illions of leaves rustled in the harsh wind, each a different fall color. Crimson, gold, crisp orange.... The lighter branches closer to the top of the forest swayed gently with the way of the wind. A magnificent raven glided over the forest, through the dawn sky. Each tree of the forest looked like a separate demond of nature. A hound, a tiger, a lion, each shaking it's colossal head in disagreement to the children about to enter at their paws. There were two children; a little boy and a little girl. They were advancing slowly towards the forest. The little boy was the age of four, with short black hair and curious blue eyes reflecting the beautiful morning sky. He had a messenger bag slacked over his right shoulder. The little girl was the age of six, with long, wavy blond hair, and beautiful grey eyes. She had on a long crimson skirt and a button up white sweater. She too, like the little boy had a messanger bag slacked over her right shoulder. A large flock of tiny birds flew by the forest. The little boy's eyes lit up with excitement and he pointed towards them in complete awe.
"I see them Johnathon, do you think me blind?" The little girl chuckled. "What kind are they?" The little boy called Johnathon questioned. "Sparrow, there are fifty-three of them." The little girl answered. "How in God's name would you know such things, Elleanor?" "I counted them." The little girl called Elleanor answered. "That is the Devil's gift Elleanor, you are the Devil's child!" Johnathon shouted. "Hush Johnathon, that's not true! Don't say such cruel things!" The children entered the forest.

One

The family sat around the old wooden table. A man with a red beard tinted with grey sat tall and important at the end, his bright green eyes stared lovingly at his son. A woman, his loving spouse sat gently in her seat. Her hair braided along her back, light brown hair with flickers of gold, her eyes were blue. An old woman, the mother of the man, sat hunched over in her chair. Her long grey hair flowed over her shoulders and down over her breasts. Her eyes were light blue, her chapped lips moved noiselessly and every breath she took was sharp and harsh, as if it were her last. A little boy, short black hair and bright blue eyes sat slumped in his chair, he was very hungry, but his father had not yet said Grace. Then the girl, she sat high in her chair, important looking like her father, long golden hair, etching her ellegant siloheutte, bouncing along with the curves of her patette body. Her eyes were on her hands. Her grey eyes that were unlike anyone else's in the family. Strange.
"Father, I'm hungry, when will you say Grace?" Questioned the little boy. "Soon, Johnathon, first we must share with each other what we have done today. Johnathon, you may go first." The man said to Johnathon. "Yes, Father. Today, Elleanor and I walked to school through the woods. I found a toy boat and Elleanor said that it was not mine and that I could not keep it and it belonged to another little boy who was gone and she would give it back to him. Then in school we learned about adding numbers to each other like one plus two and two plus two. And Mrs.O' Brian said that next week she would teach us to take away numbers from each other!" Johnathon smiled and looked down at his shiney plate, then to Elleanor, still staring into her hands. "Anything to add, Johnathon?" The father said pleasently. "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm," Johnathon furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, "yes! Elleanor counted the birds!" "What do you mean she, counted the birds?" The father questioned, confused. "She counted fifty sparrows!" Johnathon exclaimed excitedly. "There were fifty-three Johnathon, and what's the big deal?" Said Elleanor quietly. "It's the Devil's gift! She counted them in one second. That's why Elleanor is so different! That's why she has grey eyes instead of blue or green, and why her hair is blond, not red or brown, or black! She's the Devil's child!" Johnathon was full of excitement, and proud that he had solved what he believed to be a problem. "Hush, Johnathon!" Elleanor hissed angrily. "Johnathon! Go to your room, there shall be no dinner for you tonight! Appologize to your sister!" The father boomed furiousley.
"Sorry" Johnathon muttered under his breath. "Say it like you mean it! Everyone should hear you!" Yelled the father. "I'm sorry, Elleanor." Johnathon sighed. He glanced at his father and turned to walk up the stairwell, his head bowed, he disappeared into the dark hallway.
Elleanor was ordered to say Grace that night, and they all had a good meal of tender steak, mashed potatoes, and carrots. The grandmother nodded her head repetively until the father told Elleanor to help her into her bed. The hallway was dim as Elleanor walked side by side with her grandmother. The old woman was hunched over as she walked, her eyelids fluttering, her right hand shaking spazmatically. Elleanor occasionally looked over to her with an eye of pity.
"You're father likes large houses. I never thought my own son would build such a maze when he told me he was building a family home I never thought it would be a castle!" The old woman chuckled to herself then looked at Elleanor, "Are you happy here Elleanor?" "Of course, Grandmother, you know I am, I love Father and Mother, and you, and Johnathon, this house is wonderful!" Elleanor lied. They entered the old woman's chamber and Elleanor lit a cande in the hall. "That's a nice light." The old woman said queerly. "Help me into bed, child." The grandmother ordered. "Yes, Grandmother." Elleanor whispered. The old woman sat upon her bed as Elleanor pulled the sheets away from her pillow. The woman lay down on her bed and Elleanor pulled the sheets up to her trembling chin. "Goodnight, Grandmother, I love you." Elleanor whispered sweetly. Her eyes kissed by the moonlight from the window. The grandmother tilted her head as Elleanor began to exit the chamber, "Child, tell me, how many sparrows were there?" "Fifty-three, Grandmother, please, I just counted them, I was not being ba-" "No! Ofc ourse you weren't child! Come close to my bedside and I will tell you," Elleanor advanced quickly to her grandmother's bedside, "I too used to count things like you, in just a split second I could count all of the flowers in a field! It's not the Devil's gift Elleanor, oh no, don't listen to your brother. He is young and silly, and hopefully someday soon he will understand. This is a gift dear Elleanor, but not the Devil's! You are special Elleanor, this is a wonderful gift! I have it, and I hoped with all my heart that one day your father would marry the woman to bare you as her child! A magical child you are Elleanor! So special, so wise. Don't take your gift for granted, Elleanor, you can succeed in many things with this, but don't take advantage of it either. Count the sparrows, Elleanor." Elleanor smiled in reply, "Yes Grandmother, I will." Elleanor leaned over the candle to blow it out, "Elleanor?" "Yes, Grandmother?" "That toy your brother found, you told him it belonged to another little boy?" Elleanor shivered, "Yes." "That boy it belonged to, he is dead, isn't he?" "Yes." "I thought so, and you speak to him don't you, Elleanor?" Elleanor shivered repetively, she paused for a long time. "It's alright Elleanor, consider your secret kept," "Yes Grandmother, he speaks to me, he scares me though." "Allright, Elleanor, I'm tired, we shall talk of this tomorrow night." "Goodnight Grandmother, I love you."
The morning was brisk and worrysome.
"There is a stange essence in the woods today children, I tell you, keep your feet on those paths, and your eyes open and aware of your surroundings. Be careful." The father said warningly as he handed his children their school bags.
"Yes, Father." Elleanor and Johnathon said in perfect unison as they walked quietly out the front door. The father watched motionless as the children walked side by side into the morning mist. He turned to his wife, "You look beautiful this morning, Vivian." The woman called Vivian smiled bashfully and walked up the staircase. The father turned back to the window to see his children just enter the forest.
"Elleanor?" "Yes, Johnathon?" "Were you talking to Grandmother last night?" "Yes, Johnathon, I was, she told me you were a very bad little boy and the Devil would spank your pasty behind if you cursed so again at the table and told such things about your own sister!" Elleanor lied badly, but Johnathon believed and said he was sorry in a pitiful voice. "It's alright Johnathon, just watch what you say about others!" The children continued to walk through the woods. Johnathon hummed to himself an old lullybuy his mother used to sing to him. They reached their school. Towering high above the trees, hunched over like a brick bull ready to bound, multiple, frosted windows as eyes, and a tin roof as it's mane, their school. "What do you suppose we will learn about today, Elleanor?" "You will probally learn math, and I'll learn history, or perhaps we will read." Johnathon grinned, "I fancy math the most, I am the best at it in our whole class!"
Elleanor's head was sideways on her desk, held in her arms, golden hair surrounding her like a sheild. In the far distance, she could hear mumbling, but she could not make out the words. It was orange, all orange, everything was orange. Then came yellow, yellow, yellow, then red, deep red, brick red, blood red, "Elleanor Cane!" The old woman towered above Elleanor, she was blurred through her eyes, dazilly Elleanor begged, "Mrs. Penoloe, please, I am tired, forgive me, I am learning quite well, I-" "Learning quite well?" The old woman hissed, "Then what is the answer to my question? Ah yes, Elleanor, you were sleeping, so you fail!" Elleanor's head buzzed, one, two, three, four, answers, answers, questions, answers! "The gallows!" Elleanor shouted without even knowing what it meant. The teacher spun around on her heels, shocked, "What did you say? The gallows?" "Yes'm." Elleanor said shyly, all the heads in the class were turned towards her. "Good then, you were listening." The old teacher slid away. Elleanor sighed with relief. Later on in the day Elleanor realized the class was about witches of Salem. She was also told to read a paragraph from a book.
"Witches are terrible, merciless monsters disguised as normal people. Witches are lazy and use sorcery to do their bidding, one may even use sorcery on you! Witches can see things before they happen, and can turn men into toads! Witches may kill us all if we don't stop them. So if anyone you know is a witch, don't leave yourself and your loved ones in danger, tell someone. The gallows is the place for them. They are all to be hanged, burned, or drowned! May God help us through these hard times!" Elleanor sighed. The words continued to repeat in her mind. "The place for them is the gallows........" "Very good Elleanor." The old teacher praised.
Elleanor was waiting for her brother at the bottom of the stairwell. He was with another little boy who was very short and had very light hair. "This is my friend, his name is Naude, he can't speak." The little boy smiled, he had perfect, white teeth. Elleanor smiled back. "Come along Johnathon, it's time to go home." "But Elleanor, Naude wants to come!" "Father won't have it Johnathon, besides, there is not enough food to go around." "He can have my portion Elleanor, he has no mother, or father, he has no one!" "Of course he does Johnathon, every boy has a mother, now say goodbye and come along, supper will be ready soon and-" "No! He has no parents! I am his friend, and he will have my dinner tonight, besides, he is not your decision anyway! Let Father decide!" Elleanor sighed and began to walk, Johnathon and Naude closely following. During the whole walk through the forest Johnathon would pick up things and tell Naude what they were. "This is a milkstone, because it's a creamy white, this is a bad apple, these er poisonous, don't eat these...." Elleanor was walking ahead for a long time, after time the voice of Johnathon faded until it was no longer present, she didn't realize until she was well in the heart of the forest that Johnathon and Naude were no longer with her. Elleanor spinned around, heart racing, sweat over her brow, looking frantically in every direction. She called, "Johnathon?" Elleanor panted as she ran back the way she came, stumbling every which way, "Johnathon!" Elleanor tripped and groaned, "Naude?" Elleanor closed her eyes, where could they be? Elleanor sighed. Suddenly, a low, shrill voice, "Hello, Elleanor, have you found my boat?"

He was standing over her, he was thin, muscular, boyish. Elleanor rubbed her eyes, he stared down at her, "Can't find your brother, Elleanor?" Elleanor shivered as he placed his left hand on her face, she drew back. "I can help you find him, Elleanor," "No! I don't need your help, leave me alone, I'll give you your boat, just leave me alone!" The boy shrugged his shoulders, and backed away, "Elleanor, I will help you, I want to help you, I won't harm you, I promise." "Really, you can help me find him?" "Yes, Elleanor, this way." Elleanor and the boy walked side by side. The boy was about the age of elleven, his blue eyes stared straight ahead into the woods, he was pale, white as a ghost. Elleanor was cold. They walked in complete silence. Elleanor just went wherever he went. Soon they came to a gently running stream. "Here, Elleanor, you will find your brother, he will arrive here soon." The boy began to fade into the woods, behind him Elleanor yelled, "Thank you!" and he was gone. Elleanor sat down on a dry old log and waited for her brother's arrival. Finally, he and Naude appeared from the brush ahead. Elleanor sighed in relief. "We thought we had lost you!" Johnathon yelled in a shakey voice, his face was red, he had been crying, as Naude was doing then. Naude sobbed spazmatically behind Johnathon as they began walking home. They were all silent. Finally, they came to the opening in the forest. It was warm, bright, cheery. Elleanor smiled when she saw smoke billowing a warm welcome from the chimney of the house. "Will you tell on us, Elleanor?" Johnathon questioned timidly. Elleanor did not answer.
"Good evening children!" The mother greeted cheerfully. "Good evening Mother." Elleanor smiled as she walked up the stairwell. "Mother, this is Naude, he doesn't speak, may he please stay for dinner, he can have my share?" The mother smiled, "I shall make extra food for our guest. Naude beamed gratefully. Elleanor was in her grandmother's chamber. "Hello Grandmother." "Hello, Elleanor, you talked to that ghost again, didn't you?" Elleanor stared at her feet, "Yes, yes I did speak to him, he helped me find Johnathon." The grandmother smiled weakly. "That ghost boy, he thinks you something nice, he likes you." Elleanor shivered. "He is a ghost Grandmother! How dare you, I hate to speak to you with dares, but oh! You frighten me so!" Elleanor swept her forehead. "Would you like me to tell you a story of mine, Elleanor?" Elleanor smiled bashfully, she loved stories, especially her wise old grandmother's. "Alright then. I was only a few years older than you now, many years ago, I had my own little group of friends, like every little girl, lets see, there was Mary, Hannah, Catrina, Timothy, and Joshua. Good friends we were, and good times we had then. One day, in mid-fall time, all of us went for a walk in the woods, we were searching for gold! You see, the week previous, there was a rumor of an old man that buried his gold beneath an old oak tree! We were young, and looking for adventure, so we went out, searching. We split into groups, I believe Hannah and Catrina were together, Timothy and Joshua, and, Mary and I! We all set out into different parts of the forest, left, right, ah. Mary and I had a good start, because of my gift, like you Elleanor, I could see a big, thick old oak tree, tangled and wise, and I could imagine the shimmering gold beneath it! So I lead Mary to the direction. We had been walking about twenty minutes or so when we heard a terrible scream! We rushed to the screams, it was Timothy, standing over Joshua, Joshua had been stabbed with a knife! Mary and I began to scream and cry, and Timothy fainted, he never woke up. So, we never did know who murdered Joshua, and he never told me, neither did Timothy. You see, Elleanor, because I had the gift, I could speak with Timothy and Joshua. But never would they tell me."
"Is that the story Grandmother?" "Yes, Elleanor. I am tired, let me rest." "But Grandmother, dinner?" "Not tonight, Elleanor, I am too tired, too weak to chew my food!" Elleanor kissed her grandmother and left the chamber.
"Pass the sweet potatoes please!" Johnathon yelled cheerfully. Naude had his plate filled just a few moments previous, however now, it was quite clean! "I found Naude at school today, he was all by himself on the playground, writing! So I said, 'Hey boy, why are you all alone?' and he wrote in his paper, I can't speak, my name is Naude, (NOD) what's your's? And I introduced myself, and we became friends! He has not got a mother or a father, he's all alone! And he never gets fed this well, he didn't even have a lunch today, so I gave him half of my sandwitch!" "That was very generous of you, Johnathon" Commended the mother, beaming proudly, the father nodded his head in approval at the end of the table. "Where does Naude stay?" The mother questioned, curiosity twinkling in her eyes. "He has to stay in one of the teachers' houses, he hasn't got a home, tonight none of the teachers offered, so he's going to build a fort out in the woods!" Johnathon grinned, but Naude looked depressed with this. "No, I won't have it, Naude can stay here tonight!" Said the father, insistant. The mother smiled lovingly at her husband. Johnathon looked at Naude, smiling.
"What did you do today, Elleanor?" Asked the father. "We learned about murdering witches in school." "When witches are killed, it is not to be cosidered murder, just like when Farmer Todd kills his cows, it is not murder, it is slotter, for food, for the well being of men. Just like killing witches, they are monsters, not humans, and monsters are not murdered." The father frowned. "May I please be excused?" Elleanor asked quietly. "Are you retiring for the night?" "Yes, but I wish to say goodnight to Grandmother first." "Yes, allright then."
The room was pitch black until Elleanor entered, firmly grasping a lit candle. The glow lightly lit the small room. "Grandmother?" Elleanor whispered, there was a short rustling of sheets, then silence, "Grandmother?" Elleanor repeated, this time in a sharp hiss. "Yes, yes child, what is it?" "Am I a witch, Grandmother?" There was a long silence, "Come here, Elleanor, Elleanor advanced to the bed and sat, placing the candle on the bedside cabinet. "You, Elleanor, dear, are not what other, uneducated people portray as a witch, you are a good girl! They think witches are wicked people, that cast evil spells on others, lazy monsters that use sorcery to do their own bidding. But you, you Elleanor, and real witches are not at all like that. We all have gifts, you can speak to the no longer living, you can count things in a split second, you get all these gifts from me, they have been passed on to you through the generations. And as you grow older, you will realize that you can go even farther with these gifts, you can cast spells, good spells. However, never use these gifts against others, even if they deserve it, unless you are ready for that to come back three-fold to you! Ahhhh, Elleanor, you have much to learn, but don't be worried, you are so lucky that you have this special gift. Now, I am tired, fetch me some water, then let me rest." Elleanor came back into the room with a small glass of water and handed it to her grandmother. "Thank you dear, oh! And one more thing, that deceased boy you speak with, his name is Joshua, the boy I told you about, Timothy is a grown ghost now, he is with me here, but Joshua, oh, that poor boy, he never grew up, and do you know why Elleanor? Because he had no one to love and no one to love him back, but Timothy, Timothy I loved, and he loved me, and as I grew older, as did he, and we grew old together, life and death, side by side......" The old woman fell fast asleep. Elleanor, frightened, ran out of the room.
When Elleanor awoke she found Naude and Johnathon standing akwardly by her bedside. "What is it?" She said dazily. "Come quick! Grandmother won't awaken for her breakfast!" Johnathon said alarmed. Elleanor rubbed her eyes and quickly jumped off of her comfortable bed, still half asleep she slipped on a sweater and ran down the hallway after Johnathon. They entered the grandmother's chamber. Elleanor walked slowly toward the bed, and pulled the covers from her grandmother's stiff, cold corpse. "Grandmother?" Elleanor began to shake the woman, but drew back in ultimate horror, she found her grandmother stiff and cold. "oh-oh,oh,oh...." Elleanor began to shake spazmatically. "She, she, she is dead!" Elleanor cried, she fell to the floor weeping. Johnathon began to cry also, Naude stood there, terrified.
"We appologize Naude, for having to leave you, and you may come home from school next week with Johnathon if you'd like...." The mother appologized as best she could to the little boy standing two and a half feet below her with crying blue eyes and quivering lips. She smiled weakly and told Johnathon to walk him to the schoolhouse through the woods. The family was dressed in black to mourn for the old woman. The father stood tall, but was no longer the proud gentleman he was two nights before, the mother stood, her ellegance and beauty ripped away by tears and sorrow, then Elleanor, dull, fearfull, sickly. She had become thin through the last few days, refusing to eat her meals, no color in her cheeks. "Elleanor, when you spoke to your grandmother the night before she died, what was the topic of your conversation?" Questioned the father, a puzzled look on his face. "We discussed witches, that's all, and.......and why they should be slottered." Elleanor replied dully! The father left the room. "Elleanor, I know that you were very close with your Grandmother, but she was old, she lived a wonderful life, and now it is time for you to say goodbye." The mother smiled gently. Elleanor glanced back, then looked down at her shoes. Thoughts were running through her head, love, grow, living, dead, together, loving, Timothy and Grandmother .......... Elleanor quickly snapped back into reality with a knock on the door.
When Johnathon returned, he was crying. "What is it Johnathon?" The mother questioned,alarmed. Johnathon spoke loudly, "Naude spoke! Naude spoke! Naude spoke! When I left him at the school house he yelled after me, "I'm sorry for your grandmother Johny!" And then he was gone!" Johnathon wiped the tears from his face, he can speak Mother! He can speak!" The mother finally realized the tears were of joy and was relieved at once.

It was Elleanor's thirteenth birthday. She rushed down the stairwell in full excitement. The door creaked open and she ran out across the field into the woods, "Father, Father, come in the house, it's time for breakfast!" She yelled eagerly. "Coming dear!" The father yelled in instant reply. Elleanor beamed. When she entered the house she was supprised to see Johnathon and her mother awaiting her arrival, a present in each of their arms. Elleanor shreiked in excitement. "May I open them?" Elleanor asked, excited. "Wait until your father gets back" the mother replied plainly. Johnathon smiled at Elleanor, she returned the grin. Just then the father walked in the door, "Hello," he said cheerfully, "cut down some lumber to make a fire for tonight, warm this place up a tad." Elleanor smiled, "Thank you, Father."
So far, Elleanor had opened two presents, a new dress from her mother (her first store-bought piece of clothing) and a big, leather covered diary with a forest green-ink fountain pen from her father. Johnathon's present was next, it was poorly wrapped in old writing paper and it was quite small. Elleanor exchanged cheerful smiles with Johnathon as she opened her gift, it was a wooden sparrow, it was obviousley carved by Johnathon. Elleanor gasped at the details, "Johnathon, did you carve this?" Johnathon grinned bashfully, "Yes, I did, remember all those years ago when you counted those sparrows and I called it the Devil's gift? Well I was wrong Elleanor, I love you!" Elleanor hugged Johnathon and held him tight. "Just a moment!" Johnathon yelled excitedly, Elleanor let go of him, "There is another thing!" Johnathon grinned mischouvously and ran up the stairwell and down the hall. Elleanor sat in complete silence while her parents exchanged worried glances. Johnathon hurried down the stairs holding something covered in a big brown cloth, it looked heavy and it was taller and wider than Johnathon himself. He placed the object on the floor and swiftly pulled the sheet off of it, "Ta da!" He yelled in utter excitement. The mother shreiked in disgust, the father stood largely. It was a colossal brass cage, and perching on a branch in the middle was a beautiful black raven. Elleanor smiled. "What is that?" The mother shreiked. "It's a raven Mother, her name is to be decided by Elleanor." Johnathon looked over to his sister. "Really?!" Elleanor questioned in amazement. Johnathon replied with a nod. "No, no, no! I won't let that, that, thing, that Devil stay in this house!" The mother yelled. "But Mother, the raven is dum, she can not call, she was a baby when I found her out in the woods, and she has never called! I've trained her to go on hands until this very day Mother! You can't make me leave her out there to die!" Johnathon defended Elleanor's birthday present with every good, sensable word on his tongue. "Alright." Said the father and mother in union. Elleanor and Johnathon smiled, "I shall name her, Elvira!" Elleanor said enthusiasticly. Johnathon kindly assisted Elleanor in carrying the cage up to her chamber. It was the best birthday Elleanor had ever known.
School had been wonderful that day; Elleanor got chosen to research paradise for her "Different Worlds" school project. She was walking home with Johnathon shortly behind her, a tall, hansom blonde boy by his side, Naude. Johnathon and Naude talked cheerfully and Elleanor looked about the forest with amazed eyes. It was spring, and every flower was in full bloom, every color was green.
"I hope you don't mind Johnathon, I think I shall wander off into the forest for a while, tell Mother and Father please, I'll only be gone shortly." Elleanor smiled to her brother. He responded with a delightful smile, "Ofcourse, Elleanor." He and Naude disappeard through the trees as Elleanor took a left, into the heart of the forest. "Hello, Elleanor, you look so different." It was Joshua. "Joshua?" Elleanor questioned, stunned. She looked up at the most hansom young man she had ever seen, tall, cunning, strong, his eyes smiled kindly. "Yes." "How did you grow up? You should still be a child!" Elleanor was amazed. "Not when I have someone to grow for, who maybe I can grow with." Elleanor was puzzled. "Me?" Joshua paused, "Yes, you Elleanor, I have admired you since the day you were born, watched you from the tree occasionally, do not be afraid Elleanor, because I love you." Elleanor was stunned, a ghost that loves a real, live girl.... "I must go home." Joshua bowed his head. "I am sorry that your grandmother has died, but now she and Timothy can be together, but I, I am still alone, truly alone." Elleanor pitied him, but she appologized just as he faded into the trees.
That night in bed, Elleanor pondered of the things that had occured that day, Joshaua had proposed that he loved her. He was so hansom! But how could she love a ghost? How could Grandmother? It must have have been true love, but this was different, Grandmother had known Timothy before he had died, Joshua was different, he was from another time! Ellleanor was so confused. Her head ached, so Elleanor gently blew out her candle.
It was cold. Elleanor did not feel alone, "Johnathon?" No answer. "Who's there?" "It's me, Elleanor, Joshua, don't be frightened, I just want to talk to you...." Elleanor took a deep breath, "Yes? What is it, Joshua?" "I'm so sorry if I've scared you, it's just....you are different from all the other living, like your grandmother, you are beautiful, smart, wealthy, any boy would love to have you, but you are the only one I can have, but I love you, even if there were a thousand girls beautiful! Suitors to me, a ghost boy...." Joshua sighed. Elleanor could feel his presence, he was close, she was cold. "Why are you so cold?" "That's just the way you are once you die." "What is death like?" There was a long silence, "It's like being asleep for a long time, it's not bad or good, it's just nothing, blank, everything is nothing. That is until there is a witch, someone who brings light and living into the world of the dead. That is the only way the dead can see, is when a witch is there. The dead can not see others, people not witches, they can not even see others dead. You, Elleanor, shined the most beautiful light." Elleanor smiled faintly in the darkness, and thought. "What of when a witch dies?" "She can see everything, and live on in death." "And if the living and the dead share a love?" "Just like any other love to be shared, but the living will be the guide for the dead, for he can not see any obsticles....." Elleanor sighed, "But you grew older n death, that I don't understand...." "I told you, I grew only because you were growing and there was potential for me in you, so I began to grow older in death, however, this is my last chance, and if you don't befriend me before your eighteenth birthday, I will be this age forever." Elleanor let out a long sigh, "This is just too hard for me to believe, I'm sorry, but Joshua, I can't understand...." "I know, Elleanor, perhaps your grandmother and Timothy were just meant to b! e,! but I see so much of your grandmother in you, and so much of Timothy, my brother is in me, so perhaps there is some chance...." "I don't know, Joshua, I just don't know. Now, let me rest, I am tired, goodnight Joshua." There was silence, a warm silence.

"Elleanor?" Yelled the boy. "Yes, Naude?" "Johnathon told me to ask you, who is Joshua?" Naude giggled. Elleanor groaned angrily, imbarrised. She fled down the stairs to meet Naude, a hansom fourteen year old boy. "Where is that stupid Johnathon?!" Elleanor shreiked. Naude simply pointed his finger to his left, the old grandfather clock. Elleanor marched to it and yanked Johnathon up by his shirt collar. "You have no buisness with my boyfriend! Do you hear me Johnathon William Cane?! None!" Elleanor was annoyed. Johnathon began to chuckle and he and Naude dashed down to the basement.
"Pass the ham, please." Johnathon asked politely. Without thinking, the father passed the platter of ham. "Thank you." "So, Elleanor, I've heard something about a boy, Joshua, I think is his name.....?" The father questioned, nosily. Elleanor dropped her fork and paused for a moment. "Yes, Joshua, he is a boy in school, he just moved here from Salem, Oregon-" Elleanor was quickly interrupted, "And what if he found out you were a witch?!" Johnathon exclaimed playfully, making Naude spill his milk and chuckle loudly. "Johnathon, Naude, go to your room! There is no reason to treat Elleanor that way!" The mother insisted angrily. The father continued, "This boy, is he wealthy?" "Yes Father, I suppose Joshua is quite wealthy." Elleanor replied dully, playing with her food. "Are you two dating, Elleanor?" The father questioned, curiousity in every flicker of his bright green eyes. "Yes." Elleanor answered plainly. "Has he asked your hand in marraige?" The mother questioned. "No, not yet, but I believe soon he will, we love eachother, Father." Elleanor replied, a little excited. "And I am sure, Elleanor, that your answer will be yes?" The father questioned, "Because, you realize, that when I am no longer employed, this family will require a wealthy young man to keep us living well." "Yes, I know what you and Mother desire, Father, but what if I don't wish to marry him, maybe I-" "You will marry the boy if he asks you! This family needs the money!" The father interupted angrily. A single tear trickled down Elleanor's cheek and rested on her bottom lip. The tear was warm and salty. "May I please be excused?" Elleanor questioned as she wiped her face. "Yes." The mother replied with a warm smile. "No! Not until I see that you understand that we need this boy!" The father boomed. Elleanor nodded her head submissivly, "Yes, Father."
Elleanor concentrated hard on the fountain pen upon her desk. She was extremely bored, science class was not her favorite. The pen began to wiggle slightly as she concentrated, she glared at it and it rolled towards her. She picked it up and placed it back on the top of her desk. A boy tapped her gently on her back. She turned around and smiled. "Hello, Joshua." Elleanor giggled quietly. "Hey Elleanor, want to have dinner tonight, out in town?" The chesnut-haired, brown-eyed boy of sixteen questioned hopefully. Elleanor's face lit up, she had never eaten dinner out in town before, "Yes! I'd love to!" The boy called Joshua grinned. "I'll walk with you home through the forest tonight, and you can rid yourself of your books, then, if you'd like, we could ride my father's two finest horses!" Joshua was planning a very romantic evening for this beautiful girl. Elleanor, excited, pushed her long, wavy blond hair behind her ears. "Yes, I'd love to do that."
Elleanor and Joshua walked through the forest side by side, his right arm around her, he carried both of their bookpacks in his left hand. Johnathon and Naude were making jokes quietly behind them, occasionally there were bursts of laughter. Elleanor could not help but smile the whole way, until suddenly, in the heart of the forest, she felt unusually cold. "Hello again, Elleanor. Who's this?" It was Joshua. "You feel cold, Elleanor." Said Joshua, Elleanor remained silent. "Funny, isn't it? You are dating another boy called Joshua.....He is planning to ask you tonight, to marry him........Will you say yes? Have you forgotten about me?" Elleanor shook her head, "No." She had replied to both Joshuas' questions, "I'm fine." "Well, Elleanor, my love, whatever makes you happy, wealth I suppose, I don't have that, horses, a breath, a heartbeat, I don't have those either. Have a good time Elleanor. Goodnight." And Joshua was gone. Elleanor sighed. "Good, you're warming up." Joshua said with a smile. Elleanor forced a smile back.
The brisk wind whistled through Elleanor's ears, she was flying. A magnificent horse carried her alongside Joshua. She smiled and patted the beautiful white horse on it's velvet-like neck. Joshua looked so hansom against the setting sun on his jet black horse, his wavy black hair moving with the way of the wind. Elleanor admired his beauty. Was he too good for her? Too wealthy? Too hansom? Too intellegant? Too kind? Elleanor took a deep breath and her horse came to a lovely trot. Joshua looked back at her and he too came to a trot. He smiled gracefully at her, admiring her beautiful figure. He must have her tonight, have her beautiful smile, her ellegance, her, Elleanor, Elleanor Cane, Elleanor, Elleanor Fisher. His wonderful, beautiful, obeying wife that would make every man in the world jealos.
"This is it." Joshua said happily. " 'The Blue Moon'" Joshua announced the title of the resturaunt as he dismounted his horse. He then walked over to Elleanor and lifted her off her horse. Elleanor smiled as Joshua tied the horses to a nearby post. He held her hand as they walked into the resturaunt. They seated themselves and Joshua ordered the finest meals for he and his to-be property. When the dinner was finished, Joshua smiled to Elleanor. "You may go mount Dancer if you would like." Joshua said to Elleanor, reffering to the white horse. Shortly after he walked out and quickly mounted his black horse, and off the couple went, into the night. Elleanor was much colder than before. "Are you happy, child?" Elleanor heard a familiar voice whisper. It was Elleanor's grandmother. Elleanor felt herself saying yes, but deep inside of her lively heart she could not help but say no. "I can hear you, Elleanor, you see child, the dead can distinguish truth from lies, and I heard your heart pumping out 'no', don't lie to your own grandmother! I loved you once and I love you again, don't deny me the truth! Oh! How you have grown. Goodnight, dear Elleanor." Elleanor shivered.
"Your home is small!" Joshua laughed. "You should like to live with me." Joshua boasted. Elleanor smiled weakly. "How will you take two horses home with you?" Elleanor questioned. "I wasn't planning to, you see, I spoke with my father, and he has many horses. You will probally have better use for old Dancer than my father, or I." Joshua smiled. "Oh, Joshua, I couldn't!" Elleanor argued. "Then what if we both owned her? Together, as one?" Elleanor was puzzled for a moment. "Elleanor Cane, will you marry me?" A million untaimed thoughts rushed through Elleanor's mind.....Was Joshua too good for her? What if his family did not approve of her? What would Grandmother say? Would I be happy? Would Joshua be happy with me? What if I did somehthing wrong? Joshua, the other Joshua, the deceased Joshua, which did she love more? Which loved her more? Which would me more true to her? What would Father have to say if I said no? Elleanor sighed, "I, I, I can't, I! 'm! sorry, Joshua, I can't marry you tonight, I can't marry you tomorrow, or the day after, I, I....." I love someone else. I love a dead boy.... "I need to, get to know you better, I, I, I need more time, I'm sorry, I-" "It's alright! I understand, but soon, however long you need, a month, a year...." Joshua smiled weakly. "All that matters now is that, I love you, Elleanor, I need you to grow old with......." Elleanor tuned out, he needed her, to grow old with, but dead Joshua, needed her to grow....to live, to be free..... "So you see, Elleanor, take your time, and we will go out again." Joshua smiled at her and gave her a wink. Elleanor returned the smile. "Goodnight." She said as Joshua went around back to put Dancer in Elleanor's father's stable.
It had been a year and a half since Joshua had first proposed to Elleanor. Tonight was his night again, both he and she were seventeen, almost eighteen, and he would propose for the last time. But Elleanor was not yet ready. She had heard rumors that Joshua had not been a virgin as he had told her, but had given it to a girl called Joan, then, Joshua had slept with two other girls. Elleanor did not know what to believe, but her thoughts were leaning towards the rumor. "Shall I walk you home tonight, Elleanor?" Joshua grinned. "Well, I don't really think so, but I can meet you after six if you'd like?" Elleanor needed time to think. "Alright." Joshua said, slightly dissatisfied, "Then it's a date." He walked away proudly to one of his friends. Elleanor sighed and turned away. It was time to go fetch Johnathon, time t start home.
The woods were beautiful that day, falling lovely onto the ground. "Hello, Elleanor." Said Joshua in a pensive voice. "Joshua, I didn't say yes, and I don't plan to, I've heard rumors and-" "They are true, Elleanor, Joshua lied to you. But he plans to propose yet again to you tonight. He wants you for his property and he will not cease until he gets you." Elleanor began to weep and fell onto the dirt. Joshua kneeled beside her. "He loves you, Elleanor." "But I don't love him! I love, I, I love you!" Elleanor was so supprised with herself that she turned absolutely pale and couldn't catch her breath. "As do I love you, sweet Elleanor." Joshua bent down to Elleanor and touched her hand, but it did not feel cold, it felt like something nice, something lovely, his hand on hers was the most wonderful feeling, it was true love. The color returned to her face giving her a soft, beautiful glow. They stared into each others' eyes and found a heaven within them, and they kissed, a certain life was given to Joshua as they kissed and he felt alive, and Elleanor felt so relaxed.
"What will I say to Joshua though? My father, he, he won't approve of me saying no, he-" "Forget your father for now, Elleanor, and think of yourself, you don't love Joshua, you love me, and I love you back, I need you, you need love, and we find that in each other." Joshua brought light into Elleanor's eyes, she understood. "Yes." She said. "Yes, I will say no, and I will forget my father, just for one night." Joshua smiled and they walked hand in hand to Elleanor's house.
"I will have the girl, Ramone, I will have Elleanor Cane as my wife, make me more hansom than any man tonight Ramone! I will have her!" Joshua ordered his hairdresser called Ramone to dress his hair something beautiful. "And my suit! Oh, Ramone, my suit must be the best in the world, fit for a king!" Ramone nodded his head, "Yes sir." That night Joshua rode to Elleanor's house at twenty minutes before seven on his black horse, Midnight. He looked very hansom that night, more hansom than Elleanor had ever seen him before. He came to the door with a most hansom knock and to answer was Elleanor's father. "Hello, Joshua." He said cheerfully with a strict smile. "Do come in, my wife has prepared us a fine meal." Joshua smiled and stepped in. "I admire your house." He lied. "Ah, yes, built it myself the year Elleanor was born. We needed a nice family home. Speaking of that girl, she should be down any moment, do have a seat, Joshua." Joshua sat himself down at the father's regular seat, but the father didn't utter a word, he dare not speak that way to such a wealthy young man. "I appologize in advance, my wife is very slow tonight, don't know just what's wrong with that woman, claims she has a headache, but women are made to serve us men! Am I right?" "Of course sir, of course you are right." Joshua agreed. "Well, I spect' you'll treat our Elleanor just right, like a man should treat his wife, she'll serve you well I suppose, good cook she is, and I spect' she'll bare children as well as her mother!" "Yes sir!" Joshua laughed in agreement. Elleanor had been listening at the top of the stairs and disliked every word. "How dare he say such things, Elleanor, I would never treat you like that." Joshua spoke to her, his hand holding her's. Elleanor nodded. "We should leave this place, you know that Joshua won't give up until he has you, and your father won't die a wealthy man, so have your family see." Elleanor nodded in agreement. She walked up to Johnathon's chamber, he slept in his bed like a little angel. "Goodnight Johnathon, I will miss you, take good care of my raven, and be a good brother to Naude." Elleanor whispered in his ear. She then stepped over to Naude, "Goodbye Naude, I love you like my true brother." And she was away, out through the cellar door with Joshua, escaped with one another.

Millions of leaves rustled in the cool breeze, each a different fall color. Crimson, gold, crisp orange.... The lighter branches closer to the top of the forest swayed gently with the way of the wind. A magnificent raven glided over the forest, through the dawn-sky. Two children were advancing slowly towards the forest, a boy and a girl, holding hands and smiling for all eternity. All eternity, together.

And so, the story was told, of the witch and the ghost. A girl and a boy meant to be in the eyes of love. A story unlike any story ever told, unique, but with beautiful truth and meaning. A beautiful girl to bring both light and life into the eyes of the admiring boy who in return gives her love like no other boy ever could. Together they were fofilled and only to be with each other for all time.

The End

Story by: Kelly, age 14, USA

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