12-13 Charm

Day 12: "The Witch is back and there's hell to pay." —Winifred, Hocus Pocus


"Now, keep your hands at your side and stand up straight! Today we learn to curtsey," Miss Norton said.

All the girls in the room straightened as if an invisible puppeteer had yanked on their controls. Alice silently begged her nose to stop itching. If Miss Norton caught her fidgeting again, she was likely to give Alice a tongue lashing whilst hitting things with that nasty riding crop. It was never used on the girls, still the whistling and thwack it made was enough to put the fear of Norton in her pupils.

"Alright ladies, gently grasp the folds of your skirt between your index and third finger," she said. "Once you've done so, plié gently, spread your skirt whilst going down and rise up slowly."

Alice tried to do it. She squatted low with her hands holding the dainty frills of her dress as instructed.

"Miss Kearny! *thwack* You are not using the outhouse. You are trying to be a gentlewoman, make your plié more shallow!"

"Yes Miss Norton."

"Show me again."

"Tsk, you look like a medieval farmer's wife about to give birth! Go stand in the corner while the true ladies finish their lesson."

This was the shame Alice had to bear every lesson with Miss Norton. Ever since her parents had decided to get her ready for her social debut. Day in till supper time at the boarding school. Miss Norton's School for Elegant Ladies was brutal. Alice would much rather card wool than suffer to become a debutante.

At last her friend, Olivia, got disqualified from the exercise. "I've come to join you in disgrace," Olivia whispered. "That posh cow must be an old hag in disguise."

Alice stifled a giggle. "Shh! That old witch will hear you."

Sure enough *thwack* ! "Miss Kearny, Miss Bellamy. I can hear you perfectly from the other end of the room. Both of you will meet in my office after class."

Now they were in for it. Miss Norton could be really cruel with her punishments. Her office was one of the most ominous rooms on the grounds. There were all kinds of taxidermy specimens with glass eyes and an unblinking porcelain doll two thirds the size of a real girl. It was enough to make anyone doolaly.

Olivia and Alice walked slowly down the hallway. It felt as though there were iron manacles dragging on their feet. Still they inevitably made it to the splintery wooden bench outside Miss Norton's domain.

Inside the chamber, they could hear sobbing and a shrill haranguing in progress. The door burst open and a tearful plump faced Juliet stumbled out. "And pack your trunk! I'll not have immoral trollops at my school. There's no place for the sort of girl who sports with the stable boys here." Miss Norton hollered.

"Cor," Olivia said. "I knew Juliet was packing a few more pounds, still wouldn't've guessed she fell pregnant."

Miss Norton's black beady eyes drilled into Olivia. "What was that Miss Bellamy?"

"Er, nothing, Miss."

The matronly teacher took a step to the side. "In, both of you. Seat yourselves," Miss Norton said.

All the foxes, pheasants and badgers glared accusingly at the two students. Miss Norton gracefully tucked her skirt as she descended into the winged back chair behind the desk. "I'll never understand why they let the nouveau riche into this school;" she said. "Just because your parents were clever enough to climb the social ladder doesn't give them a drop of nobility."

Alice wondered if they were supposed to respond to this aired grievance. The riding crop descended on the desk with its trade mark sound. "Sit up straight," Miss Norton demanded. "I can see that centuries of ill breeding cannot be overcome by tutelage alone. I suppose it's time for me to recite from my grimoire."

An ancient leather bound volume with onyx and sardonyx embedded in the cover was retrieved from inside the desk drawer.

Magia flectare ad voluntatum,
Isti inobientes animae
Ad rectudeium doctrina meae.

Having chanted the verses thrice Miss Norton snapped the tome shut.

Suddenly Alice had a massive headache and ringing in her ears. Is this witchcraft was the last thing Alice wondered before her face slackened and all her own thoughts fled. Leaving her mind a truly blank slate.

Miss Norton looked at her victims in satisfaction. "There, now I shan't have anymore trouble with you two, correct?" Alice and Olivia nodded in perfect unison.