The Address

Lily signalled for a waiter to bring the bill, so that she could head home and get some rest. The waiter promptly arrived with the bill and also handed Lily a business card. After settling the bill, the waiter urged her to visit the address on the card before dawn approached. Lily picked up the card and read the address: "Right Witch, Edge of the Woods."

Lily turned to speak with the waiter, but he had vanished amidst the bustling crowd of customers. Something seemed off about the waiter. The man, who previously had normal ears, now sported pointed ears. Lily was certain that she was experiencing hallucinations; after all, no one had pointed ears. Too much coffee, she thought once more. She realised she needed to break her habit of consuming coffee at odd hours. Glancing around in search of the waiter, Lily couldn't believe what she saw. Some of the customers also had pointed ears, while others had wings sprouting from their backs—not bird wings, but the kind one would find on fairies in children's books. Lily rubbed her eyes and looked again, only to find them still with pointed ears and wings on their backs.

As Lily went back to staring at her coffee, she realised that she could hear all the customers' conversations clearly, as if she were seated right next to them. What happened next was even more astonishing. A customer three tables behind her was enjoying a blueberry pie, and Lily could smell the pie as if it were right in front of her. It became evident that her senses had heightened.

Panicked and desperate, Lily stumbled out of the cafe, seeking answers. She couldn't go home in her current state; she would terrify everyone in the neighbourhood. But where could she go? Who could help her figure out what the heck was happening to her? Suddenly, she recalled the card the waiter had given her, along with the suggestion to visit the address on the card before dawn.

Lily fished the card out of her crossbody bag and read the address again: "Right Witch, Edge of the Woods." 'Right Witch'? There was no such thing. A witch was typically seen as either good or wicked. What if it turned out to be the latter? Various scenarios started racing through her mind. But first, was the address even accurate? If someone happened to live at the edge of the woods, surely the residents of the town would have noticed by now. Why had she not heard of this person until tonight?

Lily embarked on a frantic quest to unravel what was happening to her. She set out across town, making sure to steer clear of streetlights and any insomniac residents wandering about. Pulling her trench coat tightly around her, she ensured that the hair on her arms remained hidden. She secretly wished she had a hooded coat on, so she could pull it over her head. Who knew, with all the strange changes happening to her, a pair of animal ears might sprout from her head. Was she turning into some kind of animal? It was the last thing she wanted to find the answer to.

She was a block away from exiting the town when she spotted a mysterious shadow. As the shadow approached, the figure that cast it came into view. It was a man holding a hunting rifle in his right hand and a duck in his left. Lily had to hide to avoid becoming the man's next target. Finding a dark alley, she slid inside and watched the man pass in front of the alley. She was careful not to make a sound and held her breath. Once the man was out of sight, she tiptoed out of the alley and crossed the boundary of the town.

Turning around, she glanced at the town where she had grown up, recalling the many memories and the people she loved and cared for. Would she be able to return to her normal self and come back home? She turned away from the town and gazed at what lay beyond - the woods. It was the first time in her life that she would venture into the woods. The woods looked mysterious in the darkness of the night, with only the moonlight shining through the thick trees. What kind of creatures resided among them? Were they friendly, or were they ferocious?

Five steps, and Lily had passed the "Welcome" sign to the town. She had truly left her town now. She couldn't turn back; if she did, the residents would send the hunter after her to kill and retrieve her head as a trophy. Lily stood for a minute, her legs seemingly stuck to the ground. She looked up at the stars and mustered her courage. Tugging at her legs to get them moving, she headed toward the woods. The trees are woods, and the woods are trees.

Approaching the woods, Lily pulled out the card from her trench coat pocket and looked at the address again: "Right Witch, Edge of the Woods." How would she know she was at the right place? The edge of the woods seemed vast. Where did the edge begin, and where did it end? Furthermore, what exactly was she searching for: a house, a tent, a treehouse, or a hole dug in the ground? She hadn't had the chance to speak to the waiter who had given her the card.

The wind was restless, and Lily heard a call. The card in her hand began to glow in the darkness. Curious, thought Lily. Instantly, she realised that the card was guiding her. She continued walking as the card continued to emit its eerie glow. When the glow faded, she altered her direction until the card illuminated once more. She knew she had to follow where the card was leading her; after all, it was the waiter's advice to visit this address before dawn. There must be something there that could assist with her peculiar condition.

The glow of the card soon began to blink, as if it were indicating for her to stop. A few steps ahead stood a small, quaint cottage. How long had this cottage been standing at the edge of the woods? Most importantly, was the resident of this place at home tonight? It was difficult to tell if anyone was home.

Approaching the door, Lily knocked, waiting a moment before hearing footsteps from inside the cottage. She tried to imagine who the footsteps might belong to. The vintage polished wooden door had a square peephole. As the peephole opened, a pair of emerald green eyes appeared. Lily jumped in fright, almost tripping over a pebble on the doorstep.

"Who's there?" came a woman's voice.

"It's me," Lily replied nervously.

"Me?" questioned the woman.

"Lily," responded Lily.

"Why have you come here?" asked the woman.

"The card," answered Lily.

"Card?" asked the woman.

"A waiter gave me the card," said Lily.

"Does the card have my address?" questioned the woman.

"Are you the Right Witch?" asked Lily.

"Yes," replied the woman.

The door opened, and the woman said, "Come on in. Welcome to Grimmore Cottage!"

Lily stepped inside the cottage, feeling the warmth of the place enveloping her. It was a pleasant change from the cold air outside. The room she had entered seemed to be the living room.

Against the back wall was a sofa large enough for four people to sit comfortably. In front of the sofa was a long coffee table with a crystal ball placed upon a holder. On the opposite wall, near the main entrance, was a cozy fireplace already lit with a warm fire. A few trophies stood on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. Lining the right wall were a few bookshelves with a vast array of books, and on the left wall were showcases displaying many intriguing unknown artefacts.

"What can I help you with?" asked the witch. "Call me Gwen. Right is my last name."

Lily turned to face the witch. The witch was a middle-aged lady with grey hair, dressed in a purple robe. Lily stared straight into the witch's green eyes. They were mesmerising, yet moments ago, they had seemed frightening enough to make Lily believe she was in the presence of a monster.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Gwen," started Lily.

"Mrs.?" laughed Gwen. "Just call me Gwen. So what can I do for you?"

"I don't know where to start," said Lily.

"Why don't we take a seat on the sofa," replied Gwen.

They both went over to the sofa and took a seat. The sofa was soft, and Lily was relieved to be sitting after the long walk from the cafe to the cottage. Lily glanced at the crystal ball, wondering what the ball was capable of showing.

"You have a card," began Gwen.

"Yes," replied Lily.

"It has my address on it," continued Gwen.

"Yes," said Lily.

"And a waiter gave it to you," said Gwen.

"Yes," said Lily.

"Did he say anything to you?" asked Gwen.

"The waiter said to visit the address on the card before dawn approached," explained Lily.

"Where did you meet this waiter?" asked Gwen.

"Moonlight Cafe," replied Lily.

"Moonlight Cafe!" exclaimed Gwen in shock.

"Do you know the place?" questioned Lily.

"My twin brother owns the place," answered Gwen. "I'm hoping you've seen Nick at the cafe."

"No, I've never seen or met the owner before," said Lily.

"Now, what is the problem that made the waiter send you to me?" asked Gwen.

Lily took her trench coat off and pulled up the right sleeve of her shirt slightly, revealing her hairy arm. Following that, she grinned widely, showing off her sharp teeth.

"Also, I can hear conversations from a distance and I seem to be seeing things that shouldn't exist. These are my problems," said Lily.

"I see," said Gwen. "When did it start?"

"After drinking coffee," said Lily.

"Did you, by any chance, order Moonbean Coffee?" asked Gwen.

"No, I ordered cappuccino," answered Lily.

"Strange, that doesn't make sense," said Gwen. "Let me make a quick call.