Seven Wishes

#10 Witch Wilhelmina

Scrolling down Sophie's photo gallery really brightened up the rest of the night, and the moonlight was just making it a bit brighter. Sophie and Jake laughed their heads off as they saw the pictures that Sophie took. 

"Oh my gods, Sophie, look at us!" Jake snorted, as he jabbed his finger onto a photo of him and Sophie. As the photo enlarged, it was both of them making funny faces and dancing around like chicken. 

Sophie laughed so hard, she buried her face in her hands, her whole body shaking with joy. Both of them scrolled and scrolled, and it was full of happy pictures that filled up the emptiness that was in them. Some pictures contained of Aunt Flora and Sophie's dogs Coco and Jelly, and there was this one picture of Nancy LeMean picking her nose. 

"Oh, she's gonna kill you for that!" Jake gasped, chuckling. 

"She won't if she doesn't see it!" Sophie said, yawning, "I think we should sleep now," 

"True," Jake muttered, looking at the sky. There was a beautiful full moon, and the twinkling stars made the night a little more interesting. 

The two friends lay in their leaf beds, getting ready for sleep. They dozed off into the night, as a shadowy figure cast on top of them. 

***

"Good Morning!" sang a contented voice. 

Sophie and Jake rubbed their eyes and stretched. Why were their leaf beds so soft, and silky? Sophie hugged her pillow and rubbed her lips together. Sophie and Jake needed some breakfast. 

"Jake, we've got to get some break-" 

Her eyes widened with surprise, as she noticed that they weren't in the middle of the woods anymore - they were in a warm, cozy cottage. Sophie saw Jake cooking breakfast with a chubby woman, with cheeks as pink as a rose. 

"Here you go, sugarplum!" sang the chubby woman, as she served Sophie a plate of eggs and bacon. 

"Hey Soph!" Jake piped up, as he walked over to Sophie, sitting next to her on the bed.

Sophie opened her mouth to say something, but Jake covered her mouth, and laughed. 

"I'm guessing you wanna know where we are?" Jake asked, and Sophie nodded quickly, "Well, we're in the witches' candy cottage - you know the witch from the tale of Hansel and Gretel?"

Sophie gaped at the chubby woman, who was actually the witch from Hansel and Gretel. She shook her head rapidly, and shook Jake on the arm, "I never dreamed for this! And besides, she eats children - like us!" 

Sophie looked like she wanted to vomit out her food, "We might be eating children flesh!" Sophie whispered. 

"No, it's not like that, the witch from Hansel and Gretel -" 

Before Jake could finish his sentence, the witch called them over to the dining table. 

"Jake! She's calling us to the dining table! THIS IS BARBARIC!!!" Sophie whispered into his ear, walking behind Jake. 

"Trust me!" Jake said, "She's better now! Trust her like Pumpalot!" 

Sophie hesitated, and nodded. She had no choice but to just Jake - he was her best friend, after all - actually her only friend. 

"Ah, children!" the witch sang, merrily, "Sit, sit!" 

"Madam Wilhelmina, do you mind telling your transformation tale to Sophie, here?" Jake asked politely, as Sophie was sitting close to him.

"Wish to hear the tale of old Wilhelmina, dear?" Madam Wilhelmina chuckled, "Well, open your ears, darling, for my tale is as long as the Zightacon War!" 

Sophie nodded slowly, and Jake thought he heard her mutter, "Or as long as the list of the children you ate?". Jake elbowed Sophie, as Sophie rubbed her arm. 

"I know, I know, I ate children, but I soon lost the appetite for them.  Although children pies and children cakes, were always fun to bake, I learned to correct my sins when I crossed the Lady of the Lake!" Wilhelmina rhymed, and spread her arms wide. 

"Wow, she's good at rhyming," Sophie said, nudging Jake.

"Cool, right?" Jake said in agreement. 

"I walked down the lane, sat on the docks, and two doors rose from a lake, unlocked! Out came the Lady of the Lake, and of course, oh yes, I was frightened, for Merlin's sake! I went on my knees, and dropped my bag of children, and a wave of light came over me. Oh, the Lady of the Lake said, 'Children may be delicious, children may be plump, but children are not for food and rum!" Wilhelmina told them, "They are young, they are free, and shall choose the future for the world and thee - shall you be fit and strong and eat healthy foods? Are shall you be fat and unfit and look like a twit? Be kind, be caring, and have a healthy life! This is my lesson for thee!'" 

"'So, shall thou be healthy or unhealthy? Kind or cruel? This is your crossroads, choose wisely, or run away, begone!' I was scared, I was frightened, what shall I do? Shall I exercise or cook children stew? I knew I have made many sins, and I decided I shall throw them away, throw them in a bin. The Lady of the Lake understood my choice, and the lake and I rejoiced! I was washed and cleansed, washed and cleansed, and her last words were, 'Lead your life well, lead it with certainty! Life is not always about yourself and money!' And off, she swam, off she swam."