Witch
The Cursed Manuscripts
Iain Rob Wright
Ulcerated Press
Contents
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Quotes
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
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Dedicated to the mirror that slashed my palm and forced me to discover the joy of dictation software.
“Childhood is a promise that is never kept.”
Ken Hill, Playwright
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
William Shakespeare, Macbeth
“I’m scared to close my eyes, I’m scared to open them! We’re going to die out here.”
Heather Donahue, The Blair Witch Project (1999), Artisan Entertainment
Chapter One
The crumpled Coke can struck the bottom of the aluminium slide and cartwheeled against the playground’s metal railing. Ashley had kicked it so many times now that her big toe was numb. If things were any more boring, she might kill herself.
Maybe I’m already dead and this is Hell.
Jude was sitting on the park’s yellow-painted bench, flicking a plastic coin into the air and catching it while watching her glumly. His mousy brown hair had grown long over the summer and was hanging in front of his face. “Can you stop doing that?” he asked.
“Stop doing what?”
“Kicking that can around. It’s giving me a headache.”
Ashley wound up for one last kick and blasted the can across the playground. It struck the overflowing bin next to the gate and bounced through a gap in the railing. It felt like scoring a goal. The afternoon sun bounced off the playground’s many shiny metal surfaces and caused her to shield her eyes as she took a seat next to Jude on the bench and looked at him. “What’s up with you today?”
“Nuffin’.”
Ashley raised an eyebrow. “Liar. You’ve been having a mardy all day, barely said a word. What’s wrong?”
He laced his fingers together on the scuffed knees of his blue jeans and twiddled his thumbs. “I’m just bored. We’ve been dossing around for five weeks straight, and it’s doing my head in. Least when my dad was around, we would go on holiday in the summer, or even just to Alton Towers.”
“You miss him? Is that why you’re down in the dumps?”
Jude shrugged. “Not really. Been too long now to give much of a shit. I’m bored, that’s all, but it makes me wonder what life would’ve been like if my dad were still around. Never thought I’d say it, but I miss school.”
Ashley got off the bench and moved in front of Jude with her hands on her hips. “I’ll never be that bored. This year is gunna suck. I’ve got Mrs Grainger for maths and science. I can’t stand that fat bitch.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I used to have chemistry with her. Her breath stinks like shit.”
“I can’t wait to finish school so we can finally do what we want to do. Two more years and I am out of here. Roll on sixteenth birthday.”
Jude spoke in an old person’s voice. “And what do you want to be when you’re all grown up, young lady?”
She threw out an arm, wiggled it, and let the movement flow through her entire body until it ended in a fancy kick. “I wanna dance, bitch.”
Jude nodded in appreciation. “I have to admit it, you’re getting really good. Do you dance in front of the mirror in your underwear? You should film it on your phone and send it to Britain’s Got Talent.”
Ashley did a little twirl and flicked another kick that missed Jude’s face by only two inches. “I’ll take your head off, you cheeky shit.” She collapsed back down on the bench. “Anyway, it’s you who’s gunna go up on Britain’s Got ‘No’ Talent with all that magic crap you like. The ‘Amazing Jude’, that’s what they’ll call you. You know girls aren’t into that shit, right? That plastic coin of yours ain’t getting any bitches wet.”
Jude shrugged. “Girls ain’t into me for a lot of reasons, so magic tricks won’t make things any worse.”
“God, you’re a proper Debbie Downer today, ain’t you? If you want to get laid, I’ll help you find a lady. There’s gotta be a homeless crack addict around here somewhere.”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Can we just get out of here, please? My ass is falling asleep.”
Ashley nodded. “Yeah, all right. Wanna go to the overpass?”
“Yeah, okay.” Jude stood up to join her and the two of them exited the playground through the swinging gate. They took the footpath and headed toward Redsow Woods, the small strip of nature reserve that separated the housing estate from the town’s golf course where Ashley’s dad used to take her as a child to hit balls. He was always too busy nowadays, but she still remembered how much she used to enjoy swinging a club. It was a good way to work through some anger.
I feel like whacking the shit out of some balls right now.
They kept to the footpath, heading alongside the woods on one side and passing around the playing fields on the other. Eventually, they made it to the overpass, where the footpath spanned a dual carriageway. A tall railing ran along both sides to keep people from throwing themselves off, but there was enough space beneath to dangle their legs over the edge. It was something they came to do sometimes to kill time and watch the world go by. It was one of their places.
Ashley shuffled onto the pavement and slid her legs under the metal barrier. She clutched the bars and pressed her face against the gap, peering at the rushing traffic below. It was a busy road, with cars driving back
