Noita, the old crone whom Bensiabel called Mother, is wrong about the
young girl. The evil that she believes to reside in the girl named Alyssa
is only a gross exaggeration of Alyssa's anger towards her classmates.
Alyssa's family has just moved to the sleeply little town, and her peers
have yet to accept her. They tease her every day. Out of spite, no one told
her the belief that the old mansion at the corner is haunted, any more than
the belief that the plums that hang over the fence are as poisonous as Snow
White's apple. Alyssa thinks that the house is abandoned, and so her
conscience is clear when she takes a plum each day for lunch.
One crisp, clear, autumn morning, she walks to school as usual. She approaches the old house as she does every day. Two girls her age walk ahead of her. They turn when they hear her footsteps. One whispers into the other's ear. They both giggle, and Alyssa hangs her head sadly. She misses her old home; she feels quite lonely in this town. Unbeknownst to her, the two young girls begin scooping up fallen plums in their skirts. She looks up and begins to walk towards the schoolhouse again. Suddenly the girls turn and begin pelting her with the rotten fruit.
"Hey! Stop!" she cries, shielding her face with her arms. "Leave me alone!" Tears run down her cheeks.
"'Lyssy the sissy!" they taunt. When they run out of plums, they run down the street, laughing. Swiping furiously at her tears, Alyssa trudges over to the tree. For a moment, her heart is so heavy she considers turning back and heading for home. She could convince her mother that she has taken ill. The thought is appealing, but she knows she will have to face the other students again eventually. Might as well get it over with.
Sighing, she reached for the branch that hung over the fence. At least she could enjoy a plum for lunch again today, her favorite fruit. Maybe she would take two.
She hears a rustle in the branches, and screams as her arm is suddenly seized. She thrashes about as she is hefted over the fence and into the yard. She tumbles head over heels onto the curled black toes of her assaulter's shoes.
"Well, well, if it ain't the little thief." She looks up to see the owner of the dry, hateful voice. The woman looks old enough to be her grandmother's grandmother, her skin as pale and wrinkly as crumbled paper, eyes black and beady.
"Who are you?" she asks.
"Noita, that's who! This is my house, and my yard, and them's my plums ya been stealing!"
"I'm sorry!" Alyssa cries. "I thought this house was empty! I didn't think anyone would care if I picked them!"
"Lies, all of 'em!" the crone replies. "I can see right through ya." Alyssa sobs loudly, afraid and unsure what to do. "Yer gonna repay me by doing the chores 'round here and learning my craft. And ya ain't leaving 'till I say yer debt is paid."
"But...my mother and father..."
"To hell with 'em! They raised ya wrong! Now I'm gonna finish the job." Her face breaks into a cruel smile. "Ya happy now, girl? Now ya can eat all the plums ya want." She let out a whispery titter. "Matter a fact, I think I'll call ya Prunella." She goes to leave, then turns, the creepy grin replaced by a hard line. "Ya can start by weeding the garden, Prunella." she says, then goes into the house. Alyssa tries to climb over the fence, but hasn't the strength. She finds the gate, but it is securely locked. She screams at the top of her lungs, but no one comes to help. If Noita is indeed a witch, a thought that crossed Alyssa's mind when she first saw the crone, she has the whole neighborhood bewitched. Alyssa sits on a stone in the garden, puts her head in her hands, and cries. For a few moments, she could swear that she feels a comforting hand on her shoulder, but when she opens her eyes, she is alone, and knows she has imagined it.
One crisp, clear, autumn morning, she walks to school as usual. She approaches the old house as she does every day. Two girls her age walk ahead of her. They turn when they hear her footsteps. One whispers into the other's ear. They both giggle, and Alyssa hangs her head sadly. She misses her old home; she feels quite lonely in this town. Unbeknownst to her, the two young girls begin scooping up fallen plums in their skirts. She looks up and begins to walk towards the schoolhouse again. Suddenly the girls turn and begin pelting her with the rotten fruit.
"Hey! Stop!" she cries, shielding her face with her arms. "Leave me alone!" Tears run down her cheeks.
"'Lyssy the sissy!" they taunt. When they run out of plums, they run down the street, laughing. Swiping furiously at her tears, Alyssa trudges over to the tree. For a moment, her heart is so heavy she considers turning back and heading for home. She could convince her mother that she has taken ill. The thought is appealing, but she knows she will have to face the other students again eventually. Might as well get it over with.
Sighing, she reached for the branch that hung over the fence. At least she could enjoy a plum for lunch again today, her favorite fruit. Maybe she would take two.
She hears a rustle in the branches, and screams as her arm is suddenly seized. She thrashes about as she is hefted over the fence and into the yard. She tumbles head over heels onto the curled black toes of her assaulter's shoes.
"Well, well, if it ain't the little thief." She looks up to see the owner of the dry, hateful voice. The woman looks old enough to be her grandmother's grandmother, her skin as pale and wrinkly as crumbled paper, eyes black and beady.
"Who are you?" she asks.
"Noita, that's who! This is my house, and my yard, and them's my plums ya been stealing!"
"I'm sorry!" Alyssa cries. "I thought this house was empty! I didn't think anyone would care if I picked them!"
"Lies, all of 'em!" the crone replies. "I can see right through ya." Alyssa sobs loudly, afraid and unsure what to do. "Yer gonna repay me by doing the chores 'round here and learning my craft. And ya ain't leaving 'till I say yer debt is paid."
"But...my mother and father..."
"To hell with 'em! They raised ya wrong! Now I'm gonna finish the job." Her face breaks into a cruel smile. "Ya happy now, girl? Now ya can eat all the plums ya want." She let out a whispery titter. "Matter a fact, I think I'll call ya Prunella." She goes to leave, then turns, the creepy grin replaced by a hard line. "Ya can start by weeding the garden, Prunella." she says, then goes into the house. Alyssa tries to climb over the fence, but hasn't the strength. She finds the gate, but it is securely locked. She screams at the top of her lungs, but no one comes to help. If Noita is indeed a witch, a thought that crossed Alyssa's mind when she first saw the crone, she has the whole neighborhood bewitched. Alyssa sits on a stone in the garden, puts her head in her hands, and cries. For a few moments, she could swear that she feels a comforting hand on her shoulder, but when she opens her eyes, she is alone, and knows she has imagined it.