Beyond the Wicked Willow by M.J. Rocissono

Author:M.J. Rocissono
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2017-10-23T15:33:01+00:00

During the wee hours, when he assumed everyone to be asleep, Giacomo sought to abscond by the soft light of the moon. So, leading Ardimento cautiously by the reins, he skulked along the path away from the cottage back toward the cover of the woodland. With every resounding clip-clop of Ardimento’s heavy hooves, Giacomo cringed anxiously. He eyeballed his faithful steed and implored him to step lightly. As he looked Ardimento in the eye and stroked his mane calmingly, the horse slowed its gait and quieted its footfalls. With his full attention trained on keeping Ardimento at ease, Giacomo was utterly startled by Befana’s voice.

“Leaving your friends without a goodbye?” asked Befana as she emerged from the darkness of the woodland with her broom in hand.

“I thought you were asleep in the cottage,” stammered Giacomo nervously.

“There is little time for sleep with so much work to be done,” said Befana as she swept the path clean before her feet. “You cannot run from them forever, dear boy,” said Befana.

“From who?” asked Giacomo.

“Not who. What,” answered Befana.

“I don’t understand.”

“Your fears. You can no longer run from your fears.”

Giacomo hung his head in shame.

“The young witchslayer needs you. He’ll need your help to face the Strega. He will need each and every one of you. You have a part.”

“There’s nothing I can do for the boy,” said Giacomo.

“Do you not wish someone had been at your side when, as but a boy, you hid trembling behind that log, desperately praying the Strega would not next discover you?”

Giacomo reflected on the painful memory he had spent his entire life trying to outrun. A tear rolled down his cheek.

“I wish that more than anything, Befana. Alas, I could not even summon a single ounce of courage to help those poor Gypsy girls. Not a single ounce. Still the coward, I hide in shame behind a wall of lies, within the armor of another,” said Giacomo, forlorn.

“Any child would have been stricken with fear, dear boy. There was nothing you could have done for those girls,” said Befana as she came closer and put a gentle hand on Giacomo’s shoulder. “But, today is a different day. Your time is now.”

Their faces softly illuminated under the light of the moon, Giacomo stared deep into Befana’s wise old eyes as he pondered her words.

The following morning outside the cottage, Frankie, Beef, and Bookworm milled about grumpily. Squinting painfully under a bright rising sun, they moaned and groaned and rubbed their drowsy eyes. Sam, on the other hand, was wide-awake and bursting with energy. When not running circles around the others, she was stretching, shadowboxing, and performing various other calisthenics.

Off in the near distance, Befana was slowly making her way along the path, diligently sweeping every last inch as she went. Every now and again, she paused and took a moment to admire the youngsters tarrying in her pasture. Inevitably, her gaze drifted to the towering Japanese wisteria just beyond the children. Momentarily lost in reverie, she stared at the blossom-laden wisteria with a fond smile on her lips and a reminiscent twinkle in her eyes.

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