Escaping Maximoff

Back to the Old House

I knew Wanda had been waiting up for me. The ungodly amount of empty coffee mugs discarded on the dining room table told me that she'd been anticipating my visit. I stood awkwardly in the uncomfortable space, not even remotely soothed by the flickering candles that cast an eerie glow in the room. I tugged at the frayed sleeves of my hoodie, praying for some extra warmth in the freezing house, as a surprisingly cold draft crept in through the long windows. It was unnervingly reminiscent of the horror movies Sam and my cousins always forced me to watch.

"It looks better in the day," the Witch said, easing into the chair at the head of the table. I raised an eyebrow, giving her an unconvinced look as I took my seat at the opposite end, putting as much distance between us as possible. I still didn't trust her, but I decided to do my best to listen to what she had to say. My aunt had always told me not to judge people based on their past actions, though Maximoff's track record was pretty hard to ignore.

Since she hadn't made an effort to properly start the conversation, I decided to speak first, asking her my most anticipated question, "When are you going to leave?"

Her green eyes reflected the light from the candles, glistening with intensity as she gazed into mine. "I'm not."

I let out a shaky breath, instantly filled with dread and worry. My worst fear had come true: She was staying.

"That's not true." I scrunched my face up in confusion at her words until she clarified, "Your worst fear is the dark."

I frowned, horrified by the revelation she was reading my mind. Even my aunt didn't know about that.

"Okay, well, you being within a thousand-mile radius of me is a close second," I retorted, wrapping my arms around myself in a desperate search for comfort. I felt vulnerable under Maximoff's  knowing stare.

"Spiders," the Witch said simply, a smirk tugging at her lips when she saw the exasperated look on my face. I found it unfair that she could hear my thoughts, especially since my sole purpose of being there was to uncover her evil plan. She chuckled, somehow amused by my thoughts, causing me to roll my eyes in response.

"What's so funny?" I asked defensively, confused at how any of my thinking had prompted her to laugh.

"You're cute." She remarked. My face flushed at her reply, both embarrassed and horrified by her words. The last thing I wanted was the person threatening my town's existence calling me 'cute.'

I was starting to believe that my visit there was going to serve no real purpose. The Witch was walking all over me, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. The realisation that I was incapable of stopping Maximoff from doing anything she wanted made my stomach sink. She could have killed everyone I loved, and I would have been powerless to stop her.

For a second the Witch's walls crumbled, and I caught a glimpse of sadness flash across her face before she looked down at her fidgeting hands, licking her lips as she contemplated what to say.

"I'm not going to hurt you or your friends," Her voice quivered slightly as she spoke. She sounded slightly unsure of her own words, as if she didn't even believe herself.

If this was an act, I thought, it was a damn good one.

"How can I trust you?" I asked, leaning forward to get her attention. I needed to look into her eyes, to see if she was telling the truth.

"I don't know." She said honestly, allowing me to meet her green orbs again. "I've caused so much pain, trust me, I'm well aware of that, and as much as I wish I could undo the hurt I've inflicted on others, I can't. I'll have to live with the consequences of what I've done for the rest of my life, knowing the only way forward is to vow never to let my own selfishness control me again."

She wasn't begging for forgiveness or sympathy; she was asking me to believe that she could change. The Witch had come here for a fresh start, and I was stopping her from being able to do that.

For some insane, twisted, incredibly ridiculous and utterly stupid reason I did. I truly felt like she was a completely different person from the criminal the news painted her to be – the monster who had controlled Westview. Obviously I still wasn't jumping for joy at her presence in my village, but I was less worried that she would pose a threat.

"Okay." I nodded, slumping back in the chair, my stiff posture disappearing along with my worries. She smiled softly at me and suddenly the space felt less intimidating. The room appeared less dull, the warm candlelight casting a gentle glow that grazed my skin and illuminated the hope in Maximoff's eyes.

Even the path that led me through the woods and back to my house seemed to come to life, with the trees overhead parting to let moonlight grace my body, and the stars twinkling somehow even brighter than before.

I didn't sleep that night, my mind obsessively replaying every second of my conversation with the ex-Avenger as light began to shine through the cracks in my curtains. Instead of feeling dread when I thought of the Witch, I felt curious. Our meeting had left me wanting to find out more about her, to tear down the walls she kept up. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were more similar than I had initially thought. Maybe things really did look better when you allowed the sun to rise.