The Magic Well 1

Through the eyes of a bird soaring far above the quaint town for which this magical tale takes place one could see the dichotomous nature of a fantastical feudal society. The poor toiling, the rich standing idle. The hovels built one next to the other were being furiously patched by women to keep out the coming rain and snow. On the other side of the town large country manors stood imposingly, they looked over the town, almost looking down upon its poverty, inside them the ladies of the manors sat idle, aristocratic socialites with nothing better to do but plan frivolous events and fret over social standing.

As divided as the town was, the town square was a place of unity. An ancient and large arch decorated the cobblestone square. Year round this arch had beautiful spring flowers blooming from vines that swirled every which way up and down the arch. This was a place where the rich and poor alike gathered for all the important happenstances. Legends were told of how the town was built around the arch and that the arch itself had magical powers. Though it was only children that believed these tales. Also in the town center, the town crier would project news from the greater kingdom with his loud, shrill voice. The town center is where court was held, where capital punishment were dolled out, were the townspeople debated, and where the children played.

It was near this town square where Annika Hechler a local servant was purchasing bread for her employer at a bakery. Her drab servant garb hid her hourglass figure and the streaks of dirt on her face obscured her sultry face. Always smiling and in good spirits, Annika's blue eyes sparkled as they admired the strapping young baker's who worked as an assistant for an older more experienced owner. It was this young baker who brought to her a freshly baked piece of bread. Flipping back her long disheveled blonde hair, Annika thanked the young man.

"Stay awhile! I've got some cornbread I'll share." the young baker spoke, clearly returning Annika's admiration.

"Sorry, no time! I've told you before, Addison and Zuela they'll strike me down if I am even a minute late."

As Annika turned around with her bread the young baker spoke up in a jovial voice, "I'll have my own shop someday, make a go with me and quit your day job."

Spinning around before exiting the bakery Annika smiled back, "Come find me when you've got that bakery!"

Exiting the bakery Annika swiftly walked passed several beggars. The streets were bustling with the clopping of horse hooves, the sound of traveling merchants hawking their wares melded into a cacophony of noise. The smell of freshly baked goods wafted through the air, only to be rudely interrupted by a whiff of excrement. Annika stopped at a fruit cart and selected several apples, exchanging pleasantries with the old woman who sold them before again making her way through the flurry of the town at mid-day.

Past the town center and the magical arches, Annika traveled, until she passed the commotion of the town. Annika traveled up a cobblestone path and through an ornate iron gate. Closing the gate behind her she briefly looked through the bars of the gate and from this view they were no different from the bars of a prison. Her life was certainly better now than in her grueling servant training, but she wished her employers were more kind. As Annika trudged forward the green lawn of the multi-story manor home she sighed, she had been specifically selected for the role of a personal housemaid for Addison Kersting. Addison had supposedly run off a half dozen maids before Annika. Tyrannical and petty the young Addison and her mother Zuela were notoriously strict to their servants, so much so that Annika was the only remaining staff member, and even she was looking for a way to escape her overlords, it was just that for a young maid like herself one bad reference could lead to a lifetime of unemployment.

It was only a month ago when Annika had three fellow servants. The kitchen maid quit after Addison threw a plate of food she judged to be lukewarm hitting the maid square in the face. The old butler quit after Addison berated him for asking Addison to repeat an order that he did not hear. The laundry maid was promptly fired after referring to Addison as a "spoiled child" under her breath.

Through all of the firings and abrupt resignations Zuela never once blamed her daughter. Zuela had dotted after her now adult daughter her entire life, and now that Addison was in her mid-twenties it was high-time according to Zuela that Addison marry. Not just anyone would do for her daughter, after-all Addison's beauty alone had attracted many local suitors, each of which Addison took great pleasure in sadistically rejecting. It was Zuela's lifelong dream that her daughter would one day marry into nobility and become a baroness, thus raising Zuela's own social standing. It was Zuela's dream to have her own quarters in a palace, to be at the center of the rumors and gossip.

In her youth Zuela was an ambitious social climber herself, she, a peasant married Addison's father who was and continued to be a remarkably successful tailor and guild leader. Yet Zuela's husband's business led him to be away from his manor for the majority of his adult life. So, Addison from an early age was taught that she must marry above her already illustrious social standing in order to follow in the footsteps of her mother. All of Zuela's personal hopes and dreams rested on her daughter's success. In Zuela's narcissistic mind Addison was the only person that could save her from the boredom of being and unimportance of her current life. So embedded were Zuela's ideas about her own position in society, she believed that it was her "destiny" and Addison's "destiny" to rise into nobility. Because of this conviction Zuela would believe almost anything that might possibly lead her to her "destiny." She believed that everything that happened in her and those around her's lives were part of a larger plan to allow her to reach her goals.

In fact, Addison's upbringing was designed to make her accustomed to the life of a member of a noble family. She was taught etiquette and manners, skills she was discouraged from using amongst those who were "lesser" than herself. Addison was showered with material pleasures, fine dresses, and jewelry, exotic fruits, and candy. Yet the Addison's most enduring lesson was that she was never to work, that anything even remotely difficult was a job for someone else and at this moment that "someone else" was Annika.

The moment Annika entered the manor she was barraged with furry of demands.

"Put away the groceries!"

"Come upstairs, make my bed."

"I need my hair brushed! And my feet rubbed!"

It was all Addison, her impatient cries for pampery were nothing new to Annika. As Annika put the bread and apples into the pantry she could almost hear the impatient tapping of Addison's foot. Just as Annika was about to ascend the stairs towards Addison's bedroom, she was stopped by Zuela.

"Be patient, Addison is under a lot of stress, I have arranged for a high ranking nobleman to visit in a few days and meet Addison, it is very stressful to be on the cusp of nobility, it is even stressful for me." Annika smiled and nodded, looking on as a clearly excited Zuela walked away. Annika briskly walked up the stairs, she sighed as Addison's cries for indulgences grew louder.

While in Addison's room Annika immediately started to fluff one of Addison's feathered pillows and make the bed. Addison sat on a stool in front of a mirror impatiently, almost pouting, her hairbrush sitting on a nearby shelf. After Addison's large bed was made and her silk sheets were tucked in, Annika turned around and stood beside Addison. Picking up the hairbrush Annika very gently ran it through Addison's glowing dark brown hair. Addison was absolutely particular about her long flowing locks, and the truth was that even Annika found herself admiring Addison's illustrious head of hair. Yet the act of brushing Addison's hair was a perilous one. Addison hated the feeling of a brush hitting a snag of tangled hair, and Annika knew that if this did happen she would be stung with a sharp slap to her face.

As her hair was carefully brushed Addison admired herself in the mirror. Her olive skin was smooth, almost glowing, her glistening brown eyes were accented with perfectly plucked eyebrows, her full lips rested in a semi-permanent state of discontent, her entire face was illuminated with an air of utter self-confidence and radiated disdain for all others. This combined with her tall stature gave Addison an aura of noble authority. Annika wondered how Addison would adjust when she finally met a nobleman that she deemed worthy, would her disdain melt away, would she beam a true authentic smile? Annika knew that Addison in her present state would never truly be able to embrace happiness, there would always be some imperfection in her life for her to perseverate on. This was just her nature.

Addison interrupted Annika's hair brushing and mental musing with a short and harsh order. "Very well, good enough, now rub my feet."

Annika kneeled down and removed Addison's high heeled shoe and stocking, from her knees Annika rubbed Addison's soft uncalloused feet. Addison moaned in pleasure as Annika's skillful hands muscled into the sole of Addison's foot. Still, this wasn't good enough for Addison.

"Put more muscle into it!" Addison ordered, before tilting her head back and letting out another moan.

For minutes Annika concentrated both her physical and emotional strength into giving a foot massage to the townsperson, who needed it least. Yet Annika again marveled, Addison's feet were impossibly soft, it was almost as if she had never walked barefoot at all, that her feet were always cushioned by luxurious stockings. Annika strained her thumbs and palms into the sole of her overlord's foot. Eventually, Addison raised her other foot and Annika completed the same ritual of removing Addison's stocking and shoe before engaging again in a robust massage. After Addison's soles were well rubbed, it was time for Annika to retreat to the cellar to sleep in her straw bed and for Addison to lay on her feathered pillows, and her soft mattress under sheets of silk. The Juxtaposition to the lives of the two women was extreme. Yet through the course of unforeseen happenstance and a little bit of magic, this would all change.

*** Annika awoke at the break of dawn, a good several hours before Addison or Zuela would. Annika could make the two women breakfast in less than an hour. So it was in the dim light of the morning that Annika could find some time for herself. Annika primarily spent her time hand spinning yarn with a spindle which was both a minorly profitable venture and a somewhat calming and therapeutic endeavor.

Annika chose to spin her yarn in a particularly tranquil place on the manor grounds, in a secluded area near the gardens, where a well that had long run dry stood. It was a particularly beautiful well, like the arch in the center of town vines curled up its sides and flowers bloomed regardless of the season. The well fascinated Annika, something drew her to it every morning, it seemed to have an aura all to its own. Part of the well's aura filled Annika with joy, but another part filled her with dread.

On this fateful day, Annika approached the well, spindle placed in the bosom of her dress as to free her hands to carry a wooden rocking chair for which she liked to sit when she spun thread. This particular morning Annika was feeling even more curious about the well than she usually did. After setting down her rocking chair, in an act that could only be described as an impulsive experiment Annika tossed a small rock into the well, and to Annika's astonishment, she never heard it hit the bottom of the well. Annika leaned over the well to see if she could spot the bottom, but she saw nothing but darkness. As Annika looked into the void of the well, she cautiously leaned forward, hoping to assuage her curiosity. Then in an instant, her life changed forever! Annika had forgotten that the spindle that she was holding was held tenuously in the cleavage of her servant's dress, it loosened and fell into the darkness. Pulling violently backward Annika gasped, the spindle was not hers to lose. She had taken it months ago from Addison's room, knowing full well that Addison would not miss it, and knowing that she could produce it when Addison inevitably realized that it was missing. Annika clutched her knees and hunched over, breathing heavily, her stress clouding her thought. Annika knew that she could be fired, or have her wages severely garnished if she ever admitted to losing the spindle, she also knew that she would be blamed for losing it even if she did not admit it and the results would be effectively the same. So in her panicked state, she made a decision. She would venture down to to the well's bottom.

Annika lowered herself, wedging herself in the well, her back pressed against one side, her feet against the other. Annika's short stature made it difficult, but inch by inch she lowered herself down. After she was several feet down her stomach started to sink in despair, she was starting to feel her back begin to slide on what seemed to be moss that had grown inside the well. Annika couldn't help but let out a sorrowful cry as she grasped upward, failing to clasp her hand on the edge of the well's lip. Before Annika could let out another cry she felt herself free falling into darkness. Screaming, her life flashed before her eyes. Her upbringing as a poor peasant farming girl, her grueling training as a scullery maid, her accepting position working under Zuela and Addison, her brief friendship and flirting with the handsome young baker. Annika cried out in mourning for all that she would never get to experience, knowing that her death was imminent, she felt her dress fall off her body, as she tumbled through the void the incredible force of her fall caused her underwear and her shoes to cascade off of her body as well, now plummeting in her starkly nude flesh Annika wondered if this is how she would remain forever, suspended in a state of perpetual falling, helpless and naked, forced to contemplate her regrets and her unfulfilled life. Then suddenly without warning, she was no longer tumbling but instead floating, descending down into a distant light.

Then almost out of nowhere Annika found herself in the sky, slowly descending, the cool spring air hardened her exposed nipples and in an instant Annika realized her own nudity and her hands quickly shot up to her chest and covered her large milky white breasts, as she continued to descend she saw that she was being lowered onto a vast grassy green field, adorned with flowers like the ones she saw growing on the well and the town arch. Annika crossed her legs as to cover her unshaven blonde pubic hair. As Annika descended she felt the spring air touch her buttocks and she carefully removed one of her hands from her breasts and covered the crack of her arse. There she floated downward, red in the face, covering herself the best one possibly could. Annika gulped, hoping beyond hope that there would be no people to greet her as she gently landed naked into this new land.

Finally Annika was completely lowered into the field below her, hopping on one foot, covering her nudity Annika looked into the distance and saw a small house with smoke coming out of the chimney, the thought of arriving at an inhabited place in the nude was mortifying, Annika awkwardly spun around and saw nothing but a foreboding black void behind her. It presented an aura, not unlike the well's void, except it was devoid of all warmth, it only contained the dread. Worse yet the black void seemed to be encroaching. The terror of this sight, motivated Annika to jettison her modesty in favor of survival. Only covering her chest Annika started to jog away from the void. Annika's embarrassment was heightened as she felt her flesh bounce with each stride. Annika would be mortified if anyone saw her running in the nude her buttocks and flesh jiggling with her movement. Running forward Annika came across an impossibly strange sight, an oven in the middle of the field.

"Help me! I am burning, I AM BURNING!" a man's voice emanated from the smoking oven, it seemed desperate and utterly panicked.

Annika took a slight detour to the oven and immediately opened up the oven to find a well-cooked loaf of bread.

"Thank you, ma'am! Will you take me to Frau Holle?" The loaf of bread spoke, despite having no mouth, or any human features, it spoke, seemingly telepathically transferring it's a cry for help into Annika's mind. Quickly Annika took the loaf out of the oven. Too hot to touch for more than a second or two Annika juggled the bread from hand to hand.

"Thank you! Thank you!" The bread seemed to speak.

Looking over her shoulder Annika saw that again the void was getting closer, and so she had no choice but to comically run in the nude while juggling the bread. As Annika ran she felt her breasts and buttocks jiggle up and down with each movement, she thought she might die if anyone caught her juggling a hot loaf of bread while running wildly through the field it would be so disgraceful. Yet she could not fathom dropping the bread and leaving it to the void as it seemed to have an odd sentience.

It was a full minute before the bread was cool enough to hold and Annika could again approach some form of modesty. Clutching the bread in one hand and covering her breasts in the other, Annika slowed down to a jog, outpacing the encroaching void. This is when she heard yet another voice, this time from what seemed like multiple voices all speaking in unison.

"Pick me! Pick me, please! I'll die if you don't pick me!"

Annika's eyes darted around until she saw an apple tree that she had not seen before. On it, several ripe green apples seemed to be crying out. Approaching the tree, Annika rose up on her tiptoes and picked all three of the ripe apples on the tree.

"Thank you! Thank you! Our hero!" The apples cried out as Annika held them cupped with her arms in her bosom along with the bread.

"Take us to Frau Holle, we will be safe with Frau Holle!" The apples cried out as Annika looked over her shoulder to see the black void was closer than ever.

Annika bit her bottom lip as she ran, naked holding the loaf of bread and the apples against her naked chest, her lower extremities totally uncovered. Despite the fact that she knew she was running for her life Annika could not help but feel a twinge of embarrassment at approaching another person in her current naked state.

As Annika approached the country house with a smoking chimney she saw the silhouette of an old woman standing with a cane near a wooden gate. Heaving as she ran up the hill to get to the woman, one of the apples Annika was carrying fell out of her grasp and rolled back behind her. Without a second thought, Annika turned around and ran towards the ever nearer dreaded void to retrieve the apple. Bending over Annika cringed as she realized that she was giving the old woman a full view of her posterior. Nonetheless, the retrieved the apple and again ascended the hill. Greeting the old woman at the top of the hill.

"Are you Frau Holle? I was told I would be safe with you."

The old woman smiled, "Yes, you will be safe with me." The woman gestured for Annika to follow her past the gate and into her modest home.

***

Annika entered the old woman's home and saw that it was quite unkempt, trinkets left out, dust from floor to ceiling, the windows filled with cobwebs. It was hard to find a place to put down the bread and apples, but eventually, Annika saw a place for them on the kitchen table.