The Arrival

Screams enveloped the darkness of the twins’ modest bedroom.  Diamante came running not moments later to the rescue.

“Contessina, amore, it’s only a bad dream,” she cooed. 

Contessina ceased her screams as she lay in her mother’s arms but was still in a sleep-induced trance with eyes open.  Chiara, Contessina’s twin, came to sit beside them.

“There must be something we can do,” Chiara said.

“Yes,” her mother agreed.  “I fear it is time.”

***

The blue moon, a rarity, shone down on the three streghe.  Diamante had bound her daughter’s hands with knotted twine, and Chiara held her still as she attempted to thrash about.

“Be still, Contessina,” her sister told her.

Contessina spat in her face.

“Do it, mamma,” Chiara urged.

While holding Contessina still, Chiara looked on as her mother drew the circle with her bejeweled dagger.  When Diamante finished, she replaced the dagger upon the altar, a modest circular table made of wood with a white cloth lain over it.  Upon the altar were a pewter bowl filled with rosewater, a spoonful of sea salt, four candles in white, green, red and blue, and a pinch of dry earth. 

From where they stood, the lake water rose to their ankles, grounding them.  The altar was also grounded, pressed firmly into the damp earth beneath the surface of the lake.  As a current began to pick up, Diamante and Chiara knew the Moon Goddess had been summoned.

“Dea della Luna, ascolta la mia preghiera.”  Moon Goddess, hear my prayer.

Contessina screamed like she never had before, and the current rose a half inch above their ankles.  Diamante closed her eyes, feeding off the Moon Goddess’ energy and growing stronger. 

“Aiutami con mia figlia.  Lei ha bisogno di te.”  Help me with my daughter.  She needs you.

“Sporca puttana!” Contessina cried.  Dirty whore!

Without flinching, her mother grabbed the pinch of earth and drew a pentagram with it on each of Contessina’s cheeks, as well as those of Chiara’s, then her own. 

“Ti ammazzo,” Contessina hissed. I’ll kill you.

“Dea della Luna, farla tacere!”  Moon Goddess, make her be quiet!

Returning to the altar, Diamante signaled to each candle which lit on its own upon her command.  Moments later, twin bolts of lightning struck the lake’s shore only feet away from the three streghe. 

Distracted for only a moment, Chiara looked on in wonder at the lightning only to be knocked down by the fierce Contessina who delivered a harsh blow to her head.  In one swift move she pounced on her mother, and they splashed into the shallow lake, struggling.  Although Contessina’s hands were still bound, she managed to backhand her mother who fell onto the borderline of the drawn circle, thus destroying its binding properties.  Contessina bolted for the hills, but halted, her throat suddenly dry.

A white wolf crouched two feet in front of her, ready to leap for her jugular, and growled at her in warning.  She simply stood there, frozen, staring at the wolf, and the wolf at her.

“Mamma, it’s the Benandanti Wolf!” Chiara cried from behind.

“Shh,” Diamante whispered, immobile.

The she-wolf advanced three steps and Contessina took three backwards, never taking her eyes off the creature.  Fangs dripped saliva as they were bared in a never-ending growl at the young strega. 

“Shoo!  Be gone!” Contessina cried.

The she-wolf growled even louder, and her jowls snapped at Contessina’s knees.  Jumping back, the strega turned and dashed away back toward the fallen circle with the she-wolf on her heels.

“Quick, Chiara!  The dagger.”

Chiara tossed the dagger to Diamante who began drawing the circle once more before Contessina had even reached them.  When she had, there was only a tiny gap to be bridged, and then it was complete.

Realizing she had been tricked, Contessina began clawing at her face and arms. 

“Mamma, the candles!  Raise the fire!” Chiara rushed.

Diamante nodded in agreement before plucking the red pillar candle from the altar and held it in both hands.  Breathing in deep, she plunged the candle as deep as she could into the lake’s floor beneath the water’s surface.  A circle of fire sprouted on top of the lake from the exact place she drew the circle with the dagger. 

The she-wolf observed from outside the ring of fire, waiting.

Loose within the circle, Contessina flailed about, knocking into Chiara and splashing in the water while shouting obscenities. 

Making haste, Diamante mixed the sea salt with the rose water, then drank a sip.  It was bitter, but it had to be done.  Raising her dagger, she pointed it up towards the moon before stabbing the lake’s floor with it, next to the red candle.

“Spirito del Malandanti, vattene!” she cried.  Spirit of the Malandanti, be gone!

Contessina and Diamante cried in agony as the first dropped to her knees, and the latter began to shed tears.

“Mamma, mamma!  Your tears, they’re red!” Chiara breathed.

Wiping her face and licking her finger, Diamante indeed tasted copper-flavored tears.  She wouldn’t be moved, however.  She must accomplish this task to save her daughter.

“Spirito del Malandanti, vattene!” she repeated, in unison with Chiara.

A wail rose from Diamante’s lips as curly horns began to sprout from the corners of her forehead.  She didn’t notice that while they grew, half of her daughters’ hair grew gray.

She saw the life beginning to return to her daughter’s eyes, but the evil of the Malandanti spirit still flashed through from within.  Realizing what she must do to truly rid her daughter’s body of the spirit that bound itself to her for good, she removed the dagger from the lake’s floor.

“Mamma, what –“ Chiara began.

Diamante shook her head in warning.  As she approached her daughter who was on hands and knees, she prepared to take her own life so that her spirit would combat the Malandanti’s and it would flee.  She plunged the dagger deep into her gut, and smiled.  Half the midnight sky turned to day.