Ariana's ring

Ariana drew the blinds and looked out of her office window, blinking, she was stunned at how bright the day was. It was one of those days when she craved a trip to the beach. She loved the feel of the wet sand on her bare feet, and the sound of the ocean soothed her mind, and her mind needed soothing. The past few weeks had been hectic for Ariana; Her grandmother who had raised her after the death of her parents had passed away. She had been so heartbroken and devastated, she had put her assistant in charge of her PR firm, returning to the home where she had grown up to lay her grandmother to rest.

She hadn't been in the office for weeks now, and she had thought coming in today would help distract her, but it wasn't working. Picking up her laptop and handbag, she decided to leave. She needed to get her mind together.

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As she stepped out of the building, she put on her sunshades and waited for her car. She felt the stares but she was used to them by now. Ariana was a gorgeous brunette, with olive skin and a lush silky flowing hair. Coupled with her long legs, plush lips and curves, Ariana was a sight to behold.

History had it that she was from a long line of witches, but Ariana for one doubted it, unless probably beauty and luck were her magical powers, there was nothing witchy about her. The last time she'd tried to move a bowl by staring fixedly at it, she'd only succeeded in giving herself an ear-splitting headache to the amusement of her grandmother who had said “Oh dear, you watch too many movies”.

A 15-year-old Ariana, groaning in pain and cradling her head, had told her grandmother that regardless of what people said, witchcraft wasn't in their blood because they didn't have any superpowers “or do you have powers that I do not know of?” she has asked.
Her grandmother had replied smiling “Patience is a virtue my child”.

When the valet appeared with her car, she got in and drove straight to the beach. On getting there, she pulled off her heels and kept them in her car. Tying her hair back with a band, she headed barefoot to the beach. She felt at peace the moment her feet touched the sand, walking over to her favorite spot, she sat down listening to the sounds of the sea. Sighing,Ariana looked around happily,remembering her grandmother's funeral.

3 weeks ago...

Ariana gazed around the cemetery in disbelief, she couldn't decide what words to use in describing what she was seeing. It was somewhere between a freak show or the heavens had rained down real life clowns in the form of humans, she was the only one dressed in black. The rest of the guests were dressed in colorful, outrageous attires that distracted her from the proceedings of the funeral. Something about the aura also felt unreal, like half the people there weren't human.

Everything seemed strange, the dresses firstly,then the clouds seemed to be smiling, the trees and flowers swayed in unison and a halo was cast on the coffin and there was that sound that came with the wind… She turned around, trying to see if anyone else was feeling everything she felt.

“Sorry for your loss my dear, your grandma was one of the good ones. You must miss her terribly” a voice said beside Ariana.

She turned around and was face to face with a figure smiling at her. She was stunning, with green eyes that seemed to twinkle with fire and her skin glowed. She wore a long cloak sewn from a shimmering material Ariana couldn't recognize, and she seemed to be floating.

“Um, hello dear, you still haven't said a word, are you OK?” the stunning woman asked.

“Good day, yes I miss her a lot” Ariana replied fighting back tears. Her job as the CEO of one of the biggest PR firms in the area had made her so busy that she barely visited the house she grew up in.

She had been feeling an emptiness in her heart since her granny's passing. She had been told frequently that they looked like twins or triplets if you counted her late mother, and she loved her more than anything in the world. Ariana fiddled the necklace her granny had given her at 12 for luck and protection.

“Come here you poor child” another guest engulfed her in an embrace, making soothing noises and patting her back as if she were a child.

“Ummm unhh” Ariana said, her words muffled by the large arms holding her.

“That's it, let it all out, Robin is here for you” the large woman said.

“Robin! Let that poor child go this minute” a voice Ariana recognized as that of the stunning lady ordered.

“I wasn't crying” Ariana said gulping in air, “I was just remembering my grandma”

“I'm Yolanda” the stunning woman said, “and you were crying, maybe because of your memories or because of Robin” she said winking at Robin.

Robin laughed out loud, “Don't listen to Yolanda. You look a little lost and lonely standing here all alone, so we're just going to keep you company” she said, staring Ariana in the eye.

After the service was over, Most of the guests headed home with Ariana, including Yolanda and Robin. They talked and exchanged stories about Ariana's granny, and somehow being with the two women made her feel lighter and not lonely.

“I never met either of you when granny was alive, perhaps because I barely had time for myself,” Ariana said as she walked them to the door. Yolanda and Robin nodded, smiling. The rest of the guests had all left.

“Should I drop you off, where are you both headed to?” She asked.

“Oh gracious no”

“Don't bother dear”

Yolanda and Robin said at the same time shooing her back into the house. As Ariana reached to shut the door, Yolanda touched her necklace saying “You can seek us out if you need anything” and Ariana felt a surge pass through her.

Present day

On getting home, she headed straight to the bathroom to soak herself in the bathtub. She filled the tub with herb filled bubble soap and sunk in. She was contemplating what to eat for dinner, when she heard voices. Drying off, she tiredly threw on some clothes.

“Hello, I've had a long day, if you'll be kind enough, show yourself and get the robbery over with, so I can go to bed?” she called out.

Whoever it was burst out laughing, following the sound she walked into the living room and nearly died of fright

“Mother! Granny! How come… Oh my God” she gasped, sinking into a sofa.

“I told you we should have sent Yolanda, the poor thing is going to die of a heart attack and join us here” she heard her
late mum saying.

“Oh please, she's not dying” her grandma replied. “Nod if you can hear us, blink if you can't” her granny said, smiling.

“Is this a dream?” Ariana said, pinching herself.

“Don't be silly, it's not a dream my darling” Her mum replied

“There's no time to waste” her granny said, snapping her fingers. “Take this” she said to Ariana, handing her a wooden box.

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“Open it dear” her granny said, sighing wearily when Ariana keep staring in shock.

Ariana obeyed and opened the box which contained an octopus shaped ring. It was as if she had been transported to another realm. The room exuded a strong energy and the air was charged with the scent of flowers. Ariana took in a deep breath and let the energy flow through her.

“I guess by now you've realized that the gossip around town is true” her granny said

“We come from a long line of good witches, who do not use our powers for evil. I asked your granny here to suppress your powers until it was really necessary” Ariana's mother whispered.

Ariana knew her life had changed forever. Goosebumps broke out all over her flesh, her tongue was bursting with different flavors. Colors flashed through her mind and her eyes burned. Suddenly, she heard sounds whooshing through her ears and into her very being. At that moment, she felt strong, powerful, and complete.

She opened her eyes to find out she was alone, Ariana held the box to her chest and breathed in deeply. She had begun a new phase of life and she felt empowered and excited.

Thanks for reading.