The witch stood in her study, surrounded by her potion bottles. She carefully flipped through her book, searching for a certain recipe for her latest experiment. Her book told her that while wolfsbane does wonders for suppressing lunar transitions, it also had the side effects of magical suppression as well. It would be perfect for her newest concoction to help protect her home from being seen by the nearby village. Humans never understood witches or their magics, so it was better to hide.

However, as she reached for her wolfbane bottle, she realized that it was empty. Frowning, she looked around for any other bottles. It was apparent she was out and she looked out the window. The moon was high in the sky, which was dangerous with the moonlight. The villagers could see her by the river. Although, it was late enough in the night, she should be fine.

She threw on her wool cloak and put on her large brimmed hat. Threading her arm through the basket, she left the house into the darkness. She cast a small orb of light in front of her as she walked around the trees and roots.

Once she found the river, she walked along the bank, looking for the purple plant to once again complete her ingredient collection. It took her a moment, but she found a small patch of moonlight lighting up the exact plants she was looking for.

“There we go,” the witch whispered with a smile.

She leaned down and plucked the flowers and placing them in the basket under her dark cloak. Her orb silently hovered in front of her, which lit up a small face when she looked up. A villager child had spotted her. She leaped back as the child stood still, fear covering her face. She was frozen.

“What are you doing here?” the witch hissed, looked around. It was rare to see a child so far in the woods by herself. “You need to leave.”

“You’re the witch,” the small human murmured in terror. The witch looked around, but the child stood at the easiest escape route.

“Leave,” the witch warned again, a quiver in her voice. She snuffed the orb out, leaving only the moonlight. “Leave. Now.”

“Witches are evil,” the girl whispered, the fear increasing in her voice. The witch cursed under her breath as she created a breeze to levitate her cloak menacingly.

“Now!” the witch screamed, startling the little girl. Guilt swelled in her heart, but the girl did not move. “What do you want?”

“I want to go home.”

“Then what’s stopping you?”

“I don’t know the way,” the girl answered, near tears. The breeze dissipated as the comment surprised the witch. She didn’t realize that the girl could have wandered off. The witch looked through the woods before hanging her head.

“I can help you,” the witch whispered.

“What?”

“I will help you get home.”

“Thank you,” the girl muttered after a moment of silence. The witch could feel the distrust in her voice. Removing the cloak, the witch cast a spell, causing it to levitate on its own. The girl marveled, the fear leaving her face. The witch tapped it twice with her forefinger before placing the girl on top.

“Hold on tight,” the witch smiled, wanting to help the child. She knew that the villagers would be angered if they saw the witch with the little girl, but the witch didn’t care. The girl would perish if she didn’t help, and the witch knew that was unacceptable.

They traversed through the woods as the village came into view. The witch frowned, watching the trees and clearings for any sign of activity. She wouldn’t allow herself to be ambushed so easily. The girl had fallen asleep during the journey and she quietly snoozed on the floating cloak.

The witch stopped just outside of the village and woke the little girl. Her big brown eyes opened and she smiled gently. The witch smiled back as she helped the little girl off of the cloak and to the ground.

“Is this your village?” the witch asked, suddenly realizing that it might not be this one. The girl looked at the houses and buildings before nodding.

“Yes, my house is right there,” she answered before yawning. The witch nodded and led her to the house.

She told the girl to stay on the porch before pounding on the door. With a wink and a wave, the witch dashed back into the woods, out of sight. She turned to see the little girl be embarrassed by two parents, both showering her in kisses as the girl laughed. The witch smiled and walked back to her home.

She placed the wolfbane on the table after she entered her house once again. She walked to her hammock in the corner and fell asleep.

The next morning, the witch woke slowly and stretched. She swung her legs to the side and stood up. She placed her wide brimmed hat back on her head and grabbed her kettle to grab some water from the river. As she opened the door, she found more wolfsbane on her door step. As she picked it up, she could hear a faint giggle and running feet. The witch smiled and placed the wolfsbane next to the empty bottles.