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 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 skinny, with long, crooked fingers. The woman looked at Veronica, eyeing her from head to toe in a second, and then in a craggy, high-pitched voice said, "Can I help you?"
"Umm... yes. Yes, I hope so," Veronica stammered. Part of her thought she should just turn around and leave, but another part of her tried to overcome her 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 what a perfect opportunity this is,' she thought to herself.
Veronica took a deep breath to gather her courage 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 the pleasure of 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. Why don't you put your things down and have a seat on the sofa. I'll be back in a few minutes." Then 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 walked 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. At that moment, 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 hadn't worked in years. "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?"
"Veronica. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself," she replied blankly. Her mind was working on what to do next and how to get out of the house as quickly as possible.
"What a beautiful name; perfect for such a beautiful young girl. My name is Glenda." Veronica nodded and mumbled "thank you" in response to the compliment. She turned to the window and stared out into the darkness, transformed a moment later by a flash of lightning. "Please come sit with me, Veronica. I'm so happy to have you here."
Veronica sighed, and walked over to sit on the sofa. Glenda sat in one of the chairs across the table from the sofa, and she watched Veronica intently. Veronica did not notice Glenda's stare as she consciously avoided looking at the grotesque woman. She also had no idea as to Glenda's evil intention, which was to poison her with the potion in her teacup. The powders mixed into the tea would transform the beautiful brunette into a hideous old hag as soon as she drank it. "You should try the tea. It will soothe you, dear."
"Oh, thank you, but I'm really not thirsty," Veronica protested gently.
"It's a special variety I make myself. I think you will really like it. Please try it," Glenda persisted. 'Oh, I almost have her now,' Glenda thought to herself. 'Drink it, drink it, my pretty little miss, drink it. Then I will watch as my spell is cast and you become a horrible, wretched creature. You will see your precious mortal beauty melt away and you will beg me to remove the spell, to change you back, and I will only laugh as you look at yourself in horror. You can not stand to look at me... well, you will certainly never be able to look at yourself again!'
Veronica shrugged and slid forward to pick up the cup and saucer. The tea was still steaming hot, and she softly blew on it to cool it. As she was about to bring the cup up to her lips, a loud crack of thunder rumbled overhead and shook the house. The electric light flickered, and then went out. Veronica sat perfectly still in the total darkness, frightened and very uncomfortable. She heard Glenda stand and shuffle across the floor. "Don't worry, Veronica. I have some candles. I'll have them lit in a minute," she told her.
