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Authors: Lauren Quick
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cawed. Her familiar circled above her head, his wings ruffling in the wind.
Staring into the distance, Vivi saw the cleaved tree.
She stopped dead, assessing what stood in the clearing ahead of her. She felt a flicker of hope.
It was a sign; she was close.
Vivi eased forward, scanning the woods. A scuffing sound came from the distance, pulling her forward. Then the scent of brimstone and burnt ash hit her in the face. Through the trees she saw a figure moving, stumbling, hunched and swaying. It had to be the witch from her vision. She quickened her pace, her stomach lurching.
“Rumor! Get the sheriff!”
The bird flew off in the opposite direction. Vivi’s heart pounded in her chest. She had found her! Vivi ran as fast as she could across the uneven ground. “Hey! Over here! I’m coming!”
The closer she got to the Y-shaped tree, the stranger the figure looked. Viewed from behind, the witch’s long tangled hair was darkened with sweat and mud, but it wasn’t blonde. It was shot through with gray. Vivi squinted and brushed the sweat from her brow. She ran to the witch’s side and clutched her thin body in her arms, and as she stared into her face, she realized immediately that the witch wasn’t young. Her eyes weren’t green but faded blue, and her smooth skin was creased with wrinkles. Vivi held a witch hunched, not from exhaustion, but from time. She wasn’t young at all, but an old woman, and she definitely wasn’t the witch from her vision.
The witch cradled in her arms was a complete stranger.
Vivi spoke with a calm soothing voice. “Can you hear me?” There was no response. She gently eased the old witch to the ground. “I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe now.”
The witch gave no indication that she heard Vivi or even knew she was there. Vivi stroked the woman’s long matted hair and tried to comfort her. Two deep red grooves encircled her wrists, similar to the marks on the witch from her vision. She winced at the sight of torn red skin, indicating the poor witch had been bound.
“Can you hear me? Were you alone? Was there another witch with you?” Vivi pleaded, searching the woman’s eyes for answers, a sign she understood, but the witch said nothing. She was so thin and frail Vivi thought if she squeezed too hard, she might break, but she held her in her arms and tried to comfort her. Her body trembled. She was wearing only a shredded gown that looked like it came from a healer’s ward. Vivi slipped her coat off and wrapped it around the witch’s body to try and warm her up a little until help arrived.
With a terrible realization, Vivi sensed the witch was empty, void of the energetic spark all witches carried inside of them, as if her magic had been drained. It was another thing she and the witch from her vision had in common. The idea of losing her magic turned Vivi’s stomach, both angering and sickening her. Who could do this? A lump formed in her throat. Sorrow and disappointment filled her, but her feelings were trivial compared to what this witch must have gone through.
Time seemed suspended before Sheriff Gardener and Juniper arrived. Luckily for Vivi, Lance took control of the situation and immediately sent Juniper for a hover-transport to come and take the injured witch to the nearest healer ward. His swift, decisive actions were those of an experienced officer. Vivi sat on a boulder off to the side while he worked, putting up a barrier spell that acted as magical crime tape. Two more deputies arrived shortly after and began an investigation of the area.
The sheriff handed out orders and then joined her. “So any idea who the witch is?” he asked.
“No. I’m sorry, I don’t.” Vivi shook her head. “She’s not the one I saw in my vision.”
“Well, there isn’t much more you can do here. For now this area is considered a crime scene, and it goes in one big circle.” He motioned a giant arc with his arm, pointing out the large scorch mark on the ground
Staring into the distance, Vivi saw the cleaved tree.
She stopped dead, assessing what stood in the clearing ahead of her. She felt a flicker of hope.
It was a sign; she was close.
Vivi eased forward, scanning the woods. A scuffing sound came from the distance, pulling her forward. Then the scent of brimstone and burnt ash hit her in the face. Through the trees she saw a figure moving, stumbling, hunched and swaying. It had to be the witch from her vision. She quickened her pace, her stomach lurching.
“Rumor! Get the sheriff!”
The bird flew off in the opposite direction. Vivi’s heart pounded in her chest. She had found her! Vivi ran as fast as she could across the uneven ground. “Hey! Over here! I’m coming!”
The closer she got to the Y-shaped tree, the stranger the figure looked. Viewed from behind, the witch’s long tangled hair was darkened with sweat and mud, but it wasn’t blonde. It was shot through with gray. Vivi squinted and brushed the sweat from her brow. She ran to the witch’s side and clutched her thin body in her arms, and as she stared into her face, she realized immediately that the witch wasn’t young. Her eyes weren’t green but faded blue, and her smooth skin was creased with wrinkles. Vivi held a witch hunched, not from exhaustion, but from time. She wasn’t young at all, but an old woman, and she definitely wasn’t the witch from her vision.
The witch cradled in her arms was a complete stranger.
Vivi spoke with a calm soothing voice. “Can you hear me?” There was no response. She gently eased the old witch to the ground. “I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe now.”
The witch gave no indication that she heard Vivi or even knew she was there. Vivi stroked the woman’s long matted hair and tried to comfort her. Two deep red grooves encircled her wrists, similar to the marks on the witch from her vision. She winced at the sight of torn red skin, indicating the poor witch had been bound.
“Can you hear me? Were you alone? Was there another witch with you?” Vivi pleaded, searching the woman’s eyes for answers, a sign she understood, but the witch said nothing. She was so thin and frail Vivi thought if she squeezed too hard, she might break, but she held her in her arms and tried to comfort her. Her body trembled. She was wearing only a shredded gown that looked like it came from a healer’s ward. Vivi slipped her coat off and wrapped it around the witch’s body to try and warm her up a little until help arrived.
With a terrible realization, Vivi sensed the witch was empty, void of the energetic spark all witches carried inside of them, as if her magic had been drained. It was another thing she and the witch from her vision had in common. The idea of losing her magic turned Vivi’s stomach, both angering and sickening her. Who could do this? A lump formed in her throat. Sorrow and disappointment filled her, but her feelings were trivial compared to what this witch must have gone through.
Time seemed suspended before Sheriff Gardener and Juniper arrived. Luckily for Vivi, Lance took control of the situation and immediately sent Juniper for a hover-transport to come and take the injured witch to the nearest healer ward. His swift, decisive actions were those of an experienced officer. Vivi sat on a boulder off to the side while he worked, putting up a barrier spell that acted as magical crime tape. Two more deputies arrived shortly after and began an investigation of the area.
The sheriff handed out orders and then joined her. “So any idea who the witch is?” he asked.
“No. I’m sorry, I don’t.” Vivi shook her head. “She’s not the one I saw in my vision.”
“Well, there isn’t much more you can do here. For now this area is considered a crime scene, and it goes in one big circle.” He motioned a giant arc with his arm, pointing out the large scorch mark on the ground
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