All Creatures Great and Small and Scary

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the words: mask, bubble and broom

All Creatures Great and Small and Scary

“Who’s there?”

Hilda squinted into the darkness outside the front of her cottage. Someone, or something, was out there. She may have been losing her sight as she got on in years, but her witch’s sense was as strong as ever.

“It’s just me, Samantha. I’m lost and hungry and scared. Can you help me?”

Hilda was a loner by nature; completely unprepared for a guest. There was a time when she would welcome a bit of company. Many were the times when she would bait a trap, hoping to catch the occasional “normie.” She’d shove them into the oven or pop them into the pot. They could make for some good eating.

Alas, those days were long gone. Now she was older than old; too slow to chase anything down and heaven knows it’d been years since she took her broom out for a spin. No, there would be no more “Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble” for her.

Now she had a fat little girl sitting next to the fire.

Hilda fiddled around in the refrigerator. Her guest was probably hungry. She’d feed her and keep her warm tonight. In the morning, she’d lead the girl back to the nearest main trail and that would be the end of that - a far cry from the Hilda of years gone by.

With some effort, the old witch straightened up, a carton of milk in her hand. She looked over at her silent guest and noticed, for the first time, something was strange about her.

“Who are you?” she asked.

The little girl pulled a mask from over her head, revealing a being of pure light.

“It’s time to go Hilda.”

“But, but I’m a witch. Who’d want me?”

“Everyone’s welcome up there. Even witches have to go home someday.”

word count 300


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