For hundreds of years people spoke of a woman living in the forests of Elthian, not too far out from the little village those forests surrounded. Little was known about her, as most accounts came from the occasional merchant or hunter who lost his way before finding it again. She was described as a hideous creature, whose teeth looked like daggers from a distance. And from a distance was the only way she'd been seen; the few men who dared to wander closer were shocked by her allusive nature—in the blink of an eye she was gone. As if this wasn't puzzling enough, most women who went into the forest never returned. The enchantress, as they called her, was blamed by the villagers. They deemed her evil and forbade their children from stepping foot in the forest. Eventually, she became the stuff of legend, and the villagers claimed that she feasted on young women to stay alive and immortal.
Although some time has passed since anyone last claimed to see the witch, and the talk of her has died down to the occasional spooky story told to bad little girls, many people still avoid the woods as a habit and as an unspoken rule.
That rule, however, does not seem to apply to Luella. A young, charming girl of nineteen, Luella ignores silly fables like that of the Witch of Elthian. She tends her parents' garden, feeds the chickens and the cows, shaves the sheep when the time comes, and—most importantly—takes care of the horse, Mabel. Mabel belongs to her father and is only used when he travels to other villages to trade. Still, when her parents go to sleep, she often rides Mabel happily and freely to the end of the village where the cobblestone road begins to lead into the forest.
One evening, shortly after her mother and father go to sleep, Luella decides to once again take Mabel. But instead of turning back once she reaches the forest, they venture slowly into the woods. She breathes in the smell of pinecones and rich soil and smiles, running a hand along Mabel's neck and giving her a pat. The sun is still setting, so wildflowers and rose bushes are still just barely visible. Taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of the forest, she wonders why people make such a fuss about it.
Realizing she should head home, Luella turns Mabel around when she hears a whisper and pauses. It's faint, but she swears someone is saying her name.
Luella . . .
the voice purrs. Luella gets off of Mabel and grabs the reigns, looking around to find the source of this seductive voice.
She hears the voice again, this time closer.
Luella . . .
She quickly turns around, and a loud gasp escapes her lips as she sees a woman, illuminated by a lantern, standing only a few feet away from her. Eyes wide with horror, Luella takes a step back.
"Hello," the woman says in a sultry voice, a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Luella swallows, and laughs nervously to herself. "Hello," she says sheepishly. "You startled me."
A rich, sexy laugh escaped the woman. "Silly me. You shouldn't be in the forest anyway. There are . . . witches that live in these woods, they say."
Luella, reigns still in hand, takes two steps closer to the woman, branches cracking beneath her feet. "I-I don't believe in witches," she stammers. "They are just stories meant to make girls behave."
"Oh?" The woman smirks. "And how do you know
I'm
not a witch?"
Luella shifts in her spot. "They say the witch is an ugly beastie with white hair and sharp teeth who eats the ladies of the village."
