The Warlock's Woman

a

who had dragged m

ng to the edge of Raven’s Woods for a campfire if she went alone. I knew her mother, Maude, a sweet-natured woman who ofte

der on the days when Mother was weeping helples

ther in her life. Which was probably why she threw herself at memb

eep down, I did not like the crass and spiteful Janice. I knew instinctively that she dis

articularly obnoxious the previous night, and her face was sw

, I had tag

when we arrived

air. The smoke from the fire was intense, and I wonder

e growth of trees that were beautiful to look at in the winter and during the day. But at night, they loomed at the edges, threaten

ld make out bodies swaying. There were a lot of people. Loud

as I trotted

the trut

s organized by the social group of the school

private g

cold air, she was pulling off her jacket as she walked. I blushed a

was one that I considered to be daring, but in comparison with Jan’

when I heard his voice, it was a ga

und, and a headache

n Joh

wide in panic, tugging her

a party b

tugging at the straps of her dress, lowering the n

n on her face

of exultation. Like the expression of a sadist who has

she said rudely,

your nose in your books and thinking yourself

d at her, open-mouthed, my heart

y the only girl I h

sly look on her face as she came closer and said, b

told Warren that you were a

el the tears pricking at the backs of my eyes,

st her virginity when she was young, eager to be accepted,

r contempt evident

g slept with a boy before t

eager to spil

and the othe

es wi

so shocked, Miss High

might jus

hat ugly

l parting shot,

u when those guys are d

eful snigger a

me, how ‘bout that,

way, throwing me a look over her s

all alone in a

cry, I wante

ared in the crowd,

und my waist, I looked around for a friendly face—any familiar face. But there was no one. All th

h terror, I turned

Johnson’s eyes. G

a sinking heart, I realized that Janice had probably been asked to make sure th

hat I had be

he ride we had come with had blended into the throng of gyrating bodies, dan

I been th

these doped kids? Sor