She had not felt this fragile in years. But she would not let strangers alter the path of her life. She glanced at the property documents, knew why she was in town, and would get it done no matter what. She wiped her tears and opened her car door, placing her foot solidly on the ground and her palm on the door. She stood up erect and stared at everyone.
'You have one minute to get out of my sight, or I'll place a hex on you all; your five generations will be cursed with my warth,' she shouted as she closed the door behind her. She entered the store and shut the door behind her. Her audacity astounded everyone. They flew away like flies, and the scene was quickly cleared. Except for Ebba, she was captivated by her even more. She entered the shop excitedly and asked, 'Are you a witch? Can you perform magic? 'Can you make me one?' Zubera didn't answer her and asked her to leave. Ebba left disappointed.
The sun had already set on the horizon, and Zubera needed to get to the Crimson Cottage before nightfall. She glanced at the paper map, trying to figure out how.
The sun had already set by the time she arrived. A rough gravel path went to the home, with massive trees on both sides. Crimson house was made of stones and had an old high-pitched, arched, and heavy roof. It was two stories tall with an open veranda on the lowest floor. It was located distant from the town, in a wooded region. If offered the option, no one would have chosen to reside there.
The dirt path continued into the heart of Huntwick forest. Sounds of birds returning to the nest reverberated, and bats flapped their leathery wings above the house. Anyone would have been terrified to be there at this hour of the day, but Zubera was not.
When Zubera opened the tiny rusted iron gate, it squeaked. It led to the home through a stone pathway.
She used the other key to open the front door, which led to a large living room with a fireplace in the middle and an open kitchen on the left with a large dining table and a view of the forest in the back. A sturdy wooden staircase on the right went to the top floor of the house, and narrow stairs next to it to the basement below. The house appeared exactly as she remembered it. Furniture was covered with old white linens that had gone brown with dust, resembling arid dunes. She searched the cupboard for candles and lit a few to break the darkness.
She pulled the sheets from the sofa, flung them to the side, perched on them, and rested her feet on the coffee table. The air was eerily still, but inside, she had restless gusts blowing from memories trying to make their way back to her.
She closed her eyes and tried to replace the unwanted thoughts with her plan for the following day. She blinked open her eyes and glanced around, sensing a foreign presence. She remained motionless for a while, trying to regain her senses. She caught a glimpse of a shadowy projection on the side window out of the corner of her eye. Her heart missed a few beats as she searched for a weapon to use. She reached for the fireplace poker, clutching it in both hands; She tiptoed to the window, removed the sheer draperies, and looked out; there was no one.
When she turned around, she noticed the distinct sound of foot movements on the veranda's wooden deck slabs. She dashed to the front door, flung it open, and headed toward the noise source. There was a shadowy black figure next to the window. Zubera neared the shadow with her fireplace poker elevated, preparing to strike. The eerie figure darted behind the house, scaring Zubera, but she followed it. But the shadow disappeared in the darkness.
She returned and searched for the torch before returning to her car to get her belongings. She dragged two massive suitcases down the stone walk to the front entrance. She was surprised to find the door open, as she had closed it before leaving.
Her hands shook as she reached for the doorknob; she slowly turned it and cautiously nudged it with her foot without making a sound, but the door creaked audibly. She scanned the open floor plan, cautiously watching every corner visible in the candlelight. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she felt the same foreign presence inside the home that she had felt outside on the veranda.
She strolled into the kitchen, torch in one hand and fireplace poker in the other, checking all the corners for anything suspicious, She looked under the dining table and around the seating area, but nothing was there. She headed up the steps to the upper level of the house to inspect the two bedrooms and bathrooms and ensure that all the windows were closed; When she returned downstairs, the candles had burned out, and the house was filled with pitch-darkness.
Zubera paused like a statue when she heard a faint disturbance beneath the steps. She switched off the torch and moved slowly towards the sound, depending solely on her senses. Her fingertips touched a fabric as she extended her palm in the air. Her nostrils caught a faint scent of tuberose and lily. She clutched the cloth, drew it to her, and shoved it to the floor. It was a human-like apparition. It cried out in pain. Zubera climbed over their body and grabbed the person's throat. She couldn't make out the facial features. The figure pushed Zubera, freeing itself from her grip, and sprinted towards the upper level of the house, Zubera leaped and held its feet, and the figure fell on the stairs. Zubera drew it down, and they struggled for a while before the figure gave up and submitted. Zubera took up the torch on the floor and lit it. She flashed it on the face of the trespasser. Zubera was taken aback.