Erin Brown

There is only one way to first experience the town of Witchington Cove, and that is the Friday night show at the theatre.

You stand outside the broken-down looking theatre named The Hog and Frog, waiting to be let in.  The doors creak open, and you move forward with the crowd into a creepy ticket office full of tattered hanging red velvet.  You buy your ticket from a dude in green make up who won’t talk, just widens his eyes at you and gestures to the second door after he gives you your ticket.  You go into a dark room full of round tables and two rows of chairs down next to the stage, which is covered in mists and looks like it’s rotting and covered in moss and rocks and trees.

 You wait as the room fills up, and then after a few minutes, the doors slam shut with a loud BANG! Everyone is startled, and some begin to laugh uneasily.  There is a minute or two of silence, and then the lights dim in the audience, and the green glow on the stage gets brighter, the fog gets thicker.  Jangly, weird music begins to play loudly from hidden speakers, like water-logged carousel music, slightly off-key.  Three of the shapes, which looked like rocks covered in lichen begin to twitch and three shapes rise up, and begin to make their way to the stage.  Under bracken-colored cloaks three sets of hands reach out, and three hideous faces can be seen leering at the crowd.  The move forward, and as one begin to sway to a building beat. Out of the speakers three shrill, whispery, cracking old voices whine and wheeze out a melody, and then sing: “We are the Three Weird Sisters from Witchington Cove.  If you sit with us a spell, you’ll fall deeply in loave…”

And then we are attacked by six or seven “bread babies.”  A fitting punishment for our pun, I’m sure you’ll agree.  No regrets!

When I first caught a taping of the show, I decided that this was my favorite part.  The local dance studio gives preschool and kindergarten ballet lessons, and every week they lend us some kids who wear little costumes that makes them look like slices of bread with legs and arms, although sometimes there is a croissant or a muffin.  They come out and chase the witches around and off stage, and then perform a little kick shuffle number that is the cutest thing anyone anywhere has ever seen ever.  Then they are done, and take a bow and skip off stage to be bundled home with their parents, and us witches start up with our skits.

This show happens every Friday night, and it is the heart of Witchington Cove, affectionately nicknamed Dubbaco.  Dubbaco is the tourist district of a city called Chippintrau, and we get our tourist money by keeping three real live witches nearby to stock the apothecary, tell fortunes, bless events, and generally just be fun and entertaining.  I am one of the witches.  My name is Ayla, and I have been given the last name Hill.  My two “sisters” are Helena Bogg and Jasperine Grove. I am the latest addition.

Our mayor wanted to come up with a way to bring in more tourists to see the town, so I have gotten permission from Helena (who is not officially our leader because covens don’t have a leader, but if we’re being honest, Helena is the leader) to put up a blog to tell the world about us.  I don’t have the loud and sassy spirit guides that Jas has, which she has collectively named the Agnesses.  I also don’t know the town lore, or fauna and flora, as well as Helena does, so this blog will be my contribution for the time being while I settle in.

            So readers, tell me what you want to know!  I’ll write about the town, about our duties, and slightly edited versions of journal entries of the day-to-day life of me, Ayla the Hill Witch of Witchington Cove.  If my strange and fascinating tales convince you to visit, click the button to buy your tickets to the Friday show and tell them Ayla sent ya!  You’ll get a 25% discount on “grog or nog” at the Hog and Frog, and a 30% discount if you book a private event.

Anyway, more coming soon.  Stay tuned for Frequently Asked Questions, and thanks for stopping by.