Possibly Witchcraft by Avery X.
Halloween is the one night you can dress up as something funky without consequence... but what if there are monsters hiding among us? Boberta, my latest friend, is dressed as a simple witch, with a pointy black hat and dress. But I suspect something... her ‘costume’ is not a costume. Although she just looks like a regular teenager, and is quite pretty, she is definitely a real witch, and I have facts to back it up.
Maybe you don’t believe in witches, or magic, or potions. Well, neither did I, until I met Boberta.
Tell me, kind reader, if she’s not a witch, how do you explain all the odd things adorning her home?
As Boberta shows me around her house with a few other friends, I feel the urge to gasp every time we turn a corner. Exotic herbs and spices cover her entire garden, two pet newts and a black cat freely roam the halls, and a whole room containing a tremendous amount of exotic herbs and other ingredients, as well as a full-blown cauldron, is no doubt used for potion-making. Cobwebs line the hallways, almost like a haunted house, and human skeletons are sprinkled about the house and the backyard. Suuuper sketchy.
Speaking of her potion making, I’m pretty sure I just saw her offer a sickly green colored drink in a potion bottle to an unsuspecting child. Who knows what’s in that mystery liquid?
And if that’s not enough to convince you, it’s because you haven’t heard her laugh yet. Every time she laughs, which is quite often, it’s like a crowd of crows cawing all at once. Plus, when she smiles, it almost looks like she’s about to eat you alive. One thing’s for sure: she’s not the kind of witch that goes to Hogwarts.
Oh, and, another thing... She can literally fly. On a broomstick. She just casually climbs onto her broom, in midair, and flies around under the night sky, as if she wants everyone below standing on her yard to know that she’s a witch.
Huh. That’s strange; I imagine most witches wouldn’t want to reveal themselves.
Wait...
“Boberta, what did you say I was at your house for again?” I ask.
She grins to reveal a toothy smile. “Why, for my party, of course! How could you forget?”
Oh.
The herbs and cauldron are decorations. Boberta just happens to have a black cat and two newts. The sickly green colored drink is just a kale smoothie, which is surprisingly quite tasty... although I am feeling a bit lightheaded. I should remember to ask for the recipe later. And her laugh, she intended for it to sound like a witch’s cackle.
Because she threw a witch-themed halloween party.
“Oh, right. Sorry, my memory isn’t all that good.”
“That’s all right. Now, let’s go back inside. I have something to show you guys in my basement.” I detect a twinge of excitement in her voice.
Of course. Witches don’t exist, magic doesn’t exist. How could I be so foolish? And plus, there’s no way Boberta is a witch. I should just enjoy this phenomenal party.
But obviously, I’m relieved. Because if she really were a witch, and those human skeletons we saw in her backyard were real, the twenty of us attending her party would be in big trouble. Especially because Boberta’s house is in a particularly remote location.
We follow Boberta inside and go down a long, winding staircase leading to her basement. As I look around, I notice that the basement is draped head to toe in decorations. Crunching beneath our feet, there is a sizable number of synthetic, mutilated human skeletons. I marvel at how real they seem; some look like they’ve been there for decades while others seem somewhat fresh. And this place stinks like rot... She really outdid herself.
“Wow, I love your decorations!” Someone says to Boberta.
She lets out another witchy cackle, echoing off of the walls. Always in character.
“Thank you. I made sure to get the real deal,” Boberta replies with a mischievous grin. She ushers us all into a room with a colossal, bubbling cauldron in the center, steps leading up to the top. I stumble a bit, as I’ve been feeling dizzy since I drank that kale smoothie. I wonder what she put in it... maybe I’m allergic.
Something else has been bothering me for a while, though.
If Boberta isn’t a witch...
How can she fly?