That Dangerous Spark For Knowledge | Teen Ink

That Dangerous Spark For Knowledge

February 23, 2009
By Claire Hackett BRONZE, Port Washington, Wisconsin
Claire Hackett BRONZE, Port Washington, Wisconsin
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

There were certain jobs that were given to certain witches. Adair was one of them. Her job was to find and collect magical children. See, magical children or witches are always born from humans, but magical children normally run away from their families when they are six or seven maybe five or eight years of age. Her job was to collect the stragglers, the witch children that do not come. Adair though had a sensitive sense of smell which made her perfect for the job because she could smell magic of off people.

Adair was the perfect person to have the sensitive sense of smell, maybe because it was how she was so natural. She never wore white or anything with much color outside work, only a beige peasant top with a rustic green diamond tiered skirt over layered by a rough green diamond tiered skirt. Her hair was a dull brown that was longer than her waist. She would never put up her hair except when in her work clothes.

Adair's partner, Sariya, was almost the opposite end of the spectrum regarding taste of style and what not. She wore as bright colors as witch society let her, a stark white peasant top and two diamond tiered skirts, a bold navy blue and, a shocking forest green. Sariya prided herself in her gorgeous ebony hair, it went down to her waist but one witch could never tell since it was always up in the most modern hairstyle.

At work that day, Sariya wore a beautiful navy blue silk dress while Adair wore an elegantly rich chocolate colored silk dress.

Tonight she was on duty with her partner, Sariya, they were in disguise as human women in high society coming to 'adopt' children, it was unfortunate that their husbands needed to work so they couldn't come with. When they were acting like humans, Sariya went by the name Sarah and Adair used the name Lydia.

The orphanage they were visiting today was a girl's only, it was called Saint Foster's Orphanage for Young Ladies. Sariya and Adair rarely went to a boy's only orphanages because boys were less likely to be witches than girls.

The coachman driving the spelled carriage helped Sariya out then Adair out, winking at her. He was telling her good luck. Hopefully today there would be magical children to collect. Adair knocked on the door and a frazzled middle-aged redhead opened the door with a child banging on her leg.

'What?' The middle-aged woman asked crankily. 'Carol Ann, go away or I might break your little arms.' The child, Carol Ann, smelled like magic. Actually just stepping into the house it smelled more powerful than a witch's house would be in a Witch Village. Another strange factor was that the woman looked like she expected the magical child to speak, to announce when all witches are born not being able to talk. A witch needed to work for years to master being able to be able to speak and have sound coming out. It took about a decade for Sariya and Adair to learn.

'My sister Sarah and I are here to adopt children.' Adair said daintily. The woman eyed Sariya and Adair suspiciously, then turned around to walk up some old and worn down stairs.

'Come with me, we'll discuss this in my office.' The woman said, hitching up her skirts to walk. Adair and Sariya nodded and did the same. The house was old and must've had some termite damage or something, the vanilla walls were a little green and aging. There was only one hallway on the second floor and only three viable doors. The one straight ahead was where the woman, Adair and Sariya stepped in.

'Sit down.' The woman said kindly. Papers spewed from her chair as she sat down.

'The children are going to their rooms now, but first here is the paperwork, give it to your husbands when you get home.' The woman stopped talking, as if lost in a train of thought.'Now if you are ready, we can go see the children.' The woman handed Sariya and Adair a bunch of crumpled up papers, nothing like the last job. Sariya looked over at Adair, almost as if saying, are you ready? Adair gave a slight nod.

'We are ready Miss . . . '

'Just call me Anatella.'

'Is that Italian?' A small smile graced Anatella's face. She didn't look frazzled anymore.

'Yes, I moved a couple years ago, with my . . . friend Misery from Italy.' Misery. Sariya and Adair's eyes were about to fall out of their sockets. She knew Misery. Misery is the most feared but the most hunted witch, whoever was an associate was to be locked up or killed.

That only comes to one conclusion, but why would she be harboring witch children? They belong with their own kind, in a nice and comfortable Witch Village.

'Do you know her?' Anatella asked innocently, never had Adair or Sariya met someone harboring magical children or met one of Misery's affiliates. It was hard to hide their shock.

'Yes, we met her when we were younger.' Sariya lied, it was a sin, a crime to even see Misery without telling the head leader.

'Well, let's not babble on old times. The children should be ready to see you.' Anatella said, getting back to what's supposed to be happening, not wanting to discuss her 'friendship' with Misery anymore.

They laboriously walked to the children's bedroom, well one of them, there were two of them, on either side of her office. When the door opened, there were about thirty old, rusting cots and mattresses. The number of girls was amazing, incredible, on each bed at least two girls sat, one or two beds had three girls on them. The smell of magic was overpowering. It came off extra strong over at the end of the room.

As they passed each bed, the girls would introduce themselves. All the girls were magical children, but none stood out until they reached the end of the first row. On the bed were two little girls, they must've been only two or three years old and looked similar with the one difference of one child has frizzy hair and the other one more straight and sleek hair.

The sleek haired child also had something dangerous about her, she seemed so thirsty and eager, there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes that set Adair on the edge. Adair recognized that hungry, eagerness, that spark, she only saw it in one other witch. Only one other witch had that spark, it was Misery. Misery is the most feared but also, the hunted witch, whoever was an associate was to be locked up or killed.

A maternal instinct to protect immediately hit her once she figured out that if that little girl would stay here any longer, then she would become a Misery affiliate. She would be hunted down and locked up, then when she would hit puberty, then they would kill her. Kill her twin too, to keep her from taking revenge.

I see you have taken an interest in these two. They are twins. This one,' Anatella pointed to the frizzy haired one, 'is Becky and this one, ' she pointed to the sleek haired one, 'is Karen.'

Adair smiled and introduced herself to Becky and Karen. Becky grinned to her, it looked very adorable on her. Karen just was politely smiling, bouncing up and down on the bed.

Karen mouthed, 'Witch?'

'Yes.' Adair whispered, she wasn't supposed to say that. Karen made her, and Adair couldn't bring herself to lie to her.

A mad sound of a rush of skirts assailed Adair's ears. Anatella was behind her in shock.

'Do you know Misery?' Anatella asked quickly.

'Not in the way you do.'Adair said it calmly, and flatly knowing the next reaction. It would be either teleportation or running away. She patted her side, a code to Sariya to freeze Anatella.

She was too late. Anatella must've been through this before. Before Sariya could utter a spell, Anatella muttered a spell first then grabbed Karen by the arm, trapping her in Anatella's spell also. In quick thinking Adair grabbed onto Anatella before al three of them were whisked away somewhere.


Three loud thuds announced that they arrived, where Adair had no clue. It was a quaint, little shed, and there were trees all around. Anatella screamed when she noticed that Adair followed her, she grabbed Karen's arm and ran into the little shed. Adair followed.

The shed wasn't just a little shed. It was just the cover of the place. IT turned out to be a huge mansion-like house inside with light gloriously shining in, illuminating all the wood in the house.

'Misery ' Anatella shouted. Oh, crap. This mansion was Misery's.

Adair acted quick. She said a freeze spell on the mansion, freezing everyone except for herself. After she made sure everything was frozen, she tugged Anatella's arm away from Karen, and grabbed hold of her and said a teleportation spell back to Saint Foster's Home for Young Ladies.

Before they left, though, She swore she heard someone whisper, a child's voice, saying 'You will come back to me, I promise.'



Adair and Karen dropped right on Becky and Karen's bed, making Becky scream for her life. She jumped over to the bed next to her, clutching the girl's arm.

'Sorry.' Karen mouthed to her twin, as she climbed off Adair's stomach.

'Are you having a rough day?' Sariya joked, she reached out to help her partner get up.

'Yes, but I know where Misery's location is at this moment. The freeze spell won't last long, especially with her, so if the Head Leader wants her, she needs to send a team now.' Adair said. She wiped off the dust from her silk dress, watching Becky and Karen react to each other. They were peculiar, one child was thirsty for knowledge and the other one was born with more magic in her bloodstream than most.

They would grow up to be interesting, and powerful, witches. Adair wanted to make sure to that. She would talk to her husband, Sean, to see if they could adopt them. He would say yes. He wouldn't be able to resist them.

'Ready to go?' Sariya asked, with a smile on her face.

Adair grinned back. 'Yes, let's go.'



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