The Witch and The Unexpected Passion

"What do you want?"

The old crone's voice was hoarse and rasping, like the sound of a thousand snakes stirring in their nests. Theodor and Prudy both jumped at the sudden sound, but they had been expecting it, so they recovered quickly. They stood before the door of the witch's cottage. It was dark inside, and Prudy could smell old meat left to rot in the sun.

"It's time for you to leave this town," Theodor said. "We need you gone."

"You know why I have to stay here."

"Yes. You're a monster who preys on children." He gestured to his son, standing beside him. "But we will not let you hurt our son."

"Have you come for my services?" She laughed, and Prudy felt goosebumps rise all over her body, despite the heat of the summer day. "I've heard that you're having trouble with your wife."

Theodor turned away from her and muttered something under his breath that Prudy couldn't hear. Then he turned back around.

"You can't help us," he said weakly.

"Oh?" A smile crept across her face like a snake slithering through grass.

"Are you sure? There are ways..." she whispered across his face with fetid breath, causing him to twitch and shiver. "...for everyone."

Prudy clenched her teeth and balled her fists as hard as she could. She knew exactly what type of "services" this wretched creature was offering--the kind that would take away all sense of normality from them forever. If she hadn't been afraid to lose it herself, she would have run up there and strangled the witch with her bare hands right then and there. But she couldn't afford to lose control; she had promised herself that if something happened, she would be strong enough to handle it without giving into anger or despair...or whatever this evil thing was trying to eat at her mind right now.

She had read once that witches could detect thoughts by means of magic; perhaps it was true after all. The witch's eyes lit up like fireflies dancing in the night when she saw Prudy tense up with rage and fear, and now stared piercingly at her with an insatiable hunger in her eyes--like an animal about to devour its prey whole.

"So what is it, dearie?" The witch cackled again, backhanding Theodor aside like a ragdoll before turning around and walking back into her cottage, leaving the two young lovers outside on their own feet again on the porch of death itself. Prudy tried hard not to look at what looked like a severed head lying in a basket on the floor next to the door--but despite her best efforts, she caught a glimpse of it just before they turned away and walked off in disgust down the path towards home again.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *