Pauline in the Witch's Pot
(copyright Audrey Ermine 2002)
Pauline had been at a party. She'd been having a lot of fun, so she had stayed
there much later than she had intended. Now she was hurrying home through
the dark streets. As rain suddenly started to fall, she found herself quite wet.
She was walking past an old stone cottage. She was cursing herself for
getting her dress wet, when she noticed a curtain twitching and a person
looking out at her. She found this very alarming, and jumped with fright. The
figure at the window disappeared. Just as Pauline was recovering herself to
walk away, the door opened.
"Oh, my dear, look at the state you're in!"
The person at the door was a beautiful woman. She wore a black dress which
showed off her feminine form more than adequately. Over her long brown hair she
wore something that could only be called a witch's hat, black and pointed.
She smiled sweetly at Pauline. "You're absolutely soaking, you poor
thing. And such a prretty young woman, too! Why don't you come inside and get warm?"
Pauline had a wary feeling about the stranger, but she couldn't refuse
such a kind offer. She stepped inside, and the witch closed the door behind
her.
Pauline felt her coat being lifted from her shoulders. "Let's get this
thing off you. What's your name, dear?"
"Pauline."
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Pauline. My name is Celestine."
Pauline was now feeling recovered enough to consider the strangeness
of the situation. She stifled a laugh at the woman's odd name and her unusual
attire. "You know that it's not Halloween, right?"
Celestine touched her hat. "This thing? Oh, I always wear this. Don't worry
yourself about that, dear. Now, would you like a nice hot bath?"
Pauline was rather surprised by this unusual offer. "Umm, no... thank you."
There was something a little scary about Celestine. It wasn't the witch's hat,
although that probably had something to do with it. There was something Pauline
couldn't quite name.
Celestine smiled, a seductive smile. "Well, perhaps you'll change your mind
later. For now, you can sit down in this chair, and I'll make a hot drink
for you." She gestured to a wooden chair. As Pauline sat down, she realised
what had been bothering her. When Celestine looked at her, her look was
possessive. Almost hungry. It seemed to say "you're mine".
Celestine went into another room to make a drink, while Pauline
decided that something strange was happening, that she wouldn't be staying
long. Looking at her surroundings, she noticed something that seemed very
peculiar, although not out of place in this room. (What kind of room was this,
anyway? It was something like a cross between a workshop and a kitchen.) In
the corner was a large iron pot. "A witch's cauldron," Pauline thought, not
knowing whether to laugh or scream. Perhaps Celestine really was a witch,
perhaps she created evil potions in that pot.
Celestine returned with the drink. There was something comforting,
protective, about Celestine. Pauline started to feel guilty about thinking
malicious things of her. She felt compelled to say something nice. "You're
being so kind to me. I must give you something in return."
"Oh, I'm sure that a nice girl like you will be able to repay me. Drink
up, my lady." The drink was delicious, the hotness was exactly what Pauline
needed to feel inside her cold body. The taste was chocolatey, but that wasn't
quite it, perhaps it was some kind of spice...
Pauline was in a warm cocoon, quite unaware of her surroundings. She
felt the cup being taken from her hands. Then she felt her hands being held
behind the chair. Then she felt rope being wrapped around her wrists...
Pauline shrieked as she snapped back to reality. Celestine had tied her
hands. "What are you doing?" she asked, horrified.
"Don't worry your pretty little head, darling." Celestine had moved on
to tying her legs together. Pauline tried to kick, but her captor was
surprisingly strong, and kept her legs firmly grasped. She quickly had
Pauline's legs tied, then secured them to the chair. Terrified and not knowing
what to say, Pauline could only sit in stunned silence as Celestine tied her to
the chair in a thorough, meticulous manner. Rope was looped around her body in
many places, until she couldn't move at all.
As Celestine stood admiring her handiwork, Pauline finally found her
tongue. "What do you want to do to me? Are you going to use me in a spell?"
The witch threw her head back and laughed. "Nothing so grand as that,
my dear. No, I just think you'll make a delicious treat, I can tell. The
prettier the girl is, the tastier she is."
Pauline didn't understand. She desperately tried to think what Celestine
could mean, while watching her carry the pot out from the corner of the room.
Celestine placed the pot, which Pauline now saw was already full of water,
on a pile of firewood, then set a match to it. As the wood was lit and the pot
started to heat up, Pauline suddenly realised what Celestine intended to do to
her. She struggled, trying to free herself from her bonds, but they had been
expertly tied. In many places, all over her body, rope dug into her skin,
keeping her trapped in the chair.
Celestine added herbs to the water, then turned back to her prisoner.
"Now, my pretty, how about that hot bath?"
"Please," Pauline pleaded, "Don't eat me! I'll do anything else, but
please don't put me in there!"
Celestine kneeled next to her. "Oh, darling, you're just a little scared.
Soon it will all be over." She kissed Pauline on the cheek.
Then she began untying her. Pauline was confused; was she being set
free? Then, as she felt the ropes cease to press against her, Celestine lifted
the girl to her feet and started to remove her clothes. To her horror, Pauline
found that she was unable to struggle. She could easily break free of Celestine's
grasp and run away, but her body just wouldn't respond. She was powerless
as the witch stripped her naked. Celestine added Pauline's clothing to the fire
heating the cauldron.
Now the witch went back to the ropes that had held Pauline in the chair. "I
know it's inconvenient to keep messing about with rope, but we wouldn't want a
delicious thing like you trying to escape, would we?" She wrapped the rope around
Pauline's arms, tying it tightly. Recognising that she had little chance of survival,
Pauline was shocked into silence again. She could only stare helplessly as Celestine
picked her up, carried her to the cauldron, and gently lowered her in.
Pauline had been expecting the water to be scalding hot, but to her
surprise it was barely lukewarm. Her surprise turned to terror as she realised
that she would have to wait as the pot slowly cooked her.
She was in a sitting position, her knees pressed against her chest. The
water was just above that level, covering her breasts. She looked down at the
herbs which would be adding flavour to her meat.
"Just relax, my dear, and soon you'll be a delicious soup." Celestine
gave her another kiss and then left the room.
Pauline was left alone in the cauldron. She struggled, finding that she
was now capable of wriggling, but with her arms bound she was still
powerless. She sank down in the broth, wishing that it would all be over.
After Pauline had been left alone for some time, Celestine returned, with an
apple in her hand. "Time for last words, darling."
"Please. You're very beautiful, but I don't want to be eaten."
She had hardly finished her sentence when Celestine forced the apple
into her mouth. Pauline was now absolutely helpless, bound and gagged in the
cauldron, waiting to be cooked. Celestine began chopping carrots into the
soup.
Before long the water was quite hot. Celestine was mixing the soup
with a wooden spoon, pouring some of it over Pauline's head. The girl looked
at her imploringly, tears streaming down her face. Celestine smiled her
seductive smile at her victim. "I just know that you're going to be delicious. I'll
never forget you." She began adding salt and pepper to the mixture, pouring
some on the helpless girl.
Pauline felt the hot water cooking her flesh. Bubbles rose and burst
above her breasts. She was certain that her feet and derriere were already
quite cooked. She tried to scream, but the apple in her mouth reduced it to a
pathetic whimper. She wondered how she could have been so stupid, entering
this strange woman's house.
She was feeling very weak. She closed her eyes. The last thing she saw was
Celestine looking sweetly at her. Celestine was very pretty. Celestine didn't mean to
hurt her, she just knew what was best for a tasty girl...
* * *
As the sun rose, Celestine went to bed feeling immensely satisfied. She had
been right, Pauline had been truly delicious. She could always tell.
She loved going to bed with that warm feeling of a delightful treat in
her belly. Lady soup was her favourite meal.
