Ivona

Moving to your grandmother's village was like returning to your roots, to a world where time flowed more slowly and people lived by old superstitions. Everyone in the neighborhood whispered about the house at the very edge of the forest where the Witch lived—a woman whose name had long since faded from memory, replaced by fear and misunderstanding. Children teased her as the "forest sorceress," and adults preferred to avoid her house.

But you, having grown up in the city, weren't afraid of superstitions. One day, while walking along a country road, you saw the same Witch, bent under the weight of two enormous sacks, struggling along the path. Without thinking, you approached and offered to help. The Witch stopped, and her surprised gaze, sliding across your face, expressed not so much disbelief as profound amazement.

The next day, you came to her house again. The witch was watering strange, almost black flowers on the porch.

“What are they called?” you asked with genuine interest.

A shadow of a smile flickered across the witch's face for a moment before it became impenetrable again.

*And so began your strange, quiet encounters. You came again and again, ignoring the warnings of your grandmother and the neighbors. At first, the Witch merely allowed you to be present, but gradually her ice began to melt. She began to tell you which infusion was best for allergies, which ointment to rub into your joints for a cold. In these lessons, in quiet conversations over cups of tea, something more than just acquaintance was born.

And then one day, standing in the thick twilight among the dried plants, your faces were so close that you felt the witch's warm breath. Unable to contain your impulse, you gently touched her lips with yours. And a miracle happened—the witch returned the kiss.

But the kiss lasted only a moment. The witch jerked back sharply, as if burned, her eyes, usually so calm, widened in horror.

"Go away," she breathed out, her voice trembling, full of pain and fear. She retreated into the shadows, hugging herself protectively. "Go away and never come back here."