The Enchanted Forest of Mangga

15. A witchy friend or a witchy foe

"A mambabarang!" Danaya accused the figure in front of them.

"A maba—what?" Ali asked.

"It's a witch that controls insects to do their bidding!" Kaloy explained. "A dirty and dark trick and curse they do. Don't get too close to her."

Bea grabbed Ali's hand and pulled him closer to her.

"Stay close to me, you two," Bea said worriedly. Bea didn't like where this was going. They had braved their cross over the stone fence and entered into the forbidden forest that they weren't supposed to. Perhaps, this time. Their journey had become even more dangerous and deadly.

The witch cackled. "Kakakakaka! What are three children, a frog, and a fairy doing in my territory? This is trespassing."

"We are just passing through," Danaya sternly explained. "Around your territory. We were looking for a safe way."

"Oh, going through is the fastest! Kakakaka!"

"U-um, we don't want to bother y-you," Kaloy croaked numbly.

"Eh?" The witch widened her one eye. They noticed that the witch's other eye was blind with only a pale-light blue color blocking her vision. Her working eye seemed to move quickly glancing from each child, to the frog, to the fairy.

"Kakakaka! What an odd sight to see humans and engkanto playing together."

"Will you let us through?" Danaya said. She didn't want to stay longer. From her mother's stories, never make deals with witches. They never end well, and they would end up as being slaves to these trickster witches.

"Hold on, okay? Let me think." The witch pretended to close her eyes as if deep in thought and tapped her pointy chin. "How about...NO! Kakakaka!"

Her laugh sent shivers down the children's spines.

"Oh, what are my manners," the witch said. "I didn't mean to scare you. It's a bad habit of mine. Kakakakaka," she snickered. "Come, come!"

"No!" Danaya shouted. "W-we would look for another way."

The witch's smile turned upside down into a frown. Her eye became thinner. "I said come." When she said that, the earth vibrated beneath them. It wasn't an earthquake, but something was crawling from underneath.

"Termites!" Kaloy hissed and jumped on top of Ali's shoes to land. They weren't the usual house termites, but they were at least an inch big and they looked very intimidated to cause trouble.

"Uh, uh, ah," the witch warned them. "They just finished their meal so they're a bit irritated with the new disturbance to their regular routine. You must not show your fear. They know."

"Errr, you're making a wrong mistake," Danaya glared. "I am Princesa Danaya. Harm me and my friends, my parents will make you pay."

"Aaaah! Oh no!" The witch cried. She pretended to run away in circles then she stopped and grinned. "Should I act like this? I don't care who you are or who you're parent are—" The witch stopped what she was about to say. "Wait-a-minute-kape-ma-init, did you just say your name is Danaya?"

Danaya bit her lip. "T-that's right!" She folded her arms. "I guess you know who I am then?"

The witch clapped. "Oh! Oh! Oh my! Reyna Sampaguita's beloved daughter! How wonderful!"

Kaloy whispered to Danaya, "I don't think it's wonderful though."

"You are my most precious guest today! You must come with me." The witch stepped forward. "There is no way to go. There is no way to hide." She showed her black, rotting teeth.

"Run!" Bea said. But behind them, the termites had blocked their way back to the kapre.

"YAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" an army of voices charged against the termites and the termites flew back.

"What the?!" The witch screamed. When she adjusted her eye, she figured out who her new visitors were. "Oh, drats. It's those mound goblins again! When will they ever leave me alone!"

"We will never leave you alone!" cried one of the goblins. The goblins were four or five inches tall as they fought sling stones to the termites. Some of the rocks struck the witch.

"Arrrghh! After them!" the witch ordered the termites. Her eye landed onto the children. "I will get you!"

A goblin pulled on Bea's pants. "Get away from here. My allies will lead you around the hill and the mud lake. There is a safe path there. Go!"

Bea nodded. Kaloy leapt toward first as Bea dragged her brothers with her. The mud lake expanded far until they reached a bridge over the mud lake. However, this bridge was not strong. It was only made out of rope. If a person would go over the rope bridge, it would swing side to side endlessly. In addition, the rope bridge didn't seem to be used very often. For the goblins, since they were skilled, they wouldn't have any problems balancing on the rope bridge. But for these human children, their weight could bring them down and splash into the mud bubbling lake.

"Even if we fall, we'll be okay, right? The mud is just mud. It isn't boiling hot, right?"

"That's right, child. The mud doesn't seem all too bad, but it's thick and sticky like quick sand. Once you fall into it, you're stuck. The more you struggle, the more you will sink. Unless of course, there is somebody to help you. Don't worry," the goblin said. "We will help."

"Why are you helping us?" Danaya asked.

"That witch has threatened our engkantada home. We live for peace and justice. She had tricked and cursed most of our engkanto neighbors. She is very dangerous. Now go! We'll be behind you before the termites come and get you."

Bea picked up Kaloy and placed him inside Sez's pail. "I-I'll go first. You two follow close to me. And be careful."

"Yes, Ate," the boys said.

"I-I'm scared, Ate," Sez said. This was the first time the youngest boy felt scared. Bea clasped her hands together with his hands. "You're brave and more fearless than I am. You got this! I believe in you."

Ali assured him with a smile, although he wasn't sure whether they make it alive or not, but they would try together.

"I will also place a protective charm on all of you," Danaya said. "It's not strong, but it's assuring."

"Why didn't you show your magic earlier?" Kaloy said.

"I don't have strong magic. I can only heal and give positive light energy. So with my charm, we can make it across this mud lake."

"Are you all ready?" Bea said, determined as she stepped onto the swinging rope. She swallowed a big gulp. "Let's do this."

Slowly, oh so very slowly, the boys followed their sisters trace as their movements swung side to side. The goblins were right behind them. As they moved toward the middle. The termites have reached the rope bridge.

"We must move quickly or the termites will bite on the rope," the goblin cried.

Bea didn't look back. They were almost to the other side and then a—snap!

1135 words

14,436 words total

May 2, 2021