Veronica's car had come to a stop, and she couldn't get it to start again. She sat, frustrated and upset, inside her BMW on the side of a deserted country road, miles from any town. The skies were growing darker by the minute as storm clouds rolled in from the west, and the setting sun cast an eerie light on the horizon.
"At least I'm near a house," she thought to herself. She grabbed her purse and her small suitcase and started walking towards the solitary wooden house which sat a few hundred yards back from the road. "I'll find out where the closest mechanic is, call them, and then get out of here," she said to herself as she opened the creaking, iron gate and headed up the cement path towards the front porch. Veronica didn't notice any light coming from inside the house, which was run down and easily could have been abandoned. But it was her only option, and she hoped for a friendly face and some help. She lifted the rusty door knocker and banged it three or four times. The wind was growing stronger and stronger, and it tousled her long, brown hair. She stood there in front of the door wearing only a lightweight wool suit jacket, silk blouse, and skirt. Veronica shivered, both from the chill of the wind and from a momentary sense of fear. The dark, dilapidated house was giving her the creeps. She was about to turn around and go back to her car when she heard the click of a lock, and the door slowly opened. "Hello?" she said quietly as she leaned to her left to peer into the doorway.
Veronica gasped when she caught sight of her. In the doorway stood a wrinkled old woman. She was the ugliest woman Veronica had ever seen. Her face was misshapen with a large, crooked nose, deep sunken eyes, and a long, pointed chin. Her skin was covered with warts and moles, and her hair was a tangled mess of brittle gray strands. She stood there, hunched over, in a tattered black dress that mercifully hid from view the rest of her gaunt body. Her hands were bony, with long, crooked fingers. The woman looked at Veronica, eyeing her from head to toe in a second, and in a craggy, high-pitched voice said, "Can I help you?"
"Umm... yes. Yes, I hope so," Veronica stammered. Part of her wanted to just turn around and leave, but another part of her struggled to overcome the fear and revulsion and get the help she needed. "My car broke down, and I haven't seen a phone for miles, and I need to call someone to come fix it, so..." Veronica spoke quickly and nervously. "You see, there's a storm coming, too, and I was hoping I could use your phone. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"Oh, dear, that's alright. I'd be happy to help you. Please come in," the woman said as she stepped back and opened the door wide to invite Veronica in. 'Oh how perfect this is,' she thought to herself.
Veronica took a deep breath - both a sigh of relief and to gather her courage to enter the house - and stepped inside. She stood meekly aside as the decrepit, ancient woman slowly closed and locked the door. Veronica - a young, lovely vision with her pretty features, dressed in her tailored brown suit, tan stockings, and brown high heels - was a stark contrast to the wretched figure next to her. The old woman turned and hobbled towards the living room. "Come this way, dear. Make yourself comfortable and relax. You seem very upset."
"Thank you," she replied quietly, "I don't want to be any trouble. I'll just call a mechanic and go wait in my car."
"Don't be silly. You can certainly wait here. It's no bother at all. I don't have company very often," the woman said as sweetly as she could. "I'll make some tea for us."
Veronica decided not to argue. She figured she'd make her call, sit with the old woman for a few minutes, and then be gone. The woman turned on a lamp to light the room, and pointed to a phone in the far corner. "The phone is right there. I'm sorry but I don't have a phone book or the number for any local mechanics. You could try the operator I suppose," she told Veronica. "In the meantime, I'll be in the kitchen, brewing some tea. Why don't you put your things down and have a seat on the sofa. I'll be back in a few minutes." With that, she turned and walked through a doorway at the back of the room.
Veronica looked around the dusty, shadowy room. There were several antique arm chairs in the corners, and two more in the center of the room which faced a coffee table and the sofa. Veronica set her purse and case down next to the sofa and walked over to the phone.
The old woman stood at a counter in the kitchen, two teacups and saucers in front of her. Into one of the cups she sprinkled powders from dark brown glass bottles while she mumbled incantations. She then poured tea from a pot into the cup and stirred the contents to dissolve the powder. Into the other cup, she put 3 drops of a liquid and then added tea to it. She carefully placed each cup onto a silver serving tray, the first cup furthest away from her and the second one closest to her. In between them she placed the teapot. She cackled to herself and then lifted the tray and began to walk back to the living room.
Veronica lifted the receiver but heard no sound. "Damn it!," she said in a muffled voice as she tapped the button on the phone cradle, hoping to get a dial tone. She tried again, and then a third time as the old woman slowly shuffled back into the room.
"The phone's not working," Veronica said with frustration.
"Oh, it must be the storm," the old woman replied, knowing that it had been years since it worked. "Well, I'm sure it will be fine in just a little while." She slid the tray onto the coffee table and placed the teacup furthest away from her on the end of the table nearest the sofa.
"Come sit down, dear. Some tea will make you feel better. By the way, dear, what is your name?"
