Witches from the other world.

I closed my eyes. The foul smell of the giant wolf's mouth is killing me even before the wolf does. I've decided it is my end and all I hope is it won't be painful. Then I heard her voice, "stop it, Arashi. I love him". I couldn't believe what I heard. It's her voice, my Priya's voice, sweet as honey. She just said she loves me. But, wait. who is Arashi? That foul smell in no more. I opened my eyes. It is still raining heavily. That giant wolf is steps away from me, sitting like a good dog does when its owner commands. Here the owner seems to be Priya. She is patting the wolf's back. She said, "I didn't kill anybody. And I don't want you to die, too. That's why I'm avoiding you. If you want to live, run as far away from me as you can". Her voice is squealing as she spoke. I walked to her. I held her cheeks with both my hands, while looking into her crying face, I've asked her, "Did you just say that you love me?". She sniffed and nodded her head as a yes. I can't believe it is finally happening. She loves me! I looked at her face: baby like, tender as a rose, beautiful as a moon. The black tears on her face is washed off by the rain. Her lips are shivering. Seeing them raced my heartbeat. I moved forward, trying to grab her lips with mine.

And then, again, she kicked me in the same place.

The storm turned into a drizzle. And the day into night. We are in her cabin. Candle lights and glowing crystals lit the whole place with various colors. It's so beautiful. She said she has no ice cubes, instead she gave me a fist sized blue crystal. It's as cool as ice. She said that this crystal remains cool no matter what the surrounding temperature is. And yes, it does. I've kept it inside my pants since like 2 hours and it is still cool.

The wolf is in the other corner of the cabin, lying on the floor, playing with its own tail. It looked so majestic. I've never heard of such creature.

"He is Arashi. My childhood friend" said Priya pointing at the wolf, as if she listened to my thoughts. She is feeding rabits. Black rabbits. I know white ones, but black? are these rabbits are witches too? "No" she said, "they are just black rabbits. There are beings on this earth that a human eye didn't capture yet. That doesn't mean all those are witches".

Can she hear my thoughts?, I thought. "Yes" she said. Oh god!

"and stop thinking about that naked girl" she said. "It's irritating me."

"what naked girl?" I said.

"that vampire in your bathroom. I hate her" she said.

"why? Cause you love me?" I asked her, while walking around the room with that blue ice crystal inside my pants. I stopped at a table full of glass jars filled with colored powders and liquids. Red, white, yellow, blue, pink and many more. I wonder what these stuff do?

"They are psychodelics", she said. "you can't practice witch craft without them. They enhance your mind's functioning and lets do things you normally can't do".

"Oh. Interesting. Why all these books?" I asked her, swirling round on my toes. The room is a library. But none of the books appeared like normal ones. They are more like ancient ones.

"They are all about witch craft. I practice it everyday. I have to" she said. "I think it is time for you to leave" she added.

I turned at her. She is sorting some stuff on a table, not looking at me.

I asked her, "Do you love me?"

She turned to me. Her serious face suddenly turned vulnerable. Her eyes appeared concerned. She walked to me, held my hand and said, "Maybe this is the last time I can see you." I don't know what to say. Is she saying don't see me again. or she saying I can't see you gain?

"Yes, I love you. I don't know what it is but I felt some kind of connection the moment I saw you" she said.

"at the mall? right" I've asked her, I'm super excited. She just accepted me.

"No, on the rainy night. I saw you. And please believe me I didn't kill anyone. I'm a witch. But I'm different. I'm not from this world." she said and looked into my eyes. She is expecting some surprise or something from me. But all I thought is that she might be on psychedelics.

She then continued, "And I'm going back tonight. She will take me back."

"Don't go. Who will take you back?" I asked her. She is pressing her grip on my hands as if she is about to cry. She looked like she's holding rivers in her eyes from a long time. From the look on her face, I can say that she's been in pain, lots and lots of pain.

"Mochi, she made me for a purpose and kept me on earth till the right time comes. She is watching me all the time. She might be watching this too. I have to hurry. I have to tell you everything I wanted to, before she comes and drags me away from you" she said, hurridly. Tears, black tears, again, from her eyes.

She said, "Mochi told me to stay away from you. But I want you. To night she will take me to our world. I don't want to go, akhi, I love you. I want to stay with you"

Those words are like a thousand injections of adrenaline in my veins. I want to grab her, hug her tight and take her with me and never let go. But to my surprise, I'm not moving. It's almost like I'm froze, I can see her, I hear her, I can feel her touch on my hands but I can't move. What's happening?

The lightening in the room dulled. All the candles, all the glowing crystals dimmed. It's like a translucent black aura spread all over the cabin. And the red light started emitting from the middle of the room. From the floor. From the drawings of 'a star inside the circle' that she drew earlier in the day when I came here. A deafening ringing started in my ears. All the papers in the room began to scatter in the air in small whirlwinds. A black slit appeared mid air in the center of the room. It began to open wide. Inside it is pitch black darkness. It appeared like a third eye on shiva's forehead, except all black and open. An old foot came form the oblivion inside of it and stepped into the cabin. Wrinkls and tumours are all on the leg. Then a head poked out. Her hair, long and black, hanging till her toes. An old lady in a torn black robe stepped into our room. Her nails are longer than her fingers, twisted and rolled. Her eyes are just empty sockets. Her face has a lot of bumps like she is infected with smallpox since a long time. Her gait is crooked, her spine is bent. Her teeth is sharp and yellow. She kept wetting her lips with her unusually long slit tongue, like a snake's. She is walking towards us, murmuring something I can't hear.

"Mochi..." Priya screamed. I too want to scream. Who doesn't want to when they see the most grotesque being like that? But I'm all stiffened up like a mannequin. I think this Mochi witch put some spell on me. Because I can see the Arashi in other corner of the room who is also motionless, still as a statue.

"I don't want to go, akhi, I love you" she said, putting her arms around my shoulders and hugging me tight. I wish I can hug her back. I wish I can just grab her hand and run away from there. I wish I can beat this old bitch witch until she leaves us alone. But I can't. No matter how hard I try, I'm totally froze.

The ugly, slender, bony hands of the Mochi witch came on Priya's shoulders. And then she rolled her fingers on her tender skin, so tight that one of her nails dug into Priya and blood spilled over my face. I can't even close my eyes. God, Please stop it. The nail kept digging deep into Priya. Blood dripping down Priya's body.

I wanted to cry, 'Stop it Mochi, please'. But I couldn't.

(To be continued...)