Immortal by Lacy Armendariz

to the witch who was disguised as Emerald, Jasper got out of the buggy and walked up to her.
    “Emerald?” he said. When she looked up at him he could see that she had been crying. “What is it, Emerald? Why are you crying?”
    “Jasper!” she exclaimed. “Is it really you? It really is you, isn’t it?”
    “Here we go,” said the creeper as he shook his head.
    “Oh my!” The witch who posed as Emerald put her hand over her mouth. “You have brought a beast along with you! I am quite frightened of him, Jasper. Could you please not bring him near me?”
    “Who? Him?” Jasper asked as he pointed to the creeper.
    “Yes, please! Get him away from me. From us !” She smiled and batted her eyes.
    “He isn’t going to hurt you, ya see, I am his master!” Jasper stuck out his chest. “Let me show you!” Jasper turned to the creeper. “Roll over!” he commanded. The creeper rolled his eyes and did what he was told. “Hee! Hee!” Jasper laughed. “See, I truly am his master. He will not hurt you if he knows best for him!” Jasper shook his finger at the creeper and turned back to the witch. When he turned the creeper growled at him. “Hee! Hee!” Jasper laughed. “He’s just playing around!”
    The witch stood up and threw her arms around Jasper’s neck. “I have missed you, Jasper! I was crying for you !”
    “For me ? Why in the world would you be crying for me ?” Jasper asked her.
    “I have been looking for you for so very long. I have been looking absolutely everywhere. I am so happy to have found you!”
    “It’s not Emerald!” the creeper warned.
    The witch kicked the creeper and tried to shush him.
    “Jasper! It really isn’t her. You must believe me!”
“Please! I am really uncomfortable with that beast staring at us. Do something with him, will you?”
    “Scram creeper! Emerald and I have a lot of catching up to do and we needn’t be pestered with the likes of you!”
    The creeper put his head down and crept along the grass and lay down under a tree.
         
    * * *
    Gabriel looked into the eyes of the witch who looked like Staysia.
    “You know I have loved you from the time I was conceived.” He stroked her hair with his fingers and looked into her eyes.
    “Is that so?” The witch covered her mouth and giggled. “And I have loved you from that moment as well.” She said the words convincingly, but she was utterly appalled at the idea. “Come with me, Gabriel.”
    “Where are we going?”
    “There is an abandoned hut down the road.”
    “The dark ladies hut?”
    “It doesn’t matter, silly. It is abandoned.”
    “What about Isis?” he asked.
    “Isis is an intelligent beast!” she said the words with disgust but managed to soften her face again. “She will find her way.”
    Gabriel looked right and left for the unicorn. “If you are sure.”
    “Of course I’m sure.”
    Gabriel held hands with the witch as they made their way down the road to the abandoned hut. When they entered the hut, the room was dim. There was a candle lit meal that had been prepared for them. There was a red velvet rug that was laid out in front of a fireplace. Candles burned and soft music played.
    “This place doesn’t look abandoned, Staysia. Are you sure this is okay?”
    “Of course I am sure. You don’t think I would get you into any trouble, do you? I trust you. Don’t you trust me?”
    Gabriel smiled at the thought of Staysia finally trusting him. “I trust you.” He took a seat at the table and the witch took her place across from him.
    “This is our first meal together.” The witch poured them each a glass of red wine and held her glass up for a toast. “To us!” the witch said, wickedly.
    “T-To us,” he said as he toasted her.
    “Where are we going, Gabriel?”
    “You know where we are going, Staysia.”
    “Tell me again where we are going please, if you will.” She smiled at him and stared dreamily into his eyes.
    A mesmerized Gabriel answered her. “We are