Something Wicca This Way Comes by Celeste Hall

 
A Handsome Stranger
     
    She wasn't sure why, but Liz had always
believed that her life was going to change once she turned
eighteen. She'd find a boyfriend, fall in love, get married, have a
family, and live happily ever after.
    Yet, here she was, six months later and
still living the same old boring life.
    From under a veil of long brown hair, Liz
stared down the street to where three of the Forsythe brothers were
building a new fence for their elderly grandmother.
    All of them were shirtless and so beautiful
she thought she might cry.
    "Someday," she whispered to the scrawny
tabby cat in her arms, "I'm going to marry one of the Forsythe
brothers and live in a big beautiful Victorian house like
that."
    The cat meowed and wiggled out of her
grasp.
    "Really?" Liz frowned, her soft brown eyes
narrowing with disappointment as the feline quickly vanished under
the hedge. "I can't even keep a cat's attention for more than five
minutes."
    "What is it with you and cats," Beth mused
from behind her, delicate fingers brushing golden curls back from
bright blue eyes as she grinned down at her friend. "Every time I
see you, you've got some stray feline in your arms."
    Liz stole one last peek at the neighbor boys
before she stood and brushed off her skirt.
    "I like cats," she stated simply, then
added, "I thought you were going to the drive-in with Frank
tonight."
    Beth made a sour face.
    "I talked to Karen about him. Frank has been
telling all of his friends that he's only going out with me because
he heard that I'm a witch, so I must be an easy lay."
    Liz gaped, shocked that anyone could ever
suggest that tight-laced Beth might have loose standards.
    "He really said that?"
    "Yeah. He claims that if I dance around
naked all the time, it should be no problem talking me out of my
clothes after a well-chosen chick flick and a few beers."
    "What a jerk."
    "I agree. I mean, think about it for a
second. He goes to church on Sunday and symbolically eats the body
of Christ and drinks the blood of Christ."
    "So?" Liz asked, "Lots of people do, it’s
part of the sacramental ritual."
    "Exactly!" Beth pounced, "But does he go
home and dine on human flesh and blood afterwards?"
    "Ew! That's gross!"
    "That's my point," Beth growled. "I choose
to practice Wicca Skyclad because I don't want any barriers between
me and the energy that we're summoning. There's nothing sexual
about it. Just like there’s nothing cannibalistic about eating some
blessed wafers and wine."
    "I'm sorry, Beth. I know that you were
excited about this date."
    "Yeah, well it's his loss," she sighed
miserably, obviously considering it more her loss.
    Liz put her arm around her friend and hugged
her.
    "Hey, how about we go to the movie together?
I'll even buy you popcorn."
    "You're on, but first I have to know if
you're coming this Friday. Judy keeps asking me and I promised her
that I'd find out today so we could pick up extra snacks and
drinks."
    Liz hesitated. Beth was her best friend, but
she wasn't sure how she felt about her friend's pagan beliefs.
    "Will everyone be naked?"
    Beth chuckled and shook her head.
    "Not this late in the year, we'd freeze.
Please tell me you'll come. I have a really special ritual that I
wrote just for you and the whole coven will be there to lend me
their power."
    Liz thought that sounded more frightening
than appealing, but Beth looked so hopeful she just couldn't say
no.
    "Okay, I guess."
    "Oh good!" Beth gave a happy skip, a motion
that sent all of her curls into a riot of bouncing. "Samhain is one
of my favorite times to cast spells, and there will be a full moon
on Friday."
    Liz tried to look excited, but her smile
fell a bit lopsided. Samhain? A full moon? What on earth had she
just agreed to?
    At least she was lucky that her parents didn't have plans for
that evening. The family station wagon was available, but her
father threatened six ways to Sunday if anything so much as a gum
wrapper tarnished its pristine condition upon