Musical Love

Chapter Three

The next day went by like any other: Aaron and Nevaeh taking care of the chores, Nevaeh spending some time in her favorite spot with Moo-Moo to practice her magic and her singing, and Aaron exchanging food with the kind farmer. Little do they know that this day is about to take a very unexpected turn.

Sometime during the late afternoon, Nevaeh is in her room reading a book, with Moo-Moo cuddling next to her, and Aaron is getting ready to start dinner when a knock is heard at the front door. The three of them are surprised, as no one has ever knocked on their door before.

"I'll get it, sweetheart," Aaron calls up to Nevaeh, and he stops cutting up the chicken he was preparing for dinner to answer the door.

Aaron slowly walks to the front door, as he has a feeling that opening the door will be the biggest mistake he's ever made. He tries to ignore it, but whoever is behind the door must be getting impatient, because they suddenly start pounding on the door.

"I'm coming, hold on!" he shouts to the mystery person before he can stop himself.

Seeing that he now has no choice but to answer the door, he reaches his hand out to the doorknob. He takes a deep breath before turning the doorknob and opening the door, but what he sees makes his heart stop for a moment. Standing on the front porch is a small group of witches! Rumpelstiltskin's witches!

     "Uh. . . can I help you, ladies?" he asks, trying not to look or sound nervous.

"Are you Aaron Ohlemacher?" one of the witches asks him.

"Yes," Aaron replies, not wanting to say anything that could offend the witches.

"We're here for your daughter," she explains, getting straight to the point.

This has Aaron concerned and confused.

"My daughter? What do you want with her?" he asks.

"Rumpelstiltskin wants her brought to his castle. In exchange, he's offering you a good amount of money," the witch explains.

One of the witches holds a small drawstring bag out to Aaron. Aaron warily takes the bag and opens it. His mouth is agape when he sees that the bag is filled with a lot of gold coins! But Aaron already knows his answer. He closes the bag and looks at the witches.

"Sorry, ladies, but my child is not for sale," he says, and he tosses the bag back to the witch who gave it to him. "Good day to you, ladies."

He starts to close the door when a hand stops it. He slowly opens the door to see that the witches are now smirking at him.

"Dad?" Nevaeh calls out as she comes out of her room and comes downstairs with Moo-Moo running behind her. "What's going. . . on?"

She stops in her tracks when she sees the witches on the porch.

"You have to come with us," the first witch tells her, and starts to take a step inside, but Aaron holds in arm out in front of her to keep her from coming inside.

"What makes you think she's going with you? She's not for sale. Never has been, never will be," Aaron says, trying not to raise his voice at the witches.

"Thing is, he also said that if you didn't cooperate, we'd have to take her by force," the witch responds.

Nevaeh's eyes widen when she hears this.

"I see," Aaron says calmly.

Before any of the witches can react, he quickly shoves the first witch back as hard as he can, and slams the door shut, locking it. He then looks at Nevaeh, who is standing at the foot of the stairs.

"We need to get out of here! Now!!" he tells her.

They immediately run to the back door. Nevaeh is the first to reach it, and she pulls the door open. She gasps when she sees that the witches are flying around the cabin on their broomsticks! One of the witches cackles as she flies straight for the open door, but Nevaeh, thinking fast, slams the door shut and locks it. A loud thud! is heard against the back door, making Nevaeh jump.

"They've got this place surrounded!" she shouts.

"Upstairs, quickly!" Aaron shouts.

Suddenly, a red apple is chucked through one of the glass windows, landing by Nevaeh and Aaron and Moo-Moo. The three look at it with confusion, wondering how the witches expected an ordinary apple to scare them. But then the apple starts spinning like mad, releasing smoke from where the stem should've been. Moo-Moo sneezes while Nevaeh and Aaron cough as they try to wave the smoke away. The sound of wood breaking catches their attention, and they look to see that the front door has been broken down!

"Best be going!" Aaron says as he grabs Nevaeh's hand and takes her upstairs, with Moo-Moo close behind them.

They enter Nevaeh's room and close the door, locking it.

"What do they want me for?!" Nevaeh cries out.

"I don't know. What I do know is that I'm not letting them take you from me," Aaron replies.

Suddenly, the door is broken down, and Aaron steps in front of Nevaeh, ready to use his magic to protect her if necessary. The witches enter the room. The first witch is holding something behind her back.

     "Last chance. Give us the girl and we'll leave you alone," she tells Aaron.

     "I've already told you hags, she's not for sale!" Aaron responds angrily.

     "Have it your way!" the first witch retorts, and throws a flaming pumpkin at him and Nevaeh and Moo-Moo.

     Once it explodes at their feet, everything around Nevaeh, Aaron, and Moo-Moo turns black!