"Are you sure this is a good idea?" The little girl panted as she tried to keep up with her sister, barley catching herself from falling on her face.
Her sister shushed her and reached back to tug her forward a bit. "Keep up, and stop breathing so loud."
"I can't help it!" She pouted. "My feet hurt."
"I told you not to wear your slippers."
"Well, mom told us never to leave the house at night and never go into the woods, and we're doing both of those things right now."
The girls trudged through the over grown trail in silence for a few more moments before an owl in distance caused them to both to flinch.
"Emma, you don't really believe in the witch right? It's just a story, isn't it?"
The twelve year old paused mid step, turning to face her sister. "Of course I believe! I wouldn't be walking through the woods in the middle of the night if I didn't. And you'd better be careful what you say out here. She might here you."
"Stop it. That's not funny. Why don't we just go home?"
"We can't." Emma snapped.
"Why?"
She sighed heavily. "Have you heard the story of the witch?" Her sister shook her head. "A long, long time ago a woman lived in a cabin out here. She believed in natural medicine, but the people in town thought she was performing spells and stuff so they went to her cabin to light it on fire and get rid of all the evil in it."
"What they didn't know was that she did know a little black magic and as the cabin was going up in flames with her still inside she put a curse on these woods. If anyone ever disrespected her here again she would rise from the grave and start a fire in the persons soul."
"And they would die?" Her sister asked.
Emma nodded. "Yeah. They would burn from the inside out."
"I don't like this. I want to go home."
"We can't. Not yet."
"Why?"
"You remember last week when cousin Sarah came over? She said the witch was stupid and probably deserved what she got because she was bad."
"So?" Her sister shrugged.
"So, I was with her when she said it, and I kind of agreed with her. She made me think I was stupid too if I believed it so I said I didn't. But that night I saw her."
"Who?" She peered up at her older sister.
"The witch, Cassie. I saw the witch. She was right outside my window, tapping on the glass with her burnt, peeling fingers. She was staring right at me and I swear I could see a flame in her eyes. The legend says the only way to please the witch is too bring your most valued possession to where her cabin use to be and leave it for her."
"Did you bring something?"
Emma shook her head. "There is something else I want to try."
The two girls pushed forward a bit further before coming upon a break in the trees. About ten yards in front of them was a circle made of burnt grass.
"This is it." Emma whispered.
The air immediately felt colder as soon as the girls stepped into the circle and the ground seemed to sink in as they moved forward to the center. Cassie walked in front of her sister, peering around uncertainly. "Hurry up. I'm ready to go home."
"I'm afraid you can't, Cassie."
The six year old opened her mouth to speak, but before she got the chance she was tackled to the ground. The sisters struggled against each other, but Emma was stronger. She wrapped a large rope around her younger sisters arms, pinning them to her sides. She secured the rope behind her the girls back before rising to her feet and walking out of the circle, ignoring Cassies' cries.
"The legend says that there is another way to stop the witch from killing me. I can give her someone else."
"Please, Emma, I'm scared!"
"If that doesn't work, i'm still leaving her my most valuable possession- you. I'm sorry, Cassie."
"Wait! Emma, no! Please, please...."
Eventually the cries grew so distant that Emma could no longer hear them as she reached the edge of the woods. She paused to look back into the trees for a few moments, reaching up to wipe away the tears that had been steadily dripping down her cheeks.
'Get it together.' She snapped at herself. 'This had to be done. It was me or her, and I was here first!'
She shook her head sharply, marching towards the back door of her house. Just as she twisted the door knob an all too familiar shriek echoed through the yard causing Emma to flinch. The screaming went on for a few seconds more before all fell silent.
Emma pulled the door open with a smile. 'I'm safe.'
YOU ARE READING
creepshow (wattys2018)
KorkuHe's watching me. That's all he ever does. He stands on the other side of the glass and stares at me. He brings his friends and they join him in the pointing. They tap their fingers against the glass at me, the noise filling my ears, causing my worl...
