Hocus Pocus II

                                                           Hocus Pocus II: The Witches Brew                     February 25, 2025

                                                                                                    [ wordcount = 700 ]
                                                                                          [Inspired By: Hocus Pocus I ]

          “Ouch!” I mumbled.
          After stepping into the wilderness, within minutes, I was already smacked in the face by a Birch tree; I was still pulling leaves, bark, and broken twigs out of my hair five minutes later. Next, an enormous Choke-Cherry bush blocked my path, but using my machete relentlessly, I fought as hard as that thorn bush resisted. Unfortunately, my strong-arm efforts made little difference; eventually, twenty-five minutes later, I won.
          “Machete of not …
          “OUCH!”
          “--- those thorns hurt,” I thought.
          “OUCH!”
          Additionally, further down the path, I was hit by a Blue Spruce, a dozen twigs and pine cones left their marks across my chin and neck; then, even further, it was a Douglas Fir tree. In addition, I encountered another thorn bush, more massive than the last, but it wasn’t a Choke-Cherry bush and numerous sticker burrs. Heck! I fell twice; I tripped on the nested vines that covered nature’s floor.
          After fighting for two hours; subsequently, I pulled thorns, twigs, and sticker burrs from every part of my body; I even had vines, leaves, and pine needles intertwined in my socks and boots. Furthermore, my right arm, my machete hand, was scratched at various lengths and directions, but running the full length of my arm. In fact, I pulled several thorns from that arm and they had blood on them.
          However, beyond the woods was a dark and dismal place: hills and valleys – a place of pure death! It's a place where men wasted their lives: they're chewed up and spit across this landscape, overshadowed by their hopelessness and despair. It’s the Gorge (of coal ash)!
          While I concealed myself behind some dried-up raspberry bushes, I noticed a clear, star-bright, moon-lit night; however, there was a smokey haze across the Gorge. Immediately, I smelled a wood fire burning fifty yards beyond me. Occasionally, the breeze shifted, and the smoke caused my eyes to water. I heard the subtle crackling, and an occasional snap, from that fire and the apparent bubbling and gurgling from the cauldron. It was like a heavy and sticky boiling syrup, but it emanated a rancid, stark, death-like odor; my stomach didn’t like it. Therefore, I covered my nose with a handkerchief until the breeze shifted again.
          Then, I noticed, through the haze, three figures wearing black clothing: a pointed hat, three-feet tall and it had symbols around it, and a long, draping cloak which also had symbols. Sporadically, they were cackling after one of them, and not the same one each time, dropped something in the pot – sometimes it was alive and kicking. One of them mumbled from a large book of shadows; the other two held the book open.
          Because I wanted to get closer (to hear her words) slowly, I inched around to my right, but remained concealed behind the foliage. Unexpectedly, An owl ‘hooted’ from behind me, but nearby and way up high. Just then. I heard a very loud fluttering in the sky so I snapped my head to the right. Passing in front of the moon, were five bats; they flew chaotically across the sky – the witches cackled.
          The shortest witch turned the page then, the first witch continued to read aloud. “Double double toil and trouble,” then she dropped something into the cauldron.
          “Eye of Newt, said witch number two, also she added something and they cackled again.
          “Fire burn and cauldron bubble,” continued witch number one.
          “Hair from a hog,” said one of them while she cackled. “Tail from a rat,” said another one, and she too cackled while adding something to the pot – it splashed.
          Witch number one said, “Tongue from a dog!” Then she dropped something wet and slimy from a jar into the pot.
          By this time, they were cackling louder than before, and I was so close that the stink was overwhelming. Now, I could clearly see that it was a juniper-green, bubbly goo. The most surprising thing they did that night was when they each held a cup, they cackled, and scooped that goo into each cup. Then, they drank that stinky goo; in fact, they emptied their cup in one go!