The Witcher's Hour

TWH Chapter 14: Bad at being good

Chloe's POV

"Oh, this silly girl." She smiled back at me and I realize it is not a dream after all. I froze, dead scared. I can't seem to process what I am seeing today.

Who is she? How could she able to enter my room without even opening the door? How could she speak right through my mind when I can't see her lips moving? Does she know what's running in my mind right now?

"I am Belladonna Grimm your special friend." She grinned as she offered her hand for a handshake. I looked at her face and eventually turned my gaze on her hands, too. She's wearing a precious ring embossed with accent crystal stones on its side shank, the rest covered with pure gold. The center stone of the ring is what caught my attention the most. I believe it is a black onyx that symbolizes physical power to whoever will wear it. It suited her pretty well.

"Who are you?"

"Is my identity more important than your wish that I am about to grant?" Belladonna said as she grinned.

"I don't know how you easily get here in my room but you're invading my privacy," I replied, trying to meet her powerful eyes.

I saw her frown all of a sudden. She folded her arms and removed the blanket that's covering both of us in just one snap of her finger. I haven't even seen how she did it herself.

"Why are you being so complicated? I didn't know this side of you." She said, looking at me as if examining my facial expressions. I can see that she's gently tapping both of her arms with her fingers, emphasizing her black, pointed nails. She raised one of her eyebrows as she sighed aloud.

"Anyway, I want to introduce myself. I am the queen of Wiltshill, Belladonna Grimm. It's a pleasure to meet you, darling." She offered her hand for a handshake again, for the second time around. I slowly accepted her hands as I do an awkward handshake that made her chuckle all of a sudden.

"Wiltshill what?"

"Oh my goodness. I don't have to tell you in detail about my place, you'll not familiar with it, anyway."

"Wherever that is, I think that place is cool," I said, trying to keep the conversation up. I saw her rolled her eyes as if not liking what I commented about where she came from.

"Seriously, you're the only one who appreciated my place. It is nice of you."

"Well, from how you looked like right now, I guess that place is interesting."

You have no idea of how good-hearted you are, I want to meet."Belladonna smiled but with full of sarcasm as she raised her eyebrows in front of my wondering face.

I just nodded and smiled, too. She's weird and creepy at the same time. I am just thankful that she's friendly.

"How will you grant my wish?" I said as I started to get curious.

"Oh..." Her facial reaction suddenly changed. She gently clapped her hands full of glee as she faced me. She's grinning from ear to ear. "Well, imagine me being your genie in a bottle."

"You're not a boy." I reacted right away. I can see the disgust in her reaction. It's like she's trying to be patient with me.

"Just think that I only came from another place, but somehow, I can do it, too."

"Whoah." I can't help but be amazed. Can she do it?

"How?" I held both of her hands in excitement.

"Simple. Think of a wish that you want to come true with all your heart." She said as she looked directly into my eyes. As I meet her gaze, I feel like she's casting a spell on me.

"To become rich?" I answered right away.

"I hate you. Be realistic. I know it's not the wish of your heart." She avoided my gaze and brushed off my hands that held hers.

"Will it be realistic if I will tell you that I want to experience living the life of Ella Grande?" I said as I looked at her. I saw her eyes glistened this time. It's like it is the answer that she wants me to tell her.

There was a long pause. I look at her intently while she is looking directly into my eyes as if studying the sincerity of what I just said. She sighed aloud and flashed a victorious grin. She started doing this when she realized I am dead serious about my wish...but it is more of being impossible even in my dreams.

"Granting queer wishes is my cup of tea. I can able to do it if I think you are that deserving. Following crucial instructions are part of it, of course."

"Huh? How did I become deserving? I did not do anything." I said, very confused as I shook my head.

"You never realize you're doing great these days. I counted your deed and treat that as worthy."

"I never do a good deed for other people just to expect something in return. I just do it because I always think it is the right thing to do."

"Well darling, I never wanted you to think about that way."

"So, what exactly do you mean, then?"

"What I mean is, I think every deed deserves a reward, especially if you do good to others with your heart in it."

"I still don't understand."

"I want to reward you for a great deed you've done for an old woman."

I froze as my eyes widened. How did she know about that? I remembered there's no one except the both of us on that lonely road, even on that park, unless...

"Yep, darling. That's me. I am that old woman." She said and started laughing. I can hear the laugh similar to a witch.

"So you are a witch? Now I am more confused."

"I do not want to complicate things. The reason why I am here is to grant your wish. All you have to do is to think about what wish should you want me to do for you. I will be back so please be ready when it happens. Byebye!" She said and as she mentioned the last word, she disappeared as I blink both of my eyes.

I slapped myself to test if I am still dreaming but sadly, I am not. I am beginning to fear the coming days. Meeting Belladonna Grimm is not a joke after all. Should I consider this a blessing or more of a curse? What does she mean when she said that she's like a genie in a bottle? Above all, can she grant my wish? That sounded too impossible for me to even believe it myself.

The next day, I tried coming to school early because I still have to give Ella the homework that she wanted me to accomplish.

I seldom got a goodnight's sleep because I stayed up late until two in the morning. This time, I made sure that there will be no erasures or ink messed somewhere. I wrote as legibly and as neatly as I can before I handed it to her. I never thought she's this perfectionist when it comes to every detail she wanted.

She wanted me to meet her at the back of our school library. It is full of trees standing tall and many plants surrounding the whole place. There's a secret mini-garden that's been set up that suitable for students who wanted to be alone. Some people also go here merely because they don't want to be disturbed when they will read a book. It is not the place where many students go that's why she preferred to meet me here.

"Oh, you're already here." She walked towards me as she wore her signature smile.

"Yes. Just like what you reminded me of yesterday."

"Well, you're ten minutes early. I am impressed. I thought I'm the first to arrive here." She said as she checks the papers that I already handed to her. She looks at every page meticulously and smiled.

"Here's your tip. Thank you." She said as she shoved a three-hundred dollar bill in front of me. Before I can even react to what she did, the bills fell on the ground. I quickly picked it up but I also dropped my eyeglasses on the ground all of a sudden. She walked past me. Unexpectedly, she stepped on my eyeglasses as I heard a c***k that almost broke my heart into pieces.

I didn't exactly see if she intended to step on my eyeglasses or it is just an accident. Seriously though, I can't help myself but be hurt too much.

"Oopsie. Don't worry. I already gave you the money. You just buy a new pair for yourself." She smiled with full of sarcasm. I can't help but cry.

I have no problem with buying a new one. What hurts me the most is the fact that I can't fix that special pair of eyeglasses my father bought for me five years ago. He bought it as a birthday gift for me. A week later, he died in a car accident.

I promised myself to take good care of this eyeglass because it is a good memory of my dad before he died. I never expected Ella to be that bad. I am so frustrated that I can't help but to cry out loud.

"Chloe!" I heard a familiar voice. Somebody made me stand up as he helped me get on my knees because I am not moving. I am almost crawling on the ground.

"Are you all right?" He said as he looked at me from head to toe. I heard him cuss when he saw my broken eyeglasses. When I realized he saw what I am trying to hide, I can't help but cry as I hugged him tightly.

I felt his hand caressing my back as if consoling me from what happened. He let me cry for a long time. Good thing it was both our break and we haven't got a class in our next subject after the teacher sent us a chat in our virtual meeting chat group.

He let me sit at one of the benches around the place.

"T-That's my father's gift to me," I said as I sniffed. He got something from his pocket. I can see his handkerchief and tried to wipe my tears.

"Please do not worry about it too much dear. It will be fixed soon." Peter said with full of reassurance in his tone.

"How?" I said between sobs.

"I will find away." He said as he hugged me on the waist.

Maybe Peter is right. Ella shouldn't be someone to idolize. She's a spoiled brat that nobody could ever stop. She's now starting to consider what the witch told her the last time...granting a wish to experience the life of Ella Grande. Why not? Maybe she can change her life by doing it, too.