The Black Magic Enchantress

By Alexis N Arnold

The Good Scout saga continues as Sam and his family face off against an all-powerful, ruthless, and devious Black Magic Enchantress who targets them. When they thought the rest of winter break and the Christmas holidays were going to be “Merry and Bright," a wicked adversary seeks to harm the very core of this family. It begins when Sam and Jenifer are rescued by Aunt Eleanor at the house where they were kidnapped. Just when they think they are safe and ready to go home, a menacing cackle is heard throughout the house. Then, a pentagram laced with fire and dark magic is branded on the wall. Right underneath the burning pentagram, an ominous message is carved into Zack’s dead body, “YOU CAN"T KILL ME E!” which begins the sinister magic. Why is this evildoer out for warped revenge? Skeletons in the closet come out when family secrets are revealed. Watch as dark magic unveils the true identities of those who are hidden. Will Cortney be an ally or foe? Brace yourself for a roller-coaster ride as friendships are tested and the family is pushed to the edge. Will the family’s bond grow stronger, or will it crumble? See if they can escape the grasp of this evil enchantress.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alexis N Arnold
• Release date: Dec 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798989337514

Book preview

image-placeholderimage-placeholder

Copyright ©2023 By Alexis N. Arnold

The Good Scout Series is protected by copyright law.

All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and punishable by law.

For permission requests, contact [e-mail]

For bulk purchases or distribution rights, contact the author at [e-mail]

eBook ISBN: 979-8-9893375-1-4

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, places, events, businesses, and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Book Artwork designed by 2 Girlz Designs

Published by: Alexis N Arnold

[e-mail]

www.alexisnarnold.com

Dedication

To my Mom, Dad, and Aunt Sherry

for always being so supportive

and helping me through this entire process.

Note to the Reader

This story contains content that might be troubling

to some readers, including, but not limited to,

depictions of and references to death, kidnapping,

violence, abuse, and murder.

Please be mindful of these and other possible triggers and seek assistance if needed.

Contents

1.Chapter 1

2.Chapter 2

3.Chapter 3

4.Chapter 4

5.Chapter 5

6.Chapter 6

7.Chapter 7

8.Chapter 8

9.Chapter 9

10.Chapter 10

11.Chapter 11

12.Chapter 12

13.Chapter 13

Coming Soon

About the Author

image-placeholder

Chapter 1

We all were petrified, watching the demonic pentagram begin branding itself into the pink, flowery wallpaper-covered wall. Little did we know what evil was lurking behind this fiery emblem! Here we were, still in the abandoned house; Jenifer, my older sister, and Aunt Eleanor stood by the doorway while I kneeled next to the chair I had been held captive in moments before.

The searing, popping, and crackling sounds of the flames were deafening, along with the aroma of burning paper singing our nose hairs. We all watched as the fire made a perfect circle and then went inside to burn in the star. There was something about this fire that was abnormal. These flames were kept very controlled, close to the wall, and small. I heard Aunt Eleanor's voice behind me.

Sammy, come over here!

She sounded apprehensive about what was happening. Jenifer and I just found out that my Dad’s Aunt – Eleanor has magical powers. She just used those magical abilities to rescue us less than thirty minutes ago. I stood up and slowly started walking back away from the flames and towards Aunt Eleanor and safety. I heard the old bowed wood floor cracking beneath my feet one step at a time.

My adrenalin was pumping through my veins as I approached Aunt Eleanor. I realized I was still holding in my right hand the elf that is the vessel for a ghost girl named Cortney, who was murdered by her dad twenty years ago. Zack was still lying dead on the floor with a knife stuck straight through his eye next to where Jenifer and Aunt Eleanor stood.

He so deserved a painful death after orchestrating my Dad’s murder, killing and mutilating his own brother Max, trying to gain control over Cortney, and kidnapping me because I figured out he was responsible for these tragedies. I looked down for one second to ensure I wouldn’t trip over Zack when I felt a wave of heat hit my face. I looked back up to find the controlled flames growing in size; they began to expand and spread all over the wall.

Aunt Eleanor, who's doing this?

Jenifer, I have my suspicions, and I hope I’m wrong, but I’ve seen this happen once before. And it was not good. We need to leave NOW; come on!

Even though we wanted to leave immediately, Jenifer and I were transfixed with the flames rising in size while Aunt Eleanor tried ushering us out of the house. As the fire started to engulf the entire wall, Aunt Eleanor won, and we were able to break our gaze and run out the door. The crackling of the flames roared through the entire house, and we could still hear them on the front porch until the moment we slammed the door shut.

Wait, the noise stopped!

We all looked at each other, very perplexed. Aunt Eleanor was the first to walk back into the house. I waited to see what Jenifer did, and after she walked back in, I thought it would be safe. When we all went back into the pink room, there was no fire whatsoever; it quietly vanished abruptly. I was in shock. The fire left like it was on a switch. Not a single piece of the wall was charred other than the pentagram that was firmly branded into the wall.

Wow!

I had many questions while Jenifer walked up to the pentagram to get a closer look, and I began to follow; I heard Aunt Eleanor mumble under her breath…

This is not the way she operates. Why is the house not burned down?

That sentence made my stomach drop. I had a gut feeling that Aunt Eleanor knew more about what just happened than she was letting on.

Kids, let's go!

There wasn’t much more to look at, so we started walking back to the door. Aunt Eleanor was leading, and right before she put her hand on the doorknob, she stopped in her tracks, blocking us from leaving the possessed torture palace.

Sammy, my sweet Jenifer, that was evil magic; there is someone out there outraged.

As Aunt Eleanor was talking to us, a loud, hard clang came from the black magic pentagram room that we had just left. It was also the room where Zack’s dead body lay.

What was that?

A loud gasp came from Jenifer, and she looked nervous and spooked. At the same time, Aunt Eleanor turned around and started walking back toward the noise. I wanted to follow her, but I was quickly stopped.

You two stay here. I will go see.

While Aunt Eleanor went to investigate the noise, I was still processing and recalling what had just happened repeatedly in my mind. I didn't want her to go in there alone, but I did what she said until I heard a loud.

NO!

Followed by a hard thud.

That was all I needed to hear, and I ran straight to her. I was hoping she wasn’t hurt. With Jenifer not following me and still standing at the door, I heard her say.

Sam, where are you going?

To go see if Aunt Eleanor needs my help!

Don't leave me here alone; wait for me!

Aunt Eleanor stood at the doorway next to Zack's body.

Aunt Eleanor, what happened? What's wrong? Why did you blurt out the word no so loudly?

I walked up behind her and saw what made the thud. The knife that initially resided in Zack's cornea was now lying on the floor beside his body. Zack's police shirt was unbuttoned and open, exposing his bare chest. What I saw next was surprising, to say the least. There was a bloody message carved into Zack’s chest.

You can't kill me, E!

This message was accompanied by a smiley face with an x for eyes carved into Zack's lower stomach region as well. Aunt Eleanor backed up while the expression on her face looked like a light bulb went off in her head, and she was frightened at the same time.

Upon taking a few steps back from the dead corpse, it became consumed in flames out of nowhere. The mysterious fire came up from the floor and engulfed Zack's body, and then it dissipated quickly, magically extracting Zack's lifeless corpse with it. Before we could say a word, an evil, maniacal, and sinister laugh echoed throughout the whole house.

Sam, Jenifer, we need to exit this house NOW!

Aunt Eleanor hurried us out the door, to where the darkness of night started to fall on the neighborhood. Outside, there wasn’t much to speak of; there were many houses with boarded-up windows, and police tape was wrapped around two places. One was three doors down on the same side of the street where we stood. While the other one was catty-corner across the road to the right.

The moon was rising quickly, and I had the feeling that Mom was getting increasingly worried every moment her family wasn’t together. I looked at Aunt Eleanor walking down the porch steps behind me.

Where did you park?

In the back ally, this way!

She pointed behind the house. I wish I had never asked that question because that was the very last thing I wanted to do after facing three killers and a malevolent magic witch of some sort. But we went in between the house we just came out of and the house next door to the ally way.

After getting to the ally, I noticed the serene quietness of the whole area. Even though it looked like a bad part of town, the silence of the area made it peaceful. There were chain link fences that separated each backyard. We were now directly behind the house Jenifer and I were imprisoned in and almost to Aunt Eleanor’s car.

One thing stood in the way of seeing her vehicle: an old, rusted wood chipper. This machinery looked to have been sitting there for months. As we walked past it, I heard a repetitive dripping sound. Looking down, I saw red liquid leaking out of the opening where you would insert the newly cut tree limbs. I didn’t process what it was and went on with my business. But once we went around to the machine’s backside, I saw where the red liquid was coming from and what made the grinding noise less than an hour ago while Jenifer and I were held captive by Zack. Stopping in my tracks with the element of surprise, all I could say was.

No way!

With the bright, almost full-waning moon casting a shadow on the wood chipper, there was Damien in the full spotlight – well, pieces of him splattered EVERYWHERE. He was on the cracked concrete, wood chipper, cars except for one, fencing, and the grass of the neighbor’s backyard. Just like Zack and Max, Damien got what he deserved. He was one of my kidnappers who was also a dirty cop – AND helped both Max and Zack plot and murder my Dad.

Aunt Eleanor, did you do that?

Jenifer had a tiredness and worrisome tone that went along with her question. Aunt Eleanor didn’t say a single word until we got into her car, which unnaturally happened to be the only thing not covered in blood and chunks of Damien.

As the door locks on the car clicked down and the engine of her copper orange Mini Cooper started up, there were many things I wanted answers to. Jenifer and I sat in the back, even more confused at how Aunt Eleanor acted and how her behavior changed so rapidly. The silence was broken by a loud thundering boom. We all looked out the window, where we saw the house we were just trapped in exploding into fiery flames.

Sammy, sweet Jenifer, inside that house was dark banned magic. That type of magic comes from dark spell books that should have been locked up. The explosion you just witnessed and heard came from a very evil and demented being.

Aunt Eleanor, how do you know that? Are you a witch?

Yes, my sweet Jenifer, I am, and actually, I'm called an enchantress.

Doesn't that mean the same thing, enchantress and witch?

NO, Sammy, an enchantress is someone like me who has been trained at a special school in many different kinds of magic. A witch is anyone that practices basic magic.

How come we didn’t know about this before?

Well, let me clarify this: you two are my whole world. I would do anything to protect you. And I will always do anything to save you without thinking twice if either of you is in trouble.

We know that.

Okay, well, this all started nineteen years ago, one year after Cortney was murdered. Your Uncle and I lived in South Dakota. One Day, I was in our walk-out attic getting Halloween decorations when I pulled out the elf you have today, Sammy.

Really, how?

Let me finish, and you'll find out. So, I pulled out the elf, and when I did, Cortney spawned next to where I was standing. She looked up at me and told me to get out of the house. That your Uncle and I were in danger, but before I could act on it, there was a scream from downstairs. Your Uncle, who was taking a nap on the couch, was killed by his own lighter he used to light up a celebration cigar that morning. The bottom of the lighter was shoved through what was left of his right eye, with the lighter part sticking out and the flame burning away. His whole head was burned and charred to a crisp, but the rest of his body wasn’t burned. The smell of charred skin and hair hung in the air.

I'm so sorry; that must have been terrible.

Yes, it was and still is to this day; it sometimes haunts me. And, as time has passed, I can talk about it without getting so sad, my kind-hearted Jenifer, but there's more to the story.

Okay.

So, I'm in the living room, and I’m so distraught over what has just happened to your Uncle. The couch where he lay was backed up to a wall, and the same pentagram we all saw today was also burned on that wall. But instead of the fire just making the pentagram and then retreating, the flames of the black magic pentagram began burning throughout my house. While that was happening, an evil, maniacal, and sinister laugh echoed throughout the whole house. Just like it did today. Then, my house was burned to the ground, leaving only one thing unscathed: the elf doll, who is Cortney. After that, I tried searching for the cowardly being who did it, but they were very clever and skilled at hiding their identity. I would get close to an answer; then, as if toying with me, the trail would go cold. Finally, as she became too brazen and overconfident, I found her magic trail leading me to her. I thought I’d killed her and avenged your Uncle’s death. But I didn’t know if anyone else was involved, so just in case, I put a spell around me and my new home. That spell kept my house and me invisible, undetectable to anyone who has the ability to do magic.

How did she find you today, and why is she so mad at you in the first place?

Well, Sammy, there’s one little bitty catch with using the spell I did. After casting that spell, if I used my magic in any capacity, the spell would be broken. You and Jenifer didn’t know about my magic because I couldn’t show or tell you. Your Dad couldn’t mention anything about it to anyone because he was sworn to a secrecy oath. And as for why she’s so mad, it runs deep, and you two do not need to worry about it at this time. My only concern is to keep you safe.

Did Dad have magical powers?

No, Jenifer, your Dad did not. The gene that supplies magic is passed down only to the girls in our family.

Jenifer, that means you're a witch? Do you have powers?

Jenifer looked down at her hands as she held them out, examining them.

I don't think so.

Aunt Eleanor chimed in as Jenifer was unsure about her powers.

My dear, you do; I can sense it!

How can you? I didn't even know I had magic!

I can sense your magic because you are family, and we are connected in such a way that I can sense it where others cannot. And just so you understand, magic leaves an unseeable trail to the human eye, but witches and wizards can see this trail along with many other creatures you never thought existed.

How come I haven't noticed it yet?

All in good time, my dear; you will see your true magic eventually, and with some training, you’ll be amazing!

As Aunt Eleanor turned the car right and as we inched closer to our house, I heard a rolling noise, and then Jenifer made an audible.

Ouch!

I looked at her sitting on my right and saw Jenifer lean down and grab an object.

What's that?

It's the rock that has a piece of Dad's police shirt name tag tied to it that we found in your room a few days ago. Didn't you put this underneath your bed in your special memento box?

I was baffled and utterly perplexed. I didn’t understand