The Redemption of Stingy Jack

Chapter Nineteen

The legless woman, who seemed to be a witch of some sort, beamed, amidst the clogged and smelly air around them. Jack still couldn't believe that that raggedy old hag was behind the voices in his head. There were many beads and other strange items strung around her neck and around her. There was a small heap of baggage that she leaned on and she held on to for support as he scanned Jack from head to toe.

"Look at you." She said, her voice sounding like the old hag that she was. "Aren't you handsome?" She beamed again and Jack could see that she'd lost most of her teeth.

"Who are you?" Jack asked, maintaining the distance, and pointing the lamp at her face, even though a small bulb shone from above.

"I'm the one who brought you back to life." She said, and felt proud. “You were my life’s work, Jack the Smith. Cost me everything I have.”

"How? Why?" Jack was confused.

"You see... I am dying. And I need to live again. So I need an immortal soul... just like yours." She explained, pressing her hand on the garbage heap, wishing she could just walk.

"Yeah, no." Jack responded, thinking to himself that he'd just wasted his time.

"You don't have a choice, Jack." The witch said. "You can't even live without me?"

"I will. I already am." Jack said confidently, looking down at the witch. His gaze lingered for a few moments, and when Jack thought he'd just about had enough, he turned around to leave.

The witch was now as furious as could be, as she wished she could just run after him and pull him back. But she wouldn't be doing that now. She beamed and then black sparks began to form around her fingertips.

"Jack!" She called, and waited for him to look back, until she dragged the magically trapped body of Maud Millers out from a corner.

Jack saw this and his eye holes widened. "Maud!" He yelled, walking back to the witch.

The witch instantly blasted a small wave of fire, halting him while Maud was still enclosed in a magic-like black web, with only pain in her eyes to spare. She apparently followed Jack down there like he'd suggested not to, and got caught in the witch’s trap.

Instantly the witch made a big circle of flames on the ground, and her eyes glinted.

"Step into the circle!" She ordered, pointing one hand at it, and the other to magically hold Maud in place for Jack to see.

"Step into the circle or she dies!" The witch made herself clear, and squeezed tightly on the web holding Maud.

Jack wanted to back away as he'd already taken a few steps backwards, but something stopped him.

The pain in Maud's eyes looked unbearable, and he thought back to all the little adventures they'd had together. If he backed away now, he might not be able to live on his own like the witch said. And he was even supposed to be dead and roaming the earth. He thought back to the way people told his tale, that he was always selfish, and being able to live on earth again for the past few days had made him regret his actions and wish he'd done things differently. He glanced at the flaming circle before him and came to a drastic conclusion.

"Fine. I'll step in. Just let her go first." Jack agreed, lowering his lamp.

"Step into the circle..." the witch drawled and it looked like Maud couldn't take it anymore and she was running out of breath.

Instantly, Jack jumped into the circle, hoping in time the witch would let Maud go. But instead she wasn't doing that. Through the small flames that encircled him, he could see the witch switch focus on Maud and looked to snuff out the life from her finally.

Jack's green eyes widened, and he jumped out of the circle, even though it burned his legs and his back, and he hit the witch on the head while she wasn't looking. She lost balance, dropping Maud to the ground with the web loosening off her. Jack hoped she'd wake up, and as soon as he noticed she flashed her eyes open he yelled at her.

"RUN!" Jack howled at Maud, as the witch had now placed her full energy on him, trapping him in a similar web.

Jack felt something grip his whole body at once, making him motionless in the air. His green eyes went even wider, and all they could see was an evil-looking legless witch casting a spell on him and Maud crawling out of the sewers with all the energy she could muster.

Maud climbed her way out of the sewers, emerging through the manhole cover. She was all wet and dirty, but she didn't care as the only thing that rang in her ears was the word "Run", and that was what she was doing. She kept running, not looking back until she crossed the streets and was safe in the woods. She stooped, to catch her breath. She searched her body for her phone and she pulled it out, seeing a couple of voicemails. She was about to call Lyn when the sounds of sirens interrupted her. She looked up and in no time they pulled up by the roadside. Maud walked closer and that was when she noticed Cole and Lyn in the car. Tears rolled down her eyes, as she dashed towards them. Lyn had already stepped out of the car, spreading out her arms for Maud to embrace.

"Lyn, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's okay. It's okay. It's not your fault." Lyn stopped her, and they both shared shudders. They hugged tightly, as a gusty wind blew their hair about unheeded, while the two officers and Cole watched.

"Where's Jack? And why do you smell like shit?" Lyn asked, and out came a light chuckle.

"Yeah, so about that. I followed him down the sewers and some crazy witch caught me in her trap and almost squeezed me to death, but Jack saved my life and asked me to run, and now I think the witch is about to take Jack's soul." Maud rushed and Lyn tried to ease her nerves.

Lyn met everyone's confused gaze and then she held on to Maud's shoulders. "Take us there." She ordered, and with that Maud led the way back to the sewers.

****

They were too late.

Maud, Cole, Lyn and the two officers found their way down the sewers but what they were met with was beyond their control. Maud, in tears, could see something greenish seep out of Jack's body and into the legless witch's mouth. A roar and screech broke out at the same time as a powerful glow of green and black began swirling inside the witch, illuminating her insides. The five of them all watched in awe and fear, with the officer's gun poised to shoot. And in less than a minute, the whooshing and pulsing of the two glows stopped and resulted in a powerful blast.

It passed a wave over them and in the blink of an eye, the two bodies had disintegrated with the blast, with a faint green glow rising up, heavenwards. They all witnessed this, and were speechless and confused. What just happened? The realization that Jack was gone made Maud's eyes sting again, as she walked closer to the point of disintegration. There were ashes sprayed over the stagnant water around them and the heap of baggage that was there earlier wasn't there anymore. The only thing that was left for Maud to notice was a faint orange glow, covered by ashes. Maud bent down, blew the ashes off to reveal Jack's lamp. The ever glowing turnip, with the coal from hell glowing inside it. Maud picked it up and brought it close to her face. If it weren't so warm, she'd have pulled in close to her heart, but she didn’t do that. Tears fell from her eyes, as the memories of Jack flashed before her eyes.

"Maud, come on, let's go." Cole called, and she looked back.

That was the first time he'd actually called her by her name, and she didn't know whether to feel happy or sad about it. Either way, he and the rest of the group were right and they really should leave the sewers, because it stunk like hell down there.