A Witch Story

Potion

"Ugh, my feet ache."
I collapsed under a nearby tree and gave my feet a rest. "How far away can this witch cottage be?"
I dug in the knapsack I had brought along and fished out an old leather book.
The pages inside were yellow and brittle with age, and all blank. The only thing inside was a folded up map with faded colors.
I carefully unfolded it, for fear it would turn to dust in my hands.
"Okay, so, I'm on the edge of Jade Forest. The cottage is on the other side of that tiny river..."
I looked up and my voice trailed off. That tiny river, was 20 feet wide.
Great. I had anticipated a river, but I thought I could jump across it.
"It may be shallow, I could walk across it," I put the map back In the book, and the book back in my bag.
I walked over to the river and found a stone near the water. I threw it in and with a plop and thud it landed on the river bed.
Good, I thought with relief. I can walk across.
I slid off my thin shoes and put one foot in the cold water. It just then occurred to me how thirsty I was.
The Water looked clean. It wouldn't hurt to take a couple drinks.
I bent down and gulped the fresh spring water.
"Ahh," I sighed. " That's better."
I continued through the river. There were some rocks and the occasional fish, but nothing really fit in my way, and the water felt good on my sore feet.
I reached shore, dried off my feet, and put my shoes back on.
I scanned the area for a path of any kind. Nothing. Figures, the Witch wouldn't want just anyone wandering into her house. I sighed and got out my map.
I followed the map to the place where the Wich cottage should've been.
But instead of a building, there was an stone. It was as tall as me and was beautifully engraved with the words:
To receive what you seek, be honest with your desires. For I do not give to greedy, selfish, liars.
I repeated the words out loud in hushed tones.
Be honest with my desires? I thought. Does it mean I need to say what I came here for?
Worth a shot
I took a deep breath.
"I need a potion so the one I love, will love me." I sighed.
The ground shook and knocked me off my feet. In awe, I watched as a cottage rose out of the ground.

♢

Once the rumbling ceased, I slowly got up and walked to the door.
I paused for a moment.
She's probably not even home. I bet that old woman lied to me. I doubted. but even so...
I knocked on the door, and as my knuckles lifted the door flew open.
"So I hear you need a love potion?" The voice came from a women tending a cauldron.
"I, uh, yes ma'am," I stuttered nervously.
The woman laughed.
"No need for formalities," she said. " Just call me Lilith."
"Okay, Lilith, " I said, a little more confidentlly. "I would like to purchase a potion."
"A love potion, correct?" She asked with a smile. "Who might this potion be for?"
"Uh," I blushed.
Lilith laughed again.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to,"
I sighed with relief.
"Anyway, let's get to work," she said. " But first I'll need to see that you have the money to pay."
I dug out a couple of coins and she inspected them.
"All good,"
I put the coins back in my bag.
"Okay..." Lilith scanned a shelf of bottles and sacks and boxes which contained, what I assume were, her ingredients.
"I'll need; Lavender, Mistletoe, and..." she scanned her shelf again. "there it is, snake venom."
"This isn't going to hurt them is it?" I asked, worried.
"It won't kill them, no," she said.
Lilith waltzed over to a clean cauldron and poured in a whitish liquid. Next she grabbed an unlabeled, pink bottle and put a few drops in. As it hit the liquid, a red puff of smoke erupted, and the liquid in the cauldron turned pink.
I stood anxiously, waiting.
"Now that the base is done, here comes the fun part." She smiled mischievously.
She picked up a clear vial filled with purple powder. She put a tiny amount in the cauldron and the pot began to hum.
"Ahh. Beautiful," Lilith smiled. "That's how you can tell if the potion is gonna turn out."
The humming grew louder. Lilith took three lavender blossoms and dropped them in. A faint purple smoke followed. Next she put four mistletoe leaves into the cauldron. The mixture inside turned from pink to green.
The music changed.
Lilith wafted the scent to her face and grinned.
With a smile, she took the bottle containing the venom and poured exactly two drops.
I watched as the venom fell, and it seemed to go in slow motion. A large puff of smoke arose and the mixture began to bubble.
The music changed drastically, and became louder.
Lilith hovered her hands over the cauldron and began to sing;
Beware and bewarned, of this sacred spell, cause for love lusted souls it never ends well,
They come and beseech me from far and from wide, searching for bottled love.
But, their quest for another, always ends in a broken heart.
Beware and bewarned of the power of lust...
May you not make the same mistakes.
Once the words left her mouth, the music died down and the cauldron stopped bubbling. It went from green to the color of red wine.
She took a long slender vial and poured the potion into it.
"I'll need a hair of yours," she said. "So the potion makes the person fall in love with you."
"O-Okay," I plucked a hair off my head and handed it to Lilith.
She dropped it into the vial and the potion turned a yellowish-orange color.
"There," Lilith smiled. "One love potion."
She handed me the vial and I almost dropped it.
"How much do I owe you?" I asked.
"One silver coin,"
I dug in my pocket and pulled out a single silver coin. I handed it to Lilith.
"Thanks for the business!"