WITCH'S SECRET TREASURE
Written By - Prabir Rai Chaudhuri
Alex had just finished his sixth primary and Ethan, his best
friend, too. Linnea, Alex's sister, was finishing her fifth, like her
friend Celeste. The parents of Alex and Linnea had reserved rooms for a
week in a small inn located near a lake, in the middle of the woods. The
summer holidays promised to be wonderful, especially for our four friends
gathered for the occasion.
When
they arrived, they were surprised to find only one hamlet. All in all,
they only saw a few houses, not even a church. Bordered by reeds and
rushes, we saw at the edge of the road, an artificial lake, created by a dam
built twelve kilometers away.
During a
first exploration walk after settling in at the hotel, they first passed a
small bridge at the very end of the lake. A faded sign announced
"Pont du Loup".
Then,
further into the woods, they passed a huge gray stone lying on the
ground. It was ten meters long, one or two wide, one or two
high. This stone looked like a menhir that would have fallen or laid
down. However, they did not visit Brittany or the Vendée, or the village
of Wéris in Belgium, where we see them. No reason therefore to find a
menhir there.
Finally,
returning from their walk, they noticed the name of this hamlet: “La Girgaine”.
-What a
strange name! Linnea commented.
"Exactly,"
said Ethan. This surprised me. I wonder where this name comes from.
Returning to the inn, they questioned, out of pure curiosity, the owner of the
establishment. He replied that the Girgaine was the name of a witch who,
it seems, lived in this village in the past.
-It goes
back to the time when this hamlet was still a real little town with its shops,
its church, its farms, he said. But, thirty years ago, during the
construction of the dam, the water drowned almost everything. And of the
village of La Girgaine, there are only a few houses left, including my hostel
and, a little further down the street, a home for the elderly.
The boss
explained that he had not known this region before. He had only lived here
for thirty years, when the dam had been built. But he suggested to our
friends, if they wanted to know more, to go and interview one or the other
elderly person in the nursing home. They could certainly answer their
questions, as they had probably lived in La Girgaine.
The next morning, Alex, Ethan, Linnea and Celeste began their investigation at
the home.
In front
of the flowery walls was a bench. And on this bench sat an old
lady. Our friends slowly approached her, greeted her, and asked politely
if they could disturb her for a moment. She replied with a big smile that
it made her happy. So our friends introduced themselves and asked him
their question.
- Did
you know the village of La Girgaine in the past, madam?
- My
children, I lived there at your age.
-Could
you tell us something about him? We are very surprised by the long stone
that is in the wood, by the bridge of the Wolf and by the word
"Girgaine".
-The
owner of the inn claims that it was the name of a witch, insisted Alex.
"Ah,
he told you that," replied the old lady. But my name is
Louise. Call me by my first name.
-With
pleasure, Madame Louise, replied Linnea and Celeste in chorus and smiling.
-I can
tell you a story, a real one. I must have been your age, maybe a bit
younger, I'm not sure. But I have not met either the Girgaine or the wolf.
"At
that time, my father, a lumberjack, often worked until nightfall in the forest.
That day, however, he was preparing to return earlier. A strange, dense, thick
mist gradually invaded Bit the woods, I think it was in the fall.
While
our friends listened in silence, the old lady continued her story.
- My
father was surprised by this fog. Oh, he wasn't worried. He knew all
the paths in this forest by heart. He was in no danger of getting
lost. But the fog suddenly became so thick, so dense, that he could barely
see the tops of the trees. Everything seemed strangely gray, silent, a
little mysterious.
"Dad
decided to come back to the house. It was dark. He followed the path towards
the bridge of the Wolf and for a while skirted the great stone as we call it,
this elongated rock which lies among the brambles and nettles in the wood. You
noticed it while passing by.
"As
he approached this rock, my father thought he heard an unusual noise. He could
barely make out the stone, the fog was so thick. Dad advanced slowly, holding
his ax well in his hand, not too reassured. And he was witnessed an incredible
phenomenon. The rock was not lying on the ground. It was upright. Oh, not
completely, it formed an angle of approximately forty-five degrees.
"Intrigued,
my father took another step forward, clutching his ax firmly. And suddenly he
saw the earth below the rock. Black earth. It seemed to him that it had turned
over, as if someone had just Dad then heard two or three times a growl, like
that of an animal. He was not afraid of an animal attack because when my father
held his ax in his hand, it was rather all the others who feared him, but in
spite of everything, he preferred to move away and he returned to the house.
"Arrived
at our house, he mentioned it to his best friends. One of them had a rifle.
They returned to this rock beyond the Wolf's bridge. When they arrived there,
in the middle of the fog, the heavy stone was lying on the ground. Everything
seemed normal. My father's friends talked about a hallucination, a haze effect.
None of them really wanted to believe it.
"I
trusted dad. I was sure that if he had seen the standing stone, it was true.
"Here
are the children, ended Madame Louise, here is all I can tell you about our
village. But, if you are interested, and if you want to know more, go to the
garden. Look over there, near the tree , Monsieur Lucien seems to be contemplating.
I'm not sure what he's observing. He loves butterflies. And he's a poet. Go and
ask him. He'll tell you more, especially about the Pont du Loup.
Alex, Linnea,
Ethan and Celeste kissed the charming old lady and left. They passed
through the garden.
- Good morning, Mr Lucien.
-Hello
children.
- Can we
disturb you, Mr. Lucien? We come on behalf of Madame Louise. She
tells us that you could tell us something about the Pont du Loup and the
Girgaine. She also told us about the raised stone.
-Good. She
told you the little story of her father who would have seen the stone
rise. I'm not quite sure that's true. But if the subject interests
you, sit down in the grass, there, near me. I will tell you a completely
authentic story.
"At
home," Monsieur Lucien continued, "we were six children. I was the
eldest. We didn't have too much money at home and, in the right season, a
basket full of mushrooms, that was good for everyone. world to improve the
evening meal, sometimes a little meager.
"So
one day, after school, I went into the woods. I had filled a whole basket of
mushrooms and I was about to return home. It was autumn. Night was falling
early. It was cold that evening. The wind was whistling over the plain and the
fir trees seemed to want to scratch it with their needle-covered branches. I
was coming back by a soggy path.
“I was
approaching the Pont du Loup. I still had a hundred meters to go before the
river, explained Mr. Lucien.
Our
friends listened, impressed by the story.
-Suddenly,
on the bridge of the Wolf, I saw an animal. First I thought it was a dog,
but it was bigger than a dog. A fox? Maybe. But, foxes have
pointier ears and a bushier tail. A wolf? I reasoned with
myself. A wolf was not possible. I believe that King Leopold II
killed the last wolf, around 1900, in Belgium. So if it wasn't a wolf,
what was it?
"Impossible
to go through another path to reach the village of Girgaine where I lived. I
had to take the bridge. So I was forced to approach. The beast turned around
and observed. The moon shone round in the sky with a few stars. Its beautiful
light spread over the grass and the forest. It was not too dark. I observed
this monster well.
"And
suddenly I saw his eyes shining like two hot coals! I stopped, horrified,
trembling with fear. A werewolf was standing there, in front of me. A werewolf!
I had read stories about them, in a book, but I never thought it really
existed.
"Terrified,
I dared not move. I had nothing to defend myself, not even a knife. I only had
my basket of mushrooms. I watched the beast, which was advancing towards me
step by step. I was shaking.
“Children,
I really thought my last hour was coming. I even made a sign of the cross. But
I was lucky that evening. At the same moment, three hunters came out of the
woods. I ran to them. I told them my story. Meanwhile, the beast ran away.
"Yes,
concludes Mr. Lucien, I saw a werewolf, children, on the Pont du Loup.
Incredible! I think that night was the night when I was most afraid of all my
life. life.
-And the
witch? asked Veronique.
- Me,
the Girgaine, I have not met her. But look there, Monsieur Paul, sitting
on a chair under the tree. Go interrogate him. He will tell you about
it. He, the Girgaine, he saw her...
After thanking Monsieur Lucien for his story, Alex, Linnea, Ethan and Celeste
turned to Monsieur Paul.
-Mister
Paul?
-Hello
children.
- We
come from Monsieur Lucien. He tells us that you once saw the Girgaine, the
witch. Would you like to tell us about it please?
"I
don't mind the children," said Monsieur Paul, smiling. But I must
warn you: it was not I who met the Girgaine, but my little sister. If you
have a few minutes, I'll tell you.
“I lived
on the farm. I must have been ten years old, and my little sister, Céline, six,
almost seven. incredible kid. Often, she surprised me and, always, she
surprised me.
"After
school, she took off her dress and her boots that good little girls used to
wear in those days. the wood. Nothing stopped her: neither the cold, nor the rain,
nor the snow, nor the wind, nor the torrid summer heat. Several times, my
parents had warned her:
-You'll
get bronchitis if you run like this. You will be sick.
"She
never was.
“One
Sunday, Monsieur Paul continued, it was pouring rain. My parents had to go to
town. They called me and said:
-Paul,
you keep your little sister. Don't come with us to the market this time,
it's really raining too much. We will come back in the evening. You
will find food for both of you in the kitchen. We entrust it to you.
"I
pointed out to them that there was no way to hold this devil. My parents asked
me to manage and try to get out of it anyway. They left. At that time, I loved
DIY a lot. I sat down at the living room table.
"Suddenly,
after about ten minutes, I heard the front door slam on its gongs. I ran to the
window and saw Celine. She was wearing an old, well-worn shirt, torn pants and
boots with holes. Her favorite clothes. She was running from one puddle to
another in the pouring rain. I wondered where she was going. I put on my jacket
quickly and followed her without stopping. to show.
“My
sister left the village and crossed the Pont du Loup. Then she entered the
woods. I went from tree to tree so as not to be noticed. skirted the big stone
that is along the path that goes into the forest. Were you told about that
stone?
Our
friends nodded yes.
"She
slipped into the wood of fir trees. She passed through everything. The
brambles, the nettles did not seem to bother her. So she crossed the wood and
reached not far from the river where there is a large clearing, still today
filled with flowers. I hid behind a tree.
“Céline
stopped in the middle of the clearing, in the rain which was falling like in
the shower. She started dancing.
The four
friends showed their astonishment.
-You
will believe me if you want, children, but I attended a show of great
beauty. I soon saw little hares running towards her. She took one,
she lifted another. She caressed them in turn. She held them in her
arms and they let themselves go.
“Me, I was
fascinated. Fascinated to see this little girl of almost seven years old, in
the clearing, in the rain, and who was stroking small hares. I admired her.
"Suddenly,
the little animals fled all at once. My sister looked around her and froze. At
the edge of the wood, thirty meters from me, the Girgaine, the witch, had just
appeared.
"I
could see her in spite of the rain. I could make out her well. She had hair
that looked like chopsticks, big strange eyes, brown, wrinkled skin, hands
completely deformed, no doubt from rheumatism. She wore a Sodden black coat She
was barefoot.
"Slowly,
she approached Celine who was visibly trembling with fear and no longer dared
to move.
I stood
still behind the tree. I picked up a stick from the floor and thought,
“I'll wait and see. If the witch tries to hurt the little one, I'll settle
her account. I am his big brother. After all, that's what I'm here
for."
"So,
the witch still advanced towards my sister, motionless in the rain. Having
reached her very close, she stroked her two long braids. Then, the Girgaine
reached into her pocket and took out a gold coin. She slipped into Celine's
hand. I clearly saw that it was a gold coin. Then the Girgaine moved away and
went back into the woods.
"Céline
ran towards the house. I ran away, but I had to hurry and go really fast to get
to our farm first because this little girl, three years younger than me, was
running almost faster than me. I got home, took off my jacket, sat in the
living room so she wouldn't know I had followed her. My sister came in. She
stopped, dripping , in the doorway.
-Where
do you come from? I asked him.
-Wood.
- Go
change. You are soaked. You are going to be sick.
"You
will be," she replied. I am never sick.
"Besides,
it was true. She could leave without a jacket, almost barefoot, winter or
summer, in the rain or in the snow, she never came back with an illness. She
was incredible, this wild girl.
"Here,
children, concludes Mr. Paul, that's how it happened when I saw the Girgaine.
But there is a lady in our house who really came across her up close. She call
Francine. Come in and go upstairs. The names are on the doors. You'll find it
easily. She's still in her chair reading. She's an intellectual. Go and ask her.
She'll tell you, how, one day, she met the Girgaine.
Alex, Linnea, Ethan and Celeste greeted Monsieur Paul then went into the home
building. Quickly reaching the first floor, they looked at the bedroom
doors and saw the name Francine.
They
knocked. A welcoming voice invited them to enter. Our friends
introduced themselves and explained that Mr. Paul sent them because, it seems,
she had met the Girgaine in the past.
"He
told you that," said the old lady, smiling. Alright, I'll explain
what happened to me if you want, although I don't really like to think about
that anymore. It gives me bad dreams. But, anyway, I'm going to tell
you about it, children. Sit on the mat. Here, listen to me.
"I
was nine and a half years old. I had neither brother nor sister. My parents,
who ran a large farm, often both worked in the fields. When there was no school
and they left for the day, I had to go to my aunt on the other side of the
village, my aunt Esther. I hated that one, especially in the evening. Indeed,
if in the evening, for one reason or another, I I couldn't go home, I had to
have dinner with her, it was never great, and above all spend the night in her
house, which I found very unpleasant, far from mum and dad.
"So
one day on vacation, I was at my aunt's house and it was pouring rain. The rain
was drumming on the windows. Me, I was constantly observing the delirious
nature outside: the trees twisted by the wind, the puddles of water filling in.
I was hoping that this flood would stop soon so I could go back to my parents.
"At
some point, I left the room and walked towards the exit door of the house. My
aunt asked me:
-What
are you doing here?
-I'm
going back to mom.
- Can't
you see the rain?
"It's
not raining," I told him cheekily.
-How
it's not raining! But look at the glass. Water runs down the windows.
"I
looked at her and said to her:
- You're
wrong, it's not raining anymore.
“Without
a word, my aunt opened the door to the house. She put her hand on my neck,
squeezed and pushed my head out. The rain wet my hair. I felt it dripping down
my cheeks.
- So, is
it raining or not? cried my aunt.
"I
slowly turned to her in the rain, and with a wet face I replied:
-No it's
not raining.
"Exceeded,
she shouted at me:
-Go to
your mother.
"I
left running. I had neither jacket nor raincoat. To go faster, I followed the
shortcut, a path that runs along pastures and fir trees. I went from a puddle
to the another by trying to avoid them so as not to damage my little shoes,
when, suddenly, I saw the Girgaine coming out of this wood ten meters in front
of me. Frightened, I stopped. I said to myself "I hope she doesn't don't
see me”.
"If
I could have turned into a rat or a mouse and disappeared into a hole, I would
have done it immediately. There I was, my feet soaked in mud, in the rain. My
hair was sticking to my back.
"The
Girgaine turned and saw me. She came forward slowly. I was horribly scared. My
heart was pounding in my chest as if it was about to burst. My hands were
shaking, my teeth were chattering. The Girgaine came closer and closer.
"Suddenly
she reached out her hand to me. She stroked my wet hair and then she reached
into the pocket of her old black coat and pulled out a big red candy. She gave
it to me, without a word, then she went back into the woods. I ran away as fast
as I could without daring to touch the candy.
"When
I arrived near the house, I ran into my friend Camille, Lucien's sister. I told
her about my adventure. Camille asked me if I had eaten the candy. I replied:
-Of
course not. There is no question.
-For what? Camilla
asked.
-Because
I don't want to be turned into a rat, a mouse, a spider or anything else like a
frog, a toad, a slug.
“Camille
looked at me.
- I am
not afraid!
"You're
crazy," I retorted.
"Camille
asked me for the candy. I passed it to her. She didn't get it often at home.
She placed it under her nose and told me it had a delicious smell of cherries.
She licked it. She didn't turn into a monster or an insect. We broke the big
candy in half, each half. And in the middle we discovered a pearl, a fine
pearl, a rare, precious pearl. , gift from the Girgaine.
"Where
did she find that? I didn't know. I only found out later and if you want to
know, ask Madame Sophie. She often sits in the living room in front of the
television, but you won't disturb her She's not looking. She's sleeping.
Alex, Linnea, Ethan and Celeste thanked Madame Francine and headed for the
living room. They approached Madame Sophie. She was dozing. It
must be said that we understand it. We were having a football
game. It didn't interest him.
- Miss
Sophie?
She
seized herself and opening her eyes, looked at the four children. They
smile. They apologized.
-Madame
Francine sent us, explained Celeste, because she tells us that you know things
about the Girgaine.
"Ah,
that's what it's all about," said Madame Sophie. I can tell you, but
I, the witch, have never met her.
The four
friends sat down in front of her.
-My
parents ran the village inn, a large and beautiful house, a former post house,
now submerged under the dam. I had just come back from school that
day. I had put my satchel in the hall. A car stopped in front of our
door. A car was very rare at that time in the countryside. I'm
talking to you about my childhood.
"It
must have been someone very rich. The man who came out had an impressive
athletic build and dark eyes. He was holding a big bag in his hand. He entered
the inn.
"Hello
sir," he said to my father. I would like the best room for a week.
"Dad
replied that it was no problem. We were already out of the summer season, there
were few customers.
"The
man opened his bag. I only saw the contents for a few seconds, because he
immediately closed it, but that was enough for me. I can tell you, children,
this bag contained gold coins and fine, rare, precious pearls. All full. He
placed a gold coin on the counter.
- Sir,
said my father, it's too much.
"Keep
the change," replied the man.
"Dad
wanted to take this man's bag up to the first floor where the nicest room was,
as he always does with clients. But my father couldn't lift the bag. And yet,
he was not a wimp. On the other hand, the client lifted him up to his shoulder
without any difficulty. What strength he had!
"He
stayed in his room all day, including the evening. The next day, after lunch,
he left for the woods, taking his bag.
“He was
never seen again. A search was undertaken. His black hat was discovered by the
river, after the flower glade, beyond the large stone you may have been told
about. "That's all we found of him. He must have drowned in the river,
unless the Girgaine lured him into a trap."
"But
me, the children, I never forgot the face of this man. He had only one eyebrow
which went from one eye to the other, like werewolves. -to be one. I even
believe that Lucien saw him, this werewolf... Ask him...
The four
friends thanked Madame Sophie. They returned, very impressed, to the inn
for the meal.
In the afternoon, the four of them went for a short walk. They passed the
Pont du Loup, where once Monsieur Lucien, a little boy, had seen the
werewolf. They walked along the large stone and wondered how she had been
able to recover as Madame Louise's father had seen her. Then they crossed
the fir wood and entered the flower glade, where a savage, Monsieur Paul's
little sister, had danced with the hares and had received a gold coin from the
Girgaine.
They
finally arrived at a place where the river is particularly dangerous, because
the current is impetuous there. There, no doubt, they had found the hat of
the werewolf Madame Sophie had met.
Crossing
the clearing again to the west, they observed a hilly fir wood to which no path
led. They noticed four stone walls there, apart, in a dark
place. There were the ruins of a poor, miserable little house with a
half-sagging roof. Curious, our friends approached it. It was still
standing on three sides, but the fourth was completely split and had taken the
roof with it, which seemed to be sinking into the house.
One of
the stone walls opened to the outside by a window without glass crossed by an
iron bar in the middle. Our friends couldn't make out anything from the
outside. It was too dark in the middle of the fir wood. So they went
to the other side, the one where there was a narrow door.
They
risked entering and observed the place. At first they saw nothing. A
musty smell, of mushroom, invaded everything. A small poacher's house from
the past, very poor.
But in a
corner, along the wall, they discovered a rusty iron bar. It was a huge,
heavy key almost a meter long. This key oddly had two bolts. Normally
a key has only one bolt which enters the lock and opens a door. This one
had two, placed at right angles.
Our
friends put her back on the ground. Then they left this sinister house and
returned to their inn.
Along the long mysterious stone, they decided to climb it. They first made
their way through the nettles and brambles with their sticks to approach it,
then they climbed up it, helping each other. They were able to cover its
entire length.
They
then discovered a strange crack, a double slot at right angles which strangely
resembled the shape of the double bolt of the key seen in this wooden house
which they thought was that of the Girgaine.
On an
idea from Ethan, they returned to the old house in ruins, took the rusty key,
and returned to the big rock. They inserted this enormous key into the
double slot. Once at the bottom, they felt like a click.
Our
friends, groping at first, made the gesture of turning, four of them and
joining forces, to achieve this... and slowly, by an extremely old mechanism,
doubtless dating from the time of the castles where this stone was to be a trap
to surprise the enemies, they managed to draw up the gigantic rock. A 45
degree angle. It had to be placed in unstable balance on another and the
key created a seesaw effect.
Ethan
jumped off the rock.
Underneath,
he saw a bag and shouted to the others not to move. He picked up the bag
and opened it. It contained about twenty small, fine, precious and rare
pearls and two gold coins. Ethan took four pearls and put the bag back in
place. They lowered the huge stone and then put the key back where they
had found it. Our four friends had just discovered the witch's secret.
Where
did the Girgaine find this gold and these pearls which she offered to the
children? Had she stolen them from the werewolf man who drowned in the
river? Or was she his friend? Who knows...
Our friends didn't tell anyone. They each kept a pearl as a souvenir of
their adventure. They also keep it to remember the Girgaine.
