Hilda - The Challenge Read online

  "Oh, sure," William said. A few seconds later the grey velvet pants made him walk to the table and sit down. "Hey, you witch!", he yelled at her as he was on the way.

  "And you'd friggin' better know it!", she called after him, a big fat grin on her face. This little victory had made her day. And the night too.

  "I won," said Hilda as the plates with food floated towards the table. She gloated as she sat down, her face showing her winning.

  "What are you waiting for?", she then asked as she was digging in.

  William held up his tied hands, his face the questionmark that ... his silent request.

  "Oh. Of course. Sorry."

  The rope changed into an apron again and fell in William's arms. "Thank you ever so much," he said as he picked up his fork.

  "You are most welcome," the witch grinned.

  "Am I allowed to pour you some more tea, miss Witch?"

  Miss Witch frowned as she looked at her cup. "Stupid fish," she muttered, then said: "Yes, please."

  As William filled her cup again, he asked about her remark concerning stupid fish.

  Hilda grinned and pointed at the two goldfish. "It's them. I suspect that they drink my tea at times. They're magical, you see."

  William, who'd been worrying about his eyes, relaxed. "Oh, right. I thought it was me, thinking they moved about."

  "Actually it is you," Hilda nodded. "They're curious about you, that's why they move about so much."

  William stared at a goldfish that stared back just as much.

  After breakfast Hilda said she'd have to go make the rounds again and invited William to come along. "That way I can keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get hurt," was her reasoning.

  William wondered slightly about that. After all, being inside a house felt more safe than riding a broom. He forgot to include in that thought that he would be in a witch's house. A wicked witch's house.

  As they were ready to kick off, she asked if there was somewhere special he'd like to go. "We're not doing the shepherds today, I don't want to be predictable," she elaborated.

  "Not sure if it is too much of a detour, but I really would like to get some more things from the truck."

  "Okay, I can do that. You're better at flying now, so we can go faster than the first time. What do you want to get there?"

  "My books." William smiled.

  "I see. Book seller. Can't be without your books. Not that anyone here would buy them, but you've got to have your books." She giggled a bit, then straightened her face and they left the ground.

  "So, you think she's hitting on him?", one of the goldfish asked the house. "he's definitely getting to her."

  "Hmmm," replied the house, "it does seem so, but the way they went about fighting this morning, I am not sure. He is really sweet on her though, I can tell."

  "The silly witch just is out of practice too long and doesn't recognise the feeling anymore. Hah, she even thought he has magic!" The goldfish chased each other around the cup. "Bummer that she found out about the tea though..."

  13. Mirror Lake

  After the visit to the castle, without the fountain race ("It's all about not being predictable") they swooped over the village again. Nothing remotely interesting was going on there, so they were soon on their way to the third point to inspect.

  "We're now going to Mirror Lake, so hold on. This is going to be one wild ride." She laughed her laugh, so William braced himself, and not in vain. The terrain that they flew over was not rough or difficult, but Hilda was in a boisterous mood and made the flight rough and difficult. She made them race over the tops of trees, and they got so close by mountains that a sneeze could make them crash into them. They sped just inches over the ground. The wicked witch had to correct their lack of altitude constantly, or their feet would be left behind somewhere.

  "Holy Bejeebus!", William screamed as they dove into a piece forest at astounding speed. More than once he closed his eyes as he was certain that impending doom in the shape of a massive tree was upon them. But each time Hilda managed to maneuver them around, over and under branches and bushes.

  Then they shot out of the forest and over an immense grassland that lay around a lake. The brooms slowed down. "Mirror Lake," Hilda said, pointing at the vast silvery expanse in front of them.

  "We are still alive," William said.

  "Of course. Grump. Well, if you can't take serious flying..."

  Screaming with laughter Hilda's broom shot up into the air while William's slowed down to nothing and landed him on his feet.

  "Jeebus," he said as he picked up the broom.

  Hilda was pulling her broom into a looping and she was enjoying it. Her laughter reached all the way down, to where her guest was. The wind hit her face, her hair waved behind her and tugged at her head. Pressure from the G-forces she worked up was pulling at her as she pushed her broom to the limit. Then she toppled backwards, into the downward part of the looping, her speed increasing to something insane. She loved what she was doing and only at the last moment she yanked the broom up so it would not land her six feet deep into the grass.

  William saw her go and was scared and awed at the same time by the impressive aerial stunt that she pulled off.

  The wicked witch landed her broom next to William and jumped off. Her face was radiating, she was breathing heavily, her eyes had the blue sparkling pentacle in them again. "This was so good... I needed this..."

  "You're a flippin' breakneck stunt-pilot, that's what you are," William said, relieved that she was on the ground again, but also deeply impressed with the witch. "Damn, you are good." He simply dropped the broom and pulled her into a hug, rocking her.

  Spontaneously Hilda threw her arms around him and laughed, as the thrill of the looping and the speed were slowly leveling out in her body.

  After a while, William carrying both brooms in one hand and the other around Hilda, they walked to Mirror Lake. Again, Hilda was leaning into him, her head against his shoulder and an arm around his waist. She was babbling over all kinds of things she had done on a broom, flying artistry, daredevil acts, stupid things and also about the time when she was still learning and falling.

  "William, I would really like to teach you how to fly a broom," she said, "we could have so much fun together!" She looked up at him, her face still shining, the blue sparkle in her eyes again.

  "I'd really like that too, Hilda." He meant it.

  The witch lay her head against his shoulder again as she nodded.

  The grassland ended. The large silver area started. Its surface was flat as a newly ironed sheet and reflected everything. It genuinely was Mirror Lake.

  They stood at the shiny lake and looked out over it.

  "This is brilliant," said William, his brain having difficulty coping with the view his eyes delivered.

  Slowly, as if she was afraid to hurt him, Hilda crawled away from under his arm, bent down and scooped up some of the water. It lay in her hand as flat and solid as mercury. "Look, it is really like this, a mirror, every little bit." As she spoke, she elbowed her way under his arm again and raised her hand so he had a good view.

  "And that is real water?"

  "Uhuh, nothing more, nothing less, it's always been like this and nobody knows why. Isn't that shiny?" Hilda dropped the water on the ground and wiped her hand on her dress.

  "And this is a regular part of the rounds?"

  She grinned. "Not really. I just wanted to show it to you. Because it's so awesome. I wish I could make something like that."

  "Something tells me that you tried, right?" William grinned as she punched him.

  "Don't ask, okay? Just don't ask. Or you'll never fly again!" She dove downwards again, scooped up more water and flung that at William, after which the witch screamed for laughter and ran off as fast as she could. She had the benefit of having experience with running in a dress.

  It was also something that hindered William dearly, as he was in his wizard blue and silver again. He did his bes
t, but he knew it was a lost race from the start as he saw how Hilda took off. Heavily panting he let himself fall onto the grass as once again his legs got caught in the long robe, and lay on his back, enjoying the feeling, the freedom and the fresh air.

  "So... what's the problem?" Hilda appeared in his view, bending over and looking down at him. "Are you too old? Are you in a severely bad shape? Are you sleepy?"

  "I got caught", said William, "in the fold of the clothes." He lifted his legs a bit to demonstrate the problem. "So I thought I'd lay down and wait for the problem to go away."

  "Hmmm. I could accommodate that of course," said Hilda, biting a finger for a moment. "But I'm afraid that it is still a bit too cold for that." With a mischievous grin she sat down next to him, her knees pulled up under her chin, her arms wrapped around them. "It's nice here, isn't it?"

  "It is. Very nice." William sat up also, and gazed over the silvery surface of the lake.

  After a while that they sat in silence, Hilda put a hand on one of his. "You are doing it again."

  "What am I doing?" William was unaware of anything he would do to justify that remark. He did look at her hand on his at the moment she did that, it was something he had not expected.

  "Your magic, William." She looked at him, an expression on her face that he had never seen before. "Your confusing magic. You are doing it and I don't know how to counter it. I don't even want to counter it because it feels so good. And I hate myself for... for... damn, I don't even know what!"

  Her face shifted to showing anger a bit, then came back to the puzzled and distant look as if she could not decide.

  "Hey, hey, calm down, little witch," William said, his soft soothing and deep. He put his free hand on hers for a moment.

  Quickly she drew her hand away from him, holding it with her free hand, looking at his eyes. "Stop this, William. Stop it or tell me what you are doing to me," she whispered.

  A shimmer of understanding seeped through to William's brain. "I think that I am beginning to see, Hilda. I really do. You know I have no magic." He let his fingers flutter through the air. She nodded, her face serious now. "What I do have, and that has grown over the days, is very fond feelings towards you. Five years ago we met. For only, what was it, half an hour? But that time has been etched in my memory. I thought of you almost every day since that day we met in the coffee house. The day you left my world, sitting in the back of the old truck."

  Hilda nodded slowly, she did not want to rush him. She wanted to hear every word he said. She reached out and took one of his hands in hers again.

  "And now, three days ago, my truck ended up here, in your world. You opened the door, and despite the weird happening I recognised you immediately. There was no doubt in my head if I was dreaming. I just knew who you were. And now..." -he weaved his fingers through hers- "...now I am getting to know you more and more. And I like you more and more. I think that is what you are feeling, and that it is what you are mistaking for magic."

  She thought about his words. Let them ring through her head, analysed them, looked at them from every side she could think of. "That is what you think," she said. Slowly she nodded. Then she let his hand slip, got up and walked to the waterfront There she stood, her back to him, staring out over the silver mirror that was made of water. In her head she heard again what he had told her, about liking her. About thinking about her. And he had not laughed when he'd said it, or even grinned. He had been serious and honest. And he had kept the small crystal ball.

  "William, do you have the crystal ball with you?", she asked without turning around.

  "Yes, I do. Do you need it?"

  "No. Thank you. Just wanted to know." Her heart pounded harder and louder. He had the crystal ball with him even now. And yes, he had recognised her. Just, she had to admit to herself, as she had recognised him the instant she'd seen him. There was a small voice in her head, talking much louder than she wanted it to, and she couldn't make it shut up. It told her that she had thought of William very often also. Even as she tried to argue with the voice that that had only been because he had helped her return home, the voice was unrelenting: you thought of him. And it also reminded her how she had felt the second her eyes had perceived him, despite the haunting feelings about the challenge.

  "Damn it," she mumbled. She hated it when she could not win, and now she had even lost from herself.

  William gave her the time he thought she needed. Then he got to his feet and walked towards her, making sure that she saw him coming. She remained standing where she was, also when he stood behind her and he put his hands on her shoulders.

  "Are you feeling okay, Hilda?"

  He saw her nod. She lifted her right hand, and put it on his hand that rested on her left shoulder.

  "You know," she said, "I could throw you in the water now."

  "Yes, I know, and you know that you would end up there also, don't you?"

  She nodded again, and William just knew that the blue sparkle was in her eyes.

  They stood there, close to each other, the tension growing as the stand-off near a gunslingers corral, each waiting for the other to make the first move. It was already determined that they were going to get wet, it was only a matter of time.

  Hilda had an enormous grin on her face and she was grateful for her hair hanging over her cheeks so William could not see it. She was slowly getting ready to grab him and pull him into the water by making herself fall backwards into it.

  William was getting ready to throw his arms around Hilda and jump in, lifting her as he did so.

  The book salesman won.

  14. Splashes and books

  They came up again, gasping for air, spluttering, splashing and laughing. Hilda's shriek still echoed in William's ears.

  The water was not deep, they could sit up and have head and shoulders over the water.

  "That was not fair!", Hilda grinned, trying to brush her long wet hair from her face. Despite William's serious attempts to help, it did not really work. "I wanted to throw you!"

  "No problem," he said and got up, offering her a hand. This time she smiled and let him pull her to her feet. Then they waded through the water and climbed onto the grass again.

  William watched the water in the lake. There was not a wave in it, it lay as still as if nothing had happened, as if no one had splashed round in.

  "Eerie, isn't it?", Hilda said who also looked over the water.

  "It is, in a way."

  Hilda leaned against him, her back against his chest. She hoped he would put his arms around her. Her hopes were answered, and she felt good. She didn't exactly know why, but this just felt good.

  William smiled as he felt Hilda relax in his arms.

  Hilda however was a wicked witch. Even when she slowly turned in William's arms and looked at him. She knew that he knew she was going to make them land in the water again, but this time it was the witch's prerogative to decide how it was going to happen. And she had set her mind to making it spectacular, even if that meant a draining exercise.

  William watched Hilda's face and noticed the blue sparkles. "Your eyes have blue sparkles."

  "Yes."

  Then she made the two of them lift off into the air, only half a yard. Slowly they drifted over the water, as if a bit of wind was blowing them there. Hilda held on to William's blue, silver and wet robe as she was not sure how long she could hold this without her wand. Then, at the last moment, she made them swing around and they crashed into the water, William going in first, with Hilda on top of him.

  He had known it was going to happen, and still she had taken him by surprise.

  Again they came up, sputtering and laughing.

  "You witch!", William laughed, splashing water to Hilda.

  "Ah, you noticed," the subject grinned, sitting in the water as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She got up. "I'm getting onto the grass and dry my clothes. If you want your stuff dried, you'd better follow me."

  William followed her.
He was curious to find out how she was going to do that.

  Hilda wiped her hands on the grass. As William had a look of wonder on his face, she explained: "The wand hardly ever appears with wet hands."

  "Oh, I see. Is that a general thing or just something for you?"

  "No, everyone I know has a problem with that. Ah, there you are." The silver wand glistened in her hand. "Now let me see..." She pointed the wand at William. "Arefacio."

  William still was wet. "Are you sure that thing is waterproof?"

  "Oh, shut up and suck an elf, will you?" Hilda did not like it when someone questioned her professional abilities. "Arefactum. Hah, see? I can do this. I just hate Latin." She used the spell on herself also and then they both were dry.

  Hilda however was not satisfied yet, and did a "Comptum cincinnatus" on herself, so her hair was in order again. "Sorry about that," she mumbled to William, and then she made their brooms come up to them. "I think we'd best get to the mountains now, to get your precious things."

  Before she could get on her broom, William put a hand on her arm. "Thank you. For this great moment. It was really great to laugh with you."

  "Hmm, yeah, I guess." Hilda had overpowered the little voice in her head and was back to her own distancing self again. "Come, hop on, we have a fast flight ahead of us."

  William noticed the change in her and did not comment on it. So they got on their brooms and took off, Hilda setting their course to the spot where he had arrived in this interesting and fascinating world.

  They landed almost on top of the truck. Hilda was feeling quite tired, as she had not slept well that night. The looping and the lifting-stunt at the lake had taken some out of her also, and now the fast flight to the mountains. That had made for a not too fabulous landing. She was secretly glad that William had not noticed it. She sat and relaxed on a big chunk of rock as William was going through his stuff in the truck. She hoped his pile would not be extremely large, they still had to fly back.