The price of madness vol.01 : Dream and Condemnation

The Three Apples

Julie was just chopping some wood that morning. Neither too much not to displease the forest, nor not enough to freeze to death at night. Georgette watched her carefully as she worked herself to death.

"I appreciate your help." She let go, catching her breath for a moment.

The gallinaceous only replied with a slight tilt of the head which made her smile. Her "garden" was furnished with the famous henhouse, a small cabin where she stored her tools and a pile of sliced logs that she had already cut in recent days. A small well, the bottom of which could be seen, bordered his house.

She dragged her blunt ax to a small bucket of water on the edge of the well and plunged her hands into it to cool off. Her reflection then showed him an image of her covered in blood. Large emerald green eyes judged her. With a start, she knocked the bucket over, which spilled into the grass. Once the surprise passed, anger took over and she began to destroy the container with her ax.

"Can't you leave me alone?!" She screamed when she was interrupted by a rustle of leaves behind her.

"WHO'S HERE ?!" She snapped, turning around, ax raised.

She then saw a young boy who must have barely a few winters hiding in the dress of his big sister who herself was hugging another young girl. The three children stood at the edge of the witch's territory, slightly in the background. She caught her breath and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Great..."

She rested her ax on her shoulder and took a more relaxed pose.

"What are you kids doing here?" She asked.

The eldest took a step forward, held back by the other two.

"W-We're lost..." She began. "Could you tell us the way to the city... Please?"

The tone of the young girl was meant to be solemn and although her voice was shaking, she wanted to give her interlocutor a semblance of education. Julie, not really paying attention, blocked her words.

"Lost... ? You're aware that seasoned adventurers are dying regularly in these woods?" She started, distraught.

The children cringed.

"P-please... Don't hurt us." Implored the eldest, having lost all presence, to what she took for threats.

She took care to put her brother and sister behind her before stepping back lightly. Julie planted her ax in a log lying next to her and headed for the entrance of her house. She muttered swear words and curses with every step she took, which made the little boy laugh. She came out a few short minutes later with a jug of water and something to eat. She put everything on a makeshift wooden table she had made a few months ago and walked a few steps away after taking her share of the tea party.

"Have a bite to eat after I'll take you home. If you die, it's me who will be blamed... Again." She blurted out, sitting down on the steps of her house.

The youngest of the three did not need to be asked and ran to the table to stuff himself. Followed shortly by the second, seeing that his brother had not dropped dead on the first bite.

"Wait !" Tried the eldest without success.

Noon passed without the oldest daring to approach. Her wrathful gaze was on her peers who had finished what Julie had given them. The witch didn't know if her nervousness was because of the carelessness of her brother and sister or their ability not to leave her a crumb. The children were thin and wore clothes that were in poor condition, not torn or ripped but obviously not of very good quality. The tallest wore a long ankle-length skirt topped with a greyish shirt. "Surely the children of peasants or craftsmen." She said to herself. Julie armed herself with her staff and put on her boots before urging the little ones to get up. They already seemed to have undeniable confidence in the witch despite the rumors about her. Maybe they didn't know who she really was? Given the now suspicious look of the eldest, she must have thought that the food had been bewitched to lure them in and then devour them or something like that, but it wasn't. The witch had, in spite of herself, a certain gift for taking care of children. She took the two youngsters in her arms and moved towards the third. The boy was pulling on the wolf's long ears as the little one watched over her shoulder as her tail bobbed back and forth.