rumor of a witch

Rumor of a witch

Tawny was eccentric with a wild imagination. She told lies and caused chaos everywhere she went. Her stories were unbelievable and tense. She got a kick out of preying on others insecurities and turned them around into rumors. She did a lot to get her name out there. People loved to hate her. She never met a stranger and could carry on a conversation with anyone for hours. A very generous woman but befriending her would usually cost that person humiliation and pain. Tawny worked at a local small-town diner as a waitress and interacted with tons of customers daily. Many came in just to talk to her and find out the latest gossip. Some thought of it as a fun way to pass the time but others dreaded their interaction with her. Worrying rather or not they would be her next victim and the star of her latest rumor.

One day a new waitress was hired and quickly caught the attention of Tawnys regular customers. Tawny feeling a little bit jealous started a rumor that the new waitress was a witch. Her application was questionable, and her work history lacked reverent details. The manager was unfazed by them and did not stress them. The manager a woman with many years under her belt told Tawny that she wanted to give her a chance. “The ideal waitress is friendly, making the customers feel welcome, stays calm under pressure and can remember orders”. “That’s all I expect and you of all people should be more understanding.” Tawny rolled her eyes, “but she is a witch.” The manager laughs, repeating the word witch with a giggle. The next couple of weeks Tawny kept a close eye on Stella the new waitress. Stella was perfect and caught on quickly. She brought more serenity to the diner than Tawny ever had. Tawny was livid. Tawny went home many nights in a bad mood because of all the positivity Stella brought to the diner. Tawny tossed and turned many nights and got only a few hours of sleep. The lack of sleep started to influence her appearance and her ability to perform at work. The customers started to notice and brought it to her attention. Tawny, feeling frustrated pointed out that it was all because of Stella, “she put a curse on me”. Tawny was yelling and making a scene going table to table trying to catch sympathy. The manager pulled Tawny to the side. “Tawny grab a hold of yourself sweetie.” “No one has put a spell on you, it’s probably karma catching up with you”. Tawny refused to believe that and turned her focus on Stella. At first, it started out as a childish lie but as time went by Tawnys’ luck changed. It wasn’t drastically but gradually. The lack of sleep led to bad eating habits, hallucinations, mood swings and her hair begin to thin out. Every time she tried to sleep; she would see a shadow of a woman saying something, but she could never make out the words. Something supernatural is going on here was Tawny’s initials thoughts. Tawny decided to follow her home. When she arrived at the address the area was empty. Nothing but a clear piece of land. “Damn it” Tawny yelled. Frustrated she got into her car and slammed the door. In her rear-view mirror she saw Stella standing there with a crooked smile waving at her. Spooked, Tawny rubbed her eyes and looked at the rear-view mirror again but stella wasn’t there. Believing it was just her imagination, Tawny drove home. When she got into her apartment she felt as if someone had been there besides herself. She looked around but nothing was out of place, so she showered and got ready for bed. Unlike other days it wasn’t hard for her to drift off into a deep sleep. Just like prior days a woman appeared in her dreams but this time it was Stella. Stella was wearing a slim fitted long silk dress with a slit on the side. She had an illuminated glow as she walked towards Tawny slowly and unbothered in a completely dark room. Tawny stood there frozen, Tawny, Tawny, Tawny she said in a mischievous tone. Stella took one finger and traced the outline of Tawny facial structure. “You were wrong about so many people, but you were right about me.” “I am a witch, and I can’t let you continue drawing attention to me”. “What are you going to do to me?” Tawny asked with in a shaky voice. Stella snapped her fingers.

All sudden Tawny’s body temperature drops, and she felt weak. Unable to break away from Stella’s grip. Tawny could feel her life force fading away. The next day at the diner Stella seated a couple and their two daughters. One daughter was telling the other that she heard that a girl in her classroom had gotten caught cheating on her boyfriend with his own cousin. The other girl laughs but the mother cut the laughter short.” Ladies, ladies we don’t spread rumors because what you say about others has consequences.”

 Stella overheard the conversation and added her input. “You know girls your mom is right, there was once a rumor going around about this diner.” The girls looked at the waitress with wide eyes and anticipating. “I was told that there was once a waitress that spread negative rumors about everyone she came across”. “Until one day a witch got a hold of her, and she was never seen or heard from again.” “The moral of the story is to be careful of what you say about others because once you say it out loud you give it life.” Stella gave the customers their drinks and food when the manager called out to her. The manager motioned for Stella to follow her to the back “Stella, I appreciate you as my worker and I am trying to get you some help.” Stella just smiles, oh it’s ok, I can hold down my own and besides I like it here.

The End