A/N: Hello! It's Habsrock08 here. This is my second fairy tale type story. My other is called "Retribution", and it would make me happy if you could read it. Thanks and enjoy :)

Arty Hill and the Witches of Edinburgh

Albany Lane in Edinburgh, Scotland

17th of November 1764 at One O'clock in the evening

Prologue

"That will show 'em," a mysterious man said as he nailed the coffin shut. He stood back, satisfied with his work. He was smiling bitterly.

"Thought you could escape me, eh?" He smirked, kicking the coffin. Muffled female screams came from inside, but he ignored them.

"You thought you would get away. You thought you would warn ye' little friends that I was comin' for 'em! But I was too smart for you, yeh witch." More screams.

"Yeh won't be screamin' when I find the rest of 'em, your little fam'ly. Did you know that every generation in my fam'ly has searched for you? It drove my father mad." The man was suddenly quiet. Memories of his father, sitting at his desk until the candle burned to the end of its wick, trying to find a trace of the infamous Edinburgh witch. But then it dawned on him. The man started laughing a horrible, maniacal laugh. Here he was, in the basement of his Edinburgh home, and he had caught the witch! He could restore the family name. He could fulfill his dreams, his father's dreams, and finally move to the good side of the city.

"Now I'm going to find the rest of your people, and don't—" Then, as if by magic, the house burst into flames.

The fire squad had arrived too late. By the time they had gotten to the house, it had already burned to the ground. No one was really sorry to see the old man go; he had been an outcast who came from a strange family. The neighbors said he didn't have any family members. The police did an investigation on the cause of the fire, but found nothing conclusive. A few said it was caused by witchcraft, but most scoffed. Witchcraft? They questioned. That's just a myth. After a while, everyone forgot about it and went home. No one noticed the dark shape scurrying away into the night.