The Witch and Her Boy

It was a cold stormy night. The wind blew the trees, leaves flew off at incredible speeds. The streets were bare and the lights were on in the warm houses signalling that everyone was in for the night. A lone figure walked through the rain as it bit at his cheeks. He was a mere teenager, walking with no motivation to get where he was going. He looked up the path, between the rows of trees and saw the rain drops flying almost horizontally.

To a stranger he was simply stumbling about, his sweater soaked through, chilled to the bone and with no destination in mind. However, this unfortunate teen knew exactly where he was going, even in his compromised state. In fact, he was almost there.

The trees he had been following were in straight lines for a reason. The grass under his feet was clipped and taken care of. Each marble slate that he slugged past had a name and two dates.

Suddenly he collapsed. His knees hit the muddy soil in front of him. His hands seeped in as he knelt on all fours. He wearily brought his head up to gaze at his mother’s name written on a wooden stake in the ground. It had only been two days since the funeral, too soon for them to have the permanent tombstone. The grass hadn’t even grown on the dirt that covered her.

The boy struggled to look for too long. He sat back disgracefully onto his butt, dirtying his pants further.“Hi mom,” he began, “Sorry you have to see my like this.”

His words slurred together too much for his liking as he imagined his mother reprimanding him on his most recent life choice. He almost cracked a smile.

The rain died down miraculously as his hand brushed the wooden stake dug into the ground, however his heart was still heavy. His teeth began chattering at the wind continued on, freezing his soaked self.

“I haven’t been doing so well,” he admitted to the air. He pushed a hand through his sopping wet hair to push it back. He mother hated when it covered his face, or when it got too long and hung in his eyes. The wind gave one final gust before it was gone and while rubbing his arms her was able to find a little warmth.

He took a deep breath before speaking again. “It’s been really hard without you,” he brought a hand up to his face, covering his eyes. “I miss you too much,” his voice cracked as he held back a sob. “I’m sorry,” he said before finally curling in on himself. Heaving hot breaths as he attempted to calm himself from his crying.

A distraught figure held her head up with one hand and swung her legs as she watched him from above the cloud cover. The witch held her wand with her hand pointed to the rain clouds in front of her. She managed to stop the storm with a little persuasion. The rain was sent elsewhere and the wind was reasoned with. It was a beautiful night now, the clouds had thinned and the bright moon was finally shining through.She sent a gentle spell down towards the boy to calm him, it broke her heart to see him in such a state. Then she put the thought in his mind to look up.

The next thing the boy knew he was taking even breaths, and staring at the quarter moon. He felt a sense of relief and the longer he stared at the sky the better he felt. Soon he was sprawled on his back, eyes wide open, lazily counting the stars that glowed above.

The witch smiled. She had been following him for quite sometime and had taken a liking to him. Or maybe that wasn’t the right word, if she was being completely honest with herself she would say that she had fallen in love him a long time ago. After watching what happened to his mother she vowed to protect him in any way that she could and this was step one.

Reciting another spell she softly pointed her wand down towards the Earth, a light glow flowed out of the tip but it dimmed the closer it got to the boy. The spell would reassure the boy, give him a warm feeling that he had been possibly lacking since his mother’s passing.

She hoped he knew there was someone looking out for him.

The witch sighed as he physically relaxed his limbs. She yearned to be down there but she was bound to be among the stars. She couldn’t get anywhere near the surface.

She waited and watched as a few hours later the boy picked himself back up and began walking back the way he came. The witch got up and jumped from cloud to cloud, asking for them to appear before her if needed. She followed him every night and the clouds had come to somewhat understand her needs.

He entered his home and she felt him fall asleep as the glowing light returned to her wand.

She was determined to keep him well.

Everyday and every night she watched him. He went to school, he came home, he went out with friends and the witch longed to be so friendly with him.

Month after month, year after year.

She felt her spirits lift when he was happy. Her heart sank with his at every pitfall in his life.

She was a mere sprite when she found him and now here they were. She could feel it. His light dimming as he got closer to death himself. She was terribly scared for him. That was the first time that someone around her was dying. Witches lived for much longer.He began slowing down. He steps not as quick and his mind not as sharp.

And it wasn’t too long before his body stopped.

The witch watched on with a heavy heart and she realized that this terrible feeling it what he had been feeling that night at the cemetery. Her hand flew to her chest as she struggled to breathe. Her heart felt like it was dissolving little by little and the next thing she knew the boy was gone.

She searched for days. She had never gone so long without seeing him. Dark clouds filled the sky as she became more and more anxious. The rain poured down on the poor town for weeks as the witch was filled with intense sorrow. Half of the time she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t dare try to talk as her throat felt far too tight for any words.

Then she felt it.

The hollow thump in her chest as her heart disappeared entirely.

The witch fell to her cloud surface and pressed a hand to her chest.She was absolutely dying.

The stars gathered around her.

They cuddled and comforted her as she faded.

The moon shined its brightest in her memory.

A witch’s death was rare but her love had been so true to the human that she could not continue to live without him.

“Stella?” The barista called into the open cafe.

A mousy girl with stars in her eyes shot her hand up and smiled, “Yes, that’s me!”

She looked up and locked eyes with the man behind the counter.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Her cheeks flushed.

Her head was telling her that she knew this boy. The crooked smile and ruffled hair was all too familiar. And the intense feeling in the back of her mind was almost nauseating.

“Uh-

“Hey-

Stella stopped talking but he insisted she continue, “Sorry, I just feel like I know you. Have we met before?”

“I was going to say the same thing.”

They smiled at each other and he finally handed her her coffee.

“I’m off at 6.”

“Maybe I’ll be here…” She trailed off.

“Evan.”

She gave him one last beaming smile before spinning and leaving the cafe.

She felt powerful.

Her finger tips were tingling with magic that she had never felt before.

All she was certain of was that she wanted this feeling to continue.