Page 49 of Death at a Scottish Halloween

We had just rounded the library, when there was a terrible shriek.

Chapter Twelve

Henry took off at a fast run, and I more or less fast-walked toward the scream. There were several people in a circle, but no one seemed to be upset. It was then, I realized the shrieking came from some sort of sound equipment. Though the second time it was a bit lower.

I took a deep breath and found Abigail, Tommy, Mara, and Jasper standing at the outside of the circle nearest the library. Tommy had his headphones on for the moment, which was a good thing.

“Hey, you made it just in time,” Mara said. “They are about to start.”

“What was that noise?”

“Cry of the banshee,” Abigail said. Then she went on to explain some of what was about to happen, I was still curious. This town was great at celebrating all types of holidays and religions without bias. I’d never known such a place. Though more than once I’d been told the Scots love any reason for a party.

The speaker squeaked a bit, and everyone groaned. Tommy’s ear mufflers helped to dampen sound. I didn’t blame him.Tonight, he was dressed in his favorite sweater, which Abigail had knitted for him. It was gray and had orange pumpkins with green vines around the chest. The young man loved any sort of seasonal wear. His second favorite jumper was brown with red reindeer. He wore it nearly every day last December.

Without him realizing, my friends and I encircled him, so that he felt safe and had enough space. That was something I understood better than most. I wasn’t the biggest fan of crowded spaces.

“Good evening, I’m Marigold MacAllen, the head of our local Sea Isle coven, and we welcome one and all to our Transition of Souls event.” Some clapped and others whistled. “Tonight, we pay homage to those who have gone before. We give thanks for their sacrifices, and I’m not talking about those virgins on altars.”

People around us laughed, some a bit uncomfortably.

“For those who may wonder, we are light workers. There are no such sacrifices in our practices, but we know some may be nervous, so I made a small joke. Tonight is also about you. It is a chance for you to let go of anything that may be holding your soul back. Any doubts you may have or anything that has brought you grief. We encourage you to write it on our special paper and toss it into the magic cauldron. When you do, say these words ‘I let thee go.’ You might be surprised by how good that feels.

“There are several stations with the special paper and pens for you to use. We encourage you all to participate, and to give each other some space at the cauldron to let go of anything that may be troubling your souls. But first, we sing to our ancestors.”

Women and men joined her on stage. Then they broke out in a Celtic tune, which I didn’t understand a word of but could appreciate for the beauty of the sounds. Tommy took off his earmuffs. He loved all kinds of music.

They sang three songs, and then there was some sort of ancient reading. While I didn’t understand the words, the feeling of them was evident. This was a cleansing and between the words and songs, I was there for it all.

The words moved through me, and my heart felt a bit lighter. And I’m well aware of how that sounds. I have this theory that when many gather with truly good intentions all involved can feel the results.

Then it was time to write down what weighed on our souls. Part of me was truly ready to let go of my past. My trust issues with partners being the main thing. I’d had disastrous experiences with my husband and the few men I’d dated since he died. While I still didn’t think I was ready for anything serious, I felt like I might be ready again if love did come along.

Maybe even with a certain constable.

The pieces of paper weren’t that big. So, I just wrote:Let go of the past. I understood that was a broad saying, but it felt right.

The glow emanated through the crowd, but I couldn’t see the cauldron from where we’d been standing. When it was our time, we moved forward. It was magnificent. It had been made out of iron and was several feet across. The wood underneath had been positioned with lights so that it looked like it was really burning. There was steam and bubbling in the water, but no heat.

Like my friends had promised, as soon as the paper hit the water, it dissolved instantly.

“That was magical,” I whispered to Mara as we walked away.

“It always is. I missed it last year. Did you feel it when you tossed in your paper?”

“I did,” I said. Though psychologically I understood the phenomena of what happened, it was fun to think it might be a witchy cause.

“I wish we could talk about it,” Jasper said. “I don’t know about you, but I had one too many things to let go of this year. Though I’ve made progress with my business and personal life.”

“I’d say you are more than successful on both counts,” I said. “You are all incredible human beings with successful businesses. Maybe this witchy thing works.”

They chuckled.

Once everyone had placed their notes in the cauldron, music started playing. The witches invited everyone to dance. There was no form or pattern to the movements. I wasn’t much of a freeform dancer. I could barely do ballroom steps. But I moved around in circles with my friends until we all nearly fell down in fits of laughter.

That happiness followed us down the hill, as we took a shuttle, except for Abigail and Tommy, who were being driven home by Henry. We were the only ones in the van, which was being driven by Mara’s grandfather.

“I’ve an early morning, or I’d be saying let’s take this party to my place,” Jasper said. “I’m getting so old. There were days when I could party all night and go straight to work the next morning. Now, if I’m not in bed by ten, I have to close the shop early the next day for a nap.”