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She regarded me with a knowing gaze, as though she had been expecting my arrival. Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smile, and her voice, when she spoke, was a melodic blend of wind through leaves and murmured incantations.
“Come in, child.”
She opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing me in. Her attire was a tapestry of earthy hues, adorned with amulets, feathers of unknown birds and crystals that glinted with hidden powers. Her aura was both frightening and inviting, and I felt mesmerized as I entered her hut, listening to the sound of the door being closed behind me.
I looked around, realizing that the interior of the cottage was as bewitching as its exterior. There were rows and rows of wooden shelves along the walls, upon which arrays of glass bottles and jars stood. They contained herbs, roots and mysterious elixirs of which I knew nothing. I wondered if my mother had any of those. The windows were small, but large enough to allow in sunlight which broke through the colored glass bottles, casting intricate patterns of rainbow radiance on the worn-out wooden floor underneath our feet.
The air inside was thick with the earthy scent of herbs and the sweet aroma of dried flowers hanging from the ceiling, their petals and leaves carefully preserved. The center of the room held a large, weathered wooden table, upon which lay a variety of tools—crystals, feathers, and symbols carved into stones.
That was exactly where she walked slowly. As she did so, I noticed a slight limp. She rested her hand on the table first, then lowered herself onto a wooden chair.
“You are very brave to come on your own,” she told me, as the fireplace crackled softly with warmth, providing a cozy, comforting glow. The flickering flames danced like playful spirits, casting swirling shadows on the aged walls.
“I had no other choice,” I admitted, but something assured me she was well aware of that fact already.
“A desperate man is either too bold or too foolish,” she replied, eyeing me closely. “Which one are you?”
“Probably the second,” I confessed, knowing that I could never lie to someone like her. She would see right through me. Truth was the best path to take with her.
She smiled at my response. “You have so much of your mother in you.”
The mention of my mother immediately sparked something inside of me. It was a mixture of both joy and pain. Something told me that I was welcome here. Maybe it was my mother’s spirit, maybe it was all in my mind, but I became less apprehensive. I wanted to ask her all sorts of questions about my mother, to see this other side of her, but this was not the time for that.
“Sit down,” she urged, sensing my urgency, gesturing at the chair opposite her. “And tell me.”
I did as she bid me. I tried to keep it as short as possible, still telling her every little detail which was important for the full understanding of what happened. I told her the harrowing tale of the imposter who had infiltrated my home, my life, and the anguish it had been causing both me and my daughter.
The witch didn’t interrupt me once, although my words were as jumbled as my thoughts, making little sense, as I started a new sentence while not even finishing the previous one. She listened intently, her ancient eyes fixated on me, her expression a mixture of empathy and understanding.
When I finished speaking, she leaned forward, her voice a melodious whisper that seemed to resonate with the mystique around us.
“Your story is one of deception and mystery, and it has brought you to my door seeking the truth. But to ascertain whether your husband has truly been replaced by a doppelganger, I will need something of his—a personal possession, an item imbued with his essence.”
“But I tried the magic powder,” I reminded her. “He couldn’t enter the library.”
“We need to be absolutely certain of this,” she said wisely. “Because to banish a doppelganger, means to kill a part of your husband. If we do this, and you were mistaken, both the man and the doppelganger will die. Do you want to risk it?”
“No, no, of course not,” I quickly replied.
“That is why we cannot err,” she assured me. “I know of an infallible way to see whether the creature occupying the place of your husband is not of this world.”
I nodded, determination burning in my eyes. I was hoping for specific answers now, but I had to be patient a little while longer. “I will bring you something of his.”
The witch’s fingers, adorned with rings of polished stones, gestured toward the table. “Bring me that which carries his scent, his touch, his essence. It is through such a connection that the forest will reveal its secrets.”
“Thank you,” I said, getting up.
“Don’t thank me yet,” she shook her head. “I cannot promise you anything. The magic world doesn’t work like that. It is often not fair, and you humans feel cheated at the end. But we… we understand that Nature isn’t always fair. It is simply how things are.”
I thought about what she said for a moment, then nodded. “I will keep that in mind. I just don’t want to share my home and my life with darkness. If this is not my husband, as I believe it is not, I want this creature out of my home and away from my family.”
“You are wise to think that,” she assured me, getting up as well. “But keep in mind that you are facing powers here beyond your wildest imagination. A doppelganger spell… I have not seen it in ages. Whoever has done it has conjured up unimaginable magic.”
“That is what I was afraid of,” I admitted. “But I can’t give up. I want my husband back. And I will do whatever it takes to get him back.”
She smiled. “Foolish indeed. But brave as well,” she reminded me of the comment I’d made earlier. “Go now. And come back as soon as you can.”
“I will,” I promised.
