Deep In The Woods

Prologue

This was the witch's thirteenth birthday and the grandma knew it. She was confident that if she were to leave this world soon, that her granddaughter would be able to care for herself. For the grandma prepared the witch for this very moment. The moment when she had to say goodbye. The moment she was to leave this earth. The moment she was to become an angel. The grandma knew the adversity the young witch has already encountered in her short life would prepare her. She would remain strong and continue to strengthen her powers as each day passes after her grandma left the physical world.

The grandma sits and watches her granddaughter master the last spell in the old spell book that had the cover falling off the sides. Blotches of dropped iodine and food remains stain the crumbling pages of the book. The pages falling out with each turn while the ones that have fallen are taped back into place or held with a bobby pin.The grandma arises from her rocking chair walking towards the massive bookshelf in the next room.

The room was old while cobwebs sat in the four corners. It added a bit of a Victorian feel. The cat was asleep on the chaise lounge that was adjacent to the book shelf and opposite to the large bay window that grew to the height of the house. The grandma approached the bookcase and scanned the shelves until she found what she was in search for. She pulled it off the shelf while the books beside it fell in the empty space the book once sat. The book was covered in dust and with one wipe of the back of her hand she uncovered the dust to reveal the title. It was another book of spells. But this was more special than most. This spell book belonged to the young witch's mother.

The young witch was sat at her desk re-reading the old, crumbling, falling apart spell book she had been using since she could begin to practice her craft. It was filled with pieces of paper stuck in between paper, book marking her favourite spells with hints and tricks to better perform. She lined up a few of her make shift wands on the table as she cleaned the one in her hand. She didn't need a wand as her powers came from her hands but she liked the looks of them anyways.

The grandma approached her calmly.

"I have a present for you." She said holding the present up. The gift was wrapped in meat paper and tied with a thin piece of rope.

"I wasn't expecting anything grandma." The young witch said with a gleam in her eye and a smile hidden in her expression. She graciously accepted the gift and carefully unwrapped the gift to save the meat packaging and rope for a future present.

She unwrapped the gift to reveal the title of the book. Her eyes filled with tears as she scanned the pages seeing old and new spells. She was excited to begin to master new spells. She quickly got up excited to go outside to experiment.

"Hold on. I have to tell you something about the book." The grandma instructed. The witch sat back down in her chair and put a crochet blanket around to warm her from the sudden cool air that crept into the room. She adjusted her sitting position in the chair and turned her attention to her grandmother.

"The book is from your mother. When you were left on my door step 13 years ago there was a note. The note stated for me to take care of you. That's all there was besides you and the spell book. I never even got to know what she looked like." The grandmother said.

"I know I'll never get to know who my mother is or who even my blood grandmother is but grandma, even if I did get the chance to know, I would never change the life I have. This is a beautiful gift and I appreciate it. Thank you." The witch replied with tears streaming down her face. The tears staining her cheeks. But these were tears of joy. Her grandmother was the sweetest and she greatly appreciated everything her grandma has done for her. Since the day she found out she was adopted she had held onto the life she was blessed with even more than she ever had. She practiced in mastering her witch craft more and made sure to memorize as many spells as she possibly could.

Then her grandmother had died a month before the young witch's fourteenth birthday. Leaving only the cottage and memories.