The Silver Feather : Chapter 2 The Saving Light

    My heart was pumping blood heavily, I could feel my chest moving as my heart pumped faster and faster. My palms were sweaty and shivering. I could see Scarlette and Alice were shivering too. I held them in my arms, it made me feel safer but it didn't help lower my anxiety. Terrified I was, but even more terrified for Sarlette and Alice's safety.

    The sound of the horses were getting closer and closer. Until it stopped. The witches were infront of the cottage. I heard the front door was knocked down with a thud. Then I heard the stomps of boots hitting the wooden floor. The sounds of those footsteps were underneath the room.

   "Niall, what ever happens. Take care of Scarlette and Alice! Don't let them be in harms way" said George on the other side of the door.

    "Ofcourse!" I answered firmly but without confidence.

    I heard George locked the door from outside and pushed the key under the door. I stood and took the key, pushing it in my left pocket. Then I went back to the corner where Scarlette and Alice were. On the floor we sat shivering in fear, my imagination was running wild, dark thoughts came to my mind. I imagined the brutal things the witches could do. I have heard many tales about witches and some stories from the country folks about the harm witches had done to their late relatives, all cruel and brutal. Suddenly, something catched my eyes. Under mum's bed something was reflecting light.

    I was curious what was shiny enough to reflect so little light from under the bed. I heard footsteps comming up the stairs. My curiosity grew. I just have to know what was under mum's bed. I stood up and ran to mum's bed. I squatted and reached my arm under the bed. I felt a cold metal. Without warning, I heard George shouted, defending himself. I grabbed the metal and went back to Scarlette and Alice. The witches were here. 

    Out of fear, Alice started to cry, Scarlette tried her best to calm Alice down but she too was dripping tears from her eyes. A few seconds later  it was silent besides the cries of Alice I heard nothing. Not even George. What happened to him? I thought the worst, and when things couldn't get any worst, it did. The door to mum's room thud. The witches were trying to come in. I held the metal cylinder in my hand, holding it in a defense position. Behind me Scarlette and Alice cried while holding each other. I had to keep them safe. If the witches came close I would hit them with this metal thing I was holding.

    The door was hit again, another thud was made. Soon after a few more blows the door took, it slammed down to the floor. There they were, three witches, two with a horrifying look while one, in the middle, her face was beautiful. Her eyes were grey, lips red as blood and hair was long and pure black. But as her eyes met mine, I felt a cold shiver up my spine, her eyes were full of evil.  

    "Hmmm... What a handsome young boy you are. It's a I shame I have to rip out your bones out for the ritual." said the witch with a slight chill in her words.

    Sweat ran down my face, I was breathing so heavily and my heart was pumping fiercely in my chest. The witch then gave a signal to the two other horrible looking witches to attack me. They came closer and closer. I held the metal cylinder in my hand tightly. Without, the two witches sprinted at me. But I was faster, I hit one witch on the head and knocked her down. The other tried to grab my head, I ducked and with all my force I stabbed the witch in the chest. Blood squirted out her chest and on to me, I pulled the metal out after the witch dropped to the floor. I was surprised to know that the metal I held had a sharp edge at the end just like a blade. The witch I hit on the head was trying to get up after a hard blow on the head I gave her. Panicking, I stabbed her in the back before she could get up on her two legs. Blood spattered out and the witch dropped dead. I was disgusted seeing that much blood and the smell of the blood reeked. I was sick to the tummy and almost vomited.

    Scarlette and Alice were still behind me shivering in shock to what they had saw. The one witch stood there at the door with her face astonishment but it soon changed. She gave a wicked smile. I held the metal in my hand as tight as I could. Unexpectedly, the head of the metal started to give out light. It shined silver light, brighter and brighter it became. It was so bright I had to cover my eyes with one arm while holding it with the other. Through the vivid light I saw the witch backing away and finally set off. I heard the horse set off and sooner the sound of the horse galloping came to an end as it ran further away. The light of the metal became dimmer and dimmer and finally it went out. What ever that light was, it saved my life.

    I threw the metal onto the floor and approached Scarlette and Alice quickly and hugged them. Tears ran down my eyes as they both held me tight, they too cried along with me. Although I couldn't tell whether it was tears of relief or tears of fear. After a few seconds, I asked whether Scarlette and Alice were alright, they both nodded silently. Then I remembered George. I straight away stood up and ran to the entrance of the room. There he was lying on the floor of the hall way unconscious. Again tears filled my eyes and a stream of tears ran down my face dripping off.

    "George! George! Wake up! Wake up George! Wake up..." I cried holding him in my arms. 

    He didn't looked hurt, but yet he didn't look well. Apart from four scratches on his left arm that drew blood, nothing else of his body was injured. I laid my hand over his chest, his heart was still beating so that meant he was still alive, but for how long?