The Witch's Room

by Stephanie Haggarty

  They found the south field outside and behind the compound, hidden from the view of travellers. It sloped dangerously towards the ocean, but the sight was majestic. Water stretched from one side of their horizon to the other until it blended in with the sky.

  ‘Don’t waste time looking,’ called the woman as she took off her wicker basket. ‘Plant them carefully in the dirt. Wrist deep, please. Put them around the plants too.’

  The plants themselves paled in significance to their surroundings. In the throes of hibernation, many appeared lifeless. Fragile sticks losing a battle with the harsh winds for existence.

  ‘Ed,’ Daphne whispered as she dug with her hands into the dirt and place a slug of weed into it. ‘What do you think about getting a few quick glances of the room?’

  ‘Don’t you remember what they said about it? It’s a place of violence.’

  ‘Only if you choose to commit it. We can just stand in there if you like. I think I saw the path that leads up to it.’

  Edwina thought it over. Was it worth it? Then Daphne turned around and called out to their boss.

  ‘Hey, if we finish ahead of time do we get the rest of the day off?’

  ‘Yes, but don’t leave the compound. Your treatment is not complete.’

  ‘No worries. We won’t.’ They moved onto another row of plants that Edwina was sure was lavender. Then she asked,

  ‘Hey out of curiosity, the very old lady that let us last night. What’s her story? She seems like she was designed for this place.’

  ‘Yeah, she does, doesn’t she? She came here when she was ten. Her mother had recently died, and her father said that she had a mark of the strange about her. Dropped her off here to live with her aunt. She’s the oldest one here and knows more about this place than anyone else. Loves to play jokes.’ The joyful look on the woman’s face turned to sorrow, ‘but in recent years her memory has been going a bit funny. We can’t quite work out a way to help her.’

  ‘What kinds of jokes does she play?’

  ‘Putting goatskins full of water in your bed and hiding it so when you lay down it breaks. Or placing seaweed in places where we’d think it was a snake.’

  ‘Doesn’t seem so funny,’ Daphne said. ‘I wouldn’t be laughing if I thought there was a snake in my bed.’

  ‘Well, jokes are different for everyone.’

  After they returned their baskets and knives to the storage dome, they were left with a few hours spare. ‘Dinner is at sunset and if you miss it you miss out.’ The woman walked off to her own dome and the pair were left with each other.

  ‘Guess what I managed to take from under her nose,’ Daphne said talking out a roll of rope. ‘We might need it on our climb. The path’s really steep.’

  They set off just as Daphne felt a little kick in her abdomen. Wow, that poison was fast, she thought. Perhaps she’ll start bleeding later tonight or the next morning. She was basing this on when she experienced the warning cramps of her bleeds when they came a day or two before.

  Travelling back along the path down to the ocean Daphne found what looked to be the remains of a path branching off.

  ‘You can barely see it. When was the last time someone went up it?’ Edwina said staring up the thin path as it rose almost vertically. ‘Do you think we’ll fall?’ she stared up at the top. ‘Are you sure it’s even a path?’

  ‘I’ll lead the way,’ Daphne said. ‘Sometimes Ed, you just need to be pushed to do things.’

  Chapter Four:

  The climb was difficult and there were times when Edwina had to stop to catch her breath and her senses. She rested her head on a patch of grass and then looked up at her sister who was some distance higher.

  ‘Daphne,’ she called out, ‘what do you think we’ll find up there?’

  ‘Not sure, but do you know how often Eric and his friends talk about it? They’re obsessed. But I’m the one that actually gets to see it!’ The gulls around them squawked as they were disturbed from their resting spots. One even took a peck at Edwina. Its viciousness scared her.

  ‘Hey, Daphne. I think we should stop.’

  ‘No, I can see an entrance.’ And she disappeared over a ledge. Not wanting to lose her, Edwina rushed up to where she last saw her.

  ‘Look, Ed,’ Daphne pointed to a small cave entrance. It was nestled in the rocks and surprisingly had been left unclaimed by gulls. Then she ducked and crawled into it.

  ‘It’s not so dark in here. There is a hole in the ceiling.’

  Sunlight spilled through the hole and lit up the inside. There was small pieces of grass and leaves littering the space and Edwina thought it looked more like a natural cave. But she found a faintly carved circle in the uneven stone.

  ‘I was thinking that the floor would be stained,’ Daphne stated.

  ‘I guess that the women cleaned up after them.’

  ‘You think we’re the first in a century to be in here?’ Daphne continued.

  ‘I don’t know. Do you really believe the stories though?’

  ‘That men kill each other here thinking it’ll make them powerful?’ Daphne replied as if it was a stupid question to ask, ‘Yeah, I do. Men talk of fighting all the time.’

  ‘I have to ask you.’ Edwina said, her voice grave. ‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I didn’t know how you had been treated so badly.’

  ‘You think a man from the Tavern got to me?’

  The face her sister made caused Edwina to flush and feel a little stupid. So, no wrongdoing had been committed against her.

  ‘Who was it?’

  Daphne closed her eyes, now it was her time to feel ashamed. ‘It was one of Eric’s friends.’

  ‘Oh,’ she thought about all the men he hung out with. ‘Not one of the married ones?’

  ‘No, he’s mostly unattached.’

  ‘Mostly? Is he courting?’

  ‘Not quite.’

  ‘Well, what do you mean?’

  ‘He’s expressed interest in a young lady and she in him, but it’s not official because she is a little young.’ She grabbed at a spot on her abdomen as another cramp kicked her.

  ‘You have to tell this young lady. She needs to know what kind of man he is. If it was me I’d want to know.’

  Daphne was silent for a few moments. ‘It’s Young Eli Cole.’ Her words echoed around the room. Edwina stood in place and blinked. Then she began to tear up.

  ‘How could you do that to me?’ her voice weak.

  ‘Ed, I’m sor—’, Daphne fell to the ground clutching her face. ‘Ed!’ she screamed out. Edwina stumbled and clutched her fist.

  ‘What are you doing? It was a mistake,’ Daphne was crying as she laid on the ground. ‘Even he knew it. That’s why he didn’t want me to tell you.’

  ‘You’re supposed to be my sister.’

  Daphne scrambled back up and just as she steadied herself a drop of blood from under her skirt hit the inside of the circle. Fearing being hit again, she distanced herself from her sister. Edwina then lost her footing and fell through the stone floor. She sunk down into a dark place and then rose back up like she was buoyant in water. She could feel that she was resting on the ceiling of whatever world she had entered. It was the most bizarre thing that had ever happened to her.

  ‘Daphne,’ she called out. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ came her sister’s voice. She stared in horror at Edwina’s body as it lay face down in the stone. It was slightly bobbing. The detail in the carving was unbelievable, almost like she was made from stone herself. She was tempted to try and touch her but hesitated. ‘What do I do?’ Daphne begged.

  ‘I feel like if I move I’m going to fall,’ her voice filled the room but came from no distinct source. ‘Throw me the rope.’

  ‘Ok,’ Daphne took the rope from her side and threw it, she watched it slide down through the stone liquid.

  Edwina grabbed at the rope and at that moment, gravity seemed to take effect. Down she went until the rope she was hol
ding pulled taut, and she swung about in vacant space.

  ‘Daphne!’ she screamed out.

  ‘I’m here,’ her sister replied, but it was distant and came from above her. Looking up Edwina saw nothing. ‘Help me! Pull me up!’

  Daphne turned to look up at the ceiling where her sister’s voice had come from. But there was nothing but the hole. ‘Where are you?’ she was very confused.

  ‘I’m down here.’

  Daphne held the rope as she continued to look upwards. The weight was the only distinct thing that told her where her sister was. She watched as it angled down into the stone right at the edge of the circle. It swayed, and bracing herself, she pulled, but it wouldn’t move it. It was like trying to move the stone itself. ‘It’s stuck,’ she called. ‘Can you climb back up?’

  ‘I’ll try. Don’t let go,’ Edwina called.

  SNAP.

  Daphne fell backwards on her behind and in horror stared at the extremely neat cut that was the end of the rope. It started to unravel. She scrambled to the circle and felt only solid stone where the liquid was. ‘Ed!’

  Chapter Five:

  Edwina felt the air rush past her. The darkness never ceased and then, ‘Ommpf.’ She was punched in the stomach. Stumbling around she found herself on uneven ground and then fell some more.

  Then she landed on a stone floor. She lay and took stock of what had just happened.

  ‘Daph,’ her voice choked. She couldn’t get her words out. She was surrounded by darkness. Then she noticed that the air was stale. ‘Daphne!’ There was no response. With a cry, she said, ‘I’m sorry.’

  Stumbling around she said, ‘Where am I?’ She began trying to think. She may not be able to see, but she still had her other senses. She moved her hand to feel and, ‘Ahh,’ a sharp pain sliced through it. Holding her hand, she felt it bleed. What had she cut it on? It was then that she realised that her eyes were adjusting to the darkness.

  Now she was beginning to make out the lumps and bumps she had fallen onto. It looked like rocks. That explained why she had been assaulted so severely. She grabbed hold of one that appeared to be sprouting a hair-like moss and attempted to climb up.

  ‘Aaaahhh,’ it felt like human hair! She stepped backwards and tripped over something. She hit the stone hard but did not injure her head. Looking in front of her she took in the mound again. The shapes slowly began to take more of their form. They weren’t rocks. They were bodies!

  Tens and tens of them, maybe even over a hundred, all piled on each other. She looked about and saw even more that had rolled away from the pile. They were all men. She couldn’t help but scream.

  She couldn’t make out their tunics, but some looked dressed for battle as there were shields and swords jutting about. They all seemed to have died some time ago. Their skin mummified and sunken.

  Then she began to make out their insignias. She recognised some more than others. One she knew from an old extinct family back in her village. Edwina was horrified. They were victims of the witch. Having died here after being swallowed up by her magic, just like she was going to. She was about to scream again but her attention was diverted by a glowing light behind her.

  It was some distance from her, but it was growing in both size and brightness. The light revealed the room to be seemingly infinite, with the bodies marking the centre. Within a few moments saw that it was being emitted from an orb, no bigger than an apple.

  It was so close that Edwina could almost reach out and touch it. But quite suddenly a stony looking figure appeared behind it. Crude in carving style and female in shape with her hands coming forward to hold the orb in a manner of display.

  Evelyn? Edwina stared at the stone statue.

  ‘What have you come for?’

  Edwina jumped. The ethereal the sounds came from nowhere and everywhere.

  ‘I, I, I want, I want to get out of here.’ She thought of Daphne, how could she have hit her own sister? She wanted so much to say sorry. She didn’t want to die in here like those men.

  ‘Granted.’ The voice faded and so did the light. Then she was alone in the darkness. Had what she said been a mistake? She fell and just like how she entered this place she was plunged down into another world.

  Her skin chilled and an all-encompassing pressure made it difficult to move. She realised that she was in water just as she broke the surface.

  The light hurt her eyes, the sounds of the gulls assaulted her ears, and the water, a cold force had invaded her body. She spat out, ‘Daphne!’ her voice raced over the surface and to the rocks that were only a few feet away. There was no reply.

  Edwina saw that she was at the spot where they had fished for seaweed only hours before. She didn’t know how to swim but staying in water was a must if she wanted to drown. Something brushed past her, it was the seaweed. She grabbed hold of the dark shape and began pulling herself closer to land.

  Once she had climbed onto the stone she rolled over and stared up at the sky.

  ‘Oh, Lord? What have you put me through?’

  A stone dropped nearby, it landed with a thud and prompted Edwina to sit up. Her sister is still up in the room! She scrambled up and saw a figure coming down the mountain.

  ‘Daphne!’ she called out.

  ‘Edwina!?’ came her voice from high above.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘Down here.’

  Daphne appeared sometime later, her eyes were red and when they saw each other, they ran to each other.

  ‘I thought you were gone forever. What happened?’ Daphne’s face was full of fresh tears.

  ‘I met the witch. But she let me go.’ She breathed in as she hugged her sister. ‘Why didn’t you tell me about him the moment it happened?’

  ‘I didn’t want to ruin it for you. You know what Mother said about his money.’

  ‘You didn’t ruin it for me. He did when he proved he wasn’t of good standing. I’m just glad that I found out before rather than after.’

  The pair of them returned to the compound where they were intercepted by one of the women. ‘Why are you wet?’ she stopped sweeping the path with her broom.

  ‘I fell into the water.’

  The woman hit her over the head with her broom, the bristles stung her face, ‘Stupid girl. You could have died. What were you thinking? Can you even swim? And you’ve cut your hand too.’ Edwina’s silence was met with another whack. ‘Idiot child. Do you have a death wish?’

  ‘No,’ her voice was quiet.

  ‘Stupidity runs in the family I see.’

  Edwina’s face flushed red and her eyes became wet.

  ‘Go to the washing hut and get some dry clothes. I don’t want a death on my hands.’

  That night as they were eating dinner in the large hut, Edwina asked about the Evelyn.

  ‘You told me that the Witch wanted to help people, but she created that room. So, what was the whole point?’

  Before the woman could respond, the old crone who had first greeted them started laughing. A ripple of movement went through the group.

  ‘What’s so funny?’

  ‘She did help the community.’ The cackling continued. ‘As the seven wars continued with no end in sight and having been chased here by men seeking power, Evelyn created the room and said that only the one whom the room chooses will be powerful enough to rule all the kingdoms. So, men came from all over. So many in fact that when they realised that they had been tricked an entire army’s worth of them were gone.’

  The crone continued laughing and so did a few other women.

  ‘The whole thing was a trap to attract violent men?’ Edwina’s voice was empty.

  ‘Yes,’ replied the herb lady. ‘And we have no idea where she sent them, but they never came back. When people realised this, it was too late. So many warlords had been magicked away that the ones who remained where those who did not seek out violence. They worked out another way to stop the war they created. Thus, a new reign of peac
e came to the land.’ The rest of the women began laughing.

  When it was time to leave, Daphne and Edwina headed to the stables.

  ‘Daphne, how did it happen? You and Cole?’

  ‘We got talking one night and one thing led to another. You had just become a woman and people were talking about how blessed you were. It didn’t make me feel good. But then afterwards he told me that the whole thing was a mistake.’ Then she frowned. ‘Are you still going to marry him?’

  ‘No. He didn’t treat us right.’

  ‘But who will you have instead?’

  ‘Phfft. I’m was not given all this beauty just to get me a tainted man. Even if I marry a poor one like Father, it’s not like I don’t know how to stretch my coins like Mother.’ Edwina smiled as she took her sister’s hand and together they left the Witch’s compound.

  ###

  About the Author:

  Stephanie Haggarty has a Bachelor of Arts from The University of the Sunshine Coast; where she majored in creative writing and minored in history. She then went on to The University of Melbourne to complete a Postgraduate Diploma of Arts focusing on editing and communication. Haggarty got her first real taste of writing at the age of twelve when she won a certificate from a local writing competition called the Macintyre Young Writers. It came with no cash prize and her last name misspelt, but that’s something she’s gotten used to.