Child in the Woods

November, 1682

It was a cold late autumn morning. Sarah had been sent out to once again hunt down and lure children back to the cottage she shared with her two older sisters. They were determined that day to feast on a child's life and preserve their youth.
She lurked through the forest singing the usual song she used to bewitch and lead her unsuspecting young victims to their demise. Despite her efforts, no children seemed to be responding and wandering from the village and into the woods. Just as she was about to turn around and head back to face her eldest sister Winnifred's anger, she noticed something.
About a hundred feet away, across a clearing in the trees, she saw a small figure laying in the fallen, dried up, leaves. She crept closer to get a better look. As her view of  it got better, she smiled wide. There laying asleep in the brush, was a young girl. She couldn't have any older than seven or eight. It was way too easy. All Sarah had to do was carry the sleeping child off to their home. Maybe she wouldn't even wake, and they could feed her the potion and suck out her life while she slept. When Sarah approached her, she knelt down and brushed away some of the reddish brown hair that covered her dirty face. Sarah examined her delicate features and lightly traced them with a finger.
She felt something different about this girl. She pondered hard for a minute before shrugging it off. She carefully hauled the child up, and excitedly took off in the direction of her home. The feeling she had about the little girl grew stronger as she continued on her way, but she ignored it. She was much too enthralled to bring home this prize.
When she reached the cottage, she ran up the fronts step and kicked the door with her foot. Her hands were much too full to open it herself.

"Sisters. Tis I." Sarah called.
She looked back down at the child in her arms, glad to see she hadn't woken her just then.
A moment later, her sister Mary opened the door.

"Sarah what..." she began before she saw what Sarah was holding.
"Ohhhh" she crooned, moving out of the way so Sarah could enter.
"Winnie!" Mary called excitedly as Sarah bounded in.

Winnifred turned around from where she was standing at the cauldron. When she saw the sleeping young girl in Sarah's arms, she gasped and her eyes widened. Her lips then turned into an evil smile as she began walking in their direction. Perhaps they could finish the deed with absolutely no struggle. They could simply open the child's mouth, slip in the potion and suck out her life before she even had the chance to wake. No need for restraining or fighting for compliance at all. It would be quick and easy.

"Lay her there sister Sarah!" Winnie instructed gleefully, pointing toward the settle bed near the fire. Sarah quickly and carefully did as she was told. Mary followed closely behind and helped her gently lay the girl down. Winnifred made her way over and sat down at her side. She grinned and placed a hand on the girl's cheek. Just as she did however, she gasped and pulled the hand back.
Mary and Sarah looked at her in confusion.

"What is it sister?" Mary asked Winnifred cautiously, unsure why her entire demeanor had suddenly changed.
Winnifred continued staring down at the girl.
"This be no typical child". She answered quietly. She then proceeded to place her hand on the child's face once more, this time on her forehead. A moment later she moved her hand away and shook her head.
She looked up at her sisters.
"Tis one of us". She she said finally. "I can feel the power within her".
"What?" Sarah asked in disbelief.
"You mean she..." Mary began before Winnie cut her off.
"Exactly what I said!" Winnifred snapped.

"I can feel the power of the craft stored within her. She is much too young to use it, but tis there".
Mary and Sarah stared at the girl in shock. Sarah knew she felt something different about her. However, the thought that this little girl could too be a witch, never crossed her mind.
"What shall we do with her Winnie?" Mary asked.