Haunted 4: Hex"Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of bog…" "What's a bog?" Aiden spoke with a light squeal. All three of the Bean, Jillian and Jac shushed him at once. The older woman would then resume the stirring of the cauldron, with the mixture soon turning a bright, magical blue. Ahead of this curious event, Jac and Aiden both shared their experiences on the previous nights, their hair (well, Aiden's at least) stood on end upon the realization that they both had what they thought were merely visions at the exact same time. When this was brought to Jillian's attention, the elf woman suggested that the best way to learn if this was not a mere coincidence was to visit the Cunning Woman known as the Bean who lived in the far-side of town. "If anyone can figure this thing out, she can," Jillian said. This "Bean" was a middle aged witch who also went formally by her given name Marigold. Since her track record was solid and she charged fair prices for her services to boot- according to Jillian- she's been the go-to person for finding out the various going ons in the uncharted world of spirits and the mysterious forces that pertain to them. Without a single syllable, Marigold took one upon Jac and Aiden and stroked her chubby cheeks as she gazed into their perplexed eyes. "Oh my my, this is serious!" She spoke in a light tone, "You poor dears! I need to get started with you two right away!" The human and the shrunken Wile both reluctantly followed the Bean to the room where the large cauldron was kept. After stirring the pot for some time, while gazing upon the contents that only she was able to discern, Marigold let out a horrid gasp before turning to the two afflicted. "You have both been visited by spirits..." Aiden gulped. Jac put on the best face she could but she couldn't help but pull on her pant legs a little. They hadn't even gotten a chance to explain themselves yet, so hearing this from the expert herself had more than confirmed their fears. "You!" The Bean addressed Jac first. "You were visited by the ghost of a vengeful woman. She is restless and will stop at nothing until she has accomplished her unfinished business here in the mortal world. While it still won't be easy to remove her presence over you, this spirit is the lesser of the two you should be worried about." She then turned to Aiden, her voice heavy and filled with hints of dread. "I don't know how you did it without help, but you managed to rid yourself of not a ghost, but an evil entity. Beings old and ancient... 108 of them to be precise." "I heard that number before..." Aiden recalled vaguely. "Well! If I did away with them, then that means I'm in the clear... right?" "Wrong!" The Bean exclaimed as a plume of colorful smoke exploded from behind her, giving the witch an almost menacing appearance. "There's at least one of them hovering over you, keeping a watchful eye," she announced, "the spirit is buried deep and it will be difficult to completely remove. So long as it remains there's a high chance of you becoming infested by an awful curse in due time." "Is there anything we could do right now to reverse this hex, and to get rid of Jac's haunting?" Jillian asked. "I will have to continue my research on the young man's affliction before I can determine what will be the best course of action. Yours is a powerful one that is tied to the land itself. Walking in blindly could result in one or more of us getting seriously hurt, or worse..." Aiden's color whitened with hints of a disturbance beginning to rattle his crop. While Jillian rubbed the shrunken Wile's back, Jac sprung up from her chair. "Will she? Will they... come back?" "I'm afraid that'll be hard for me to determine at this point." The Bean replied, "My bet is that it's a high possibility." The Cunning Woman placed a hand under her chin, and contemplated for a few moments before continuing. "I will now try to conduct the spirit world through the window casted by my brew. If I can secure a couple more hours of your time here, I may be able to find a lead." "If it means that we'll be closer to getting out of this mess, then go for it." Jac nodded. She then looks back at the shrunken Wile, and despite not moving from his previous position, Jac could feel that he agreed to this as well. The pot was whipped by the enlarged wooden spoon once more, this time in slow, drawn out stirs. As the hour went by, different colors ranging from green to red hues resonated within the stew. Like a code, the Cunning Woman was able to understand its cryptic message, and after the second hour had passed, her expression went from mild concern to one of genuine solicitude. She looked up to Jac momentarily, which caused the young woman's heart to jump. Without saying anything, the Bean returned her attention to the contents of the cauldron to try and unravel what her previous communication actually entailed. At last, she pulled out a cloth and wiped the sweat that was rolling down her face. With a deep sigh, she announced, "I was able to find a solution.” All three of the friends bolted from their chairs and drew in mere inches from the witch. The Bean tried her best to shake off some of her anxiety, her voice reluctant at first, but firm. "You two will have to return to the source of what caused this mess to begin with." "The... haunted house...?" Aiden stuttered. "The conductor of the scavenger hunt." Jillian said while putting a hand to her chin. Jac and Aiden both looked at her with surprise. "You are both correct,” the Bean replied. "But I believe the presence that is affecting the young man exists nearby, and not in the house itself." Memories of the hallowed tree began to plague Aiden's thoughts again, and he needed to sit back down. "Did you find anything else about my haunting?" Jac asked with a tiny nervous quip to her voice. "If my suspicions are correct, you'll have to complete the task of visiting a grave..." A cold chill formed in the back of Jac's neck momentarily after she heard those words. The visual of the wretched note of Bartleby's tombstone shot up in her mind. "I'll admit, that one is strange. This grave is not hers, but of someone who she may have had close ties to. I can make all the assumptions I want, but this is what my conducting spirits have told me, and I trust their instructions." "Was she...? The one you spoke with?" The Bean wouldn't utter a sound but she nodded her head in reply. After this she went to the cupboard to retrieve two small bags that she would hand to Jac upon her return. "Please take these, they're on the house." The Bean said. "They are special magic dust that will aid in protecting the wearer. They're not full proof, but if you stay one step ahead of these troublesome spirits then they'll work wonders. I will also give you instructions on how to use a spell that is tied to them and when is the best time to conduct them." "Do I... get something too?" Aiden asked meekly. The witch looked into the young man's eyes. Her expression had a smidge of wariness to them, but her composure remained strong. Sensing Aiden's hesitation, she decided to tell him through her thoughts. 'I am aware of your.. skill. There isn't anything I could do that you can't do better. All you need is courage.' Aiden shivered. A part of him accepted her "words" as fact, but that still failed to calm his unrelenting nerves. After all was said and done and the three friends were about ready to leave, the Bean said one last thing. "Please, be careful... The road ahead is full of many dangers. Stick to the plan and watch out for traps." As the Cunning Woman was getting ready to close shop, she turned around to see a glowing butterfly on the seat handle of the very chair where Jac previously sat. It remained perched while fanning its wings ever so slightly. The Bean looked at the mysterious insect with a stern eye. "I did what you asked," She said, "Now promise me that no harm will come to the girl." The butterfly would then take off, fluttering lightly too and frow around the room before slipping right through the door. The witch followed its every move with a sharp eye; upon looking out the shades of her window she spotted the ethereal insect off the distance on top of Jac's shoulder, with the young woman completely oblivious to its presence. The Bean then took a step back and gave out a sigh. "Perhaps I was wrong..." she uttered. "The ancient spirit is not the worse of the two..."gif