THE SUGAR WITCH
"Frost, did you hear me?"
Jack jerked from his own thoughts and looked at his teacher, Miss Bellamy pointing at her board.
"Y-Yes ma'am. Sorry I--"
"Then would you please come up and solve the arithmatic problem."
Jack swallowed, but forced a smile.
"Yes, certainly."
He stood from his desk and walked up to the board. He knew his equations well enough, but his mind was too worried about other things. Much too worried. He took the chalk and wrote an answer.
"That's wrong, Frost. The answer is 35. Go sit back down and get your head out of the clouds."
Jack shuffled back to his desk and sunk down in his chair. He couldn't wait for the school day to be over.
Finally Miss Bellamy released them and Jack was the first one to sprint out of the building. He ran as fast he could through the town amd to the farm he called home. It wasn't much. It was quaint and cozy, with good crops and some small animals. However, when he heard a commotion from the barn, his eyes widened with panic.
"Augh--! What in heavens name-!?"
Jack rushed to the barn, dropping his school satchel and yanking open the doors. He saw his caretaker, North laying on his back in the pig pen cursing in a different language. Jack leapt over and helped him stand.
"North, what are you doing out of bed?! I said I'd take care of the chores when I got home!"
North groaned and stood, cracking his back a little.
"Oh, Jack, did not know you would be home so soon."
"I come home about the same time everyday--"
"Baghk--Nevermind. I am not going to lay in bed all day when there is work to be done--Buuaghuagh-!"
The older man hacked and sputtered some dry hard coughs. Jack clenched his jaw, the deep worry all over his face.
"Please, you need to rest."
North pushed Jack away a bit.
"Nonsense, I am fine! I have never felt stronger, see?"
The bearded man strolls over and attempts to grab an axe out of a tree stump, but it won't budge. Jack knew North was strong as an Ox when healthy, but this time he knew he had caught a terrible cold that was getting worse.
"North..."
"Just one second!"
"North please can we just--"
"Hold on, almost got it--"
"NORTH!!!"
The older man stopped and slowly turned back to the young teenager, whose chest was heaving and tears were streaming down his cheeks. North's expression immediately softened and he went over and hugged Jack lovingly.
"Alright, my boy. Alright....I am sorry. Please do not cry. I will be better soon enough."
Jack sniffled and smiled a little. They both went back inside the house.
The next day, Jack awoke to find North in a cold sweat, wheezing and hacking. A deep fear struck through Jack's heart. He grabbed his cloak and rushed to the doctor's house in town. He knocked on the door, practically banging until it opened and he saw Dr. Higgins standing there. He looked a bit annoyed to see Jack again, but also a bit sad.
"Dr. Higgins, please, I need you to come take another look at North right away--"
"Hold your horses, Jack. Have you been giving him the tonic I prescribed?"
"Yes, every day twice a day, just like you said--!"
"Then there isn't anymore I can do for him."
"Please, I beg you, it will just take a minute--"
"Jack, no. Im sorry. I have other patients. I do truly hope North recovers and you have my deepest sympathies. Good day, Frost."
Jack steps aside and watches in shock as Dr. Higgins moves past and leaves. He stands there for a few minutes looking heartbroken amd hopeless. Until another boy he knew from school named Terry spots him. He jogs across the street to meet him.
"Jack! Hey, Jack! What are you doing?"
Jack turns his face away, not wanting Terry to see him crying.
"Nothing...I was just leaving."
Terry watches Jack start to walk away, but catches up to his side.
"It's about North, isn't it..."
Jack sniffled and didn't respond. Terry piped up a little.
"Hey, I'm not suppossed to really say anything but...there's been a rumor going around lately at school."
"I don't have time for stupid pranks, Terry--"
"It's about a witch."
Jack pauses and eyes him.
"A witch?...Are you kidding me?"
"They say that if you bring her a bag of sugar and a name of a person, she'll curse your enemies. So we call her the Sugar Witch."
"And she...can do magic?"
"Well, yeah, Johnathan swears that he brought her two bags of sugar and asked her to put a curse on Riley for bullying him. The next day Riley was tripping everywhere he went! Everyone saw it! But you have to do it at night, they say. Head south until you find the giant burned tree stump and place your offering there."
Jack laughed and wiped his tears away.
"Thank you, Terry! Thank you! I won't forget this!"
Jack sprinted off as fast as his legs could carry him to the store. He used all of his allowance to purchase 5 bags of sugar. He stuffed them in his satchel and raced off back home to the farm. He checked in on North to find the man sleeping deeply. With a hopeful smile, the boy snatched a lantern and ran back outside off into the forest as the sun started to go down.
Jack went south and finally found the burned giant tree stump. It was quickly becoming dark and the forest was dangerous at night to get lost in.
He gently took out the bags of sugar and set them down neatly onto the stump next to his lantern. A breeze kicked up and the wind moaned all around eeriely. Jack shivered and looked around at the the encroaching shadows.
"This is lunacy...why did I do this?"
He cleared his throat and yelled.
"OH GREAT, UH...SUGAR WITCH! HEED MY PLEA AND SEE MY OFFERINGS OF--!!!"
Suddenly a voice rang sharply back close by.
"No need to yell! Heavens above, boy!"
Jack stood there frozen as he watched a tall slender woman with grey skin and short black hair step out from behind a tree just across the way. Her eyes, golden like the crowns of kings, seemed to glow and watch him in the darkness. Jack was terrified that he had angered her! He braced for an attack of some sort to punish him for his insolence. Until she just yawned loudly and stretched. She strolled lazily over and looked at the bags of sugar. She raised a brow and laughed.
"My goodness, you've brought so much. I can bake up a storm with all this sweet crystal goodness~!"
Jack slowly lowered his guard to see that she was inspecting all the bags rather nonchalantly. Her dress was as black as her hair and he spotted the slit v neck down her chest low to eccentuate her breasts.
He blushed and yanked his gaze away, never having seen any woman dress so boldly.
"I-I have brought you your sugar, now I would like to ask for your help..."
He spoke softer, fearful that she might curse him if he said or did anything she didnt like.
The woman nodded and sat down on the stump, crossing her legs and inspecting her long nails.
"Alright kid, make this snappy. Whaddaya want in return? Want me to put a curse on someone? Turn their hair gray? Put worms in their food? Make someone trip a lot? I got all kinds of curses, just name it."
Jack bit his lip nervously.
"I...I don't want to curse anyone. I came to request your magic to help my father. He's very ill and he's not getting better..."
The witch jerked up and stared straight at Jsck ith the most perplexed look. He had caught her offguard.
"You...want my *help*?"
Jack couldn't stop his desperation from showing through. He dove and knelt at her feet and bowed his head, clinging to her dress while he sobbed.
"Please, I'm begging you! You're my last hope...!"
The witch's eyes widened in shock at this boy before her. A terrified child with nowhere else to turn. She sighed and groaned in annoyance, letting her empathy get the better of her.
"Ok, fine, just stop getting your snot all over my dress! Ughh...This is gonna be a doozy..."









