The Witch

12- year old Christopher walked down the dark hall of the orphanage looking closely into
the rooms. Where is she? he thought quickly. Then he heard it, a soft giggle, coming from
the end of the hall. Ha Ha, Chris judged, I got her. He looked into the girl’s dorm room
and he saw her.
“Emma, I caught you.” Chris said with a gleeful laugh. “Jessica I found her!” He
yelled down the hall to his partner. “I’m coming!” Jessica yelled back from afar.
“You haven’t caught me yet!” 10- year old Emma squealed as she started to run
around the room. “You’re still it, you’re still it!!!” she chanted. Chris ran into the room
and began to chase her. They ran out of the room and down the old-fashioned stairs of the
orphanage home. Chris ran tiredly trying to catch up with Emma when she charged into a
large closet and closed the door. Now she’s mine! Chris pondered excitingly.
Suddenly, little Jessica appeared in the hall looking at Chris. Chris turned to her
quietly and gave her the hush sign and pointed to the closet. Jessica nodded her head in
thrill and slowly crawled towards the walk-in closet, being as tranquil as possible. Chris
reached the door first and he pressed his ear to the cold wood. She must be holding her
breath, he considered when he didn’t hear a sound. He put his hand on the handle and
turned it slowly, trying to get the touch of dramatic impact. He then pulled it open quickly
with a large yell. The yell was cut short when he looked in the large closet and saw no
Emma. I know she ran in here, he thought.
“Where is she Chris?” voiced Jessica.
“I’m not sure. I know she ran in here though and we would see her if she tried to
escape.” he announced.
“Maybe she found a mommy.” suggested Jessica, marching far into the closet.
“She couldn’t get a mom in a real home, let alone a closet!” he proclaimed,
walking into the closet also.
“Christopher, look at this!” Jessica shouted. He skipped over to her and open his
mouth in awe. There was a hole in the ground, possibly the size of a tire. They glanced
into the hole and saw nothing but darkness. Did Emma go down there? Chris wondered.
“What are we going to do? Look there’s a ladder.” claimed Jessica pointing to the
side. Sure enough there was one.
Christopher thought for a minute and then turned to Jessica and said, “Mrs.
Ashburn will kill us if we don’t have Emma when we go to dinner. Obviously Emma went
down there and I don’t want to be punished for her curiosity. I’m going down there, only
to save her, and you should stay here and wait for us!”
“NO Way! If you’re going down there so am I.” the adventurous Jessica mouthed.
“Fine lets go!” Chris said annoyed. He looked down in the hole and than back to
Jessica. “Are you scared?”
Jessica looked at Chris with wide charcoal eyes that answered his question. So am
I, Chris thought. He took a deep breath and climbed in the hole. The hole wasn’t as deep
as he thought, maybe 10 feet. Once on the ground he waited patiently for Jessica. He soon
felt her standing next to him.
“Look Christopher,” Jessica breathed excitingly, “There is light at the end of the
tunnel.” They gradually ventured down the underground passage, feeling no rush. 10
minutes later they were at the end of the burrow and were surprised to see what was
there.
It was a large a room, basking in candle light. There was a huge mahogany table in
the center of the room. There were only two seats at the table, one occupied by a small
figure, wrapped in a dark cloak, and the other occupied by Emma.
“Look there she is.” Chris whispered to Jessica. But who is the other? he thought
There is something about the dark one, what is it? He felt a hand crawl onto his forearm,
squeezing tightly.
“Is that what I think it is?” Jessica murmured, frighten. Chris looked at her and
saw something strange in her eyes.
“What do you think it is?”
Jessica looked back at him and voiced softly, “A witch!” Chris shivered instantly
and looked at the dark figure. Yes, that’s it, she’s a witch! noticed Chris. There is her
pointed hat and her monstrous cat. Why didn’t I see it before?
“Why is Emma with her?” breathed Jessica fearfully, “Is the witch going to eat
her?”
Chris gently hugged Jessica and told her that of course the witch wasn’t going to
eat Emma, but in the back of his mind, he wasn’t so sure. We have to save her! Chris
thought.
They watched the witch and Emma at the table. They were eating something. It
can’t be poisonous if the witch is eating it too! Maybe she is trying to fatten Emma up so
she will be more filling, pondered Chris.
Suddenly, Jessica had a strong sense of courage and ran out of the burrow into the
large room, crying to Emma all the way. Now she will be caught too! Chris thought, I
can’t just stand here! He dashed after Jessica heading towards the witch thinking of a way
to enable her to use magic. No plan came to him, but he ran to the witch as Jessica ran to
Emma.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” yelled Emma. Chris stopped dead in his tracks and
looked at her.
“We’ve come to rescue you!” he responded, but looking at her he saw no fear on
her face. Does she know she is with a witch? he asked himself.
“I don’t need to be rescued! Amelia and I were having a nice talk.” Emma said in
the sophisticated tone she always used around adults.
“Amelia?”
“YES AMELIA! DO YOU THINK I WOULD TALK TO MYSELF?” Emma
often yelled when she spoke. She thought it got the point across.
Without warning, a hand was placed on Chris’s shoulder. He jumped back in
surprise and found himself looking into a gentle face of a young woman. Forgetting that
she was, in fact, a witch he felt calmness with her. It must be her spell he thought
instantly.
He grabbed Jessica, beginning to move backwards, and said, “Stay away from us,
Witch.”
The so called Amelia looked down at the ground and kicked her dirt floor. She
looked towards Emma and than back to Chris and Jessica. Chris was surprised to see tears
in her eyes. What kind of witch is this? he thought.
For the first time, the witch spoke. “It is true that I am a witch, but I am a nice
witch.” She said quickly seeing the fear in both Chris’s and Jessica’s eyes. “I’m down here
all by myself, except for Midnight, of course.” She pointed to her dark cat. “So when
Emma came down I thought I might be able to make a friend. I’m not a very good witch,
so the others don’t like spending time with me. They are afraid that I might transform
them into a bull frog or something. But I promised myself no magic when children are
down here! I couldn’t take the chance of hurting one of you.”
Chris felt both sadness and shame. How could he accuse a person of being bad?
Now looking at her clean face and turquoise eyes he couldn’t dare believe that she would
hurt Emma.
“I’m sorry that we came down here and scared you. We just wanted to find our
friend. Your name is Amelia right? I’m Chris and this is Jessica.” he said friendly.
Amelia smiled at Chris and Jessica. “Yes, my name is Amelia. I’m very glad to
meet both you, Chris and Jessica. Would you like some of my chicken soup? I’m a very
good cook!”
And with that Chris and Jessica sat down at the table. They learned more about
Amelia and when it was time to go they didn’t want to leave. They promised to return to
the lonely witch and they did, almost every single day!