The Price of Beauty

IX

The old witch had been just as prepared for the attack, and Eva found herself being flung down. She immediately opened her palm, summoning the same death rays that had killed Vince hours before, but Agnes vanished before it could hit her. Her atrocious form reappeared in front of Eva, razor fangs bared and ready to bite.

Eva shrieked as Agnes whipped her claws across her face. It stung so badly that Eva almost fell over, defeated. Drops of violet bled out of her cheek as the young witch limped to the exposed doorway. Eva knew defeating Agnes for good was the only way out, but she was just too strong of a witch.

Agnes yanked Eva back by the hair, forcing her around. The twisted old shrew had never looked more terrifying.

"It won't be easy to get rid of me, dear," she taunted. "I've lived for hundreds of years, other witches have tried again and again, and failed. You will be the same. I'll bring you down, just as I have the rest!"

Eva hissed, her eyes glancing back and forth from Agnes to the boiling cauldron a few feet behind her. She struggled, but the old witch's iron-like grip held her in place.

Agnes sneered. "Eva, it's no use. I'm much, MUCH stronger than you."

"I don't CARE!!" Eva howled. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE!!"

"YOU DON'T THINK I ONCE FELT THE SAME WAY?!" Agnes roared back, towering over the girl. "Huh?! You don't think I had family? Friends? People I cared about? Loved?! I was like you, Eva. I was human!" The witch lowered her voice into a growl. "But as fate would have it, I was meant for more. The thing they don't tell you about witches, Eva, is that we are chosen based on who we are, as people."

"What?!"

"You were never as innocent as you like to think you were. You are a witch, through and through. The only way you can get over this is to accept it!"

"No!"

"Accept it! Accept who you are, because believe me, no one else will!"

Eva screamed and screamed. How many times will she hear the same message relayed to her, over and over again? Eva was never meant to be accepted by anyone, she understood that loud and clear. But at the moment, she couldn't give less of a crap about it. She had lost her entire life because of Agnes! All this "true witch" talk had to be another trap, it just had to be!

With a final cry, Eva speared Agnes straight into the bubbling pot.

The witch let out a horrifying shrill as the contents of the cauldron boiled over her. Eva had to cover her eyes as bright lights blinded her vision. There was a loud rumbling as the cabin began to shake. Eva fell to the floor, unable to keep her balance.

Crack! Snap! BOOM!

Silence. Eva cautiously uncovered her eyes and and scanned the area. She was sitting alone in the middle of the woods; the cabin and the witch were gone. The only remains were the hollow black cauldron, as well as Agnes' old spell books and empty potion bottles. Eva reluctantly picked up a book, careful not to scratch it with her claws. Her appearance had not changed; she was still as monstrous as ever.

Eva lit a fire and flipped open to the table of contents. Image Altering...page 4. She turned to the page and began to read.

A light forest breeze whispered, "Good, Eva. I knew you had it in you."

Eva looked around. The woods were as dark and desolate as ever.

"Your best start will be on page 6, section 8."

Eva blinked, and turned to page six. There was no one else with her here, and the voice sounded too light and kind to be Agnes. Yet...

Eva shook it off. Must have been the wind, she thought as her attention drew back on the page. After an hour, Eva was able to turn a quarter of her pinky finger back to normal.

Eva giggled with excitement. Hm. The wind's advice wasn't so bad at all. And like that, Eva studied through many helpful breezy days and nights.

"Remember, you can never be rid of me."