The wicked path: the chronicles of a witch

Chapter 2: A Pretty Pink Princess

I didn't see her at first, not through the haze of my own panic. The flames I had conjured were still burning in the distance, painting the sky with streaks of angry red and orange. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, deeper into the unknown, until my lungs ached and my heart threatened to burst.

Finally, I collapsed in a clearing, the soft grass cushioning my fall. The forest around me was quiet, as if holding its breath in the aftermath of what I had done. I lay there, staring up at the sky, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on my chest.

"Are you alright?"

The voice was soft, musical, and completely unexpected. I bolted upright, eyes wide, searching for the source.

She was standing on the edge of the clearing, bathed in a shaft of sunlight that made her almost glow. The girl couldn't have been much older than me, maybe a year or two at most, but everything about her seemed...perfect. She wore a dress of the palest pink, the fabric shimmering like the dawn, and her golden hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders. A delicate crown rested atop her head, its jewels sparkling with every movement.

I stared at her, dumbfounded, as she took a few steps closer, her expression one of genuine concern.

"Who are you?" I managed to choke out, still trying to catch my breath.

"My name is Glinda," she said with a warm smile. "I saw what happened back there. You must have been so frightened."

I blinked, trying to process her words. Glinda. The name was familiar, one whispered in stories about the land beyond our village. She was a princess, the daughter of one of the great houses of Oz, destined for greatness. Everyone said she was as kind as she was beautiful, a perfect image of what a ruler should be.

I looked down at my own hands, still stained with traces of green flame, and felt a pang of shame. This girl—this princess—was everything I was not.

"I didn't mean to," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I didn't want to hurt anyone."

Glinda knelt beside me, her eyes full of understanding. "I know you didn't. Sometimes, our power can be hard to control, especially when we're scared or upset."

I flinched at the word "power." It was something I had never asked for, something that had only brought me pain. But Glinda didn't seem afraid of it—afraid of me.

She reached out and took my hand, her touch warm and comforting. "You're not alone, you know. We all have something special inside us, something that makes us different. It doesn't have to be a bad thing."

"But I'm...different," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "People are afraid of me."

Glinda's smile never wavered. "Being different isn't a curse, Demi. It's a gift. You just need to learn how to use it."

Her words were so simple, yet they stirred something deep within me—a longing I had never dared to voice. Could it be true? Could there really be a place for someone like me in this world, a place where I wasn't feared or hated?

As if sensing my hesitation, Glinda squeezed my hand. "Come with me," she said gently. "I can help you. There's a school, a place where people like us can learn to control our magic. You won't have to be afraid anymore."

A school? The idea seemed both thrilling and terrifying. I had never left my village before, never even dreamed of what lay beyond its borders. But looking into Glinda's eyes, I saw nothing but kindness and hope.

Could I really leave everything behind? Could I trust this girl, this pretty pink princess who seemed to have all the answers?

I hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Okay," I said softly. "I'll go with you."

Glinda beamed, her smile like the sun breaking through the clouds. "You won't regret it, Demi. This is the beginning of a new chapter for you—a chance to become who you were always meant to be."

As we stood and began to walk out of the clearing together, I couldn't help but glance back at the forest, now distant and shrouded in smoke. The village, my mother, everything I had known—it was all behind me now, just a memory fading into the past.

But as I looked ahead, I felt a spark of something new, something that flickered deep within me like the green flame I had summoned. It was hope—hope that maybe, just maybe, I could find my place in this strange and beautiful world.

And perhaps, with Glinda by my side, I wouldn't have to walk this path alone.