Catherine’s mother and aunt quickly descend on Catherine’s frozen body.
Agnes pries the puppet out of her clenched fist.
They hoist Catherine up off the ground and begin carrying her back to the house.
Agnes
I’ve had enough. Let’s destroy the puppet once and for all.
Mom
But how will we finish him off? Do you have any idea?
Agnes
I have something in mind…but I’ll need to look through the old spellbooks to find it.
They carry Catherine into the study and sit her down on the sofa.
Agnes throws the puppet on the floor and begins to search the bookshelves.
Catherine’s mother turns towards Catherine, her expression soft.
Mom
Catherine, honey, I know you must be confused right now.
Mom
But you have to understand that what I’m about to do is for your own good.
Mom
The perception you have of your father is wrong.
Mom
He tried to hurt us…to hurt our family.
Catherine’s mother’s expression hardens. The color in her cheeks rises.
Mom
You see, Catherine. You, Agnes, and I are part of a long line of witches.
Mom
Our ancestors were smart, cunning women who developed our witchcraft to harness power in a time when power was not readily available to them.
Mom
Our line has existed for centuries. Many of us have occupied great, noble positions throughout history.
Mom
We’ve helped so many women who haven’t been able to get their voices heard. Who’ve been neglected.
Mom
Catherine, honey, that’s why we must do whatever it takes to achieve success.
Mom
We eliminate anyone who stands in our way.
Catherine’s mother reaches out a bony hand and grasps Catherine’s arm tightly.
Mom
We are COMPLETELY self-reliant, with one exception…
Mom
We still require men to have children.
Mom
And often, it’s simply more effective to take them in as our husbands to bear the RIGHT kind of daughter.
Mom
But once we have our daughters, we do what we must to rid ourselves of the men.
Mom
Most men walk away willingly. We tempt them with some younger, vapid woman.
Mom
Your father, however, refused to go.
Catherine’s chest tightens at the mention of her father. She dreads what her mother will say next.
Mom
When I began to push him away, he questioned my motives and eventually began to dig into my family history.
Mom
He confronted me about it one time, claiming that Agnes and I were corrupt and cruel.
Mom
But he understood so little, that stupid man, and he mistook our determination for cruelty.
Mom
When he tried to turn you against me and said that he wouldn’t let me teach you witchcraft, I knew I had to get rid of him.
As Catherine’s mother divulges their crooked family history, Agnes continues to search the bookshelves.
Mom
He had to be stopped, Catherine honey, so I created a curse that trapped his soul in a puppet.
Mom
I thought it was quite symbolic -- my final reminder that I, not he, am in control of this family.
Mom
It worked like a charm.
Mom
Sure, you moped around for a while, but eventually you became yourself again.
Mom
It was peaceful here for many years. Until today, that is…
Aunt Agnes pulls out a small book with faded brown leather binding. Its yellow pages have wilted with age.
Mom
Good. Let’s have a look.
Catherine’s mother and aunt begin flipping through the book’s pages.
Suddenly, the puppet lets out a sound.
Agnes
I thought you said it couldn’t speak!
Mom
It seems to be gaining power the longer we wait.
Agnes
I don’t know. Hurry!
Catherine instantly knows what her father means.
Because years ago, Catherine’s father had taken her to Lake Carlyle on her 10th birthday.
It’d been the best day. After they swam in the lake for hours…
He made her promise that she’d always remain true to herself.
She’d always thought it was a strange kind of promise, but now she understood her father’s intention.
Mom
How am I supposed to know who Carlyle is?!
Mom
Hurry, Agnes! We can’t let him talk.
Agnes
I’m going as fast as I can, Marie. Would you just stay calm?!
Catherine applies her aunt’s advice to her own situation, and carefully looks around the room.
Her mother’s book on the coffee table, and it’s still open to the page with the freezing curse. Down, at the bottom of the page...
Its counter-curse is written in faded ink.
Catherine tries to read the words. Once she’s got them, she recites the counter-curse in her head…
And her muscles begin to loosen.
Agnes
Here it is – this curse should finish him off.
Mom
I should have just done this in the first place.
Mom
I’ll read the incantation.
Catherine’s mother stops reading.
Catherine continues to mumble the counter-curse. Her muscles rapidly relax and her jaw slackens.
Mom
Catherine, what are you--
Catherine jumps up from the sofa.
Her mother looks shocked, but then her expression slowly curls into a sly smile.
Mom
You cast your first spell.
Mom
See how it feels to use your magic, dear? To feel powerful?
Mom
Think of all of the things you could do.
Catherine’s mother’s eyes widen with rage.
Mom
Don’t you dare talk to me like--
Catherine
You killed dad! You MURDERED him.
Mom
I was protecting you! Protecting US!
Catherine
You weren’t protecting anyone.
Catherine
You’ve become disillusioned with power. You’re using your magic for evil.
Mom
Cut the dramatics, Catherine.
Mom
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
Catherine
Yes, I do. Dad saw what you were doing and tried to stop it.
Catherine
So you KILLED him for it?
Catherine
If this is the life of a witch, then I don’t want to be a part of it.
Mom
Honey, I’m sure you’ll come around after you’ve taken some time to cool off your hot head.
Catherine
Don’t get your hopes up.
Catherine
I’m going to save dad.
Catherine
And then he and I will stop you for good!
Catherine’s mother glares at her and her voice becomes very quiet and serious.
Mom
You chose the wrong side.
She turns quickly towards the puppet and shouts something unintelligible.
The puppet lets out a screech.
Catherine’s mother and Agnes flee the study.
Catherine runs to the puppet and holds it in her hands.
But as she cradles it, pieces of the puppet begin to flake off and fall to the ground,
Disintegrating into ash as they hit the floor.
She watches her father decompose slowly, right before her eyes.
Catherine
They cast the final curse…
Catherine
Dad? You can talk?
Catherine
I failed you, Dad.
Dad
No, I was doomed from the start.
Dad
Your mother started this process years ago.
Dad
She’s only accelerated it now.
Dad
But I fought on for one reason…
Catherine
What? What good can possibly come of this?
Catherine
Now I have to come to terms with your death all over again.
Catherine
And of the fact that Mom killed you.
Dad
But Catherine, I got to SAVE you.
Dad
You chose the right side.
Dad
And now I can die knowing you’ll be safe.
Dad
Remember the Carlyle, sweetheart.
The puppet’s limbs continue to flake away. Its face loses its form, like a candle melting under a flame.
Tears well up in Catherine’s eyes, but she blinks them back and straightens her spine to its full length.
Catherine
I’ll stop them, Dad.
Catherine
They won’t get away with this.
The final remnants of the puppet fall between Catherine’s fingers and disappear in the pile of ash on the ground.
With a pop, there are suddenly only two wet eyeballs left in her hands before they drop…
And roll across the floor.
