The Witch | Short Story (with reading)

"Welcome."

The witch walks straight from the entrance to the counter. It has been a long time since a witch visited this shop.

"Could I have a map?"

The witch raised the corners of her mouth slightly. She looks like she is smiling, but her eyes are sharp. It seems she has no intention of letting her guard down. She looks to be about 200, no, 190 years old. She is young, but the staff she holds in her left hand is for advanced users. She must be a talented witch.

"If you want a map, you should be able to get one at the tourist information center at the entrance of the town."
"Yes. What I want is a slightly special map."
"Special... you say?"

I spread the five fingers of my right hand and put strength into them. Then, I chant a spell I only half-remember.

--Viness-ee-shin-ka...

"How rude."
"I would be very grateful if you could just go home now. If I do this, the shop might get destroyed."

While glaring at the witch, I resume chanting the spell.

"Did you learn that from Luca?"
"Eh?"

The moment I heard the name Luca, I reflexively lowered my right hand. Seeing that, the witch chuckled, "Heh heh."

"I came from the town of Lemon Salt."
"Ah, I see. My apologies."

--If you were an acquaintance of Luca, you should have said so from the start!

I almost said that in my heart, but I stopped. If she is an advanced witch, she might be able to read my mind. I brought a town map and a small bottle of water from the back shelf and placed them on the counter. I took the cap off the bottle and slowly poured the water onto the map. The water moved with a will of its own like a living creature, gathering at four spots on the map and swirling.

"You're used to this. As expected of a witch's lover."
"I'm an 'ex', though."

The four spots where the water swirled are what are called power spots, and for witches, they serve as supply points to replenish magic power or heal injuries and physical ailments.

"Recently, there's been someone messing with the power spots. The whole town is on alert."
"I've heard. They say it's the work of a witch."
"No, that's just a baseless rumor."

The culprit hasn't been caught, and no one has clearly seen them. However, someone somewhere started saying, "It's the work of a witch," and it spread. Honestly, I think it's a self-staged act by people who don't approve of interacting with witches. Of course, I couldn't say that even if my life depended on it.

"It's fine. When something similar happened in another town, the culprit was a witch."

When the witch raised her right index finger, the map floated lightly in the air, folded in two, and settled into the backpack on her back. If I tried to do the same thing, it would take me a year. That is, if someone somewhere actually taught me how to do it.

"Luca's birthday is coming up soon, isn't it?"
"Huh? Oh, right... I suppose it is."

I pretended to be oblivious on the spur of the moment and let my gaze wander. I desperately tried to make my mind and heart go blank so the witch in front of me wouldn't notice.

"Whenever that girl drinks, she always shouts, 'Why won't he come to see me!' It's getting annoying, so why don't you go see her already?"
"Well, I'll think about it."

As I gave a bitter smile, the witch said, "Here, take this," and placed a copper coin on the counter.

"This is too much."
"It's fine. Keep it."
"Then, I'll gratefully accept it."

As I took the copper coin, the witch said, "See you," and turned her back to me.

"Oh, and that incantation from earlier? That wasn't an attack spell, you know?"
"Huh? It wasn't? Oh, that one. It was a loud intimidation spell... or wait, was it a spell to blind someone with light...?"
"Not even close."
"Then what spell was it?"
"Why don't you ask Luca?"

The front door slammed shut with a loud bang.

—Honestly, this is why witches are such a pain...

I muttered aloud.

I casually looked at the copper coin in my hand, and before I knew it, it had turned into a gold coin.

—I told you, that's too much...

(The End)

"Huh? A witch? Why the sudden fantasy?"
"Did the flu and pneumonia make you lose your mind?"

Leave me alone. ( ﾟДﾟ)

It was read by Sena on stand.fm.
Thank you very much. m(__)m

Please check this out as well.

I received a CONGRATULATIONS for the theme "Creative Writing"!