Forlot - Books 7-9

Chapter Twenty-One

In an instant, there was a flash of light, like that my picture was being taken, and all the light faded. The inside of the cave was dark once again.

I could feel a headache coming on and massaged my forehead. I guessed that it was because of the white light.

"Maria!" I heard Tabceo call out to me. She hopped into the cave until she was next to me. "Are you okay?"

"Yep," I replied. I really did not have the desire to talk because of my splitting headache.

"You sure about that? You are giving yourself a massage."

"Just a headache. That is all. Nothing severe."

"Do not lie to me, Maria. You admitted to our fans that you have a splitting headache."

I stopped rubbing my forehead and looked down at her. "How did you know that? It was not in quotes."

"By giving this book a good read. I read this and all the other Forlot books before the Forlot series was popular."

I blinked twice, and my headache immediately disappeared. I think that it was because I was not focusing on it anymore. "You did it, Tabceo."

A confused look plastered on the bird. "If you mean stating the obvious, then yes."

"Yes, but it does have a name. The Forlot characters before us have done it many times." I tapped my chin with a finger, thinking. "It consists of four words."

"You mean the words 'breaking,' 'the,' 'fourth,' and 'wall.'"

I snapped my fingers. "Yes, Tabceo. Yes! Breaking the fourth wall! You just broke the fourth wall. By the way, what is with your voice?"

The poor bird was shaking. She hopped onto my foot and wrapped her wings around my leg, hugging me and still shaking.

"T-that was not me, M-Maria." She gulped. "Also, you m-might want to l-look behind you."

I did what I was told and shifted my body until I could get a glimpse of who my little friend was referring to.

The fire that we spotted earlier remained. The only difference now was that most of the wood that was being used by the fire had vanished into the orange flames.

But that is not what caught our attentions.

There was a person - yes, a live person - sitting next to the fire.

It was a woman. An old woman. She had long, white hair that was in tangles, and for clothes, she was wearing black shoes and a gray rag that was stained and ripped.

She had her hands near the fire, her long, bony thumb and fingers stretched out. The skin on her hands was pale and had warts and cuts.

"We have to go," Tabceo insisted. "My gut is telling me that woman is a witch."

"Oh, please. Do not leave me just yet," the old woman rasped. Her voice was hoarse.

She pulled her skinny hands back from the fire and rose.

"It is not often that I get visitors. I am so lonely here."

"Maybe it is because you are a witch!" Tabceo proclaimed. "What are you going to do? Eat our souls? Use some kind of magic potion on us?"

The woman bent down and picked up a long piece of wood. Turns out, it was her cane, and she turned her body around so that she was facing us.

A disturbing smile spread across her face, showing us her rotten teeth. They were yellow, and a worm was even stuck in the hole of one of them.

I had to cover my mouth to keep from gagging.

"What is the matter?" she asked. "Did your parents ever teach you to respect your elders?"

"Not if some elders have a worm trapped in their tooth!" my bird friend yelled.

"Ah. I see that you have met one of my pet worms."

I slowly uncovered my mouth. "Your pet?" I said. "Why is it in your mouth then?"

"My worms are also my dinner, and I just finished my dinner. So I guess that one of them got lodged in my tooth. I did not know until you pointed it out."

"How did you not know? It is still alive and squirming!"

She shrugged. "It is just another one of those mysteries of life."

The old lady grasped one end of the worm and pulled it out. The worm soon escaped from the hole of the tooth...

...but its freedom did not last for even a second.

The woman laid it on her tongue and chewed.

"Ew!" Tabceo and I said in unison as we looked away.

Gosh. This lady had issues.

She swallowed the worm, which was now nothing but pieces, and staggered closer to us. The creepy smile remained.

"You two look absolutely delicious," she said. She licked her dry lips, and I saw a large wart on the tip of her nose. "Tell me. Are the two of you lost?"

"We do not have to answer to you!" the red bird shouted. "And you had better think twice if you wish to eat us! You have no idea who you are messing with."

The old woman giggled. Even her giggles gave me the chills. "Do not fret. I have not come to eat you. I have to come to assist you."

"Pfft! Yeah, right. We are not stupid, witch."

"I know that you are not stupid. I can sense it." She lifted her nose and sniffed. "Oh my. And you are not ordinary either, Maria."

I was shocked that she knew my name. "How did you know that? 'Cause you are a witch?"

"I am no witch. I just know these things. Plus, you are wearing the pendant around your neck."

"You are insane. There is no..."

Sure enough, I spotted the pendant.

"How did this get here?"

"The cave gave it to you, child. You are a Pure Heart." She held out a bony hand. "Now come with me. I can help you."