Adventures of the Newspaper Boy

#11. No Thanks

Even if the cookies are tempting and look delicious, you don't want to drag on any more than you already have. You back away from the plate of cookies. You smile and politely decline.

You turn to leave when you feel her hand on your wrist again. This time, she digs her nails into your skin and her grasp is ice cold. You turn to look at the lady and see no trace of the kindness she once had in her only a moment ago. She now wears a sickening frown and her eyes are glossed over. Her breath is heavy. The plate trembles under her other hand.

CRASH

The woman sent the plate of cookies to the floor with great force, shattering the plate and its contents. A single shard of the shattered plate cuts into your leg as it flies away. It stings, so you let out a small grimace. The lady still hasn't loosened her grip and you can feel a warm liquid begin to form.

Holy crap, I'm bleeding

You look at her face with a look almost pleading her to let you go. Finally noticing your face, she reacts but not in the way you'd expect. Instead of letting you go, she tightens her grip and a smile plays on the corners of her mouth.

Panic shoots through you as you realize she had no intent to let you go. You wiggle and tug on your wrist, attempting to free yourself from her excruciatingly tight claws. She watches you struggle, and soon a light chuckle escapes. You break into a cold sweat as panic and fear slowly overtake you.

"Oh, I'm afraid leaving was never an option the moment you entered this store, dear," she draws out the last word, taking great pleasure in the sound of it.

"You see, I haven't had visitors in such a long time. I had hoped you would've had some of my cookies, but you just seem in too much of a rush. Let's see if we can't teach you proper manners, hm?" She tilts her head to the side, a wild look gleaming in her eyes. She slowly lifts her other hand with an inhuman smile spreading on her face. She snaps her fingers and her floral print dress and baby blue apron turn into grey, ragged robes. Her face becomes darker as if the light itself avoids her face at all costs from pure fear.

Your breath hitches at the sight before you as it sends shivers up and down your spine. Whatever panic you had felt before was child's play compared to what you feel now. She lets out a cackle as she sees your face clearly displaying the fear you feel. You wiggle again, but more forcefully this time in fear of what she might do next. She starts to feel her grip loosening from your thrashing so she reaches her other hand, aiming for a second hold on you.

You freak out and quickly do the one thing left to try. You bite her. She hisses and releases you from her clutches. With the brief moment of freedom, you dash to the first hiding place you spot while she isn't looking. You spot the counter nearby and dash behind it while you think of what to do next. Whatever she wants to hold you here for, it ABSOLUTELY can't be good. As your mind scrambles for what to do, she speaks again.

"Agh! Where are you? Do you really think you can hide from me? I'll have you know I am one of the greats of old! I am the witch of immortality! I can't live like this easily though," she says shifting around the shattered shards of plate and cookies underfoot. "Did you know the hearts of men are the key ingredient to immortality? It's true. My favorites are young ones, just like you. Yours might even send me back by 50 years!" She exclaims as she cackles at the thought of being young again.

You don't like where this is going. Not one bit. The best options you can think of are either make a run for it or try taking this witch or whatever she is out with whatever you can get your hands on. What to do?

Run Away
(go to chapter 17)

Or

Fight the Witch
(go to chapter 18)

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Author's Note:

To give a little description (if you want to know) of how the witch has been staying alive over the centuries is similar to Disney's Tangled. In Tangled, the witch just had to sing to a flower or something with the flower's powers to gain her youth back. In this case, she mixes the hearts of young men in a potion to be younger. The younger and the stronger the fighting spirit, the more years her body goes back in time (in a way). The older she gets, the more hearts she has to consume to prevent her age from catching up with her.

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