The Witch Wood Demon, Part 7

The Witch Wood Demon, Part 7
By H.A. Handy
Copyright (c) 2005 by H.A. Handy


Angelica worked her feet slowly into her boots, which were a little difficult without socks. Her feet were also quite tender. The thought of going out into the snow again wasn't as good as it possibly could have been. The memory of her long walk was still quite fresh. Boots on, shawl wrapped around her shoulders, Angelica stepped out the back door. It screaked in protest, but opened and closed with an abnormally loud bang. Joshua paused in his wood chopping to turn and look at her. He smiled.

Joshua was quite impressive in his red flannel shirt, workman's jacket, and jeans. The thick boots looked well-worn and well-used. His breath came out in little white puffs. Protecting his head was a very worn and tatty tobagan.

"Granny sent you out to help me?" he said as she neared. Angelica smiled back and nodded. "You realize she's trying to play match maker?" Angelica shook her head. "Well, she is. She's afraid she's going to die and leave me alone here and I won't have the common decency to make my own choice of a wife, or the solitary life for that matter." The ax flew through the air and thwacked into the block of wood, splitting it easily.

"Does that bother you? Her match-making?" The ax thwacked again and more wood split.

"No, not really." Joshua bent down and came up with several good chunks of wood which he unceremoniously began loading into her arms. He smiled at her again and Angelica felt her face begin to warm slightly. "Granny does seem to be getting better taste in her age, though." Joshua turned back to chopping wood. More wood was added and Angelica began tottering toward the house. Just as she was reaching the door, there was Joshua unloading the wood from her arms, his eyes bright and merry.

"If Granny saw me letting you carry all of this wood in, she, well, she wouldn't be happy."

"That's right," came a voice from just inside the kitchen door. "I raised you better than than, Josh."

"Yes ma'am, you sure did!" he said as he held the door open with his back and arm for Angelica and then followed her inside quite closely.

The warmth hit Angelica like a ton of bricks. Her feet suddenly screamed at her for making them walk on hard wood instead of the snow. They began tingling as warmth slowly filled them. She was off her feet and in Joshua's arms before she realized she had been going down. Wood lay scattered everywhere. Tears slipped from her eyes as her feet throbbed. Edna was near. She instructed Joshua to get Angelica's feet warm while she "whipped up some breakfast."

Joshua carried her as easily as if she were a child into the living room and placed her back into her chair by the fire. His face was filled with concern. As he untied her boots, red flesh puffed out.

"Where are your socks?!"

"I don't know." Even though Joshua was very gentle, removing her boots was a painful process. Once they were off, several places had begun bleeding.

"You won't lose any toes, but you need to be bandaged. Hold on and I'll get some and wrap your feet." Joshua was on his feet and gone and back before Angelica could get comfortable in her chair, the shawl still wrapped around her shoulders.

"You like this one don't you, Joshua!" Joshua froze. It was Johnny, the exact duplicate of his own voice just outside. They could see him moving in front of the large picture window in the living room/parlour. Johnny was on the porch. Angelica felt very afraid. It was like a hard lump of cold ice resting in the pit of her stomach. "So, do I," Johnny said. Joshua settled himself at Angelica's feet and carefully began bandaging her feet. "This one is special. You feel it. We can see it, me and Edna." Edna appeared at the kitchen doorway and was gazing at the glass. Her face was extremely pale.

"Yes, that's right. I can see it, Edna, dear." Johnny moved to the other side of the large window. "Did you know she saw me for my morning visit? We even had a nice chat." Joshua had paused in his bandaging and Edna was standing motionless. They were all listening. "What does that make her, Edna? Good? Evil?" Johnny placed both hands upon the glass of the window. "There are choices, Edna. There are always choices." A low chuckle came from the other side of the glass. He was still chuckling as he seemingly evaporated into nothing.