Chapter 5: A Catch
Kay stepped back, appalled by Circe's price. "You want Maria?! How- how dare you! How dare you even, even MAKE such a request! No, never! You can't have my daughter!" she screamed, both angry and terrified; what kind of person would want to separate a mother from her child? The witch simply smiled. "But my dear, nobody would know... I could make it look as though your baby died. Not only would you look blameless in this scheme, but Miguel would feel guilty for not paying enough attention to his child- and he would also need comforting.... And meanwhile, I could deal with this, this Charity girl." Circe winked at Kay, who simply gasped. Kay turned away from the witch, tears forming in her eyes. 'I finally have the chance to have everything I've ever dreamed of, but the cost... is my innocent child?' she thought, trying to regain her composure.
She turned to face Circe once more. "You- you want me to kill, my own daughter?" she asked, wondering what the witch's motives were. Circe laughed mirthfully, as if Kay had just told her some sort of sick joke. "Oh, dear, of course not! What good is a dead baby to me? Why, I'd be better off taking your soul!" she retorted, laughing once more at her own quip. Kay blushed, not from embarrassment, but from impatience and anger. "Then what?! Why do you want to take my only child away from me?"
The witch stepped closer, cupping Kay's face in her gloved hand. "I have long been doing my task, traveling around the world, making deals with mortals to give them their fondest dreams... And I have completed these many tasks alone. But I am growing older, and I need someone's help- an apprentice, if you may. Maria, your daughter, would be perfect."
Kay steps backwards, out of Circe's grasp, and shakes her head. "No. You can't have her, forget the deal! I- I won't let you take my daughter." she says quietly, though fervently. Kay winces, half expecting the witch's wrath, but nothing happens; the room is still. Finally, Circe shrugs and turns away, returning to the grand flame in the middle of the chamber. "Oh well, too bad. I mean, if you are going to lose your daughter anyway, I just thought you might want to get something out of it, but it's your call, Kay..." she replied mysteriously.
Kay had turned to leave the witch's chamber, but upon listening, she suddenly froze. She whipped around to face the woman, anxious to find out what she had meant. "What do you mean, if I'm going to lose her anyway? What are you going to do to my baby?!" Kay grabbed Circe's cloak, imploring her. Suddenly the witch threw her arms up, casting Kay aside, and throwing a dark blue light across the room, emblazing brilliance even on the steady-burning fire. She turned her glowing eyes to Kay, who lay sprawled on the ground. "How dare you lay hand on me! I have a mind to show you your place...." she shouted, her voice echoing, making it louder still. Kay sat shivering in the corner, fearing for her life. Then, as instantly as she had changed, Circe reverted back to her former self. She drew closer to Kay, and extended a gloved hand to help her up. Fearing that she might anger the witch once more if she refused, Kay took her hand and stood.
Circe smiled once more. "Good then. Now, let me set you straight, my dear: I will not 'kill' your baby, I have no intentions to do so regardless of the turnout of our little deal. But your child will die if she is left in the mortal world. She's not strong enough, and doctors will be at loss on how to help her. She will slowly wilt away, like an early flower." Circe stepped behind Kay, placing an arm around her shoulder, and leaning in close to her ear. "And then Miguel will be free to marry Charity, with nothing left to hold him back..." Kay's fists tightened as she fought back more tears. "So, either way, I'm going to lose my baby?" she questioned, not moving; Kay wasn't sure if she could move, even if she tried. Circe nodded, her frowning expression mocking Kay's own. "I'm afraid so, dear. But if you let me help you, your child will not die." Circe brought her hand out in front of Kay, opening it slowly to reveal the smoky image of a cradle; a hazy figure leaned down and plucked an infant from the cradle, carrying the child in her arms. "She will live forever, as my apprentice...." The woman released the baby in her arms, who quickly grew, changing, until the infant was a young girl, twirling merrily in a summer dress. Kay watched the vaporous images dancing before her eyes, a tear slowly falling down her cheek, and another chasing after it. She reached for the pirouetting form, listening to her child's cheerful laughter, and touched the image; it vanished in her hand. Circe slowly closed her open palm and sighed. "Of course, if she remains with you, she won't live to see her first birthday..."
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Kay stepped back, appalled by Circe's price. "You want Maria?! How- how dare you! How dare you even, even MAKE such a request! No, never! You can't have my daughter!" she screamed, both angry and terrified; what kind of person would want to separate a mother from her child? The witch simply smiled. "But my dear, nobody would know... I could make it look as though your baby died. Not only would you look blameless in this scheme, but Miguel would feel guilty for not paying enough attention to his child- and he would also need comforting.... And meanwhile, I could deal with this, this Charity girl." Circe winked at Kay, who simply gasped. Kay turned away from the witch, tears forming in her eyes. 'I finally have the chance to have everything I've ever dreamed of, but the cost... is my innocent child?' she thought, trying to regain her composure.
She turned to face Circe once more. "You- you want me to kill, my own daughter?" she asked, wondering what the witch's motives were. Circe laughed mirthfully, as if Kay had just told her some sort of sick joke. "Oh, dear, of course not! What good is a dead baby to me? Why, I'd be better off taking your soul!" she retorted, laughing once more at her own quip. Kay blushed, not from embarrassment, but from impatience and anger. "Then what?! Why do you want to take my only child away from me?"
The witch stepped closer, cupping Kay's face in her gloved hand. "I have long been doing my task, traveling around the world, making deals with mortals to give them their fondest dreams... And I have completed these many tasks alone. But I am growing older, and I need someone's help- an apprentice, if you may. Maria, your daughter, would be perfect."
Kay steps backwards, out of Circe's grasp, and shakes her head. "No. You can't have her, forget the deal! I- I won't let you take my daughter." she says quietly, though fervently. Kay winces, half expecting the witch's wrath, but nothing happens; the room is still. Finally, Circe shrugs and turns away, returning to the grand flame in the middle of the chamber. "Oh well, too bad. I mean, if you are going to lose your daughter anyway, I just thought you might want to get something out of it, but it's your call, Kay..." she replied mysteriously.
Kay had turned to leave the witch's chamber, but upon listening, she suddenly froze. She whipped around to face the woman, anxious to find out what she had meant. "What do you mean, if I'm going to lose her anyway? What are you going to do to my baby?!" Kay grabbed Circe's cloak, imploring her. Suddenly the witch threw her arms up, casting Kay aside, and throwing a dark blue light across the room, emblazing brilliance even on the steady-burning fire. She turned her glowing eyes to Kay, who lay sprawled on the ground. "How dare you lay hand on me! I have a mind to show you your place...." she shouted, her voice echoing, making it louder still. Kay sat shivering in the corner, fearing for her life. Then, as instantly as she had changed, Circe reverted back to her former self. She drew closer to Kay, and extended a gloved hand to help her up. Fearing that she might anger the witch once more if she refused, Kay took her hand and stood.
Circe smiled once more. "Good then. Now, let me set you straight, my dear: I will not 'kill' your baby, I have no intentions to do so regardless of the turnout of our little deal. But your child will die if she is left in the mortal world. She's not strong enough, and doctors will be at loss on how to help her. She will slowly wilt away, like an early flower." Circe stepped behind Kay, placing an arm around her shoulder, and leaning in close to her ear. "And then Miguel will be free to marry Charity, with nothing left to hold him back..." Kay's fists tightened as she fought back more tears. "So, either way, I'm going to lose my baby?" she questioned, not moving; Kay wasn't sure if she could move, even if she tried. Circe nodded, her frowning expression mocking Kay's own. "I'm afraid so, dear. But if you let me help you, your child will not die." Circe brought her hand out in front of Kay, opening it slowly to reveal the smoky image of a cradle; a hazy figure leaned down and plucked an infant from the cradle, carrying the child in her arms. "She will live forever, as my apprentice...." The woman released the baby in her arms, who quickly grew, changing, until the infant was a young girl, twirling merrily in a summer dress. Kay watched the vaporous images dancing before her eyes, a tear slowly falling down her cheek, and another chasing after it. She reached for the pirouetting form, listening to her child's cheerful laughter, and touched the image; it vanished in her hand. Circe slowly closed her open palm and sighed. "Of course, if she remains with you, she won't live to see her first birthday..."
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