The two fell hard on the dry grass, breathe knocked out of them.

“Did we……did we make it?” Charlotte panted

“I…..i think so….” Casper gazed at the

night sky, lined with an array of stars. All the running made every inch of him sore.

“And……the witch died?”

“Maybe?” He wheezed, “I mean….there was a….whole tower crumbling down at her….”

“Huh?”

Casper remained where he was. On the ground.

Silence….

The only thing he could hear was his own rushed adrenaline now slowly subsiding . His heart hammered painfully against his sternum.

“Honestly..” Charlotte said after a while, “I can’t believe we escaped….”

“Honestly…..” Casper sat up, “I’m still waiting for an apology”

“for what?”

Cold wind rushed through the dead trees.

“Oh, I don’t know? Maybe the whole ‘C’mon! It’s not dangerous, we’ll be fine’ thing!”

“So is it my fault that the witch burned a literal HOLE in the wall?” She snapped, “Cuz that’s what caused the cracks.”

“She was trying to kill us!”

“I had it under control until you popped in!”

“You were TRAPPED inside a jar.”

“If you weren’t so busy admiring her house, maybe I wouldn’t be trapped in a jar!” Charlotte instantly sat upright, her exhaustion vanishing.

“Oh, I’m sorry…” Casper raised his hands, “Whose idea was it to march right up to a witch’s house again?”

“We were lost!” Charlotte defended herself, “and-and I didn’t expect her to be evil..”

“And that’s exactly why I was warning you not to go there”

“Next time, make sure YOU don’t forget the way.” Charlotte got up to her feet. “That’s it. I’m finding my own way out of these woods….”

“Good luck with the wolves!” Casper called out.

“I’ll be better off without your navigation skills!”

She shot him one last look before heading into the unknown.