"Kendra, where are you going?" asked Megan Bradley one day when they had been in the camp about a year, "and when will you be home?"

"I'm going to a special witchcraft class, Mom. Don't know when I'll be home, there's a Sabbat after, could end at midnight, might last until dawn."

"Kendra, you're not old enough for that. And besides, it's terrible for a nine year old girl to be out that late. I forbid it."

"Jeez, Mom, what are you going to do, call the cops? Report me to Social Services? Oh, wait, there are no cops—or social workers— here, are there? Too bad. But if you're worried, come with me."

"That's silly, I'm not a witch."

"You really are, you know. I saw the machine when they picked us up last year, you were way up in the orange. You just keep denying it. Our teacher says we should bring in anyone who tested that high. C'mon, it'll be fun together."

"Oh, shit, why not? Nothing else to do." She hollered toward the other room of their apartment, "Mike, I'm going out with Kendra. You watch Julian and Susan." She and Kendra walked out the door together.

Kendra's prediction about her mother's abilities proved correct. Megan found the class interesting, and when they got to actually trying spells, she followed the directions carefully and watched the small plant in front of her turn invisible. Kendra looked over, gave her a thumbs up, and said, "Way to go, Mom!"

Megan's second spell worked equally well, and after her third successful spell, the teacher, a woman named Philistia, came over to Megan and said, "Congratulations. You are doing very well. Are you going to be staying for the Sabbat?"

"I really don't know much about it. Am I allowed to? Should I?"

"You just qualified for the first part of the Sabbat, until midnight, with those three spells, Megan. The later part, midnight to dawn, is restricted to those with advanced powers." She paused. "Or to those invited, sponsored, by an advanced witch."

Megan pointed across the room to where Kendra was now sitting. "I'm here with my daughter Kendra, and she said she might be staying all night. Does that count?"

Philistia raised her eyebrows. "You're Kendra's mother? Well, she is certainly staying all night. Nine years old and far more powerful than many of the adults here, it's amazing." She caught Kendra's eye and gestured her to come over. When Kendra got there, Philistia asked, "Are you sponsoring your mother for the second part of the Sabbat?"

Kendra looked at Philistia and said, "Well, duh! Why do you think I brought her?" Then, turning to Megan, "You are staying, Mom, aren't you?"

Megan just nodded her head in agreement. She found the Sabbat interesting, and only encountered one moment of doubt. Sometime after midnight, the leader announced that the next part of the celebration would be performed sky-clad. Megan looked over at her daughter and asked, "What's that?"

"Sky-clad? It means nude. Undressed. Time to strip, Mom," said Kendra, as she started to remove her clothes.

Megan looked around and saw that everyone was undressing. She blushed a bit and hesitated. "Do we have to?"

"Yeah, Mom, you heard the leader," answered Kendra, who was now, like many of those around her, completely nude. "Peel 'em off."

Megan blushed more, then slowly, hesitantly, began to undress. By this time almost everyone was completely undressed. Philistia saw Megan's discomfort and came over. "Sorry, I should have warned you about this, but most of us in the after-midnight group have been doing it for so long we just don't think of how it might affect a newcomer."

Megan, by now also completely nude, clung to the remnants of her self control. It wasn't helped when her nine year old daughter looked at her and said, "Gee, Mom, your blush goes all the way down to your boobs!"