Strena Adventures With Cerpheres Part Four

 The Old Lady 

Strena and Cerpheres were on the road going back to where the camp was, when a strange sweet aroma entered their nostrils. It made them both smile and they felt their saliva build. It was like honey and chocolate. It even made their stomachs rumble and reminded them how they had not had breakfast nor lunch. Yet, the more they sniffed, it caused their minds to become foggy and fuzzy. Almost like they were asleep with their eyes wide open. Their minds became blank and their thoughts became difficult to reach. Even though their alarm bells were going off, they ignored them.

Soon their bodies moved towards the scent, almost on their own. Yet their bodies seemed to move slowly almost like they were walking in a dream. Their stomachs churned as they moved closer and closer to where it was coming from.

They soon came to a small cottage. It had very trimmed bushes for a fence and a single small wooden gate. Ahead of them was a stony walkway made up of slabs of slate going from the gate to the red door of the cottage with multiple flowerbeds. The cottage had a thatched roof and the walls were painted purism yellow.

“What a beautiful cottage!”

“Yes, yes it is! It seems the one who built it had a good eye, I see!”

Then the scent became stronger.

“Cooking smells nice!”

“Yes.”

“Should we go in?”

“Sure!”

Soon they walked up to the gate, which opened on its own as they walked closer and closer. All they could do was sniff in deeper and deeper, just to catch more and more of the lovely smell as they did not notice the gate closing behind them. On the back, written in blood, was a message.

Don’t eat! Don't eat!

She is of Hell!

Yet this was lost on them as they did not use the word ‘hell’. No, to them, the word hell meant the Demon Realm. So, even if they saw it, only the first line would have any impact.

Yet they sniffed in more and more as they wanted more.

“Should we knock?”

Strena knocked. An old lady answered. She smiled brightly at them.

“Well, hello dearies! Aren’t you a beautiful pair!” She exclaimed.

“Even with my scar?!”

“‘Even with your Scar’! Now, I can tell you must be hungry! Come in, come in!”

They did and closed the door behind them. They could smell a mixture of honey and something sweet that the scent of a sweet they had not known before.

“Who are you?”

“Gretta Le Hanslette!” She said as she popped something sweet in their mouths, which was sweet and hard, which made them less able to think. “The Sweet Demon’s little daughter.”

“That’s nice!” They sang absent mindedly.

“It is! Here! Have a biscuit!”

They picked the custard cream up and ate. It was the sweetest thing they had ever tasted. Yet, for some reason, they felt more hungry and their stomachs became painful. They clutched them as they looked up. Their minds felt dizzy and stranger.

“Oh! This is just like when I have to repress my urge to kill. The-the moment I see someone do something so great that I want to kiss them to death!”

“Why does it hurt? Help!”

“Come with me!” She sang as she laid hands on their backs and led them to the living room.

It had rich yellow and orange wallpaper coating the walls. A fabric grey couch and a table.

“Sit on the couch dearies! I will get you a nice and hot sticky toffee pudding and custard!” She sang as they sat down.

All they could do was focus upon the pain in their stomachs to a point that both started to cry. Strena cried first. The pain was so bad that they were moaning in pain as the rumbling of their stomachs became louder and louder until it echoed around the room.

“Help! Help! It hurts! It hurts!”

“I need- I need s-something to satisfy this pain! I need it! I need it now you witch! I will kill you for it!”

“Please!”

Soon the hunger caused upper back pain and a splitting headache. They drank their drool, just hoping that it would help but it did not. Soon their heads were spinning.

Cerpheres was on the verge of getting up and killing the old lady for taking so long, but his body would not let him. It was as if his body was no longer obeying him.

“Why? Why can’t I-”

“Please! Please! I just want something! Anything! I don’t care what! Just please, hurry up!”

“Sorry for taking so long.” She apologised as she walked in with a tray of sticky toffee pudding with tea spoons. She gave it to them and sat in a rocking chair as they soon devoured it within a minute. “More!”

“Yes!”

Soon they were given another and bigger portion and they devoured that also within a minute and this cycle repeated until their stomachs were filled.

“Good!” She said as their minds returned to them.

“Thank you!”

“You know, you’re a really good cook! Better than I am!”

“Glad to hear it!”

“Now we really need to go on our way!”

They went to get up but their bodies remained in place. They tried again but their bodies still did not budge.

“What did you do to us?” Growled Cerpheres.

“What did you mean?”

At this the old woman burst out laughing.

“Gretta?”

“Well he did call me a witch!” She laughed before licking her lips.

Then she dived at them and licked their cheeks.

“Ahhh! You two will taste well! You will stay where you are, dearies!” She sang in their ears as she sniffed up again. She took a sniff of Strena and then Cerpheres and she smiled revealing a set of pointed teeth as she let out a sigh.

“Yes! You both smell so, so sweet! You're going to taste so, so nice and sweet in a stew!” She sang as she pinched their cheeks. “But I am going to fatten you up a bit, you both look as skinny as a rake!”

Then she left humming to herself.

“What are we going to do?”

“Wait patiently, I’m certain you would know why, if you’re assassin enough!”

She nodded, chuckling slightly as she remembered all the times that Zaryb would kick her in the behind every time they were training as he drilled all those lessons into her skull until she was told that she was saying them in her sleep. Which was something that she had stopped doing over the past couple of years.

“Sorry to take so long!” Gretta sang bringing in a chocolate pudding covered in chocolate custard. She handed them a bowl and the teaspoon.

“Eat!”

Soon they were until they found them licking the bowl. She took them and walked out. Next they were given a trifle, spotted dick and mint custard, fruit cake and cream, chocolate coated ice-cream of all flavours. They ate and ate and ate until they felt sick. Yet despite their bodies wanting to throw up, their bodies would not let them!

Then night came. Their stomachs were so full that they felt like they were being stabbed. Then she left them and their guts kept them awake all night as their bodies were desperately struggling to digest the food. So, by morning, they were both tired and in pain and a dire need to poo out all that was in her guts.

“So, how did you sleep, dearies?”

“Can we go to the loo?” They both asked.

“Sure!”

They spent over half an hour getting all of that ding out of her guts, even though it was racing out their behind like the solid dung was diarrhoea.

“Is that better dearies?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you for your concern, my dear!”

She touched her reddened cheeks. 

“Oh! You're just saying that!”

“I mean it! Tell me, is it my imagination or do you look younger than yesterday?”

She giggled.

“You noticed?”

“Yes. In fact, you are starting to look like you’re in your thirties!” 

She bowed her head.

“Well, I have had work done!”

“What kind of work?”

“Never mind your pretty little head. Have a biscuit!”

They looked down and saw it, already suspecting that it contained the enchantment. Yet after eating it Strena used her magic to send a light breeze in the air, just to see if it could be formed and she found that she could.

Gretta frowned.

“I don’t remember opening the window…”

“Did you check to see if the windows to see if they need work?”

She frowned.

“When was the last time you checked to see if this house is up to scratch?”

She looked down and frowned deeper.

“You know, I don’t remember…”

“Maybe you could do that when you’re all alone again?”

Her eyes lit up.

“Yeah! That’s a good suggestion!”

She then let out a laugh.

“See! It’s good to have company!”

“It is, dearies!”

Soon they were going through the puddings until the sun was getting lower and lower. Then Strena closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep in a food coma. She turned her mind to her heart and willed it to get slower and slower and slower. She heard her start to cough as she willed her eyesight to dim and her vision became darker and darker until she became blind. She then returned to her heart until the heart stopped. Then Cerpheres set her body on fire.

The following day they had to have another big dump and they set the whole cottage on fire.

“Well, at least I had a good wedding cake recipe!” Cerpheres commented as they passed a water bucket with a deep crimson liquid in. Her blood ran cold.