Flash Fiction February: Shopping for a Witch.
Five days should be enough to find everything you need, but when you're shopping for a Witch, nothing ever goes as planned.
Hey everyone, this is my entry to a prompt challenge that
is running over at . Each day of the month he posts a new flash fiction prompt for people to follow. Go check it out. Now the prompt we’re doing here is supposed to be a horror prompt, but I’m only loosely following the challenge.
Also, I told my writing friends if this story could get fifteen likes and five restacks. I’d write a short about a haunted ancient cranium shaker. So, there’s that, too, haha. You probably shouldn’t let them down. Okay, let’s get into the story.
The First Item
“It’s just shopping,” Alf mumbled to themself. Their hands were shaking violently as they gripped the grocery cart to ground themself. “It’s just shopping, and you’ll only need like three things. It’ll be fine, just breathe.”
But it was not fine. The Witch had been very adamant about what she needed, and the deadline was fast approaching. Three items, but with vague riddles of what they were. And only five days to get them.
Though she’d been kind of enough to tell Alf what store they needed to go to, Alf had never been there. And new places freaked them out. Caskets and Cauldrons– the name of the store– seemed to be trying to hit two different demographics. Witches and the recently deceased, which did little to ease Alf’s worry.
Strolling down an aisle full of wooden caskets and croaking frogs, the young lad tried to figure out what exactly the Witch wanted. The first riddle went something like this:
To call upon Hecate’s deadly flower,
To which one seeks its solanine power,
By the standing of the midnight hour.
Now that Alf was thinking about it, the riddle read more like a prophecy. Or at least, the start of one they most certainly didn’t want to be a part of. Which led them to ponder why they agreed to the Witch’s grocery shopping.
“Oh yeah,” Alf muttered, rubbing their temple. “It’s because of the favor I owe them, of course.” It was one that Alf had never felt too thrilled by, and always a bit embarrassed over:
A few years ago the young lad had been plant-sitting for one of their friends, while she’d been away for a few weeks on some trip to the UK.
Alf was pretty good with plants, so she’d let them take care of everything. And they also had a spare key so they could come and go. However, on the way over to their friend’s house, the key slipped from the pocket of their sweater. And bounced straight into a curb drain, clattering as it fell down the hole. Leaving Alf without a way to get into their friend’s place.
It’d been the worst possible outcome.
They couldn’t breathe. Their heart was sweating like it had run a marathon. Alf clenched at their chest, and slowly sunk to the ground. What were they going to do? How could they have been so careless to lose the key? What was their friend going to say?
An overwhelming amount of fear rushed into their head. You’re not good enough, a voice inside told them. You mess up everything, and now here you are, unable to take care of something so simple, like your friend’s plants.
“Please stop,” Alf had pleaded, weakly. And surprisingly, it had. They felt something grab and hoist them up to their feet. Alf opened their eyes– which they hadn’t realized they’d closed– to see an old lady holding them up.
“Shh…” She cooed to them, “It’s okay honey. You’re okay. Can you feel your fingers?” The question caught Alf off guard, but flexing their fingers, they nodded in response.
“Good,” She assured Alf, “Now, tell me. What can you see? Just four things, my dear.” Her voice, elderly but soft, felt comforting to hear. Alf found themself glancing around, taking in their surroundings.
“I see,” They started with a surprisingly raspy voice. “A tree.”
“Good,” The lady whispered. “What else?”
Alf felt slightly enthused. “And a squirrel running– oh and a bench.” As strange as it was, the lad was starting to feel proud for being able to point those things out.
“Good, good. Now one more thing, honey.” This time, Alf glanced directly at the old lady, who had something placed in the palm of her hand, stretched out for them to take. Alf’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Is that…” They asked.
“Yes,” She smiled warmly.
“But how? It fell down the drain.”
“It’s okay honey, don’t worry about that.” She pressed two fingers to her lips. Alf, none the wiser, quickly grabbed the key and stuffed it into their pocket.
“T- thank you,” They stammered. “Is there any way I may repay you?” If Alf had known better, they would have refrained from asking. But in the moment, it’d only felt polite to do so.
The Woman thought for a moment, and then smiled: “Perhaps, not today, my child. But I’ll ‘call’ you when it’s time.” Then she pulled a card from her coat and gave it to them. “Keep that for now okay? It’ll make sense later.”
Then she walked away without another word. Alf looked over the card, but it was blank. Still, they slipped the card into their back pocket this time, keeping it separate from the key. And deciding not to question any of what just happened, Alf headed over to their friend’s house with a small smile on their face.
Around five years after that event, Alf found a letter in their mailbox, which looked like it’d been there for about three-weeks. Only one word was inscribed on the envelope: Empusa. Alf didn’t know what it meant, but they immediately remembered the lady who’d helped them all those years ago. It was time to repay their debt, and Alf was scared.
“Hey watch it,” A gruff, low voice said. A tall, darkish colored Cyclops was glaring down at Alf. “You nearly bumped into me.”
Alf, shaking, apologized profusely, but the Cyclops ignored them. The giant-one-eyed man walked away, the floor quaking under each step. As he turned the corner and out of the aisle, the young lad noticed something in his hand.
Nightshade? Something clicked in Alf’s mind. The “riddle” the Witch had given them was asking for nightshade. But where did the Cyclops get it from? Alf hadn’t seen it anywhere in the store. The lad gulped, knowing what they’d have to do next. And though they didn’t want to, they straddled off after the behemoth, to ask him a question.
“What do you want?” The Cyclops spat out when Alf approached him. The giant was browsing a wall of rubber ducks, which felt out of place at Caskets and Cauldrons. But Alf assumed there was probably a good reason why Witches may need their yellow duckies.
“I- I just wanted–” Alf started, tensing up.
“Spit it out,” The Cyclops interrupted them with an annoyed huff. As Alf opened their mouth to continue speaking, the Cyclops grabbed one of the duckies and chucked it into his mouth, swallowing it whole.
Alf gasped, their knees becoming weak. But still, they needed to press on.
“I just want to know where you got the nightshade,” They blurted out, quickly regretting the desperation in their voice. The Cyclops smiled, baring his teeth a little. Alf gulped again, feeling their chest tighten as the Cyclops beamed down at them.
“Is that so?” He asked, almost mockingly. “Now why would a runt like you be looking for something as deadly as nightshade?” He was holding out the flower, to which Alf stared at almost instantly.
“I’m… I’m helping a friend,” Alf insisted. “Just doing some shopping for them.”
The Cyclop’s eye studied them quizzically. Alf felt like they were starting to melt, waiting for whatever the giant was going to say next. Their face reddened, sweat poured from their forehead. Was the Cyclops going to help them or not?
“I see,” The giant said after a long stretch of silence, bemusement spreading over his face. “If you’ll leave me alone, just take this one.” The flower dropped from the Cyclop’s hand, landing next to Alf’s feet. The young lad stared back in shock.
“Just one thing,” The Cyclops said. “Never agree to pay back a favor from a Witch. It’s how you get burned.” Grabbing a couple more rubber duckies, the giant walked away once more. Leaving Alf to process what they’d been told.
Though they felt the wave of panic compressing their chest, Alf breathed in, and then out. Slowly, hoping to get the feeling to subside. After their nerves calmed– slightly– they grabbed the Nightshade and set it into their shopping cart. They now had the first item they needed, and on the very first day, nonetheless.
Still, they couldn’t quite shake the Cyclop’s warning. Was it possible Alf was being set-up for failure? But she wouldn’t do that to me, They thought. But as they continued shopping, they couldn’t deter the idea there was something they didn’t know about the Witch.
Alf decided to pull out the card the Witch had given them. This time, studying it more closely. While it appeared blank, it felt rough and unsettled. But maybe… the lad rubbed the paper between their fingers. Writing bubbled into sight, like ink freshly seeping into the papery finish. It was that word again, the one from the envelope: Empusa.
Knowing it was a mystery they’d have to solve eventually, Alf took a deep breath and resumed their shopping trip.
So what did you think? Let me know your feedback in the comments below, and make sure to like and repost if you enjoyed it! It wasn’t my intention to leave this on a cliff-hanger, but 1500 words can only get me so far, haha. Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read! Buh-bye now!
Alf’s anxiety is so real in this, and the way they try to convince themselves it’s just shopping makes it even more intense.
The Cyclops scene had me on edge, especially with how easily he handed over something as dangerous as nightshade. And then the Witch’s request—three items, five days, and riddles instead of answers.
There’s definitely something more going on, especially with that strange card Alf pulled out. I can’t help but wonder if the Witch has a hidden agenda or if Alf is just overthinking.
The way this story builds tension is really well done. What do you think Alf is actually getting into?
Definitely need more of whatever world you’ve created here. I was so wrapped up the ending caught me off guard. I really enjoy the way you leave the reader wanting to know more about the young lad, and the dialogue is very natural. Very effective writing. I Look forward to seeing more!