by Ayla Gower

Midnight:

Witches have been around for much longer than many of us would like to believe, in the midst of the 18^th century, one such witch was born during a particularly harsh Russian winter. On the night she was born, snow covered the rooftops, and the winds blew violently, the sky cried shadows as her mother screamed in agonizing pain. The screams echoed throughout the dark house and leaked into the darkness of the night until the cry of a baby sounded, all were silenced by the enchanting sound, the cries bounced off the wood and absorbed into the fur-covered floor, seeping into the earth beneath the wooden house.

The Midwife held her as she was bathed with a small cloth, the midwife examined the girl and found her hair to be as black as a raven in the dark, her eyes are silver and deep as an ocean. The midwife is mesmerized by the girl, her eyes have such a strange aura that it unnerves and in the same instant comforts the midwife, the girl is placed on her mother’s breast gently. Her mother is overjoyed at the sight of her beautiful baby girl, a baby girl that shares her mother’s intriguing features.

The midwife attends to the child’s mother, changes the blankets, and lays out warmer fur in case the new mother and baby become cold in the early hours of the morning. The midwife bathes the girl’s mother with a soft warm rag, after completing her duties, the midwife leaves the house for the night as the storm has calmed, almost ceasing completely. The midwife marvels at the baby girl she just delivered, the baby with the silver eyes, born at midnight in the middle of a storm. The moon rose higher into the sky than it ever had before shining down on the small house, its alluring beams of light making the property glow under the moon’s spotlight, shielding the baby in rays of moonlight from the dangers of the outside world. The very first full moon of many to come for baby Karina.

Dawn:

It has been seven years since the birth of the silver-eyed Karina, she has grown into a beautiful girl with long raven hair and bright wondrous eyes, filled with curiosity and kindness. Karina had trouble sleeping that night, so before the sun had awakened, she snuck from her bed into the air of the early morning hoping to watch the sunrise and bathe her home in its warming light. The harshness of the winter had passed so Karina stepped barefoot onto the emerald grass, the blades tickling her feet, she giggled as she walked out to the tree, a great oak that sits on the hill, it began growing the day she was born. Her mother had always called it her tree and it made Karina happy to have a tree just for her.

She sits under it often, admiring the vibrancy of the leaves and the soft brown of the bark, as she admires her tree a small cat appears in front of her, it couldn’t be anything more than a kitten. It sits staring at her, its soft silver hair blows in the early morning breeze, she stares back at it realizing the small kitten is the same color as her eyes. The cat walks closer and nuzzles up to her leg and slowly falls asleep purring, she feels the vibrations on her skin, it makes her smile, she gently caresses the animal as it sleeps by her leg, she places her hand on the grass next to her as she watches the birds fly around, waiting for the sky to turn purple and pink signaling the beginning of a new day. Not long after Karina is called back to the house by her mother, she jumps to her feet and runs back home, the small cat following closely behind her, a cat later named Silver, a very imaginative name for a grey cat. Unbeknownst to both Karina and her mother, she had left a flower where her palm once rested, a silver-petaled rose.

Karina always tells her mother how she feels when the sun is about to rise, how hopeful and happy it makes her that she gets to see the sun every single day and the moon will rise again every single night. The first time Karina asked why it does that, her mother told her it was a dance between lovers, they are rarely able to touch so to feel still connected they dance every single day and every once in a while, they are able to hold each other. The story enchanted Karina and she declared that she wanted a love like that, this declaration made her mother laugh and she reassured her that one day she would find a love as powerful and everlasting as the sun and moon.

Sunrise:

At three and ten years of age, Karina had energy that seemed to be everlasting, which was lucky for her and her mother because their days started quite early. When her mother woke her up that morning, she was excited to learn that she would be going with her mother to the market to sell the vegetables that grow in their wonderous garden. For the last six years the garden has been much healthier and full, instead of one or two vegetables every few weeks, it seems the plants grow at an unnaturally fast pace producing a bushel of vegetables every week. Rumors had started spreading that the birth of Karina had changed the land, the midwife often spoke about a blessed child she helped birth on a snowy midnight. The villagers began to whisper about the family, how her mother seemed to be unnaturally beautiful, and how the trait was passed down to Karina.

Karina picks the carrots out of the soil as her mother harvests the potatoes dug deep into the earth. Karina joyously digs at the earth and smiles as the soil stains her fingers and sticks under her nails. She loves harvesting, she loves the feeling of being so close to the earth, sometimes she wishes she could be wrapped in a blanket of soil, enveloped by the warmth of the earth. She had tried once but her mother scolded her for dirtying her dress, her mother had spent almost an hour washing all the dirt out of her long hair and off her pale body, she was scolded for hours afterward because it took her mother a very long time to clean the dirt out of her dress, she never did it again. In the middle of digging out a particularly large carrot, she glimpses the bright magenta hue of the sun rising, it draws her attention to the small patch of silver roses growing on the hilltop, the patch sprouted mysteriously a few years ago, and they grow perfectly through every season.

It has puzzled the village for quite a while, recently they’ve started calling her a witch, with the ability to keep things alive, just a fortnight ago an old woman came to their home with a sickly animal asking her to heal it, her mother turned the woman away. The woman had come from a neighboring town after hearing rumors of Karina’s ability to grow and heal. What puzzled her and her mother was that the woman seemed happy when her mother turned the woman away when the woman had come to them tears were staining their front step, but after looking into Karina’s eyes the woman’s tears dried, the old woman left with the sickly animal in her arms, with a joyous smile spread across her face. Unnerved by the experience her mother became more careful of her whenever they went out, Karina felt sad for the woman as she felt that the woman did not want to be happy. Her mother pulls her attention back to the harvest and she smiles as she feels the sun’s warmth filling her.

Mid-day:

Karina had turned seven and ten years of age only three days ago. She celebrated with her mother by planting a new kind of flower in the garden, they named them honey flowers because the crème petals looked like honey when it drips down the side of a cup. Alexei had come by of course; he’d come over every other day for the past moon cycle, a longer courtship than most but blissful. Today her mother had left her to tend the garden by herself which probably wasn’t the wisest decision as Karina was already covered in dirt, her hair was matted with soil and she smelled like the earth, specifically, right after it rains in the morning when the dew heightens the freshness of the vegetation.

The sun shone straight down onto her black hair, and she realized she would have to clean herself before she left with Alexei for the market to meet with her mother. She carried the wooden tools back to the house and fed Silver before she headed to the river, she began untying her bodice and placed it gently at her feet. She stood in her undergarments enjoying the freedom of the breeze against her skin. Karina had just dipped her toes into the water when she heard an echoing snap coming from the woods surrounding her, her eyes searched through the endless horizon of bright green spruce, a shiver rolls down her spine electrifying every hair on her body as the sound echoes throughout the forest.

She continued to bathe as she listened attentively for the sound, after a few minutes it sounded again, right behind her, she spun quickly and found three large men standing in front of her, all were dressed head to toe in black with masks pulled down over their faces, the masks the villagers would wear during the hallows eve festival. They stood there and her body froze, her heart began to beat faster as she waits for them to speak, figuring they would not, she spoke up sweetly hoping to direct the strangers back to the village, often time newcomers became lost in these forests.

“Who are you?” the men said nothing, the two on the outside began spreading out, stepping into the river along with her, their dark pants becoming deeper in color in the warm spring waters. They moved closer to her, and she clenched her fists, fear shooting through her veins.

“Are you looking for the village? It’s about a mile up the river, if you just follow it east, you’ll find the first marker” Her voice wavers as she smiles at the men. They are getting far too close, and her body seizes.

“ALEXEI” she screams into the air, and the branches shake, too violently for a soft breeze. The man before her laughs at the scream and her mind fuzzes over, riddled with fear.

“He is not coming child” The man to her left advanced, he grabbed her raven hair violently and pulled her closer, a yelp jumps from her mouth as the pain shoots through her head. The men walk closer and surround her in a very tight circle, they begin to speak to each other, over top of her head as Karina struggles uselessly against the large man’s grip.

“The boy didn’t disappoint, right where he said she’d be” In the village less than an hour ago, the three men had met with Alexei inquiring about the young witch who lived in the woods, Alexei excitedly told them every detail he could call upon about her Karina and the rumors surrounding her, the rumors intrigued the men and they decided to take what they could from her. The men and Alexei had struck a bargain, seventeen rubies for Karina, Alexei happily took the rubies and left for the next town over that very minute to buy everything he could.

Karina’s’ screams echoed through the forest, her voice piercing, disturbing the very clouds that floated gently above the forest. They violate her for what feels like hours, first, they start with her long raven hair, cutting it roughly all the way to her scalp, violently ripping patches of hair off her head. Unsatisfied they rip her fingernails from their beds. When they finally feel that they have taken all they can she is lying naked and covered in her blood. The blood oozes from her countless wound and seeps into the earth beneath her, the soil warms as the men leave her to die, joyously imagining their future spoils. Karina curls into herself and cries, holding her palm over the large cut they carved across her eye, she meekly cries out for help. Her eyes close as she cries, mourning her battered body and preparing for her death. She thinks of her mother, reminiscing about the moments she spent with her in the garden, the times when her mother watched as she played in the river with the animals of the forest. She says goodbye to her mother quietly, drowned out by the sound of the rushing water, her eyes close, and her mind blanks.

The smell of her blood filled the forest, attracting a bear from a nearby den. Its body was large, bigger than the three men that had left not too long ago, its fur was as back as the hair that had been stolen from her head. It approaches her with its big black paws and nudges her with its wet nose gently, she remains limp, the bear lays down next to her, its body warming her cold skin. Suddenly a deer appears from between the trees, branches crunch beneath its hooves as it approaches, its fur is as red as the sun when it sets over the mountain, the brilliant red of the beast is mesmerizing as the bright sun shines down on it. It bows before Karina and gently lifts her with its antlers, careful not to injure Karina’s weak and mangled body, and places her on the back of the bear, the warm fur scaring the cold from her veins, her eyes remain shut. The bear carries her slowly, the deer following close behind, they carefully walk through the trees and stand in the garden, Silver meets them and leads them to the front door. They wait patiently.

In the middle of the market, Karina’s mother drops the basket of fruits she holds in her hands, clutching her stomach as a tearing pain shot its way through her body, she screamed violently as the pain shoots through her body, clawing its way beneath her skin, breathing fire into her very soul. The pain was unbearable, her skin felt as if someone had carved it from her body, when the pain dulled, she ran to her home, leaving the basket in the middle of the market, rushing past the shocked faces of the villagers. Her garden was the first thing she saw as she ran up the path, her feet pounding against the earth, thunderous and terrified, the thunder ceases as she sees the big black mound of fur sitting at her doorstep.

Silver rushes to her meowing hectically, Karina’s mother approaches the black mound to see the bear and deer laying protectively around a body. Karina’s mother cautiously approached the body, not recognizing it until she saw Karina’s battered face. Her mother’s weeping cries bounce off the surrounding trees enveloping Karina’s battered body, Karina’s mother approaches her daughter and cradles her close to her body, her mother’s tears dampening what is left of the hair on her head. Karina’s mother looks up to the animals as they watch the scene unfold before them, her mother reaches out her hand to gently touch the bear on its head.

“Thank you” her mother’s voice is quiet and broken as she speaks, the bear bows its head and walks back towards the forest, the deer following closely behind. Karina’s mother looks up to watch the animals leave and sees they are following a path of beautiful red roses that she does not remember being there this morning. At the end of the rose path, a small patch of red roses has grown in the shape of Karina’s fetal body.

Sunset:

Eleven years had passed since that day by the river, her mother had died the winter after Karina was able to move from her bed for the first time in a year, she was left alone in a house filled with memories. It took a long time for Karina to heal, her bloodied wounds slowly grew into rough-edged scars that littered her porcelain skin. The shattered bones healed mishappened, stiffer than she remembered them to be before that day at the river, what used to feel nimble and flexible now felt rigid and harsh. Her silky hair had grown back rough and dry, black, and brittle like a charred piece of the twine string her mother used to be so fond of using to tie the vegetables together. As the years went by Karina withdrew more into herself and her home, she feared the village and the people passing through it, scared others would hurt her once again. During her recovery she watched as her mother slipped away, sapped of all energy and hope for herself, her mother whispered stories to her as she slept through the pain, stories about a raven-haired witch who grew up in a cruel village.

“This village feared her and what she could do, they decided to hunt her down and burn her in order to vanquish her evil spirit, so they did, but instead of the little witch they found her mother and they burned her mother in front of her very eyes. The little witch was scared so she ran away, far from her village, far from the tree that sprouted the day she was born and far from the pyre that took her mother’s life, she found a home in a forest behind a small village a lifetime away from her past. In the forest, the little witch built a home, a wooden house surrounded by trees, and a hill that sat in the path of the sun. She planted gardens to surround her, she never felt alone when she had plants to care for, an earth that welcomed her into its heart and finally, she flourished. Eventually, the little witch fell in love with a strong man of the forest, they were married, and the little witch wasn’t so little anymore, the man of the forest went away one day, promising to come back but caught on the way. The little witch gave birth to her own baby girl while the man she loved died thousands of miles away, but now she had someone new to love, a new life to care for. She named that baby girl Karina, a name that brought a new pure beginning for both of them. That baby girl grew up and got hurt just like the little witch’s mother.” Karina remembered how her mother had cried for her.

“So please, get better for your mother Karina, and be stronger than my mother or me.”

Karina was sure that it was her mother who healed her, and awakened the power within her, just like her mother she was a witch, a woman with phenomenal powers over nature. During her recovery Karina realized she could hear the animals talking to her, they became the only friend she had as she shut herself into her home. With the help of the animals, she destroyed all the mirrors that used to be in her house, wishing to never see her haggard appearance again, not the scar cutting across her eye, the straw hair, or the nose that had healed crooked, now pointing towards the floor, sickly twisted and forever changed. The villagers who were brave enough to enter her wood brought the rumors back to the village, about the scarred witch who lived with the beasts of the forest.

Karina was pulled from her thoughts by the soft growl of the big black bear, and the raven that lived in a nest above her front door vigorous pecking. Karina pulls herself from her bed slowly and makes her way out of the house and up the old hill to sit under the tree as the sun sinks into the earth, she caresses the heads of the animals surrounding her as she reminisces on the memories of doing this with her mother many years before.

Dusk:

On the day she celebrated her nine and twentieth year, Karina was devastated, the raven had sat in a tree outside a brick house for hours before flying home and delivering the news of a birth. Alexei, who had married a young girl, the same age she was when they had courted, not three years before had just had a daughter, a beautiful girl whose lungs silenced the ruckus of the village. Karina mourned for the child who would have Alexei as her father, the same Alexei who betrayed her trust and love many years earlier, she had forgotten him as best as she could, as well as the men.

“There is no changing the past” she would tell the animals when they were angered on her behalf whenever she recalled the events of that day. The raven told her the girls’ eyes were as pale blue as the second moon of every month, Karina had always loved the moon when it was blue, it brought her solace in the darkest moments of her life. The raven declared that the girl’s hair was as white as freshly fallen snow in the winter, her skin the color of perfect porcelain, an unusually beautiful girl. Karina feared the rumors would soon spread, the same that flowed across the cobblestones on the night that she was born. The birds watched the newly born girl for a few weeks before Karina built up the courage to enter the village. The birds were only so good at relaying information. Karina covered her face and hair with a large black hood and left her home as the sun set, she walked the three miles to the village, finding it unnervingly quiet, she steps onto the worn cobblestones for the first time in many years. The raven quietly leads her to the house where the young girl resides, Karina followed silently moving as swiftly as possible, eventually, the raven landed in front of a worn stone house. Karina approached an open window to find a small white bassinet, in it is the daughter the birds described, the girl’s pale blue eyes met her silver ones very quickly, the baby stared up at her. The two are mesmerized with each other for a moment, the baby reaching its arms out to her, the gesture brings a smile to Karina’s face as she continues to admire the beautiful girl.

Her eyes are reflective and deep, a wonderful trait for pale eyes, her hair is indeed as white as fresh snow but the giggle she lets out between her thin lips would melt the heart of the coldest stranger. Her skin is smooth porcelain and Karina fears she would break if she reached out to touch her, so she keeps her hands to her heart. They watch each other for quite a while before Karina is startled by a shout coming from another window, she begrudgingly leaves the baby and walks around the house to find a man and a woman arguing, the man is much older than the girl. Alexei and his wife are arguing, but Alexei is louder and angrier than his wife, Karina watches wondering how the interaction will go, remembering the arguments she used to have with Alexei.

Suddenly Alexei slaps the young girl, she falls back onto the floor from the force, once the shock subsides, his wife holds her cheek.

“I control you whore!” he screams at his crying wife as she shies away from him, trying so hard to hide in the corner of the room away from him.

“He hasn’t changed” Karina whispers as she moves slowly away from the window back to the baby laying happily in her bassinet watching the raven move its wings in a silly pattern. Karina’s eyes are drawn to the sun as it finally disappears behind the horizon and then the baby giggles and her decision is made. She carefully reaches into the bassinet and pulls the baby into her arms.

“I will protect you little one, I will never let that man harm you. You will not share your mother’s fate.” Karina whispers to the child as she cradles her to her chest, a giggle falls from the baby’s lips and Karina is warmed, she leaves with the child quickly.

On that night a legend was born, a tale about an evil witch who steals children in the night, a tale that was told to children to keep them from misbehaving. As centuries passed Karina’s name was lost in time, doomed to only be remembered by a name given to her by the people of the village. Yaga

Ayla Gower is a student in Creative Writing at Monroe Community College in Rochester.