Indigo the Witch
Chapter 1 - The Immature Witch Girl
Written by: CS-Masyet
Original version: November 8, 2014
Re-written version: April 29, 2016
I used to have a friend. A friend that had to deal with the hardship of not having any parents to rely on, after they died in a sudden accident. The person watching over my friend in their place also didn't have much money, so my friend also had to deal with being poor, not enjoying many luxuries in life. As a friend, I tried my best to help out as much as I could, but unfortunately nothing I did made my friend any less poor or parentless.

Eventually, my friend moved away, to find a better life elsewhere. I was sad about my friend moving of course, but was also glad my friend might have a happier life now. I was left to wonder: did I truly do anything to help my friend significantly? I wasn't sure, but I knew one thing... I felt really happy trying to help someone. I wondered if it was possible if I could help out anyone else; if I could do anything to make other people's lives happier. So I decided to devote my life to helping others.

A couple of years later, I began to do volunteer work for other people that need it, during every summer break. It's mostly elderly folk that require my help, but I don't mind. I'm just happy to be able to bring at least a little bit of happiness to someone's day.

Every morning, I check one of the mailboxes outside my house, to see if there's anyone that requests my aid. Sending letters is how most of the people I help out ask for my work. I've began to get so many letters now that my dad set up a separate mailbox just for me.

"Only three today, huh?" I said to myself, quickly looking through today's letters. "I guess today's work won't take very long today. Oh well."

I tucked the letters into my pocket, then got my bike ready to head out.

"I'm going now!" I shouted in the direction of my house, before leaving.

But before I left, the front door suddenly opened from the inside. "Good morning to you, too." My mom said to me with a sarcastic tone, still standing inside the main entrance, giving me a dull glare.

"A-ah, sorry, mom. Good morning."

"That's better, Sharp." She handed me a bagged lunch, as always. "You almost forgot this again."

"It's not a big deal. I don't think I'll be gone for very long this time."

"Well, I hope you eat it. I wouldn't want the food I prepared with lots of love and care to go to waste!"

"Okay, I promise I'll eat it..."

"Come give your mommy a kiss before you go, would you?" She held out her arms happily.

"M-mom, stop treating me like a child!" I told her, blushing in embarrassment.

"You're not a teenager yet, so you're still a child."

I sighed. "Can I at least compromise and give you a hug instead?"

"Okay, I suppose that's fine..."

I went up to her and she gave me a big hug, practically smothering me in her arms.

"I'm so proud to have a son that does so much to help others around town! I'm always told by the neighbors how wonderful you are, y'know!"

"Of course I know; you tell me this all the time..." I uttered, looking upward so I could actually talk (and breathe).

"That just goes to show how proud I am of you!" She told me happily, finally letting me go. "Okay, then. Do as good a job as always, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah..." I walked off the porch and went back over to my bike, which I had left leaning on a post. "I'm going now! For real this time..."

--

I took care of the first two jobs without any problems. They were easy enough that I got them done fairly quickly; it was only noon when I was done with both of them.

"Alright! At this rate, I'll be done well before dinner time!" I took out the remaining letter I had yet to read. "This one's all that's left..."

I read the letter.

"Please meet me at my home. I have a matter of much importance to discuss with you. I have provided a small map that shall guide you there." Is what it said on the letter.

I was puzzled by the vagueness of the letter, as well as the unusual calligraphy. The handwriting was very detailed and formal, but it almost seemed like the person who wrote the letter was having trouble figuring out the proper words to put down for some reason.

"That's weird, there's no signature or anything telling me who sent this... And if they have a job for me, why didn't they just tell me in the letter instead of asking me once I get there? And by the way the letter was written, it seems like they know me, but I definitely don't recognize the handwriting..."

Thankfully, the map at least was easy enough to understand that I could tell where the house was from where I was currently located.

"It looks like I'm pretty close to it right now, which is good, but... According to the map, the house is... in the middle of the woods?"

I haven't been around this part of town very much, but I'm pretty sure there weren't any woods around here...

Even so, I decided to ride my bike to where the house was supposed to be on the map. And sure enough, on my way there, I came across a vast amount of trees.

"Oh, so there were woods here after all. I guess I was just remembering wrong!"

I got off my bike, deciding it was best to venture into the woods on foot, dragging the bike with me on my left side. I went through the open path, away from any of the trees.

Still, even if there really are woods here, it's still kind of weird to have a house in a place like this...

"I mean, with all these trees in the way, I don't think I'll even be able to find the..."

While walking through the woods, I decided to take my eyes off the map and look ahead... and that's when I saw it. A mansion-sized building, surrounded by dead, lanky trees.

"... house."

Never mind, I think I found it...

I started walking up to it slowly, after deciding to leave my bike near one of the trees.

"It sure is creepy looking, though. What kind of person lives here anyway?"

Could it be... a witch?!

"Pfft!" I chuckled to myself at the stupid thought. "No way! As if witches actually exist!"

I bet the person who lives here doesn't get many visitors. Could they be lonely? Is that why they wrote me a letter asking to come here?

"Well, only one way to find out..."

I knocked on one of the mansion's large doors.

Immediately, someone responded. "You may enter..."

I grabbed hold of one of the large door handles, and opened one of the doors slowly. It creaked as it opened, as if it hadn't been opened in a long time...

Outstretched in front of me was what appeared to be a long entryway. I had no idea just how far it went, because most of what I could see inside was covered in pitch-black darkness.

"U-um... hello?" I called out into the mansion.

Almost as if in response to my voice, I began to hear footsteps coming toward me slowly. Accompanying them was another sound; the sound of some droplets of liquid hitting the floor every few seconds.

"I-is anyone there...?" I called out again, starting to become uneasy. "H-hello?"

"... Oh my goodness!" A man's voiced said suddenly.

Light suddenly filled the entryway of the mansion, revealing the man before me, who appeared to be holding a dripping watering can in one of his hands.

"My apologies, young lad. I was so occupied with watering the flowers in my garden that I forgot to prepare for your arrival!" He said in a gentle and kind voice, placing his watering tool somewhere on the floor.

The man had a calm yet mysterious air about him. He looked old, but not too old; I assumed he was somewhere in his mid 40's.

"Greetings, sir. I've come here per the request of a letter that was sent to me. My name i-..."

"Sharp Oratorio, correct?"

"Y-yes, that's correct..." I responded, obviously surprised that he already knew what my name was.

"I've heard a lot about you, my boy. The people of this town see you as a caring and responsible young man. There's something of upmost importance that I need to have done for me, and I think you are perfect for the job."

"U-um, thank you, sir. If there's something you need me to do, I'll be more than glad to take care of it for you."

"Wonderful! In that case, please take this." He handed me a folded note that he had taken from his pocket.

"What's this?"

"I would like you to read that note. That'll tell you what I need of you."

"I beg your pardon sir, but can't you just tell me what you need? I mean, you're right here in front of me..."

"I apologize young lad, but to be honest, I'm actually very busy at the moment. Unfortunately, I don't have time for idle chatter or the like, but I'm happy that I at least got to meet you in person."

"If you're busy with something, I'd be happy to assi-..."

"Ho ho, no thank you, young lad. I'd be more than happy if all you did was do for me what is on that note."

"That's all? You don't need me to do anything for you inside?"

"No, that is all. You may go now."

"U-uh, alright..."

"You'd best hurry home. Wouldn't want you getting lost in the dark."

The dark? But it shouldn't even be 1 o' clock yet...

If the man was really so busy, I thought it best not to bother him and left as he had asked me to. I grabbed my bike and left the woods, and was greeted with the setting of the sun, which had turned the sky into a bright orange color.

... Wait a minute.

"How the heck is the sun already setting so early?! Was I talking with that man a lot longer than I thought?"

But come to think of it, I didn't notice the sunset until after I left the woo-...

I turned back around, and saw...

... nothing. Nothing at all.

"W-whuh..."

Well, that's technically not true. What I actually saw was the continuation of the rural road, pretty much like what I would see if I turned to face behind me.

But what I expected to see, the woods, was no longer there. Plain gone. Not a trace of a single tree... Like they had never been there to begin with.

"H-have I been hallucinating this whole time or something...?" I uttered, flabbergasted. "But if that's the case..."

I rummaged through my pockets, until I took out what I was looking for, and held it up in front of me.

"It's the note that man gave me! So I wasn't dreaming! So then..."

"Hey kiddo! Whatcha doing there, spacing out like that?"

A man called out to me, from inside his car. It wasn't just any man though, it was...

"Dad?! What're you doing here?"

"Hey, I asked first!" He said with a chuckle. "You done with your volunteer work for today?"

"U-uh, yeah. I am." I guess...

"I'm in a middle of making some deliveries right now. Wanna ride home?"

"In the 'middle' of making deliveries? But doesn't that mean you're still working?"

"It's fine. I'm sure my boss won't mind if I take a short break."

"And who would be your 'boss' be exactly? Mom, or yourself?"

"Hahah, it depends!" He chuckled again, getting out of the car and opening the trunk in the back. "There's plenty of room in here now, so dump your bike in here and let's head home!"

"Okay, sure."

I folded my bike and placed in the back, being careful not to smush anything that was still in there, and went to the front to sit in the passenger's seat of my dad's car.

"Alright, let's hit the road!"

"Dad, we're already on the road." I reminded him, as he turned the car and began to drive toward home.

"Ah my son, always such a smart aleck." My dad joked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I laughed, along with him.

"I hope Mrs. Boss has prepared some delicious dinner for us! I'm starving!"

"Is Mrs. Boss mom?"

"Yep. And your pop here is Mr. Boss."

"So which one of you is the actual boss, then?"

"It depends!" He repeated, in his same silly tone.

Our goofy banter continued until we got home. But despite that, I couldn't get the disappearing woods out of my mind...

--

The rest of the day went by pretty normally. I ate dinner with everyone (except my older brother; he was still at work), and we had many happy conversations with each other as always.

After dinner, I took a bath, watched some TV with my family, then headed off to bed. Now, I'm not the type of person who normally has any problems falling asleep, but tonight was an exception... Because despite how the rest of the day went, that certain event that happened today still loomed in my mind.

Actually, scratch that. The rest of the day could've been the best time of my life and I'm sure that it would have had no relevance at all at this moment.

Just what was all that I saw before? Those woods, the mansion, that man... If it all was real, then how did it all vanish?!

"Argh! I'm sooo confused right now!"

"Sharp, go to sleep!" My mom hollered from her room.

I wish I could, honestly...

"The proof that what I saw was actually real is that note I've got... What if I picked it up somewhere else and my memories are just jumbled?"

Ah, speaking of which...

Still lying down on my bed, I grabbed the note that I'd left on my nightstand, and held it up above me.

"I haven't actually read it yet, have I?"

I sat up, and took a look at it. This is what it said:

"Dear Sir Sharp,
You see, I have a young daughter, around your age. She will have special duties to uphold in our household one day, and so she has had to take certain kinds of classes at a special school. However, she is still rather immature, and a bit of a troublemaker. If it is not too much trouble, I would like you to help her with her behavior. I believe a kind and mature young lad like you can handle it. Best of luck!
- Indigo's Father"

This letter was much more lengthy and easier to understand than the last one. I assumed the man put a lot more thought about what to write this time, as he mentioned this task was very important. But I was still confused about a few things...

"Wait, he wants me to take care of his daughter? And what does 'special duties' mean?"

Wait, "special school"? "Troublemaker"!?

"Could she have gone to a place like the Military Institution School for Troublesome Youngsters? Is she some kind of delinquent?! And I have to watch over her!?"

And come to think of it, the man's house vanished... So where's she going to be staying...?

All of a sudden, I saw a shimmer of light outside my window. Then I heard a loud crash, as well as the sound of something metallic falling over.

"A-ah, what was that?! Was that her?" I hid under my bedsheets, shaking with fear. "I-I'm too young to die!"

Okay, maybe I overreacted a little there...

--

Despite how scared I was, my curiosity overpowered it as I went to go find out what the source of the crash was. Unfortunately, my window doesn't offer a good view of the location of whatever "fell" was located, so I was forced to actually go outside to check. I grabbed a flashlight from my room, and snuck out quietly.

I have no idea how no one woke up from that noise... It's almost a miracle...

I made it outside and went to where I heard the noise. There was someone lying unconscious on a toppled over trash can. It was a girl, around my age, who was wearing a strange outfit.

Is she... the girl mentioned in the letter?

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked the girl, trying to shake her awake. "Wake up, please!"

Suddenly, while I was shaking her, she opened her eyes wide, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"AAAHHHHH!!!"

"Eyah!" I shouted in surprise, falling over backward.

"Ouchies..." She uttered, rubbing her head, although while sporting a grin on her face. "Heheh, that was a bit of a rough landing!"

She sat up, which let me get a better look at her appearance. She was wearing a pointy hat with a star mark on it, which she was now busy adjusting. She was also wearing a cloak, which was only covering half of her body at the moment. Both her hair and eyes were a vibrant dark purple color, as was pretty much her entire outfit.

The letter said her name was Indigo, right? This must be her, then. I mean, her appearance alone screams "I'm Indigo!".

There was one more thing I noticed, though. While she was moving her hat, her ears popped out. Their size wasn't very unusual, but they were rather... pointy.

"You almost look like a... witch."

"Hmmm?" She then took notice of me, moving her attention away from her hat, and began to eye me curiously. "I don't look like a witch, silly; I am one! Nice to meet you, mister regular~!"

"Wait wait, back up! You're telling me you're an actual witch?! And what does 'mister regular' mean?"

"Ah, sorry about that! I guess you're too young to be called mister, teehee~!" She giggled, sticking out her tongue playfully.

"I think you're missing the point here..." I stated irritably.

"How so? Just look at how I'm dressed!" She stretched out her arms and started wiggling around, showing off her attire. "Would I be dressed like this if I wasn't a witch?"

"... Oh, so that's it." I said, coming to a realization. "It's some kind of costume, right? But it's a bit too early for Halloween, y'know."

"I don't know what this 'Calgloween' is, but are you saying that you don't believe that I'm a witch?!" She asked me, puffing up her cheeks in anger.

"Of course not." I stood up. "Things like witches and magic don't actually exist."

"But I'm a witch!" She also stood up, went closer to me and glared at me angrily. "And I can use magic, too!"

"Finally decided to get off the trash can, huh?"

"Trash can?" She questioned, looking behind her at what she had been previously sitting on. "Is that what that metal thingy is called?"

"Yeah, that's right..." I responded, dumbfounded that she didn't even know what a trash can looked like.

"Alright, then I'll use this can of trash to show you my magic!"

"Huh?"

She put one of her hands inside of her cloak, and then took it back out, now holding a strange-looking wand. I say "strange-looking" because there appeared to be a red ball-like object floating above it.

"How..."

Before I could say anything more, she pointed her wand at the trash can.

"Tyah!" All of a sudden, a strange purple light came from her wand, causing the trash can to disappear into thin air upon collision with it.

"W-whuh..." I stared in shock at what I just witnessed. "W-what the heck was that!? Some kind of illusion?!"

"Nooo, I just sent it to my pocket dimension, silly~!" She flashed me a smile, seemingly happy about my reaction to what she just did. "I can use illusion magic, though..."

N-no way... Is this girl for real? Is she seriously an actual witch?!

"So, give in yet?"

"G-give in...?" I backed away from her, until I was stopped by one of the walls of the house.

T-this can't be happening... A-am I actually going to die for real?!

"N-no, I'm not even thirteen yet! I still have a full life ahead of me!"

As much as I wanted to run away at that point, I was too scared to even move.

"Jeez, what's wrong with you?" She looked at me, with a slightly annoyed look this time.

Now I know why victims always act so dumb in monster movies...

"Am I dreaming right now?" I considered, calming me down. "Yeah, that's right! That must be it! I must have fallen asleep without realizing it! I bet I'll wake up any mom-..."

Continuing to look annoyed, the witch girl grabbed hold of both my cheeks and pinched them hard.

"O-ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing them both in pain after she finally let go of them.

"See, you aren't dreaming! There's an actual witch in front of you, for reals~!"

"So, what'd you come here for? To turn me into stew?"

"What do you mean? I just came to stay here, of course!"

"S-stay here...?" I sighed, dropping down to the ground in relief. "Haa haa..."

Ah right, that letter said something about taking care of her...

"You are Sharp, right?"

"Yeah, that's right..."

And that school; it must've been a school for witches... But how am I supposed to take care of a witch?!

"I'm Indigo! Indigo the witch! And you get to be my friend from now on; lucky you!"

"How the heck did I end up in a situation like this?!"

End of Chapter 1

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Writer's Comments:

So, finally got this done! I was afraid I wouldn't get this up before this month ended, but I managed it somehow! I had to lose some sleep to do it, though...

Anyway, this is chapter 1 of Indigo the Witch; the "non-combined with chapter 2" version. This chapter is a bit shorter than the norm because of it, but I think it's better this way, as this is what was originally intended from the beginning. In fact, I don't really plan on changing much from the original version at all actually, so I think this is pretty fitting.

Anyway, I actually want to get some sleep now, so...

Until next time... Enjoy!

- CS-Masyet