LISA PREZIOSI Quickly she rapped it against the door It let out a sur prisingly loud boom Why can’t she get a doorbell like a normal per son Johanna grumbled Because she’s a witch Casper replied smacking himself in the forehead How many times do I have to tell you And how many times do I have to tell you that she’s just a strange old lady With that the door creaked open and in the door way stood the aforementioned Mrs Kinder She was one of the tiniest and most ancient looking people Jo hanna had ever seen She couldn’t have been more than four and a half feet tall Her hair was wound in two braids on top of her head like a gray crown and perched on her nose were oddly small spectacles Peer ing over them were blue eyes that seemed ghostly bright against her skin Her mouth broke into a smile that seemed almost too large for her little wrinkled face Welcome dearies Come right in I’ve made you some apricot cookies When Mrs Kinder turned her back Casper mouthed to Johanna Don’t eat the cookies Then he grabbed his throat and faked choking Stop Johanna mouthed back and followed Mrs Kinder into the house Johanna would never admit it out loud but Casper was right about the smell in Mrs 12
THE ICE MAIDEN’S TALE Kinder’s house exactly like wet cat and moth balls The entryway had an old oriental rug the color of dried blood and covered in black swirls There was a narrow winding staircase ahead with stained glass windows op posite its twisted railing We’re not going up there Casper exclaimed in horror Johanna glowered at him Of course not Casper I thought we’d go into the sitting room for a story answered Mrs Kinder in her high-pitched voice Story Casper eeked out his eyes narrowing once again Can’t we just watch TV I don’t own a television Mrs Kinder replied and Casper gasped But but how How do you live Casper asked incredulously If you mean how I pass the time dearie I have lots of hobbies At that Johanna gulped a bit The word hobbies seemed so ominous Knitting and reading were not the first things that came to Johanna’s mind Instead she pictured the witch from Hansel and Gretel fattening up the children in sweet anticipation of eating them Cas per gave Johanna an I-told-you-she-was a-witch-but you-didn’t-believe-me-and-now-we’re-going-to-die glare 13
LISA PREZIOSI This way children Mrs Kinder motioned through an archway just right of the staircase In the center of the sitting room there was an antique style couch and chairs the kind that children are almost never allowed to sit on which is fine with most children as they are terribly uncomfortable anyway Between the couch and chairs was a dark wood coffee table with a blue glass dish piled high with strange yellow cookies flecked with red The first thing Casper noticed was the overabun dance of pink everywhere pink wallpaper a pink floral rug dark pink drapes everything in this room screamed out little old lady’s house Casper’s eyes nar rowed Even if there wasn’t a cauldron or a rack of strange potions he was sure that Mrs Kinder was in fact a witch The first thing Johanna noticed was that the entire back wall was a floor to ceiling bookshelf brimming with all kinds of books The books seemed very old and Johanna fought the urge to run over and pick one up Have a seat and help yourself to some cherry apri cot cookies Mrs Kinder said Would you both like some milk or perhaps some cocoa I’m fine Casper answered a little quickly as he sat down on the sofa Johanna sat down next to him and gave him a sharp look 14
THE ICE MAIDEN’S TALE I’ll have some cocoa and I’m sure Casper will want some too Johanna replied Wonderful Mrs Kinder exclaimed clapping her hands together I’ll be back in a moment make your selves comfortable What have you done Casper hissed We’re gonna drink that and turn into ants or something It’s cocoa Casper Not poison Relax Mom would want us to behave and we don’t want to upset her with everything going on Please Fine And when we’re both turned into toads or frogs you’ll see I was right Casper answered Johanna rose from the couch and went over to the bookshelf What are you doing Casper asked I just want to see what kind of books these are They’re witch books Leave them alone Johanna looked over the books They were all leather bound with faded titles Some were thick others quite slim The writing on them seemed odd but before Jo hanna could examine one closely Mrs Kinder returned She placed a tray with three pink mugs on the table Here you go dearies Mrs Kinder noticed Johanna by the bookshelf Do you like stories she asked Johanna raising one tiny eyebrow Yes very much Johanna replied feeling an odd sensation in her belly 15
