The Ragdoll Chapter 4

    Chapter Four.

                        Release.

LP did not know what to do, but before she had time to decide, the Witch muttered something and went out of the cottage. LP heard her grumble, “Drat, I forgot his horse. They will not believe him if he turns up on foot.”

LP made a quick decision. She snatched Doll from her pillow, grabbed the jar of green paste, and ran into the kitchen. As she went, she smeared the paste over Doll’s face and mouth, just as she had seen the Witch do to the birds.

She ran to Flick and poked him, but he only stared straight ahead. There was no time to try again. LP darted to the chair, seized the piece of invisibility cloth, and pulled it over herself just as the Witch came back inside. The cloth was so fine that LP could see everything through it.

The Witch smeared Flick’s face with green paste. She scowled fiercely as she concentrated, too busy to notice LP creeping up beside Flick as he floated before her. As the Witch pointed her finger and said, “Out of me, into you!” LP thrust Doll between the Witch’s hand and Flick and squeezed her eyes shut. She did not want to see what happened.

The world seemed to stand still. Doll grew suddenly, impossibly heavy, and LP had to drop her. When she opened her eyes, Flick was no longer floating — he was sitting on the floor, looking bewildered. Doll lay nearby. And most importantly, on the table lay a gold chain with a jewel attached.

LP dashed across the room, grabbed the chain, and hung it around her neck. She picked up Doll and tucked her into her apron pocket. The feel of the doll made her shudder, but she ignored it.

Then she flung her arms around Flick.

“LP!” he said, hugging her fiercely. “But where… I mean what… I mean—”

“I’ll explain later,” said LP. “But first we have things to do.”

She led him to the rafter where the bag of toadstools hung, far above her reach. Flick handed it down. LP untied the string and tipped the contents onto the floor. They watched in amazement as the toadstools slowly sank into the floorboards. They did not know it, but far away in the palace, the Princess — who had suffered dreadful nightmares for weeks — gave a small sigh, turned over, and slept peacefully for the first time in days.

Next, LP made Flick drag the box containing the three bottles to the fire. They opened them one by one and poured the fine powder from each onto the flames. Each burned fiercely for a few seconds. When the last powder burned away, the fire went out.

Then they took down the sealed jar of herbs, opened it, and poured the contents down the garden well. The water fizzed for a moment, then settled into stillness.

As they watched, a strange creaking noise came from behind them. They turned to see the Witch’s cottage begin to collapse. Slowly at first, then faster, until nothing remained but a heap of rubble.

All the while LP talked, explaining everything to Flick so quickly he could barely follow half of it. At last she said, “We must leave before anything else happens. But I may not be able to come with you. The Witch said I could only leave if she came with me. But no matter what, you must go and tell the Foresters that the smugglers are bringing their goods along the North Road tomorrow night.”

Flick wanted to argue, but LP would not let him. He took the reins of his horse in one hand and LP’s hand in the other. Together they walked to the garden gate. Flick opened it. Holding her breath, eyes squeezed shut, LP stepped through and out into the forest.

There isn’t much else to say. The scenes when LP arrived home were everything you might expect. Flick received great praise for helping catch a band of smugglers. A well‑known shopkeeper in the town died suddenly for no apparent reason.

Rumours spread that there was no longer a Wicked Witch in the Dark Forest — though the place remained dangerous. And if anyone had gone back to where the cottage ruins ought to have been a week later, they would have been astonished to find the cottage standing there as if nothing had happened. A month later, another Witch moved in. There is always a Witch in the Dark Forest.

LP lived as happily as anyone has a right to do. She married and had a family. Wherever she went, she wore a golden chain with a jewel on it, and Doll went with her. When her time came — as it comes to even the luckiest person — her will ordered that the jewel and Doll be burned in a bonfire made from Rowan wood.