#koaschei

                                      Such  a  pale  painting  from  far                                       away.                                                      But when admired up close                                               –––––––––––    dirty brushwork. 

      “...twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen...” The witch stood in a museum, counting old spoons and forks inside a glass       case. She stood out from the others, dressed in a coat that was too big       for her and with no shoes to stand between her feet and the cold floor.                   ”...sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.”                                     An even number. She preferred even numbers.       Though her interest waned quickly and she moved on to the next exhibit.       These were pieces of her world, no longer relevant and so kept in pretty       cases and out of reach.             The Faberge eggs in this case however were exquisite, decorated             with imagery of folk tales. They deserved the protection given to them.                                                             ”He would enjoy you, my dears...”                               Though she wondered if perhaps he already had.