Extraction

"What are you?" I asked, curiosity evident in my tone.

He crossed his arms against his chest, his gaze piercing as he studied me intently from head to toe. The intensity of his stare made me feel as though he could see straight through me. 

Bewilderment washed over me as he spoke. "Alexa told me you're human," he said, his voice hesitant. "Even the Primotheans believed so. But I felt otherwise. I couldn't feel your presence at all."

I met his gaze with a puzzled expression, feeling utterly lost amidst his cryptic words. He stared at me intently, his scrutiny leaving me feeling like a complex painting displayed in a prestigious museum. 

He blinked as if he realized something, his lips parting slightly as he broke the silence once more.

"If you're hungry," he said, his tone softening slightly, "eat this." With a swift motion, he tossed a basket of apples towards me, and I caught it with both arms. 

As I glanced up at him, he offered a cautionary reminder, "Don't mess with Alexa's food. She will go mad if you do so." 

The man gave me one final look, then he suddenly vanished without a trace. There was no pop, no noise, no lingering presence—just an empty space where he once stood.

"What the hell just happened?" I muttered to myself, my mind reeling with unanswered questions.

Despite my confusion, my stomach grumbled once more, a reminder of my hunger. Should I trust that man? I didn't even know his name. In my current situation, it seemed almost irrelevant whether I trusted him or not.

After all, if they intended to use me as food eventually, it didn't matter whether I risked being poisoned or not. Surely it was still a privilege to die with a full stomach. 

With a resigned sigh, I reached for one of the apples he had given me, analyzing it carefully for any signs of tampering. Finding nothing amiss, I took a hesitant bite, savoring the sweetness of the fruit as I chewed slowly with closed eyes. Despite my initial apprehension, I felt a sense of relief as I realized that nothing was happening at all.

"I guess these apples are clean after all," I remarked to myself, a note of cautious optimism creeping into my voice.

Less than ten minutes passed before I emptied the basket of apples. As I searched for something to drink, Alexa suddenly reappeared, her presence surprising me.

"Back so soon?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise at her sudden reappearance.

"Come on," Alexa urged, her tone urgent as she grabbed me by the wrist and guided me towards her floating broomstick. 

Moments later, we were racing across the corridor, the wind whipping past us as we sped towards our destination.

Abruptly, Alexa brought us to a halt before a massive black door, her urgency palpable as she pushed me inside without giving me a chance to protest.

As I stepped into the room, my breath caught in my throat at the sight that greeted me, leaving me stunned and speechless.

The room was bathed in a eerie red light emanating from a small skull positioned atop a small table at the center of the chamber. A large cauldron bubbled and hissed in the corner, surrounded by swirling tendrils of mist.

More than a dozen opened books floated and revolved around the cauldron, their pages flipping frenetically as if guided by an unseen force.

"Where the heck am I," asked myself.

Alexa pulled me towards the awaiting black seat, her urgency evident in her actions. 

Before I could voice my confusion, she spoke. "Whatever happens," she instructed, her voice firm, "stay still, okay?"

I nodded uncertainly, unable to fully comprehend her words as she turned her attention to the strange assortment of items within the nearby drawer behind the table. 

As I observed the contents of the drawer, my eyes widened in astonishment. Sewing supplies lay scattered amidst an array of peculiar objects—a brown rug resembling a bear rested near Alexa's feet, while a deck of flying cards soared through the air beside her. In the corner of the room, her broomstick materialized alongside a finely embroidered magic carpet.

The realization dawned upon me with a jolt—everything here screamed of witchcraft. Alexa was a Witch!

"Here it is," she whispered to herself, cheerful. 

As I watched in shock, Alexa revealed a blade. Unable to catch my breath, a sense of foreboding settled over me.

Suddenly, the chair beneath me seemed to come alive, its armrests moving to tightly grip my hands while its feet began to shuffle across the floor, carrying me towards Alexa against my will.

In the midst of my panic, a floating glowing rope wove its way towards me, wrapping around me tightly and securing me firmly against the seat. My heart pounded with dread.

"Let me go!" I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear as I struggled against the tight grip of the chair and the restraining ropes. "What are you gonna do to me?" 

I attempted to break free, but the ropes only tightened their hold around my chest, rendering my efforts futile. My mind raced with terrifying possibilities of what might await me.

"Please, Louise, don't be stubborn. Just sit still," she said. "You'll only cause yourself more pain if you keep trying to free yourself. Besides, this won't take long." Her tone laced with an unsettling calmness.

"I... I don't understand," I stammered, my voice quivering with confusion. "Please, just let me go. I don't want any part of this!"

Terror seized me as Alexa's actions unfolded before my eyes, her movements deliberate and unsettling.

The sharp sting of pain shot through my palms. I cried out in agony, the sight of blood welling from the wounds filling me with horror. But Alexa's response was merely a soft murmur of reassurance, her actions methodical and detached as she collected the blood in a transparent goblet with unnerving calmness.

"Please, stop," I pleaded, my voice choked with tears. "Don't do this to me."

But my words fell on deaf ears as Alexa continued her sinister task with unwavering determination. 

"There, there," she said softly, hushing gently.

My struggles grew feeble and my consciousness waned. Despite my best efforts, I could not escape the clutches of my captor, and as the world around me blurred into a dizzying haze, I could only wonder if this was the end.

Would they consume me as food? Would they chop me up and discard me like a mere object? The horrifying possibilities raced through my mind as I teetered on the brink of unconsciousness.

In my final moments of awareness, the last thing I saw was Alexa's grinning face looming over me. It was a sinister visage etched into my memory as darkness engulfed me once again.