The Witch's House by Jazelyn
She might have enjoyed strolling throughout the big home. It could have been one grand adventure. Each section of the place was historic, lined with decorations and interesting knick-knacks. Viola loved that cute cat, too, the one that greeted her ever so often. When she was frightened, she would pet it and it would purr back, as if holding a conversation.
But no. This was no fun adventure. It was especially evident as Viola ventured into a pitch black room. She was convinced she was alone and helpless. The little girl reluctantly felt around her, finding out she was in a narrow hall. She shuffled forward and noticed a note on a better lighted door: “COME TO MY ROOM”.
She gritted her teeth and courageously continued. She met a rather normal-looking staircase, climbed it, and descended down another. Doors and halls and stairs--they were all getting muddled into her mind. She’s been in the house for a long time, yet she could sense herself getting more and more lost. Then she saw the cat, lifeless in front of another door. Viola tried not to cry. Her only friend in this topsy turvy place, dead in front of her. How could this have happened? she asked herself. She looked at the closed door. Whatever was in there must have been what killed her companion. The little girl slowly entered the room.
To be honest, Viola wasn’t surprised to find blood stains all over the carpet. She’s seen more death in the witch house alone than in the rest of her life. Nervously, she walked up to the desk in the corner to see a small book titled “Witch’s Diary”. She scanned a page.
My sickness was going to kill me. So I took her body from her. I lived on in her body. That’s fine, right? Because we’re “friends”. She gave me her body because we’re “friends”. So today. . . we should play some more. Right? Viola?
Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering echoed in Viola’s left ear. Her blond bangs were drenched with sweat as the legless girl slowly crawled towards her. It was a girl with purple hair and no eyes. She seemed so innocent, with a red bow in her hair. . . except she had missing legs. They were cut off, and the rest of her body made an awful sound as they moved across the room, inching closer to Viola. The witch tried to talk, but her words only came out as a slush of jumbled fragments.
That’s when Viola ran as fast as she could, her pigtails bouncing. She was horrified to hear the monster advance just as quickly. She turned endless corners, trying to find her way back to the door that started it all. Trying to escape from a knowingly unbearable death. She heard more glass shattering to the ground behind her as she scrambled away. She encountered tremendous bad luck--chairs falling before her, floors giving out before her. And there was nothing more terrifying than getting a glance of the monster’s red, empty sockets.
As she ran, she remembered a cabinet she once came across. She didn’t open its drawers then. But now she bursted into the room, rummaged through the cabinet, found a knife, and left just as quickly as she came. The witch followed her without tiring until Viola fumbled for the first and now last doorknob that led to freedom.
Freedom! The crisp air felt nice on Viola’s skin. The monster was out of sight, but most definitely not out of mind. Cautiously, the girl hiked deeper into the forest surrounding the witch’s house. For a second, she thought she was home free until she heard that dreadful sound again. Viola whipped around and laid her eyes on the legless girl moving towards her once again. Lighting was crashing, rain was pouring, yet the monster was determined to reach Viola. It crawled faster, gibberish flowing out of her mouth. Viola was almost terrified, but was quickly overwhelmed with a sense of bravery. Viola slashed the witch with her knife.
“Boy, you’re stubborn,” Viola chuckled, sitting down in front of the almost dead witch. “How long are you going to chase me? You know that your body won’t last long.”
“. . .gra. . . uuh. . . uff. . .”
The green-eyed youngster crossed her arms in defiance and rambled on, “Hm? ‘Give it back’? No way. This body hurts much less. You gave it to me in the first place. Why should I have to give it back? Right. . . Viola? You felt so sorry for me. I couldn’t even move from my bed. That’s why I used my magic to trade bodies with you. Just for a day? . . .Heehee, I guess I did say that. I was surprised you could trap me with my own power, but, to no avail. After all, it’s my house, yes? It wouldn’t be killing me anytime soon. I was guided by that house all the way. So I was ensured to escape.”
The witch, voluntarily trapped in the girl’s body, stepped back and paused for a moment. “Still not dead? I have to applaud your tenacity. Ah, could it be. . . Are you that worried about your father? You and your father, Viola. A close family of two. Those memories stayed in your body. He’s a kind man. A hunter, isn’t he?” The blonde stayed quiet in between these sentences, as if to tease the witch’s inability to talk. “What a good father. So then, I suppose you’re worried about what’ll happen when you’re gone? It’ll be just fine. I’ll give him Viola’s share of love. And I’ll take her share of love, too. So. . .”
“Viola?” A voice called out from behind, causing the girl’s body to turn around. It was Viola’s father. She darted to the man, hugging him close as if she were his real daughter. “Viola! Are you safe?! Are you hurt anywhere? Wh-what?! Why. . .”
They looked ahead at the purple-haired girl, desperately trying to reach out to her father. She struggled to call for her loved one. The witch’s body creeped closer. If you listened closely, you could hear the little girl inside whispering, “Father. . . Dad. . .”
In the blink of an eye, Viola’s dad pulled out his gun and yelled, “S-STAY AWAY, MONSTER!!”
Boom. Just like that, a man finished off his own daughter’s torture. He turned away without a thought. As the remaining two started to travel home, the father failed to notice what he thought was his little girl, giggling behind him.
Copyright 2013