Page 103 of The Neighborhood Witch

“I’m sorry. There is nothing I can do.”

Those words didn’t ease Johanna’s pain. Nothing would—nothing short of untethering herself from that amulet. Her pain must be shared. The person who condemned her to this fate must suffer. Like the monster who placed the amulet around her neck had suffered.

Johanna withdrew the anti-magick wand from her pocket. Johanna smiled through her tears as Willow’s eyes grew wide with fright at the sight of the twisting wand.

“If I have to suffer, so will every witch or sorcerer or anyone who utters a word of magic.” She pointed the wand at Willow, and a black bolt flew across the room.

It struck her on the side, knocking her from the chair. Her frail body slammed into the wood floor. Willow let out anagonizing scream. She tried to lift herself up, but couldn’t. Her joints were too frail from old age to lift her vulnerable body off the ground. Johanna aimed the wand once more and struck her with another bolt of anti-magick. She repeated it, again and again, until Willow’s body lay lifeless on the cabin floor.

“I’ve livedfor over three hundred years. I’ve watched too many friends and loved ones die. Do you know how many people I’ve buried? How many people I’ve forgotten? I move every few years because people get curious when you don’t age. They ask questions. Questions Icannotanswer.I am alone.An eternal life alone is hell. I’m in constant suffering!” Johanna yelled. A cathartic release of tears flowed down her face.

“Johanna, I can heal you. You’ll no longer be tied to this amulet. I promise. You… You won’t be alone any longer. You’ll be free to live life as who you want to be,” Alice begged.

“I know therealcost of healing. I was condemned to this life of pain and suffering by a witch who tried to heal me once. What makes you think I want a witch to heal me again?”

“It’ll be different this time. I can help you heal those wounds. Please, we can do it together.”

“I came here thinking I was done with witches. I thought I found peace. Elizabeth’s kindness and warmth helped to make me whole again. I loved her more than anyone since…” Johanna’s voice trailed off. “I had to watch her die like everyone else. I don’t want to forget her like the others. I can’t forget her.”

“I’m so sorry, Johanna,” Alice offered. “She meant so much to so many people. I only wish I could have been there to help her.”

“One day I looked out, and there’s a purple house across the street. Then I found out you tried to replace the only friend I had left. You stole her husband. You stole her life. She was the only remaining thing I cared about in this world, and you tried to erase her,” Johannacried. Her nostrils flared, eyebrows crinkled, and her eyes glared. “I won’t let him forget her, replace her withyou.”

“I’m not replacing her. He knows this,” Alice pleaded. “I never tried to replace her. I tried to live up to her. Please, I can help you.” Her voice caught in her throat.

Johanna stood silent. She moved behind Alice to get a better view of the setting sun. Alice struggled against the restraints. She tried snapping her fingers, but failed to produce anything. The wand had dampened her powers. The ropes pulled tighter against her chest and wrists as she squirmed. The sun descended, and the sky turned darker shades of oranges and reds.

Chapter 27

Upon a Wooden Steed He Rides

Hugo leaned forward on the broomstick. His chin was inches from the hickory handle. His hair blew wildly, and his face had become wind burned. He pulled back on the handle, beckoning Galahad to climb higher and higher. They flew past the town center with blazing speed. The townsfolk gazed up at the sight of a person riding a broomstick flash by in an instant. Many seemed to questioned if that’s what they actually saw before returning to their daily routines.

Hugo flew across Wildgrove Park. His eyes frantically searched for any signs of Alice beneath the treetops below. Their branches swayed back and forth to conceal their secrets. Hugo and Galahad climbed higher to see more. The number of trees expanded before them.

They flew past the clearing where months before he had learned to fly Galahad. They traced his normal walking path, searching for any signs of Alice. Hugo only saw the budding limbs of trees.

They stopped. Hugo sat up, scanning as much of the park as possible. His head moved from spot to spot, searching for any signs of movement. His breathing intensified—short, rapid breaths in andout. His nostrils flared, trying desperately to let in as much air as possible. His thoughts traced back to the last words he said to her—words that couldn’t be unsaid and would haunt him for eternity.

Elizabeth, help me find her. Please help me find her,Hugo thought.

There was only silence.

“I don’t see her,” Hugo said to Galahad.

It spun around in slow circles, giving Hugo enough time to continue his search. His heart thumped against his chest; the rhythm increased with each passing second. He held his breath for a moment and closed his eyes.

The rhythmic beatsof the heart monitor filled the room. It was dark. Only the soft glow of an overhead light above Elizabeth’s bed illuminated the area. An oxygen tube was placed in her nose. Wires connected to heart monitor leads crisscrossed her body before disappearing under her hospital gown. She wore a purple knit hat on her head; her vibrant auburn hair was a distant memory. Her face was sunken and skeletal. Her breath grew shallower with every passing moment. Hugo held Elizabeth’s frail hand as—

“Not now.”Hugo opened his eyes. “Focus. Find Alice.” He was jolted back to the task at hand. He scanned the park one more time. Still nothing.

“Alice!” Hugo yelled.

Faint screams echoed in the distance to the west—a woman’s scream of agony.

Galahad snapped around; the momentum nearly threw Hugo off balance. He gripped the hickory handle tighter. His shoes planted on the footrest. He leaned forward; his eyes locked in on the target. With a loud “Yah,” they took off.

Galahad flew along the outside of Wildgrove Park. Newbury Grove faded into the background. The setting sun descended behind the tree lines. The pair dove, flying even with the tops of the tree. The trees were a dizzying blur on either side as they flew past. Hugo focused his eyes on the dirt service road that appeared.

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