He left at midnight, out the back exit of his home through the squeaky screen door with a flashlight in hand. Toby was leaving in desperate hopes of making a discovery, one final effort to save his father.

You see, Toby heard rumors. Rumors of a witch, down by the Heathrun Quarry. The rumors spoke of an outcast woman, shunned for practicing unethical sorcery and magic. Toby had a plan, a flashlight, a map, and immense courage… although he was without the knowledge that he would have to make a sacrifice.

Toby walked in the rain through his backyard and crawled in the mud through the space under his fence where he was able to fit. It was only two miles if he cut through the woods as he had decided to do. He looked around as he walked. The moon shone through the branches of the trees and the rain clapped onto the leaves. An owl hooted in the distance and he felt fear, but not enough to overwhelm his bravery. The mud he trenched through had already caused his shoes to be soaked on the inside, although the annoyance of wet socks was worth saving his father’s life. Although Toby felt bravery as well as motivation, he also began to feel doubt.

What if there is no witch. A witch? That must be impossible. There has never been such a thing. Perhaps, even if there were a witch, what proof of validity would she have? How could I ever trust her? She may have the power to kill me. I could die, by witch or besides. I could fall, far to my death. I may just return home…, Toby puzzled, I could turn back right now. I may rest my eyes and, well, I could not sleep. I would never sleep. I would only be aware of my factor in the mortality of my father. Truly, I have no choice. Carry on, I must.

Toby trekked and trudged for nearly an hour until he finally arrived. He had crossed the last tree and observed the tall mountainous quarry. The climb did not discourage, dismay, nor dispirit him. He challenged it, aiming a battle glare at it. He moved his feet up the quarry in his soggy, almost decomposing, shoes. At about three fourths of the climb, Toby began losing hope. His legs, specifically thighs, were in terrible pain. He was troubled by his breathing, struggling to catch it due to the pouring rain. He did not turn back, he persevered and defeated the quarry. Once at the quarry’s peak, on flat ground, Toby fell to his knees with his hands on the ground, gasping to breath. Suddenly, there was a sound, a voice, so faint yet so impossible to have gone unnoticed. Toby looked up quickly. There was a woman, standing very uncomfortably and inhumanly at the edge of the cliff. At heart, Toby was surprised of her true existence. She did not look like a witch of which Toby had read of nor seen in a book. She had curly blonde hair, a tight and colorful spandex-seeming jumpsuit, and a bright but psychopathic smile accompanied by crossed eyes.

“Young human blood,” she said, unnaturally quickly with a clear tone.

Toby said nothing. He was frozen with fear and dread.

“What do you wish for, darling,” she said slightly slower than her last sentence, but marinated in efforts of seduction.

Toby nearly began crying, then suddenly pulled himself together and remembered exactly what he came for, what he needed.

“A treatment, a cure, for my father. He is ill and cannot be helped by doctors nor prayers,” he explained.

“Oh. I see,” she said, comprehending the information.

“What you seek, my son, is a potion. One of my design and formula. One of which can fortunately be attained,” the witch said.

“Please!”, Toby interrupted with excitement.

The witch hissed at him, allowing Toby to see her narrow split tongue.

There was a moment of silence.

“I can provide the potion… but there is a cost.”

“Anything,” Toby answered.

“The price is sacrificial, your soul…”

“Wha-”, Toby exclaimed, filled with conflict and terror and despair and all negative feelings.

The witch looked at him, seemingly sad and human.

“I am cold and empty. I want to feel love and excitement. I need you,” the witch said.

Toby felt sympathy

Her facial expression changed from depressed to evil

“You are dead. Your true heart is mine. You will take my place as the spellcaster of the cursed land.”, she said.

“Stop!”, Toby commanded.

The witch was taken aback.

“The deal is, my soul for the cure of my father. Is this correct?”, he asked.

“Yes, your father will wake up and consume the potion. You will be cursed and face emotional death.

Toby was still for a moment in the rain.

Must I truly perish? Is this the choice I should make? Certainly, my father would wish for my survival. Though, this is the death of a true man. I may never dishonor the name of my father. I will die with my name as his.

“I sacrifice myself. Take me,” Toby said, surely. His whole life Toby had admired soldiers of the military and men of the working class like his father. Toby felt fulfilled by the thought of his sacrifice.

“Are you sure? Be true or you will face eternal regret,” the witch questioned.

“I am sure,” Toby said contently.

The witch walked closer to Toby’s face, moving demonically. Toby clenched his eyes shut. She stuck out her long snake-like split tongue. Toby felt compelled to open his eyes, this was the doing of her evil magic. He made eye contact with the witch, and he felt his soul leave. He felt as though he had lost everything he had ever loved, anything he had even known. He felt depressed, and then, nothingness. Toby felt absolutely nothing. He was dead inside. One day, as a witch, he would find the feeling of evil and cling to it, as the former witch did. The witch and Toby moved parallelly in rotation to switch places. He stood there in the rain, looking as if he were sleeping with his eyes open. The witch felt reborn and free.

She took her potion and began rushing down the quarry hill, filled with excitement and without guilt. The witch slipped the potion to Toby’s father in the night and swiftly disappeared into the dark. She walked around town, finding her bearings, and met Toby’s father coincidentally. She clung to him emotionally, trusting him strangely, as if a part of Toby was within her. They grew close. Within one year they were married, living happily, without children. Toby observes all this through his magic. Toby, the quarry witch, swears revenge.