Chapter Eighty-Six

The forest was dark and quiet as I walked, the trees looming overhead like silent private soldiers. The path ahead twisted and turned, disappearing into the shadows as I ventured deeper into the woods. Each step I took seemed to echo in the silence, the crunch of leaves and twigs underfoot the only sound in the still night. My heart pounded with a mix of fear and purpose. I had heard stories about the witch who lived deep in these woods, and now, I was about to meet her in person.

Finally, I reached the clearing where the witch's cottage stood, its crumbling walls barely visible in the faint moonlight. A shiver ran down my spine as I approached, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end like I was about to be struck by the lightning. The cottage was surrounded by tall trees, their branches reaching out like emaciated arms. The wind whispered through the leaves, creating strange and weird sounds that made me quicken my pace.

The cottage looked so old, with moss and vines creepin