The Sorceress Read Online Free

mirror, Kali. Only you and me.”
    The monstrous woman’s lips became still and then stretched into a bitter smile. Standing wobbly in her mother’s high heels, Kali’s legs quacked. The witch nodded at Kali, a knowing gesture that was so gut-wrenchingly menacing, Kali was certain she was going to lose balance and topple out of the heels.
    Remarkably, right before her eyes, the witch’s face began to crack into tiny pieces, a sight so appalling that Kali clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling a scream.
    Ajali peeled Kali’s hand away. “Sweetheart,” she whispered, intent on keeping her voice calm and steady. “This isn’t like you at all. What’s wrong?”
    Kali kept her horrified gaze fixed on the mirror as she witnessed the shattered face of the witch whoosh and swirl and then vanish from sight. The child blinked in disbelief. The only trace of the witch was a shade of darkness that hovered, dimming the chandelier’s glow.
    â€œSh-she’s gone,” Kali whispered, still trembling with fear.
    â€œWho’s gone?”
    â€œThe…the witch in the mirror. Her face broke apart and then she disappeared.”
    â€œKali, honey. No one was in the mirror. Look!” Ajali pointed at their images. “See, honey. There’s no one there except you and me.”
    â€œShe was in there, Mommy. A wicked witch. I’m not making it up. I couldn’t hear her, but I think she was calling me names.” Kali began to sob.
    â€œYou’re scaring me, sweetie. This isn’t like you. I’ve never known you to be afraid of anything.”
    Protectively, Ajali hoisted her four-year-old daughter on her hip as though she were a baby. Looking cautiously over her shoulder, she treaded toward the sofa.
    Ajali sat and positioned Kali on her lap, and then pressed her daughter’s head against her heart. “Listen to me, sweetheart,” she said, gently rocking Kali. “Wanna know what I think? The dimmed lights cast shadows. I think you saw the reflection of one of the decorations and it really spooked you.” Ajali waved her arm, motioning toward the numerous Halloween decorations.
    â€œThere is no such thing as ghosts. Whatever you saw was simply an illusion,” Ajali insisted, but her words gave her no solace. In fact, she felt a trace of shame at the hypocrisy of telling herdaughter such a bold-faced lie when she herself had come face-to-face with pure evil. Had battled for the lives of her future husband and unborn child. Ajali knew firsthand that there were alternate realties—worlds unseen that indeed existed.
    She drew in a deep breath as she tried to find words to strengthen her case against the reality of witch’s and ghosts. “It’s the beginning of the Halloween season. At this time of the year, we’re bombarded with frightening images on TV…” She glanced around the room. “And right here in our home.” Ajali made a sweeping gesture. “Ghoulish characters are everywhere.”
    Kali cut off her mother’s explanation with a look of sympathy. “You’re right, Mommy.” She patted her mother’s back as if Ajali were the child who needed comforting. “I guess it was my imagination.” Bravely, Kali bit down on her bottom lip. “I know there’s no such thing as ghosts.”
    Ajali cradled Kali tighter.
    â€œI’m not a baby,” Kali remarked embarrassedly. She wiggled free and eased off her mother’s lap. “Witches and goblins are make-believe.” She rose to her feet and steadied her balance in the high heels. “It must have been a shadow.” She laughed, but the sound that she made was more like a fearful cry than jollity.
    A sudden and strong feeling of sorrow grasped Ajali’s heart and gave it such a hard tug that, for a few terrible seconds, she had to struggle with the urge to burst into tears. Her precious, overly-mature