the witch's laugh (the witch's house game tickle parody)

well hello everyone, thank you for checking the story even if it is just out of curiosity xD. Well first of all some info:

This is a fanfic based in the indie horror rpg game called “the witch’s house”. It has massive spoilers about the game so anyone who wants’ to play it should do it first and then read it (also that would helps a lot to understand the story and like the characters better) it's a really fun and popular game, I hope some of the people here already know about it but for those who don't I'll leave some general details.

also I apologize, I originally posted this story in the now gone Tickle theater, and well I just wanted to try my luck here.

---spoilers----

The game basically has 3 characters: Ellen, Viola and the cat demon.

Ellen was a witch who lived in the forest for many, many years, luring people to get lost in the forest and find their way inside her house where they would be fall into deadly traps. Before that she was a normal girl but she made a pact with the cat demon hoping he could save herself from a horrible illness that was slowly taking her life and causing her horrible pain.

The cat demon said he would heal her if she killed enough people and feed him his souls; that is the reason she did it, but after many years the cat gave her a spell not to heal herself but to switch bodies. Her illness would not be cured but she would be able to live in a different body and healthy so it was almost the same. The trick is that the other person has to agree to the switch.

Ellen then met Viola, a nice and kind girl. She befriended her and then tricked her to switch bodies, promising it would be for just one day, but naturally Ellen had no intentions of giving it back. Once the spell was done she fatally wounded viola, escaped the house and stole her identity.

The fanfic goes five years later, when Ellen (living in Violas body) is 18. Ellen somehow got lost in the forest and returned to the witch house where her old “friend” is waiting. Now it’s Viola’s turn to “play” with Ellen until she agrees to give back her body.

The mood of the story would be half parody and half serious trying to give it a correct balance between them. Ellen has to face many different challenges to escape the house once again, but these challenges are not normal, think about some kind of “Alice in wonderland” tone to them, being magical and many times even illogical or comical.


The witch’s laugh


The wind blows, gently moving the golden hair of a lonely girl. She is simply standing there, quiet, all alone in the middle of the forest, with her sight fixed on the house where she spent most of her life.

She blinks a couple of times and then rubs her eyes making sure it wasn’t an illusion, but the image doesn’t go away. The house is there, that is not a lie. Five years had passed since she left that eerie and old house, filled with painful memories, or better said with the memories of the pain of others.

For many more years than she could count she lived there, watching and baiting people to fall for its traps, one after the other, not feeling anything for them. But since five years ago that part of her life was over. She shouldn’t be there; she didn’t want to see that house ever again, the witch’s house.

She bites her lower lip in anguish while her beautiful green eyes look at it unpleased. A while back she was in the forest picking flowers for her father’s birthday. She didn’t wander too far and was careful not to lose the way, but mysteriously, when she wanted to go back the forest had ‘changed’. It was like if the trees had uprooted and switched positions and earth moved when she wasn’t looking, without making the slightest sound. That’s how she finally ended up there.

“This is impossible…” the girl murmured to herself, but before she could say anything more a voice interrupted her.

“Ellen! You are back!” said cheerfully a black cat that looked to have appeared from nowhere.

The blonde girl immediately recognized that voice. In all honestly she would have preferred to never hear it again. She turns her head and looks at the cat happily waving his tail.

“Yes, it seems I made a careless mistake. I never expected you to find a new witch so quickly. Little sorry girls aren’t as rare as before it looks” she has an obviously unpleased look on her eyes and her words are so sarcastic it almost hurts, yet the cat doesn’t seem to care. He simply licks his paws without any remorse.

“Well I did found a new witch but she isn’t nearly as good as you Ellen, in fact she haven’t had a single victim. Of all my witches you were my favorite” he said with honesty showing a little of affection for her. When he finished talking he looks up directly into Ellen’s green eyes, just staring at her waiting to see what her reaction would be.

Ellen feels disgust at his sigh but doesn’t look away, all the opposite she stares deeper into him. “‘Viola’, that is the new me. Don’t call me Ellen ever again” she said with a serious face.

The cat takes a few moments before talking back. “But if I do that would be confusing. My new witch is called Viola too”

“What? ...” Ellen’s expression suddenly changes; she wasn’t prepared for that answer. It couldn’t be a coincidence but at the same time how could it be possible? Before her eyes she watched her die. Her wounded and rotten body couldn’t have survived all of that, her broken and betrayed spirit even less.
Her face at that moment silently said better than words ever could just how impressed and afraid she is. Her only ‘friend’ was the new witch. The one she took everything she had and left alone to die in despair.

“This is all your doing, right cat demon?” she suddenly said filled with anger while extending her arms to catch the cat. But the cat’s reflexes were faster and he jumped away.

“Don’t get mad at me Ellen; you know I’m a demon. I didn’t do it to make you angry” he answered with a playful tone of fear in his voice. He is apologizing but doesn’t fell guilty at all.

Ellen quietly stares down at him for a couple of seconds and then sighs letting her anger go with her breath. It couldn’t be helped. He is right, getting angry at him would be the same as getting angry at the weather, it it’s only its nature. A demon is a demon and seeks for girls to make into witches, hopeless girls like she once was.

The cat looks at her with curiosity and then takes a step forward. Ellen slowly crouches to be closer to him and then gives him a grin. Her beautiful green eyes stare deep into him filled with malice.

“Well then I guess I’ll have to kill her again, and hope you starve to death very soon… and very painfully” she coldly said enjoying the sound of her own words. She would kill Viola, her friend, as many times as she needed.
“That is so mean!” said cat arching his body like if he was angry.

“Of course, I wouldn’t be your favorite witch if I wasn’t mean” Ellen said back with a playful but sarcastic smile.

“Well… you are right about that” he shyly added following the game, almost blushing.

Ellen keeps smiling for about a second and then stands up. She turns facing the wooden door that leads inside the house. She wasn’t afraid in the slightest to go in.

“Ellen” suddenly said the cat making her stop and turn her face to look at him. “You know this time there won’t be any notes to guide you”

Ellen answers with a small smile, her eyes filled with confidence. “That’s ok, you said it yourself; she is just a lame witch who couldn’t take a single victim after five years” Ellen makes a pause. “Besides I have a triumph card. She can’t harm this body. I bet she still wants me to give-it-back” she stresses the last words making fun of that memory.

“You right, but still, Ellen, be careful. A lame witch is still a witch” he said acting sincerely worried for her.

Ellen tilts her head with curiosity and then goes back to facing the door. She extends her right hand and slowly turns the doorknob, hearing the creaking of the door as it moves opening the path to her newest and hopefully last experience inside the witch’s house.

“Don’t worry, I will. There is nothing I want more than to see you two die” she playfully said those cruel words with painful honesty just before taking a step inside the house.

The moment she stepped in it felt like if the air had suddenly got colder and heavier. There is an eerie aura all inside the house. Ellen carefully explores the place with her sight feeling her heart beating nervously. It is quiet and looks abandoned like if no one had lived there for years, no, that isn’t the right feeling. It felt like if all life had been sucked out of the house. It is not just some random abandoned place but a scary one. It felt like if under the dead silence of the house there was something hiding, something unnatural that makes people disappear leaving no trace of them, and the furniture perfectly clean.

Aside from the uneasy feeling, that room of the house is perfectly normal, only a little dark. It has very elegant and distinguished style making it look like the house of a very rich man with refined tastes. It is a little different from what Ellen could remember but that is just to expect with a new owner.
Ellen takes a moment and lets out a long sigh. “Come on, I’m Ellen. Just for today I’m not the kind Viola but Ellen, the witch of the forest, and Ellen isn’t afraid of anything in here” she murmured to herself trying to build up courage. Calling the memories of her old self, who was feared and hated, to once again do what needed to be done.

She takes a deep breath, letting out all of her fears with it, and then starts walking around the house. The look on her eyes now it’s totally different, it was overflowing with confidence, she even looked bored an uninterested in her old house.

“This door is looked” she said to herself after noticing she couldn’t advance. “Well, no problem. In the witch’s house keys don’t open doors. I just have to find and solve the riddle. That is unless Viola changed the rules of course but I bet she was in too much pain to care” Ellen grins after hearing her own comment finding it a little funny and then moves around the place looking for the riddle.

In one of the rooms she found a bed, big and soft, with many stuffed animals on it. The room on its own looked like a generic girly room, pretty but uninteresting to Ellen. ‘Maybe it was Viola’s ideal room that she never got to have?’ She thought for a second but then decided it was better not to give more importance to it.

Ellen places one hand on her lips making the gesture of thinking very deeply while she stares at the stuffed animals. Quickly she notices something and grins with confidence. All of the animals look happy with the exception of one teddy bear that has a very sad expression.

Ellen goes and takes the teddy bear. She lifts it at the height of her eyes and shows it a smile. “My, you unlike your friends look so sad. Maybe I should help you with that by gouging your eyes out and sewing you a permanent smile” she said with cold cruelty. That is the way Ellen’s mind works, her answer is always by hurting and pain.

“If you do that the bear won’t be happy at all. It will only get sadder because of the pain” said a voice out of nowhere giving her advice. It was the black cat.

Ellen calmly turns her head and looks down finding him right next to her. The cat waves its tail happily. She wasn’t surprised by his appearance but she was curious of why he did it.

“Oh? You have a better idea? I’m all ears then” she said with a bit of scrams “but why should I trust you cat demon? I’m not your witch remember”
“That’s so cold.” the cat lowered his tail pretending to be sad. “What fun it would be if you get lost all day Ellen? There are no notes and you are my favorite. A small handicap would be ok”

Ellen silently stares at him with an unpleased look on her green eyes. “You don’t have faith in me cat?” she said feeling a little insulted. Even if she hated the cat he is a somewhat important person in her life.

After hearing her, the cat raised its tail surprised. “No! It’s not that. But you are a little too ‘witchy’ for these riddles”

Ellen tilts her head looking at him with both curiosity and impatience.
“You see, the answer for this riddle is tickling the bear, not hurting it” after he said that there is a long dead silence. They both look at each other’s eyes like if waiting for something to happen.

“Tickling it? Are you sure this is not some kind of prank?” Ellen said unable to believe it but the cat didn’t look to be lying. It was hard to accept but it didn’t seem to be a trap.

“Yes… like I said Viola is nothing like you, she is a lame witch” the cat looks down and lets out a long sight with frustration. “You are a cold, smart, determined, and cruel girl, fitting perfectly to the ideal of a witch. But Viola on the other side is a sweet and kind girl. Even in pain her nature doesn’t change, so her riddles are solved by things like laughing and tickling” an even longer awkward silence was hard after that. Ellen just didn’t know what to think about it.

“My, I would laugh at you but if anything I find this embarrassing and pathetic” Ellen said with a blank expression on her face feeling even a little insulted by what Viola was doing as a witch.

The black cat lowers his body and covers his face with both paws looking embarrassed. If he was a human he would be blushing. “I know…”
Ellen sighs feeling a little sorry for him, it must be hard for a demon to have a witch like that. Then she looks back at the teddy bear. She stares at it deeply for a few moments. “Hey cat; how do I tickle someone?” she suddenly said showing her ignorance.

The question was so painfully dumb that the cat lost his balance and fall to the side. If he was human he would be ‘face palming’ right now. “y-you don’t know how to tickle? How is that even possible?”

Ellen gives the cat unpleased look. “It’s not my fault. I was never tickled while I lived here and Viola’s memories are like ‘father playfully tickled me, I laughed hard.’ Her memories are old and blurry”

The cat sights frustrated. “I guess you are right...” he makes a pause. “Well just gently poke its sides or wiggle your fingers on his feet”

Ellen looks at the bear taking it with one hand and wiggling her fingers to tickle its feet. “Like this?” she asked unsure if she was doing it properly but after a few moments a faint laugh was heard at the distance, it was more like an echo inside of her mind. After that Ellen heard the sound of a door unlocking.

The cat suddenly jumps exited. “You did it Ellen! You solved the riddle!”
Ellen blinks confused. It was still hard to believe and a little disappointing to have that kind of traps in the house. But anyway, it was better for her like that, after all it should be very easy to defeat a lame witch.

Ellen makes an indifferent gesture and tosses the bear back to the bed, after that she leaves the room. The moment she takes a step out the room she sharpens her senses and walks slowly waiting for something to appear and attack her. She explores the hallway with her sight paying attention to every detail. She knew it was coming, it just how the house works, it not as easy as just solving riddles, evil inhabitants of the house would attack her from time to time and she wanted to be ready for them.

She walks slowly; no sound other than her footsteps is heard, nothing behind or in front of her. The place was deceivingly clear. The unlocked door is in sight, just a few steps away now. Ellen takes a deep breath with her eyes is still overflowing with confidence.

And then it appeared. Slamming a secret door behind her a gigantic monster teddy bear with a huge smile on its face, so big and distorted it looks scary. It is wiggling its fingers making the clear gesture of wanting to tickle her. But by far the worst part it’s its laugh. Loud, unnatural and never ending, like if the bear was being tickle tortured to madness.

“HAHAHA-HAHA-HAHAHA!” said the bear while running towards her.
Ellen opens her green eyes wide feeling a sharp fear pierce her heart. She immediately runs for the door not caring about anything, runs with all she can to get away from it, not even wanting to think of what would happen if it catches her.

With surprise she sees how the furniture of the house moves to block her path. It was crazy, she couldn’t think of any other word to describe it. Luckily her reflexes prove to be sharp and she manages to dodge all of the furniture on her way reaching the door.

She crosses it and quickly slams it shut pushing her body against it to make sure the bear wouldn’t cross.

“HAHAHAHA-“the moment she closed the door the laughs got quiet as if the bear had magically disappeared.

Ellen breathes heavily trying to catch her breath. She gulps feeling genuinely scared for what just had happened. Her heart is beating exited and her body felt warm after running with all she had.

“What in the name of hell was that? Did it wanted to tickle me to death?” she asked to the air. After a few moments Ellen sighs calming herself a little. Then she blinks with curiosity feeling there is something wrong.

“wait… am I even ticklish to begin with?” her question is honest. Ellen is a real expert about pain and despair but when it comes to silly and friendly stuff like that she is an ignorant.

Her first idea was to poke her own sides and later to wiggle her finger trying to tickle her underarms, but there is no reaction, one cannot tickle oneself.
“Let me try Ellen!” said suddenly the cat appearing out of nowhere. Catching Ellen by surprise he licked her behind of the knee.

“Eik!” Ellen reacts stepping away and using one hand to hide her smile. It was a genuine reaction, a lovely smile and girly gesture.

“Yes! You are ticklish Ellen” he said cheerfully happy to help to clear her doubts. “aww, you are so cute Ellen” he then added making fun of her but at the same time being honest with his words.

Ellen silently stares at him with inhuman anger. Then she calmly took him from the ground and lifted him at the height of her eyes. Their eyes meet; she then shows him a grin filled with malice.

“If witches can be ticklish how about demons?” she said making her intentions clear.

The cat opens his eyes wide in fear and surprise. “You are not thinking about…”

“I do…” Ellen answered before opening the door and throwing him to the other side without any care.

She then quickly closed the door and a few moments later heard the helpless laugh of the cat demon being tortured by the bear.

“hehehe! Ellen! Hehehe why are you hehehe so mean?!” he said form the other side desperately laughing.

“Because I’m a witch” she simply answered not caring about if he heard it or not. Then Ellen slowly walks to the next area with the sound of the cat’s laugh at the background.

“This is nothing Viola, I will make this quick so I can get back home before night”.


chapter 2

The next area of the house Ellen explores is the dining room. It’s a big and gloomy room with a wooden table in the center big enough to allow many people to eat at the same time. The table has two candles near the center that provide most of the lightning, the flames dace almost rhythmically giving an eerie atmosphere to the room, ideal for ghost stories. There is also white plates and silverware in every seat indicating that food is about to be served.

Ellen silently stares at the table, with a blank expression on her face, seeing stone busts seating on each of the chairs quietly waiting for their next meal. Just sitting there; without making any sound, gesture or move. A scene like that would be enough to make any man or woman feel uneasy. Surrounded by the dead silence of the house and gloomy atmosphere they patiently wait, probably for ever, for their food to arrive.

It’s not the fear of being hurt what inspires that feeling but watching such a warped scene, something that clearly isn’t human but plays to be one. Its unnaturalness can only been seen as creepy and out of place for our minds.

Ellen slowly walks towards one of the busts and then pokes its cheek using her index finger. “You are not going to move are you?” she asked with a certain sense of confidence. After a few pokes she forgets about them and continues her way to the kitchen.

The busts are others inhabitants of the house, magical creatures, or better said spirits, that live in the witch house. Unlike the laughing bear of before these ones are harmless and Ellen knew that.

When Ellen opens the door to the kitchen a pleasant smell reaches her nose. It smelled like bread fresh out of the oven. The kitchen had changed since last time she saw it, there are a lot of cakes,cookies, pies and bread ready to be served, all of them looking delicious beyond belief. Just the smell was enough to make her feel hungry.

“Oh, miss Ellen. It’s been a long time since last time I saw you” said the cook when he noticed her presence. He is other magical inhabitant of the house. His appearance is that of a brute; big, strong, not very smart and even less pretty.

“Yes, but honestly I wish I never had returned here. No hard feelings, it’s just I don’t want to be close to this house anymore.” She answered acting uninterested. There is nothing like a warm greet, just two people who barely know each other meeting again.

Looking better at him Ellen noticed that he looked a lot more cheerful than back in her days as a witch, not only that but his clothes had slightly changed too. He now looked like a cheerful monster baker. Just thinking about that was enough to draw a smile in her face.

“Don’t say that miss Ellen. Here, have a cake for the troubles” said the cook offering her a slice of chocolate cake that looks simply delicious and it’s elegantly decorated. The smell is even better than its looks, yet even before such a huge temptation Ellen keeps her blank and uninterested look on her face.

“You still are a sweet tooth miss Ellen?” said the cook with curiosity seen her weak reaction. His manners have greatly improved in the last five years.

Ellen finally accepts the cake politely taking the plate with both hands. “Yes, I still am. I guess some habits are impossible to break, even if you switch bodies” she said adding the last part like a little but cruel joke. Having some cake for the trouble of risking her life wasn’t a good deal at all but at least is better than being empty handed. The cake didn’t look to be poisoned at all so, after staring a little to it, she finally tasted it giving a small bite.

Ellen covers her mouth soon after making an elegant gesture. “It’s delicious” she said with honesty. A compliment from her is something rare to hear but when she says it she means every word.

The cook instantly blushes feeling honored. “I-I’m glad you liked it Miss Ellen”

“Hey! I want some cake too Ellen!” said another voice just when she was about to give a second bite. Ellen turns her head and looks down knowing who it was.

“Cat demon, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be laughing to death right now?” she said staring at him with her green eyes, talking with a little surprise but mostly indifferent.

“yes, but I got bored of it” he answered hinting that he could had escaped any time he wanted, something to expect from a demon after all. After saying that the cat happily waves his tail “now it’s your turn to laugh Ellen.”

“I don’t feel like laughing nor I feel like giving you cake, better luck next time cat” Ellen said quickly ignoring him and giving another bite before his eyes. “So delicious, I pity those who can’t taste this magnificent flavor.”
“Now you are being mean Ellen!” he said arching his body like if he was angry.

Ellen silently looks back at him, with a blank expression on her eyes, for a couple of seconds and then she sighs. “Fine…” she said looking like she had changed her mind.

Ellenhides her lips behind one hand making an elegant gesture, quickly the look on her eyes changes overflowing with madness and malice, the creepy and cruel look of a witch about to end her victim. “ha-haha-HAHAHAHAHA!” her laugh is loud and twisted, so much she could even scare the dead, making an echo all over the kitchen.

After a few seconds she suddenly stops and returns to her blank and uninterested expression. The change was so fast it looked almost comical, if only her maniac laugh wasn’t so scary.

Ellen then looks down back to the cat who has his eyes open wide and his tail fully up in surprise. “There, I laughed. Now go and play with the teddy bear some more.”

“You are so unfair Ellen” said the cat pretending to be angry but they both knew it was just a play.

“Excuse me, Miss Ellen” suddenly interrupted the cook. Both, Ellen and the cat, turn their heads to look at him. The cook is mysteriously playing with his fingers making a shy expression, but what could make a monster feel shy in the first place? It looks like Viola’s nature is affecting him.

“Well I have been working for a long time, and you know I really like this job but sometimes it’s a little stressful. Most people never comment about my food and no one ever helps me” the cook makes a pause and lowers his head. “I would like to feel appreciated and loved too, you know? And well you are a very cute girl miss Ellen, if you don’t mind I would like you to give me a big hug.” After saying that he looks up staring at Ellen with a faint blush on his cheeks and pleading eyes, begging for her affection.

Ellen stares back at him feeling disgust at the idea. It wasn’t her nature to give hugs unless it was for a very special person and certainly the monster cook isn’t one of them. For a moment she thought of making a rude comment but before that she realized something. The expression on her green eyes changes from disgust to curiosity. She blinks a couple of times quietly staring at him, at his shy gesture and faint blush, before giving an answer.

“I’m sorry but I’m not feeling in the mood for hugs” she simply said making the cook lower his sight and arms letting out a long sigh to express his frustration.

“Thank you, it was delicious.” she added a little later putting the plate where the cake was on a small table.
Quickly after that the cook went back to his labors. “Come back if you change your mind” he said before being absorbed by his work.

Without saying anything more Ellen left the kitchen going back to the dining room. The locked door was in plain sight in the kitchen but she had to solve the riddle to open it.

She walks towards one of the busts and stares at it. “I don’t think any of you could give a hug…” she said to herself,naturally they have no arms.

After that Ellen began to walk in circles around the table, with one hand on her chin and a serious look on her eyes, she was completely absorbed by her thoughts. In her mind it is clear, the cook asking for a hug is the riddle. If she actually hugged him something bad should happen like for example he hugs her so hard he breaks her back, or at least that’s how she imagined it.

“Since when do you walk in circles while thinking?” asked the cat who once again appeared out of nowhere. His eyes follow her as she moves around the room.

“Since I can walk without feeling I’m stepping on broken glass” Ellen simply answered without bothering to look at him. She quickly forgot about the cat and resumed his thinking.

“There must be something I can use…” she murmured. No riddle is impossible, even if very hard to solve there is always something in the house that can be used. She looks back in her mind trying to remember something that could be hugged. Bored of waiting the cat had closed his eyes and appeared to be sleeping.

Ellen suddenly stops walking. She smiles indicating that she had found the answer. “Of course, the teddy bear.” she said meaning the stuffed bear in one the girly bedroom not the gigantic and creepy one.

“The laughing bear is still there you know?” said the cat at the same time he opens his eyes to look at her, realizing her intentions.

“I don’t mind, I’ll just dodge it like the last time” she responded and shrugs with indifference.

The cat stands up and licks his frontal paws. “Well in case you fail it will be very cute to see you hopelessly laugh until you beg for mercy.” He said without any shame or worry.

Ellen looks at him unpleased for a couple seconds before walking towards to him. “Oh, it’s that so?” she said right next to his face with clear anger on her voice and face.

The cat opens his eyes wide in fear not knowing what to answer. After a few seconds Ellen takes the cat and lifts it to the high of her eyes.

“w-why are you smiling like that?” he asked nervous looking at the malicious grin on her face and the green eyes deeply staring at him from so close.

“I have a new idea” she said porously making a long pause after that to torture him with the anticipation of the possible answer. “You know cat demon, you are very cute too, and you have arms”

The cat opened his mouth and eyes in surprise and the meows showing rejection at the idea. “You can’t Ellen! Demons aren’t for hugging” he complained.

“Neither are witches but what can we do about it” was her selfish answer.

Back in the kitchen the cook was still preparing the food. It somehow looked like a never ending chore. Suddenly the sound of the door opening is heard.

“Oh Miss Ellen, have you changed your mind?” said the cook turning his head to look at her.

Ellen shakes her in denial. “I’m sorry but you won’t be getting any hugs from me” she coldly answered.

“ohh…” exclaimed the cook at the same time he looks down feeling disappointed.

“Buthow about instead you hug this adorable cat demon” she then added unable to continue her urge to smile. She can’t hide it; she was having fun teasing the cat demon.

He meows in rejection and struggles for a moment trying to escape with no results. “No, I don’t want it”
“Shut up” she quickly told the cat, then looks back at the cook’s face tilting her head and showing him a cute smile, fake but still cute.

The cook blushes showing a cheerful and bright expression on his face. “Thank you very much Miss Ellen”
“You welcome, now take this horrible creature” she unkindly said extending her hands to offer him the cat with the gesture.

“Come here cute kitty” he said at the same moment he gives him a big hug. The scene is so ridiculously out of place, a monster hugging a demon in such a cute fashion, it’s nothing but comical. A few moments later the sound of the door unlocking is heard.

Without wasting any more time Ellen heads for the door and opens it revealing a set of stairs. “Hope to never see you again” she said before going down the stairs.

“Oh this is horrible…” said the cat in frustration. “Eh? No, not that hehehe not a tickle hug! Hehe” Ellen smiles hearing the faint sound of his laughter while going down until she reached the next area.

first of all thank you very much to anyone who read it, I really aprecite it ~<3. Finally Ellen gets tickled in the next chapter, hope you enjoy it. and uhm if anyone liked the story or has some criticism please leave a post, I don't like double posting >//<

------chapter 3----
The next area of the house Ellen explores is the basement. The first thing that Ellen notices is that the area has many more rooms than the other two before it. Naturally the deeper she gets inside the house the harder the riddles and traps would become.

Ellen stands in the middle of the hallway looking at 4 different doors. One is the locked one she needs to cross; other has a sign that reads “storeroom”; the next says “library” and the last is a special room where valuable works of art and objects are kept.

Ellen crosses her arms and lowers her head thinking deeply about where to do next. “I guess I’ll have to search all of them” she said deciding to go first into the library.

The witch house has an almost infinite number of books stored inside with all types of subjects from science, medicine, philosophy and arts to novels, culture, common sense and jokes.

Even after living countless years in the house Ellen never knew the exact origin of those books, although she made the theory that they were made with the knowledge of the victims. No matter how many books there were she always found the exact book she wanted to read with the first try, she could had even reached for one with her eyes closed and the result would have been the same. That was thanks to the magic of the house but now that she wasn’t the witch owner of the house surely it wouldn’t be so easy.

“I’m never going to finish ordering these books” said a voice filled with frustration. Ellen turns her head finding another inhabitant dressed as a butler. While still ghostly looking unlike the cook this one had a more refined appearance. His body is thin, his clothes clean and elegant and his hair red and curly. It looks like he didn’t notice Ellen’s presence.

Slowly Ellen walks towards him keeping a blank expression on her face. “What it’s the problem?” she kindly asked but she really couldn’t care any less.

“Oh, hello Miss Ellen, I didn’t see you get in” he said looking up to her face. “And it’s these books, I’m never going to finish ordering them, I only wish I had something to tie them up.”

“I see” she simply said. Clearly that is one piece of the puzzle.
“By the way it’s been a long time Miss Ellen, so long. You look very different but also very beautiful” the butler gives her a good look from her feet to her face slowly moving up to appreciate every single detail.

Ellen wasn’t a little girl anymore; she had grown into a beautiful young woman with golden braids, fair skin and an elegant and feminine body with a lovely figure.

Ellen smiles after hearing his words and then teases him, playfully pulling her skirt up a little and posing. “Thank you. I love my new body, is so healthy and strong, and beautiful too”

He stares at her with a huge blush unable to apart his sigh. “w-well your old body was very cute too Miss Ellen” he said with shyness.

After hearing his words Ellen suddenly stops and makes a blank expression, the little joy of the moment got killed in an instant. “I don’t want to remember that thing; it was so rotten and painful” she said in a bad mood.

“You are right, please excuse my rudeness miss Ellen” the butler responded and a few moments later he went back to his labors. He sighs in frustration. “I apologize but I should get back to work, even if it is endless…”

Ellen doesn’t respond. She stands there for a couple of seconds before moving on. She still needed to explore the library for any other clue about the riddle. She looks around searching for every single detail until she founds something.

“There are some books missing here” she said to herself while looking at the empty spaces. The library was always full; there is no reason to have books missing unless they are part of the riddle.

Ellen grins filled with confidence “this is too easy, but a lame witch is a lame witch” she shrugs with indifference after saying that and then resumes her search for clues.

The next room she goes is the special storehouse. In there she finds many jewels, including a fake butterfly behind a glass. Another bust, this one made of marble and with a roman or Greek style. There is also a set of books inside a shelf with a glass door but it is closed. Naturally things wouldn’t be as easy as that.

“There is still one missing” Ellen murmured to herself after counting the number of books. She then places a hand on her lips making a gesture while she deeply thinks on the clues she has. After a couple of seconds she blinks and decides is better the check the last room.

No wasting time Ellen enters the store house. It is dark. The lighting is like a night with half moon, it is possible to see but not too far. The ambient is humid and surrounded by a dead silence. Once again Ellen feels there is a presence hiding in the shadows, something inhuman waiting for the chance to attack her.

Her mind plays against her making her hear the faint sound of whispers and ‘something else’. There is something moving but that sound isn’t of footsteps; the closest thing she could imagine is something crawling under the shadows. Then again it is hard to know how much of that is real and what is an invention of her mind.

She bites her lower lip for a moment feeling nervous but keeps moving, one step at a time, like if it was nothing special. She sharpens her senses and moves slowly being careful to notice any change in her surroundings.

Contrary to the image she gives Ellen is no superhuman, she feels fear and dislikes feeling pain just like anyone else, what she has is an unnatural force of will. When her mind is set on something she obsesses over it to the point she does it not caring about the time or hardships it might take. Even when inside her heart is beating nervous her will is strong enough to make it look like she doesn’t care in the slightest about the darkness or any creature hiding in it.

The storehouse has many wooden boxes gathering dust and with cobwebs all over. Looks like no one had cleaned the room in years. None of the boxes call her attention so she keeps looking.

Then she finds a single butterfly trapped in the cobweb. The butterfly desperately struggles to escape but can’t make it. What it’s more interesting it isn’t an ordinary insect. The butterfly appeared to be made by mist or light, like a ghost or spirit. Its body is slightly transparent and it has beautiful colors and shapes making it a unique creature.

Ellen tilts her head while quietly looking at the butterfly with curiosity. She blinks a couple of times. With no doubts the butterfly is part of the riddle ¿but if she simply releases it wouldn’t that activate a trap? Things couldn’t be so easy.

Ellen makes a test extending her hand very slowly to touch the butterfly with her index finger. The very moment she feels the soft texture of the ghostly insect, like caressing mist, something huge falls from the ceiling just inches behind her.

Her heart skips a beat, frozen in fear, at the same time her eyes open wide and look back to the shadow behind her. A moment later she lost her balance falling to the floor. Her first reaction is turning around to see her attacker finding a giant spider.

Ellen paths heavily with her sight fixed on the monster, not moving a single muscle. After a few seconds she realizes the spider is not looking at her but behind her. Ellen turns her head to find the answer; it is looking at the butterfly.

A few moments later the giant spider goes back up disappearing just as fast as it appeared. Ellen places both hands on her chest feeling her heart beat exited. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes trying to calm herself. Slowly she feels her beating go back to normal until the scare is over. Ellen then opens her eyes showing resolve in them.

‘This is nothing’ she said in her mind. ‘Now let’s look for more clues’ she added nodding at her thoughts before resuming her exploration.

Aside from the butterfly there was nothing else, at least nothing useful, in the storeroom. Ellen sighs disappointed; looks like she would have to search every room again with more detail. She was about to leave the room but suddenly she steps on something. Ellen steps back and looks down with curiosity finding a rope on the ground. Because of the darkness she didn’t notice it before.

Her lips drawn a pleased smile at the same time she takes the rope lifting it to the height of her eyes. “I know of someone who would like to have you in his hands.” Finally the riddle was starting to be solved.

Without wasting time Ellen heads for the library finding the butler there, ordering the books in a bad mood just like before.

“Hello, how is it going?” she said with a playful smile on her face to call his attention.
“Oh Miss Ellen, is good to see you again.” he politely answered looking away from his books for a moment. “Sadly I’m just like before; I can’t get to finish ordering these books”

“You were asking for a rope to tie them up didn’t you?” Ellen asked already knowing the answer. “Well, look what I found.” she then said showing him the rope a little later.
“Oh.” he expressed in surprised fixing his sight on the rope. “Please, could you give me that Miss Ellen? It would be much appreciated”

Ellen grins, her green eyes stare deep into him with a touch of malice. “I could, but what do I get in exchange?” she selfishly asked.

“Well if you give me the ropes I will give you this key for the shelf” he said looking into one of his pockets and then showing her a silver color key.

The sight of it makes her pleased, that’s exactly what she wanted. “That’s a deal” she said at the same time she extends her arms offering him the rope.

“I’m so glad, this is just what I needed, this work is so stressful and monotonous I thought I was going to bore to dead.” He stands up and takes the ropes, extending them a couple of times to test their resistance.

“This ropes are strong and have a soft texture, they are perfect for my needs” he cheerfully said a few moments later acting maybe too happy about it.

“I’m glad, now hand me the key” Ellen extends her right hand palm up asking for the key with the gesture. She couldn’t care any less about the butler and his book bondage fetish, at least that’s the impression he was giving a moment before.
“Of course, but before that there is one last thing I would like you to assist me Miss Ellen” before Ellen could even ask the butler tied her wrist with the rope.

Ellen silently looks at her wrist blinking a couple of times unable to believe it. “What in the name of hell are you doing?” she slowly said, with her words filled with cold anger, at the same time she looks at his face with such hatred it could kill a man.

The butler blushes and sweats feeling both, embarrassed and scared of the look in her eyes. He then looks away while nervously playing with his fingers. “Well I… Miss Ellen if it is not too much trouble I would like to tie you up and tickle you, just tickling nothing more… I would adore seeing and hearing you laugh.” saying those words was an impressive act of bravery, but naturally Ellen wasn’t happy at all.

“Please Miss Ellen, if you allow me I’ll give you both the key and a clue to help you” he nervously added after noticing her lack of enthusiasm.

Ellen bites her lips. The face she has right now reflects so much anger and disgust it is painful to watch, and even a little comical. Her green eyes quietly say how much she desires to choke him at the very moment, but she can’t or else the riddle won’t be solved. “F-fff-fine” she forced herself to say accepting the deal.

“Great, now give me your hands and stay still” said the butler with a huge blush and a shy smile.

Ellen does as he told. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath as she feels him tying her up. Luckily the soft ropes don’t harm her skin in any way nor feel uncomfortable.

“All good” he said once he had finished tying her wrists together. Then he scratches his head while looking at Ellen who stills has an expression of clear disgust on her face. Something was wrong with the picture.

“mmm… Miss Ellen, if it isn’t too much trouble to ask could you put a happy face? It… well it ruins the mood a little. Please it’s the last thing I’ll ask from you.” he said with shyness.

“L-l-like this?” she asked forcing herself to show a gentle smile. She actually does and impressively good job. Her face is relaxed, her eyes look pure and innocent, and her lips drawn a small but sweet smile.

“Oh, wow. Yes Miss Ellen that is perfect” he said genuinely surprised. Then he scratches his head some more making the gesture of thinking something very deep. Ellen impatiently waits with the smile on her face, every second felt like a minute hearing the voice of the person one hates the most talking nonstop.

“What are you doing? Just finish with this already!” she said tired of waiting.
“I’m sorry I just couldn’t decide where to start” he said blushing embarrassed of his own indecision.

“Anywhere is good” she quickly answered. All this time she was suppressing the urge to kick him, at least until she got the key.

“o-ok!” he shyly said, sweating a little, pointing he is about to start. The butler rubs his hands for a second, and then wiggles his fingers slowly getting them closer to her sides.
Ellen sees them getting closer and closer until she can’t take it and closes her eyes. She is too embarrassed to see it. The once mighty witch couldn’t stand the idea of being be tickled, of being helpless and cutely laughing, that goes completely against her personality as ‘Ellen’.

In darkness she feels the gentle touch of the tips of his fingers pressing against her sides, exciting the nerves of her ribs every time they met. In her mind every time it was like the waves when someone throws a stone in a lake, the fingers were the stones and the waves her nerves sending the message of laughter from her ribs all the way to her head.

Her first reaction is biting her lips to stop any laughter from coming out. Still with her eyes closed, she fights against the feeling. He is just poking her sides so it isn’t too hard to hold it but that is just the start. The butler blushes and smiles finding her reaction is too adorable to ignore, but he stays quiet in fear saying any comment about it would only make her angry, or better said angrier.

He continues playfully poking her sides for a couple of seconds until he decides to increase the power.

“Mm!” Ellen expressed with her mouth shut when she feels the butler using all of his fingers to tickle her ribs, running up and down on her sides, pressing with skillful technique like if he was an expert. Just when or how did he learn to tickle like that? Ellen had no idea but didn’t care; her mind is busy trying to fight her urge to laugh.

She shakes her head a couple of times. Her legs are trembling begging to jump away from him. Her body squirms a little with every touch unable to control the reflex. Even though she is using all of her will her lips drawn a little smile, a cute smile meaning she is on the edge of breaking.

Her pride weighted too much to let herself laugh in such a childish and cute way, but even the proud witch is having troubles holding her ground against the tickling.
The butler smiles even more. If he had a heart it would be beating like mad at that moment. He is enjoying it, maybe too much, there is no deny to that. Now he decides it’s a good time to break her, with that in mind his hands move reaching for her hips.

Ellen gulps preparing herself for what is going to come. Just a moment later she felt his hands squeezing her hips pressing like crab claws, using the perfect amount of force to tickle without producing any pain. That touch felt so powerful, Ellen could imagine the electricity running all over her nerves bombarding her brain with the ticklish sensations. As much as she hated the idea even she had her limits.

“mmm-hahahaha!” she finally burst in laughs opening her eyes a little later, revealing a lovely look that pleaded him to stop, but of course seeing it only made his desire burn stronger.

Her hands try to stop his but they are tied, and even if they weren’t she can’t do it or else she will fail. She has to fight her own reactions and endure the tickling.
“haha- no, haha wait-t haha thahat’s enough” she kindly said still hiding her disgust behind a fake but very convincing cheerfulness.

The butler just couldn’t believe how adorable his ex master is. The fact that she is trying to fight against it but losing only made it more exquisite. Her sweet expression and beautiful laughter are impossible not to adore.

“Just a few more seconds Miss Ellen, I promise” he said wanting to play a little longer.
“h-haha, haha” Ellen laughs doing her best not to squirm away but she couldn’t fully control her moves. Her body jerks with every touch and a faint blush had appeared on her cheeks making her look even cuter.

“haha o-haha ok enhahaugh enough haha, stop it haha” she said feeling her limit near.
After a few seconds the butler surprisingly stops thinking it is been long enough. He takes his fingers away from her hips and starts untying her hands.
At that moment Ellen felt like if a huge weight had been released from her shoulders. She silently looks at him with a very annoyed expression on her eyes while she tries to catch her breath.

“Well as I promised the key is yours Miss Ellen” he said handing her the key soon after he finished untying her. There is no answer but an awkward silence.

No words of thanks come from her; she simply continues to look at him with annoyance. That is more than enough to make him feel an oppressive atmosphere in the air. She is angry no doubts. That cute expression on her face is long gone and replaced by eyes that could almost kill with a single look.

“a-and of course the clue…” the butler added feeling horribly nervous like if he was a liar about to be found out and punished. “Do you know the story of the guardian Argos miss Ellen? Well to make it short he was put to sleep using boring stories, I think you can figure out the rest.”

Even after hearing him Ellen stays immobile like a statue, with that disgusted look frozen on her eyes. The atmosphere gets even more oppressive by the second making him sweat and play with his fingers nervously at the same time he mumbles nonsense. “s-s-sorry…”

Then, suddenly, Ellen kicks him right in the belly with all of her might and hatred sending him flying backwards until he crashes with a bookshelf that soon after the hit fell over him making a loud noise. There are now a lot of books lying on the floor near the fallen bookshelf.

“Idiot…” Ellen said in a bad mood while staring at it with annoyance on her green eyes. After a few moments she decides it’s time to move one and the walks towards the door.
“Your laugh it’s so adorable El-” when Ellen was about to leave the room she crosses with the cat demon. He does a little jump exited after seen her laugh but Ellen completely ignores him and keeps moving slamming the door before his face.

The way now it’s obvious. She needs to open the shelf, get the books, use a special boring book to put the spider to sleep and finally release the butterfly hoping it would guide her to the last book. It’s been a tiresome and even embarrassing riddle but not so hard.

Ellen extends her hand and puts the silver key inside the keyhole. It’s a perfect fit. No wasting any time she unlocks the door and opens it.

“Now let’s see what kind of books are these” she said before reading the titles.
“‘A love story for people in love’… gross” she said making an expression of annoyance after reading it. Naturally a cruel and cold person as her wasn’t interested in the romantic idea of love.

Ellen tosses back the book and picks another. “What’s next…‘Book of cute pets.” After the sound of her voice awkward silence follows. She didn’t know what to say about it, so she simply tossed it back without any care.

She picks a third bock, only one more was missing. “‘Super funny jokes for witches…’” Ellen blinks a couple of times while looking at it in silence. The book had picked her interest if only a little.
“My, you think you can make me laugh? Let’s see what you got” she said to herself at the same time she opens the book.

“Why did the little girl fell from the swing?... because she had no arms” Ellen reads the first joke and unexpectedly it was an ill-humored one but at the same time she couldn’t help but feel it was kind of funny.

“hehe… not bad” she giggles and then compliments the book looking at it with a grin. “hehe, not bad at all” she added little later.

As silly as it was Ellen couldn’t stop thinking it was funny, her laughs only grown more frequent with every second that passes. “hehe- ok hehe- that’s enough… hehe what? What’s going on? Hehe I haha can’t stop laughing! Haha”

She opens her eyes in surprise noticing there is something wrong. It was like if inside of her mind the joke was quickly becoming more and more funny forcing her to laugh even more. “haha stop it! haha what is this! Haha”

Her heart skips a beat before the idea, but there is no other answer. That moment felt like if time itself had stopped, everything became silent and dark around her, she couldn’t think of it in other way. With her beautiful green eyes still open wide in surprise she realizes that she had fallen into a trap.

“t-haha this is ridiculous! What kind of trap is hahaha this! It should have sa- haha said ‘a deathly funny book f-ff haha for witches!’ th-haha this is unfair! I w-whahant a second chance!” Ellen complains, acting like a child, while rolling on the ground hopelessly laughing. The tickling of the butler was nothing against the loud laughs of the book.

After a few moments her eyes get teary and her cheeks pink with a lovely blush. She hugs her belly feeling it hurt a little after laughing so much. “hahaha! Stop! Stop! Haha!”
“Ellen you fell for a trap” suddenly said the cat appearing before her. He blinks a couple of times while looking at her with curiosity. “I told you were a little too witchy for the traps”

When she sees him Ellen manages to control herself a little. Kneeling, with a twisted smile and still hugging her belly she looks into his eyes. “c-hahat demon, help me”
The cat moves his ears after the sound of her words. It was almost unbelievable.

“Ellen, if you manage to hold your laughs for two minutes the effect of the trap will disappear” he said being surprisingly helpful. “Although I have to say I love your adorable laugh and helpless look in your eyes” he then added looking away, almost blushing, and happily waving his tale.

Suddenly the room becomes dead quiet. With surprise and curiosity he looks back into her eyes finding a dead cold stare, so scary that his heart stopped for a moment.
Her lips then drawn a forced and twisted smile showing she was using all of her force of will to hold her desire to laugh but the result was rather very scary, so much the cat backs away a little.

Finally, after a few moments, Ellen burst in laughs again. “hahaha I- I can’t haha! And don’t call me adorable! haha” the last part she said it with special anger. Ellen bites her lips, closes her eyes and shakes her head doing a new effort to fight it but once again she fails in just a few seconds.

“Quickly, think of something sad” he said giving her advice. The cat isn’t supposed to help her but looks like he had a special preference for her, or maybe, in a more sinister though, he already knew she was not going to escape.

“l-haha like what? Haha I can’t think of anything” she confessed. Her mind is already filled with a dumb but unnaturally funny joke that left her unable to think of anything else.

That cat looks down for a second while thinking. “Like abandoned puppies in the middle of the rain, or wet kitties…” he suddenly makes a pause after saying that. His tail goes down feeling embarrassed. “That sounded so lewd” he said almost blushing.
“c-cahahat!” yelled Ellen angry being just barely understandable.

The sound of it made him meow and jump away scared. “I’m sorry, think of something Ellen!”

That cat is useless, she thought, that left her with no other choice than doing it herself. Ellen closes her eyes and thinks, before her mind many ideas flow, cruel things, boring things, ridiculous things, but in the end none of them is sad to her. Ellen is an insensitive person and now that was playing against herself.

“hahaha!” she laughs covering her lips while shaking her head in denial making a fragile and helpless expression. She can’t stop it, she simply can’t. The mighty witch is laughing like a little girl and she can’t do anything to stop it.

“haha! This is ridiculous! haha I refuse to end like this! Hahaha” Ellen said just moments before she feels something more. Her eyes suddenly have a blank look. She felt incredibly tired and sleepy like if all of her energy had been stolen. She still could have laughed a lot more, for hours even, but just after a few minutes she felt sleep in a deep dream.

Her green eyes slowly close watching how everything becomes dark.

“Sweet dreams my dear Ellen…”murmured the cat, looking at her, knowing she is ok but had failed.

I got a little disappointed, but finnally I'm going to put the rest of the story. I hope you enjoy it, and also I would love if you could post your opinions about it, good or bad.

-----chapter 4-------
“It’s ok… because we are friends”

The sound of those words echoed inside of her head. It was Ellen herself who pronounced them; from her lips those cruel words came out, or better said from the lips of the body she stole.

It is actually a very short story. A girl with long purple hair and a very sick body became friends with a girl with golden braids and a healthy body. The sick girl convinced the other to switch bodies.

“Just for a day” she promised knowing that the healthy girl wouldn’t refuse. She couldn’t; she felt so sorry for her, she pitied her and felt she deserved to have something good in her life. That’s what pushed the healthy girl to agree.

“Just for a day” how silly, of course she wasn’t going to give it back. Ellen stole her body, her identity and the love of her father and left her with nothing but pain and misery.

But now it was Viola’s chance to do something, five years later.

“Ellen, wake up!” said a familiar voice. Her senses were still fuzzy so she couldn’t hear it well, but soon his voice become clearer.

“w-what’s going on?” Ellen said still confused. The first thing she did was rubbing her eyes, then she lifted half of her body giving a good look to the room. She had been sleeping on a soft and comfortable bed for who knows how long. The cat demon was besides her, jumping in place while telling her to wake up.

“Ellen! You are finally awake!” said the cat with a very friendly tone. Happily waving his tail left to right.

“Yes… but what happened?” Ellen calmly asked. Even shortly after waking up she could keep her composure. The room was very familiar for her. It was like the room where she slept for countless nights while living in the witch’s house, similar but not the same, just an imitation.

“You don’t remember Ellen?” the cat said lowering his tail. “You fainted after laughing for so long, Poor girl. Then the house brought you here”

After hearing him Ellen stares at the cat saying with her green eyes that she wasn’t sure if she could trust him. The cat only blinks confused at her reaction.

“Well I don’t think you could have carried me here… or did you?” Ellen said tilting her head while staring at him.

The cat demon arched his body in an angry gesture. “Don’t be silly, I was only making you company”

Ellen grins at him and then moves the sheets away preparing to stand up. There was a mirror in the room. Ellen walked towards it to examine her face. Her reflection was just like normal, the pretty face with white skin, big green eyes and golden hair.

“What’s wrong Ellen? You seem unpleased” said the cat demon at the same time he jumps on the bed.

Ellen moves her head a little looking at it from another angle. “I thought that I was going to laugh to dead after reading that book, but it looks like I’m perfectly fine. I just can’t believe a witch would create a harmless trap.” Ellen confessed taking a few more seconds to look at her own image.

“It must be because Viola still wants her body back, that’s why she uses harmless traps against you” the cat answered saying just what Ellen was thinking.

“Hey cat demon, doesn’t my skin look a little paler than before?” Ellen asked later, at the same time she turns her head to look at the cat with curiosity.

The cat waved his tail. “A little paler?” he repeated confused.

“Never mind, it’s nothing” Ellen quickly said after seeing his reaction. She then moved away from the mirror, walking towards the only door in the room. For sure it had to be the exit. She extended her arm placing her hand on the door knob but strangely she suddenly stopped.

“Cat demon, tell me something. How can Viola still be alive after all that happened?” Ellen asked genuinely curious about it. “You told me that little bottle of ‘perfume’ was the only thing that it could kill a witch, so how come Viola is still alive?”

The cat licks his paws a couple of times before moving towards Ellen. He then sat on the floor and raised his face to look directly at her eyes.

“Witches are immortal as long as they stay inside the witch’s house. The only thing that can kill them is their ‘despair’ that takes the image of a little bottle filled with poison; but you already know this” the cat pauses and moves his tail. “The thing is you didn’t use the right despair Ellen”

Hearing that moved something deep inside of her. That was completely unexpected. Ellen opened her eyes wide. Her face alone said better than words that she couldn’t believe, it had to be a lie.

“w-what do you mean?” she asked while staring at the cat who calmly licked his paws.

“Think about it Ellen. After you switched bodies with Viola the witch’s house got confused and she took control of it, but it also left you notes that guided you around the house. That means it still recognized you as the true owner. Viola took most of your powers with your body, but you were still the owner of the house. That means the despair you used…”

“Was mine…” Ellen said finishing the sentence for him. Her heart skips a beat at that moment. She was out of breath. She wanted it to be impossible but that was the only explanation.

For many long seconds later the cat stared at Ellen with curiosity. He waves his tail is such a way he looked like a hungry cat quietly asking his owner for food. She was perfectly still like if she had frozen in place, silent like a statue.

“Well no matter, I just have to use it again. This time she is the witch so she will die for sure” Ellen suddenly said, going back to life like if it was nothing.

“Yes, this time she would die” the cat added at the same time he stretches his body.
Ellen turns her head to look at the door. She finally opens it seeing the hallway that guided to the next puzzle of the witch’s house.

“Cat demon, why are you telling me all this? Aren’t you supposed to help your witch make me laugh?” Ellen asked before crossing the door.

The cat lowered his tail looking sad. “Well there is no point in hiding it if you were already planning on doing that. And also you were my favorite witch”

Ellen doesn’t say anything after hearing his answer; she just smiles and then moves towards the next puzzle leaving him behind. As disgusting it could had been she actually learned something important, if Ellen managed to kill viola this time it would be the end of her.

The hallway is made of stone with no furniture or even paint to give it a more comfortable image. It looked like an underground tunnel, with barely enough light to see your steps.

Suddenly Ellen stops halfway and turns around. She scratches her head feeling that something was missing. “Wasn’t there a trap here that throws knives at you?” she asked herself remembering something of the past.

After a few seconds she shrugs forgetting about it. “Oh well, it was a boring trap anyway” she said before turning around to continue her path. After a couple of minutes she found the door at the end of the tunnel. She opened it and crossed entering the next area. It didn’t look much better but at least it was better lighten.

There were two doors on opposite walls, and at the end of the hallway there was a large, seemingly bottomless, hole. Ellen walked towards the hole noticing it had a very small and thin bridge that for sure would break if she tried to walk over it. At the end there was a lever waiting to be pulled.

Ellen blinks a couple of times, placing a finger on her lips while she quietly thinks. This place looked very familiar. So far it looked like Viola didn’t bother to make big changes to the house areas or traps.

Ellen tried to open one of the doors but just as she expected it was closed. She makes a thinking face for a couple of seconds and then turns to look at the lever. Soon after that Ellen smiles completely sure that it was for opening the door. That only meant that the other door had the answer to the problem of how to activate it.

With that in mind Ellen walked towards it and then turned the door knob entering the next room. There she found something, or better said someone, who was long forgotten. It is not like he was of any importance to her, actually it was all the opposite, he was so unimportant to her that she forgot about him in an instant.

Right before her eyes there was a frog, a lonely frog in an artificial squared pond. As soon as she entered the frog gave her a bitter look, then he turned his back on her with a single jump. Ellen recognized him instantly; it was the frog she used to feed the snake five years ago, when the traps were more deadly than tickly.

Ellen sighs in frustration at the same time she hits her forehead with the palm of one hand. Her luck was simply terrible. After a few seconds she regained her composure and walked towards the angry frog.

“You cannot still be angry at me, right? I mean I used you and then killed you but it’s not like I had another choice you know” Ellen said with pure but painful honesty. No wonder why the frog is so angry, but if she wants to pass to the next area she would need his help.

Ellen sighs again. She wasn’t exactly good at apologizing, that if one can even apologize for killing you. She crouches to be closer to the frog.

“Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to feed you to a horrible snake… snake monster…” there is no answer. The frog keeps acting like if he couldn’t hear her.

Ellen’s stare quickly became more impatient and angry. If she didn’t need his help she would had kicked him right there.

“Alright I get it, just tell me what you want me to do in exchange for your help” Ellen said trying to convince him. Kind words alone wouldn’t be enough, and it’s not like she was the best at saying those.

The frog looks at her for a moment but then turns his head away making an angry gesture. He was like a spoiled kid. Ellen’s anger was almost unbearable now, so much she was shaking a fist behind his back, but she had to hold it. She would fail the puzzle again if not.

Then she suddenly had an idea. “How about this, if you pull the lever for me I’ll give you a kiss” Ellen was sure this frog was no prince but the idea should be tempting for him anyway.

The frog instantly reacts turning to look at her with a single jump. Then he jumps a couple more times excited at the idea. Ellen smiles pleased. Looks like a kiss from a princess was enough to forget about being eaten.

The frog then jumps towards her and later, when he is right next to Ellen, he jumps a couple more times excited. No wasting time Ellen took him and walked back to the edge of the bottomless hole. She left the frog on the ground right next to the small bridge.
“Well frog, do you job” she said fixing her eyes later on the lever, confident she had the puzzle already solved, but strangely he didn’t move. In silence Ellen turns her head to look at him not knowing what’s wrong.

“So? What are you waiting? Go there and pull the lever” Ellen said impatient however the frog shook his head in negation. Ellen stares at him unpleased; working with that frog was too much of a problem.

Unable to talk the frog uses his body to express himself. He made the gesture of kissing something, then pulling and finally he nodded; then the made the same gestures but with pulling first and kissing later finishing shaking his head in negation.

“So you want me to kiss you first and then you are going to help me, am I right?” Ellen said with very cold voice. The frog nods telling her she was right.

Having no choice Ellen sighs in frustration, closing her eyes for a moment. “Fine” she said with annoyance before picking up the frog and lifting him to the height of her eyes. The frog immediately closed his eyes and prepared his lips for a kiss. Ellen angrily looked at him for a couple of seconds not wanting to do it, but if she had to kill viola and escape then so be it.

Ellen too closed her eyes and slowly moved the frog closer to her lips until she felt the wet and unpleasant texture of his skin. Even then she kept her composure not making any gesture of disgust; she simply moved her lips giving the frog a small but sweet kiss with her soft and delicate lips. After that she opened her eyes and moved the frog away.

Ellen gently left the frog on the ground hoping this time he would do his job, but surprised she saw how again time passed and he didn’t move. She stares at him feeling her patience running out. Her expression was filled with cold anger but the frog seemed unable to get it.

“What is it now?” she asked in a bad mood. Quickly the frog moves pointing at the lever, then moving his ‘hands’ to his sides and opening his mouth as if he was laughing; finally he points at Ellen.

Ellen blinks confused. “So, you are saying that now you want to tickle before you pull the lever?” the frog nods saying she was right. Actually Ellen was somehow good at getting what’s he is saying.

“I see...” Ellen said with cold unpleased voice before showing him a twisted smile. She clearly wasn’t happy. Then, all suddenly, she kicked the frog with all of her might watching him fly and then fall into the darkness of the hole.

“Stupid frog, my kiss alone isn’t good enough for you?” Ellen said to herself still gazing at the hole with cold anger reflecting on her eyes.

“Poor Arthur, once he reaches the bottom he will be laughing for a long time” suddenly said a familiar voice.

“I guessed there would be some kind of tickle monster down there” Ellen responded at the comment before realizing there was someone else there, then quickly turned her head finding the cat demon who was also gazing at the hole.

“Cat demon, what are you doing here?” Ellen asked a little surprised; she was expecting him to be behind the closed door.

The cat turns to look at her and waves his tail. “I’m just looking at your progress Ellen” he cheerfully said, but then he lowered his head and tail looking sad. “But sadly looks like you just failed the puzzle”

Ellen doesn’t answer; she instead stares deep at the black cat with malice on her green eyes, then a huge grin appears on her face.

“E-Ellen?” the cat said while shyly taking a step back, looking like a scared animal.
“Failed? What are you saying cat demon? I still have a chance to do it, after all a cat is perfect for the task. Much more than a stupid frog” Ellen said nearing her face to the cat, with a very scary look on her eyes.

“w-what?” he said surprised before arching his back angry. “No, I can’t help you Ellen! You are not my witch anymore” he replayed completely opposed to the idea but Ellen didn’t seem to care.

Ellen crouches still smiling at him with a confident look on her greedy green eyes. “But I was your favorite, you said it many times. Also I never said you would do it for free” Ellen makes a pause to let the cat think about it. Her eyes are all the time fixed on him.
The cat opened his eyes wide in surprise. His ears and tail went up showing she had all of his attention.

Ellen smiles “if you choose to help me I’ll gently scratch your ears and rub your belly, something that even after all the long years I lived here not once I did for you” Ellen pauses to see his reaction. The cat gulps feeling nervous, if he was a human he would be blushing right now. “On the other hand if you choose not to help me I’ll just kick you into the hole” she added with malice.

The cat takes a few seconds to think about it. “I-I don’t want to laugh again” he shyly said. For a demon he was actually looking cute.

Ellen’s eyes look pleased. “Well then, would you do it for your favorite witch?” she playfully said at the same time she moves one hand to friendly scratch his ear.
The cat quickly makes a pleased expression. He waits a few seconds before giving his answer. “Ok, I’ll do it Ellen” he said full of energy.

Ellen smiles and stops scratching his ear; she then stands up “well, I’m waiting” she said with a cold voice and a serious look on her eyes.

The cat demon nods and then jumps on the bridge. Whit his feline reflexes it proved to be an easy task. He quickly got to the end of the bridge and pulled the lever; the sound of the door unlocking was heard a moment later, just what Ellen wanted to ear.

“I did it Ellen!” he cheerfully said after crossing back where she was, happily waving his tail left to right.

Ellen looks at him with a pleased smile. “Yes, I’m impressed. You can actually be helpful when you put some effort to it” she joked. Just as she promised she started to scratch his ears hearing the purrs of the cat demon who simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment.

A witch playing with her cat demon; as dangerous or unreal it could sound the scene was actually adorable to watch. Both Ellen and specially the cat demon seemed to have fun. He with his eyes closed, tilting his head and purring, feeling her gentle and soft fingers scratching his ears. She with a calmed smile on her face, quietly staring at him. Sadly the fun lasted for short.

“Now rub my belly Ellen” said the cat demon getting on his back. He closed his eyes waiting for the promised rub but what he got was something totally different. Without any warning Ellen kicked the cat demon into the hole, just like she did before with the frog.

“Ellen! You are so mean--nnn!“ said the cat while he was falling into the darkness, with a ticklish destiny waiting for him at the end.

Ellen gazes into the hole unpleased. “Like if I would ever give you a belly rub…” she said at the same time she crossed her arms, with her green eyes filled her hate and a cold voice. She keeps looking at the darkness for a few seconds before deciding it was better to move on.

Ellen opened the now unlocked door and entered the next area. It looked like a living room with different furniture and other decoration, a nice change from the boring and grey stone walls. It was a room with two tables, chairs, two shelves filled with candy and teabags, two paintings hanging from the wall with the same picture on them, some toys and finally four pots, two with flowers and two other with plants. The first thing anyone would notice is that the room was separated in two almost exactly the same parts, with the same furniture and decoration but in disorder. The only exception was the statue of a girl; that was the only thing alone in the room, without a pair. At the end of the room was a locked door.

Ellen placed a finger on her lips thinking deep about it; it had to be a puzzle of the witch house. “The puzzle must be making a mirrored image, but then what do I do about the statue?” she asked herself thinking for a few more seconds.

With curiosity she walks towards the statue until she is right next to it. She carefully examines the statue with a sharp look on her eyes; it was the image of a young girl, with two braids, holding a vase above her head. The statue had a neutral expression and was barefoot. Quickly she noticed something important, a key to solve the puzzle.

“My, you look so much like me” Ellen said to the statue knowing it wouldn’t answer, or at least hoping it wouldn’t. She was right, the resemblance of the statue with her was incredible. That could only mean that she was going to take its place on the mirrored image to open the door.

Ellen playfully poked the statute’s cheek and grinned. Her smile was filled with confidence; this was looking to be the easiest puzzle of all.

She first needed to rearrange the stuff on the room to create the mirrored image until just the statue was left. Move the candies and teabags inside the shelves. Move the flowers in the pots until each had the same number, and changing the placement of pots with big plants. Move the chairs and finally move the paintings.

Ellen stops in the middle of the work and sighs bored. “At least the puzzle didn’t ask me to clean the room” she said as a joke tired of wasting her time there. It is then that she noticed there was a stopped clock on one of the walls. It was right in the middle of the symmetry line so she didn’t have to do anything about it, but its presence made her curious. Ellen stopped to take look at it for a couple of seconds with serious eyes before telling herself it was nothing.

A few minutes later she had finally finished. Ellen placed a finger on her lips making a thinking gesture while she gives one last look all around the room to make sure everything is in place. “It looks ready” she said pleased at her own work.

The only thing left now was picking up the vase she found and making the same posture and face the statue had. In silence Ellen walked to the right spot and then prepared to put the vase on her head, that’s when she remembered something.

“That’s right, the statue is barefoot” she said before leaving the vase on the floor and taking off her shoes. She placed her shoes in such a way they made a mirrored image; she wasn’t going to fail for something as silly as that. Then she went back to the spot and putted the vase on her face, adopting the same posture as the statue.

She was expecting to hear the sound of the door unlocking but instead of that she saw how the room suddenly turned darker. That surprised Ellen but she focused to keep her expression and body in place. It was still possible to see but the atmosphere now was gloomy and scary.

The next surprise was that the clock suddenly moved; it gained life in that gloomy world. The clock hands moved quickly, making the sound old of clockwork, until they suddenly stopped pointing at 11:55. Then the hands began to move normally counting the time.

Ellen understood it instantly. It wasn’t as simple as just making a mirrored image; she also had to hold in place for five minutes for the door to unlock.

*tick* *tick* *tick* *tick*

She could now hear the sound of the clock with every second that passed. It only made the time feel much slower but Ellen wouldn’t give up so easily, she would patiently wait as much as she had to open the door, even if it she had to hear it enough times to lose her sanity.

The clocks keeps ticking but soon that wouldn’t be the only sound she would hear. The door where she came from unexpectedly opened and from it a big snake entered the room. Ellen couldn’t move her face but her eyes were staring at it with surprise. She felt a chill run all over her back at that moment; that snake wasn’t supposed to be there. The only good news was that the snake, just like the cook and the other inhabitants of the house, had suffered a transformation under Viola’s influence. Its appearance wasn’t as monstrous as before, it was much friendlier but by no means cute, at least not to Ellen.

The snake moves towards the statue, once it is close the snake stares at it moving its head to look from different angles; looks like its vision wasn’t good. Then Ellen is surprised to see the snake using its tail to poke the side of the stone girl. It pokes the statue in different spots, its sides, underarms and feet, trying to get a reaction out of it, but naturally nothing happens.

After just a minute the snake got bored of the statue. It turned its head to look around the room finding Ellen on the other side. No wasting time the snake moved towards her with surely the same intentions. There is no mistake, that would be the real challenge of the puzzle; to hold her still and not laugh while the snake tickles her.

Ellen gulps still not moving an inch, just nervously following the snake with her sight hoping she would think she is also an statue.

“Go away, go away, go away” Ellen repeated inside of her head but she had no luck. The Snake stared at her for a couple of seconds from different angles before suddenly poking her ribs with the tip of its tail. It felt like a finger poking her sides, it tickled but Ellen managed to hold it, however that was just the start.

After the first poke the snake moved to poke her naked underarms. Ellen’s was wearing a single piece white dress that exposed her underarms, good for the summer heat but terrible protection against tickling. The sensation was much stronger this time; Ellen felt the electricity moving across her body involuntary pressing her to smile. But the snake didn’t stop there, it then wiggled its tail like if it was a finger, tickling her armpit, wiggling and tickling her soft skin for long unbearable seconds.

Ellen’s lips shaped a big but forced smile, she couldn’t help it, the tickling was too much for her. She just wanted to laugh and then kick the snake but she had to remain still. The snake stopped and tilted its head in a curious gesture. Looks like it hadn’t notice she was real. Inside of her head Ellen cursed the snake using all the bad words she knew and then starting the list all over.

Finally the snake decided to tickle her feet. The pose Ellen had exposed one of her soles. The snake moved its tail using the tip to gently trace lines across her sole, very delicately, up and down. Just that was beyond unbearable to Ellen; she instantly began trembling unable to hold still. The expression on her face looked like if she was about to burst in laughs in any second, she never knew her feet were so ticklish.

“god, for how much longer do I have to wait?” she said in her mind looking at the clock, just one minute left for the door to unlock but she didn’t felt able to resist any longer. Every touch of the snake excited the nerves on her feet, it tickled really badly and with each second her urge to laugh only grew.

The snake later moved to her toes, Ellen’s soft skin was actually pleasing to tickle. The tail moved between the toes and tickled right bellow them, rubbing and wiggling very slowly. Ellen bit her lower lip feeling she was about to scream her laughs.

“dead, blood, pain, torture, sickness…” she listed different horrible things in her mind to forget about it but it was simply impossible. In the next second Ellen finally broke dropping the vase and taking a step back while hugging her belly and laughing loud.

“hahaha! S-stupihehed snhahake! She said between laughs seeing how the lights of the room were suddenly turned on. Ellen breathes to control her laughs and then took a good look at the snake. It was staring at her like a prey; that look said better than words what would happen next.

Ellen gulps staying quiet with fear showing on her green eyes. She hated the idea but there was no escape, she would have to laugh as punishment for failing. After staring at her for a couple of seconds the Snake moved quickly curling around her until just her head and feet were visible.

Naturally Ellen wasn’t happy in the least. “Stupid snake put me down!” she ordered just as a reflex, there was no point in complaining.

The snake stares at her unpleased face with curiosity for a couple of seconds before making its move. Ellen then felt its tail tickling her feet, strangely the skin of the snake’s tail had become softer, feeling with the same texture as a feather. That made the tickling many times more unbearable than the teasing before.

“ha-ahaha! S-thahahpid s-hahanke! L-heheht me go haha!” Ellen struggles hopelessly resisting but it’s impossible she could escape from the snakes embrace; all that is left for her now is to laugh. Her toes spread and curled with every touch of the snake as a reflex.

“l-hehet me go! Hahaha plehehease! Hahaha! I-I chahant thahake it!” after just a few minutes Ellen was crying and out of breath. The snake restlessly tickled her soles and toes with its feathery tail, enjoying the sound of her laughs and loving the helpless look on her pretty green eyes. She was even begging, a cruel witch begging for the tickling to stop is not something anyone could see.

“hahah f-for how lo-hahaha! Longer ar-haha are you going to tickle me?” Ellen asked with teary eyes feeling she was about to lose her mind. It is then than the room suddenly turns dark; this time it was impossible to see. Ellen then heard the sound of the clock moving fast. Without a reason she began to feel tired and sleepy, she lost all the strength to talk or even laugh, she only wanted to sleep. Surely she would awake that bed once again.


-------------------
Chapter 5

“Viola, I’m going to work now”
“Yes father, take care”

A man gives one last look at his daughter before closing the door; she has a beautiful and warm smile on his face. Viola had always been a good girl, a little rebellious sometimes but with a kind heart. However since that incident in the forest five years ago he noticed a slight change in her personality; she was kinder, more obedient and thoughtful. Naturally not once he thought she was a different person, in his mind the explanation was much simpler, Viola was grateful to him for coming to save her from that monster. That’s why she was making an effort to act like an “ideal” daughter; kind, helpful and loving.

For that man Viola meant everything, he had nothing else that could even come close to her value. His wife died after giving birth and he had no other children. The feeling was reciprocal, for Viola her father was the most important person in her life, he was someone kind and caring, someone she could trust like all fathers should be.

But what is he to Ellen? To the witch who killed her own parents and many other people to feed the witch’s house? She smiles at him every day, a sweet smile like no other, filled with warm love and happiness. Ellen plays to be Viola; she lived her life for those five years and enjoyed the warm happiness of a loving family, something she never knew before.

For Ellen it was easy, she had no remorse in tossing away her old self and pretending to be someone else, in fact she actually felt she was a better “Viola” than the original, much closer to the ideal daughter her father silently wished for but never said. But did she really love him? Or was he just a tool? A tool that gave her love valuable only while it keeps doing it. Would Ellen kill Viola’s father if she needed to? Would she feel bad if she did?

In the end, Ellen has been a witch for so long that no matter whom she pretends to be, inside she will always be a witch that kills others in despair to move a step closer to her own happiness.

“Ellen! Wake up!” said a familiar voice. It felt like if the past was repeating itself.

This time Ellen instantly wakes up. She lifts half of her body and rubs her eyes for a couple of seconds before giving a cold stare to the black cat. She looked painfully unpleased.

“Ellen?” he asked with curiosity at the same time he tilts his head opening his eyes wide. “Are you mad because you got tickled?” he added soon after. The way he looks at Ellen was actually cute.

Ellen stays silent for a moment and then sighs, closing her eyes. She later looks at the cat demon with malice, but somehow it didn’t felt aggressive, it was actually friendly in some strange way. Ellen grins at him. “Should I be mad? Why? It just made me laugh” she said with perfect elegance.

The cat blinks a couple of times while waving his tail. “Well, you were crying and begging…” he answered looking away from her for a moment. Then, when he looks back at her, he finds her green eyes with a stare so piercing and cold it felt they could kill.

“Ellen!” he said scared taking a step back and moving his ears and tail up like if he had sensed a predator.

Ellen stays quietly looking at him for a couple of seconds more before finally relaxing her expression. She gives him a small smile. “I was born sick; the only thing I ever felt from my feet and legs was pain. I have to confess I wasn’t prepared for this body to have so ticklish feet”

The cat demon nods after he hears her words and then sits on the bed. His tail waves in such a way he looks nervous. “Ellen, maybe I should tickle you. Just to help you find where your most ticklish spots are. That way you would be better prepared for the next trap” he said with pure innocence, not even trying to hide the fact he wanted to tickle her.

Ellen at first gives him a cold unpleased stare, but later she tilts her head and shows him a small smile filled with malice. “Is ok cat demon, I’m perfectly fine with not knowing, I’ll let it be a mystery for now” then she extend her hand towards him, teasingly wiggling her fingers. “But how about we find where your most ticklish spots are?” she added.

The cat instantly reacts jumping off the bed. “You are mean Ellen, a demon isn’t for tickling!” he said while angrily arching his body.

“Well witches don’t like to be tickled either; maybe except viola” Ellen answered scratching her head with curiosity after thinking about it. She later moved out of the bed, walking towards the mirror in the room. The room was exactly the same as the one before; actually it would be better to say it was the same room, the replica of the room where Ellen slept for countless nights.

Once again Ellen looks at her reflection on the mirror. Her face was exactly the same, but this time there was a more noticeable change with her body, one it was impossible to ignore.

Ellen froze for a second showing astonishment on her face, with her green eyes opened wide; but quickly that expression turned into anger.

“Cat demon…” she coldly called him in such a way it felt she was about to punish him. “Why are my breasts bigger?” she then said at the same time she turns to look at him, with an angry look on her eyes.

The cat put his tail and ears up in surprise. “w-what are you saying Ellen?” he shyly said.

“I had modest small breasts before and now they suddenly got bigger.” looking at her more carefully she was right, her curves were more noticeable now but to think the witch house wanted her to have bigger breast was as funny as it was ridiculous.

The cat doesn’t know what to say, if he was a human he would be blushing in embarrassment right now. She keeps staring at him for long seconds waiting for the cat to say something. “Ellen, look at your clothes” he finally answered with a very serious tone.

Ellen blinks with curiosity but little later does as he said. She then found a single hair on her clothes, that alone wouldn’t be special at all but its color was different from all the other gold ones; it was purple. Ellen’s eyes opened wide in surprise, her heart almost stopped after seeing it, she instantly knew who that hair belonged to. The room is filled with silence at that moment. She lowered her head and made a expressing filled with anguish.

Ellen took her sweet time before finding the courage to move her lips and ask him. “Cat demon, what is going on with me?” she said honestly worried.

The cat licks his paws a couple of times before giving her an answer. “You are changing but at the same time you are not” he said making it confusing on propose.

Ellen bit her lower lip with anxiety; she didn’t have patience for riddles. This time she looked different, she didn’t had her usual composure and elegance, she actually looked hurt by the idea of changing. “Don’t play with me, just tell me!” Ellen ordered.

There is no cute reaction out of him this time, nothing; he was being serious. “Viola altered the traps not only to be harmless but also to change your appearance every time you fail. They turn you back to your real looks” he pauses. “But it is only possible with the magic of the witch’s house; if you manage to get out you would instantly turn back to being Viola, so you don’t have to worry about that, it is like an illusion” he calmly said as If it was nothing.

“So I will go back to my old self?” Ellen coldly asked, still with her head down and anxiety showing on her face. She wasn’t good with the idea, it hurt her just to think about feeling that horrible pain once again, of being sick with a pain so great no one could love her.

The cat shakes his head in denial. “You are wrong Ellen, only your appearance will change, but you would still be as healthy and old as you are now”.

Those were good news. Ellen sighs after hearing him “that is a relief…” she said finally relaxing her expression. Ellen blinks and then looks directly at the cat demon. “Why is Viola doing this?”

The cat looks at her and waves his tail. He seemed livelier now. “She wants you to see yourself as ‘Ellen’ instead of ‘Viola”, to remind you who you are” the cat demon suddenly sighs with frustration after saying that. He then looks up into Ellen’s green eyes. “But it’s a useless effort, I know you Ellen, even if you change your name and body you never stopped being yourself”

“Maybe she just hates looking at me having her face” Ellen added thinking of another reason for doing that. In any case the cat was right, even if she went back to her old body or changed to other she would still be the same.

“That too” he answered at the same time he jumps on place.

Ellen smiles at his reaction, she was looking much better now. “Well, I don’t really like the idea of seeing my old face but if there is no pain then I don’t mind that much. And I guess that is better than thinking the witch’s house is making me a sexier every time I fail” Ellen joked.

The cat angrily arches his body when he heard her. “Don’t be silly Ellen!”

After hearing him Ellen giggles, elegantly hiding her lips behind one hand. Her gesture was so delicate and sweet the cat felt like blushing, he enjoyed her giggle even if she was teasing him.

Ellen looks at him for a couple of seconds. Since she has nothing else to ask she decides it’s time to leave the room and face the next trap. After opening the door she stops just before leaving the room. The cat demon silently follows her with his sight.

“Well I should continue to the next area” she simply said before closing the door behind her knowing he would meet her there. The cat demon closed his eyes; it felt like if the whole room had turned darker, like if soon after Ellen left a strange force drained its life. But that was no magic; it was only the natural feeling of an empty room, the quiet loneliness.

However all suddenly Ellen opened the door again making the cat open his eyes wide in surprise and move his tail up.

“E-Ellen! What are you doing here?” he asked while staring at her.

Ellen tilts her head with curiosity. “I was just checking I wouldn’t find a secret room or something different if I tried to backtrack” she said with serious honesty. Actually when Ellen was a witch going back did sent the victims to secret rooms sometimes and in others things changed in the room, like blood marks appearing or the inhabitants being dead.

The cat instantly jumped and then lowered his head and tail looking sad. For a second he tough about scolding Ellen but it wasn’t really her fault, she was just exploring. “I would love that, if the house was more confusing and magical, but Viola doesn’t really know how to… she is, again, a lame witch.

Ellen blinks a couple of times. “My, that is a bit sad… and boring” she said with an unpleased look on her face but quickly she gave it no more importance and closed the door. Hopefully she wouldn’t open it again.

With that curiosity out of her mind Ellen decided it was time to move to the next area. First she went down some wooden stairs until she reached the next floor. Inside the witch’s house up and down don’t really mean anything, one could go down stairs and somehow end at the attic. The magic of the house makes it like that, confusing and unpredictable. It would much better to say that inside the witch house is like getting inside a fairy tale, a fantasy world that can bend logic.

The only thing Ellen was sure of is that if she kept moving deeper she would eventually find the ‘poison’ she needed.

After the stairs Ellen walked through a hallway. This time it was much more elegant and refined than the boring underground tunnel. It was like the hallway of a castle or big mansion except there weren’t any doors. There was a red carpet on the floor and some statues of cats on top of pedestals. Ellen suddenly stops after noticing the cat demon in the place where a statue should be. She quietly looks at him with a neutral expression for a couple of seconds before moving on, simply ignoring him.

Around the corner there was a door leading to the next room. It was dark and silent; the air was cold and damp. That room had a complete redesign; the floor and walls were made of metal, also there were no furniture or ornaments to embellish the place.

Ellen coldly stares into the room for a second before stepping inside. She then moves like if it was nothing, she wasn’t afraid of the dark in the least. Luckily it wasn’t so dark she couldn’t see. Ellen keeps moving until she finds a wall with 4 doors. On the wall there were faces drawn, with their mouth open. The drawings had so little detail it looked like if a child had done then, but somehow that combined to the spooky atmosphere only made it more unnerving.

The doors were painted in such a way it looked like they leaded to the belly of the ‘monsters’.

Ellen stops and thinks. She places a finger on her lips while gazing at the faces. “If I remember correctly I need to enter the one with just one eye open, the others will eat me” she pauses and sighs. “Although being Viola I guess they would just kiss me until I get tired of it…” she said annoyed at the idea.

Ellen look becomes serious again. She knew the answer but there was still a problem, all the faces had their eyes open, and this time it didn’t look like there would be a hidden one. She lowered her head to think deeper about it.

“Did Viola make an impossible riddle?” she asked herself but quickly Ellen shook her head in denial “No, that makes no sense”

It is then that she noticed something, one of the faces apparently blinked. It was barely noticeable but it happened, Ellen was sure of it.

Ellen tilts her head with curiosity and stares at that particular face for a few seconds. She then smiled with confidence before walking towards it. “I think I know the answer to this riddle” Ellen said just before standing on the tip of her toes and poking one of the face’s eyes.

There was no sound, no complain of pain or annoyance, but the face closed its eye and the other gazed at Ellen with anger. Naturally she didn’t care about it. She just saw pleased the result of her work and then proceeded to open the door leading to the next area.

It was a hallway with five doors, two on the left, two on the right and one at the end. Curiously there was a note right at the entrance.

Ellen stares at the note with curiosity. “My, I haven’t seen one of you in a while” she joked before reading what it said. “Don’t make ‘noise’ in four rooms.” Ellen tilts her head confused but after a while she told herself it wouldn’t be clear until she explored the other rooms.

With that in mind Ellen enters the first room at her right. It looks normal, just a nice room to drink tea with a friend, with comfortable chairs, a small table between them, a clock on the wall, and some china inside a shelf. It looks normal however it is dead silent, not a single sound is heard inside the room like if some mysterious force had stole all of them. That silence is unpleasant and unnerving, but Ellen doesn’t let it bother her.
She walks around and looks at all the stuff; on the table there are two empty tea cups and a teapot, it was as if someone were using them just a moment ago.

“Would you like more tea Viola?”

It’s been so long since she said those words but for instant the image appeared on her mind, so lively it felt like if it had happened just a few seconds ago. Ellen gave her such a cheerful smile at that time, but inside she was rotten, she was just trying to earn her trust and friendship.

Ellen stares coldly at the table for a moment. That place was untouched by time, there was no dust, no remodeling, nothing out of place. It looked like that room had a deep meaning for Viola so she left it just like that. Inside her head Ellen told herself that she didn’t want to forget how she betrayed her, she wanted that room to remember her how Ellen ticked her to believe she was a nice and lonely girl.

In any case it doesn’t matter. Without saying a word Ellen gave one last look at the frozen and quiet room before getting out. Not even the sound of the door closing could be heard.

Once Ellen got out she felt like if the world had gained its colors back. She could now hear the faint sounds of the house once again. On the wall, near the door, there was a lighted candle showing she had passed the first test of the riddle, just tree more to go.
“Ellen!” said the cat demon on the ground calling her attention. “How is everything going?” he asked full of energy talking like if it was something was nothing special.

Ellen lowers her head to look at him. “It’s going fine, the first room was actually very easy but I fear the next tree won’t be as much”

The cat demon nods, closing his eyes for a moment. “I’m sure the next ones have tickle traps of some kind” he said before opening his eyes just to see at Ellen complete ignoring him and going to the next door.

“Hey! Ellen, don’t ignore me like that!” he said while angrily arching his body.

Ellen stops on her tracks and turns her head to look at him with a confused look like if she didn’t get why he was angry, little later she smiles at him. “Sorry cat demon but I don’t feel chatty right now; I just want to finish this” she said before opening the door and entering the next room.

The cat sighs but he doesn’t complain, just sees her go inside and close the door behind her.

Ellen entered the first room on the left. The first thing one could notice is that it had a big piano in the center. There was also a shelf with books inside and many pots with flowers. Next to the piano there was a chair with a human sized lead toy soldier on it. His hands were on the piano like if he was trying to play it. On his left a fake gun was laying on the ground.

Ellen places a finger on her lips thinking what the riddle on the room was. She then walks getting closer to the piano. It was broken, it didn’t look like it when she entered the room but now that looked closer sow that the pieces inside the piano were broken. With curiosity she pressed a couple of keys but just like she expected nothing happened.

“Hello Miss Ellen!” all suddenly the soldier said turning his face towards her. His move has so unexpected that it scared her; Ellen jumped from the impression but managed to hold her mouth closed, not making a sound. She covered her mouth with both hands.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you” said the toy soldier at the same time he shyly scratches his cheek. Looks like only Ellen had prohibited making sound. “I was just happy that you came here. It’s been so long since last I saw you, like 3 months or something”

“(Great, this one is crazy)” Ellen said inside her mind moving her hands down while staring at him. Her face had a cold unpleased expression with the annoyance reflecting on her green eyes.

“Something wrong Miss Ellen? You look in a bad mood” he asked a bit worried while staring at her face. “Oh, I know, you are just bored. Maybe I should tell you one of those super jokes for witches”

“(No please, not that crap again)” Ellen thought while waving her hands, telling him with the gesture to stop.

The toy soldier scratches his head. “Are you sure? They are pretty good you know”
“(yes, I’m sure you idiot)” Ellen nods telling him she was sure.

The toy soldier shrugs. “Oh well, is your loss” he said before turning his face at the piano. The solider presses the keys but no sound is heard, still it didn’t seem to bother him. “Miss Ellen, let me tell you something curious. I asked Miss Viola for a new piano but I fear she is not going to buy it. I mean, I love this piano but I feel something is missing”

“(Yes, you are playing a music instrument that makes no sound you lead head)” Ellen hit her forehead with one palm after hearing him say that; it was painful, his stupidity. She then breathes trying to relax. Is not the time to get angry, she needs to solve the riddle and then continue, or else she wouldn’t be able to go home.

Ellen points at the broken parts of the piano and makes the gesture of crying; then she points at herself and makes a gesture of giving him a hand. She was actually good at talking without saying a word.

“Oh, you want to help me Miss Ellen?” the toy soldier said with cheerful voice getting the message perfectly.

“(Yes, I want to help)” she nods while looking at him with a fake but kind smile.

“Oh that’s perfect” he said filled with happiness just before teasingly wiggling his fingers in front of her, with his face showing a big smile. “I would love to play your rib-piano Miss Ellen” he added.

Ellen gulps making a surprised face for a second that quickly changes to anger. She should have expected something like that, but as much as she hates it that looks to be the answer for that room. She will have to endure having her ribs tickled without laughing. With no other choice Ellen gives him an inviting smile accepting the idea.

“L-lovely!” he said clapping his hands a couple of times. Then he placed his hands on Ellen’s sides getting ready to start a symphony of laughter.

Ellen bit her lower lip showing a troubled expression on her face the moment she felt his fingers tickling her sides. Every touch felt like electricity. His fingers skillfully pressed her ribs just like piano keys tickling much worse than she initially expected.

She closed her eyes while her legs trembled and her hands clenched in fist; she was clearly struggling to not laugh, using all of her will. Her helplessness made her look adorable.

“(god, how long are you going to tickle me?!)” her ribs weren’t as ticklish as her feet but the touches of the toy soldier were very skilled. The snake of before was nothing compared to that.

(s-stop, stop, stop… just stop!) She repeated on her head feeling at the edge of breaking but the toy soldier couldn’t read her mind and most certainly wouldn’t care if he could. All of his attention was on pressing her ribs with a rhythm that tickled worse than it felt possible.

A forced smile appeared on Ellen’s face. She finally opened her eyes showing they were teary; her cheeks were blushing and her hands shaking. She wasn’t going to last another minute. But fortunately the soldier stopped little after.

“That was a wonderful performance, don’t you agree Miss Ellen?” the toy soldier said filled with satisfaction for being able to play a ‘piano’.

Ellen on the other side hugged her belly while she breathes trying to relax. “(That was horrible. If you weren’t made of lead I would had kicked you ribs)” she thought while paradoxically giving him a sweet smile and nodding in agreement.

“Well then, thank you very much. I’ll stay here and wait for miss Viola to buy a new piano” he said before turning to face the piano, going back to his original and silent position like if he was turning back to being just a toy.

“(I hope a piano falls over your head)” she thought, giving one last and unpleased look at him before heading out of the room.

“Ellen! You made it! The second candle has been lit” the cat demon cheerfully said at the same time he jumps in place.

Ellen stares at him and then shows him a small smile “of course. Did you ever doubt me?” she said acting cool but just moments ago she was at the edge of losing.

“There are still two more rooms Ellen, you can’t call it a victory just yet” the cat demon added before licking his paws.

Ellen exhales and makes an inpatient expression, but little later she smiles at him with malice. “Just wait and see cat demon” she said before moving towards the second door on the right.

Once she got inside it felt like if she had entered other world. It was dark and quiet, dead quiet. The only light there was given by blue candles on the walls. The air was eerie and unnerving; it felt like if something was waiting there for her, watching her from the shadows.

Ellen felt that room oppressive but she just walked around like if it was nothing. The room had many chairs and sofas with tables in between them; each with a different but particular style. On the tables there were teacups, cookies and different board games: poker, chess, snake and ladders, dices. The games were halfway with no winner or loser. It looked like if someone had been playing them just recently, like if when she opened the door they simply vanished from existence.

Ellen stares at the tables with intrigue. That room feels more uncomfortable than the other harmless riddles of before; that room was genuinely scary. She extends one hand feeling the desire to touch one of the objects in a table but just before doing it she changes her mind.

After that Ellen continues to explore the room. In one of the walls, there were four paintings hanging. They were all different but were part of a set called: ‘punishing witches’. They are old oleo paintings, made with great detail and very descriptive for being a single image.

The first one was a trail were a young woman with gold eyes was declared guilty. She had a submissive expression on her face like if she had accepted her fate. It wasn’t a nice image to see, especially not for Ellen.

The next was a woman in a dungeon. She was chained to a wall and being tickle tortured by the happy executioners who apparently were having lots of fun using feathers and fingers to squeeze all the laughs out of the poor woman. It was a different woman than the one of the first painting but once again she had gold eyes.

The third had a woman on the stocks, again with gold eyes, being tickle punished by the public. The peasants were tickling the hopeless woman who couldn’t do anything but laugh and beg in despair, but they didn’t look like were going to stop anytime soon.

And the final painting had a woman tied, naked and being licked by black cats all over her body. She had a huge smile on her face and teary golden eyes. The people around her were just laughing at her ticklish despair and pouring more milk on her feet and belly.

After seeing them Ellen bit her lower lip with anxiety; there is no mistake that was intentional. “(I have to give you this Viola, these paintings are actually scary)”. She was being honest. Ellen’s real eye color is not green but golden, like all the girls in the paintings; she was the witch being trailed and tortured. Even though the witches were just being tickled the images had a clear tone of malice in them. It was more than just a playful tickle torture.

Ellen narrows her eyes and looks at them one more time. They must be an image of Viola’s hatred towards Ellen; after what she did to her it was only understandable. But even if she hated her Viola didn’t want to make Ellen suffer, she tickle tortured her but just that, she couldn’t find the malice inside of her to actually show images of witches being tortured with pain.

Ellen grins with malice while she stares at the forth painting. “(I wonder if the cat demon would actually do that”) she thought covering her lips with elegance later, saying with the gesture that she found the idea funny. Of course if he tried it she would kick him to oblivion.

“Ellen…”

It is then that she suddenly heard something. Ellen turns to look at the other paintings. It was faint, a whisper, but she clearly heard her name. Ellen blinks with curiosity fixing her sight on one of the paintings until all suddenly it moved out of the wall revealing itself as a monster inhabitant.

“Ellen” The second painting chases Ellen while repeating her name with an eerie voice. Naturally her reaction was running the hell out of there. The painting floats behind her, surrounded by a dark and unnatural aura. Luckily for her it was a little slower, just a tiny bit.

It is then that the chairs and tables unexpectedly move to hinder Ellen’s escape, but she was agile enough to jump them or move away before the painting could get her. The door was close now. Ellen quickly opened and escaped the room closing the door behind her making a loud noise.

The third candle was lit now, she passed the test. Ellen then closed her eyes took a deep breath trying to relax. When she opened her eyes again she felt something was missing. Ellen looks around just to find that the cat demon is gone.

Her heart was still beating fast. It had been a long time since she had been that scared.

“Stupid cat” Ellen murmured a little angry because he left her. She then thought that maybe Viola had called him. So far he had been making her company but he should be with Viola and not her, she was her witch even if he didn’t like her.

Ellen sighs letting her anxiety go away with her breath, then she fills her lungs with air gaining new courage. Just one more room left. Trying not to think more about it she walks towards the door and opens it.

What she saw confused her so much she almost loses right away. “(w-what is this?)” She asked herself while staring with her green eyes open wide at a room that shouldn’t be there. The door closed behind her locking itself. She wouldn’t be getting out until she solved the riddle.

The room had a big hallway and many old, damaged and apparently empty shelves just at the entrance. Ellen recognized it instantly; that was the poisoned room which led to the special poison that could kill witches. The poison was gone but there was something else on the ground, a carpet of blue petals. At the end of the hallway there was a no door but a pedestal with a cushion on it.

Viola had changed the placement of that room and created a new trap for it.
Before trying to cross the hallway Ellen thought it was better to check the shelves first. Inside of them, besides dust, she found a note, a small metal box and a pair of red shoes. The box was glued to the shelf so she couldn’t take it with her.

She first opened the box finding 4 keys inside of them, numbered with roman numbers: I, II, IV and V. one was missing. Ellen smiles pleased, clearly that was the answer, she needed to find the missing key at the end of the hallway and put it with the others.

Ellen then read the note. “(The blue petals complain a lot when someone steps on them. They are very noisy, but they don’t see well, they can’t see XXX color)” after reading it Ellen tilts her head thinking that was too obvious, she just had to wear the red shoes to cross the hallway or else the petals would make noise and she would lose.

The only thing left was wearing the shoes but Ellen didn’t feel confident about them at all. There was a fairy tale about red shoes that made anyone who wore them dance until they died. When the hallway had poison Ellen had to use crystal shoes to cross it, but before washing them they were blood red, and cursed. Naturally she didn’t expect to have a deadly trap there, but surely it wasn’t going to be as easy as just walking.

“(Well, let’s just do it already”) she told herself ending with a sigh. She knew it was a trap but there was no way around it, she would have to endure it and solve the riddle to move to the next area.

With that in mind Ellen took off her shoes and put on the red ones. They were very comfortable actually. She breathes closing her eyes for a second before opening them again with courage. She took the first step. Nothing happens; there is no sound or effect on the shoes. Even then Ellen’s face was still filled with anxiety.

Ellen takes another step with the same results. Seeing that nothing happens she kept walking towards the pedestal at the end of the long hallway. It took her a couple of minutes to get there. Just like she expected the missing key was silently resting on the red cushion, waiting for her to take it.

Ellen stares at the key numbered III with inexpressive eyes for a few seconds before taking with her. She didn’t smile or look happy at all, just coldly serious. Then she begins walking back, and it is at that moment that she felt it. A chill ran all over her back when suddenly she felt something tickling her feet from inside her shoes; it was like if inside there were hundreds of tiny people that skillfully tickled her feet all over. Running their nails all over her arches, rubbing her heels, wiggling their fingers under her toes and in between them; even the upper part of her feet were being massaged and tickled without mercy, just skilled endless touches that urged her to laugh.

Ellen opened her green eyes in surprise while covering her mouth with one hand making a nervous gesture. That was the trap, it was going to tickle her mad all the way back. It had just started and it already felt overwhelming.

“(Damned, Viola this is unfair. Don’t you know how unbearably ticklish are your feet?)” She said feeling her lips being forced to smile, but she had to remain quiet. Desperate to end with this Ellen began running through the hallway, but that played against her. Moving faster made her shoes tickle her faster too.

“(ha-haha, no more… please haha I can’t take- hahaha it!”)” inside her head Ellen was laughing. She was close to the end but her desperation combined with the unbearable tickling made her trip and fall on the blue petals.

“Hey, what is your problem lady?”
“Yeah, don’t you see we are trying to sleep?!”
“You are being rude lady!”

Ellen, with teary eyes, saw how groups of petals trembled while talking. Her face was filled with anxiety, she didn’t want to lose, not like that, but it was over; when the petals talked the test had failed. Little later Ellen heard the sound of the door locking again, this time it wasn’t going to open.

“w-whahaht?! Ahahare you going to leavhahaha me hehehere!?” Ellen complained feeling how the tickling got even more intense.

“y-hahahHAHAHA! NAAHAH! Its hahaha nhahaht fairhahah!” Ellen just falls on the petals and rolls while hugging her belly, laughing mad with no apparent end to it. The petals complain some more but she couldn’t listen to it, her laughs were too loud.

“t-hhahaha this hahaha is mehehehan! Hahaha! I- sthahahp! Hahaha plehahahse!”

Ellen keeps laughing for a few minutes that for her felt endless. Those shoes were real torture devices; at least they felt like that to her. Her face was red, her eyes teary and her skin covered in sweat. Her belly hurt a little from laughing so much, but she couldn’t stop.

“k-yhahah hahaha! Hahaha!”

The witch laughs and laughs with nothing else to say, until suddenly she felt really tired. In an instant her body felt heavy and sleepy, like if something had stolen her energy. Her laughs finally stop but there is still a big smile on her face. Ellen quietly lies on the floor and then closes her eyes. She falls into a deep sleep knowing that once again she would go back to that room.

------------------------
chapter 6

A smell fills the air. It is a sweet smell that many people would find pleasant, if not everyone, but for Ellen it was all the opposite; that sweet smell filled her soul with hatred. She found it disgusting, more than anything else. The smell of bread fresh out of the oven.

“Ellen, Ellen wake up!” said the cat demon standing on the bed right next to her.

Her whole body is under the sheets hiding her face to everyone, but that wasn’t intentional, she simply liked to sleep like that. “I don’t want to…” she lazily answered.

“Wake up, Ellen!” the cat insisted. He was being annoying, much worse than any alarm clock there could exist. Curiously that was a common scene in the witch’s house for many years. When Ellen lived there the cat demon used to wake her up every morning.

“Don’t be lazy Ellen, or else you won’t be back home before night” he then said acting more serious, at the same time he arched his body like if he was angry.

Ellen sighs unpleased from under the sheets, she didn’t feel in the mood to be tickled again but he was right, she didn’t have time to be lazy. Ellen takes a few seconds before she finally lifts half of her body reviling herself.

“E-Ellen!” said the cat demon confused as soon as he saw her, with his eyes open wide in surprise. “You are back Ellen!” he then added at the same time he jumps in place full of energy.

Ellen lazily rubs her eyes ignoring him. She already knew what he meant; her appearance was back to her original self. She then turns her head to face him. “You are too noisy cat demon” she said annoyed, but after a few seconds she gives him a smile filled with malice.

She looked completely different; her hair was very long now, reaching her hips, straight and with a beautiful but rare purple color. Her skin was paler, like porcelain, a beautiful color appropriate for a girl who never went out of her house. Her gold eyes stare at the cat with a friendly look, they are like beautiful jewels, is almost a hard to believe such beautiful and rare eyes could belong to a person so cruel and merciless. Her figure too had changed becoming more curvy and sensual; Ellen’s original body has a delicate and feminine beauty that surpasses that of Violas body. Just as the cat demon said before she has the same age Viola’s body had, 18 years.

The cat demon gazes at her, immobile like if he had suddenly become a statue, with a frozen expression of astonishment on his face and his tail up.

Noticing that Ellen tilts her head “what’s wrong cat demon?” she asked with a confident smile.

“y-you look so beautiful Ellen! I’m impressed!” he then added jumping in place a couple of times.

Ellen waits a few seconds before talking back. “Thank you” that was the first time the cat had made a honest compliment to her, before he only called Ellen ‘cute’ with so much indifference it was boring. “But I hate this body” she later added. Her smile changes from confidence to malice and then she erases it looking unpleased.

“Don’t say that Ellen. Even if you look like that you aren’t sick” the cat said but Ellen ignores him, she looks around noticing something was different this time.

“This is my real room…” she murmured. This time it wasn’t just an imitation; that was the same room where she slept countless nights.

Ellen looks down and blinks a couple of times while she thinks what it could mean, then she turns her head to look at the cat with curiosity. “Cat demon, what would happen if I fail another time?”

“If you fail this time the house will make you a prisoner” he answered with a serious voice, his eyes are fixed on Ellen’s face.

Ellen’s expression is cold and unpleased. “I guess that makes sense, Viola surely wants to torture me until I accept to switch bodies with her” she said emotionless. It is then that she realizes something, saying it made her think about a very crucial point.

If Viola forces her to switch bodies, what would happen with her? Ellen’s original body was so broken it must have eroded to nothingness. Viola can live thanks to the magic of the witch’s house but, after switching where would Ellen’s soul go? The answer was obvious, without a body she would die. Thinking about that made Ellen smile with irony.
“Ellen?” asked the cat demon with curiosity, at the same time he waves his tail, but she doesn’t answer.

Later Ellen suddenly moves the sheets away exposing her whole body. She was wearing white pajamas. Then, out of nowhere, Ellen starts to slowly slide a finger up and down tickling her left foot, moving it delicately. She could feel the ticklish sensations with every move of her finger.

“E-Ellen, what are you doing?” asked the cat demon unable to believe it. He was so embarrassed he could be blushing.

Ellen stops for a second and turns her face at him. “I am just checking if my ticklish spots have changed with my body” she confessed like if it was nothing. She had a good point.

“I don’t remember ever being tickled. All I could feel from my legs was pain, but now that I’m healthy it looks like I am actually ticklish. Fortunately it doesn’t seem my feet are as ticklish as Viola’s” she said remembering for a second how bad it tickled before.

Ellen then moves her hands poking her ribs a few times and later wiggles her fingers under her arms, testing her sensitivity. It was hard to say but she expected to be very ticklish, even if she really wasn’t the house would surely made her like that. What she couldn’t know was which would be her new weak spot. It was then that she noticed the look the cat demon had on his face. He was gazing at her with so much fascination it was a bit unnerving.

Ellen looks at him unpleased but then she suddenly smiles. “Cat demon, would you like to help me? Is not easy to tickle oneself, it would be better if some else does it” she said calling him with her eyes.

The cat instantly reacted opening his eyes wide and raising his tail. He was more than exited with the idea. “I would be glad to help you Ellen!” he cheerfully answered, but soon his mood would be ruined. With no advice Ellen tossed a pillow at him hitting the cat in the face.

“Ellen! What was that for!” he complained arching his body in anger.

Ellen smiles while looking at him with malice on her gold eyes. “I was just joking. I would die before letting you tickle me cat demon”

“That’s so mean Ellen!” he answered at the same time he lowers his tail looking sad.

Ellen just smiles at him, hiding her lips behind one hand with elegance. Then she finally gets up and walks towards the mirror. The reflection she saw was very beautiful, but unpleasant to her. She didn’t want to be that person any more; she wanted to be ‘Viola’, not herself. What she couldn’t deny is that it was interesting to see her adult face. For many years she lived as little girl, the magic of the house stopped her aging wherever she wanted it or not.

Ellen looks at herself with mild annoyance. “My hair is a mess…” she murmured before taking a brush to fix her hair.

The cat walks towards her, staring at her long hair being brushed. “You have such a beautiful hair Ellen, even if it is messy like that” he said with honesty.

Ellen keeps looking at the mirror. “I really hate my hair” she said unpleased.

“If you hate it, why don’t you just cut it short?” the cat demon suggested, sitting on the floor while looking at her with interest.

Ellen stays quiet for a few seconds and then she looks at him with a serious expression on her face. “How to say it… all of my life I have had my hair very long, so even if I hate it I can’t cut it short, it is a part of me” she said with pure honesty.

The cat demon closes his eyes for a moment and then quietly licks his paws. He waits for Ellen to finish brushing her hair. Once she is done the next step would be changing to her clothes, she can’t solve the riddles wearing pajamas, it wouldn’t be elegant at all.

With that in mind Ellen walks towards the wardrobe in the room and opens it finding a good selection of pretty dresses inside, perfectly clean and ready to be wore. She instantly remembered them; those were her own clothes, looks like Viola was kind enough to keep Ellen’s clothes and other personal items inside the room. All the dresses had changed to fit her adult body. Ellen stares at the dresses for a few seconds before picking one; it was a red dress with a long skirt and white sleeves, her favorite one.

Before changing Ellen gives a look at the cat demon who seemed to be sleeping. It was silly but for a moment she felt embarrassed of changing with him in the room, however little later she forgot about it. Ellen took off her pajamas exposing her delicate body; for a moment she looked at her herself unsure of what to feel about it, but soon enough she resumed changing. After putting on the dress Ellen put on a pair of black stockings, and then red shoes. Finally she ties a red ribbon on the back of her head.

“Ellen” suddenly said the cat behind of her. He had his eyes open wide with astonishment. “You look so incredibly beautiful!” he was honestly impressed, for him Ellen looked so magically beautiful, a beauty that had no name, like a fairy tale princess, but she was a witch.

Ellen turns to face him, then she tilts her head and gives him a small smile pleased with his compliment. “Thank you cat demon, but compliments won’t stop me from killing your witch” she said with malice reflecting on her gold eyes.

The cat demon arches his body like if he was angry. “I was just being honest!” he complained.

After watching his reaction Ellen elegantly hides her lips behind one hand and giggles. Later she blinks staring at him for a few seconds before relaxing her expression. “Anyway you are right cat demon, I need to end with this soon and go home before night falls or else Viola’s father is going to get worried”

The cat nods in silence and then waves his tail left to right. The room gets silent soon after that, there was nothing more to talk about. After giving the cat one last look Ellen walks towards the door.

“Ellen” said the cat just when she was about to open the door. Ellen turns her head to look at him with curiosity. “Be careful, this is your last chance” it was cute to see him worry about her.

Ellen blinks and then shows him a small smile. “I’ll be alright cat demon. My true body might not be as strong as Viola’s but somehow I feel shaper with it”.

It is a bit difficult to say, Ellen’s relationship with the cat demon was like the one she had with her own hair. She hated him, but at the same time he was someone important for her. The cat demon picked her because she was a hopeless girl, someone who was silently begging for help, to be loved. He liked her, that wasn’t a lie, but in the end he is a demon, and he would never stop acting like one, not even to help her favorite witch.
After that Ellen finally opened the door and got out of the room. There is no more room for failure, this time she had to do it perfectly.

She walks through the hallway leading to the next area, it was well illuminated and elegant but she couldn’t care any less about it, the only thing that mattered is that she had to cross it. After a few minutes she finds the door at the end of the hallway. Without hesitation Ellen opened it seeing what was at the other side.

What she saw surprised her, it was a pleasant surprise. The next area was the garden, the last area of witch’s house that separated her from her goal, but also the hardest.
Ellen smiles pleased while staring at the garden. It had a big tree in the middle and an empty bench under its shadow. Naturally the plants of the witch’s house weren’t anything like normal plants, they were more like fairy tale ones being capable of talking and with special powers.

Ellen walks into the garden and then places a hand on her lips, thinking with a serious face while she looks around. There are three doors in the area besides the entrance; one on the left wall, one on the right, and the last one right in front of her. The third door is blocked by chains meaning that is the one she needed to cross, but first she needed to solve the puzzle.

Without saying a word Ellen thought it would be best to first explore the rooms. She first opened the door at her right finding some kind of dungeon. As soon as she entered Ellen bit her lower lip with anxiety, something was wrong there. The air felt cold an oppressing. It was gloomy and there was something unnerving about that place, it felt like if something was watching her, or rather silently calling for her, calling for her particular name, “Ellen”, as if that place knew her.

That sensation was beyond unpleasant but she couldn’t let it stop her. Ellen shook her head and the sensation and then proceeded to explore the dungeon.

There were three cells, of those two were open and one more was locked. Ellen tries to look inside of it but it was too dark. At the end of the hallway there was a birdcage with ‘something’ inside. Ellen could sense a presence in it but it was hard to see it, the faint shape of a bird made with very pale light. Ellen stares at the birdcage for a few seconds, thinking about what it could be, before deciding it was better to continue.

She then entered the closest of the open cells. It was a normal room, almost empty, with just a wardrobe and a bed on it. Without thinking about it Ellen sat at the edge of the bed. It was hard and not very comfortable, nothing compared to the soft and big bed where she was sleeping just a while ago.

“What a crappy bed” Ellen said making an unpleased face. Little later she realized there was something on the floor. She blinks with curiosity and then goes and picks it up, lifting it at the height of her gold eyes; it was a jade pipe. Ellen stares deep at the pipe feeling there was a special meaning to it, but she couldn’t quite grasp it. At the end she simply left the pipe on the bed, the cell seemed to have nothing of use so there was no point on staying there.

Ellen then checked the other cell; inside she found something unexpected, five red talking plants. The red plants are very knowledgeable but they always lie, she could remember that.

“Looks like Viola is not very fond of lairs” Ellen said as a joke ending with a malicious smile.

After hearing her one of the red plants shakes. “Miss Viola loves lairs, but that’s not thanks to you” it said with a neutral voice like if it couldn’t care any less. In any case it was only to be expected.

“To solve the puzzle you need to laugh a lot miss Ellen” then said other plant shaking while it talks.

“No, no; to solve the puzzle you need to do nothing” added other plant.

“There is nothing of value inside the locked cell” said the fourth one giving an important clue.

“None of the inhabitants of the witch’s house wants to tickle you miss Ellen” finally said the last one. That was such an obvious lie it was almost painful.

Ellen looks at the plants for a moment before hiding a smile behind one hand with perfect elegance. She had heard just what she needed.

“Ellen doesn’t think you are all a bunch of idiots” she said before turning over and leaving the cell, giggling on the way out. It was time to leave the dungeon and explore the other room, she would need to go back there later but for now there was nothing more to do.

When she got back to the garden she found the cat demon sitting on the bench.
“Ellen!” he called her. “How is the puzzle solving going?” he said while happily waving his tail.

Ellen walks towards him until they are close enough to talk. “So far is going good, nothing has tried to make me laugh, yet” she said clearly not eager about it.

The cat demon closed his eyes and lowered his face, thinking for a moment. “Well you have just started; later I’m sure something will try to tickle you Ellen” after saying that the cat opened his eyes noticing she wasn’t there anymore.

“E-Ellen!” he said upset seeing she was about to open the next door.

When she heard him Ellen stops and turns her head to look at him. “Sorry cat demon, I don’t feel in the mood for chatting”

The cat sighs looking disappointed but he doesn’t complain beyond that. Without waiting any longer Ellen crosses the door entering the next area. It is a living room with a big table right near the entrance, a big clock and some shelves with plates, teapots, teacups and the necessary ingredients to make a wonderful tea along with some cookies and candy.

On the table there are four plants, with yellow flowers, drinking tea while they gossip like if they were old ladies. The yellow plants love to talk badly of the other inhabitants behind their backs.

“The cook is so fat, he should go on a diet” said one of the plants finding the approval of the others who shake and jump fully agreeing.
“But even if he got thinner he would still be very ugly” added other one.
“So truth!” agreed the other plants while jumping in place.

Ellen makes an unpleased face after watching that. She couldn’t care any less about the love needy cook, but she hates that kind of people.

It was then that one of the plants noticed her presence. “Miss Ellen, it’s been a while” she said followed by the other plants.

“Oh miss Ellen, what a pleasant surprise”
“you look so beautiful Miss Ellen”
“yes, much better than last time we saw you”

Ellen felt annoyed by that but she hides it showing a kind smile. “Hello, it’s been a long time” she said feeling the plants could have a clue to solve the puzzle.

“Would you like to drink some tea with us Miss Ellen?” said one of the plants inviting her. On the table there was an empty seat with a teacup ready to be filled.

“Yes, that would be lovely” followed other fully excited with the idea.

“I don’t know, I have some work to do” Ellen said acting with perfect elegance and respect. Drinking tea was something she enjoyed, but that was not the right time to do it.

“Please Miss Ellen, makes us some company” said one of the plants hoping to convince her.

“Yes, if you do we will give you something good” followed another saying just what Ellen needed to hear. Drinking tea with the plants was with no doubts part of the puzzle.

Ellen instantly grins with confidence. “Well if you put it like that I can’t reject your invitation” she said before sitting on the empty chair. Soon after that one of the plants used its vines to take the teapot and serve some tea to Ellen, at the same time other plant moves a small plate with cookies closer to her. They were being too kind, but that is only in the surface.

“Miss Ellen I need to tell you something. We have one rule and that is you have to act like a proper lady while drinking with us” then said one of the plants.

“Yes, but don’t worry, we are all sure you have perfect manners”
“Yes, for a lady as beautiful and elegant as you this must be nothing”

Ellen stared at them with a serious face after hearing that. There must be a trap of some sort, but for now she wasn’t going to worry about it. Ellen elegantly took her cup and sipped a little of tea. “It is delicious” she said giving an honest compliment.

The plants seemed happy of hearing that. “Tell us Miss Ellen, what have you been doing these past five years?” asked one of the plants trying to start a conversation.

Ellen blinks thinking about it for a second. “Not much really, at least nothing very interesting. I mostly help my father with the house work” she said before taking a second sip.

“That doesn’t sound good at all”
“yes, it sounds too boring”

“Do you at least have good books in your new house miss Ellen?” asked one of the plants shaking while it talks.

Ellen closes her eyes for a moment and shakes her head in denial. “Not many, we have a few books but Viola’s father is not really a fan of reading, and neither was her. But it doesn’t matter; whenever I want to have fun I just go-- out” Ellen trembles a little before finishing her sentence. She felt something grab her feet from under the table but she managed to keep a straight face.

“Something is wrong Miss Ellen?” asked one of the plants pretending to be innocent when it was more than clear that it had something to do with that.

“No, it’s nothing” Ellen answered showing her a perfect smile, at the same time she feels something crawling under her skirt. She felt vines entwining her legs, the plants were trying something.

“Is Viola’s father a good man miss Ellen?” asked other plant at the same time Ellen feels the vines taking off her shoes, that wasn’t a good signal.

Acting as if nothing was happening Ellen nods. “He is a wonderful man, just a bit overprotective, but I’m fine wi-ith that hehe” Ellen giggles at the end of her sentence.

The plants were tickling her nyloned soles with soft touches, like if many fingers massaged her toes and traced lines on her arches. Luckily for her it didn’t tickle as bad as before, or else she would have lost instantly, but she still needed to keep a perfect face and manners to solve the puzzle.

Ellen bit her lower lip and covered her mouth with one hand fighting not to laugh. It was easy to see she was feeling anxious.

“Miss Ellen? Is there a problem? You are not acting so elegant” said one of the plants mocking her.

Ellen stares at the plant almost saying she wants to burn it with her eyes, but quickly her look becomes kinder. “i-it’s nothing, p-lehese doesn’t mind me” she giggled in the middle of a word. Her helplessness was simply adorable.

Ellen gulps feeling how the vines now also tickle her knees and behind them. They stopped moving before reaching her thighs; looks like even the plants knew to respect a lady.

“Well, why don’t you tell us something about the new place where you live? Asked one of the plants. They didn’t want Ellen to go quiet and kept asking questions one behind the other.

Ellen hands were shaking; her lips shaped a forced smile and her face was filled with anxiety. (“Hold it, hold it, hold it”) she repeated inside of her head doing her best effort, but she knew it was just a matter of time. The vines delicately tickled her feet and knees; she could feel their soft touches pushing her to laugh. Tracing lines on her arches, like if small fingers were tickling her. Playing and massaging her cute toes. Massaging and tickling her knees, and behind them.

“heheh-he” Ellen giggles for a second but quickly she covers her mouth with one hand, making and elegant gesture to holds her laughs. “Pardon me” she apologized before answering the question.

“t-the out side i-hehe-s v-ehehery di-diferent than here. B-but hehe it’s b-boring to haha” she said feeling at the edge of bursting in laughs. It was impossible to hide it now.

“Miss Ellen, what’s the matter? Your manners are failing” said upset one of the plants.
“Yes Miss Ellen, it’s rude to laugh when someone asked you a serious question” followed other even more upset. “It is rude” then said all plants at the same time. It was hopeless; Ellen was going to lose unless some miracle happens.

It is then that all the plants see Ellen laugh. She laughs hiding her lips behind one hand, with her eyes closed and tilting her head. Her laugh is soft and elegant just like gesture. “Please forgive me, I’m ticklish hehe~” she said with a gentle expression on her face and perfect elegance worthy of a princess from a story book.

The tickling stops instantly after that. Ellen lowers her hand raveling her small and sweet smile to all the plants who were simply astonished, they couldn’t believe it. The room got quiet for a few seconds before they plants talked again.

“You are so beautiful Miss Ellen!”
“So incredibly beautiful and elegant”
“that was a perfect lady like laugh!”

“Perfect!” said all the plants at the same time, while jumping in place excited. Ellen looks at them with arrogance showing on her gold eyes; she never stops smiling. Little after that Ellen felt the vines moving away, letting her free. She had passed the test.

“Thank you so much for joining us” said one of the plants.

“Yes, it was a pleasure having your company” then followed other jumping in place while it talks.

“Please, take this as a token of our appreciation” after saying that one of the plants revealed a small key and moved it closer to Ellen using its vines.

Ellen smiles pleased after seeing that. She slowly took the key and put it inside her pocket. “Thank you very much, it was my pleasure” she lied. After that the plants went back to gossip. Ellen had no interest in hearing that so she sipped a little of tea one last time before putting her shoes on and getting up.

There was other door in the room that Ellen hasn’t check yet. With curiosity she walked towards it but before she could open it a voice stopped her.

“I’m not sure if that was cheating Ellen, I mean you did laugh” said the cat demon who had appeared literally from nowhere, standing a few steps behind her. He cheerfully waves his tail.

Ellen turns her head to face him. “I laughed but it didn’t bother them; there is no need to get so technical cat demon” she said with a prideful look on her gold eyes.

The cat lowers his face and tail thinking about it. “I guess you are right” he then raised his face to look at her “by the way Ellen, that room is pitch dark so I wouldn’t recommend getting inside”

Ellen stares at him with curiosity. He didn’t appear to be lying. “Is ok cat demon, I’m not afraid of the dark and I just want to have a look” she said filled with confidence.

“I don’t think the dark is what you should worry about Ellen…” he answered with a slight tone of worry on his voice. Something was off there.

Ellen tilts her head while staring at him with curiosity. The cat simply waves his tail looking back at her. “Well, I’ll be right back” she said before looking back at the door.
The cat doesn’t say anything more. He simply stares at Ellen watching her open and then close the door behind her, getting into the perfectly dark room.

Inside there Ellen couldn’t see a thing, but even in that darkness she didn’t feel afraid. To be fair that room wasn’t as unnerving or oppressing as the dungeon; it was just dark, nothing more.

Ellen extends her right hand touching the wall next to her. She instantly thought it was a bad idea trying to explore that area. “This place feels so empty…” she murmured sensing an estrange loneliness in that place. After a few seconds, with nothing she could do, Ellen decided it was better to return.

As soon as she opened the door Ellen noticed the cat was there waiting for her, happily waving his tail left to right. “Well it was dark just as you said, but it wasn’t scary at all” she was quickly to say still trying to understand why he did that comment.

The cat calmly licks his paws. “There are more than one type of ‘darkness’ Ellen” he answered before falling silent. After that he just licks his paws without even looking at her.

Ellen stares at him with even more curiosity, but after a while she felt it was better to continue. The cat silently watched her leave the room, heading to the garden.

Ellen crossed the garden going back to the dungeon, with no doubts the key would be used there. Getting inside the second time wasn’t any better than the first; there was something wrong with that place. Ellen bit her lower lip and pressed her hands against her chest with anxiety. The air was so oppressive it was hard to breathe. She again felt something silently calling for her, an unnatural force that was looking not for a victim, not for a person, but for Ellen, specifically for her.

Her face shows disgust just from thinking about it. That place wasn’t like any other of the witch’s house, it didn’t have the kindness of Viola, it felt like if it belonged to someone else, but who? That should be impossible.

Ellen closed her eyes and sighed trying to calm herself, then she shows a confident look on her gold eyes. She needed to keep moving. Her first idea was using the key on the locked cell but it didn’t work. Ellen places a hand on her lips while she thinks about it for a few seconds. Suddenly she felt she heard something. With curiosity Ellen turned her head finding the bird cage at the end of the hallway. She smiles with confidence, for a moment she forgot about it.

Ellen walks towards the bird cage and looks inside one last time. There is no doubt there is something in there but she couldn’t see it clearly. She thinks about it for a moment before deciding to use the key, it was a perfect fit. Then she finally opened the cage watching the phantasmal bird get out of it.

Once it’s free the bird flies in circles around her, it didn’t seem it wanted to go out of the dungeon.

Ellen tilts her head with curiosity, feeling something was missing, but then, all suddenly the bird flied towards her passing through her clothes like a ghost. She could feel it under her clothes. Naturally her first reaction was getting mad.

“w-what are you doing? Get out of th-hehre-hahaha!” before she could finish her sentence the bird started to tickle her belly. Its feathery touches tickled her naked belly, passing thought her clothes like if they didn’t exist.

Ellen hugged her belly trying to stop it but she couldn’t touch him. She was helpless at the mercy of the bird that used its magical feathers to tease her soft belly, exciting her nerves and giving special attention to her innie bellybutton. She could feel the feathers running around it, and then poking it.

“hahaha! S-thahap! Hahaha g-get aw-hahaha get away from me!” Ellen complained with a blush on her cheeks and cute helpless smile on her face. It tickled so bad.

“hahaha- sthahap! Haha please!” her laugh was simply adorable. The bird loved to hear it; it motivated it to tickle her more and more.

“K-yahahah haha! ok y-you hahad your fun! Hahaha” she said feeling out of breath. Her gold eyes got teary and had a fragile look on them. Luckily for her soon after that the bird got out from her dress and began flying in circles around her.

Ellen closes her eyes and breathes filling her lungs with air. Then she stares at the bird with an unpleased look on her face. “Could you now help me to solve the puzzle?” she said not even trying to hide her anger.

Naturally the bird doesn’t say a word. Little later it leaves the dungeon passing through the door as easily as it did with Ellen’s clothes. Ellen sighs unpleased but there was no point in complaining. In silence she walks towards the door, relieved that she could leave that place.

When Ellen entered the garden she saw the phantasmal bird sitting on the bench. As soon as she saw it the bird flew again passing through the door to the living room where the talking plants were drinking tea before.

Ellen blinked with curiosity; quickly she decided to follow the bird. She entered the living room finding the plants gossiping just like before.

“Did you saw that bird pass?”
“It was scary!”
“it entered the dark room”
“I think it was a ghost phoenix”

The plants said giving Ellen a clue of what was the propose of the bird. Without delay Ellen opened the door of the dark room, what she found would leave her breathless.

The room was illuminated now, there were candles on the walls giving light the place. The bird was flying in circles around what it was a perfectly empty and straight hallway with nothing dangerous or to worry about. That revelation made Ellen sigh with frustration.

“This is very sad Viola… you seriously need help to become a better witch” For a moment she even felt insulted a place so worthless could exist inside what before was her house, but in any case that was better for her.

After saying that Ellen crossed the hallway finding something was fixed to the wall, it was a metal box with three switches inside. Ellen stares at the switches making a thinking gesture, placing a hand on her lips. Two of them were up, the first and the last. The last one was also broken meaning she can’t move it.

Above the switches there was something written with an unnerving writing style: “you can’t keep them locked forever”

Reading that sent a chill all over Ellen’s back. There was malice on those words; it felt very improper from Viola. Ellen bit her lip with anxiety but she couldn’t let that stop her. Whatever it meant she would have to find it out later.

Ellen breaths closing her eyes for a moment to relax, when she opens them there is determination showing. Not doubting anymore Ellen turned up the second switch. At that moment she heard an unlocking sound somewhere in the house; she had an idea of where to go.

Without delay Ellen leaves that room, she passes around the plants not caring to listen to their gossip, then she crosses the garden moving towards the dungeon, but curiously she stops halfway. Ellen turns her head to look at the empty bench. She had the feeling the cat demon would be there for some reason, but he wasn’t. Once again he left her alone.

Ellen made an unpleased gesture, she felt lonely for a second, but little later continued her way to the dungeon. That’s the third time she enters that unpleasant place. At that point she had given up on getting accustomed to the sickening atmosphere it had, but what she found left her breathless.

“W-what happened here?” she said noticing the dungeon had changed; something had wrecked it. The metal gates of the cells where beaten; the bird’s cage was lying on the floor, twisted and broken; and there were scratches on the walls. The only thing that was missing to make it a perfect frightening scene was blood.

Ellen bit her lower lip and pressed her hands against her chest feeling genuinely scared. The anxiety was building up inside of her. There is something off, something warped about that place. Strangely even as bad as it looked she could still feel that unnamed force calling for her, “Ellen”; it was even stronger now.

She shook her head trying to get rid of that feeling. She was close to her goal now, too close. Ellen exhales trying her best to relax. Feeling still anxious she began to slowly walk towards the cell that was locked before, its door was now lying on the floor.

Carefully she gave a look inside, there was no one there. The closer she got to the cell the more anxious she felt. It is hard to breathe. Ellen waits a few seconds, gathering courage, before getting inside.

The place it’s almost empty, the only things there are a bed and a wardrobe. There was something on the bed covered by a white sheet.

Ellen gulps hoping with all of her heart that it is nothing. She takes one of the edges of the sheet and then pulls it, holding her breath while she does so. Luckily it was nothing scary, just a pillow, a book and what looked to be a bottle of perfume with some liquid inside of it.

Ellen sighs in relief. She takes a few seconds to calm herself before giving a look at the book. “Acids and their effect on metals” was its title. That alone gave her a very important clue. Then she took the little bottle and examined it. Without a doubt that was the acid she needed to melt the chains locking the third door.

Ellen grins at the bottle with confidence mixed with malice. “Soon it will be all over Viola…” she said feeling the victory on the tip of her fingers. She later putted the bottle on her pocket and then turned to the exit of the cell.

She walks slowly, paying attention to her surroundings; there could still be a trap there, or better said, there surely must be a trap waiting for her. It is then that she steps on something, something soft. Ellen instantly moves her feet away and looks down.

(“it’s a doll…”) she said inside of her head at the same time she picks up the doll with curiosity. She could have never been prepared for what came after that. Ellen’s eyes opened wide in surprise. Her heart almost stopped beating form the impression. She felt like if an invisible hand was pressing her heart, a dark hand, made of painful and forgotten memories.

Just after that the doll slipped from her fingers. Her hands were shaking and her face was frozen with astonishment. She simply couldn’t accept it, it was unreal, it was painful beyond belief. She hated it, she feared it, and she denied it; the fact that the doll looked exactly like her.

“w-wha-“ Ellen’s lips move trying to say something but no word comes out. She was still disturbed by the impression; she couldn’t shake it no matter how much she wanted it. That doll brought back deep memories that Ellen had forgotten long ago, memories filled with pain and hopelessness.

Then a shadow appeared behind her, a monster inhabitant, but this one was different. It slowly moved towards her, taking it’s time. It had the shape of a woman with short hair. “Ellen…” the shadow said with a soft voice, calling her. She was the one behind that disgusting sensation she felt before in the dungeon, the one calling for her.

Ellen had to run, she had to run now or it would be too late, but she couldn’t, her mind was lost in other place, she couldn’t think about escaping, her mind was filled by the memories of her past.

“g-go away… I-I’m not a doll” she mumbled feeling the presence behind her, but her words had no effect. She was shaking with a sorrowful look on her eyes. The poor girl looked so fragile that even the slightest thing could break her in thousands of pieces.

The shadow mysteriously hugged her, surrounding her neck with both arms in a gesture filled with love. The monster loved her, that image alone was so upside down and warped there were no words to describe it. Just what was that woman?

“You are a doll Ellen… you are my beautiful doll” the shadow said with a feminine but warped voice. It sounded as if it was trying to be kind, but it only made her more disturbing.

“No, I’m not… I’m a witch” Ellen answered while shaking; lost in the moment. Tears fall from her gold eyes. Everything else had disappeared for her: Viola, her new father, her new body; everything else was meaningless.

“That’s not true… you are mommy’s must precious doll, Ellen” The shadow added just before kissing the back of her head.

Darkness embraces the girl. Everything becomes so dark that she lost sight of her surroundings, but she couldn’t care any less about that. It felt like if she had been transported to other world, to a place deep inside of her soul, so deep that she had forgotten about it.

She couldn’t escape from it, she couldn’t scream. She was completely helpless.

That cold embrace was now the only thing making her company.

--------------------------
the witch's laugh 7 (final): stolen identity

A tea cup is placed on a small plate; the sound is heard all across the silent room. There are two girls in there, looking at each other’s faces with piercing eyes. They quietly drink tea barely talking between each sip. Between them there is a small table and a plate with cookies that look more than delicious, but at the same time very expensive. No one would think about buying such an expensive snack unless they had plenty of money.

Ellen is sitting on a comfortable red chair, her lips shape a malicious grin while her gold eyes gaze at the woman before her, a young woman about her age, 18 years old, with green eyes and golden hair tied in two braids. Her body is transparent as if it was made of mist or dim light.

“Are you not going to eat anything Viola?” Ellen suddenly asked with a tone of sarcasm on her voice. She then makes a brief pause that uses to stare at Viola with mocking eyes. “Of course not, how silly of me, sorry; I forgot ghosts can’t eat”

Her words are sharp as knives but Viola doesn’t react to them, she just stares at Ellen with a cold look on her green eyes. She looks quietly anguished for something, but that is just natural considering the pain she had gone through. It is in fact very impressive that she managed to keep her sanity after all that pain and betrayals, even more that she kept her kindness.

Ellen elegantly sips more tea, closing her eyes for a second, looking almost like a princess or noble maiden. Behind her there are a many inhabitants of the witch’s house, with different shapes and sizes, silently staring, immobile like if they were just dolls or decoration. It looked like they were all trying to reach Ellen, with no good intentions of all; but something, or better said someone, made them stop. Viola ordered them not to hurt the girl who murdered all of them, the former owner of the witch house, who fed their souls in despair to the cat demon who used the leftovers to turn them into inhabitants of that unnatural world.

It is impressive how even in defeat and with a clear sign of harm next to her Ellen could be so calm, so inexpressive looking even uninterested at the idea. In any case she had lost; elegance was the only thing left for her.

Ellen once again stares at Viola with malice showing on her gold eyes and smile. “I suppose you want it back, you body”

Viola answers with a nod. “Yes, I want to have it back, and my life too.” her words sounded so indifferent it was unnerving, but maybe that was an effect of losing your body and being tortured like that, Viola lost sense on how to express herself. She still desired and urged for it, just as much as the day she lost everything, but after those five years living as a ghost and a witch something had to change on her. If that was the case then getting her body back should be enough to heal her.

Ellen narrows her eyes giving her a teasy small smile. “I see, well then I can trust you will torture me until I agree to switch bodies, only this time you have no body to give me, so I would become the ghost and you would have your body back; how horrible of a deal is that? Don’t you think? Viola?” what was keeping Viola’s existence was the magic of the witch house, but Ellen wasn’t a witch anymore so without a body she would die just like anyone else.

Viola doesn’t answers to that; all she gives Ellen is an emotionless stare, which was more than enough to tell her she was right. It was easy to guess.

After a brief silence Ellen takes a cookie and eats it, minding her manners. “You know, I bet you think you have won, but you are wrong Viola” Ellen pauses and blinks. “I have to confess I was clumsy but, what makes you think I’ll agree to switch bodies? I like having yours too much; I think I’m going to keep it for me. You can torture me or tickle me all you want, for as long as you want, but I won’t give it back.”

Viola silently gazes at Ellen, unmoved by her words like if she had perfect confidence on methods.

Ellen tilts her head and grins with malice. “Poor dad, he is going to spend his birthday alone” she pauses and stares at Viola with unnerving confidence. “Even if we have infinite time to play he has a limited lifespan. I wonder for how many days he would search for his missing daughter.” That was cruel, heartless and filled with pure malice, but clever.

Even if she was defeated Ellen could still do something; Viola wasn’t doing this just for herself but for her father too, if time passed and he died of age, would Viola still care about getting her body back?

Most likely not, because even if she got her body she wouldn’t be able to get her life back. She would still lose, it would be a draw between former and actual witch.

The room then is covered by a dead silence that no one dares to interrupt. The girls just stare at each other like if waiting for something to happen, all while the inhabitants stalk Ellen waiting for the order to attack her. It was a sorrowful scene to watch, one where no one wins, filled with a sense of emptiness.

Ellen’s suffering wasn’t going to revive any of them, if anything it would only turn them into vengeful souls, but there is no real happiness in that.

Viola closes her eyes for moment thinking deep about it. She then looks at Ellen who always keeps that air of elegance and stubbornness. “I should go now. I’ll leave you at the care of the inhabitants, but you don’t have to worry, they won’t harm you in any way”

After hearing that Ellen hides her lips behind one hand, with perfect elegance, and giggles. “Thank you, friend. I guess you are too much of a nice girl to ever inflict pain in anyone, even in me” Ellen mocked her, acting like if she didn’t care for what was going to happen to her.

Viola doesn’t answer, she only gazes at Ellen one last time before she disappears in the air, like if she was just an illusion. Inside her cold and heartless exterior Ellen’s heart was beating nervous, afraid, but she was ready to embrace her fate.

“Ellen!” the cat demon said, suddenly appearing next to the girl.

“What is it cat demon? Don’t you see I’m busy getting ready to be tortured?” Ellen answered sounding in a bad mood, while she stares at the black cat who cheerfully waves his tail.

He wasn’t angry nor felt sorry for her at all, in fact he seemed in a good mood, but that is only to expect from a demon. He enjoyed seeing people in despair, no matter who it was.

“Yes I know, but we have to go to other room for your punishment” he admitted while touching one of Ellen’s legs with a paw, trying to call her attention.

“Go to other room?” Ellen asked with curiosity. “Why not here? Everyone is ready” it just sounded silly, and a waste of time to her.

The cat demon then licks his paws a couple of times before giving her an answer. “Viola just thought you would be more comfortable there than here in the living room” he calmly said, like if it was nothing, just an invitation to drink tea or play.

Ellen blinks, staring at the cat unpleased. “I see…” was her short answer, filled with indifference.

The cat then jumps away and later looks back at Ellen. “Just follow me Ellen, the room is very close” he said before slowly walking towards the door.

With a cold and unpleased expression Ellen sighs and later stands up, walking behind the cat. For a moment she turns back feeling something odd behind her, it is then that she noticed all the inhabitants had disappeared. She tilts her head confused but her eyes seem expressionless.

“Don’t worry about them Ellen, they are already waiting in the room” the cat demon announced.

“I’m glad, I didn’t want to be lonely for my punishment” Ellen joked with a sarcastic tone before continuing her way.

Following that there is a short silence in which no one talks. “I have to say, I’m a little disappointed” the cat suddenly said. He was going to say more but Ellen quickly interrupts him.

“I don’t want to talk about it cat demon” she said in a clearly bad mood.

The cat sighs but quickly forgets about it. Without saying a word he continues guiding Ellen until he stops next to a door and sits.

“I guess this is the place…” Ellen said reaching for the door knob. When she opened the door her gold eyes opened wide finding that the room where she was going to be punished was no other than her own room. In there were many teddy bears waiting for her.

Ellen is left speechless and confused. She doubts for a moment but in the end her lips shape a small smile with malice. “Tickle tortured by cute teddy bears, that sounds like one of a kind torture, very fitting for a lame witch” she joked before stepping inside the room.

The door then slams shut scaring her for a second. Later Ellen breathes filling her lungs with air and her heart with courage for what was going to happen next. Her gold eyes take a look at the many bears in the room; they had different sizes, colors and ornaments, including one that had a frog pin on its head.

The bears unexpectedly move making room for Ellen to sit on the bed. She blinks with curiosity and later smiles doing as they wanted. As soon as she sits at the edge of the bed all the bears move towards her, like if being attracted by an unseen force. In matter of seconds she was completely surrounded by them.

“You can start whenever you want” Ellen teased watching them shyly extend their arms reaching for her. When they touch her there is no pain, the sensation was that of a soft caress. The bears gently caress her beautiful and feminine body, using invisible fingers at the end of their round hands. It was a soft and pleasing touch that concentrated on non-intimate spots: her shoulders, hands, head and even her long hair were being caressed.

The bear with the frog pin takes some strands of her hair and smells it, showing adoration for the purple and silky hair; it has a perfect texture and a wonderful feminine smell. Ellen should be disgusted by those touches but knowing it was her punishment she accepts it with a smile.

One of the bears takes a hand and nears it to its mouth, giving Ellen one elegant and romantic kiss, like if she was a princess from a fairy tale. She can’t help but laugh at that, it was adorable and at the same time so ridiculous.

Soon after that another one took her other hand and kissed it too. Ellen just let them do as they pleased with her body, to enjoy themselves at her expense.

She smiles seeing how then two of the bears started to slowly take off her red shoes. Ellen was wearing black stockings that gave her legs a more elegant and sensual look. The bears massage her small feet for a couple of seconds before giving them a soft romantic kiss, just like the ones she was getting on her hands.

At that moment Ellen holds her urge to laugh, but not because it tickled but because it was so ridiculous to her, to see the inhabitants of the witch’s house act so cute and loving, that it felt like a bad joke. They were taking it easy before starting the torture, just enjoying the time.

After what seemed an endless teasing, Ellen felt a finger delicately tracing a line along her feet. She immediately giggled and smiled. “h-hehe, my, you are finally getting to work” Ellen said noticing that the bear who tickled her looks up at her face, staring at her reaction. Somehow she could read the expression of the toy; he felt something was missing.

“I’m sorry, I guess you want me to make an elegant laugh” Ellen joked not even trying to fight. She then hid her lips behind one hand making an elegant gesture, at the same time she closed her eyes and tilted her head, changing the tone of her laughs for other more graceful. “hehehe~ how about it now? Better?” Ellen said after giggling like a princess, sounding just adorable.

The bear cheerfully nods and later goes back to tickling her foot, slowly tracing a line on her sole using a single invisible finger. It tickled, not horribly bad but enough to make Ellen smile. A cute smile she partially hides behind one hand.

Soon after that Ellen felt a poke on her sides, she instantly giggles surprised. “hehe—don’t be shy, you can all tickle me if you want” she said inviting them to tickle her more.

The bears don’t waste any time, quickly more pokes and soft tickles add to the ones already teasing Ellen. “mmhm...“ she now struggles to hold her laughs, biting her lower lip and making one adorable and helpless face that melted the hearts of the bears, like if she was a little kid playing.

More fingers add to the tickling, poking her ribs, tracing lines on her feet, teasing her neck and ears. It was just the start, just a play of seeing how much she could take before bursting in laughs, and at plain sight it looked like she was already at her limit.

“mhmm… hehehe---haha ok, I confehehes, I’m ticklish” Ellen said while she laughs with perfect elegance. Curiously the bears stop tickling her after that. Ellen then tilts her head with confusion, partially hiding a malicious smile while staring at them. She knew it was far from over, that was just a little break before the real tickle torture started.

The silence was later broken by the sound of her own laugher, when one of the bears dug his invisible fingers on her ribs; it wasn’t playful this time but merciless, tickling her ribs with perfect skill.

“Ky-hahaha!” Ellen’s natural reflex is to move away but something stops her. She opened her gold eyes wide in surprise when she noticed some of the bears were holding her in place. They hold her arms, legs and hips with inhuman strength. Those toys were stronger than any man, but their grip was soft and caused no harm, other than make her vulnerable for the tickling.

“hahah HAHahhaha—h-hehey y-you are being t-toohahah abusive! Hahaha” Ellen’s laughs become louder and faster when the bears started tickling her feet with no mercy. They don’t use a finger but all of them, her soles were tickled all over and her toes played while the top of her feet were being kissed and licked by invisible tongues. There were more than two bears focusing in that spot, her small feet found no mercy, helpless at their will. Luckily they were less ticklish now that before when she had Viola’s appearance, if not she would have lost her mind in matter of minutes.

“T-Thehre too! hahaha! HAHAHa! Haha! y-you- hahaha I don’t mind if you –hahah- want to careshehehs me some more you know! Hahaha!” Ellen shakes her head laughing even harder now that the bears started tickling her ribs all over, and squeezing her hips; it was just awful, it tickled so bad she wanted to squirm like a worm just to get away, and then kick every single one of them on their faces, but she couldn’t. She doesn’t even try to hold her laughs, it was useless.

The bears tickle and tickle, restless and merciless. Slowly more hands to torment the ticklish witch, her knees and belly were being tickled too, leaving her breathless. The only time the laughs stop is when she breathes so she can continue laughing.

“haha- hahaha! Hahahaha! Th-this is worse hahaha thahahan I thought! hahaha” for a second Ellen thought tickling was a nice way to make people fall in despair, one that never crossed her mind. She underestimated it, but know was the time to fully appreciate its power first hand.

“hahaha! whahat a-are you doing? haha!” Ellen then asked, with her face red and eyes teary, at the moment the bears were pulling her arms, forcing her to expose her armpits. What came next was something she wasn’t prepared; yes, her sensitivity changed when her body changed in appearance, and finally she found out which was her most ticklish spot, the real one and not Viola’s, and it couldn’t be in a worse time.

“Y-HAHAHA! HAHAHA! Nahahah! Sthahap! Hahah! HAHAHA!” Ellen basically explodes in laughter, squirming and shaking her head like mad. It was insane how bad it tickled there, much more than any other spot. The bears were heartless and dug their fingers in her underarms, wiggling and wiggling to squeeze every single laugh out of her.

“NAHAHA! NAHAH MAHAHARE! HAHAHA!” all that tickling combined into an ungodly torture, even the cruel and cold witch was now reduced to a laughing mess, crying and with even a little of drool on her lips, giving her an unladylike look. Her face was red as an apple and her lungs begging for air, but she simply couldn’t stop laughing.

“HAHAHA Y-you ahahre ki-heheh-lling me! HAHAHA!” Ellen’s eyes had gone blank, she was lost in a world were only the overpowering tickling existed; her mind was filled with the impulse of laughing, helpless against the touches of the bears. Her life was just reduced to that, laughing, laughing and laughing more, seeing no end to it.

“HAHAHA! I- I’m going to dihehehe! HAHAHA!” soon after she said that the bears suddenly ripped off her clothes. Before her eyes Ellen saw how the red and white dress which was her favorite “disappeared”, becoming nothing more than small pieces of cloth. Only her panties were left protecting her most intimate place.

“What’s wrong with you?! H-How dare you!” Ellen instantly complained feeling embarrassed and vulnerable. The bears then stop tickling for just a moment to let her catch her breath, and more importantly, to behold at her beautiful and delicate body.

Ellen’s beauty is almost magical: her body has an hourglass shape, very feminine and attractive; her breasts are large with a sensual and natural shape, with pink and sensitive nipples; her belly is flat, soft and has a cute innie bellybutton; her legs and hips are very sensual and attractive; her skin pale, smooth and soft; and her hair very long, with a silky texture, pleasurable to the touch, and a lovely purple color. Simply a breathtaking beauty worthy of a fairy tale.

“Don’t worry Ellen, your dress is not lost forever. The witch’s house will remake it as new” The cat demon suddenly said, appearing from nowhere like usual. He was looking at Ellen from the floor, with a calmed expression that felt almost insulting. He was talking naturally, like if he couldn’t see she was being punished.

“…” Ellen’s silence is filled with hatred, she couldn’t be happy for her stupid dress when she was about to be horribly tickle tortured. She just stares at the cat who innocently looks back at her while trying to cat her breath. Her face was still red and her eyes teary, but she tried to act strong.

“They just ripped off your clothes to tickle your skin directly. Is going to be much worse now so be prepared Ellen” the cat announced and after that he licks his paws like a simple animal.

Ellen bites her lower lip with anxiety, she didn’t want to be tickled more, she had enough already, but she couldn’t escape from it, all that was left for her was to endure it.

Soon the bears started tickling her again. “HAHAHA! HAHAHA i-it’s much worhahahahase! HAHAHA! HAHAHA!” she was being destroyed by tickling, the cat demon was right, it tickled much worse now that her clothes were there to protect her.

Her bellybutton was licked and teased; her knees received a ticklish massage; her feet were tickled all over while kissed on the top; her hands caressed and kissed while held in place; her ribs tickled without mercy, there was a finger for every one of them; fingers dug in her armpits making her go insane, it tickled so unspeakably bad; her hips were being squeezed with perfect skill; even her ears and neck were being teased to squeeze every single laugh she could have.

“HAHAHA! I-I’M SORRY! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHA! I-I SHHAHAHAH! HAHAHA!” in a moment of weakness Ellen apologized, but that wouldn’t be enough to make them stop. She can’t even talk now; all she can is laugh her way to insanity.

“HAHAHA! HAHAHA! HAHAHA! H-HAHA------ HAHA------“ the tickling continues non-stop for what felt an eternity. Quickly the young witch got tired, she couldn’t take any more. At some point she was just silently laughing, with a blank stare on her gold eyes, but even then the bears don’t stop, the just tickle, tickle, and tickle, crushing any little sanity she could still have.

“…” Eventually it had to happen. Ellen’s eyes closed falling into darkness.

*****

“…”

“(It is silent)” Ellen thought, with her eyes still closed. There was no more laughter to be heard, which could only mean the tickling had stopped, and she couldn’t be gladder for that.

Slowly she opened her gold eyes; the images were blurry at first but soon became clearer. She was still in her room, surrounded by many teddy bears which were lying around immobile. No presence could be felt in them; they were nothing more than toys now.

Ellen sits at the edge of the bed. After that she takes one of the sheets to cover her naked body. It looks like the torture was over, at least for a while.

She then sighs showing her anxiety, and later rubs her forehead and eyes. She was sweaty; being tickled so hard is the same as doing arduous training. The face Ellen is making now reflects deep insecurities and anguish, she was feeling like crap, just thinking that was the first day of what would be a long torture filled her with anxiety, but she would never admit defeat.

“How are you doing Ellen?” suddenly a familiar voice said. Ellen instantly turned her head finding Viola standing there, with an emotionless expression on her face. Always a ghost.
“I’m doing fine, for someone who almost lost her mind” she said with irony before giving Viola a small smile. Even in that pitiful situation Ellen had an elegant presence.

Viola gives Ellen a cold and sad stare. She didn’t look happy with the idea of the torture, but again, since she became a ghost it was hard to read her expressions. Viola takes a few seconds before giving an answer. “Ellen, just give up. You already lost; there is no point in fighting” she said. That confidence was almost insulting; it pierced deep the pride of the former witch.

Hearing that awaked something in Ellen, she looks down and shakes her head before showing a smile filled with malice. Her long purple hair partially covers her face giving her a more sinister look.

“Do you really think this is enough to break me? Viola? Boy you are stupid, even more than I first thought” Ellen’s words were filled with hate.

Ellen then looks at Viola’s face; the inexpressive green eyes meet the malicious gold ones. For a moment they just stare at each other, the answer was there, in those cruel eyes and smile.

“Go ahead Viola; torture me to your heart’s content. Break me, cut me, burn me, inflict me as much pain and suffering as you can, until I cry and beg like a baby, or just lose my mind before the pain and become a mindless doll, but even then I won’t give you your body back”

“In my life I have seen countless deaths in despair, I have felt despair and pain myself, been abandoned, hated, ignored, murdered, sick and hopeless. There is nothing you can do, Viola, to make me agree to switch bodies; I would rather be in hell than that”

After saying that Ellen grins with malice, her eyes are filled with confidence. The honesty the came out from her was just painful, she was willing to accept all that, it wasn’t a lie. The room is then surrounded by a cold silence that seems it will last forever.

Viola blinks, staying perfectly immobile like if she was just doll standing. “You are wrong Ellen, you have a weakness” she suddenly said shaking the very soul of the former witch.

“w-what? Are you crazy?” Ellen opened her eyes wide in surprise unable to believe it. How could it be possible? How could she have a weakness? Viola had to be out of her mind.

Slowly Viola began to move closer to Ellen until she gave her an unexpected hug. In Ellen’s eyes one could see her incredulity, it didn’t make any sense. It was a kind hug, like if she was a lost friend, surrounding her body and pressing Ellen’s head against Viola’s chest. Viola was cold, but the gesture was warm, so warm and gentle, filled with love.

“w-what do you think you are doing?” Ellen asked confused, it was impossible, it had to be a lie.

“Ellen, there is one thing you are weak to, is not pain but happiness what will defeat you” Viola said with a kind voice. Truth is that even after all that a part of her still felt sorry for Ellen.

“Happiness…?” Ellen murmured with incredulity. Little after that everything got surrounded by a bright white light, it felt like if everything was just a dream, it had to be, right?

*****

“Ellen, don’t move” suddenly said a gentle voice, the voice of a woman. The smell of bread fresh out of the oven surrounds her, a very pleasant smell. It was just to be expected since she works as a baker.

“I’m sorry mom, I just itched” Ellen apologized, acting shy, something very unusual from her.

A woman in her late 40s was brushing the very long hair of Ellen, with much care and love. Ellen wasn’t resisting nor showing signs of being disgusted, all the opposite, she had a cute and kind expression on her face. Every single brush was filled with a warm love.

Ellen remains quiet and still, just looking at the front while waiting for her mother to finish. She had brown and short hair, very different from Ellen’s. After a few more seconds she finally ends brushing and then ties a red ribbon on Ellen.

“There, you are all ready” the woman said before giving a couple friendly pats on Ellen’s head.

They were both on a bed which was in no way close to the elegance and beauty of the bed on Ellen’s room inside the witch’s house, this one was just a normal bed, but even then it felt many times more comfortable and warm.

Ellen turns around to look directly at her face. Her gold eyes have a gentle look that never before anyone had seen on them.

“Thank you mom… but you don’t have to bother. I’m not a kid anymore, I can do it myself” Ellen said a little embarrassed. She didn’t want to cause her mother any troubles. Since Ellen was little she had been helping her to brush and take care of her hair.

Her mother cheerfully giggles. “Is not a bother Ellen, I love your hair, it is so much prettier than mine, you could even say I’m a little jealous of you”

Ellen suddenly blushes after hearing that compliment. “m-mom, is nothing, it just came out like that…” she was going to say more but something stopped her. Unexpectedly her mother hugged her, a warm hug made of pure love.

“Mom?” Ellen asked confused, she simply didn’t understand why she hugged her so sudden.

Her mother gently began to caress her back and stroke the back of her head. “I’m sorry, you are not a little girl anymore, but for me you will always be my little Ellen”

“…” Ellen can’t answer to that, at least not with words. Without even thinking about it she returned the hug, just enjoying the kind love of her mother. She rests her body against her mother’s feeling her warmth.

“You are so beautiful Ellen, much more than what I was at your age. I’m proud of having such a beautiful, smart and kind daughter. It makes me really happy” her words are sincere,

“I’m very happy too mom, you and dad are the two things I love the most” Ellen was quick to answer, not doubting for a moment.

“That’s no good Ellen” unexpectedly her mother said causing Ellen to look up at her face with curiosity. Ellen blinks with a little confusion showing on her gold eyes, the same color as her mother’s.

“You are 18 now Ellen, you should be thinking about falling in love” her mother playfully said sounding edger to watch Ellen in love. She imagines her being all shy but elegant, a real lady with a romantic and pure relationship.

Ellen quickly blushes and looks away, avoiding her mother’s eyes. “m-mom, I just don’t like anyone” she answered with honesty, feeling embarrassed.

Her mother suddenly grins showing playful malice on her face. “You don’t? But Ellen you can’t be a little girl for all of your life, one day you will meet someone and fall in love with him. Come on; promise your mother you will”

Just when she stopped talking her mother began tickling Ellen’s sides, causing her to laugh and squirm.

“ha-haha m-mom! Haha d-don’t, sthahap!” Ellen playfully complained while looking at her mother with a cute embarrassed expression, a fragile look on her eyes, and a blush on her cheeks.

Her mother giggles and later moves her hands to Ellen’s armpits seeing immediate results. “kyahaha! Hahaa” no! nahahaha! I-I hahaha I give up, I give up! haha”

“that’s no good Ellen, I’m sure your future boyfriend will love tickling you lots so you have to resist a little more” her mother teased with a big smile on her face, just adoring her reactions.

“m-mom! Hahaha! Thahahat’s not fair! Hahaha, hahaha pleahehese! I give up! hahaha” Ellen squirms and laughs, helpless against the fingers of her mother, but she doesn’t fight at all, this time it was a consensual play between the two and not a torture.

After a few more seconds the tickling finally stops. “You are really my daughter; you have the same weak spot as me”

Hearing that made Ellen embarrassed, but quickly she forgot about it when her mother once again hugged her. That sweet smell of bread that Ellen loved so much filled her nose.

“I really love you Ellen, I love you so much” she said with a pure and fragile voice.

“I love you too mom” Ellen answered not caring about anything else but that time they shared together.

After that all began to look blurry, slowly the shapes and shadows were disappearing becoming little by little a shapeless images, an incomprehensible blend of colors until they joined into a simple white that covered everywhere.

(“that’s wrong… I don’t love you, I hate you, you mean nothing to me… you abandoned me mom… and dad not even cared to speak to me… I hate you both, I hate you, HATE YOU!”)

(“I hate you so much… that I… I XXXX (killed) you…”)

(“Yes you were my first victims… even before I met the cat demon”)

Suddenly Ellen’s vision returns to the room inside the witch’s house. She is gasping for air, her gold eyes open wide, astonished, with tears falling from them. Her face was pale and her body frozen from the impression. That hurt, that dream actually hurt her. Her soul was bleeding while her heart broke in many pieces, so tiny they disappear the moment they touch the ground.

That dream shook her very soul, but what is worse is the two presences that stare at her from behind. Presentations were unneeded, she knew well who were they, and they knew her well. Ellen’s first victims, killed by the same weapon, on the same night; her very own family.

“Ellen, I know that you just wanted to be loved, to escape from the painful fate brought by your sickness” Viola said with unable to show any emotion on her face or voice. Ellen doesn’t even seem to be listening to her; she is lost inside of her mind.

“You can pretend to be me; you can fool everyone into believing that, even my father Ellen, but you can’t fool yourself. Ellen is Ellen, you might find some happiness living my life, but it won’t be a complete happiness as----“ Viola’s speech is suddenly interrupted.

“Shut up! Just shut up! I don’t want to hear you anymore!” Ellen’s voice is filled with anger but also shaky. Her hair hides her face partially. The poor girl looked in pain, abandoned and lonely. Her stubbornness was left behind.

“I agree, take your bloody body, just kill me… I don’t care anymore”

*****

A young girl walks at night; her footsteps are the only sound can she hear, moving fast, impatient for reaching that place. Once she sees it her whole body freezes, just a normal house on the forest, modest, made of wood, with light coming out form the window.

No one would give much attention to it but for her it was the single thing her eyes wanted to see the most. For so long she had been away, but finally, it was at just a few steps from her. Nothing could stop her now. The girl took a deep breath before she moves again.

Viola knocks the door. “Father, are you home?” she said holding her urge to break in tears.

Quickly someone opens the door, a tall and strong man, which she knew very well.

“Viola! Where have you been?! You had me dead worried! I was----“

Suddenly the girl hugs her father, not caring about anything else, with tears falling from her closed green eyes. He is cough by surprise, in an instant all of his anger and worry disappear, replaced by a warm love and care.

“I’m sorry father… I-I wanted to make you a birthday present, but got lost in the forest. I-I was dead afraid… b-but this time I managed to come back”

“Viola! You know that forest is dangerous” the man scolded her. Viola silently nods agreeing with him. She looked so fragile, her tears were pure, he simply couldn’t be angry at her.

The man finally sighs forgetting about it, he then hugs her back and pets her head.

“Well, what’s is important is that you are ok. Come on, let’s get inside, you must be hungry”

“Very… like if I haven’t eaten in years” Viola made a little joke to herself. She was overflowing with the most pure of happiness, all she wanted was for that, to go back to her ordinary life, and it was finally there. She would make sure to never let go of it again.

Epilogue: back to being a doll

“Would you like more tea Viola?”
“Yes, thank you very much Ellen”

The two girls happily drink tea in the living room of the witch’s house. Viola for a second looks straight at Ellen who answers giving her best smile to her. Ellen looks like entirely a different person, so bright and sweet.

Between them there is a plate with cookies; Viola elegantly takes one of them and eats it. “Your cookies get better every time Ellen, I’m impressed” the blond girl said with honesty.

blushes and shyly looks down. “thank you, mom helped me to make them”
Viola smiles at her after hearing that. “Ellen, you want to be a baker like your mother right?”

Ellen nods “yes, I would love to” she said ending with a shy but bright smile.

It’s been a while since Ellen started living in the witch’s house. She helps the cook every day to make cookies for all of the inhabitants. At first she was clumsy but with practice and the help from the cook and her mother Ellen got better really fast.

“By the way Ellen, I forgot to ask you, how have you been?” Viola asked with a friendly voice before eating one more cookie.

Ellen blinks and then she smiles. “Everything is fine Viola, just like always” at that moment Ellen closes her eyes and tilts her head showing a cheerful smile.

“mom and dad are very nice to me, they hug me lots and are always there to help me or just make me company” Ellen said with her

Viola can only smile at that comment, how could the mean witch have transformed in such a sweet girl? In any case, she looked a lot better like that.

Viola pauses to sip a little of tea. Then she looks right into Ellen’s gold eyes and gives her a naughty grin. “And how about Arthur? Are you two still dating?” Arthur is the name of the frog who she kicked into the bottomless pit. When Ellen kissed the frog it became a teddy bear prince.

Despite all the mean things Ellen did to him before, he was still in love with her. It didn’t take long for them to start acting like a romantic couple.

“eh?!” Ellen exclaimed at the question, opening her eyes wide in surprise. She later lowers her face, with her cheeks blushing in embarrassment, and hides her lips behind one hand making an adorable shy gesture.

“w-w are doing fine, he is very sweet and caring with me” Ellen responded with a low voice.

Viola continues grinning at her. “And have you done it?” she directly asked being more bold than usual, after all they were close friends and not kids anymore, but adult women.

“V-Viola!” Ellen complained unable to look her to the face. Her heart was beating fast with embarrassment.

Viola quickly laughs after watching her cute reaction. “haha~ sorry, but you can tell me, I promise to keep the secret”

Ellen thinks about it for a second, truth is she wanted to share it with someone and she knew she could trust Viola.

“Y-yes… Arthur is very gentle with me, he loves me very much every night… and he also loves to tickle me lots” after confessing that Ellen’s face got red as an apple.

Viola giggles feeling good for her friend. “Well I’m sorry, but it is time to go” she said after that noticing it was about to get dark.

“Yes, I understand. It was lovely to see you Viola. I’ll be waiting for the next weekend to see you again” Ellen answered with a sweet and friendly voice.

“Yes, It was lovely seeing you too Ellen. I hope everything keeps like this. Until next time” Viola said before standing up. She then walks towards the door but suddenly stops halfway.

Ellen blinks with curiosity watching the blond girl turn to face her again.

“I forgot there was one last thing I wanted to ask you Ellen” Ellen looks at her with curiosity,

“Are you happy Ellen?” Viola suddenly asked

Ellen takes a moment to answer, but then she closes her eyes and tilts her head, showing her a beautiful and pure smile, bright and warm like if was made of sunlight.

“Yes, Ellen is the happiest Doll of all the witch’s house”

The End



Extra scene I

Viola is walking back home, crossing the forest one step at the time. But she wasn’t alone, besides her was the cat demon making her company.

“you look so fat” Viola joked

“it’s not my fault! Ellen’s soul was so ancient and heavy in despair… it was like eating a lot of souls at the same time” the cat demon said ending with a long sigh.

“In any case that’s a good thing, now you won’t need to feed for a long time” Viola added meaning she wouldn’t need to kill anyone.

The cat demon then stares at her, his eyes show how unpleased he was with the idea, but quickly he sights and forgets about it. His new witch was like that, a kind girl; he would have to accept it.

After that they walk for a couple of minutes in silence, before Viola broke it.
“cat demon, do you think Ellen will become evil again?” she asked with a bit of worry.

For a second she remembers how Ellen was before, her piercing and evil gold eyes, her cruel grin; a real witch unlike her.

The cat demon lowers his face and thinks for a second. “Sadly no, I think she will stay like that”

Viola turns her head to look at him, with curiosity reflecting on her green eyes.

“Ellen is a very special person, one capable of being both very kind and very cruel. She was born with a sickness that caused her horrible pain. Her father hated her for that, only her mother took care of her, but she treated Ellen like just a doll. Every day she brushed her hair, and never let her out of bed. But one day her mother abandoned her, and only returned to apologize because she was going to leave her alone”

The cat demon pauses. “The world was cruel to her, she absorbed and reflected that cruelty. She was determined to murder as many people it needed to find the happiness of a loving family. But now that she was reborn as a doll-inhabitant of the witch’s house, and forgot most of her memories, it was like giving her a second chance to remake her life. With no sickness and with her parents besides her at all time, she will live to be a cheerful and shy girl. Very cute I must say but I liked evil Ellen the best; however I still like her more than you Viola”

“That’s ok, I’m a lame witch after all” Viola answered with a smile on her face. “And being disliked by a demon doesn’t feel bad at all”

“I guess you are right” the cat demon answered.

Thank you so much for posting the rest of this! I really enjoyed this story and think you did a great job on the interpretation of the game.

thank you very much for your answer, I really apreciate it and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

This is a unique story that made me laugh, shiver and get a little emotional. Love it!