The Witch by Ruhi Datye

“This half of the room is my territory that side is yours,”Alice yelled angrily at Tom indifferently surveying the disarray of the room.

“We share a bed,”Tom pointed out

As soon as Alice left the room ,Tom picked up the saw he had hidden under the bed, stumbling from its weight. Then he tried to saw the bed in half so that he could have his own bed too. He didn’t succeed. The bed collapsed.

Hearing the noise Alice hurried into the room and gasped,

“What did you do!”she shrieked. “And why. No, never mind, don't answer that question,”

Tom looked down at the mess he created just now. The bed was sagging and splinters and feathers littered the floor and the two parts of the bed.

“Oops,”he said indifferently.

“Mom is going to kill us when she finds out what you did!”Alice yelled with an emphasis on you.

“Shhh.” Tom said unperturbed. “She doesn’t have to find out, right.”

“I’m telling,”Alice said.

“Please don’t,” Tom begged making his puppy eyes at her.

Alice paused for a second. Then she said “Ha! that doesn’t work with me.”

“I’ll give you my drawer full of candy,”he tried.

Alice shook her head.

“I want something more,”she said with a deliberate expression of consideration , but secretly she was pleased that she had the upperhand in this situation.

“ I’ll give you the candy, ten dollars,and a pair of my socks,” Tom said hopefully.

“ummm, leave out the socks and make that 20 dollars.”

“Deal,”Tom answered resolutely.

“So, what’s the plan?”Alice asked.

“ Ummm...well we could...a,” Tom said thinking hard.

“You don’t even have a plan?”Alice said cut in dismayed.

Tom shrugged sheepishly, “I just sawed the bed in half. I wasn’t thinking about that one.”

Alice sighed.

“The only person who will help us is the witch,” Alice said.

“Which witch?” Tom asked. “No pun intended.”

Alice groaned in annoyance.

“The witch named Halp,”Alice said rolling her eyes.

“Why Halp?” Tom asked.

“I got the map to her cottage at a birthday party,”Alice said.

“Is it a reliable source?You did get it at a birthday party,” Tom asked.

“Good job. You are actually thinking for once!”Alice exclaimed.

Tom glared at her intensely, but Alice didn’t notice.

“Of course it is,” Alice continued confidently. “It’s a copy of, Moby Alex, the world's greatest explorer and mapmaker’s, map. He made this map two years ago.

“ You might be right. This might actually work. Although, I missed half of what you said,” Tom said thoughtfully.

“Never mind. Let’s go,”Alice replied smugly.



Two hours later:

“I’m hungry,”Tom complained.

“You should have thought of that before you decided not to help me pack,”Alice retorted.

Tom said nothing for a while.

Then, Tom asked “Are we there yet?”

Alice scowled.

“Not even close. The mountains mark the first out of ten points.”Alice growled. “Have you seen the mountains.”

“No,” Tom said.

“Do you see the mountains right now,”Alice queried.

“We’re going to starve to death before we even reach the witch,”Tom said.

“ Great way to keep your spirits up. That remark was so optimistic,” Alice said sarcastically.

She paused by a cave and leaned on the rock. It moved into the cave.

She jumped in evident shock.

“I forgot about this,”Alice reprimanded herself. “Tom there are ten stops before getting to the witch’s cave. This is one of them. Get in.”

“It’s unnatural,” Tom said nervously.

“There might be food,” Alice coaxed

He followed her hesitantly.

Tom claustrophobia was instantly forgotten when he saw the contents of the cave.

“What does this potion do?”Tom asked curiously popping off the top and sniffing it. ‘He tipped it upward to drink.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Alice admonished cautiously.

“But you aren’t me,” Tom answered carelessly and took a big swig aot of the vial.

He drank the bottle and turned into a big purple cat. Alice laughed heartily. Tom meowed angrily and swiped at her.

“Okay, okay. I’ll help you,”Alice giggled.

Tom sat down and yowled defiantly only making Alice laugh harder.

Their mom appeared in the room suddenly and with a flash of light Tom turned back into a human.

“What are you doing here,” Tom asked.

“ Did you think I wouldn’t notice you missing. I am your mom after all.”

“How did you know where to find us,” Alice said in disbelief.

“Just a hunch,” she replied winking at them.

Then she touched them both on their heads and they slumped to the ground asleep.

They woke up in the morning in the cave.

When they’re mom saw them awake she whizzed them back home. “I feel dizzy” Tom said.

“You are the witch,” Alice gasped. Her mother nodded.


“ How can someone so boring be so cool,” said Tom. “ I officially have the coolest mother in the world .”