The Price of Beauty

Original Version (2016): IX

The witch pounced on her. Eva tried running out the door but there was suddenly a new one in place. Agnes stood in front of it. The twisted old shrew had never looked more terrifying.

"Come here, my little lizard," she sang. "You would make a fine tasting broth." She lunged again, this time with a dagger in hand.

Eva shrieked. There wasn't much room to run. Her chest heaved with anxiety as she backed away from Agnes, knocking a table over by accident.

"Tsk tsk tsk," the witch said. "It's not nice to run from a little old lady."

Eva shook, her face covered in tears. She sobbed heavily. This is it. I'm going to die and it's all my fault. This is the price I have to pay...Eva stared at the boiling cauldron behind Agnes. ...Or not.

"I gave you happiness Eva," Agnes continued. "And now it's time you give me mine."

Just as Agnes lifted the dagger in the air, Eva knew it was time to make her move. With a scream, Eva speared Agnes back and shoved her straight into the boiling pot.

The witch let out the most horrifying shrill scream ever to pierce Eva's ears as she fell into the cauldron. Eva had to put her arms around her eyes as green, blue and purple lighted smoke blinded her vision. There was a loud rumbling noise as the cabin began to shake. Eva fell to the floor, unable to keep her balance.

Crack! Snap! Boom!

Silence. Eva slowly opened her eyes and looked around her. She was laying in the middle of the woods. The cabin and the witch were gone, only the black cauldron stood in place on the dirt. Eva reluctantly got to her feet. She felt something slide at the bridge of her nose and realized her glasses were back on her face. Eva looked down at herself. She was wearing her old, unflattering clothes again. Her arms were no longer thin and clawed, and her skin was back to normal, no green scales in sight. She was back to her old self! Eva started to smile, aware that she had just defeated a sorceress. Eva laughed in relief and victory.

Cautiously, she walked over to the cauldron and peaked in. Nothing but an empty black hole. Eva took a deep breath of fresh, woodsy air. Past the pot, she saw a gravel path carving away through the trees and faint streetlamps flickering in the distance. Eva smiled, then noticed something moving by her feet. It was a tiny newt. Eva raised a brow at it. She looked at the path toward freedom, then stomped on the newt, squishing it under her heavy boot.

With her head held high, Eva marched down the gravel path, away from the cauldron and toward happiness.