The Frog and The Beast

The Witch Chapter 1

Oh dear God, where did I go wrong? I try so hard to avoid trouble and keep my sisters from causing problems, but does anything ever go my way? No, it doesn't. How do I always end up in these situations?

Before I dive deeper, let me introduce myself. Hello everyone, I'm Erza, and I'm a witch. If you've read fairy tales—and who hasn't?—you might think that witches are always evil and ugly, baking children into gingerbread, putting princesses into deep slumbers for centuries, or turning ordinary teenage boys into hideous beasts or slimy frogs. Honestly, I can't blame you for thinking that.

Witches have been stirring up trouble for centuries, and as a result, humans have tried to hunt us down for just as long. Over time, especially after the Puritan era, we've learned to keep a low profile and use our magic for more positive purposes. That's why so many people today no longer believe in witches. Unfortunately, it's in a witch's nature to be a bit mischievous, and sometimes we just can't help ourselves.

Take my mother, for example. She was a troubled teenager, raised by an abusive father and a mother who ran away. Throughout high school, she faced relentless harassment and bullying. However, when she turned sixteen, she discovered her unique abilities and began to harness them daily. Initially, she used her newfound power to enhance her appearance, quickly becoming the most sought-after woman on campus. Soon after, she turned her attention to the popular girls who had tormented her, using her abilities to command animals like birds and squirrels to exact her revenge—ordering them to peck at their eyes and tear at their skin.

It's safe to say she wasn't the most stable person.

Most people learned to avoid her, except for a local delinquent who found her "nature" intriguing and "hot"—or so I was told. They thrived on chaos, vandalizing cars and school property, shoplifting, and reveling in the thrill of rebellion. They were like the Bonnie and Clyde of the '80s.

But their toxicity extended beyond the world; it poisoned their relationship. They were not in love and lacked respect for one another; it was merely a connection fueled by sex and passion, a romance destined for disaster.

He aspired to be a musician, a rock star, but lacked the talent. Instead, he had the attitude, and whenever someone rejected him, he took his frustrations out on my mother. He yelled at her, berated her, and even went as far as to rape her. He claimed she had ruined his life, yet he refused to let her go. Eventually, she reached her breaking point and killed him.

She pleaded insanity and was sent to a mental institution, where she gave birth to me. During her pregnancy, she seduced her therapist, Dr. Zacharias Mikazuchi, a widower with a son who longed for love. After I was born, he agreed to care for me until my mother was "cured." Poor man—he believed my mother loved him, but she was merely desperate to escape. She seduced every man she thought could help her, including the psychopathic warden, Jiemma Orland, which led to her pregnancy with Minerva.

She kept the secret of that pregnancy and birth hidden for as long as possible, but eventually, Zacharias discovered the truth and realized she had been manipulating him. He planned to leave her, but by then, she was pregnant for a third time, and this time, he was the father. That's how Kagura came into the picture.

He was a good man—kind and gentle. He cared for me as if I were his own child, and his son Simon adored me. We could have been a truly happy family if my mother had come to her senses and married him. Just the five of us: Kagura, Simon, Mother, Zacharias, and me. But when I was nine, Zacharias was killed in a car accident, leaving no living relatives behind. Child services were informed that he had entrusted the three of us to my mother's neighbor, Kyoka Tartaros, who had also taken custody of Minerva after her father's mysterious death.

Kyoka owned the local sweet shop and bakery, renowned for her gingerbread. On the day we first arrived, she welcomed us with a feast of milk, apples, sugar, nuts, and her delicious gingerbread. We ate until we felt sleepy, and then she showed us to our bedrooms, each with a warm bed and cool sheets. As soon as our heads hit the pillows, we fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I awoke to the sound of Kagura crying in the basement. I rushed downstairs to find her pleading with Kyoka to stop her from forcing Simon into a cage. I hurried to his aid, but before I could reach him, Kyoka snapped her fingers, and in an instant, I, along with Kagura and Minerva, was bound.

"There's no saving him now!" she cackled. "He shall be my supper!"

"Are you crazy?!" Simon shouted. "You can't eat me!"

"Funny, that's what the last boy I ate said."

Her eyes sparkled with an eerie, ivy-like green, a glow that felt all too familiar. I realized what she was.

"Oh, please help! You're a witch!" I gasped.

"Naturally," she replied. "Just like your mother was, and like the three of you will be."

"What are you talking about?" Minerva asked, bewildered. "Witches aren't real!"

"Silly girl, they are very real. Your mother was one, and thus, all three of you will become witches in time. That is why I took you in."

"What do you want from us?" I asked.

"A family." In that moment, her eyes softened to a fresh green, reminiscent of my own, which unsettled me. She appeared less a monster and more like an ordinary woman. "A witch's life is a lonely one. We live forever unless killed."

"Then why are you trying to eat me?!" Simon demanded.

"Because you're not one of us!" she snapped. "You're just a mortal child, utterly useless to me. But these three would make perfect daughters."

"You leave them alone!" Simon shouted, tugging at the cage bars. "If you hurt them, I swear I'll—"

"Oh, be silent, you insolent brat! Or I'll roast you and eat you right now! Besides, I won't harm them. I'll give them more care and love than their own mother ever could."

"You will never be our mother!" I declared defiantly.

"We hate you! You're mean and ugly!" Kagura spat.

"Now, don't be difficult," she said, wagging her green-clawed finger at us. "If you love me and let me guide you, you'll want for nothing. But if not, I cannot allow you to run off and reveal my secret. If necessary, I will eliminate anyone who discovers what I am and cannot be trusted. Of course, if you were my children, that would be different."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Witches were real? I was a witch? My mother and sisters were witches too? This couldn't be true. Did this insane woman really think we would accept her as our mother when she planned to eat Simon? What was she smoking?

Then, a familiar voice whispered to me, urging calm.

"Do as she says, my dear Erza. Play along. She will teach you her ways, and when the time is right, you can use her powers against her to escape. Do not be afraid; I will guide you on how to protect yourself and your sisters."

"What about Simon?" I thought, panic rising.

"What do you care for him? He is not your brother."

"I love him as dearly as I love my sisters. If I can't save him, I'll die alongside him. Tell me how I can help."

"Very well," the voice replied, annoyance creeping in. "Kyoka is powerful, with a nose like a bloodhound. She can smell anything from a mile away, but her eyesight is poor. She'll try to fatten Simon up before she eats him. Advise him not to overeat, and when she asks to feel his arm, have her touch something thin, like a bone or a stick. That will buy him some time."

I nodded, determination settling in.

"Alright," I said. "We'll stay here, and we'll love you."

Simon and my sisters looked at me as if I had lost my mind, and I couldn't blame them. But when I glanced at Minerva and Kagura, they seemed to understand my plan immediately and nodded in agreement.

And that's how it all began.