The only things Gyula could see were flames. The village was burning. Screams, shouts, desperate calling of familiar names, agony and death covered the air thick and heavy. He couldn't move, frozen to the ground staring at the tragedy before his eyes.

He was away for a week, family business back where he came from, someone was sick, he couldn't care less but the law, the traditions made him. He wanted to leave as soon as possible but that would have been rude, besides Erzsi said she would be okay, and no need to hurry, nothing can go wrong.

Yet here was he, standing at the end of the road watching their village burn to the ground as chaos takes over and death claims everyone.

In the center of everything, where the flames were the most searing, where the screams and cries couldn't be heard from the cracking noises of the houses as they collapsed, where chaos ruled stood the girl (or was she a full grown up woman already?) the witch, the cause, the starting point of the misery, the one they had to blame, the one they hate, the one that brought only death and despair, the one he just known as Erzsébet, the one he wanted to help, the one who couldn't cry out for help, the one who was the most confused and lost, the one who need love and care more than anyone, the one who had no idea what she was doing.

He couldn't go closer, fire still holding her in some cruel protecting sheath. All he could do was cry for her, instead of her, with her.

Finally the flames died down, and silence reclaimed the air. It was suffocating.

They looked at each other and Gyula was sure the girl (woman? Witch?) couldn't really see him, nor was she aware what happened and where is she. He stepped closer, determined to help her but she was faster.

- And now? – she was hollow.

- Are you hurt somewhere? – he stepped closer inspecting her arms and head for possible burn marks or something. She cracked out a dry scary, brutal chuckle, stopping him.

- You have to be crazy. – she looked at him and her eyes were burning with madness. – I have just literally killed the whole village and you're concerned about me? Or did I curse you? Enchant you with my power? Did I do this to you? Did I make you care for me? – her face twisted into something painful but unreadable expression and she quickly hided it behind her palms before he could decode it.

- Erzsi… - he wanted to take a step closer but she laughed in his face.

- What? You will tell me it's not true? How could you know? I'm a ruthless witch I could plan it all time along! How would you know? – she repeated this time a quieter but after an angry blink of her eyes she was back to her mad gaze. – I could plan to destroy the world! I could kill everyone! How would you know if it was my intention or your true choice? Do you have any choice to begin with? Against a witch? – she laughed like maniac. The former scribe finally collected his thoughts and started to list them out for the girl.

- Erzsi I know you. Even if it's an illusion I know you have kindness in you, that you like the flowers and you like to sing. Even if you just played, if you just acted, you still do like these.

- Maybe. –she giggled with the mad fire in her features. – That still doesn't mean I can't destroy the world if I want to, does it? Nor will it stop me from killing every single human around me.

- You hadn't killed me. – he pointed out calmly.

- You weren't here in the beginning. – she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. . – I can still do it right now if you want. – turning to him with horrible sick sweet smile like an angel, a rotting angel.

- And after that? – he asked with a steady face. He never saw her this broken. Sad maybe, or a little angry but never this upset, never this over helmed.

- I dunno… - she shrugged again. – Sit down and sleep. Or eat something. Maybe going to the lake and drown myself. I still haven't decided.

- Can I check your arms? – he took a step closer.

- Are you nuts or something? I said I was fine! – anger flashed across her face.

- I just want to be sure. – he bent down to match her level, she was still smaller than him by more than a head. – Burning can be pretty ugly if you don't cure it in time.

- Like you would know. – she muttered but finally let him.

As they stood there in silence in the middle of the destroyed village, surrounded by burnt houses and corpses they know so well, she started to shake uncontrollably. He looked up but quickly averted his eyes. She was crying. And he was sure she didn't want him to look and see that.

- We should go. – he announced.

- Where? – she barely managed to whisper.

- I dunno. Somewhere else. – he shrugged and took her hand, leading the way towards the road, far away from this hell she created. Or showed to him. Was she holding back all this time? What happened? Why would she do such a thing? How could this happen? Millions of questions ran in his head but they remained silent.

- Why do you help me? – she asked after an hour of quiet walking.

- Because I want to.

- Why?

- I'm not sure either.

- Will you hand me over the inquisitors?

He stopped dead in his tracks. The thought itself was there somewhere far in his head but he never actually considered it as a normal and rightful option. It was more of a deadly bad joke, the only cynical part of the question.

- No. –his voice was firm. He meant it.

She smiled, the sick, poisonous sweetness on her pretty face, and he couldn't find her eyes. She saw nothing around her.

They wandered for half a day then decided to take a little rest in the woods where people couldn't see them that easily. News, specially tragic ones, spread fast, they, or at least Gyula was sure sooner or later they will be suspicious to walk around on the road leading to a dead village. Thus he decided to continue their way through secret passages and routs. But where?

They started a rather risky lifestyle. He discovered that Erzsi's new madness worked like a clockwork, every day she'd gone crazy and started to destroy everything around herself not caring where they were, be it in the middle of nowhere or a market place, a boat or a carriage, a lively town or an abandoned cemetery.

She just walked placing her one foot before the other, looking hallow and cursed, her eyes somewhere distant, she wasn't herself. But the same time she looked majestic, fearful, powerful and breathtakingly beautiful. As she was marching through the world leaving only ash, death, chaos and misery behind, she was the queen of destruction, the queen of the fateful atrocity, the queen of abnormality.

He followed this cursed woman (girl? Witch?) no matter how hard was it, he took care of her, getting some fruit or water, finding a cave to sleep, some new clothes to dress her up again before a cliff tore destroyed it. He was there when she awoke from her trans once in a while screaming and crying and cursing herself, the fate and life, he was there to hug her and try to calm her raging sorrow down a little. He never left her side.

This was their habit for almost a year. She was everywhere. Visited every important city in their kingdom, bringing chaos, randomly killing nobles, rich, poor, soldiers, merchants, farmers, princes and princesses, men and women., old and young. The kingdom fell into panic where she appeared.

After the one year, when they arrived back (God knows how) near to her destroyed home village her clear moments became more frequent.

One day when he woke up to find something to eat she was already on her feet, washing her face with suspiciously concrete and quick movements. Before that she was just splashing water to her face absentmindedly. When she noticed the man staring at her she formed a sad, broken, worn out smile and asked:

- Am I evil?

So we reached the fearful 13th number therefore here's a sweet, dark 'back story' about our lovely witch.

(funfact may be that today's officially Halloween, though I don't really care about it :) )

Hope you liked it, if not it's cool also, anyway

Have a nice day :)