A Tear for Lagrima

Even with a mole on her nose Lagrima was exceptionally beautiful. Lagrima lived in the deepest, darkest part of the forest where she wouldn’t have to be bothered with other people. The forest was her protection from those who might have a prejudice against witches.

Isaac was a shepherd who was tending sheep nearby. One of the sheep he was watching wandered off and led Isaac deep into the depths of the forest, right to the home of Lagrima.

Isaac was the first man she had ever met who did not want to kill her just for being a witch. She felt an instant connection to him. Her heart started beating faster every time he looked at her, and she almost swooned when he smiled at her. Their first interaction, though, was brief as Isaac nervously grabbed his sheep and hurried back into the forest.

Years of living in solitude had created a longing for Lagrima, not only to be with someone, but to enter back into society as a part of the community not as an outcast. She knew the best way to do this was to give up being a witch and marry one of the people of the village.

She was drawn to Isaac, and just needed to make a potion that would make him fall in love with her. Lagrima pulled out the cauldron for one final spell. The cast iron pot was blackened and warped, but had provided years of delicious concoctions. Squinting at her recipe book, she scratched the mole on her nose. She looked around to see if she already had any of the ingredients. She had the 10 five-leaf clovers, the puff of dragon’s breath – taken from the inside of a live dragon and the pair of identical snowflakes. The fourth ingredient though, was always the hardest to find, one male teardrop, caused from the loss of a loved one.

Lagrima took it as more than just coincidence when Isaac returned to her home a few days later. He wasn’t sure why he came back, but then he started coming by a couple times a week and they started spending more and more time together. He was fascinated about the life of a witch while she was becoming more and more infatuated with him and kept trying to figure out a way to finish her potion, so that she could make him fall in love with her.

After a few weeks the Lagrima got her answer. Isaac was a little fidgety that day. “I need to ask you something”, he said, “We’re friends, right?”

“Of course we are”.

“Well, there is this girl that I met, and I really like her, but she is way out of my league. She is different from all the other girls I have met. I think I am even falling in love with her and…”.

“And you want me to use my special witch powers to make her fall in love with you, right?”

“Yeah.”

Although disappointed and a little jealous that Isaac had found someone else, she immediately began to think how she could use this to her advantage. Trying not to show her excitement, Lagrima simply said, “Come back in three days and I will have what you need”.

Three days later, Isaac came back. She filled up a small flask with a thick, bubbling, purple liquid. Dip the tip of a dart into the flask and simply shoot it at the person you want to fall in love with you. “Just be careful not to be seen beforehand. You need to hit her when she is not looking and even then you have to be the first thing she sees; otherwise it won’t work.”

A few hours past and Lagrima was sitting down, congratulating herself on her trickery. By giving Isaac a flask of poison, he would shoot this girl he loves and be overcome with grief. “Then, when he comes back to me crying, I can use one of his tears to finish the love potion and make him fall in love with me forever”, she thought to herself.

Movement caught her eye through the cracked window. She turned her head, but saw only a handful of multicolored leaves whisk past. She shivered as cold air leaked through the window’s cracks, and leaned down to stoke the fire. She thought she felt something brush by her leg and reaching down she pulled out a dart dripping with a purple liquid. She looked up and saw Isaac standing in the doorway holding a dart gun. Overwhelmed by the cold realization of Isaac’s true love, her face turned white and with the last of her energy, she managed to whisper the words “I’m sorry” before collapsing to the ground – dead.