There was this beautiful young couple. The whole town awaited their engagement, they were so perfect together. The woman had long brown hair that went to her waist. She had blue eyes and a slim build. She wore modest clothes, skirts to her ankles and long sleeve tops. The man had blonde curly hair and blue eyes. He had a straight white smile and was a hard worker. The man worked at a newspaper stand, printing papers and selling them. The woman worked at a toy store selling things to families. She always thought of having her own one day.

The woman’s greatest possession was her hair. She loved how long and shiny it was. People always complimented her on it. The man’s greatest possession was a gold watch that belonged to his grandfather. It was old but sturdy. Plus it reminded him of his grandfather who was long gone. They used to hunt together and his grandfather taught him a lot about life.

They lived together for five months before Christmas came around.

The man adored his girlfriend and the woman adored her boyfriend. They both wanted to give them the best gifts for Christmas. The man knew hisvwife loved her hair. He wanted to give her a beautiful scarf to wear on her head. He had seen an orange and red one that made him think of fall. It would make his girlfriends hair shine. It was fancy though. $50 for a piece of fabric.

The woman knew the man loved his watch. She had been from place to place but nothing came close to making the watch shine. She thought of getting it a golden band to slip on his wrist. Finally, she found the shop that would help her. A tiny shop run by an old lady who smelled of tobacco and spices. The lady wanted $50 for her services.

The man worked hard every day. He sold twice the amount of papers he usually did. Unfortunately the people buying papers were stingy. He barely got any tips. The woman sold toys left and right. She worked long hours and often came home exhausted. Her boyfriend glady snuggled her and made her hot tea and rubbed her feet. She was barely making enough to save anything for the band.

It was finally Christmas Eve and they were at their deadline. The man was a few dollars short for the scarf. He headed to the pawn shop with old jewelry from his mother. He thought it would be enough. The woman only had half the money for the woman. She took all her money she had and went to the small shop.

When the man went to the pawn shop, he learned the jewelry wasnt real. It was worth almost nothing. The man was so disappointed. The woman was his whole life. He needed the scarf. He looked at his watch, the store closed in an hour. Then he had an idea. The watch was real gold. He pawned it off and had enough money for the scarf plus a pair of nice earrings.

On the other side of town, the woman was fretting with what to do. That gold band was perfect for the gold watch, but she did not have the money. Finally, she entered the old woman’s store.

The oldvwoman greeted her and produced the perfect gold band. Simple yet gorgeous. The woman said it was perfect, but she had no money. The old woman thought for a moment before deciding on her payment.

The two lovers met at their house with the gorgeous gifts wrapped up. They couldn’t even wait for Christmas. They hadbto exchange the presents right after dinner.

The woman went first. The man opened his gift. The gold band. He smiled and held it up to the light. He then slipped it on his wrist. The woman noticed that the watch wasn’t on his wrist. He then admitted that he pawned the watch, but was going to buy it back. He just really wanted this gift for his love. Then the woman opened her gift. The scarf and matching earrings. They were gorgeous as she clutched them to her chest. She then pulled back her hood.

The man knew something was off. The womans hair was slightly curled and dull and graying. He asked if she was ok and she let out a cackle. You see, the woman couldn’t pay. The old woman had found the price she must pay. Her life, for a simple gold band. The woman was slumped in the store, now an abandoned storefront. The old woman took her place. The man just thought she was overworked.

The witch took over the womans life. She married the man. She worked at the toy shop and eventually opened her own store. A shop that sold homemade sauces and spices. She colored her hair weekly so it was shiny and brown. She wore the scarf and earrings. The woman’s body, by the time it was found, was bones. No one ever knew that the old woman was actually thevwoman. She got to live a long full life before she grew old. The man eventually died and the old woman opened a new shop. One to buy gifts for others. At a price of course. Now, what is your life worth?