Benny and The Witch

Benny was the new kid at Upnorth School. Because he moved there from a town very far away, he didn't talk like the other kids at Upnorth. They were not very welcoming to Benny because of this.

One day, Benny saw the guys standing in a tight group near the playground. One boy was in the middle talking excitedly. Benny walked closer and listened.

"I never should have gone there! I didn't believe it; but, I believe it all now! I can still hear my heart pounding so hard! I'll never go back!"

"That's nothing," said another boy, "I went there at night one time and; you know that old building behind the house?" Some of the boys nodded, wide eyed. "Well there was a flickering light coming out of the windows and I swear I heard her casting some sort of spell!"

"She shook a bony finger at me through her window one time when I rode my bike through her yard.", said a third boy. "It was so freaky, I got out of there fast!"

Then a fourth boy stepped forward an said, "Listen to my story. Last week I was cutting through her woods, when I saw her! She was bent over doing something and didn't see me at first. I slowly crept closer to get a good look."

All the other boys stood there with their mouths wide open, eyes bugging out of their faces as he continued.

"She was dressed in a black dress with a purple apron. She had a white scarf across her shoulders and a dark cap on her head. She spoke in a low voice, 'Das essen schmeckt immer so gut im frien.' or something like that. I still couldn't see. So I got even closer!"

Now some boys were covering their mouths. Others were holding on to each others arms as they leaned in to hear what came next.

"I stood on my tiptoes as I leaned on a branch; and SNAP!, it broke! She turned around and then I saw her FACE! It was pale, except for her lips. They were bright red and I swear I saw blood dripping down her chin. She reached a bloody hand toward me as I got up and ran through the woods. My heart was pounding so hard my head hurt. As I ran down the path, my feet were hitting the ground so hard that my bones ached. When I got to the edge of the woods, SHE was already there!"

Benny, now a part of the group standing there, listened as the boy went on.

"I turned around and ran the other way, back down the path to where I first saw her. When I looked up, she was there! She said something but I could only hear my heart pounding in my ears. I turned and ran through the trees. The branches were hitting my face, slapping and stinging. I dropped my Ipod, but I didn't care! I had to get out of there! I finally reached the road and looked back. She was gone! I'll never go back there again!"

The boys stood there, mostly frozen, one of the younger ones whimpering. All frightened, except Benny.

"I know the place you are talking about.", said Benny. "Sometimes you can hear strange noises coming from the building in the back. Right?"

Some of the boys nodded.

"I think you are a bunch of chickens. I bet I can walk up there right now and go into that house and come out again without anything happening to me!"

Some of the boys scoffed, "No way dude."

"Sure loser!"

"That 'll be the end of you, California Boy!", said the boy who told the story.

"I am going there right now!", said Benny, "Anybody that doesn't believe me come along! I dare you!"

All of the boys wanted to see Benny do it. So they followed closely until they came to the path and then followed at a safer distance. Benny walked steadily through the woods, past the place where the boy saw the witch, past the building in the back with the strange sounds and right up to the side door, of the old house where the witch lived. He peeked in the window where the witch stood when she wagged her finger at one boy. He stopped at the door and looked back.

Some of the boys were huddled together. Some were hiding behind bushes and trees. Benny slowly turned the knob and disappeared into the house.

"He did it!", said the boy who told the story.

"He'll never come out again!", said another.

"Who's gonna tell his parents?", asked one.

"Does anyone know where he lives?", asked a fourth.

After what seemed like forever, the door slowly opened and out came Benny with something in his hand.

The boys looked at each other in disbelief. He was alive! He was even laughing! He was laughing at them!

"Is this your Ipod?", Benny asked the boy who told the story, as he held out his hand. The other boys just stared at Benny, then at the house.

"Yeah it is!", said the boy. "How 'd you, I mean what, er, whew boy."

"This is where I live now.", Benny explained. "My family moved in here with my Great Grandmother, or", turning to face the group, "should I say your witch, to take care of her."

"But what about the blood?", asked the boy who told the story.

"That was berry juice!", replied Benny. "Grandma was picking and eating berries."

"And the strange things she said? What was that?"

"That's how I knew you were talking about Grandma. 'Das essen schmeckt immer so gut im frien.', means, 'the food tastes so good outdoors' in German."

"But wait. How could she move so fast the day I saw her?"

"Her twin sister, my Great Aunt Helga, was visiting here last month. You just saw both of them. I remember them asking me if all the boys my age could run as fast as the one who dropped this toy?", pointing at the Ipod.

"Why don't you all come in and have some cookies? But no mention of witches. O.K.?"

"Better yet," said the boy who told the story, "let's eat them out here. After all,'Das essen schmeckt immer so gut im frien!'"