The Witches of Pythonissam

“Come to us, we stand for you; show us the power beyond comprehension

Rid this town of the souls that remain; give us your gift so we can remain

Give our new sister the gift of life; give her the strength for your delight”

The witches of Pythonissam shrieked,

darkness in the sky; only leaving a bit of moonlight

The children of Immergrün would play this game; dare each other to get close to where they stay

There was three who were daring were brave; paid a price

The child mind filled with wonders and curiosity; the same characteristics that killed the cat

These witches, five that are known, would be offered goods and one man; every Friday the town would dread this sacrifice

Ana, the youngest at age ten,

Ana lived with her mother; she is loving and caring—

But in her eyes you see her concerns; the mother’s eyes lamented trepidation in the form of fear, hunger, and mourn

She longed for revenge; they could put an end to this savagery

She knew about the dark magic; yet she feared to take action

Every Friday, Helen (Ana’s mother) could be found in her stead crying; the whole town howling with sorrow

The children didn’t understand; there was one man who goes to the forest this day—

The man is brought to the witches cottage, the rest is unknown; maybe they are being held hostage?—

Perhaps they were collecting them; waiting for when collateral would be in their best interest—

To manipulate the towns will; they would be forced to yield to keep their loved ones alive

Henry and Ernest, the two twins at age 12, orphaned; wondering where their father had gone

The twins stay at their house, abandoned, growing eerie by the day; they were forced to wait—

The people of the village didn’t want them to worry; they told the two twins their father is returning—

The two twins knew this wasn’t true; it has been far too long

They stayed anywhere else other than their home; the silence in the house had grown and grew grim—

Sleeping in the streets; sometimes in a barn that they found

They ate the food that the people gave them; sometimes they would steal if they had desire

They would check the house from a distance; checking if anything is different in hopes their father returned

Their hopes eventually faded; jaded, the twins would investigate the home with the answer already known

Ana would be out to the market in the morning; the walk she always enjoyed—

Down the trail, walking and singing allegro, she sees a cottage in the meadow; a far distance—

The cottage looked enticing; it was almost as if it was inviting Ana to its direction

After a brief daydream, Ana remembers her task; while singing lively, but softly again, she continues

When she arrives at the market, she concealed her emotions; she ponders, “why are the people’s eyes show gloom?”

She’s frustrated; she wants to understand why the town is filled with hatred, but yet, sorrow

It’s been almost a year since the mood changed; almost a year since the town turned deranged

Shopping for food, she hears a giggle from the distance, she looks around; she hasn’t witnessed laughter for so long

She goes in the direction the laugh came; the concept of joy still remains

She finds stacks of hay, after an examination of the area, she starts to walk away; a noise came behind the hay

She investigates, only to find two boys who look the same; they were eating what they took with a smile on their face

Oblivious to the thievery, she speaks; she asked “what’s making you two so happy?”

The boys took offense; they look at her with with ill

“Wouldn’t you be happy, if you had food like this?” They asked with agitation; she ponders for a moment

“Maybe!” She said with enthusiasm; dumbfounded by the hostile foundation the boys were trying to set

After some time getting acquainted, it was Anna’s time to depart; yet they haven’t exchanged names

The boys, not wanting to stop the conversation, asked where she was going

“I’m going back home,” she answered; the boys offered to walk her back

She accepted, inviting them to partake in a meal; although the basket for food was barely filled

The boys persuaded Anna to wait until their return; they went off and stole until enough was earned

The boys came back with plenty of food; the two feel accomplished

They make their way back to the house; Ana leads them down the same trail

Ana feeling happy; their chemistry was heavy with the conversations having tempo

Ana hasn’t been able to express joy without judgment from the envy; this ability is only obtained with ignorance

She sees the cottage once again; she says with excitement, “look at that beautiful house!”

The boys stood silently — malice filled their hearts; this reminded Ana about her mother

The truth remains covered to the boys; yet they understood the false beauty of the cottage

The boys understood that their people are suffering; yet that cottage stands good and steady

Henry couldn’t suppress his anger; he expressed it with perfection

“Henry, it’ll be okay,” Ernest said attempting to calm him

“Yeah, let’s be on our way,” Henry shrugged; still visible with anger—

To them the house was despicable

Ana became more intrigued by the cottage; seeing the boy’s reactions, maybe this is why livelihood left the souls of Immergrün

“Ana, you brought friends?” Helen asked with confusion; hoping that her conclusions were wrong

“Yes mom, I hope it’s okay. They brought food!” Anna said with innocence; this situation was inconvenient for Helen with racing thoughts, worried about the future; her mind distraught

What only for a second seemed like minutes to Helen; trapped in her mind as time stood still

Debating to tell her the truth would put her mind at ease; she wants to protect the innocent mind of her child

She bites her tongue so Ana can enjoy her new friends; she will tell her when childhood comes to an end

“What should I call you two?” Helen asked

“My name is Henry and his name is Ernest. We are twins!”

“Oh, I see,” Helen couldn’t distinguish the two; their resemblance was absolutely remarkable

“Thank you for the food. I’ll prepare it, when it comes time. We will eat at sunset.”

The sun has set; the fire red sky glows radiantly above the poverty

The dinner table was set, the wood rotting; the food boxes were kept as chairs

The food was bland, seasoned with dust; the silverware with tiny specs of rust

They were filled with awe, the food was delightful; it had been a while since they could make a filling vegetable stew

With smiles on their faces, conversations never ending; for this moment, they didn’t spend time with worries

The conversation drifted with one simple question; the mother’s reaction was never expected

When asked about the house in the meadow; the feeling of sorrow devoured the atmosphere

The memories, for the mother, causes great pain; the children wait for a response silently

The mother contemplating to let them know; the innocence of the children will be swallowed whole

“There is a coven that rules this land; the coven is where the house stands

They operate in the shadows; we give them offerings to keep the town of Immergrün alive

Once a week they take what they need, along with one man; this is how they meet their needs

We are not sure what they do; we can’t construe their actions

If you wish to live, keep quiet and do as told; being bold is not wise

The coven reigns.”

Filled with shock, the children sit in silence; the room vibrant with anger, sadness, and confusion

Filled with heartbreak; Ana wishes to investigate to confirm the accusations

Filled with malice, like before, Henry wants to conspire; he doesn’t care if this were to backfire

Confused thoughts came to Ernest; he is starting to piece together his vice theories

Helen leaves the room to let them think; Ana says optimistically, “there’s no way we can believe this story.”

Ernest speaks up, “it explains why everyone is filled with anger and gloom”

Henry responds, “we need to go to that house. I need to work this out”

Ernest and Ana looking at each other trying to judge if Henry is serious; they concluded after that pause that his word was meant to be taken seriously

Ernest objects to this, “I know the pain, but if we get caught, the people would be strained with worry”

Henry snaps back, “you wish to be a coward?”

Ana tries to calm Henry before the argument continued, “it’s alright, not everyone has the courage to know the unknown”

Ernest glows red in the face; feeling as a disgrace, “gee thanks”

Henry looks at Ernest, “three days”

Three days was something you can’t take lightly; it’s of way of saying, “trust me”

The challenged must comply with the challenger; if the challenger turns out a fool, he must starve for three days as a punishment

Ernest eyes roll with aggravation, “fine, I hope you know what you’re doing”

Ana confused; the twins explained the game

Ana didn’t want to be left out of the group; she joined too

“We leave later in the night. When the adults are asleep so they will let us be. We will watch from a distance, but close enough to see the activities. We will be stealthy, but move quickly. Do not leave each other's side. If we execute correctly, Everything should go right.” Henry said, taking charge; the brains of the operation

At midnight, Ana check to see is Helen fell asleep and she did; now they can leave

As all three were trying to sneak, the flooring and the door were squeaking constantly

After moving and stopping for some time, they finally made it out the door; the town was silent

They set off down the trail; a common thought they all shared, “they cannot prevail.”

They got to meadow where the cottage stands; Henry takes the first step into the unknown lands

Every step they took, their hearts beat like a drum rushing the tempo; they look over the shoulder, left, right, and forward—

Anxiety, doubt, and fear starts to surface; their steps shorten as if the field itself was hazardous

Three hundred meters out, they see witches about; only to see figures in the window

They weren’t close enough to make sense of their actions; Henry signals to move forward and they follow his direction

Two hundred meters away, the witches image starts to become clear; they can hear cries and laughter faintly

Henry moves forward, Ernest wants to tell him to stay; this isn’t the time or place for negotiation

One hundred meters out, Henry takes a different angle to look through the window; even though it’s not safe to proceed, he acts immediately

Ana and Ernest, worried their position would be given away, they advanced to one hundred meters; trying to signal Henry to stay in his place

Twenty-five meters away, he could see everything he needed, five witches and a man; Henry was trying to formulate a plan

Ana and Ernest catch up to Henry, they talk in a whisper; being sure they talk gently

Ana and Ernest ridicule Henry for taking matters in his own hands, until they see what he saw; they understand

Seeing that man being tortured by five witches made their stomachs ache; the pain he endured was overwhelming

Tied up so he couldn’t fight; they tortured out of spite and hatred

They set the man up onto this alter; this action placed the collar of destiny

Bound and can’t escape; you hear the witches say in unison

“Come forth goddess of life and death; take this life for your sake—

We only ask for the same favor as always

On the 52nd sacrifice this Friday; give us only life so we can’t decay

This is our only wish”

An orb came to the man; death opened the door

Light left his body, as if the soul renounced ownership; the witches started to worship—

As the body fell limp, conclusions all became coherent; the coven’s adherents need to be told

At this moment, the children of Immergün; the witches of Pythonissam are planning their next moves—

Yet, they don’t know what to do; they sneak back to the trail—

Beginning to discuss how to go about, Henry believes they would spread the word out; Ernest wants to do the same—

Ana, even though she’s oblivious, her eyes are now open; she objects, “our people are broken”—

She wasn’t wrong to assume, the depression fell heavy; they already lost hope

Henry and Ernest persisted their vote; Ana just wanted to return home

On the way they realized, by day, it’ll be the start of Friday; the witches won’t wait to make their sacrifice

Henry and Ernest went to the other side of town, running; Ana continued down her path

The Twins made it to the heart of Immergün, knocking on doors; hoping someone will hear what they have to say

Some a woman came, yawning; there wasn’t a light of day

“You must help! The witches are killing us one by one!”

“How many have you told?”

“So far, you’re the only one”

“Come inside and I’ll make you some tea,” the old hag said, trying to seem convincing with a smile

The Twins went in; the door shuts behind them

Their conversation begins after preparing tea; “now what accusations are you trying to tell me?” The hold hag speaks again

“There's a house in the meadow where the witches reside,” Henry says hesitantly; expecting to be accused of lies

“Yes there is,” the hag says in a serious tone; drawing attention with the mysterious pause

“…I know what they do; they don’t align with our morals like we do”

“So you know about the sacrifices they make?” Ernest questioned

“Yes, but I don’t want to get involved; I want to pass away peacefully,” the hag states

“There’s no time to be peaceful, tomorrow is the last day; the day of wrecking is on its way!” Henry snapped with anger

“I know but I’m not getting involved. Now, you can finish your tea but my bed calls,” the hag simply wants to ignore the problems that they face; she would rather see everyone else struggle so she gracefully die

The twins finish the tea; after the cup hit the saucer, they fell to their knees

Passed out on the floor, the hag came back into the room; her plan came true

The poison worked well, but they won’t die; they now have two for sacrifice

She tied them up to restrain; she must move them before day breaks

She changes her form, from a hag to a young, tall beautiful woman; she takes her carriage to her cottage

Meanwhile, Ana returned home, snuck back inside; laying down on her spare blankets as padding, she cries

Eventually asleep, she hears her mother humming to a beat; now morning

The humming isn’t joyful but it’s not sad; dull: as if she’s trying to fill a hole for pass-time

Ana just stares empty-minded at the ceiling; too tired to feel any feelings

The smell of food got her to get up; she took a bite, not able to eat much

She’s grabs her basket to make her morning trip; not a hint of joy as she went to the market

She goes down the trail dreading her routine; food was all they need

She’s sees the cottage setting in the meadow; this time having flashbacks to what she say in the window

She pressed forward silently; not a care for anything else in this society

Her emotions she didn’t have to conceal; she now feels what others feel

Anger, sadness, hunger, mourn, despair, I can go on more; it doesn’t change the core of the atmosphere

She stops by her usual stands and stores; she sees the hay where the boys were

She starts to think if they’re okay; she starts asking around right away

Nobody knows where they had been; Ana stressed, starts to worry about what happened

In a hurry she goes back home; only to see her mom grieving alone

“Mom it’s okay, just listen. We have to get out of this town by night. Something sinister is coming. Something doesn’t feel right,” Ana said quickly, stumbling her words trying to talk fast

“I can’t leave here, you’re father is coming back!” She said crying; believing the rumors told, but now it’s time to unfold the truth

“Dad isn’t coming back. It’s been six months since he left. The men aren’t taken hostage. They are sacrificed to their goddess. They are dead” Ana said blunt; she knows the is no more hope in this rut

“What do you mean?! How can you explain this?!”

“I went to the house and stalked. I saw five witches beating a man. Later sacrificing him for they master plan. The town we know will be sacrificed as a whole by nightfall.” Ana said growing agitated with the time being wasted

“I know a town to the east. Grab food, supplies; whatever you need. I’m staying here. I know you don’t want to leave me but let me be. I love you and I hope you stay safe. Maybe you can grow old and peacefully pass away. I can’t leave here, my soul is bound. I want to see your father again. So if what you say is true, I must say this is the end.” Helen said, trying to hold back tears

Ana looks at her still; not a muscle has moved

Helen grabs her head; softly kissing her on the forehead

Ana starts to freeze up and cry; Helen shouts, “it’s time! It’s time! Get the things you need! Go! Go!”

Ana quickly gets supplies, she rushes out the door; not able to say goodbye

Ana, down the path she goes; the path that crosses the meadow

She’s faced with a decision; in her position, she needs to think wise

Wisdom will save your life, emotions will be the downfall; staying still will not resolve

Three choices, she considers every outcome; she could only fathom one choice based on her moral code

She takes her bag, hides it behind a tree; she has chose her destiny

A few hours pass as she collects her thoughts; it’s hard to collect what the memories haunts her mind

Perhaps she need to resign; she won’t

With the mission set, ready to go execute her plan; her she’s read to bet her life to accomplish

She sneaks to the cottage; she can smell the rot of the man before

Two hundred meters away; it’s too late to turn back

One hundred meters away; she sees the witches preparing for their ritual for the day

She stays where she is; watching for any change

The sun sets, she’s still watching; Henry and Ernest enter the room under the witches will

Fifty meters: Ana can’t stay still out of fear; what can she do?

After some time, the night slowly creeps in; the twins weep

The twins took a glance out the window; looking where they once stood in the meadow

They saw Ana; started mouthing the word “go”

The witches try to see what caught their eyes; to their surprise they saw Ana out in the meadow all alone

The witches were drawn to her courage; they flourished with endless possibilities

One witch signaled her forward, offering her inside; Ana moved forward…

She was intrigued like she was in the beginning; she still couldn’t let the curiosity go

She takes a step inside; greeted kindly from the witches to the left and right

She asked if they were going to do the same to the twins; the witches responded “yes, this will be the end but a new beginning is about to begin”

Ana asked if she can leave; “I don’t want to be mean but no,” said one witch, “if you know how we operate, you must stay with us until the end of days’’

After some debate, both parties made a deal

The twins wont suffer; Anna, Henry, and Ernest will be blind folded

Ana steps into the room blind; she remains silent

Henry and Ernest stayed quiet; the whole room dead silence

The ritual began

“Come to us, we stand for you; show us the power beyond comprehension

Rid this town of the souls that remain; give us your gift so we can remain

Give our new sister the gift of life; give her the strength for your delight”