She was bored. So. Utterly. Bored.

 

Sumomone had been stuck in this tower for almost her entire life, to the point where she could barely remember anything that had come before it. Every day was the same, with only slight variations. It could bore anyone to tears.

The witch she’d been kidnapped by as a child had supplied her with plenty of things, but there were only so many times you could do the same things before it drove you to madness.

The dreams of handsome princes rescuing her had been countless, but why would they, when barely anyone knew that the tower even existed?

She’d tried escaping, of course. Had braided her hair and tried using it as a rope. But it wasn’t quite long enough yet. At this point, she’d need another five years to grow it out long enough to be able to get down far enough that she felt like it would be safe to jump the rest of the way, even if she cut it off right at the nape of her neck. Dry grass and rocks wouldn’t make for a very soft landing.

So she was stuck here, at least for another few years.

Could you die of boredom? If you could, surely she would have done so by now.

 

Just as she considered simply going back to bed, she heard a sound behind her.

She whirled around, expecting the witch who had been her only visitor in the tower.

What she saw instead was the first new person she’d laid eyes on in almost her entire life.

 

Eyes wide, she took a step forward before stopping herself. The woman standing in the middle of her window held a broom in her hand, a long, pointy hat on her head. Looking an awful lot like a witch.

She narrowed her eyes.

“Are you her apprentice?”

Sumomone’s words were suspicious, hesitant. Having another person finally show up didn’t change anything if they were also here to keep her prisoner.

The woman looked confused, pushing blue hair blown by the wind out of her face. “Whose assistant?”

“The witch who kidnapped me, who else?” Was she playing games with her?

Yellow eyes furrowed. She looked confused. “You’re kidnapped?”

At this point, Sumomone started growing exasperated. “Do you think I moved into a tower with no exit out of my own free will?”

Her visitor considered the question far too long for her liking.

 

“Would you like me to help you get out?”

 

The question made Sumomone’s heart leap in her chest, and she closed the distance between them in an instant. She grabbed the woman tightly by the wrist. “Are you sure?” But even though she was asking, now that the offer had been made, she wouldn’t let her take it back.

The woman threw a quick glance at where skin met skin, then looked her right in the eyes, gaze steady. “I am.”

Sumomone’s grip tightened for a second before she motioned toward her broom. “Okay, let’s go then.”

“You don’t need to pack anything?”

“No.” None of her things held any sentimental value. They were just there to keep her from going stir-crazy. And they were failing at doing so, at that.

The young witch smiled, lightly thumping the end of her broom against the thick stone window she was standing in twice. When she let go of it, it slowly lifted into the air. “You’re going to have to let me go if you want us to be able to get on,” she said. “I won’t leave without you, I promise.”

 

After a few seconds, Sumomone eased her grip, letting her hand drop to her side. She watched the woman get on the broom, and it moved to float beside her. “You can sit behind me.”

Throwing her leg over the broom, Sumomone sat down. She wrapped her arms around the woman’s waist, tightening her grip as she felt herself rise up further into the air.

She could hear the witch chuckle.

 

And then there was wind in her face. It felt like the wind was coming from all around her, and she looked in wonder at the ground far, far below.

She’d only ever seen the same scenery from her one and only window for so many years, it felt like a dream to finally get to see something new. She hardly wanted to blink, trying to take everything in.

After a while, she turned to look at where they’d come from. She could no longer see her tower. It made excitement bubble in her chest.

 

It felt like mere minutes had passed when they started to get closer to the ground. The broom lowered itself the last meter slowly, until Sumomone finally felt the ground beneath her bare feet.

The witch watched her as Sumomone lifted a foot, moving it across the soft green grass beneath it. “You’re acting like you’ve never touched grass before,” she said, crouching down next to Sumomone, who was now running her hands through the brightly coloured blades of grass.

“I haven’t.”

“Oh.”

 

For a few moments she sat there next to her, as Sumomone continued to feel the grass. It tickled her palms when she grazed them along the tips.

Then, the witch seemed to come to a decision.

 

“You should come with me.”

Sumomone turned to look at her. She leaned forward until she was almost so close they could breathe each other’s air. She stood on her hands and knees, the witch’s thighs between her hands. “That’s an offer you can’t take back, you know?”

“I wouldn’t be offering if I weren’t already sure. Besides, someone needs to help you out when whoever kidnapped you in the first place comes looking for you.”

Sumomone’s smile was brilliant when she took the witch’s face between her hands. With no hesitation, she pressed her lips to hers, soft and warm.

When she pulled back, she was met with a surprised, wide-eyed look on the witch’s face. Her cheeks were pink.

“What-what was that for?”

Sumomone sat back, hands once again running along the grass. “Handsome princes always get a kiss as a thank you after rescuing a beautiful princess.”

“I’m not a prince, I’m a witch. And you’re not a princess.” She was silent for a moment, then… “Are you?”

“Hmm, who’s to say?” Sumomone got up on her feet, a cheeky smile on her face. “I’m cute enough to be one, though.”

An amused huff escaped the witch’s lips. “Sure.” She stood up next to her, holding out her hand. “I’m Uiui, by the way. Usually you find that out before you kiss someone.”

Sumomone laughed, taking the offered hand in hers. She squeezed it, feeling the warmth of her palm against her own. “I’m Sumomone.”

She didn’t let go.

Instead, she picked up the broom that was lying next to them in the grass with her free hand. “Now,” she said, handing the broom to Uiui. “Where can I find a new dress? This one isn’t cute at all .”

Uiui chuckled, and with a flick of her wrist, the broom slid in place on her back, ribbons tying themselves around it to secure it. “I’ll show the way.”

 

Still holding her hand, they walked across the grass.

Everywhere Sumomone looked, there was something new to see.

 

She knew it would be a while yet until she would have the time to get bored again.

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