Tag: marble witch

“Hey, noodle brain.” A webbed foot poked out of the satchel and into Hayes’ jean-clad leg. “Lemme out.”

“What are you going to do, ride on my shoulder?” Hayes rolled his eyes and reached for a half gallon of milk. “Er – ‘scuse me, ma’am, my apologies. I don’t think I heard you behind me over my phone call.”

Geo snickered from inside his satchel, a beady eye gleaming through a gap in soft brown leather and olive canvas. “Like anyone talks on the phone anymore. Dork.”

“Shut it,” the human warned softly, hoping the beeps of the self-checkout station covered his words.

“Fine,” grumbled his bag. “But you worry too much. Just tell them I’m an emotional support frog.”

Hayes pulled his height to an abrupt start, flashing an apologetic smile to an angry woman in slippers and curlers barely visible over the top of a cart overflowing with cat food. He settled for a snort while he waited for an opening.

“You know it’s true,” Geo taunted. “Can’t do this without my skills.”

Hayes didn’t respond until they were safely in his truck and Geo was balanced atop an 18-pack of eggs and shaking off the condensation beaded on the plastic sides of the two percent.

“Still not sure we should do this at all.” He fiddled with the truck’s dial, finding only static before shutting the radio off, then flipped his

“You signed a contract with the Marble Witch,” Geo pointed out. He hopped onto the windshield and looked down at his companion. “On the plus side, you get me. On the other hand, you also get her. And you don’t want to cross her.”

Hayes made an indeterminant brrrrt noise and drove for several miles on autopilot. It wasn’t until he spun the wheel to head for his little white house that he spoke. “Yeah. Well. One of those I can’t avoid. Explain to me what benefit you are?”

“Frog karaoke,” Geo responded promptly. “Come to the backyard tonight, and I’ll show you my shtick. The backup dancers only croak, but you’ll see a bunch of frogs enjoying the downpour.”

He parked the truck and reached for his groceries. “What are you, an 1950s cartoon? Gonna wear a bow tie?”

Geo gave something that he could only interpret as the amphibian version of a shrug. “When else are you going to see frogs dance? This is an honor, human.” The brashness in his voice faded. “If I could do something to make you effectively feel better, I wouldn’t be trapped in this form.”

***

This week, a belated return to the Marble Witch thanks to Nother Mike’s froggy prompt – and we traded punches with catfish to boot.

This week continues the Marble Witch story.

Hayes could barely lift his head, and his hands were scorched from a combination of unfamiliar magics and dragon flame that left him no doubt he’d never pick a lock for fun again, let alone for a job.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Kea. His daughter, his second chance, now a withered husk of life and Fae magic spent. A half-melted hand he didn’t recognize reached for her, and he moaned in a pained roar that left his throat raw as he gathered the shell of the girl into his arms.

His hands were so clumsy, he feared he’d shatter what was left of her into the dust and rotted apple blossoms the Marble Witch had used to create his child. Days before felt like ages, and a drop fell onto her shriveled, frozen face.

“That’s it, child.” The wounded dragon in the corner wheezed the words. “She needs your pain.”

“Allies don’t enjoy each other’s misery,” Geo snapped at the woman. “Can’t you see he’s grieving?”

“Get him one of those disks.” Celia coughed, then pointed. “Our alliance doesn’t have to be temporary. He needs training. More than you can give him, frog.”

Geo leapt over the crumpled remains of the witch and pointed a finger at the dragon. “I’m no longer a frog.”

“And yet I just watched you hop. Yes, one of those. Actually—” she eyed the store of disks— “maybe all of them.”

“What are these, potting disks? What’d you do with these?”

“Exactly so.” Celia leaned forward and clutched her ribcage, ignoring Geo’s second question. She wobbled slowly to her feet, panting. “Put them in the tub there. Then the girl. And then it must be watered with all the pain he’s held inside.”

She staggered across the room, leaving smeared bloody handprints on the counter to mark her trail.

“Hayes,” Celia said, tilting his chin up with a forceful hand to peer into his eyes. It broke his stare from the horror of death by physically planting herself in his view. “You’ve heard of Jack and the Beanstalk.”

He clutched Kea’s body more tightly. “Magic beans. Of course.”

“Kea is a type of magic seed right now. If we act fast enough. If you can use your pain and channel it. Your tears must water the potting disks to make the ground grow enough to nourish her back to life.”

“Why should I believe you? Our alliance was one of convenience. I tricked you into hiring me.” He gritted his teeth and jerked his chin away, but couldn’t block her golden eyes. How had this woman ever passed as human?

Celia gestured at the Marble Witch’s body. “A life for a life, Hayes. I owe you the balance. And you owe me service after your deceit. I demand you heal and train. You owe me that.”

“That’s all of them,” Geo said quietly from behind her. “It’s time to decide.”

***

This week’s prompt was inspired by nother Mike (maybe Hayes can be a nickname?): Henry planted the free seeds that came in the mail before he realized they were supernatural seeds…

Mine went to AC Young. Check out what he did with it over at MOTE!