I love how much people are loving this story so far. So let's not lose this momentum. The original Hilda books were written by Luke Pearson and the animated series was produced by Silvergate Media and Mercury Filmworks and is released exclusively on Netflix. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

It was about half past 3:00 in the afternoon, and Johanna was a nervous wreck. It had been almost eight full hours since she last saw her daughter and the last words she spoke were still rattling around in her brain.

I just can't be around you right now.

Every word might as well have been a knife in her heart.

She was supposed to have turned in the final draft of her poster design for some new ad campaign earlier that day, but after everything that had happened, she was too upset to work on it the night before. So she called her employer and after an extremely long and awkward conversation, her deadline was extended until Monday. Since then, all Johanna had been able to do was pace and worry and eat.

Actually, she mostly just ate. This whole ordeal was so upsetting and food seemed to help, if only a little. Since wolfing down the lion's share of the pancakes, Johanna had eaten four cucumber sandwiches, two slices of sponge cake, an entire bowl of fruit and she was currently on her fifth bag of Jorts; salt and vinegar flavor. At one point, she worried that if she ate too much Kaisa might not find her attractive anymore, but then she remembered she had much bigger problems and started eating again.

Oh, if only she knew how Hilda was doing. If only Kaisa would call and tell her everything was alright. If only someone would give her a sign.

Ding-Dong~

The doorbell?

Well, not exactly what she had in mind, but she'd take it.

Without thinking, Johanna rushed to the front door and with seemingly reckless abandon she flung it open to greet the person she hoped was there.

"Hilda." She said excitedly, only to have her hopes crushed when she saw that it was not her beloved daughter, but her two friends whom she was somewhat fond of. "Oh… hello, Frida. David. Hilda's not here right now."

"We know." Replied David, blunt but polite.

"We're actually here to see you, Ma'am." Added Frida. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Johanna replied, trying to play it off all casually, only for the button on her pants to pop off and nearly hit David in the face. "Okay, how much do you two actually know?"

"Uh… kinda just bits and pieces." David answered awkwardly. "Mostly we just know that Kaisa the Librarian came to take Hilda out of school and Hilda got really mad."

"Oh no… was it as bad as I think it was?"

"Um… how bad do you think it was?"

Upon hearing this, Johanna just groaned miserably and slunk back into the living room. As she plopped herself back onto the sofa, she heard Frida harshly whisper to David,

"You're not helping."

Moments later, the two children joined her on the couch, both looking somber and sympathetic.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." Said David apologetically. "Sometimes I just say things without thinking."

"It's okay, David. I know you're just trying to help."

"Um… Ma'am, if it's not too personal, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, Frida."

"Well it's just that… what I mean is… is it really true? Are you and Kaisa, that is… the Librarian… are you two really…"

"Sigh… Yes, Frida. Kaisa and I really are together." Johanna answered, knowing exactly what the young girl was trying to tiptoe around. "We've been going out for months, but I never told Hilda because I was afraid of how she might take it. And yesterday, because of some stupid faulty alarm system, she found out in the worst possible way. And now she hates me."

"I'm sure that's not true." Frida said reassuringly. "Hilda's not the kind of person to hate anyone. Least of all, her own Mum. I'm sure this will all work out?"

"How?" Johanna asked, starting to tear up again. "I've probably scarred by only daughter for life. And provided she hasn't already chased her off, Kaisa's sure to dump me once she sees how fat I've become."

And with that, the older woman started to weep softly. Frida was out of her depth and she knew it, but luckily David knew just what to say.

"You know, you really don't look all that different than normal." The young lad said reassuringly. "Maybe if you just start wearing sweatpants, she won't notice."

Naturally, this 'helpful' suggestion earned David a stern glare from both females.

"Sigh. There I go, not thinking again."

"Just ignore him, Ma'am." Frida said, trying to regain control of the situation. "And like I was saying, Hilda just isn't the type to hate. And Kaisa's a very nice lady. I'm sure they can work things out."

"But what if you're wrong? What if there's no way to fix this?"

"Well, I know I keep putting my foot in my mouth, but I feel that when love is real, it always finds a way." Said David, this time hitting the nail on the head.

"Oh, David, that was beautiful." Said Frida, sounding genuinely impressed.

"Thanks. I got it from one of my Dad's lawyer programs." The young lad replied, ruining the moment. "I don't know what they got the guy off for, but that was the summation."

At which point, Frida just rolled her eyes and sarcastically replied,

"You're a regular riot. You know that, David?"

XXX

At almost exactly the same time, Kaisa was standing in front of a familiar looking bookcase; the one that served as the secret entranceway to the 'reference only' section of the library. It had been several hours since her heated exchange with her young charge and the Librarian had largely cooled down. And what with closing time being just around the corner, she figured it was about time to check in on said charge and see if she had done the same.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

"Hilda." She said in a soft but audible tone. "Are you okay in there, sweetheart?"

No reply.

"I… I know you probably don't want to talk to me right now, and that's okay, but please, just listen. Just for a minute."

Again, no reply.

"Right now, you probably think I'm just some mean lady who's trying to steal your mother, but deep down you know that's not true. And I'm sorry if I scared you with that whole… marriage thing. To be honest, it scares me too. That's why I haven't brought it up with your mother yet. Just the thought of her rejecting me makes me want to…" the Librarian caught herself midsentence and mentally chastised herself for getting off track. "But never mind that now. This conversation isn't about her. This is about the two of us. I want us to have a good relationship. I want to try and repair the trust that I've broken. That's why I'm willing to offer you a deal. If you come out right now and apologize, and I mean really apologize, then I won't tell your mother what you said to me. Do we have a deal?"

But yet again, no reply.

"Hilda? Did you hear what I said? I said if you give me a real apology I won't tell your mother you said a bad word."

Still, nothing but silence.

"Hilda? Are you alright in there?"

When she was met with silence yet again, Kaisa began to worry. So after quickly releasing her spell seal, she slid the bookcase over and went inside. And to her immense shock and horror, the Librarian found that the room was empty.

Hilda was gone.

"But… but how?" she asked herself aloud in utter disbelief. "This is impossible. I sealed the only exit with mag…"

And that's when she remembered. That wasn't the only exit. Hilda already knew about the other secret doorway. The one that led straight into the heart of the Witches' Tower. That's where she had to be.

But Hilda… a little girl… in the Witches' Tower… alone!

She had to find her before it was too late!

XXX

Meanwhile, many miles below the surface, in the subterranean labyrinth known as the Witches' Tower, Hilda was wandering alone in search of a friend.

'Now let's see.' She thought to herself as she closely examined each painting on the wall as she passed it. 'I know the entrance to Tildy's maze is around here somewhere. But where?'

For those of you not in the loop on such things, Matilda Pilqvist or Tildy as she preferred to be called, was a witch of great power and influence within Trolberg's magical community, but more importantly to the context of this story, she was also Hilda's close friend and neighbor, as well as a mentor and mother figure to Kaisa.

'Heh. Heh. Heh. Just you wait, Ms. Librarian Lady.' The little girl thought wickedly. 'Just wait until I tell Tildy what a rotten little sneak you are. Using me to make Mum sleep with you, and then yelling at me and threatening to give me a spanking. You won't be so tough once Tildy gives you an earful. Oh~ Maybe if I'm lucky, she'll give you a spanking.'

Just the mental image of Kaisa being put over the much smaller woman's knee and having her bare bottom repeatedly smacked with a wooden hairbrush was enough to send the young girl into a delirious giggling fit. In fact, she found the whole idea so funny that she didn't realize she wasn't looking where she was going until she bumped into something that knocked her to the floor.

"Ooof!" she went as she fell on her back like a turtle; dazed but otherwise unharmed.

"Oh my stars!" exclaimed a warm but unfamiliar voice. "Are you alright, dearie?"

"Yeah… I… I think so." Hilda replied as she picked herself off the ground. "I'm terribly sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Oh, that's quite alright, sweetie. What matters is that you're not hurt."

As her senses returned, Hilda began to notice a few irregularities in her situation. For starters, she wasn't in the portrait gallery anymore. Somehow, she had wandered onto one of the many bridges that crisscrossed the innermost section of the tower; which was essentially just a massive vertical shaft. Secondly, the person she had bumped into was a witch, as evidenced by her clothing. And yeah, running into a witch inside the Witches' Tower was too be expected, but this was a witch she'd never seen before.

A stranger, if you will.

She was a tall, thin woman, presumably about her mother's age, with short red hair done up in a stylish bob. Her face was admittedly quite lovely, except for her nose, which was long and pointy like a bird's beak.

"Oh, but where are my manners?" said the bird-nosed witch pleasantly. "My name is Hazel. What's yours, little one?"

"Hilda." The little girl replied nervously. "And again, I'm very sorry for bumping into you Ms. Hazel. I was just looking for the entrance to Tildy's… I mean, Matilda Pilqvist's maze."

"I see…." Said Hazel, stroking her chin. "And is she your mother?"

"No, um… she's just a friend. She lives around the corner from where Mum and I live."

"I see… and your mother, is she around here somewhere?"

"No, Ma'am. I sort of came here by myself." Hilda admitted. "I know I'm not really supposed to be down here, but I really need to talk to Tildy about something."

"Oh, darling, you don't have to explain yourself to me." Hazel said sweetly. "But it's very dangerous to be wandering the Witches' Tower all by yourself. Why don't you come with me? I don't know Elder Pilqvist personally, but I know where the entrance to her maze is. Come, take my hand and I'll show you the way."

The bird-nosed witch offered her hand to Hilda, seemingly in a gesture of friendship, but something just felt off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something in the older woman's eyes, some kind of dark longing, that gave the young girl pause.

But then again, she was lost, and Hazel was offering to show her the way. And really, what harm could it do to just let this strange woman hold her hand?

Hilda came dangerously close to learning the answer as she slowly extended her hand to meet with Hazel's, but was saved at the last second when someone let out a delightful cry.

"Hazel!" squealed an almost sickeningly sugary voice from somewhere down the bridge. "Oh my stars! Congratulations!"

Moments later, two more witches came onto the scene. One was a pleasantly plump woman with long lavender hair and a wide dopy grin. The other was a dark-skinned, fairly muscular woman with short silver hair and look of scathing jealousy in her eyes.

"Penelope. Elenore." Hazel said to them respectively, using that tone people use when they want to seem polite but really want you to go away. "So good to see you two."

"Oh~ Just look at her, Ellie. She's adorable." Squealed the plump witch delightedly as she knelt down to her eyelevel. "Hello, precious~ I'm Penelope, and this is my darling wife Elenore. What's your name?"

"H-Hilda." She answered nervously; feeling very put off by whatever was going on.

"Oh~ I could just eat you up!" Penelope squealed again before standing back up. "Hazel, your daughter is just too adorable for words. We're so happy for you."

"Yes, we're both so very happy." Elenore said sarcastically; her eyes ablaze with envy.

"Daughter?" Hilda repeated confusedly. "Hazel, what are they…."

But the words died in her throat when she turned back around and saw that Hazel was slashing her hand across her throat in a panicky fashion. You know, that gesture people sometimes use when they want to nonverbally tell someone to stop talking.

"Oh, uh, don't mind her, sweetie." Hazel said to her, still apparently in a bit of a panic. "Penelope's just being silly. Now come along, dear. And I'll take you to Elder Pilqvist."

Suddenly, that uneasy feeling from before was multiplied tenfold. Something was terribly wrong here. Hilda didn't know what, but she knew she needed to get out of there fast.

"I don't understand." Said Penelope, sounding genuinely confused. "What's going on here?"

"Um… darling, if you'll come over here, I'll explain it to you." Said Elenore in a hushed voice as she pulled her wife to the side and whispered something in her ear.

However, as soon as she did, the plump witch's eyes went wide with delight and wonder, and she blurted out at the top of her voice,

"You mean the girl's still up for grabs?"

Her voice echoed throughout the great shaft, earning the instant attention of every other witch in the vicinity. Hazel loudly smacked her hand against her forehead as over two dozen witches joined them on the bridge by one means or another.

Suddenly, Hilda found herself standing at the center of a great mob of witches; all of them staring at her like little girls eyeing a doll through a toy store window.

"Come with me, little one." Said one of them pleadingly. "I know lots of fun games we can play."

"No, come and live with me." Said another. "I'll give you candy. As much as you want. Whenever you want."

"I have lots of dolls at my house. But if you don't like them, I'll throw them out."

"I'll bake you cookies every day."

"I'll buy you anything you want from the toy store."

"Your hair is so pretty. Please let me brush it."

"Let me pinch your cheeks."

Overwhelmed by a fear she didn't fully understand, Hilda slid through the one opening she could see and made a mad dash for the nearest corridor. But even as she continued to run at top speed, the cries of her pursuers still echoed in her ears.

"Come back, little girl!"

"Please, don't go!"

"Don't leave us!"

"Come back!"

"Don't be afraid!"

"We only want to love you!"

End Notes:

How will Hilda get out of this one?

Stay tuned for Chapter 4 to find out.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next one.

Peace.