Being Lost and Found

Witch or Human

She was a pretty fast climber for a women of her age. She quietly stepped off the rope and faced me.

She had another bowl of oats her hand. She gave me the bowl and sat down on the floor in front of me.

"Eat child, I know you haven't been eating the mouse." She glared at me.

"Ok." I said.

I could remember the last two times she sat down here. Once to drug me and the other to get angry with me. It was probably best not to talk to her and just eat the oats.

She grabbed my arm. "I know I just started feeding you oats again, but I expected you to be thinner from the week of mice." She gave me an evil look.

"I don't know" I said quietly.

"Don't lie to me child why aren't you bony? Has somebody else been feeding you?" She said angrily.

"No." I tried to look her straight in the eyes to be more convincing. I somehow knew this was technique of showing your being honest with someone.

She just grunted "Hurry up and finish."

I nodded shoving more oats in my mouth. They weren't as good as the first day I tried them.

When I was done, I could feel myself getting dizzy and tired.

Damnit she did it again.

I woke up and I had a different dress on. It was longer and it covered my arms. My hair and body was cleaned again.

Something was off. I looked up and the witch was still in the same spot staring at me.

"How do you like your dress?" She asked with an evil grin.

"Its ok." It was probably better to wear something longer it gets cold down here.

"You probably want to know why I drug you to clean and dress you." She said.

"Yea." I responded why the hell do I need to be unconscious for that. "Its not like I can run." I mumbled.

Before I knew it, I felt a sting across my check. She'd slapped me.

It took everything not to make a noise. It was a hard slap. I just resolved to grabbing my cheek.

"Don't you ever question the hand that feeds you and bathe you again." She shouted at me.

But didn't she bring it up first. I just nodded in response.

"I use to have a daughter, she was around your age." She said with sadness in her eyes.

I wanted to ask what happened to her but I wasn't sure if that would give me another slap or not. I wasn't really in the position to fight back either because of my weak legs. There was just no way I would win even though she's an old lady, she had legs.

She continued "she was taken from me at a young age. I had two older sons, but she was my youngest. My only little girl." She began crying.

For a moment she looked like any other human mother crying for their child. I felt bad for her. I wanted to ask how she was taken but its definitely not a good idea.

She stopped crying and looked up at me. "The person who took her from me is suffering like they deserve." She was smiling.

I began to feel uncomfortable. Why was she telling me this?

"I bet you want to know how their suffering?" She laughed. "Because I took something from them."

What?