The Hidden Witch
Nora pulled on her big yellow rain boots and coat, then ran outside, splashing mud and water everywhere. The rain poured down, pounding on her hood and sliding off, chilling the little girl to the bone, but she didn't care. Nora grinned as she pulled her red hair free from its ponytail, her fiery locks blowing wildly about.
She continued to run until she reached the edge of a forest, where she found a large pond. It was overflowing from the rain and the lily pads were soaking, forming large puddles of water in the middle. Nora looked at the slick stepping stones with wonder, then carefully set her foot on the first one.
When the stone didn't give way, she put her other foot on it, then to the next one. When this one held as well, she giggled, and kept walking on the slippery, algae-covered rock, growing in speed in confidence until she was running across the pond. The child laughed, free of any care as she leaped to the next one, and her foot slipped across the slimy surface.
She fell backward, her head cracking against the stone as her body began to sink into the icy cold water. Nora screamed and tried to paddle towards the surface, but her lungs were filling with water, her chest was burning, she couldn't breathe, she was sinking, then all went black. Beneath the surface, a tall, silver-haired witch watched the little girl fall toward her and smiled.
She continued to run until she reached the edge of a forest, where she found a large pond. It was overflowing from the rain and the lily pads were soaking, forming large puddles of water in the middle. Nora looked at the slick stepping stones with wonder, then carefully set her foot on the first one.
When the stone didn't give way, she put her other foot on it, then to the next one. When this one held as well, she giggled, and kept walking on the slippery, algae-covered rock, growing in speed in confidence until she was running across the pond. The child laughed, free of any care as she leaped to the next one, and her foot slipped across the slimy surface.
She fell backward, her head cracking against the stone as her body began to sink into the icy cold water. Nora screamed and tried to paddle towards the surface, but her lungs were filling with water, her chest was burning, she couldn't breathe, she was sinking, then all went black. Beneath the surface, a tall, silver-haired witch watched the little girl fall toward her and smiled.
,As Nora Mercury fell through the surface of the icy pond, her mother sprinted outside, her large brown coat clutched tightly to her body. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as she saw a figure fall into the pond from her front steps and raced toward it, but she knew in the back of her mind that it would be too late. Nora's father burst out the door a moment later, following his wife towards the pond and pulling out his phone to call 122 as they raced toward the place of their daughter's peril.
Mr. Mercury, blinded by panic, lept into the pond himself to try to save his daughter. Ms. Mercury could hear the sirens coming closer and closer as she stared anxiously at the rippling surface of the pond. The firemen arrived and thoroughly searched the pond, but all they came up with was the body of an unconscious, but widely unharmed Mr. Mercury.
The miserable and guilty parents cried in anguish when the chief policeman carefully explained the terrible news. Over the next few days, the two childless parents arranged a funeral for their late daughter, but no one could even pay their respects properly, because they hadn't found a body. Neither elder Mercury knew that their daughter was still alive.
Mr. Mercury, blinded by panic, lept into the pond himself to try to save his daughter. Ms. Mercury could hear the sirens coming closer and closer as she stared anxiously at the rippling surface of the pond. The firemen arrived and thoroughly searched the pond, but all they came up with was the body of an unconscious, but widely unharmed Mr. Mercury.
The miserable and guilty parents cried in anguish when the chief policeman carefully explained the terrible news. Over the next few days, the two childless parents arranged a funeral for their late daughter, but no one could even pay their respects properly, because they hadn't found a body. Neither elder Mercury knew that their daughter was still alive.