The Toad-ing Hour

 At the stroke of three on Halloween, a group of three witches met up at the sacred oak tree. A cauldron sat a top a fire with boiling water. This is the hour, the time to create shenanigans on the towns people. This is going to be a fun Halloween.

Donna, Jane and Mary are the names of these witches three. Each one had brought an ingredient that would create a sight to see on Halloween. A potion will be made. A potion that will turn the trick-or-treaters into the creatures that they are dressed as. A haunting this town will never forget for years to come. A harmless prank that will last until the stroke of twelve. Though, one has to wonder if it will be harmless at all.

“Alright ladies. Prepare the ingredients!” Donna instructed. She started off first with, “eye of a vampire bat.” Plop! Into the boiling cauldron it went.

“Five lizard tails,” Mary dropped them in. They bubbled as they sank into the boiling water.

Jane is next so she began to put on a pair of gloves then dug into her bag for a jar of…

“Poop!?” Both witches looked on with horror and wide eyes. “Jane, what are you going to do with that?” One of them asks.

Donna is appalled! Is she really going to put THAT into the cauldron!?

Jane looked at them confused, “I am going to put this into the cauldron. You told me to get toad stool and I did. See?” She held up the now open jar, the atrocious smell hit all three witches so Jane took out clothes pins to hand to them and put on their nose. “I will tell you though-”

“Jane-” Mary tried to speak up.

Jane continued as if she hadn’t heard her, “-it was not easy. I had-”

“Jane-” Donna was next to get her attention but to no avail.

“-To look around for toads and be on the look out if they are about-” Jane still didn’t hear them so she went on speaking.

“Jane-” Nope. Still did not get her attention.

“-To do their duty in the bushes, if you get my meaning. They wouldn’t-”

Mary was going to speak again but Donna shook her head. No point in getting her attention now. Once she starts explaining the process, there was no way to get her attention. It is best to let her finish at this point.

“-sit still for me to catch the poop! So I would have to keep up by hopping behind them. Just hop, hop hop!” She even did the hopping motion as she spoke. “Do you know how hard that is?! It was exhausting! I passed out soon as I got home, you know. So here it is!” She held up the jar and a grin on her face. She looked so proud of herself. Sadly...one of them had to pop her happy bubble while the other is trying so hard not to laugh despite feeling terrible for their friend.

“Jane...sweetie..” Donna spoke gently though she kicked Mary in the shin. Mary hopped away, holding her leg while muttering curses. She is not laughing now…

“Yes?” She asks as she would watch Mary for a moment, she did not realize that Donna had kicked her. Her attention went back to Donna, “is this the right ingredient?” Her brows furrowed.

Donna shook her head, “no honey. Do you even know what toad stool is?”

“Yeah, poop that comes from a to-”

“It is a mushroom.”

“But I researched it.

“Where?”

“Biki...”

Donna face palmed, “biki is not a great place to research this, hun. Anyone can access that site and put false information.”

Jane stood there, her happy bubble slowly deflating as she slowly began to realize what she is being told. “But...you told me...” The tears began in her eyes. “You...said to look it up...” She sniffled, her face scrunching a bit. “I...I even asked you what it was...” She slowly went from being sad to angry. “You...even Mary...”

Upon hearing her name, Mary stopped hopping around and looked up to see Jane’s eyes turning a bright red. “Crap…”

Donna slowly began to back away, “oh dear...” She decided to slowly make her way closer to Jane to try and gently pacify her. “Jane, honey. You need to take deep breathes and calm down. There is no need to get-” ZAP!

Two little toads sat in the place of Mary and Donna. They looked at each other then back toward a now crying and running Jane. Donna made a ribbit sound while Mary watched Jane run away till she is out of view. “You do realize we deserve this...right?”

“Yeap...” Donna is resigned to her fate, at least for now because she is hoping that it is only temporary.

The two only sat there as the contemplated what to do now that they are toads. “I feel gross...” Donna remarks.

“I am actually hungry...” Soon as those words left Mary’s mouth. A fly buzzed right past her and her instincts as a toad locked onto her prey.

Donna took notice of this and watched Mary follow after the buzzing insect to get a closer striking distance. “Mary, do not do it.” Her eyes widened.

“But I am so hungry!” She struck her tongue out at it only to miss, snatching up a small stick in the process which smacked her in the face.

Donna let out a sigh of relief but that was short lived as Mary began to follow a dragonfly this time. “Nononono! No, bad toad!” She is trying to get Mary to stop but she is persistent on grabbing that dragonfly.

“Uh uh! I want food, right now and that dragonfly is my dinner...” She got ready, steady as she carefully aimed for the buzzing creature. She waited patiently for the dragonfly to land.

Donna is trying to distract her but to no avail. When Mary is hungry and has her sights set on food or...food of high protein in this case, there is absolutely no stopping her but she has to try. “Mary. Please don’t.”

“But!”

“No. Keep that tongue in your mouth!”

Mary didn’t listen so she struck and she struck true. Within seconds that crunchy dragonfly is in her mouth and she is munching away, enjoying how it tasted until...”I JUST ATE A BUG!”

FIN