The Price of Beauty

III

"Do not be alarmed, child, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you," said the old shrew.

Eva trembled. "It-It's ok. I don't really need it. I should go." I should go NOW. Yet, Eva stayed glued to the spot.

The lady limped over to the fire pit in the center of the room and stirred a huge, black cauldron. When steam rose from it, she sprinkled in some red spices. The steam thickened, drifting to the hole in the ceiling and out the chimney above.

"I know you came to me for help," the hag asserted.

Eva's vision darted around the cabin. There was barely anything in it, except for a few old wooden chairs scattered about, a dusty table with books and lit candles, and a broom in the corner. A large fire pit occupied most of the space, but what caught Eva's attention most was the wide rack of bottles shelved on the wall. They weren't just any ordinary bottles, but potion bottles, ranging from tall to short, narrow to wide, and many variety of colors. Two animal skulls were placed on either side of the rack as decoration pieces.

Eva went cold as realization hit. She had read about this kind of woman at school, had been warned that they were dangerous and to steer clear from them...

"You--you're--" Eva stammered. She still couldn't get her legs to move.

"A witch?" the hag said. "That's right dear. I'm sure you know all about my kind, though it still must be quite the shock. You don't see many of us up close now, do you?" She cackled horribly.

Finally, Eva ran. She tried yanking the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Help!" she screamed, banging on the door. "Help!!"

"That's not going to work. You are here for my help, and you are not leaving until you've got what you came for."

"I don't need anything!" Eva squealed, sick to her stomach. "I-I need to go home." Her heart raced so hard she thought it might burst any moment.

"Oh, but you don't know your way around these woods. And let me tell you, it can be a dangerous place to wander, Eva."

Eva instantly stopped fiddling with the door and stared at the witch, startled by the sound of her name.

"Especially if I don't give you my blessing to leave," added the witch in a dangerously low voice.

Eva shuddered at the threat. "How--how do you know my name?" she whimpered. Of course she knows my name! She knows everything about me. Hell, she probably saw me coming before I even stepped into the forest!

"Your thoughts are correct. I know everything dear," the witch replied, her voice light and carefree again. "And I know you want more than just the directions back to your home. I'm Agnes, by the way."

Eva stayed frozen, not knowing what to do or say. After a full minute of silence, she asked, "What do you want?" in a quiet whisper.

"I can ask you the same question, but I already know the answer. Eva Farrow, you want happiness. You want beauty. You want your peers to accept you. But most of all, you want love." Agnes added three drops of blue into her mixture. "Lucky for you, you can have it all by the morn." She smiled widely at Eva with her ugly, rotten teeth.

Eva shuddered. Dare she ask? "H-How?"

"With this," Agnes said, taking out a small bottle with a rounded end. She picked up the ladle used to stir the cauldron and poured the contents into the bottle. Then, she hobbled over to Eva and placed it gently in her shaking hand. The witch gave her such a warm smile, and her gentle touch suddenly melted Eva's fear away.

"Here you go my sweet child," Agnes cooed. "I know how much you've been hurting and I don't like to see such an innocent girl carrying so much sorrow. Drink this at midnight tonight, and tomorrow you may start your life anew."

Eva was speechless. She stared at the magenta liquid in the bottle, knowing she shouldn't trust this witch at all costs. Yet, she was drawn to the contents of the bottle, and to Agnes' words. It all sounded so promising. Eva wanted to believe that the witch's potion held the key to her happiness, but at the same time, something clawed at her. It was possible that this deal would get Eva more than she bargained for and...it scared her.

"No need to fear. Trust that it will work," Agnes assured.

Eva didn't know what to think anymore. The aroma of the room, the kindness of the witch, the bottle that held everything Eva could possibly want...all right in the palm of her hand. This was an incredible offer and from what Eva had studied from Truths in Fables: a once-in-a-lifetime chance. She wasn't willing to give that up.

The witch grinned again when Eva's clutch on the bottle tightened.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Agnes nodded. "Happy to help, though...I do require payment."

"Oh." Eva's free hand rushed to her pockets, only coming up with a few measly quarters. She had left her wallet in her locker back at school. "I have more money at school," she said, a bit surprised by how calm she was now. "I can go get my wallet--"

"It'll do," the witch replied, grabbing the coins. "And I'll need this--"

"Ow!" Eva yelped when Agnes pulled out a strand of her hair. Typical, she thought.

The wooden door to the cabin was no longer jammed. Eva looked out the open doorway and saw that a new path had been carved, one that would take Eva home.

"Run along my dear," Agnes advised as the girl stepped onto the path. "I guarantee you will get everything you desire in due time. Good luck." Those last words were said with such horrid malice that it alarmed Eva into having second thoughts.

She turned back only to see the witch's foul smile before the door slammed shut.