Reaching the secret room, Father Antonio started to search for a book as he stepped in front of the racks of the books, “What are we looking for?” asked Penny so that she could make herself useful.
Penny could hardly catch a breath. One thing happened after another without a break where she had finally learned to keep herself ready and on her toes. Last morning she had thought it was going to be a quiet day but who knew that she would first have Mr. Reverale holding her throat threateningly and then it was her dream about her mother and her, and now this. She knew deep down there was no running away from it. She had to fight whatever was thrown at her else this life that she had would kill her before she would even know about it.
“It is a historical book. I remember very faintly that this creature was recorded in one of the books but I don’t remember which one,” answered Father Antonio who was skimming through the books.
The three of them pulled and checked most of the books that held the headings regarding the historically recorded events or information by the first white witches. There were hundreds of books in here, some which she had missed seeing as it was covered by a sliding wall. Was this another secret hidden place inside the already hidden room? Asked Penny to herself as she went through the books but even after an hour had passed, they weren’t able to find anything regarding it.
“Are you sure it is in here and not somewhere out in the local library?” Damien asked Father Antonio as they went through the next set of books which could possibly have the information about the creature.
Father Antonio said, “I am definitely sure the book is somewhere in here,” in Penny’s eyes she could tell that they would be sitting in here until the morning arrived as going through all the books was no easy task. They were already looking at the possible historical books but ending the book was left in disappointment before they picked up another set of books to check.
She paused for a moment. Taking a step back as if she knew if they thought it through finding the book wouldn’t be that difficult. The creature was something none of them knew about but Father Antonio spoke about it, saying there was something written about it in this very room yet it was hard to find it with three of them going through the books.
Penelope first wondered why the creature had come. Was it to only hurt her? Because when Damien had shot fire on it, the creature never turned to attack him but it was her that it focussed on as if she was the intended target.
She couldn’t help but think about where she was lucky in some things, the very same way life was trying to balance it out by sending things like this after her. First, her mother wanted her dead and still did. And now this unheard and unseen creature was after her. She had apparently turned to a favorite to kill on the list.
Picking up a new book she hadn’t turned the pages yet, she wondered why though. Why would the creature ever want her for? If being a white witch was an answer then she would tell there were many other white witches in this very church. So that wasn’t the answer.
And then something clicked in her mind.
Penny hadn’t read a lot of things that were in here and having read just a few books, she remembered something from the scroll of parchments she had borrowed a week ago.
Getting up quickly, she tried remembering where she had placed the parchments after reading them and bringing them in here. Looking around the stacks of parchments, her hands traced up and down before pulling them out finally. Noticing it was the same ones which she was looking for, she turned the parchment sheets until she came to a particular one.
‘….life circling back to where it all began.
That is what we all think. What if there is something more, beyond the walls we thought was all it was. Death is the end, but also a beginning. The guarded creatures of the world, the possibility where we are yet to explore and find.
White witches have been theorizing the worlds but the word is only laughable when it is heard by another. There is something more than what our world runs in and on. We here seek power yet there’s another who plays the puppeteer in the shadows…’
She took it to Father Antonio, giving it to him and asking, “Do you know what this is? What the white witch was referring to?” her eyes appeared bright and alive.
The white witcher adjusted his glasses, reading the parchment. A frown formed on his face, “About the daily utilization of mushrooms?” he asked perplexed.
“What?” Penny asked confused about what he was reading. Where was mushrooms in the parchments in there? “No not that, the one about the guards,” she said wanting him to find the right line.
“The parchment speaks about the wild mushrooms. Mushrooms that you can eat and the ones that you are not supposed to eat,” Father Antonio who was holding the parchment, looked up from it. He wondered if it was something she suddenly had a doubt about in the middle of the night while looking for the creature.
Damien took the parchments from the white witcher’s hand and read, confirming it indeed was about mushrooms.
Penny herself looked confused, she took the parchments back to read what was written in there which spoke nothing about the mushrooms. What was going on? Were they playing a prank on her? Staring at their faces it didn’t look like they were in the mood to joke right now.
Had the white witch who had written this put a spell on it which hid the actual written content in here?
