The trek to the cabin took what felt like a lifetime, although in reality, it would have been less than half an hour. During the day, the lack of roads in the woods was a bonus. At night, lessso.
In the light of the full moon and the beam of my head torch, the trees took on sinister forms. I half expected them to move and stretch out eerie arms to catch me.
If I survived this night, I needed to do some serious survival training outdoors.
The way it was, I was a surefire candidate for Most Timid Witch of the Year.
The cabin stood in a small clearing. The shutters were closed, and the shingle roof sprouted some moss.
I hesitated outside until Cosmo, who’d gone ahead to scout, signaled that the coast was clear.
The key moved silently in the lock. I assumed it had been oiled recently.
Inside, the cabin was as tidy as it could be. The sofa that could double as a bed if needed was covered with a neat quilt and a couple of large pillows.
A table with a well-used logbook and a penholder sat underneath the shuttered window. A pair of binoculars dangled from a wall hook.
Inside the door, a welcome mat showed signs of frequent use. There were a few clumps of dried mud.
I carefully touched one. It didn’t crumble under my fingers straight away.
Good, it didn't appear to be very old. I assumed somebody other than Kyle had been here recently. I could envisage him doing the tidying and rubbish removal as requested, but I did not see him knowing how to plump pillows or fold the quilt as precisely as my aunt would have done.
I bent and fished under the sofa to take out a loose floorboard. My aunt used to tease Jake about his hidey-hole for a pack of cigarettes, decades after he gave up smoking, all to test his willpower.
My heart drummed so loudly it was a whole symphonic orchestra in my chest, threatening to burst through my rib cage.
"Gotcha," I said loudly and stuffed a small bag into my pocket.
My charade here had come to an end.
I locked the door behind me and waited for another sign from Cosmo before I slowly returned to the path home.
I'd barely made it past the clearing when Cosmo growled, and I heard soft steps behind me.
I dodged at the last moment as a large rock came down on what would have been my head. Instead, it hit my shoulder with a sickening crunch.
I screamed out in pain.
And then, the beam of my headlamp hit my attacker in full force.
"Hi, Mimi," I said. "Looking for your perfume bottle?”
She raised the rock again. Her features were distorted with fury.
Where was my cavalry?
I tried to dodge the next blow, but my feet slipped on the muddy ground and she hit me on the shoulder.
With another cry, I fell backward.
I concentrated with all my might. It was now or never. A large branch snapped off the tree and hit Mimi on the head. Another one followed, dealing her a vicious blow.
Mimi fell forward as I rolled out of the way, onto my injured shoulder.
"Help!" I screamed. Then I blacked out from the pain.
I came to when I felt somebody shaking me gently. My shoulder hurt so badly, I yelped again.
