Ian's Gang - Witch's Brew

IAN'S GANG - WITCH'S BREW

  BY

  IAN KIDD

  Ian’s Gang © Ian Kidd 2012

  IAN'S GANG

  Are:

  Ian Williams

  Matthew Parker

  Scott Richardson

  Banix

  Steve Botham

  Robert Stevens

  Philip Vasquez

  Sarah Vasquez

  CHAPTER ONE

  Maltby.

  One year ago.

  Halloween.

  Inside their small bungalow, Nick and Jessica Grover were in the nursery, putting their three day old baby, Corinne, to sleep in her cot. The angelic child settled down and fell asleep almost at once.

  "Oh, Nick," Jessica whispered, "she's just...just so perfect."

  Nick wrapped his arms around her fiercely. "She must take after her mother." Jessica smiled as he tenderly kissed her neck.

  The doorbell rang.

  "Oh, no," Nick groaned.

  "Typical," Jessica sighed.

  "I'll get it," Nick grumbled.

  "Here," Jessica tossed him a small, crumpled white bag. "Don't forget the sweets."

  "Perish the thought," Nick joshed, hurrying downstairs. The doorbell rang again. "Alright, I'm coming, keep your hair on." Nick swung the door open to reveal three small children, all dressed as witches. "Well, well," Nick gasped in mock-shock. "What have we here?"

  "We're witches!" one of the girls hissed, somewhat unconvincingly.

  "I can see that," Nick concurred, playing along. "What do you want with me?"

  "Sweeties!" the girls chorussed together, collapsing into giggles.

  Nick couldn't help but smile. "Okay, you win. Here," he handed over the bag. "Share them evenly."

  "We WILL!" the girls chorussed, then rushed off, giggling again.

  Nick shut the door, shaking his head, smiling affectionately. In a few more years, that'll be Corinne doing that, he thought. Nick started toward the stairs when the doorbell rang again. "Oh, come on," Nick complained, turning back and opening the door again. "We haven't got any more - BLIMEY!" he gaped.

  It wasn't the girls again, or even different children for that matter. It was a woman, about five feet tall, dressed as a witch. But what a COSTUME! Nick had never seen anything like it. The woman looked old, with green - green! - skin, a long warty nose and stringy grey hair. She was repulsively ugly, the image completed with a huge, pointy hat and a broomstick tucked under her cloaked left arm. She smiled revoltingly, revealing yellow teeth. "Trick or treat," her voice was a mixture of croak and croon.

  Nick recovered his composure. "Aren't you a bit...well, OLD for this sort of thing, love?"

  The witch simply stared - or rather, glared - at him. "Look, the outfit it fantastic, and I'd give you some sweets just for the effort, but I'm afraid we're fresh out. Sorry."

  "That's alright," the witch drawled. "I don't want sweets."

  "Then what do you want?"

  The witch smiled a terrible smile. "Your firstborn."

  Despite himself, Nick felt his skin crawl. "Now hang on," he objected, "that's not funny, you know."

  "I know," the witch raised a black wand at him. A yellow charge zapped from it and knocked Nick to the floor, quite dead. The witch stepped into the house.

  "That's because I wasn't joking."

  Jessica was beginning to wonder what was keeping Nick. Giving Corinne one last look, she stepped away from the crib when the nursery door began to open. "Oh, about time," Jessica smiled. "I was beginning to think you'd run off!" The door opened and the witch stepped into the room. Jessica shrieked.

  "I'm sure he wouldn't do that, dearie," the witch crooned. "Though now you'll never get to find out, will you?" she stepped toward the crib.

  Acting on instinct, Jessica ran forward, plucking Corinne from the crib and into her arms. She and the witch began circling each other, the crib the only barrier between them. When the opportunity arose, Jessica made a run for the door.

  The witch waved her wand. The door slammed firmly shut, refusing to budge even as

  Jessica tugged on the handle desperately. "Sorry, dearie," the witch crooned, "but there is no escape for you now," she waved the wand again. Corinne seemed to spring from Jessica's arms and literally flew across the room into the witch's waiting embrace.

  "No!" Jessica started toward her. "My baby!" The witch waved her wand. Jessie's legs simply disappeared from under her, sending the upper half of her body bumping painfully to the floor. Jessica screamed.

  The witch winced. "Quiet down, cry-baby!" she waved the wand again. Jessie's head and torso exploded, showering the room with blood and gore. Some of it landed on the witch's cheek, and she licked it off with her long, green tongue. "Delicious," she cackled.

  Removing the broomstick from under her arm, she let it go. It hovered horizontally a few feet above the floor. The witch hiked up her skirt and climbed on, feeling the satisfying hardness of the stick between her legs. "That hits the spot." She kicked the air and the broomstick flew out the window, carrying the witch, Corinne still clutched to her breast, along with it, the witch cackling insanely all the way.