A Witchy Summer Solstice

It was a hot summer day in the Santa Clarita valley, temperatures got over one hundred degrees. Justine and her friends who were on summer break from high school were at Santa Monica beach and started talking about the summer solstice, Ben, the youngest in the group wearing blue and black swim trunks was laying on a towel next to Justine.

“Why don’t we have a bonfire again, those are always fun.”

“We’ve done that for years; don’t you want to do something else or at least add something to it?” Justine said making a blah sound with her tongue hanging out.

Todd was wearing a white and red swimsuit said, “I’m with Justine, the bonfires are fun, but doing something different sounds good.” Todd replied then taking a sip of Coke.

“So, what can we do?” Ben asked.

“Oh, here comes Sheila.” Justine said with a smile on her face. “Hey girl what took you so long?”

“I had to do some shit before leaving.” Sheila shrugged

“We were just talking about the solstice and what we wanted to do.” Todd said digging his fingers in the sand.

“Let’s so something different this year, go on an excursion or look up some things they did back in the old times before cars and shit.” Sheila suggested

Justine smiled and nodded. “That’s my girl, coming up with the ideas.” Then put her arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Ok, we don’t have much time, so everyone has to chip in, Sheila and I aren’t going to be the only ones to do this.”

Sheila smiles “Yeah, I came up with the awesome idea, you men have to help at least think of something.”

“I have to go home for dinner.” Ben said.

“Yeah, we should all go, I need a fucking shower, this heat sucks.” Todd said, getting up, stretching, and cracking his back and neck.”

The kids got into Todds car and went to his house where they left their bikes. Todd was the only one with a car, so everyone biked to his house when they went somewhere. Todd had an older Jeep, in good condition, blue, hard top, it was his dad’s, and he gave it to him when he got his driver’s license.

***

The next morning Justine’s phone rang.

“Hello”

“Meet at the park in a half hour.” Ben said in a hyper voice.

“Fuck, I was still sleeping.”

“Who cares, I have an idea what to do on the solstice.”

“Ok, ok I’ll be there.”

***

Everyone met at the park. Ben was eating a pop tart and drinking Mountain Dew.

“Dude, no wonder you were so amped when you called.” Justine said, grabbing a piece of pop tart.

“What’s this great idea you have?” Todd asked

“My mom and I were talking about the summer solstice, and she told me some things that the ancient people did. Well, the Celtics would make bonfires, and they jumped over the fire. They did to keep evil spirits away, and make it rain so the soil would be fertile, and their crops would grow plentifully.

“You want us to jump over a bon fire? Hell no,no,no, n-uh, no fucking way, no jumping fires for me.” Sheila said adamantly.

“No, we’d make a smaller one, it’s just for fun.” Todd said calmly putting his hands on her shoulders.”

“A small one, ok, I better bring my shoes I wear when my mother makes me work in the garden.”

“That’s actually a good idea Ben.” Justine said cocking her head to one side, nodding, and making an “I’m impressed face.”

“So that’s it, in two days we do this. Sheila, your practice witchcraft you make up the chant, Ben, Todd, and I will work on the costume.”

“Me, costumes, why me?” Todd said in a winey voice.

“Because everyone has a job but you, a boy’s ideas might help.” Justine said mocking him

“Ok.” Todd said, taking a deep breath and letting it out. “But if you try and make me, put on a dress, I’m out.”

Justine corrected “Todd, they’re kilts, and I think they’re sexy.”

Todd just scowled.

***

It was the day of the summer solstice, and the teens were on a video chat on Discord. Sheila was putting on make-up, Justine’s hair was wet from taking a shower, Todd was just sitting looking at the camera and Ben was eating a pop tart and drinking a Coke.

“Fuck dude” Justine said to Ben “You’re seriously going to fuck yourself up eating and drinking that shit every day.”

“You only live once.” Ben said chuckling and then burped loudly

“Dude, you’re such a pig.” Justine exclaimed, making a face like she was going to throw up. “Well peeps I have to get ready, see later.”

“Ok, bye” everyone said at once in a cheerful friendly voice.

The other three stayed on a little bit then went to get ready.

***

They exited Todd’s car and walked to a spot where there was already a fire pit. Todd grabbed some wood and newspaper from his car and set the logs like he learned in the boy scouts. Then he gave a match to everyone, and Ben, Justine and Sheila put their matches together touching while Todd lit his match, then lit the others matches all at once. The kids then went to a piece of paper and lit it with the match, Starting the bon fire. Everyone cheered, giving high fives and some hugged. Then Todd made the smaller fire.

Justine gave everyone a beaded necklace and leather bracelets. To the men she gave shirts, Ben white and Todd Grey as well as cloaks and belts. “Tuck the shirt into the belt.” Justine told the boys

To the women she long shirts striped tartan a shawl and some costume jewelry she wore for Halloween a few times.

Everyone put on their clothes and jewelry then stood by the fire.

Todd said, “I didn’t want a dress.”

“It’s a long shirt dumbass.” Justine said, hitting Todd lightly on the back of the head.

Sheila handed out paper with what looked like incantations. Todd started reading it “this is pretty good; you came up with this?

“Yeah, I got some ideas from my Magic book, but wrote it myself.”

“Rain for a summer solstice incantation?” Justine said, questioning the choice.

Sheila shrugged. “It was either that or raising the dead, thought this would be fun.”

“Look at our little witch here.” Todd said putting his arm around Sheila.

“Ok, lets get started, stand around the fire and we’ll all read at the same time. We’ll have to repeat it a few times.”

“Let it rain, let it flow

Let the water help plants and flowers grow

Let the water quench the land, and clean the sky

Hear me Gods, this is my plea, fix this drought and climate please

Fix the Earth and let it thrive”

They repeated the incantation two, three, then four times.

They stopped, looked at each other and smiled.

“So now we jump over the fire.” Tood said smiling

“Then what?” Ben asked

“I found some Gaelic music on the internet; we party and dance to it.” Sheila replied

“I brought beer and tequilaaaa!” Todd yelled out smiling and laughing.

“I don’t know about beer, but tequila isn’t Scottish.” Justine said

“I know, but whiskey is gross.”

Everyone nodded.

They lined up to jump over the fire and drops of water started falling from the sky.

“It worked?” Justine said with a confused look on her face. “What the hell?”

Everyone shrugged, then laughed and started dancing as the rain came down harder. They started jumping over the fire, after Sheila jumped, she got out her Bluetooth speaker and put on the music.

“Lucky it’s waterproof.” Sheila said laughing.

The kids danced and drank, smiling. Ben looked up, opened his mouth, and let the water drops fall in.

“This is FUCKING AMAZING!” Todd yelled

At the end of the night, they got in Todds car and went to Justines house. When they walked in her mother was looking out the window.

“This is very strange, raining in the summer…in Southern California?

The kids looked at each other and laughed. “Let’s go get dried up and play a game.”

“Can we have a sleepover tonight mom.”

“Your friends will have to ask their parents and if they say yes, sure.”

They each called their parents who gave the ok. They stayed up all night and never told their parents what happened.

“This was the best Solstice ever! How are we going to beat it next year?” Ben said.

“We have a year, let’s start thinking about it tomorrow. Tonight, we listen to the rain and play a game. Ticket to Ride anyone.” Justine smiled, getting the game out of her closet.