Morning in Courdemanche

Peter pressed his nose against the cottage window, watching the witches in Courdemanche hurry through the cobblestone streets below. Their pointed hats bobbed like dancing mushrooms as they carried baskets full of strange glowing herbs and bottles that clinked with each step.

"Another boring day," he muttered, floating three feet off the wooden floor. His bare feet kicked at nothing but air.

The village looked the same as always—crooked houses with twisted chimneys, purple smoke curling into the cloudy sky, and cats with too many eyes perched on every rooftop. Peter had been staying here for weeks now, and the witches barely noticed him anymore.

He drifted toward the door, ready to explore the forest again, when heavy footsteps echoed on the stairs outside. Three tall figures in dark cloaks appeared at his window. Their faces were hidden, but their hands looked wrong—too long, with fingers like twigs.

"Time to go, flying boy," one said in a voice like grinding stones.

The Invisible Cages

Peter backed away from the window, his heart pounding. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

The middle figure stepped through the cottage wall like it was made of air. The other two followed, their twig-like fingers reaching toward him.

"Flying won't help you here, boy," the first one said. Peter shot upward toward the ceiling, but his head smacked against something solid. He rubbed the bump, confused. The ceiling looked normal, but he couldn't pass through it.

"Invisible barriers," the second figure explained with a grinding laugh. "This whole cottage is now a box."

Peter darted left and right, testing the walls. His hands hit solid surfaces where there should have been empty air. The cottage had become a cage he couldn't see.

"Why are you doing this?" Peter demanded, floating in the center of the room.

"Someone wants to meet the boy who refuses to grow up," the third figure said. "Someone who collects unusual children."

The cloaked strangers moved closer. Peter's mind raced. The witches outside had no idea what was happening. The invisible walls trapped him completely, and these mysterious figures seemed to know exactly what they were doing.