A Cop's Nightmare 3: Witches Are Born Here's a preview / excerpt from the next exciting issue of this new series: Will looked like he wanted to say more, but was embarrassed to do so. "What else is there that you're not telling us, Will?" I asked him with a grin. I was hoping that the soft smile would bring him out of his shell about whatever it was he was holding back. "Well... ," He still didn't want to give it up. "C'mon," said Karl, "it isn't like you're giving up the news that Santa Claus isn't real or anything, is it?" "Kinda," replied Will, looking perplexed. "Well, okay," he finally exhaled in a rush. "Zachariah told me that the robberies are linked to witchcraft holidays and that he thinks some folks from over on the north ridge are involved." Now, our compound as on the south ridge, and I knew that the area surrounding the town was populated by folks who enjoyed owning large chunks of property and keeping to themselves - mostly. It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that a cult or two had taken up residence nearby, but witches on the north ridge? I wasn't too sure about that. "Will," I said steadily, "it's a simple enough matter to find out whether or not there's any truth to the timing of the robberies coinciding with witchcraft holidays, but," I continued in a cautioning voice, "how can any of us assume to judge whoever it is that Old Zach thinks are witches? Maybe they just like candles and cauldrons," I said chuckling. I was being serious and facetious all at the same time. I didn't believe in witches any more than the next guy, but I knew some women who considered themselves to be witches and I didn't think it was my place to deny them their sense of self-perception. Will must have agreed with me, at least a little, as he began to chuckle as well. "Old Zachariah has lived around here for a long time, and most folks consider him just a little off beat. But he likes to roam the hills in the early morning hours and he claims to have seen some things that he can't explain." Will looked down, chuckled softly some more and then looked up with a wide smile. "Still, what do the wanderings of an old man hurt, eh?" "That is exactly right," I agreed with him fully - although my mind was racing about the possibility that Old Zach might wander onto our compound at an inopportune time and learn something he'd be better off not knowing. I could see that same thought reflected in Karl's eyes and wondered how we could address it. All of a sudden I felt like we needed to get out of the bank and down the street to the store. Maybe we'd get lucky and Zach would be in there doing his shopping as well. "Well, sir," I said to Will, sticking my hand out again, "it was nice to meet'cha and I thank you for your time." "No problem," Will replied, shaking my hand with a big smile. "Come back any time." He shook Karl's hand too and then we were on our way out. Once we'd gotten outside and I was sure there was no one around that could overhear us, I turned to Karl with a question. "Okay, bro'," I said seriously, "once Will said the first word about witches you're face and demeanor changed and I need to know if there's more to witches than just folklore… kinda like there is about Vampires?" For a moment Karl looked at me like he wasn't real happy with me and I soon realized it was because he had been trying to hide something and I'd seen through it. With a deep breath, he began talking as we began walking, our course generally taking us toward the grocery store which was about two blocks away. I'd parked my truck in between the two establishments so the walk wouldn't be significant either way. "There's more to witches than just folklore," Karl started out. "But you need to understand that there are three different kinds of witches, at least that I know of." He started to tick the three off on his fingers. "First, there are real honest to goodness Vampire witches. They originated with Lilith…" "Lilith?" I interrupted him. "Lilith," he said in a tone that made it quite clear he was upset I'd interrupted him. "Adam's first wife." Seeing the next question forming on my lips, he spoke up before I could get my chance. "You going to let me tell you this, or are you going to keep babbling out questions without letting me answer them?" Properly chastised, I indicated that he should continue. "Okay," he started over. "There are real Vampire witches, all of whom are descendents of Lilith. They don't do magic, per se, but instead use a mix of chemistry and technology that is beyond even what normal Vampires understand. It's been that way for nearly six thousand years now. Second, there are human witches. About three thousand years ago, a group of four human females found some Vampire technology and figured out how to make it work. The problem was that they didn't make it work the way it was designed to work, but they did get useful applications out of it. To other humans, these applications looked like magic and the human females were called witches. They've protected the information and handed it down mother to daughter over the course of the generations, but they keep the secrets from men and have a way of not letting female Vampires into their groups, also known as covens." He paused, breathed and looked at me to see if I understood what he was saying. I think he was really looking at me to see if I thought he was going insane, but I'd learned too much in the past few months to ever find anything he told me unbelievable ever again. He continued. "Finally, there are groups of humans who practice the Wicca religion and the females typically refer to themselves as witches. Technically speaking, they don't practice magic though they do have ceremonies and rituals that seem odd to others but that are only meant to bring their lives into a greater harmony with the flow of nature."