Thomas's POV
We came upon the witch's cottage just as the sun was about to set behind the mountains. I wrapped my arms a little tighter around Mary's waist (her turn to drive the horse) as she steadied horse into a quick trot. The cottage looked normal enough, which scared me even more.
We dismounted and hesitantly made our way to the door. Mary turned to me and started biting her index finger like she always did when she was nervous.
"Would you like to knock or should I?" She asked not taking her finger out of her mouth.
"Well, I shan't deprive you of the pleasure my dear." I bowed and gestured to the door. She took her finger out of her mouth.
"My hero." She rolled her eyes and walked semi-confidently onto the porch, used the door knocker, and stepped back again. After a few moments we heard a chain rattling from inside and looked at each other nervously. A second later the door slightly cracked open and we were greeted by a frail voice.
"What is your business here?" There was no source of the voice. Only darkness.
"We can't see you, sweetheart." Mary said gently. I was expecting a little girl to come out of the shadows, but instead it was a young lady of no more then 18. She has very short fiery red hair and piercing blue eyes, as well as a rather fresh looking wound across her right cheek. There was a moment of thick silence.
"I don't hear a response. Must I repeat the question?" There was no life in her voice. Her question didn't even sound like a question. This young lady was drained of her essence somehow, and I made a silent vow to help her when our quest was complete. And by the look on Mary's face I could tell she was thinking the same. Mary cleared her throat.
"Um, no." Mary stood a little straiter. "Our business is with the witch to whom this cottage belongs. Is she presently available to have council with us?" The young lady didn't even blink.
"Yes."
Another long moment of thick silence. I squinted at her. Her pupils were not black, but instead were blood red. She stood a little straighter as if partially snapped out of a trance.
"Please, come in." She opened the door wider and walked inside in such a way as though she were made of wood. We heard the chains dragging again, but saw nothing. After a moment of hesitation, Mary took the first step inside. It seemed like a rather normal cottage, a large bookcase against the left wall, low ceilings, only three very small rooms. But what was quite odd was that there was no furniture except an armchair and a little table next to it. Someone (assuming it was the witch) was sitting in the chair by the fire, her back turned to us. The young girl had disappeared somewhere.
"Excuse me." Mary said politely, but with strength. "Remember us? You know...half of the people you cursed with your damned rings." She was getting agitated now. A low and demonic chuckle bounced off the walls and sent a shiver down my spine. A bony hand appeared from behind the chair and snapped. The door behind us closed so fast that the wind from the motion was forceful enough to make us take a step forward.
"Oh, my dears..." There was that sickening coo that Mary and I knew all too well.
It was her alright.
"You really shouldn't have come...but then again, I knew you would anyway." She stood with a great amount of effort and snapped her fingers again. The fireplace erupted into green flame and turned the whole room emerald. And out popped the furniture. A few chairs, a long table for meals or more likely sacrifices judging by the buckles and straps on either side. And in the corner, tied to a pillar was a weeping Margaret and a very confused James. Mary and I ran to them immediately, but the witch flicked her index finger at us, which sent us flying at the back wall. I hit my right shoulder blade on the door knob. I groaned through gritted teeth and looked to see what had happened to Mary.
She was luckier then I was and seemed to not have hit anything. She got back up immediately and started running to Margaret again before the witch held a hand up. Mary stayed running in one place, incapable to push through the invisible force. The witch's back was still to us.
"What have you done with my friends you bitch?!" Mary growled and pushed every ounce of herself into getting past that shield. I finally stood and tried pushing with her but it was no use. Eventually witch dropped her hand and Mary and I dropped to the floor, making the witch chuckle again. We immediately scrambled to our friends and were finally able to reach them. Mary went to Margaret and I went to James.
"Are you alright, James?" I asked gently placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes, I'm alright." I tried to drown out Mary and Margaret's conversation and just focus on James. He really needed it. "But something's horribly wrong with Margaret and she won't talk to me, she won't even touch me...it's like the very sight of me hurts her now." I took a quick glance at Margaret. She was weeping uncontrollably, shaking her head and speaking incomprehensibly as Mary hushed her and stroked her face. I put a firm hand on James's neck and looked strongly into his eyes.
"We will find out what's happening, and when we do everything will be alright."
"Are you so sure of that Mr. Algrenon?" The witch said, finally turning around. How the hell did she know my last name?
She's a witch hah, stupid question.
"What do you mean?" I asked trying to hide the fear in my voice.
"Nothing ever turns out alright, dear." She said putting finger quotes around the word alright. "Haven't you figured that out yet? You all have had some emotionally scarring things happen to you in the past and you still have hope...sickening." She slowly started walking towards us, her body moving like a snake. "What's one more curse?" And with that statement she cackled so loud the whole house shook. My heart caught in my throat, blocking the words I attempted to scream at her.
"Why us?!" Mary yelled. The strength in her tone was astonishing. "Why the hell would you choose to band together a random group of people just so you could teach us your sick life lessons?!"
"Because of you're parents, you little brat!" The witch hissed at Mary and walked closer. "I used to be one of your Father's closest friends...in fact, I...I thought he loved me." She quickly turned away, cracking her knuckles and stretching her neck. "Anyway, after he married your whore of a mother-"
"MY MOTHER IS MORE OF A WOMAN THAN YOU WILL EVER BE!" Mary's scream was so demon-like it made the hair on my arms and neck stand up. She tried getting up and attacking the witch, but the witch simply blocked her off with her magic shield. Mary fell hard in the ground and I tried to help her up but she shook me off and reassured me that she was okay.
"I wasn't finished." The witch rolled her wrists around in circles and proceeded to circle us with snake-like movement. "Then they had you and their happiness made me so sick and angry that my hair grew white and my beautiful face withered away. So I returned to them when you were about twelve and said I would kill you if your mother didn't die within the next two years. And so your father went on a journey to find someone to reverse the curse, but when he got back it was too late. Your mother killed herself to protect you and you went off to take care of yourself and found her." She pointed at Margaret.
I looked over at Mary as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"My father is alive?" She whispered.
"Unfortunately, yes. He still lives in your old little cottage, but no matter." She walked to the little table by the chair by the fire and put the tips of her fingers into a little wooden bowl. The witch rubbed them together vigorously until a little spark went off between her three main fingers of each hand. "You won't be able to find him where I'm sending you." She started slithering towards us again. "You think your bond of love and friendship is so damn strong? Just watch yourselves forget about each other in the blink of an eye." The witch clapped her hands together and looked at us wildly, licking her lips.
"Oh, and Thomas." I looked up at her, my stomach in my throat. "I'd take a good look at Mary. You won't be seeing her or remembering her for quite some time..."
"You can't do this you haggety old bitch!" Mary screamed and unsheathed her sword, ready to attack again.
"Oh, but my dear," she turned to me and looked me dead in the eye. For a terrifying moment, everything froze. "I'm doing it right now."
She snapped her fingers and everything went black.
After what seemed like hours later, I felt wet, soggy ground beneath me. A bed of seaweed perhaps. I opened my eyes to look at my surroundings and noticed I was on a lovely beach. White sand, gorgeous blue-green waters, not a cloud in the sky. Unfortunately I had a terrible headache, and a seemingly important name was trying to fight its way out of my mouth, but I couldn't remember...all I know is it was a woman's name...and every time I blinked a beautiful face would flash like lightning across my eyelids.