Gone

Marnie stood at the shop counter, awaiting potential customers. She knew it was not likely that anyone would come in today, since the completion of farmer Violet's barn had been delayed until that evening, but it was good for business to keep a regular schedule.

The rancher kept her mind busy by reading some romance novels she had taken out of storage. Now that she and Lewis were no longer meeting in secret, Marnie was a bit more lonely than usual. Jas was a sweet child, but sometimes a woman wanted the companionship of another adult. Or the attention of a man.

She flushed as she reached a particularly amorous scene and bit her lip. Oh, Alejandro, you tease! the brunette giggled quietly to herself. Marnie jumped when the bell chimed to announce the arrival of a customer and she shoved the book into one of the shelves below the cash register. It was her nephew, looking happy in a way she had not seen in years.

"Hi Shane," Marnie greeted him, "you look unusually happy today."

"You're right," the dark-haired young man admitted, beaming at his aunt. "I haven't felt this light since I was a kid."

Marnie felt her body relax as she noticed the signs of progress on her nephew. He was visibly more fit now. Not much slimmer, but bulky in a way that displayed more muscle. His clothes were no longer full of holes, as they had been when he wore that rag of a uniform day and night. Emily had been helping him "find a style" and Marnie could not approve more.

"I've been drinking sparkling water instead of beer," Shane explained to her. "And I feel great!"

Marnie beamed; he had come so far. "That's wonderful!" she crooned, leaning over the counter to better see her nephew. "I'm so proud of you, Shane."

Shane looked a little bashful at the declaration. "You know, I sometimes forget that I really do have friends, people that care about me," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. " And it's okay for me to rely on them…" his dark eyes rested on Marnie, "it doesn't make me weak."

"That's right!" she agreed. Marnie was pleased. The rancher made a mental note to thank Emily for the umpteenth time for saving Shane's life. She realized that if the young lady had never answered the phone in the middle of the night, her nephew might not be standing here. Marnie could feel her eyes welling up, but luckily Shane was preoccupied with something else on his mind.

"Where's Jas?" Shane asked, tilting his head to scan the room. "I have a present for her."

Marnie was intrigued to hear that. Shane was not typically a gift-giver, especially out of the blue like this. She wondered what he had for his goddaughter. "Oh, she's reading a book for school in the kitchen. She can't get enough of it."

Shane disappeared into the kitchen and Marnie could not stop herself from following him to witness the exchange. He looks sharp! She thought, admiring her nephew's smiling face and well-fitting clothes.

"Hi Jas," her nephew addressed the child sitting at the kitchen table, swinging her legs as she read from the book in front of her face. "I've got something for you." Jas set her book down and Shane pulled a small red box with gold and emerald ribbon from behind him and placed it on the floor at his goddaughter's feet.

Jas eyed the gift, her dark eyes glittering with curiosity. "Should I open it now?" she questioned in a squeaky voice. Shane nodded. Carefully, Jas slipped off the ribbons, tore off the decorative paper, and removed the lid. Jas gasped audibly as she lifted the prize to eye-level. "Th-These are real bunny-jewel slippers!" she squealed with delight. She leapt onto Shane and hugged him with all four of her limbs as she planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Shane laughed and Marnie could tell that her nephew was satisfied with Jas' reaction. But as soon as the child slid down from his body, her little mouth pursed introspectively. "B-But these are so expensive!" Jas' eyes were wide with disbelief as she held the gem-toned slippers up to admire them. "How did you afford them?"

Shane chuckled. "I've cut back on an expensive habit," the man replied sheepishly. "I have a lot more spending money now!"

As she discreetly observed her niece and nephew from the doorway, Marnie realized that because Shane was not able to get the mermaid pendant for Emily this year, he likely used some of that money on this gift for Jas. It was a shame that the Old Mariner had already sold the pendant prior to Shane's arrival on the beach. She wondered who else may be getting engaged soon. Marnie wished there was a way she could help Shane.

Marnie's eyes were drawn to the little shoes Jas was now modeling, strutting around like a proud peacock. They were aptly named with such a beautiful shine to them, like jewels on Jas' feet. It was then that an idea struck Marnie. She glanced down at her left hand with a mixture of sadness and hope. Perhaps it's time I passed these on to a new generation… she mused to herself.

Jodi stood at the sink, washing dishes from lunch as Vincent played in the living room with his toys. "ALIEN DINOSAUR ATTACK!" he shouted, crashing a scaly stegosaurus into a crowd of Lego civilians. He chimed in with a falsetto for the townspeople as he moved them. "Ah! Run away!"

The woman smiled, amused by her youngest son. Vincent could be such a messy boy, but he was sweet all the same. Jodi was reminiscing on old memories of the strawberry blond as a baby when the phone rang. "Sam! Could you get that? My hands are wet right now," the woman called to her eldest as she scrubbed a plate with an especially stubborn particle adhered to the surface.

She heard a thump as Sam rolled off the couch and picked up the landline, but Jodi could not hear his words over the sounds of running water. Shortly after, Vincent bounded into the kitchen excitedly. "Mom! Jas invited me to come over and watch the new chickens hatch!" the boy announced. "Can I go over? Can I, can I, can I?!"

Jodi considered for a moment. It might be nice to have Vincent out of the house for a little while, but he tended to get so dirty when he went to play outside. And what if he did not bundle up enough in his weather? "Well…"

Her youngest interrupted, impatient for a response. "Mom, Jas said they've already started, I gotta leave now! Please, please, please!" Vincent hung from her elbow in a desperate attempt to hasten her reaction, causing her to spill a bit of water from the pot she was washing. "Okay, Vincent!" she giggled. "But bring in the mail before you go." She may as well put some of his energy to use.

The door flung open, and Jodi heard Vincent shout something indiscernible to which Sam objected. "Don't forget a coat!" she shouted after the excitable child as the door slammed shut behind Vincent. She sighed, slotting the final plate into the drying rack beside the sink. Jodi turned to rest against the countertop when she saw Sam standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding the mail with a trembling hand.

"There's a letter from the army," Sam announced, his usual confident tone audibly shaken. Why is Sam so frightened? Jodi wondered to herself. She had not heard of any news of a draft, so this was likely just a recruitment solicitation.

Jodi prodded her son gently. "I'm sure everything is fine, Sam," she assured the blond. "Go ahead and open it."

"Me?" His eyes flickered toward her face. "A-are you sure, Mom?" Sam questioned quizzically. Jodi nodded and the young man stared at the envelope for a time, then finally tore open the mail and slid the letter out. His eyes scanned the page and grew wide with shock. "MIA family benefits?" he breathed, barely catching himself from falling with an outstretched arm toward the kitchen table.

Jodi closed the gap between them and rested a concerned hand on her oldest son's shoulder. "Sam, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Mute, her child handed her the letter, and her grey orbs scanned its message. "We regret to inform you that your family member, Kent -"

She heaved a heavy sigh. "That poor family," Jodi sympathized aloud. "It's terrible to be kept wondering like that."

"Mom…" the crack in his voice made Jodi whip her head around to face her son instantly. "What are you talking about? We are his family."

Jodi studied his features and saw the confusion written all over Sam's face. "Which side of the family, dear?" Had she forgotten someone from their extended family?

Sam's eyes turned to his mother, his jaw slack with disbelief. "Kent," the blond stated emphatically. "My dad. Your husband!" The young man stood and pointed toward the door. "He left for the war in Gotoro two years ago."

Jodi's mind went blank. Sam was too old for pranks like this. What in the world was he talking about? "Sweetheart, this isn't funny. We must have received this letter by accident." She felt her head begin to throb just behind her eyes.

"You think I'm joking?!" She could see the angry tears welling up in her boy's deep green eyes as he ran to the living room and returned, presenting her with a photo in a small wooden frame. He pointed to the upper left corner. "There he is! Dad's right here in our family photo!"

Her grey eyes examined the picture, but no matter how many times she looked, she could only see three faces. The spot to which Sam's finger indicated was almost fuzzy. Jodi rubbed her eyes to try and correct her vision, but to no avail. "I- I only see you boys and myself, Sam. Why are you being like this?"

"You're scaring me, Mom!" Sam was beginning to cry real tears now. He set the photo on the table and took her by the shoulders. "Are you seriously telling me you don't know who my father is?"

Jodi's headache now felt as if someone had attacked her with an axe as she racked her brain. If her son was telling the truth, how could she possibly forget someone so important? She held her head in her hands as the searing pain radiated down her spine. "I need to lie down, Sam…" she excused herself.

Sam's grip on her body tightened slightly, making her uncomfortable. "Sam, please let go. You're hurting me."

Her son was sobbing openly now. "I knew you were acting weird since your birthday, but I just let it go since you seemed so chill lately." Sam's bloodshot eyes gazed into hers. "What happened to you, Mom?" Jodi's heart sank. His voice sounded like a child's again. But what could she possibly say to comfort him? There was no man named Kent in their lives.

Despite the cold, Penny still enjoyed reading outdoors when she could. Soon the temperatures would drop below freezing and make this small pleasure an impossibility until Spring. There was something special about autumn air that made Penny want to curl up and enjoy a good book. She was engrossed in her novel when she heard footsteps rapidly approach. Penny turned her attention toward the sound in time to see a blond blur sprint by and head directly for Pierre's.

What was so important that had Sam running like that? He hardly ever rushed unless he was on his skateboard in the Summer and at that point it was just for fun. Penny's eyes were glued to the spot where Sam vanished when Elliott's voice drew her attention. The brunette turned and there stood the poet, offering her a hand up. "What has you so entranced, Miss Penelope?" the long-locked man inquired.

"I suppose it was nothing," the schoolteacher shrugged, directing her focus on the handsome man in her presence. She squeezed him gently, as he still held her hands in his own. "What brought you out here today?" Penny queried her boyfriend. "Don't you usually visit the library on Thursdays?"

Elliott flushed at Penny's familiarity with his regular schedule. "Normally, yes," he admitted quietly, brushing the back of her hand with his thumb. "But today… I have something to ask of you, Miss Penelope."

Penny's eyebrows knit on her forehead. "What is it, Elliott?" He did not want to end their relationship, did he? Had the whole situation with her mother awakened Elliott's senses to the fact that he would get Pam as an in-law if their relationship got serious? Her heart sank at the notion.

The soft-spoken man lifted her hands as he shifted his grip to cup them between his own. "Miss Penelope, as you know from our strolls, my family situation is quite…" his honey-hued eyes glanced downward, as if he would find his words in the pebbles at his feet until he finally settled on a word. "Complicated."

Penny concurred, unsure of where Elliott was going with this declaration. He elaborated, "And as you are aware, my younger brother Edmund and my ex-fiancée Cassandra are to be wed shortly after the Feast of the Winter Star." The writer gripped her hands more tightly, "My mother has personally written to me to request that I attend, despite my father's disinheritance and my fraught relationships with both the bride and groom."

The pieces were slowly coming together. "You're telling me you'll be traveling over the holidays?" Penny was disappointed that Elliott might not be around for the Feast of the Winter Star or New Years' Eve, but she understood his familial obligations. Still, it was unfair of his mother to request that Elliott attend. What kinds of things would people say about him at the wedding?

Elliott inhaled deeply, bracing himself. "That is not quite the whole of it, Miss Penelope. I intend to depart the morning after the Feast," he informed her. His mouth opened, but no words escaped his lips. Penny smiled at him encouragingly.

"What is it, Elliott?" His reluctance to speak made her nervous that something bad was going to happen.

Finally, her boyfriend mustered the courage to get to the point. "It would do me a world of good to have some 'emotional support' as it were, and I - I hoped that you might accompany me to the event."

It took a few moments for Penny's brain to process Elliott's request. "You… want me to go to a wedding with you?" Her heart began to race at the prospect of meeting Elliott's relatives and the high society in which they lived. "I don't think I could afford -"

Elliott immediately realized he should have included more details. "I would of course cover the travel expenses and my mother has insisted that I and any guest I bring receive accommodations in the family manor. I have written to my mother, and she assures me that she could have plenty of garments from which you could choose for the occasion."

Penny felt self-conscious knowing that Elliott had already considered her financial situation and written home about it. "I-I don't know," she stuttered doubtfully. "I might embarrass you."

Elliott shook his head, his tawny tresses shifting on his shoulders. "Impossible," he insisted. "You could never embarrass me, Miss Penelope. I adore you."

The brunette's face reddened. "W-When you put it that way…" Penny could feel the blood rushing to her supposed one night of dancing could not be all that bad, even if it was a bit far away. Not to mention Elliott appeared to love his mother, even if he did not seem to care for his brother or father. Even if her dress was borrowed, it would be romantic to go somewhere all dressed up together. "I suppose I could go with you," Penny conceded. "I'm sure it would be lonely to go by yourself."

Elliott swept Penny up into a soft embrace. "I appreciate your consideration of my feelings, Miss Penelope." He exhaled deeply, as if a weight had been lifted from his broad shoulders. "You have no notion of how relieved I am to hear that you will accompany me," the poet revealed. "I questioned whether I could muster the strength to go alone."

He kissed her forehead. "I shall write to my mother at once to tell her the good news," Elliott explained, excusing himself. "May I have the pleasure of dining with you this evening?"

Penny blushed. Elliott was a wonderful cook, even if he only knew a few dishes. And she was learning from his expertise to improve her own cooking. Violet was so kind to allow them to use her kitchen. Even if Penny still had plenty of room for improvement, at least now her own meals were edible. "I would like that."

Maru stood beside the exam table; her stethoscope placed firmly on Caroline's back as she chatted up her patient with some small talk when there was a loud crash coming from the waiting room. "Caroline!" a voice shouted. It was not Pierre, but it was a familiar male voice. "Caroline, where are you? It's my mom!" Ah, it's Sam! Caroline felt a knot forming in her stomach. What happened to Jodi?

Maru removed the stethoscope from her ears and let it fall to hang around her neck. The young woman glanced at Caroline, who looked troubled. "I don't have much left to check," the nurse informed the green-haired woman. "Whoever it is can wait, I'll lock the door to make sure we aren't disturbed."

"No, it's alright." Caroline buttoned her shirt and slid off the exam table, her bright eyes never leaving the door. "I don't have any other health concerns and it sounds urgent."

The medical professional quickly recorded a few notes from the appointment on Caroline's medical charts. "I'll bring those supplement pills you requested for your nickel deficiency to the front counter in just a moment."

"Thank you, dear," she articulated appreciatively. "If I'm not out in the waiting room when you finish, I'll come by to pick them up tomorrow." Caroline hurried out the door, leaving Maru to deal with the documentation.

Caroline rounded the corner to find Sam in the waiting room, wide-eyed like a cornered animal. His deep green eyes fell upon her as soon as she entered the room. "What happened to my mom the night of her birthday?!" he demanded to know, closing the gap between them instantly. "She doesn't remember my dad! I even showed her a picture and she doesn't see his face in the photo!"

The woman bit her bottom lip. "I was afraid something might come up…" Caroline breathed out, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Sam declined to sit and chose to resume his anxious fidgeting.

"You know what happened to her?" the blond boy breathed shakily. It was clear he was distressed by whatever encounter had occurred between him and his mother. But where was Jodi?

"I took her to see someone that could help," she admitted honestly.

Sam leapt upon the new information. "Who?!"

If Rasmodius had not materialized in front of Abigail's friends during the Fair, Caroline might have tried to conceal the truth. But the boy was already aware of the magic that existed in the Valley now. There was no point in trying to hide the truth. "I took her to see the witch that lives in the swamp north of here."

Perhaps because of the very reason that Caroline decided to tell Sam the truth, he seemed to believe her without question. "How do I get to the swamp?"

Caroline was unsettled by the idea of sending Sam to the bog alone. "I don't recommend going there, Sam. She doesn't care for uninvited guests."

But Sam's expression was so desperate as he spoke that Caroline did not see much choice in the matter. "I need to know what she did to my mom."

The green-haired woman frowned pensively. "Very well, Sam…" Caroline yielded to the young man. "I'll tell you how to get there." She leaned forward in her chair and locked eyes with her daughter's boyfriend. "Listen closely. I don't want you getting lost…"

Violet was getting ready to leave to meet Sebastian in ZuZu City for their tour of Professor Edge's home when her phone rang. It was Abigail. Normally, her friends did not call unless it was an emergency. The farmer picked up immediately. "Abigail, what's wrong?"

Her intuition had been right after all. "Sam's missing!" the young woman on the phone shouted. "He came to the shop looking for my mom and I haven't seen either of them in hours!" Abigail elaborated. "Maru said they didn't leave together, but Caroline mentioned that Jodi might be in trouble."

"Has anyone checked Jodi's house?" It seemed like an obvious suggestion, but Violet had to be sure.

Abigail's tone was discouraged. "I went over there, and the house was dark. No one answered when I knocked."

Everyone must be out of the house… Violet deducted. But where did they all go? And where's Caroline, then? "I'll go around town and see what I can find," the farmer promised. She was not going to let another friend down, especially not in an emergency like this. Violet realized she would have to cancel the apartment tour with Sebastian, but hopefully he would understand. "I'll report back if I find anything, okay?"

"I'll do the same," Abigail confirmed anxiously. "And thanks…" She hung up.

Violet texted Sebastian to inform him that she would not be able to make it today after all. *Abigail called. Sam and his family are missing, same with Caroline. I'll keep you updated but go on without me to meet your professor. I won't be able to come, sorry.* Once she was sure that the message went through, she grabbed her backpack and headed out in search of the missing villagers.

Her first inclination was to touch base with Penny, since she was Vincent's teacher and a friend of Sam's. Since she lived so close now, it made things easier and since Penny did not have a phone, if they had all gone to see her, it would make sense that they might be out of contact for a while. But when Penny came to the door and it was apparent that she was alone, Violet began to feel a growing concern take root in her mind. "Have you seen Vincent and Sam? Or Caroline and Jodi?" the farmer implored her newest tenant.

The brunette shook her head, "Not lately." But after a brief pause, she amended that statement. "Well, I saw Sam this afternoon running toward Pierre's, but he's the only one among the people you listed I've seen today."

Violet realized that Penny must have seen Sam on his way to Pierre's shop in hopes of finding Caroline. Once he arrived, Abigail had mentioned that Caroline was at the clinic earlier for an appointment. "So where did he go from the clinic?" the pastel-haired woman wondered aloud. "And where's everyone else?"

The corners of Penny's lips drooped. "Is everything alright?"

"Abigail is worried because Sam came by asking about Caroline. From Abigail's account, he seemed to think something was wrong with his mom," Violet informed the schoolteacher. "And no one has heard from either of them since Maru last saw them at the clinic. Abigail even went to Jodi's house personally, and no one was there."

"Is Vincent with them?"

Violet's shoulders lifted in a gesture of uncertainty. "We're trying to figure that out."

Penny looked perturbed. "I'll help you look," she offered, "would it be best if we split up?"

The farmer vetoed the idea. "Not unless you have a phone or another way to contact everyone without having to hunt them down on foot." Violet would normally not say things so bluntly, but if anyone was in danger, fast communication was a must.

Penny did not argue the point and instead readied herself. "Should we talk to Shane, too?" the brunette inquired as they headed southward. Violet agreed it was a good idea. The lights in the house were on, so at least they knew someone was home.

Their first efforts were surprisingly effective. Shane opened the door and beamed when he saw their faces, which threw Violet off to see Shane so… smiley. "Uh, have you seen Vincent, Sam, Jodi, or Caroline?" the farmer solicited the mayor.

Shane nodded. "Yeah, Vincent is with Jas in the new coop playing with the baby chicks that hatched earlier." The grin slowly dissipated from his face. "Is something wrong?"

Violet described the situation as she had done for Penny, and Shane added some additional information. "I had Jas call Vincent about the chicks hatching right around one this afternoon."

"So, Sam was on the phone and verified that their mom said Vincent could come over," Penny repeated the facts of the scenario thus far. "At that time, all three of them were at the house and Caroline was at the clinic."

"That sounds right," Shane allowed.

"After Vincent left, something must have happened, because I saw Sam run toward Pierre's," Penny assumed, hashing out the details she had witnessed. "Abigail verified that he came to the store and asked for Caroline and Abigail directed Sam to the clinic."

"Maru told Abigail that he came in yelling about his mom, Jodi, and Caroline left her appointment to go and talk to him," Violet sustained, puzzled by the missing pieces of information. "But they didn't leave together, and the house was empty when Abigail went to check a few hours later."

"At least Vincent is safe and accounted for," Penny sighed with relief. The other bobbed their heads in accord.

"But where did the others go?"

"Jodi only really hangs out with Caroline…" Violet observed aloud. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check with the other villagers to see if they have seen either of them." The farmer thought for a moment. "Penny, if you don't mind, keep an eye on Vincent for a while longer while we sort this out. We don't want him going home to an empty house and freaking out. You're welcome to take him into the farmhouse and play with Bruno."

Penny bowed her head to indicate her understanding of the mission. "Shane, you go into town and check out whether anyone else might have seen the others. Report back if you learn anything new. I'm going to check with Pam to see if any of them left town by bus."

Much to Violet's chagrin, Pam had not seen any of the three missing adults. At least this means they all are still in town somewhere, the farmer reasoned to herself. Or at least within walking distance.

Since Shane was covering town, Violet decided the only other places they had not checked were up in the mountains. Maybe Robin had seen something? Or better yet, Linus! Violet realized she had forgotten to tell the wildman that her guest house was currently occupied since Penny moved in. She needed to speak with him anyway.

It was getting dark by the time Violet made her way to the ridge, but Linus' fire was visible from a good distance. "Linus?" the farmer exclaimed, making sure to alert the man of her approach prior to entering his camp. She recalled the last time they talked was when some visitors from out of town were vandalizing his tent and did not want to scare Linus when it was avoidable. "Linus, are you there? It's me, farmer Violet!"

Linus' voluminous beard shone in the firelight as he popped his head out from under the flap of his tent. "Yes? How can I help you, farmer Violet?"

Violet tried her best to make this brief. "Have you seen Sam, Jodi, or Caroline?" she petitioned the wildman. "No one has seen them for hours and we're getting worried."

Linus wrinkled his brow. "You know, I believe I did see someone with blond hair run up the mountainside earlier today," he recollected, tapping the chin under his facial hair. "He looked like he was in a hurry."

"Did he stop at Robin's house?"

The man signaled to the contrary. "No, he went straight past the house and up toward the railroad tracks." Linus pointed toward the foot path. "Sam ran that way."

A lead! Violet thanked the man profusely, offering him some fresh fruit from her small orchard for his troubles, which he graciously accepted. As she was about to leave to follow her new lead, she turned on her heels. "Oh, wait! I forgot to mention…" The farmer had almost forgotten again. "Penny is staying in my guesthouse temporarily, so if you need somewhere warmer to stay on a cold night, let me know and I'll get something worked out, okay? I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to make use of the cabin earlier this week."

"Farmer Violet," Linus beckoned to her in a low, serious voice. "There must be some mistake. While I appreciate your kind offer, I have never used your guesthouse…"

Sam's lung burned from the effort of running as long as he had, but the man needed to find the witch that had harmed his mother. After following the hidden route through the mountains that Caroline described, Sam could have sworn he had been sprinting for an eternity. Finally, the young man felt a shift in the earth beneath his feet. The ground was damp and squelched underfoot, that must mean he was nearing the swamp.

Panting for air, Sam pushed himself onward as the flicker of lights became visible in the distance. He knew he would likely collapse from exhaustion soon, but Sam knew he needed the witch to fix what she did to his mother. She had to undo the spell or illusion or whatever she did.

The path ahead of him narrowed and became firmer as either side of the road slowly gave way to water. About a hundred yard away, Sam saw a small stone hut with a leafy roof and a tiny chimney pipe. That must be it!

But as Sam got closer, he realized there was someone blocking the trail. Had the witch sense his approach and come out to meet him? He slowed as he neared the figure, but he quickly realized that this creature was not the witch he sought. It was a short, green-skinned monster with red, beady eyes and fangs that stuck out past its lips. "I'm here… to see… the witch…" Sam gasped, resting his hands on his knees as he bent himself forward to catch his breath.

The helmeted creature blocked Sam's way. "You want to pass? I'm sorry, this is private property."

Sam could not believe this little gremlin was not going to let him through. "But I was… sent here… to see her…"

The goblin frowned and offered his condolences. "I'm sorry, I can't let you pass. I'd lose my job," he justified his actions, still fidgeting under Sam's intense glare of disdain.

Without thinking, Sam decided that he was not going to be stopped so close to his goal. Instead, he took a few steps back to get a running start to leap over the stubby creature. The green goblin shrieked in alarm. "No, no! You can't do that! Get back here!"

But Sam was not about to let himself get caught. He did not bother to knock as he entered the dwelling and bolted the door shut to make sure the guard could not come in. Inside the hut, he found a trio of large stone statues, a pair of tables, a cauldron, and some runes written on the floor. But no sign of the witch.

"Where are you?!" Sam bellowed angrily. "You did something to mess up my mom, witch! Show yourself!" And yet no one emerged to confront him. He continued to yell until his voice went hoarse and only then did a woman clad in black appear out of thin air before Sam. Her skin was as green as the goblin who guarded the front of the house.

"There is no need to yell, boy," the witch scolded him. "You have already broken into my home, there's no way I did not know you were here…"

She was clearly annoyed, but Sam did not care about her feelings right now. "What did you do to my mom, Jodi?" the young man queried the magic-user. "She can't remember my dad and when I showed her a picture, something was wrong with her head." Sam could not stop the words from pouring out as the witch only stood there in silence. "How could she forget my dad like that? What did you do to her?"

The witch did not speak at first, then finally posed a question of her own. "Did your little brother witness the argument you had with your mother, child?"

Part of him wondered how the witch knew about Vincent, but then again, his mom had been here earlier this season. Who knows what Jodi told the witch then? "No, Vincent was already out of the house."

"That is good, at least…" She perched herself on the stool nearest her and invited him to take a seat opposite her beside the empty cauldron, but he declined. The witch crossed her legs and held her knee with her hands as she leaned to stretch her back. "As for what I did, boy, it's exactly as you said: I made your mother forget her husband."

"Why would you do that?!"

The justification was a relatively simple one. "Jodi was in constant pain knowing that her husband was overseas fighting in a dangerous war," the witch explained bluntly. "It caused her nothing but sleepless nights and constant worry, so when she finally learned that Kent's entire squadron went MIA, that was what broke her."

Sam's eyes widened. "So, the letter today…" he was finally beginning to see more of the bigger picture. "That wasn't the first time the military had contacted us about dad."

The witch bobbed her head. "It was too much for your mother, child. She was miserable and desperately trying to keep a brave face for you boys, but it was slowly killing her. One night, Jodi came to me, and I offered a way to let her forget about her husband and all the pain her attachment to him caused."

She gestured toward the centermost statue along the back wall. "Jodi chose to forget, so that she might have a chance to live and be a mother to you boys. Otherwise, I think her heartache might have stripped her of her will to live." The witch's black eyes stared directly into Sam's own, and she extended her hand in his direction.

"I will offer you and your brother the same gift, child," the magical woman stated with a slight upward curve of her lips. "Would you like to forget all this worry and sorrow?"

"You want me to… forget my dad exists?"

The witch shrugged. "It is your choice, child," she responded casually. Her ink-black eyes glanced toward him as she added a warning. "But if you try to insist to your mother that your father exists, it will inevitably damage her mind."

Sam felt the air catch in his lungs. It hurt more than when he ran all the way here. "So, either Vincent and I forget, too, or we should never mention dad in front of her again?" The green woman dipped her head solemnly to confirm his assessment. Sam could not believe this. Had his mother really chosen this for herself? Had things really been so terrible that she was losing the will to live? He felt a lump forming in his throat.

"Can I have a while to think about it?"

The witch visibly relaxed. "Of course, my dear," she answered calmly. "But keep my warning in mind and don't provoke your mother anymore. Do you understand?" The last question was decidedly less friendly than her other words. How was he was going to tell Vincent?