A surprise horror flash fiction! I don’t know why, but it wrote itself in rhyme. It has a fairy tale mood. Another surprise was a wonderful voice-over done by the brilliant

In days long ago, countless years back, there lived a witch with her hair of gold and soul of black. The witch was well known to men far and wide, her power so strong she had no need to hide. She’d charm every man, she’d break their will, until they’d bow to her; they’d rob and kill, if she said a word. No dagger or sword rose above her fair neck, no axe broke her head, every night she fed them with black seeds, the dark tears she cried, when they swung with the tides of lust. They followed her around, fools full of trust, until later their bodies were found in the dust. Brave men came to her house to test their strength. No one withstood, all bound to her whims. Her hair shone like gold; her eyes black as night. Her charms, spells, and potions as sweet as sunlight. They were her flowers, and she was their sun, until she was done playing, a forever-slave was no fun to her.

But one day a powerful warlock had come to test his strength, to the golden witch’s house he went, and said,

“I could care less about your charms; I won’t be your slave. I’ll make sure you end up in a bitter grave, headless and slayed.”

She smiled in return, fed him with bread and mead made of her black seeds. She’d charm him with sweet words, she’d pull him to bed, she’d caress his strong body with oil from her seeds. He took what’s his, but in the morning he’d leave. Just like that! Autumn was his name, he knew the game of love well, and the purest maidens fell for him. The golden witch didn’t think she’d fall, but after he left, she’d want nothing at all, except him.

The witch would find him and follow him all day long. To his cold-blooded passion her dark soul was bound, until she found herself trapped under the axe. Her golden-haired head laid on a block of wood, still her loving gaze followed the wizard of Autumn, she cried out her last words,

“I’d follow you wherever you go, my sun. I’m punished by love for all that I’ve done.”

Autumn, the king of Fall gave a nod to the headsman - let her head roll. One swing of the axe, and the golden-haired witch was slayed once and for all. A cold smile graced the wizard’s face, yet he did not see the dark trace left by a black tear rolling down the witch’s fair face. A black seed founds its place in the soil. A motherless child cradled in the warm hands of the earth will grow. A golden-haired girl with black eyes. Before Autumn would know, a new witch would rise…