A gust of wind blew through the dark forest. The branches creaked in the eerie silence and a wolf howled in the distance. A black cat sitting on an old oak tree jumped down and landed on the shoulders of a hooded figure. The figure took a glance around, eyes glowing green in the dark forest.
With hastening footsteps the hooded figure walked deeper in the forest and not so soon reached the smallest hut one could imagine. Throwing open the door with a thud the figure walked inside the hut which had a corridor so narrow, only one person could fit in through at a time but when the corridor ended it led into a magnificent hall that could fit more than ten thousand people with ease.
A girl appeared in the doorway blocking the path. She was tall with a beautiful round face, striking blue eyes and blonde hair. She wore a white dress that reached down her ankle and had an innocent smile on her face. But her eyes betrayed even the slightest bit of innocence.
‘What is it Sir that brings you here? Have you lost your way through the forest. If yes, please do come inside I am sure my mother would be more than happy to share her meal- ’
‘Put down the act, Shire. Show me Viz's room. ’ The hooded figure said in a perfectly feminine voice and took off her hood revealing an even prettier face, no, the prettiest face, decorated with a pair of forest green eyes. She raised her palm in front of her chest and it started glowing with green fire then she lighted the lamps on the walls. Their shadows, casted on the walls in the dim green light, looked sinister.
Turning towards Shire she cocked her head.
‘Show me the room. Now.’
Shire stood there flabbergasted but then regained her composure, puffed out her chest and asked in a I'm-not-the-boss-but-I-sure-hell-want-to-look-like-one tone.
‘Who do you think you are Miss, walking in like this in our humble abode. I warn you turn away while you still can.’
‘If I were you I'd watch my tone. Now show me the room.’
‘So who are you, the Queen? You don't know me. I am—’
‘A Witch?’
‘How do you—’
‘Listen here I want to meet Viz. Right. Now. I have a certain matter to discuss with her. All your questions can be answered later. I have a feeling we'll be having all the time in the world for it.’
Shire stood there considering whether to show her the way or not after all she was a complete stranger she didn't even know her name—
‘Angela. My name is Angela.’
Shire grudgingly walked towards the spiral staircase and gestured Angelina to follow up.
‘Shire?’
‘What now?’
‘Drop the disguise. I have seen you before.’
Shire stopped in her tracks and turned towards Angela, with a ‘Hrmph’ she clicked her fingers and lo there Shire stood in all her witchly glory; her black skirt, that rested not so nicely on her shrunken hips, reached down to her ankles. She had a crooked nose, cracked green skin, slant eyes and white hairs with silver streaks. A black pointy hat rested on her head and she had a big wart on her nose.
‘Ah, that makes me feel at home.’ With a contented sigh Angela followed a grouchy Shire up the stairs.
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‘That's her room,’ Shire pointed towards a burnt, black, wooden door. ‘Wait here I'll ask her if she wants to see you or not.’
‘That won't be necessary,’ with that said she walked past Shire, opened the door and entered the room.
After exactly five minutes and thirty eight seconds later Angela walked out of the room with a victorious gleam in her eyes. She kicked Shire who somehow had managed to sleep while standing.
‘What? Who is it? ’ She jolted up.
‘If you are guarding the door I must say you aren't doing a very good job.’
It took a moment for Shire to notice the silver- black crown on Angelina's hair. Her slant eyes grew the size of saucers and her mouth hung open.
‘H-how did you get tha-that,’ she pointed a warty crooked finger at Angela's head.
‘What? This.’ Angela leisurely ran a delicate finger over the headpiece and closed her eyes in bliss. The silver-black crown covered her head from one ear to the other. It had several silver spikes all over the crown, each spike had a spiral black covering over them. It also had a diamond in the center surrounded by several smaller blood stones. ‘Oh just another sign of my victory. Talking of victory, we must celebrate,’ she clapped her hands in true zeal.
‘Call everyone. I have an announcement to make.’
‘What have you—’
‘You must never question your Queen. Now scurry away.’
‘Yes my Queen as you say.’ Shire did a crooked curtsy and took out a black reindeer's horn, that was hollow from inside. She brought it up to her lips and blew. An ear piercing voice echoed in the house and seconds later all kinds of witches appeared in the magnificent hall.
‘What do you want old hag?’ said one of the younger witches, who although sharing almost the same characters as Shire and the others, didn't have cracked skin and a lot less warts on her face.
‘Does anybody here has some sense of proprietary or all is lost?’ said another witch, who was in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes.
‘Now speak up Shire or trust me I am very hungry and I won't hesitate ripping you apart,’ said another witch that looked no older than two hundred and fifty years and quite angry.
‘Speak up old hag,’ said the first witch. Her eyes drifted towards the beautiful young lady standing next to Shire. ‘Oh, you have brought a visitor. Good. Very good indeed. Will you not introduce her?’
‘To hell with introduction just rip her apart already!’ Said the two hundred and fifty years old witch.
‘Yes do it!’
‘What are you all waiting for, grab her!’
‘She's mine!’
‘No mine!’
‘Hold her right there old hag, I'm coming for her!’
‘I'm. Not. Old! I'm just three-hundred and eighty-six years old!’ This comment came from Shire who had had enough of hearing herself being called an old hag.
‘Everybody quiet!’ She cried out and everybody did what they already were doing.
She turned towards the Queen, ‘you have to rule over them. Are you sure you want to be the Queen?’
‘Quite sure.’ Angela turned towards the bellowing crowd of witches and said in a loud, authoritative voice. ‘Silence! Viz is dead.’ There was a moment of silence then.
‘What?! That old sorry excuse for a witch is dead? I can't believe it.’ Said the young witch hardly concealing her excitement.
‘Yes, yes, yesss!’ said another witch jumping up and down.
‘But how did she die?’ Asked an old wise witch with plain white hairs and a face hidden beneath warts.
‘I killed her and now I am your Queen, bow before me.’ Everyone awestruck did crooked bows.
‘I'm Angela, daughter of Graciela.’
Collected gasps arose from the crowd. Shire gaped at the Queen, her jaw hanged above the ground at a safe distance of an inch.
Every one was itching to ask her a dozen questions but there was something about her demeanor that kept them at bay.
‘Shire, bring me the agreement of ‘Witen’.’ Angelina commanded.
With a crooked curtsy Shire ran off to fulfill her Queen's demand.
‘Now is she going to add a clause that states, ‘no witch is allowed to breath’,’ said a teenage witch.
‘Come on she couldn't be that bad,’ her friend replied, who still had some hope left in witchianity.
‘Even her name is Angelina, do you think she is going to be any better than that old Viz?!’ snapped the teenage witch.
‘I have a feeling she's going to be worse,’ said another teenage witch, who had her hairs styled in a ponytail sticking out of her pointy black hat from a hole in it.
Angela, who stood contentedly at the big balcony on the first floor, could hear their conversation clearly. Leaning against the balcony she swept her eyes over the terrified, anxious and worried faces of her subjects, and an evil grin spread over her perfect features.
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Hello Everyone,
Welcome to the first chapter of 'Beneath Darkened Hearts '. I know it doesn't give out much but I still would love to know what you guys think.
This is my very first book that I present to you all. I sincerely hope that you would enjoy this story and would be kind enough to share your views about it.
I welcome any and all kinds of constructive criticism with open arms.
Yours Sincerely
M.I.A Tsami