The Witches'' Night festival was one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year. It was said that a saint, whose name Sofia could not remember, had driven out a coven of witches, and in his honor that day was celebrated. In reality it was another pagan festival of Celtic origin that marked the end of the harvest, and in which the ancestors and ancient inhabitants of those lands were honored. The legends claimed that, during that night, the barrier that separated the world of the living from the world of the spirits weakened, allowing contact with them through various incantations that nobody remembered anymore. In any case, the village celebrated it in style, with a medieval market, sword dueling shows, minstrels, and a lot of people dressed up to play the part. It was like traveling back in time, and Sofia loved it.
queimada show, so Sofia was using the time to browse the craft stalls. She did stay away from those displaying jewelry, just in case. It was probably costume jewelry, but she thought the same thing when she was thirteen, and that silver bracelet had left her with a scar as a souvenir. However, she amused herself by browsing through a stall of handmade soaps and candles that displayed an interesting and colorful collection. There were all kinds, from those with simple shapes to others that imitated butterflies, flowers or pumpkins. The mix of fragrances and scents was intense, enough to make her sensitive cinanthrope nose feel overwhelmed.
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Sofia made an attempt to grab his hand, but stopped herself before her fingertips could touch his skin. For a moment she considered her options, but in the end she decided to grab him by the dark jacket he was wearing so they wouldn''t get lost as they moved through the crowd. There were so many people that walking was almost impossible, and Sofia noticed that the boy didn''t seem comfortable at all. He was frequently running his tongue over his lips, a gesture she had noticed he did whenever he was nervous, and he was constantly averting his gaze as if looking for something to distract him from this situation.
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“Not really. Crowds stress me out a lot, so I''ve always preferred open spaces. I''m afraid I''m not the best company to come to a market, or to go to a concert,” he confessed with a little apologetic grimace.
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Sofia pulled the boy to the side to get out of that suffocating tide of people. The two of them walked through the space between two stalls and out into the square on the other side. As soon as they left the crowd behind them, Sofia broke into a run towards the town hall building at the far end and headed into an alley.
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Satisfied with the answer, Sofia dropped onto the trimmed grass on the other side, and crouched down to take advantage of the shade of a nearby tree to hide. Mere seconds later Dave joined her, and again she caught the scent of pine that camouflaged his own. Using the darkness and vegetation as cover, Sofia crawled to a nearby bush and peeked through its branches. Again she saw nothing but that empty garden bathed in cold moonlight. With any luck they wouldn''t have any unpleasant encounter. It had never happened to her before, since her hearing allowed her to anticipate the presence of security guards, but she had never done this while taking someone with her. She hoped the boy was up to the task.
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Suddenly, Dave grabbed her hand and pulled her behind a bush, where he practically forced her to duck. Sofia''s heart skipped a beat and she nearly let out the growl of insecurity and fear she felt bubbling in her throat.
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That voice sounded so loud that both teens jumped and looked around. Monica, Sara''s older sister, was pointing at them. They hadn''t really made any grand entrance, they were just two teenagers who had come running because they didn''t want to miss the show, but thanks to the witch everyone was now paying attention to them. Sofia especially noticed how Sara was looking at them. The expression on her face, which clearly said that as soon as they were alone she was going to pepper her with questions, made her very aware of the hand that was still intertwined with hers. The two teenagers exchanged a quick glance and both let go practically at the same time. The blush that ascended to both their cheeks evidenced their embarrassment.
“What an interesting couple,” Monica said in a mysterious tone as she walked around them with fluid movements. “Will you be the first brave ones to take the potion? Will you dare to see what the spirits want to show you?”
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“queimada is made with alcohol. My sister pours an alcohol suppressant in it so that kids and teetotalers like him can drink the potion without any risk, and without it being fucking illegal,” the girl explained as she picked up a wooden bowl and handed it to her sister.
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There was trust between them. Sofia had spent many days in the company of Sara and her sisters, who in the year that she had known them had made her feel that they were more like family than her own mother. That''s why she could afford to take those liberties with them. Of course, this meant that Monica could also allow herself to take liberties with her, and a sibylline smile suddenly appeared on her lips.
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