Hidden between a dull, almost uninhabited forest and a treacherous, unnamed mountain, there lies a town. A town with a population of around 100 that relies on a large lake with no shoreline that gets it's water from rain for drinking and bathing purposes. A town that has only a small section of farmland that is always abundant with growth.

In this small, forgotten section of the world, the weather is always perfect. There is never a drought, there is never a flood. It's only snowed once, and it didn't halt farming. The rain only helps the crops and the sun is never too intense.

The population is perfect, as well. People die as people are born, the ages of those alive are not varied much. The women all tend to get pregnant at once and do it rarely. The people in the village rarely tend to accept change. It is a rare occasion when someone ventures out into the woods. When they leave, they never come back. Whether they died or just found something more exciting, no one cares. Everyone in town is intent on staying right where they are, and they pass that notion down to their children.

This town was forgotten by almost everything. The Plague had even skipped right over it. Rats were never a problem, probably because they found nothing worth while to steal. Merchants come along through the town on occasion, usually brining news, and leaving with random trinkets, not money, in return from the townsfolk. This town had no need for money, everyone was probably directly related to one another by now, so the town ran on favors.

The last merchant brought news about these beings called witches. They use magic to enchant people. They're known for making men fall in love with them or causing people to fall ill or be injured. Sometimes, they even plague villages with fires or death. These things were vile creatures.

When asked how to find one, the merchant replied with things starting to go "out of the ordinary." And any women practicing odd things they shouldn't be up to.

When asked how to get rid of one, the merchant grew a huge smile. He talked about many ways to execute a witch, all of them involving death. Like placing rocks in their pockets and forcing them to go for a swim. If they died, they weren't a witch, and if they lived, they were to be burned at the stake for being a witch. There were also ways of hanging a witch. You are to hang them, and then kill them twice by drowning. Then you must perform a ritual only a priest would know to make sure that they don't come back.

To kill a witch is hard, the merchant says. They are deadly, vile creatures no one should ever go near.

The merchant took a good look around the town and he could easily sum up what it was like. The town wasn't hard to figure out, they didn't try to be, at least.

"Accept the old, turn away from the new." Those were the last words he spoke before leaving. This made the town even worse about all things new. Nothing new came along, though.

Alfred was born in this town, he was only a kid when that last merchant came along. But now, he was 17, the age of the last boy that ran away from the village, his brother. He wanted to go away, everyone said he could make a great knight. He was strong, tall, and handsome. All the ladies in town said that was all the things that made up a good soldier. They were natural heart breakers, and Alfred was good at that.

He was supposed to be married to this woman in town, she was the only one the same age as him. And, Lord, how she loved him! Abigail would offer to help Alfred in any way she could. She would fetch him water and do anything he asked. She tried to impress him on a daily basis. Sadly, though, Alfred didn't like her back. At all. He had no interest whenever he saw any woman. The other boys in the village would point out older women, talk about how fair they were, but Alfred just couldn't see it.

Eventually, Alfred told Abigail he didn't truly like her back. The next day, the village found her face-first in the lake. After her burial, the town waited about a day for the lake to purify itself before anyone touched it.

Everyone blamed Alfred, but no one more than his parents. They already had plans, they would die together just a couple nights after Alfred would wed Abigail and they would take over right where they had left off the very next day. Just like that. And when Alfred and Abigail had children, a boy and a girl, and name them after Alfred's parents.

Alfred always hated it when his parents talked about their plans for him. Even when he was little, his parents would talk about what toys he was going to play with when he got older. And when Alfred got mad at them, they told him a story. About the evils of the outside world. And how Alfred should always stay in this village and go nowhere.

Alfred would never go out and farm with his parents, the further he could be from them, the better. Rather, he would sit on a big boulder in front of the forest and stare out into it's dark abyss. He wanted to run into those trees and never look back. He wanted to explore the endless twists and turns that the trees would provide. But he found himself unable to move past the boulder. And so he would sit and stare. And dream. Dream about what he could be…

One day, though, something snapped him out of his dream. There was a figure. This wasn't a merchant, he wasn't tall enough. And he staggered around like a drunk man. The closer he got, the more Alfred could see of him. He had blonde hair, but it was dark, dirty. He looked just about Alfred's age, but his clothing choice made him seem a lot older. But his clothes were ragged and dirty, like he had been out and about for a while on his own.

The boy saw Alfred, the two met each other's gaze for a short while. The man's mesmerizing green eyes met with Alfred's startling blue. And then the man ran. He ran right towards Alfred, like his life depended on it. He barely stepped out of the border of the forest when his eyes closed and he started falling towards the ground.

Alfred caught him, just barely before it was too late. He felt so light, like he hadn't ever had a proper meal. His skin was incredibly pale, like he had been in the shadows his whole life. He looked like he was barely alive.

"Help!" he finally managed to call out to the rest of the town. He couldn't allow himself to look away from him, for some reason. He turned towards the town with the boy still in his arms. "Help!"

No one in town wanted to help, that merchant's words still ringing in their ears. No one was even willing to give up food for this young man.

So Alfred forced the matter onto his parents. They reluctantly allowed Alfred to put the boy in their house. They said they would feed him for three days after he woke up, then he had to leave.

Alfred gave him his bed, he would sleep on the floor. He helped the man drink water, tipping his head back and pouring it down his throat. Alfred didn't know why he was caring for this man so much, he should be afraid of the new, just like everyone else. Why was he taking care of a complete stranger?

Was it that thing he saw when their eyes met? That thing…it was so hard to place, yet it was drawing Alfred close to him. Those eyes reflected something. Determination…Anger…Fear…Excitement…There was something in those eyes that Alfred had never seen from anyone in this town. In just one second, this man had more of a variety of emotions than anyone in this town did in their entire lives.

Why did Alfred care? That was the part that irritated him the most…

Alfred noticed the boy was wearing a black cloak over all green clothes. His boots were dark brown and covered in dirt, it was obvious he had been traveling for quite a while.

It had only been a day since the boy arrived in town, and Alfred was sitting on a large rock near the lake. It didn't have a shore, it just dropped off from the grass. It was a good couple feet until you could reach it from the grass. Alfred usually liked sitting by the lake, being able to see the sky in the reflection and watching whatever insect managed to get near it. Supposedly, this lake used to have a lot of fish in it. You could just poke a stick inside it and catch a fish. But, they're all gone now, because the town was greedy and didn't wait long enough for the fish to repopulate. The only reason the water supply didn't run out was because of the rain. But, supposedly, the water line used to reach the grass and out a little farther if there was wind.

Looking into the lake made Alfred think, it always made memories come up, usually of Abigail. She would always follow him around, carrying his water or starting the fire. Sometimes, she even fixed the blankets on his bed. She would offer to cook a lot and his parents would allow her. She was an awful cook, she would usually burn anything she touched, but Alfred would be forced to eat it. And he had to say it was wonderful, or he would get punished. He blamed Abigail for his complete lack of taste in any food he touched.

Alfred was lurched out of his thoughts with the feeling of a weight on his shoulder. A quick glance told him it was a hand. He reacted quickly, standing up from the rock and turning around, getting a good grip on the ground with his feet and then putting his fists in front of him in a protective stance.

He saw the boy from the forest step back in shock, his green eyes wide with fear. He put his palms up in surrender.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" his voice flowed well and evenly, almost majestically.

"No, I'm sorry," Alfred tried to smile as he put his hands down. "I didn't know you were already awake. Are you alright? What happened to you?"

The boy laughed, a beautiful laugh. It was so distracting and pure, it nearly made Alfred forget everything else. "That's a little rude, asking about someone's past before their name."

"Sorry!" Alfred blurted out, rubbing the back of his head. He noticed the man's cloak had a string tied across his chest so that it wouldn't fall off. It looked like it was freshly tied. So this man tried hard to keep up his appearances. "Um, what's your name? Mine's Alfred."

"My name is Arthur," the man laughed again. Everything he said was so dignified, like he was a noble or something. "Would you mind telling me where I am, Alfred?"

"Well, our little hell-hole doesn't quite have a name," Alfred tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a disheartened chuckle. "We aren't even charted on any sort of map or anything. I'm surprised you could even find us. Usually, no one comes along unless they are really dedicated in finding us."

"Well, I wanted to get lost," Arthur looked up at the sky. Alfred looked too, there were only a couple clouds scattered around, there would be no rain any time soon. "So, I asked around for the fastest possible way to do so. A merchant said to find the town that hides behind a secret forest."

"'Find the town that hides behind a secret forest,'" Alfred repeated, he was still looking at the sky. When he looked down, he found that Arthur was staring right at him. "Do you mean our town is really that hidden?"

"You have no idea how large that forest is, do you? It spreads around that mountain and it's called the Forest of Death by the people nearby. The only people known to go into the forest and come out alive are experienced merchants who have gone through worse terrain. They say only a few people have come out that no one has ever seen before. They figured they were from a town. Going into the Forest of Death, though, I can tell why it's called that."

Alfred was intrigued. He sat back down on his rock, crossing his legs. He nodded at Arthur to continue. Alfred had never heard of any tales of adventure, other than things he could come up with on his own.

"There's nothing in there really, I don't think anything could survive in there for long," Arthur smiled at Alfred's notion. It was almost like he was excited to tell a story to someone. "But that's what makes it hard. The trees are like an endless maze, making it impossible to navigate. And with no animals to guide you towards life, it's like you're completely on your own. I was in there for three days and you were the first spark of life that I had seen since I started in there. I was so excited I started to run, but then I remembered how weak I was. So I fainted."

"It took you three days to navigate that forest?" Alfred couldn't believe it, he turned towards the green maze, and he could see Arthur turn towards it in the corner of his eye.

"I know it doesn't look like much from this side," Arthur laughed once more and it almost made Alfred jump. That laugh just had something in it, something magical. "But it looks vast from the other side."

"Right, well, enough just standing around," Alfred cleared his throat. "I think it's about time I showed you around town. It seems like you're gonna be staying around for a while."

"Thank you," Arthur only smiled this time. His teeth looked so white, compared to how his entire outfit was covered in dirt.

"So," Alfred turned his back to Arthur. "To start with the obvious, those are the houses, where people sleep. We don't really have a well, we just use water from the lake to use whenever. Out over there is the farm land, where the adults work most of the day."

"What's that?" Arthur stopped Alfred through most of his explanation. Alfred didn't even have to look to know what Arthur was looking at. And Alfred never liked to look at the thing. It was a tall, 6 foot tall, and thin, 4 feet wide, cage made out of wood from the forest. It was made ages ago, his parents said their grandparents were the ones that built it.

"That's a cage," Alfred muttered. "In this town, we've come up with our own laws. We don't really care much for the outside world's laws. So, if anyone here breaks a law, they go in there. It's in the exact center of town because it's built for public humiliation. Usually, a person will stay in there for 2 days."

"Have you been in it before?" Arthur asked after a short moment of silence.

"What?" Alfred sputtered out and turned around to face Arthur, who was admiring the cage. Alfred had no idea how he could look at that thing like it was amazing. That thing was known for ruining lives in this town.

"You're talking about it like you're uneasy. Have you been in it before or something?" Arthur glanced up at Alfred, their eyes meeting for only a split second before Arthur turned back to his admiring. Alfred couldn't help but notice how Arthur was lighting up by looking at this thing.

"I-I didn't do anything wrong," Alfred stuttered. "They, um, they found this girl dead in the lake. And they blamed me for it. I promise I didn't do anything, but everyone else in town said they knew it was me. So I got put in there."

"They say a woman only kills herself over a broken heart," Arthur stepped away from the cage for a minute. "It could easily have been your fault."

"I never said she killed herself!" Alfred protested.

"No one in this town looks like they could kill by drowning," Arthur sighed, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder.

Alfred noticed the other townspeople watching them. Every time their eyes fell on Arthur, their faces filled with disapproval. They all scowled at Arthur, trying hard to make sure he saw their expression. All of this didn't seem to phase Arthur, though. It was almost like he was immune to it. It made Alfred think about what his life must have been like before he got here.

Several people started forcefully bumping into Arthur, some missing and hitting Alfred. Those that hit Alfred apologized, and then leaving while making some hideous face at Arthur.

"That is the church," Alfred struggled to focus on his tour of the town and not at ripping the heads off all the rude people. It wasn't much of a building, the church. It looked just like all the other houses, except for the graveyard in front with feeble gravestones and the large, twisted and crooked wooden cross that laid clumsily on the roof. It wasn't even nailed down. It didn't really have a door, but both Alfred and Arthur refrained from going inside.

"I don't like it in there," Alfred shuddered. "And never talk to the priest. He's a horrible person. I've always hated him."

"Why?" Arthur wondered.

"Just wait," Alfred held up a finger upon noticing the priest coming up. Someone was talking with him. "This is gonna be good."

The priest was about 50, looking like the old and grumpy fat man that he was. His hair was white from age and it was hard to tell the colour of his eyes with all of his wrinkles. He was talking with Meredith, the mother of Abigail.

"Oh, Father!" Meredith complained. She looked about ready to grovel at the man's feet, just like every other villager in this town. "I have done all that you asked of me. But George's condition still has not improved. He is sick!"

"Tell me, do you have faith in the Heavenly Father?" the priest took Meredith by the shoulders and she nodded. "That is all you require! Continue as you are and he shall get better eventually!"

"That's just a fancy way of saying he has no idea what to do," Alfred whispered to Arthur.

"I have done that for weeks, Father!"

"I can do no more for you," the priest waved her away, stepping close to the town's church. "Be gone, maiden. Continue praying and be out of my sight. I have more important things to tend to."

The priest saw the two boys standing near the church. He nodded at Alfred and then his face darkened when he looked at Arthur.

"Be gone demon!" he shouted at Arthur, making him jump. "Step no further towards this holy ground! Or feel the wrath of God!"

"Leaving…" Alfred sighed as he turned Arthur around and walked him towards the forest and the rock Alfred liked to sit on.

"I must say I hate him too," Arthur muttered as Alfred sat down at his rock.

"I'm pretty sure the whole town's been thinking the same thing," Alfred muttered. "He's just the first one brave enough to say it."

"Everyone here thinks I'm an evil being?" Arthur asked, he walked ahead of Alfred and looked right into his eyes. Alfred couldn't help but notice that Arthur's hair had gotten cleaner.

"They've been paranoid since a merchant talked about witches," Alfred shoved the thought aside, but he couldn't stop looking at Arthur. "Everyone saw a new bug one day and burned it down with a torch. Don't worry too much about it."

"I've noticed you keep on looking over here at the forest," Arthur decided to change the subject and he turned around to face the forest, so Alfred was now staring at the back of his head.

"Yeah, I've always liked looking at it," Alfred sighed.

"You can come in, if you want," Arthur laughed and it almost made Alfred want to jump up and run through the forest at full speed until he got lost and had to find his way back. "There's nothing in there, so you won't get hurt if you only go a couple yards in."

"N-no, I'm fine," Alfred muttered looking away from Arthur, but he didn't notice. Alfred could feel his face heat up dramatically. "I'm fine with just looking."

"I can tell you want to go," before Alfred knew it, Arthur was right next to him, staring at him. "So, why don't you?"

Why was he so close to him? His face was almost touching Alfred's and his eyes were giant from this close.

"Wh-what?" Alfred asked, it was the only thing he could think to say.

"All you really want to do is leave, but you can't," Arthur was doing something weird to Alfred. He felt something tingle down his spine and it almost made him shudder. "You make a show of pretending that new things don't bother you. But the only reason you can't step foot in that forest is because you are terrified of the unknown. You should try going in there."

The two sat in silence, their faces close to one another, Alfred still feeling like he was about to pass out at any second.

And then Alfred's parents called to him about helping to prepare for dinner. Arthur immediately left his side, leaving Alfred to look out into the forest. It was like he had just been up in the sky and he was dragged down to Earth. His mind crashed back to reality and the forest looked different, somehow. Almost like it was less of an unknown and more of an adventure.

Whatever Arthur just did, it blew Alfred's mind.

So, this is "Witch!" This chapter is mainly just a prologue, getting to know Alfred's past and gatting to know Arthur a little bit.

I got the idea for writing this while watching Season of the Witch. Weird how things come along like that, eh?

Please review, so I can continie and this can get interesting!

And I own nothing...as usual...