“That interfering wretch...” she screamed into the cold North wind. “I was going to win!!”

“Is that you, Woeisme?” called a raspy voice. “I thought you were going to fix Father.”

Woeisme paced to the hole in the crumbled wall where a man of indeterminate age leaned on a twisted staff.

“Out of my way, Ufool, “ she ranted. “I must go to the Chamber of Knowing, to see if I can reverse this reversal!!”

She brushed by the distorted form of her brother, almost knocking him over in her haste to reach the dark Chamber of Knowing. She came into the room, intent on reaching the large musty book lying open on a stand made of poison ivy frozen in time. Her eyes flashed as she muttered to herself. It wasn’t fair, nothing EVER went her way. Who was that ridiculous pixie to interfere with her plans??? She was supposed to win! She was supposed to be the one who fixed Father. As Woeisme stood before the bookstand, flipping pages angrily, her brother crept into the room.

“What went wrong?” Ufool asked hesitantly.

“Everything was going to plan...” she answered without raising her eyes from the book. “I had the child…I HAD THE CHILD!!!”

Ufool trembled at the venom spewing from the hag’s thin lips. He backed up against a large bronze box and touched it with a reverent hand. “Father...” he whispered under his breath.