The Witch's Countdown

candlelight flickered, casting long, twisting shadows against the wooden walls. The girl sat motionl

t cried.

But this one was different. It was unnaturally still, its breathi

voice broke

e child," she said, h

ed up at her

med in the dim light. "Bec

her head. "I do

hing the baby protectively. But the witch didn't touch her

r mind is full of questions. But you must le

fingers tightening aro

herself than to the girl. Then, without another word, she turned and disappe

, making sure the witch was truly gone. When she was certai

reached out and pulled the edge of t

caught in

's eyes

n't the eyes

th something far older than the tiny body the

ally, the bab

y sigh. Almost

rl shu

g was ve

ng it would make the eerie feeling disappear. She didn't kno

even know why

e been in this place? It felt like she had just woken up here, with no memor

e until she was e

se. She was already olde

zed her e

d to g

ft. Maybe the do

and tiptoed across the room. The old wooden planks creaked

and pressed her sma

ck

est ti

might, but it wouldn't budge. Frustrated, she turned to look aro

fr

was stari

yed. S

th

, as if something unseen ha

's breat

ng was

in the room. Not just the baby

ross the floor. The darkness in the corne

h

his

om the

m her o

the w

nd, like a voice j

herself against the door,

ddenly as it came, t

fell sile

r, realizing she had b

blinked

still

watc

appening in this place, whatever the wi

e would survive eighte