me out of the hospital when the doctor wanted me to stay. But I can’t get myself to ask, so I wait patiently. Collecting my thoughts, trying to reimagine the night in question. But nothing. The car comes to a stop and we are finally home. Time to get some answers.

Kicking off our shoes when we walk through the door, mom sighs, “sweetie, sit down.”

I take a seat opposite of her on the couch, bracing myself for what’s next by grabbing the blanket and snuggling in.

Mom takes a long deep breath, “You’re a witch Willow.” My jaw hits the floor.

“I’m sorry… what?” I can't believe this, she is playing a joke on me. Witches aren’t real. “Like the broom riding, cackling, pots-a-spells-a-brewing witch?!” I get up and start to pace.

“Okay, no. Those witches are just a stereotype. Honey, sit down and listen.” I sit on the floor trying to focus on my mother’s words. “What happened the other night was similar to sleepwalking. Your body takes over while you are technically asleep, but with your powers...”

Powers did she just say powers!

“...are you with me?” I shake my head not being able to muster up a word. “Okay, like I was saying, with your powers sleepwalking to you is a vision.”

“A vision?”

“Yes, like a psychic seeing the future or past or in rare cases, could even bring you to a present moment you need to be a part of. As a bystander, a person who makes an impact in the situation or a witness. I know this is a lot of information, I thought I had more time to tell you before you got your first vision. I mean you turned sixteen only two months ago. I thought I had more time.” The room goes quiet.

Minutes fly by until finally I break the silence, “alright so I am a witch.. A witch with visions… a witch who sleepwalks for visions. This has got to be a joke. A gotcha. Ashton Kutcher coming out and yelling ‘you got punk’d’ from around the corner… W-wait are you a witch?”

“No, I am not a witch. It was your father’s side of the family where the witches and warlocks come from. However with your fathers death and his family being wiped out there is only you left.”

“What do you mean only me left? Wait, wiped out? I thought they died in a fire?” I think my brain is going to physically explode.

“A fire was set to your grandparents estate during a family reunion that killed everyone, including your father. That is why you have my last name. So you wouldn’t have been associated with their family legacy.”

My father was wiped out for being a witch, my mother gave me her last name so I wouldn’t be killed, but hey I have magical powers that give me visions while I sleep… So it makes up for it, right…

“What do I need to do now?” I calmly ask.

Mom shakes her head. Closes her eyes, and takes another deep breath, “You need to let your ‘dreams’ take you to your destiny. As cheesy and crazy as that may sound to you, there is no other way to put it. You have a destiny written in the stars Willow and I wish I could protect you from it, take the visions with you. But this is something you have to do. I will be with you every step of the way to make sure you don’t get hurt and will be there for you when you wake up to take you home. But this, these visions are something you have to face on your own.” Mom makes her way across the room, sitting adjacent to me, she pulls me into her chest. “Willow you got this and I am right here with you.” I let her hug me for another couple of minutes.

“I need to go lay down.”

Finally alone, I plop on my bed. I need time to think, time to process. My dad died because he was a warlock. The dinner reunion I was too sick to go to was supposed to kill me with my whole family… family of witches I may add. This is unreal. This is a dream, this is just… ugh… Like ‘happy sixteenth birth year Willow, here are some magical powers you won't understand or know how to control, oh and to top it all off you will have no one to guide you or teach you!’ Thanks destiny! Real funny…

I start drifting to sleep.

A few days pass. Mom and I walking on egg shells. She kept so much hidden from me I just need time and space from her to truly process. She understands this. But in those few days nothing has happened. No visions, no sleep walking, no voices, nothing. So, tonight, Friday night is going to be a test, if anything happens then maybe I will believe her.

I wake up the next morning, and still nothing. Maybe mom really was just playing a joke on me. I have slept like a rock each night. I walk into the kitchen while mom is making eggs, “hey mom.”

“Hey hon, how'd you sleep?” her voice sounds weird. Like distorted or far away.

“I slept great actually, I think you were wrong about this whole witch thing. I have had no witchy things happen since that night so maybe it was just a fluke.” I nervously chuckle.

Mom slams the spatula on the counter when she turns her face is a wolf snarling “There was no mistake Willow, you are a witch and we will find you.” I jolt up in my bed, getting my bearings. Oh man, it was just a dream. I let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. I look at my window, it’s still late, so I attempt to fall back asleep.

My sleep starts to drift. I feel myself being pulled back into the sleep-like state I was in before. However, this time allowing myself to fall into the sleepwalking trance and not fight it. When my feet stop moving, I don’t know how far I’ve walked. I am woken up to the edge of a weeping willow forest. How ironic, the trees I am named after is my first vision.

A voice booms from the trees causing me to jump three feet in the air. “Who goes there?”

Trembling I say, “Willow May, The daughter of Patrick, warlock.” It feels like I am on autopilot now. My lips tell me what I need to say here.

“You may enter.” The trees open to reveal a path, a mysterious path. The trees shut back the path behind me.

I start walking down the path carved out for me, I scan the area with every chirp or rustle I hear. I have to stay calm… The further and deeper I go the trees seem to be getting higher in the air casting darker shadows.. It is getting too hard to see the path ahead of me. I close my eyes and try to let my feet take me to where I need to be.

“Willow” I hear a slight whisper of my name. Eyes closed, mind open, trusting myself, I follow the voice. “Willow… Willow.”

At least four minutes pass before the voice stops.. When all is silent, I open my eyes to reveal a foggy dim lit frozen pond. I take one step on the pond, as my toes touch the ice, a light shines down with a shatter cracking the surface. A body rising, turning to face me. Their eyes pop open, “Willow, you have found the first of many witch bodies and trials. You have unleashed your ultimate power. If you choose to accept it you will be able to free all of the witches kept under frozen ponds, take down our captors, and lastly, save your father. He is alive but you need to find him. Trust your power. Trust yourself. But do not trust anyone else. Do you understand and accept your destiny?”

“Yes.” The witch messenger falls back into the frozen pond and I am blown out of the forest.

My dad’s alive. I am going to find him and that's all that matters to me now.