The Witch by the Bay

The Witch by the Bay



Ashely bent down towards the lake to look at her reflection. She touched the heat bumps and pimples one her face. “ugly,” she said to her reflection. She picked up a jar of yellow cream with the letters W B T B on the front. She sticks her hand in the jar and rubbed the yellow cream all over face. Then she looked at the front of the jar again, “Witch By the Bay….Right…This shit better work.” Ashley looked at her reflection once more and saw the cream slipping off her face like butter melting on a piece of toast. Then she hears someone screaming her name.

“Ashely!”

She whipped her head towards the screams, “Oh hell…What that woman yelln about now.” She put her hands in the lake and wiped the yellow cream off her face. She rose to her feet and ran back home….Towards the screams.

Ashely ran to her rickety brown house and saw her mama standing outside with her hands on her hips. She noticed that her mama was wearing an apron which meant that she had to leave for work soon.

“Where you been girl?”

“I was down by the lake mama.”

“Where Bryan?”

“Ummmm….He was behind me just a few seconds ago,” Ashley said while hunching her shoulders.

Just then Bryan Abraham came running out of the trees panting as if he just ran from the next town over.

Ashely looked at Bryan and then back at mama while smiling, “See,”

“Where you been boy.”

Bryan tried to catch his breath and speak at the same time. “I was…” he looked over at Ashley’s face to see her squinting her eyes at him. “Down by river.”

Ashley huffs her breath and looks to the side, “So stupid,” she said under her breath.

“Aint, no river round here boy, said mama “Mmmhmm…… yall was prolly messn round with that old white witch again.

“No mam, I know better than that,” Ashley explains.

“Yea me too, I’m scared of that old woman so I won’t never go by there…no mam…sure wont.”

Mama raised her eye brow at Bryan, “Mmmhmm….you better learn how to lie boy.” Then she turned around and walked into the house. “Well yall come on in and eat your breakfast before it gets cold.

Both Ashely and Brian sat down at a small table with plates that had eggs and biscuits on them.

“Mama, can I have another biscuit?” asks Ashely.

“No eat your food, and stop being greedy or you’ll be fat_ and ugly.” Bryan snickers, and Ashely nudges him in the shoulder.

“Ouch….Mama she hit me!”

“Both yall stop all that yelling before you wake up Johnny,” mama snaps.

Then suddenly a door creaked in the back ground. Mama turned her head to see little Jonny walking out his room holding his teddy bear.

He yawned while rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. “Mama”

“Oh baby, did those little monsters wake you,” mama said while bending down to Jonny’s eye level.

“Yea mama, they were loud, and I was having a good dream too.”

Mama comforted Johnny by giving him a hug while rubbing his back, “Are you hungry baby?”

“Yeeeeea,” Johnny wines.

Mama got up and grabbed the biscuit off of Ashley’s plate and gave it to Jonny. “Here you go Baby.”

Ashely sucked her teeth while frowning, “Mama I’m done. Can I go to the lake?”

“No girl, now hush…. Mama gotta make sure her baby is nice and full,” Mama said while feeding Jonny a Biscuit. “Besides I’m leaving for work soon and you gotta watch mama’s baby.”

“Mama he six years old, he ain’t no baby.”

“Don’t you sass me girl.” Ashley sucks her teeth again. Mama hears her, and throws Jonny’s teddy bear at her. “Girl, keep getting an attitude with me and you gunna have more than pimples on your face.” Ashley folded her arms in front of her and looked away. Mama stood to her feet and patted Jonny on his head.

“Mama I want to go to the lake, and play,” said Jonny.

“Oh baby…That’s ok, your sister will take you. Ain’t that right Ashely?”

“But you just said….” Ashely catches herself in mid-sentence. “Yes mam.”

Mama grabbed her purse and headed for the door, “Ashley you in charge. Now I want the house cleaned up by the time I get back, and that means SWEEP… and MOP!”

“Yes mam,” said the kids

Mama pointed at Bryan and gave him a stern look. “And you better not do nothin stupid while I’m gone boy.” Bryan nods his head quickly in agreement. “And take Jonny to the lake,” mama said as she walked out the door.



Jonny put on his suspenders and sandals, then ran in to living room and saw Ashely and Bryan sitting on couch listing to the radio. “Take me to the lake,” demanded Jonny.

“No boy. Get out of here,” said Ashley.

“I said…….” Johnny brought his leg back and kicked Ashely in the shin. “Take me to the lake.”

“Ow boy,” Ashely got up raised her fist to hit Jonny but paused mid-way, when she noticed Johnny flinching.

“Don’t do Ashley,” said Bryan. “Remember how mama made you sleep outside the last time you hit Johnny.

“Yea you better not hit me, or mama gunna beat yo ass.”

“Shut up Johnny!” said Ashely while lowering her fist. “Go wait outside so I can take your spoiled self.”

“I’m not spoiled I’m special,” Johnny said while running out the door.

“Arrrg I hate that little brat, he gets on my nerves.”

“I know, don’t like him either but he’s mama’s favorite. What can we do?”

Ashley looked outside the door and saw Johnny kicking dirt out in the front yard. She looked up and saw a tree with a rope hanging from it. “Hey Brian you remember that time we caught that pig in that noose trap on the ground?”

“Yea, why?”

Ashley grinned at Brian and chuckled a little, “Let’s play a trick that little brat.”

“What trick?”

“Ok….You go out a head and put a rope trap on the ground, and all the while you’re doing that. I’ll be lead Jonny to you making him think we’re going to lake. Then when he walks in to it_ it’ll string him high and make him scared.”

“Ummmmm…..I dunooooo.”

“Come on Bryan don’t you want to see that little brat get scared?”

“Yea but what if he tell mama?”

“If he do we’ll just say someone else laid the trap and we didn’t know it was there.”

“Ummm…ok I guess.”

“Ok you go first and I’ll follow behind you, and remember put it on the way to the river.”

“Ok.” Bryan ran out the house past Jonny.

Jonny watched as Bryan runs into the woods and then turned around to see Ashely on the front porch. Ashely put on a big smirk, and asked Johnny, “Are you ready to go to the lake?”

“Yea, but where Brian going?”

“Oh he’s going to meet us down there.

Ashely looked at Johnny as he skipped gaily down the path back behind woods. She frowned at his back, but every time he turned around to look at her she put on this big fake smile. Then she saw Bryan climbing out of a tree where he set the trap, and noticed that Jonny was skipping in the other direction.

“Hey Jonny, this way is faster,” she said while pointing the other way.

Jonny stopped, and looked at Ashely smiling, “OK,” he said joyfully. Then he began skipping in the other direction.

Jonny continuing skipping in front Ashley as she waited for him to step into the trap. She looked ahead to see the trap and watched as Jonny stepped right into it.

Jonny’s body flung into the air as the tree branch flopped back in place. Bryan came around the tree and stood next to Ashely. Both of them watched and laughed as Jonny hung upside down from tree, swinging back and forth like animal caught in a tree.

Jonny screamed for his life, as he was looking at the ground struggling to get loose. “AHHHHHHHHH…..MAAAAAAAMMMAA HELP…..MAAAAAMMMMA.”

Ashely and Bryan continued to laugh as Jonny was screaming for his mama. Then Jonny began crying.

“All right, all right that’s enough fun for one day. Go ahead and let him down Bryan.”

“Ok,” said Bryan While giggling. He started to walk over to tree when the rope snapped in half, and Jonny fell to the ground head first.

Ashely and Bryan stood motionless with their mouths open as they looked a little Jonny’s body.

“O….Shit,” said Ashely with her eyes widen.

Bryan ran to Jonny’s body and immediately started crying. “Jonny…hey Jonny you ok? Please tell you ok. I’m sorry ok, I didn’t mean it. Jonny…Jonny you ok right?”

Ashely looked at Bryan crying, and her eyes began to tear up as well. Her legs began to tremble as she slowly walked over to little Jonny’s body. She pushed Bryan to the side and kneeled down next to Jonny.

“Is he dead?” asked Bryan.

“I don’t know.”

“Well how do we know if he is?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well what we are we going to do?”

“I DON’T KNOW BRYAN!” Ashely snapped.

Bryan stopped crying and frowned at Ashely. “Don’t yell at me! This is, all your fault.”

“My Fault?” Ashely screamed back.

“Yea…It was your idea.”

“No one told you to put the rope up that high.”

“Well you didn’t say how high to put.”

Ashley huffs her breath at Bryan, “Just shut up, and let me think Ok.”

Bryan began to sob again while he looked at Jonny’s body.

Ashely grabbed Jonny’s shoulders and shook him violently, “Wake up Jonny. Wake up or were not going to the lake.” Tears started to flow from Ashely’s eyes as she began to break down. “Come on Bryan,” she said, “let’s take him home.”

Ashley sat on the table across from the couch were Jonny’s body was laying. She sat their thinking with her knuckles to her chin contemplating what to do. How can I get out of this? How will I explain this to mama? What could I possibly say to mama that will make her understand?..…Nothing. All I had to do was take the stupid boy to the lake, and I couldn’t even do that. Mama’s going to kill me and Bryan’s going to be an only child. Ashley looks over at Bryan bending down with his knees in his chest bawling so much that his shirt was wet. Then she looked at her reflection in the mirror that was hanging above Bryan’s head. She touched the bumps on her face, “I’ma be uglier than this after mama gets done with me. Wait, that’s it……..”

“Bryan, I know what to do.”

“What,” says while sniveling

“All we gotta do is go see the Witch by the bay.”

“Why we gunna go see her?”

“Because she has all types of magic potions and spells. Maybe she has something to bring Jonny back to life. In fact I’m sure she has something that does it.”

“But mama said we not supposed to go over there.”

“Do you wanna get in trouble when mama comes back, or even worse go to jail?”

“No,” Bryan wines.

“Then we are going to see the Witch by the bay.”

“OK, but what if that’s don’t work?”

Looked at Jonny’s body and saw that some of the color had left his face. “If this doesn’t work, then……………………………”Ashley shook her head, “Never mind that_ it will work.”

The witch by the bay lived in an old white mansion just across the lake. No one new why she called herself a witch or said she lived by the bay, but parents always told their children to stay away from the old white woman that lived alone across the lake.

Ashely and Bryan walked up to the old mansion through the large grass and bushes. Bryan carried little Jonny’s body on his back, while Ashley held a jar with yellow cream in her hands. “This way,” said Ashley, “She lives this way.”

Both the kids walked up to the witch’s door and saw a door bell that was in the mouth of a lion. Ashely rang the doorbell and a loud ferocious roar came from the door. Bryan jumped and screamed almost dropping Jonny on the ground.

“Be careful fool,” said Ashely.

“Why? He’s already dead.”

Ashley bawled her face up at Bryan as the door from the mansion was opening. Both looked through the door way and saw nothing but darkness, and then they heard a voice laughing.

“heheeheheeheee, Come in my pretty’s,” the voice said.

“No way am I going down there, she’s going to turn us into frogs. I just know it.”

“Frogs?”

“Yea I read it in a book. These went to go see this witch and they turned into frogs, and nobody ever saw them again.”

“Boy you know you can’t read now shut up and come on.”

Bryan followed behind Ashely as she walked through the dark hall way. He grabbed on to the back of her shirt to make sure he didn’t lose her in the dark.

“Let go of me Bryan,” snapped Ashley

“But what if I get lost?”

“You wouldn’t get lost if you just open your eyes, fool”

“What?” Bryan didn’t realize he shut his eyes, but when he reopened them he saw an old skinny white woman mixing oils in a mason jar. “Hmmmm, I thought you’d be fatter.”

The old woman’s eyes shot over at Bryan, “What’s that you said,” she replied.

Bryan flinched and ducked behind his sister.

The witch then looked over at Ashley and saw the jar of yellow cream in her hands. “Your back my pretty. Are you unhappy with your product my dear?”

“No mam it’s not that it’s just….Well you see I want to trade it in for something else.”

“Hee heee, something else huh…..What did you have in mind?”

Ashley put the jar on a table and grabbed Jonny’s body off of Bryan to lay him in front of the witch. Then she got down on her knees and began sobbing. “I need a life potion to bring my little back to life. You see I was angry at him so I played a trick on him and hung up by his legs on a tree. But the rope snapped and he fell on his head and now……………..Heeeee’s deeeeaad. Sniff, sniff. Please help us mam or our mother will be heartbroken”

The old woman looked at Johnny’s body and saw a big bruise on his head. She bent down and put her finger under Jonny’s nose. “Hmmmmmm I don’t know? How long has he been dead?”

“Maybe a couple of hours,” said Ashley.

Bryan came over and got down on his knees as well. “Can you help us please? If you don’t we could go to jail. Please, please help us.”

The old woman rose to her feet and rubbed the bottom of her chin. “Well I do have a way buuuuuut…”

“But what,” asked Ashley?

“It requires something so cruel that it may be impossible for you to do.”

“What is it? We’ll do anything.”

“Annnnnything?”

“Yes anything.”

The old woman walked over to cabinet and pulled out an old necklace with a red ruby in the middle of it. Then she reached down into her pocket and pulled out some red and blue berries. “To bring your brother back to life you must make a sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice,” asked Ashley?

“Yes. The only way to bring your brother back to life is to sacrifice someone else. They must eat these berries while wearing this necklace. Then after you have your victim place the necklace around your brother to neck to revive him.”

“Whaaat, that’s crazy,” Bryan said.

“It’ the only way,” said the old woman, “You must sacrifice someone else for your brother to be spared from death.”

Ashley looked over at Bryan and saw his mouth hanging wide open. Then she looked at Jonny’s body. “We’ll do it!”

“Ahh you must have a heart of ice to ruin another life.”

“No, Ashley we can’t.”

“What choice do we have?” Ashley snatched the berries and the necklace from the old woman and shoved it all into her pocket.

“I wonder whole you sacrifice next, maybe one brother for the other perhaps?” the old woman said as she gave a devilish laugh.

Ashley held the berries in one hand and the necklace in the other as she sat on the table across from Jonny’s body. She kept looking at all three to try and decide what to do next. Bryan stared at the side of his sister’s face as stood beside her.

“What we going to do now.”

“Be quite and let me think, ok!”

Bryan took a step back and frowned at Ashley. “I’m tired of you always yelling at me!”

“People wouldn’t yell at you if you weren’t so stupid.”

Bryan raised his hand back and slapped Ashley on the side of her face, while screaming. “I’m not stupid!”

Ashley turned around and tackled him to the ground making the berries and the necklace fall to the ground. “Arrg look what you made me do, you dummy.”

“I’m not a dummy, you’re a dummy now get off me.”

Ashley got off of Bryan and collected the Berries and Necklace.

“Stupid,” Bryan said while sitting up. “I should’ve stayed in town, and played with my friend instead of being here.”

Just then Ashley face perked up, and she looked at Bryan. “You mean that homeless man mama told you not to mess with?”

“Yea that’s right. I know mama told me not to but he’s nice. He gives me candy; he laughs at my jokes, and HE DOSEN’T CALL ME STUPID!”

Ashley’s face grew into a big grin as she listened to Bryan, “I got an idea.”

“Is that him,” said Ashley.

“Yea that’s him.”

Both Bryan and Ashley hid back behind the corner of the building they were standing next to. Then Ashley gave Bryan the berries and the necklace. “Now you remember what to do right?”

“Yea I do, but do I have to do this.”

“Argg…Bryan quit being so difficult. You heard what the witch said. We have to sacrifice someone else for Jonny back to life.”

“I know but……”

“But nothing, it’s the only way.”

“But he’s my friend,” wined Bryan.

“And Jonny’s your brother. Besides that man aint got no family and aint no one guanna care if he’s gone or not.”

“Oooook. Why can’t you do it?”

“Because he don’t know me. Now go head.”

Bryan walked from behind the corner of the building and across the street to where the homeless man was standing. The man saw Bryan and began smiling.

“Heeeey it’s my little buddy. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Bryan said in a low voice.

“Well that’s good. What can I do for you today? If you want candy I’m sorry I’m fresh out.”

“Know it’s not that….Its juussst…..” Bryan looked back over at Ashley and saw that she was gritting her teeth then he took a big gulp. “I have something for you this time,” Bryan said with a fake smile. “Here see,” Bryan held out the necklace and the berries in his palms.

“Oh what do you know a gift for me, from little buddy.” The old man put on the necklace and gobbled up the berries. “Thank you little buddy. I was getting hungry there.”

Bryan put his head down and said, “Your welcome. I gotta go now.”

“Alright then I guess I’ll see you later.”

Bryan ran back behind the corner of the building and hid behind Ashley. “Now what?”

“Now we wait.”

Ashley and Bryan had been following the homeless man for hours when they noticed the sun was setting.

“mama’s going to be home soon,” Ashley thought to herself “Why isn’t this working.

Just as soon as she began to doubt she noticed the old man gripping his stomach.

“oooooh,” He moaned

“This is it Ashley whispered to Bryan.”

The old man held his stomach tightly and fell to his knees and moaned again this time louder. Then he coughed once and fell the rest of the way.

The two waited a moment and looked at each other. Then Ashley ran over to the man and removed the necklace. Then she looked at Bryan crying and then at the necklace. Afterwards she let a big sigh of relief.

It was night time and Mamma had finally made it home from a long day of work. She entered her house and saw Bryan and Ashley both sitting on the couch listing to the radio. They both turned around and looked at her.

“Hey mama,” said the both of them.

“Don’t he mama me. Look at this half ass job yall did in here. I bet you didn’t even mop.”

Both the kids looked at mama with long faces, and when mama noticed she stopped her rant. “What’s wrong with yall?”

“Nothin,” said the both of them.

“Well I don’t mean to come here and start fussin at yall, but you wouldn’t believe what happen to me today.”

“What,” asked Bryan?

“On my way home this old man popped up out of nowhere talking bout can you help me, cuz my stomach hurt. I told him, hey look I got three kids and all of them eat for days. If you want some food you better get a job cuz I aint got nothing for you.”

Both Ashley and Bryan picked their heads up and looked at each other.

“Anyway where’s mamas baby,” said mama as she opened the door to Jonny’s room, and before mama could get through the door little Jonny came running out of the room and leaped into his mother’s arms.