ThE WITCH'S RECKONING

CHAPTER 2: GRANDMA'S LITTLE BABY

It was a bright, sunny day, so Grandma and Kamala decided to head to the market square to sell some of the produce they had harvested from their farm the previous week. They set out before noon, hoping to reach the square before the sun peaked. Upon arriving at the market, news came to Kamala’s grandma that an old friend of hers had taken ill. She had to see her right away, thus leaving Kamala and the farm produce in the care of her neighbor at the market. As soon as she left, Kamala saw this as an opportunity to explore every inch of the market and play with some of her peers. She decided to visit the town statue, which was centered at the market square. She had always admired it but never got close enough to touch it. On her way there, she met two maidens discussing something in hushed tones. They were both older than her, but she couldn’t help but join in the conversation as she overheard them mention “Forest Witch.”

“What witch?” she asked, joining in. “The Forest Witch, off course,” they said, clasping their palms. “I’ve never heard of her before,” Kamala murmured in a low tone. The two maidens looked at each other and laughed. “Haven’t you ever heard of the evil witch who lives at the heart of the forest?” one of them asked. “Rumor has it that on the night of the full moon, she’s

Coming to take what’s rightfully hers.”

“And what might that be?” Kamala chuckled. In a lower tone, they said, “The blood of the innocent, a sacrifice to be made every decade to the witch. It’s owed, as she sacrificed herself for this village to prosper.” Upon hearing this, Kamala burst into laughter. The maidens’ faces were filled with utmost confusion. Kamala kept laughing, finding what they had told her unbelievable. It sounded like the scary folktales her grandma would tell her to scare her from sneaking out.

“Let me guess, my grandma paid you both to say this, right?” The maidens still stood puzzled. Kamala gave them one last nonchalant glance and took off. She didn’t believe a word they said and kept on laughing as she sped off to the town statue.

When Grandma returned, she was pleased to find that all the produce had been sold, but her joy was short-lived as she realized Kamala was nowhere to be found. She immediately turned to her neighbor and asked, “Where’s Kamala?” But before she could even finish the question, Kamala appeared out of nowhere. “I’m right here, Grammie!” Kamala exclaimed, giving her grandma a warm hug. “I’ve missed you!” She quickly fabricated a story, “I was just helping a lady carry her bag, it was too heavy for her.” Her grandma nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation, but a hint of doubt lingered in her mind. She knew Kamala’s nature all too well.

After the brief reunion, they spent the rest of the afternoon browsing the market, purchasing spices and a few other essentials before heading home.