Author's Note: Ah Tumblr! It giveth to the people. That's how I got two ideas from it to make this match this week. I saw this cool piece of fan art of Belarus. When I saw it, I knew that I had to write about her. She barely gets any screen time in this fic. The last time we saw her was in Sapphire Earrings. (I am going to have to look later.) There was another piece of art of a witch with long white hair. I just had to use that too. Add a couple of quotes from the German show, Dark, and here we are. Speaking of which, I know what I am doing for the Halloween special this year. I think I might go back to Hungary next week with this story. For now, enjoy this week's match.
Match Fourteen: Fallen Witch:
The fog reached Belarus. Natalia was about to take Europe further into the Wasteland.
The woods were quiet this morning. Natalia didn't have on her usual maid outfit. Instead, she had on a long white dress with red trim. Her purple earrings and black headband stood out from her long brown hair. She carried a small bag of silver by her side. The woman heard that there was a witch in the Białowieża Forest. Desperation had driven her to this point. But it's not the reason that you think.
Natalia walked through the fog-covered forest. Why did it have to be thicker here? She could barely see where she was going. The witch lived in a cabin.
She looked down at the map in her hand. The woman would have to squeeze through the narrow path and walk down to the river. The silence made it hard to focus. Natalia looked up at the sky. It looked like it was going to rain. Might as well get going.
Natalia squeezed her way through the trees. Her footsteps didn't make a sound. The grass looked so black at her feet. Despite the fog, Natalia could see where she was going. She ignored the feeling of anyone watching her. She turned her phone off beforehand. The witch wasn't a fan of technology. Still, Natalia wasn't going in blind. She was going to keep her phone by her side.
The pathway seemed to dip at one point. The river was close by. Natalia had to watch her footing. She didn't want to get her dress messed up. The woman still had her bag by her side. The silver jingled inside. Good, still there. Natalia smiled to herself as she kept walking.
She looked up and saw the river flowing by. It didn't make a sound like it normally would. Natalia just needed to follow the river and she would find the witch's cabin. The weather did call for rain today. Good, it meant that she would get a better chance to see the witch.
The river curved off to the right. The witch's cabin was just up ahead. Natalia picked up her pace. She was almost running at one point. She held up her skirt above her ankles. The fog got thicker around her. Still, the Belarusian woman could see where she was going. The silence pushed her onward.
Finally, there was the cabin. By now, Natalia's shoes were soaked. She could just take them off once she got inside. The woman walked down the stony path. It wouldn't be long. Natalia walked up to the door and knocked. She took a step back and waited. The woman looked up when the door opened. A girl about nineteen lifted her head. She seemed to glow with her long white hair and pale skin.
"Who may I ask are you?" she asked in a soft voice. Natalia cleared her throat.
"Are you the witch of these woods?" she asked. She got a good look into the girl's ice blue eyes.
"Yes," the girl said. She bowed her head.
"Please," she said. "Come in." The witch backed into the house. Natalia followed her inside.
The inside of the cabin was pitch black. Natalia stayed behind the young witch. Said witch stopped in her tracks.
"What is it that you seek?" she asked. Natalia lifted her head.
"It's for my brother," she said. The woman paused for a moment.
"No," she said. "This for what I want."
"And what would that be?" the witch asked. Natalia lifted her chin.
"I want your power," she said. The witch turned her head. The Belarusian woman braced herself for what she was going to say next.
"And what do you desire my power for?" the witch asked. Natalia began to smile.
"I want to be a witch too," she said. She came within inches of the pale girl.
"Give me your power," she said. The young witch shivered. So the prophecy was right. Natalia looked deep into her eyes as she waited. Her whole demeanor said that she wasn't going to let this go.
"Are you aware of what my power holds?" she asked.
"Oh yes," she said. Natalia held out her hand. The pale witch trembled at first.
"This transfer will not be easy," she said. "You sure that you can take it?"
"Yes," Natalia said. "Are you going to do the ritual or whatever? Or did I waste my time coming here?" The witch lifted her chin.
"All right," she said. She touched the woman on the wrist. A warm light formed from her touch. It swallowed them whole.
It got quiet again. Natalia opened her but felt no fear. Where did the witch go? Natalia turned her eyes forward. There was the witch again. Her long white hair covered her body. She had her eyes closed. In her right hand was a lit candle and the left was a skull. A dark shadow came up behind her and embraced her. Her lips moved in a soft chant. Her words filled Natalia's ears.
As you sow, so you shall you reap.
Natalia's body was surrounded by a black flame. She didn't scream. This was a woman who knew no fear. Even Ivan feared her. The witch turned to her with her eyes closed.
"So it is. You are the one as mother told me."
"Your mother, huh? What else did she say about me?"
She didn't get an answer. The shadow swallowed up the witch and disappeared. There wasn't a trace left. The skull dropped to the pile of leaves and shattered into pieces. The candle fell to the ground and lit up the leaves and the empty ground. The flames raced to Natalia. She didn't feel a thing. Suddenly, the flames died away. The Belarusian woman looked down at her hands. Smoke came up from the skin. Whispering filled her ears. She could see all of the secrets that the witch held in her body.
It made sense to her.
"As we sow, so we shall we reap."
Yes.
Suddenly, Natalia vanished into thin air.
Natalia opened her eyes. She looked around in the darkness. The Belarusian woman found herself back in the cabin. However, she was alone this time.
But not really.
Natalia looked down at her hand. Smoke and strange markings began to appear. But it didn't hurt at all. One by one, the marks disappeared from the skin. The smoke slowly disappeared. The witch's words filled her head again.
As you sow, so you shall you reap.
The Belarusian woman lifted her head and smirked. She turned and walked out of the cabin. Natalia heard and understood. There was still fog around the forest but the walk felt so different now.
William Shakespeare once said, "Hell is empty and all of the devils are here." Well, that might be the truth now.
