I do not own Witch's House. I'm too jumpy.

"Just for a day, please..."

Ellen wheezed and gasped. Her sickness was getting worse. Each day, Viola would come to visit her, but the company didn't ease her pain. After all of her magic, it wasn't enough to help. There simply was no cure.

She had looked through her vast library, for something to ease her burden. Occasionally, the black cat visited. He had said there was a way to help, but Ellen wanted to be sure she had no other option before she made any promises with a demon.

But a way to escape! To free herself from this awful, dying, sick body! That was worth anything.

Besides, the reason she let Viola live was out of curiosity, anyway. After killing all of the others who came to call, she wondered what it would be like to have someone care about her.

Surely Viola would agree. She was a kind girl, and pitied Ellen's situation.

Ellen hated that pity. She could tell the girl was repulsed by her illness. Always averting her eyes, subtly edging back whenever Ellen coughed, like she might catch her sickness. Her sympathy was obnoxiously fake. Only the blonde's sweet nature made her visit again and again.

So the witch felt no twinge of regret. In fact, she wanted to make that stupid little girl suffer more. She grew up with a loving father, perfectly healthy, living a wonderful life!

She never knew true pain.

However, Ellen couldn't take any risks. If Viola managed to chase after her, she would never enjoy that freedom. She had to take steps to ensure the girl couldn't follow her.

With her knife, she sliced off her left leg.

It would have been agonizing, but her illness had long since made any other pain nothing. She watched as her leg fell off the bed, thunking to the floor.

Blood oozed sluggishly from the ends of vein poking out her stump. Muscles and bone were visible, and Ellen looked away before she became faint with fear.

Quickly, she chopped off her other leg.

It didn't worry her that she was now unable to walk. After all, she was bedridden most of the time anyway. She used her magic to hide her severed legs under her bed.

Next was her eyes. Ellen figured this would be much harder to do. She wanted it to be clean, not just gouging out bits of eye with the knife. So, she placed her fingers above and below her eyelids, and squeezed hard. The small white orbs bounced out of their sockets, suspended by a fleshy string of optic nerve.

Ellen ripped them off. Now, to disguise her appearance...

She swept the covers over her body to hide her missing legs. Then she ruffled her hair so it fell over her (lack of) eyes. She couldn't see if it was convincing, but it had to do.

The demon walked in, smirking.

"Your "friend" has come to visit again. Will you give her the deal?"

Ellen nodded. "Yes, I am ready for her."

The witch heard small, careful footsteps enter the room. "Ellen?" Viola asked. "Are you all right?"

Ellen would have rolled her eyes, if she had any.

Of course I'm not all right. I'm DYING, you dolt.

But aloud she said, "Actually, I have something to ask of you, Viola."

"W-what is that?" The young blonde said.

"You see, my condition isn't improving. I feel nothing but pain constantly, and it's a terrible feeling, knowing you are about to die."

"I'm sorry...is there any way I can help?"

"Actually, Viola, there is. I know a spell that can ease my pain, if only for a short while.

"There is an enchantment for us to trade bodies. I could feel relief, and healthiness, the kind I haven't had in so many years. I'm sorry to ask this of you, but I long to experience that, and feel warmth, and a world without pain."

Viola's voice quivered "B-but...I would..."

Ellen smiled warmly at the place she assumed Viola was. "Oh, don't worry. It won't last forever. Only a day. I just want to be healthy again for a day. My dying wish. Won't you help me?"

Viola came closer to her bedside. "I want to help, really I do, but I'm scared. Will it hurt?"

"It will hurt," Ellen said, "you'd be in my shoes, for a day. You'll understand my suffering. Won't that make you a better person? Please, Viola, my friend, let us trade."

Viola hesitated. "Just for a day?"

"Just for a day. Do you accept?"

Silence. Then-

"Okay, I'll do it. As long as it's only a day."

Just for a day.

What a naive fool that girl was.