Burn the Witch

Leap of Faith

A bottle of cheap beer, a bag of chips, and a sappy sad song. The trifecta of ingredients that complete a pity party. If you told me that I'd end up depressed and broke in the past, I would've laughed at your face and told you to pass your tests. I was a star student during my entire school life. Life was as certain as the sun rising and setting. I was supposed to have a six-digit income with a cute house and white picket fence. And yet, here I was in my apartment, alone and sulking for the nth time due to another unreturned job application.

Where did I go wrong? That's usually the question that clattered my mind every time reality sets in. Job hunting was s**t. I could barely land an interview, and even if I did, I couldn't even pass the first stage.

I tipped the bottle up, trying to drink every drop. I'm pretty sure that I was already drunk. The room already has a slight tilt. My head felt fuzzy. I couldn't care less, though. The numbness was good. It prevented me from seeing how much of a wreck my life turned out.

I reached for my laptop, which was now lying haphazardly on the floor. Perhaps I could send another batch of resumes? Right now, I wasn't feeling very picky. I'd take any job as long as it would let me pay next month's rent and buy me something other than noodles.

The light from the screen illuminates the dark, sparse room. There was no unnecessary furniture in sight. Several tabs popped up, all of them from various job sites. I quickly modified my resume for each application and sent them, hoping for the best.

I stood up, and with one last lingering look at my laptop, I sighed and closed it. Please, for the love of all that is rich, let me at least get one reply.

I stopped the music from my phone and tidied up my apartment. I wasn't too drunk yet, but it would probably lead to a nasty headache tomorrow if I didn't sleep properly. With that in mind, I went to bed and fell into a dreamless slumber.

***

The sun was already high up in the sky when I woke up. I could hear the birds chirping outside my apartment and the soft bells from the casual bikers riding through the nearby park. Without further ado, I opened my laptop and looked through my messages.

One. A single red dot light on the bottom of the screen like a beacon of hope. I squealed in delight and jumped up and down beside my bed. It wasn't guaranteed hiring, but at least I had a chance.

I quickly opened the reply and gaped at the message.

11:00 AM sharp. Meet me at this address.

Aside from the link that showed where I should go and the short message, there was nothing else.

It wasn't how they usually hire. That's obvious. I made a mental rundown of what could happen to me if I recklessly follow the command. Robbed? The robbers probably would take pity on me instead and donate their catch. Yes, that's how broke I am. Raped? I'm too plain looking to have the attention of would-be predators. Kidnapped and harvested for my organs? Now, we're talking. Although my lifestyle wasn't completely healthy, my organs were fully functioning. But maybe if I ask nicely, we could make a 50-50 deal for the profit.

In other words, I'm broke, depressed, and got nothing to lose.

I replied with my agreement and hit send. I checked the time and saw that it was currently 10:00 AM.

"Crap!"

From then, it was a flurry of preparation. I dressed business casual, with flats, a fitted skirt, and a pastel blue blazer on top of a white blouse. I looked at myself in the mirror. My dark brown hair was carefully styled in a ponytail, and my golden brown eyes sparkled with hope. I used makeup to hide any blemishes and eye bags, and with a nod, I declared myself decent and ready to take a leap of faith.

I went out of my apartment and took a brisk walk toward the address. Thankfully, it wasn't that far, or else I wouldn't have made it on time. It was a good day. Not a speck of dark cloud in the sky. If this was foreshadowing, I hoped it brought me good news.

I stopped in front of an alley. The address showed that it's a bit farther from the main street. I looked around, trying to check my surroundings. Although the alley was dim even in the middle of the day, it was very clean. No bystanders or trash in sight. How possible would it be to get kidnapped in this time and place?

I sighed and continued walking. After several turns, I finally arrived in front of a small shop. The exterior was purely made of wood. The thatched roof seemed well-maintained, and there were fresh flowers and... various herbs, maybe, scattered on the front, hanging on the walls and under the windows. I didn't recognize any of them. It was like a cozy little cabin in the middle of the city. A very odd, albeit refreshing, structure indeed.

There was a sign hanging on the front door that reads "Lucent White" in a bold but elegant font. Under the sign, there was another one that shows "Open."

I knocked on the door. While waiting for a reply, I looked at my watch and saw that it was exactly 11:00 AM. I smiled to myself, relieved that I was right on time. However, after several minutes rolled by, there was still no answer.

I looked around the property, but there were no other visible entrances. I tried turning the handle instead. Surprisingly, it's unlocked.

The cozy little cabin was a shop of sorts. The inside was filled with multiple shelves. Various products in varying sizes and shapes of glass bottles lined them. Upon looking closely, there were different sorts of liquid in the bottles. Some were swirling with things like glitters, while some were so dark I couldn't even distinguish what color that exactly was. Plants were hanging from the ceiling as well.

I walked towards what looked to be a counter at the end of the room. No modern cash register in sight. Its surface was simply a long solid slab of wood and a lone bell. I rang the bell.

"Hello? Good morning! I'm Avery Swann, here for the job offer!" I called out.

I heard some rustling on the door behind the counter, and after a few seconds, a man emerged. I took a sharp intake of breath because, goodness me, he was hot. No, that didn't give his looks justice. More like a fine piece of man, a very fine piece indeed.

He was wearing a black shirt and black pants. He had long white hair that ended on his shoulders. Full plump lips and pale skin. And his piercing gray eyes... were looking straight at me.

"H-hi? I mean, hi! I'm Avery Swann. I'm here for the job offer," I repeated while trying to save my face from getting caught.

Good job, Avery. You aren't even hired yet, and you're already ogling your co-worker.

"Miss Swann, greetings. I'm Alex, the owner of Lucent White. Come," he said, then he turned around again and entered the door behind the counter.

Huh, so I'm ogling my boss.

I hurriedly followed him. The room which the door led to was probably the workstation. There's another door on the far side and one on the end. Unlike in the front, this room was filled with tables and various utensils. There was a bubbling cauldron on top of a table near the window, and the herbs and flowers that I saw outside were now picked and scattered around. It's a mess, but in an organized chaotic way, if that makes sense.

The man, or Alex... Should I call him Alex? Or just Boss? He didn't give me his full name. Anyway, he leaned on one of the tables and crossed his arms on his chest. His muscles bulged from the tight-fitting shirt that he's wearing, which highlights his physique-

Okay, Avery. Get your mind out of the gutter.

"I would like to test you first before accepting you," Alex said. "Start with making a healing potion."

Uh, what?

I smiled, trying not to show my confusion. But the shop, cauldron, and herbs were giving witchy vibes, and the healing potion just sealed the deal.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

"Excuse me, sir? A healing potion?" I asked.

"Yes, the simplest potion. Don't tell me you don't know how to make one," Alex said, and this time there was a sharp undertone to his words.

He faced the table he was leaning on and started sorting out the bottles on top. I heard some rumblings and caught snippets of "useless assistant," "retired" and "f*****g hell" Then he turned around, holding out an empty bottle.

"This is a healing potion," he said as if he were talking to a child.

Suddenly, the empty bottle was filled with crimson liquid. It just suddenly appeared out of thin air, and my mind just couldn't comprehend what happened.

I didn't exactly know what gave it away. Is it the fact that I'm gaping like a fish, or was it my eyes that almost seemed to bulge out of my head? Alex gasped and pointed an accusing finger at me at the same time that he and I screamed.

"You are human!"

"What the hell was that?!"