Ghost Story

[Carver Amell]

"It was wicked cool!"

[Marian Hawke]

"Carver! Beth, I'm sorry your kitten was eaten." I told you to keep him in the house! "Do you want to have a funeral?"

[Bethany]

"Can't," Beth mumbles into Marian's belly.

[Marian Hawke]

"You can have a funeral without a body," begins Marian.

[Carver Amell]

"That's not even the best part!" chirps Carver. "Beth torched it!"

[Marian Hawke]

"...with a real torch or...?"

[Bethany]

Beth wiggles her head in what Marian really wishes wasn't a headshake, then sticks a hand out and waggles the fingers.

[Carver Amell]

"No, with her fingers!"

[Marian Hawke]

Marian pushes Beth away from her, searching her sister's face. "Magic?" she hisses. "You used magic?"

[Bethany]

Beth flinches away from Marian, scared by her reaction. She doesn't answer, just hiccups painfully from her excessive crying.

[Marian Hawke]

"It's okay," she says, willing it to be so. "It's okay, Bethie. You just have to never tell anyone about this. And never do it again. Do you understand?"

[Bethany]

Bethie sniffles loudly, tears welling up but held at bay by the slimmest of margins. "Y-y-yes?" she stammers, clearly not understanding.

[Marian Hawke]

"I mean it. IF you do it again, they'll -- they'll kill you."

Beth was too young to remember the last burning, but Marian wasn't. The image, the smell, pervaded her nightmares for months. 

[Carver Amell]

"No way," argues Carver. "I'll never let them hurt her."

[Bethany]

"But I didn't--" Beth sniffles, then scrubs at her eyes furiously with one hand. "I didn't mean it! I didn't even meanta do it this time!"