One

I

You are looking through a keyhole, into a place nowhere near. Alien shapes and thoughts fill your retina through the narrow gap in the world.

On the other side is a world in a stage play. The actors are gathering on stage and you discern their roles. The antagonists - a group of faceless men with grand wishes in white coats and dark thoughts. The protagonist - a single girl who affirms the wishes of the people around her. The bystanders, entangled in the web.

The first act begins, and the antagonists drag the protagonist on stage. They speak about changing the world, they cut and pierce and hurt until the protagonist is no longer recognisable as herself. They aimed to create a monster that would change the world forever.

II

The second act is a beautiful elaborate dance of creator and creation. They dance through work and through finding a home. The protagonist finds a family and the antagonists see the error of their ways.

III

The third act is a still world of monsters. The ironic fulfilment of the antagonists wishes is thick in the air, its bittersweet scent fills your nostrils until you can smell nothing else.

The monsters all move in perfect harmony, all fulfilling the wishes of the protagonist, who lays still at the centre of a beautiful web.

She teaches them better ways through song. A world fated to keep learning its lesson for the rest of days.

“They bloomed into the most beautiful flowers, filling the air

with the most wonderful fragrance”

-The First of the City Witches