Cursed Forest

“Go long!” Azalea yelled. She chucked the ball as hard as she could and the children went giggling and squealing after it.

”Hey, Azzy, come look at this!” One of the girls called.

Azalea went over to where the ball had landed. It lay atop a patch of the prettiest little flowers she had ever seen. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

”Princess party! Princess party!” The kids chanted.

”Yes!” Azalea said enthusiastically. “Flower crowns for all my little princes and princesses. Help me gather some.” Azalea and the children began plucking the flowers.

”Abby. Andrew. Come home!” A woman hollered. She found her way to the patch where everyone was playing. “No, no, we have to go.” She said, taking her children’s arms. “This part of the forest isn’t safe.” She knocked the flowers out of everyone’s hands and started herding the children back to the village. “You should be ashamed of yourself.” The woman scowled at Azalea.

”I was watchin’ them.” She shrugged.

”The forest is cursed. There’s a witch out there that causes harm to everyone she meets. You would know of the legend if you’d ever attended your classes.” With that, the woman took her children away.

Azalea looked at her little group. “We wanted to make crowns.” They said.

”I know, but she’s right, if the forest if dangerous, it’s not okay for you kiddos to be out there.” Azalea said. “So I’ll go back and get the flowers myself later.”

“Really?!”

”Yeah, no biggie. Now who wants to play band?”

***

The next day, Azalea set out with a purse full of supplies and a little basket for her flowers. She searched the forest, looking for more of the unique flowers. She found plenty of varieties, big purple ones and tiny white ones and everything in between, but none of the ones she wanted. Around noon, she took a small break to drink some water and nibble on some mushrooms. She didn’t remember the flowers being this far out.

Suddenly, Azalea heard a rumble in the distance. “Was that thunder?” She mumbled. Azalea packed up her snack and prepared to resume her search. She hadn’t traveled more than a few yards when the skies let loose. The torrential rain soaked her thin dress in a matter of moments. Her cloth purse made a poor umbrella. Azalea ran towards what she hoped was the village. She burst through a thick row of bushes and nearly stepped on the batch of brightly colored flowers. “I found them!” She said aloud. Azalea did a little dance, then bent down to pick the flowers. She filled the basket with the best looking ones in the bunch.

“What are you doing?! Get out of here!” A voice hollered.

Azalea looked up and finally saw the small cottage tucked between the trees. The house’s occupant was an angry looking woman standing under the lopsided awning. “Oh, sorry.” Azalea said. “I promised my friends I would get them some of these flowers.”

”Those are my flowers. Pick any other kind.”

“Did you grow these? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The woman paused and gave Azalea a once over. “They’re mine.” She repeated.

”Is it okay if I just have a few? We can make a trade. I have uh some bread in my bag. Though it’s probably wet now...”

The woman stared at Azalea, standing in a sheer dress and no shoes in the pouring rain. “Come inside.” She said eventually. “You’re gonna catch a cold, stupid girl.”

”Wouldn’t be the first time.” She accepted the woman’s offer and hurried inside.

The cottage was one open room. There was a couch in front of the roaring fire, a bed pushed into the corner, and a small section on the opposite side with a curtain, a bucket, and a bathtub. Azalea parked in front of the fire. “Mm, thank you.” She said.

”Hmm.” The woman went to the stove and lit a burner. She filled a kettle with water and sat it over the flame.

Azalea sat in silence until she could feel her fingers again. “This is a cute place. Is it just you out here?”

“Mm.” The woman muttered. She poured the tea into two mugs and carried them into the living room,

”Thanks.” Azalea said, accepting the mug. “Can I ask you a question?”

”If I say no, you’re just gonna ask me anyways.”

”Are you the reason for the legend of the forest witch?”

”Probably.” The woman said flatly.

”You don’t seem like an evil witch to me.”

The woman shrugged. “What would you know?”

”Are you evil?” Azalea asked.

“Depends who you ask.” She said cryptically.

”People think you’ve cursed the forest.”

”Maybe that’s ‘cause I did.”

”How?” Azalea said, sounding more curious than horrified.

”Magic.”

”Can you teach me?”

”Mm. No.”

”I’d like to be a cool, mysterious forest witch.” Azalea said dreamily. “Growing my own plants, living off the land, cursing people who piss me off.”

The old woman laughed. “You’re strange, child.”

”Not the first time I’ve heard that.” Azalea smiled.

The woman looked at her for a long time. Then she stood slowly. “Sounds like the rain’s letting up. You should probably go.”

”Alright.” Azalea left her mug on the table. “Is it okay if-“

”Take ‘em.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You already plucked ‘em.”

Azalea gathered up her belongings and headed for the door. “Thanks for the tea and the flowers.”

”Mm.” The woman grunted.

Azalea stepped out onto the porch and the door slammed closed behind her.

***

”How come everyone thinks the back part of the forest is cursed?” Azalea asked.

“Because people who go in there have seen the witch’s horrible familiars lurking around and they come back and fall ill.” Her mother answered without looking up from her book.

”I went in and nothing happened to me.”

Her mom sighed. ”Well, Azalea, you always have been a lucky one.”

Azalea got up and went into her room, where she packed a few snacks for her trip. This time, she was able to remember the way through the back part of the forest. As she walked, she kept her eye out for any horrifying creatures, but she didn’t see any. Other than the witch’s unique breed of flowers, Azalea couldn’t tell any difference between this section of the forest and the rest. Everything was as vibrant and peaceful as ever. A butterfly flitted past her nose to say hi. The lush grass was soft beneath her bare feet. It felt like her forest.

After about three hours of walking, Azalea found the cottage. She went up to the front door and knocked. Several moments passed, but the woman did not come to open the door. Azalea tried knocking again. She thought she saw one of the curtains twitch. Azalea waited patiently for some time. She knocked every few minutes, until she came to the conclusion the witch was ignoring her. She left the small bundle on the step and left.

***

By now the journey was so familiar, Azalea made it on autopilot. She walked up the front steps, arms full of packages. “Open up! I come bearing gifts.” Azalea kicked the door.

”What do you want now, child?” The witch grumbled. But she stepped aside to let Azalea in.

”Devie was making everyone blankets for the winter, so I brought you some.” Azalea said, stumbling in and dumping the packages on the coffee table. “Plus there’s some bread and cider.”

”Hmph.” The woman rummaged through the gifts. “I can cook for myself, you know.”

”I know, but it’s really good bread.” Azalea plopped down on the couch. “So how ya been?”

”I have to cast spells over all my flowers and crops before the first frost.” She said.

”I could help if you’d teach me magic.”

The woman shook her head. This was an old argument by now.

”Speaking of mah-gick,” Azalea said. “The village was kinda thrown into a tizzy last week when your curse made several people sick...”

She shrugged. “I set the curse, I don’t control it.”

”I don’t quite understand it.” Azalea admitted. “If the curse hurts everyone that enters a certain section of the forest, how come I’m not effected?”

”The trees like you.” The woman said. She put the bread and cider away in the kitchen. Then she sat down on the other side of the couch.

Azalea put a hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”

”I’m fine.” The woman jerked away then folded her arms.

”You seem moodier than usual. And that’s really saying something.”

”Hmph.”

”Marigold.” She said softly. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

”Mm.”

”I thought you liked having company.”

The witch averted her eyes. “I do fine on my own.”

”Do you? Tell me what you need.” Azalea said. The woman didn’t respond. “Do you... need a hug?” When she didn’t get an answer, she wrapped the old woman in a tight embrace. The witch didn’t hug back. Azalea rubbed her back. “There we go. Some nice, dex to dex contact, eh?”

”Hmph.”

Azalea pulled back to look into the woman’s eyes. She tucked a stray strand of her silver and aqua hair behind her fin. “Don’t worry.” Azalea said. “I know how to cheer you up.”

***

”Azalea! Azalea! Azzy, where are you?” Azalea heard yelling as she approached the village. Her mother was the first to spot her. “Azalea, where have you been?!”

”I’m sorry. I was-“

”I don’t care. I know you’ve been going into the cursed part of the forest. You shouldn’t be spending the night out there. It’s dangerous.”

”Not anymore.” Azalea said.

”What are you talking about?”

”The forest witch. She agreed to remove the curse.”

”Really?” A girl asked.

”Sure. Once we really got down to it, we realized she just had a lot of... underlying frustrations. It took a while, we really had to go at it, but eventually we both got what we wanted.” Azalea smirked.

”You really shouldn’t be hanging out with witches.” Her mother said obliviously. “I for one am still not going into those woods.”

”Whatever, Mom.” Azalea sighed. “Sorry for making everyone worry.”

”It’s alright. Just glad you’re safe, Azzy.” One woman pat her arm, then the group dispersed.

”And where do you think you’re going?” Her mom asked.

“Home.” Azalea said, walking backwards. “The forest witch wants more cider.”