Witches Don't Burn, Silly

Just Another Reason Not to Have Kids...

I rolled out of bed. My entire body hurts. I sighed. The last month of practicing and expanding my knowledge of my powers will be worth it. The stronger I become the better I can control it, the least likely I am to be caught.

"Come on, Sally." I pick up the sleeping gecko and she wakes up and licks my nose. I pull my journal and pen out from under my bed. I updated my skills. Fire, water, plants, ground, and inanimate objects. They were all things I could create and manipulate. I changed the length of time that I could hold each type of magic. Everything was over two hours now. I can continue becoming more and more powerful with few restraints.

Sleeping is like my reset button. Once I sleep the magic comes back easily. Once I reach my limits I just need to sleep and I can continue growing in power. Sally nuzzled against my neck as she rested on my shoulder.

I wonder what the real limits are for a witch. Can I just keep going with no real limitation? Are there any consequences to my growth? I changed into my gardening dress and braided my straight hair into a thick silver braid.

I walked out to my garden. The ground hummed under my feet. The plants bent towards me, begging for my attention. A ball of water formed in my hand. I was even able to change the shape and size with ease now. I spread the water to all my plants. I even gave a small droplet to Sally.

"Lady Gloriosa!" I froze and fear and let go of the magic. I waited the three seconds that it took for my eyes to fade back to normal before I turned. Georgina was running towards the gardens. I could hear her feet pounding on the ground. I lowered Sally to the ground under the guise of placing my gardening tools down.

I turned and ran to her, meeting her half way. "What is it, madam? What's wrong?" I check her over for injuries as she gasps for air. She was in her late seventies and I was amazed that she could run at all.

"Bertha's daughter!" She cried. Bertha was the town nurse. Her daughter was pregnant and about to burst at any moment. Horror washed over me. "We need all hands on deck. The baby might not make it. The poor girl is barely holding on!" Her grip on my arms was bruising and I winced. "Hurry, please. Bring your herbs! They saved poor Martha and Sue last time!" She cried.

"Alright." I say, resolved. I rush over to my garden and pick out the herbs I will need. I place them into a basket and rush with Georgina back to the healing tent. The screams I heard were horrific. I plowed in.

The woman's husband looked up at me. He was in horror. "Isn't she the baker!? How is she going to help!? My wife is dying!" He yells.

"Sir, if you can not control yourself, I will have to ask you to leave." Bertha hisses. She turns tear soaked eyes to me. "Her bakery isn't a thing yet and even then she is a herbal master." She nods to me as I rush over to the counter. I grab the bowl and start to smash my herbs into a thin green paste. I hope this works.

"How is the baby?" I rush over to the poor woman on the bed. This wasn't Bertha's daughter right now. She is just another faceless patient.

"The baby is doing fine now." Bertha says. All the women of the village were huddled around. We had all been given a medical education. It was supposed to be our job in the village to take care of the ill. My heart was pounding in my ears but I took a deep breath. I had to remain calm. It wasn't just me at risk but it was also the patient at risk.

I pinch the tears skin closed. I pasted the green mush to her skin. It would form another layer of a skin like substance, holding her skin together like I glue. That was what we had to work with. Otherwise, she would bleed to death like so many women before her have. I held the skin closed for the mixture to dry. Then I let go. The woman stopped screaming and instead whimpered. She was pale and covered in sweat.

I moved over to the counter and maybe a different type of paste and spread that over the patient's tongue. "Mariposa?!" Bertha shrieked from the end of the bed. I turned. The mixture had failed and she was bleeding again.

"What do we do?" One of the girls cried. We all stared in horror as more blood fell. We all knew that during labor and pregnancy we were on our own. We weren't allowed to research the female body and so we still don't know how to stop catastrophes from happening. I rushed back over.

I held pressure and tried to spread more of the mixture on to her. It wasn't working! Tears built up in my eyes. I can't believe I failed her. My heart was pounding erratically. The paste has never failed before, but this tear was much larger.

"Oh lord." Bertha was pale with horror as I tried desperately to save the poor woman. My heart was beating so hard I thought it would explode from my chest. Instead, white light erupted around us. When it faded, the woman was completely healed. I looked up at Bertha in fear.

"Witch!" The husband screamed. "She's a bloody witch!" He stood, knocking the chair to the ground. "She's a witch!" He screamed again. Then he ran out of the tent. My heart was pounding in my ears. Tears burst into my eyes. I have never healed a single thing. I thought that if I became stronger I wouldn't have my magic explode in a situation like this.

"Oh my lord." Bertha whispered. Georgina rushed over to grab me. I raised my arms and water sprayed her in the face.

"Look at her eyes!" One of the women shrieked. I was so afraid. This must have been how my mother felt when father discovered her powers.

"Oh dear child, what have you done?" Bertha whispered as she stared at me. "What have you done indeed?"