The plague had hit our village hard and many had fallen ill. We received no aid from our local lord, who closed the gates to his keep so his men wouldn't get ill. The way things were going half the village would have been dead in a week. I couldn't just stand by watching that happen.
I had remembered the tales the village elders once told me about a witch that lived deep in the woods. This witch was our village's only hope, even if it was a sin to consort with her. I was unwilling to just watch as my village died so I took it upon myself to seek her aid.
I wandered deep into the forest until the sunlight could no longer leak through the branches. That's when I stumbled upon a hovel in the middle of the woods. It was gnarled and misshaped but somehow stood together. I was certain I was in the right spot. The dim light that was coming from its window told me that someone was living inside.
When I approached the hut it took all my courage to finally knock on the door. As I did, it swung open and a ghastly fog poured out from inside. I was terrified, but some bewitching force made me enter. The home was lit dimly by candles and a fire that sat under a cauldron which was the source of the strange miasma. As I took in the surroundings the door slammed behind me. That's when I noticed the shadowy figure with a pointed hat standing in the corner of the room.
"You're a long way from home," the figure called out to me.
"I'm looking for the witch that lives in these woods. Are you her?" I asked in a shaky voice.
"That I am," she said, stepping into the light.
I had been expecting an old crone, so I was surprised to see a young gorgeous woman. The curls of her raven hair obscured part of her face, but her pale soft skin and red lips peered through her dark locks. As she drew closer, I could see she was much shorter than me and the tip of her tall hat met me at eye level. Despite her short stature, her figure was undeniably feminine, with both a curvy bust and wide hips. She wore an elegant black dress which showed off her body.
"I am the witch Maria. Now tell me why you are here," she said placing her hand on her chest.
"My village has been stricken with plague and no one will help. I was hoping you would have some sort of cure," I said while putting on a brave face.
"I see, how noble of you," The witch replied with a playful laugh.
"P...Please, madam. I don't have much, but I'm willing to offer you anything I can for your help," I pleaded with her.
A coy smile appeared on Maria's face when she heard the word 'anything', and with a snap of her fingers, a piece of parchment appeared from a puff of smoke. The paper floated toward me, but I couldn't make out what was written.
"I'm sorry ma'am, I can't read," I admitted to her.
"This is a contract," she explained to me. "This is very binding once you sign it. It says that I agree to help cure your village in exchange for..."
"In exchange for what?" I asked as the hairs stood up on my neck.
"In exchange for your firstborn!" the witch exclaimed with a devious smile.
The witch started to cackle as the fires of the candles grew. I could tell her power was real and so to was the price she was demanding for her help. I thought for a moment and knew I'd be condemning my soul if I accepted. I thought of everyone else in the village and decided that for their sake I too.
Sensing my compliance, Maria summoned a quill next to the contract and said, "Just sign as best you can. You sign with your very soul so don't worry about spelling your name right,"
I took the quill and pressed it to the page and started to scribble. My signature shined eerily before both the paper and quill disappeared. Maria gave me a wicked look as the gloom of our dark promise washed over me.
"Now then, now that it's official I promise to save your pathetic village as soon as I get my payment. So run along to your village and fetch your child," She told me.
I was confused about what she meant. I had thought it was a promise for my future child, like the stories I've heard as a child. I didn't think she wanted my child right away. Maria seemed to notice my confusion as her sinister expression softened.
"Uh Ms. Maria, I don't... I don't have a child yet. I'm not even married," I explained nervously.
"What!? Why would you promise me a child you don't have?" she asked angrily.
"Well um, I thought it was just the promise to give you one someday," I replied.
"That doesn't make any sense. Why would I do that?" she asked while rubbing her temples. "What if you never had a kid? Then I would have done all that work for free."
"I'm sorry, this is my first time doing this sort of thing. I don't know how magic works," I said as I backed away from the angry witch.
"That's for sure," she exclaimed as she grabbed the collar of my shirt. "That contract we just signed, well that was very binding. So if we don't fulfill our ends of the bargain it will be bad for both of us."
"So, what should we do?" I asked looking down into furious eyes.
Maria let out a sigh before loosening her grip on my shirt and saying, "I guess we have no choice."
She let go of me and turned to her wall of potions. After skimming through them she grabbed a vial of pink liquid and quickly drank its contents. She slammed the now-empty vial onto the table and then turned back to me.
"What was that?" I asked.
"That... was a fertility potion. If you don't have a firstborn to give me, well... then we'll just have to make one," Maria said with a far more sultry tone as she started to walk toward me.