I am the first one to start running toward the edge of the forest. Vincent's loud steps are the next closest ones as we enter the forest. I turn around looking for Jade and Sabrina but I don't see them.

“Where did they go?” I whisper.

Vincent's dark eyebrows fury together, he's as confused as I am. “I..don't know.”

The screams get louder they send small hairs to raise on my neck. “Come on.”

I walk ahead but he grabs me. “Are you sure? Maybe-”

I cut him off. “Maybe what? We should call someone, they won't get here in time and you know it. So let's go.”

I hear him sigh but he follows me anyway. The forest is thick and dark, the slight chill in the air makes puffs of smoke surround my face. I cast a simple lighting smell not trusting my fire element. Snapping my fingers a small light eliminates from my hand.

“I thought you couldn't use your element.” He whispers it close to my ear.

I shoo him away and contradict his little comment. “I can't, it's a simple light spell genius.” I can practically feel him roll his eyes at me.

“Didn't you notice something?”

“What?” I practically yell at him.

“The screaming stopped Lana.”

We both look at each, neither one of us wanting to say what we are thinking. Not believing my morbid mind I run forward, trying to reach, somewhere. I stop in front of a giant oak tree, no one in sight.

“Where did they go? Do you really think something happened to-” I stop because I feel rain splashing me in the face. Great, all we need now is rain. Wiping my face I look down at my hand and I see red. Another drop lands on my cheek and I while at it finding more red.

“What's wrong? Lana….is that….blood.”

I look at him my face matching his, one of horror. I back away from the tree and dare myself to look up. Forcing my hand with the magic flashlight I point it up.

“Oh my god, no. No. Penny!” She's hanging from the tree, the symbols are painted on her like the rest.

Vincent grabs me covering me from the sight of her. “Don't look Lana.”

“BOO!” I jump and scream at the sound of the other girls laughing. “You should've seen your face Lana!”

“Don't be mad!” If they only knew.

“Sorry, we were just having a little fun with you!” They laugh and laugh and never looked up.

“Shut up! You stupid idiots!” Their laughing stops, they all stare at me as if I cursed Hecate. “Penny.” I whisper. “Penny is-”

“Is that blood Lana. What the hell?”

Jade screams. That's when I know. Sabrina screams next. Then Clara. They finally see her.

“No!” Sabrina screams. “We were just supposed to scare you.”

“Let's go. We need to call the police.” Vincent pulls me with him, back to the clearing. “Now! Your stupid game is over and now you've gotten a friend kill!” They flinch at his words. They even look at me with tears in their eyes and they cry softly together. As if I could ever talk to them again.

I follow Vincent his arm is wrapped around my shoulder holding me to his side. I try and close my eyes but I all see is her. I mean who could do something like that to her. To those people.

The clearing finally comes into view, Vincent takes me to where we sat and takes his phone out to call nine one one. He briefly gives them a statement and then hangs up. Then he's on the phone again, it's most likely Savanna. When he finishes he sits down next to me.

“Everyone is on their way, police should be here and Savanna is contacting your mom.” I shake my head indicating that I understood him. “I'm sorry about Penny.”

“We weren't close.” I mutter.

“Still, you grew up with them didn't you. I mean you went to school together, your mom's knew each other. Weren't you guys close.”

“Nope.”

“Ever.”

“No. They didn't like me very much.”

“Why not?” He seemed somewhat angry.

“It doesn't matter Vincent.” I look at him. “And what's with the twenty questions. You think I had something to do with her dying.”

He definitely looks angry now. “No Lana okay. I just wanted to say sorry for a friend, who just got murdered back there. It just surprised me.”

“What?” I ask.

“Why they don't like you? Why they did what they did tonight? Trying to scare you, really, are they like two or something.”

I shrug my shoulders. “They did it before.”

“Seriously. How?” He didn't want no for an answer.

I sigh. “It was a sleepover, they invited me for the first time and I was so freaking excited. I was twelve at the time. They thought it would be funny to scare me, like tonight. They said to get ice cream down in the freezer in the basement. They had ready set up the video to play a horror movie in the background. They locked me in there, screaming and crying, wanting to get out. Penny's mom found me huddled in a corner, I was so scared I almost ripped her face off.” I laugh, wiping the stupid tears. “It was a long time ago and I've long since forgave them, so.”

“I can't believe they would do something like that to you. They are our circle, their the ones we're supposed to be bonded to. Supposed to trust.” He's getting angry I can tell.

I grab his fist, spreading his fingers and interlocking them with mine. “It's fine, I don't really care anymore but this, tonight is a hard lesson for them. Penny did some awful things but she doesn't deserve to die for it. I would never wish that upon anyone.”

Flashing lights come from the path we take back home. Police and our parents enter the clearing. The girls run to their moms and Savanna and my mom find Vincent and I. Tugging my hand from his, I stand hugging my mom.

“I'm so sorry about tonight honey. I can't believe this has happened. Everything will be okay.” She repeats those words over and over as I breath in her familiar scent. “I'm so glad you're safe baby.”

I pull away from her seeing Savanna. “What happened?”

“We came here for a bonfire and I guess the his had other plans. Penny and Clara went off to use the bathroom and the rest of us stayed behind. We heard screaming and me and Vincent ran into the woods.”

“Sabrina and Jade weren't behind us either, they had left, I guess that was their plan to scare Lana. We stopped at a oak tree when Lana.”

“That's when I felt the rain, at first I thought it was and I….I found the blood. She was...mom….she was...hanging…” My mother grabs me, holding me to her.

“She was tied to the tree like the others on the news.” Vincent finishes for me.

“You didn't sense anything through the circle bond.”

“No. That's why I was so confused, I thought i would feel her if she were in danger but I felt nothing.”

Savanna's face is contorted in all different emotions. “You either Lana.”

I shake my head. No.

“So very strange.” She walks away leaving us and talking with the rest of the girls.

I hear her as she lectures the girls. “You should be ashamed of yourselves. Pulling a stunt like this to another circle member, now because of your carelessness Penny a bright and young witch is dead.” Her voice causes me to have chills.

They repeat the words sorry over and over and beg for forgiveness.

“Don't be harsh on the girls. They didn't know something as awful as this would happen.” Jade's mother tries to defend them but Savanna looks to be about done.

“The police will have questions, answer them truthfully without any mention of magic. Pray to Hecate tonight ladies and beg for forgiveness. I will be giving none tonight.” She turns and walks into the thick forest to find the police and see Penny.

I hear the cries of the girls as they huddle around each other and say sorry to their mother's. My mother holds me as her and Vincent talk about tonight.

“That was harsh even for Savanna.”

Vincent shakes his head. “They get what they deserve. Childish games will not be tolerated in her eyes, especially because they had their eyes set on scaring a fellow circle member.” He glances down at me then averts them back to Mom.

She brushes my red hair from my eyes and tucks them behind my ear. “You really didn't feel a tug in the bond.” She asks Vincent.

“No, I felt nothing. She didn't even try and call out to us and there's no sign of her using any magic. Whoever did this knew what he was doing.”

I look to him staring at his dark eyes. “How do you know she didn't use any magic?”

His eyes find mine. “My spirit element helps me see the flow of magic. If I concentrate enough on you I can see your elements,” He stops and I watch him examine me from head to toe. I fidget not liking the feeling of him staring. “When you use them it leaves like an imprint. There was no imprint around where she was, I felt nothing.” He grabs my hand, facing palm side up. “You used a light spell and I can still see it even though you cast it away.” He travels a small circle where the light would be then let's my hand go.

I flex my fingers hating the rush of tingles throughout my hand.

“That is strange and definitely something to worry about.” My mother let's me go. “I will be right back I will tell Savanna what you said Vincent.”

“Please and thank you Ms. Childs.”

“Stay here Lana with Vincent.” She leaves and soon disappears in the thick brush where Savanna entered.

I walk away from Vincent sitting near the bonfire I bring my legs to my chest.

I feel Vincent come up behind me, he sits down next to me. “Things won't feel the same.”

I look at the crackling fire. “What do you mean?” With us.

“The Circle. We will feel the loss in our bond, like a hole that can't be filled.”

I wipe the tear that escapes. “I already feel it.” I whisper. He's right, there's a hole in the bond, where Penny was, where she won't be ever again. “Who could do something like this?”

“I don't know Lana.” He tears a chunk of grass from the earth pulling it apart in his hands. “Hecate will have her revenge though she always does.”

Hecate...the voice was a she, could the voice possibly be hers. No. That's impossible. Hecate doesn't talk with her children, only legends of her say she has. It doesn't mean they're true. Could they be true?

“We have to talk about it.”

I look away from the dancing flames and watch as Vincent stares at me.

“I know, you know about the voices Lana. What they said? I want to tell you that you can trust me.”

“You're wrong.”

“What?”

“There's only one voice, a she and she said not to trust anyone.” Well she showed me, not speaking at all.

He means forward. “She speaks with you “

I  unfold my arms from my legs and scoot away from him. “No but she shows me sort of like giving me the feeling.”

He looks at the distance between us, a flash of hurt crossed his face then quickly vanishes. “And you believe her.”

I do for some unknown reason I do, more than anyone. That's I believe she's Hecate. “Yes I do.”

He shakes his head. “You don't even know what she is, who she is. How can you trust someone that takes you over and tries to hurt people around you.”

I feel anger towards him. “She especially didn't like you.” I stand up and look down at him. “I know what I'm doing Vincent, you don't get to tell me what I should and shouldn't do.” I walk away from him, searching for my mother.

He grabs my elbow spinning me around. “Don't be stupid Lana, she can be dangerous.”

I look down at his hand, “I don't even know you, how do I know you aren't dangerous.”

“If I were dangerous I wouldn't care so much about what happens to you.”

I tug free of his hand and walk quickly away from him. That stupid spell must not be working because he was telling the truth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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-Ash
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