Deep In The Woods

9.

They both sat in silence for a few moments. The boy staring at the wall again. The girl setting her gaze towards the window watching the autumn leaves fall to the ground in preparing for a new winter. The boy's mind kept thinking of different questions to ask her but he didn't want to intrude. This was her house, she let him in the cottage of course. But maybe she was shy. Or maybe she didn't trust him. I mean who would with what the towns people did to her? He is a towns person after all. She must have seen him in the crowd.

He felt terrible now. His heart sank into his stomach and a bile taste surfaced his mouth. Guilt washed over him as well.

"I'm sorry for what the people did to you. It wasn't fair." He whispered with a croak and a crescendo in his voice. He felt terrible still for what happened. He set his gaze on his sac and an idea popped into his head.

"Do you perhaps-" but the witch interrupted the boy.

"I know you weren't one of them." She exclaimed. Her eyes round with a tear in the corner. Her anxious mind began to twirl and the invasive thoughts came to the front. She worked at ignoring these intruders but it gets tiresome. She has a problem but a problem with no one to help her in the solution. She needs help with this. However, the witch is stubborn and has not let anyone but her grandmother into her mind and thoughts and feelings. She has never had the opportunity to open up to a stranger. To feel the relief of letting everything go. To just let all feelings rid the body in a rush.

The boy sat there wide eyed. His heart began to race and his mind began to settle into fear. His fear was that she wouldn't know he was not one of them, one of the townspeople chasing her. He was fearful she would pull a spell to rid him. He was nervous of all the rumours that were escalating through the town. He was anxious the townspeople would be right about her.

"I know you weren't one of them. I saw you. In the back. You sat there watching but I could tell you were concerned." She explained while she twiddled her thumbs and chewed a piece of her hair in an anxious state.

"I was furious not concerned."

This statement made the witch's mind begin to scatter again. Could she trust him? Of course she could she knew she could. Maybe? Possibly? Hopefully? But what did he mean by furious? Was he furious at her? Is that what he meant? Why was he not concerned? Well why would he be? He doesn't even know her. The witch is getting ahead of herself again.

"Let me take you on a picnic to tell you. To show you. I want to help you." The boy said.

"With my plan?" She wondered as the boy nodded his head.

"But how did you know about it? I never told anyone. I have no one to tell anything to actually." She said as she picked up her hair again and the twirling intensified. He shrugged and she took that as an acceptable answer. He wasn't obligated to tell her of course. But it would make her mind rest if he did. She decided to think positively and she took a rest from her twiddling thumbs.

Just then a spark of light erupted from the witch's fingers and jolted the side of the fireplace. The boy jumped as the witch sat in shock. Pieces of the brick fell to their death on the wooden floor.

"How did that happen?" She thought. She clenched her hands tight together and studied her heart rate and breathing pattern. Both had accelerated since the boy has arrived but this was more. It was as if she had no control over herself. It was as if she were five again trying to gain control of powers.

Another spark of energy hits the wall as it escaped her clutches.

She threw her hands underneath her armpits tightly. Her bracelet digging into the tops of her ribs. She didn't care. She couldn't. She reverted back to her old tendencies as a child to control her powers. It was as if everything she had been taught was gone. She forgot everything. All of her tricks and ways to keep her calm and cool.

When dealing with magic one has to have a calm mind. Their hands must be free and open while also constricted and controlled. The mind must be clear of any distractions. 100% of focus is set on the spell. But with the boy here, the witch is having evident difficulties. And she knows it but is too distracted to release the cause of effect.

"Can I take you on a picnic? To explain everything? To say why I'm here? In full detail. I have my sac of food we can use. It's all packed. I just need a blanket to set the food on unless we find a picnic table." The boy stated.

The witch inside began to ponder.