Like a phoenix from the ashes

 The air was thick, and the sky was green and cloudy. There was rot everywhere, which is healthy for a forest usually, but here it was abnormal. Thick fungus coated every plant. Fuzzy white mold replaced the fluff on dying dandelions. Everywhere was wet and cold.

“Oh, is that your house?” Rodelia said, trying to hold up a smile with one eye twitching.

“Dear god, we have no sense of stranger danger. Well, she seemed normal…” Chun whispered to Rodelia.

“I wonder how long she’s been here-” Rodelia replied. Chun put his hand over her mouth.

“Don’t be so loud, we don’t want to make her mad. She might be super powerful or something,”

“Is anything wrong back there?” Lira said. She was smiling brightly and hobbling along. She was surprisingly fast for an older woman.

The shack door swung open. Chun and Rodelia were coughing and wheezing at the dust-filled air. Lira sat down quickly in a chair. It was constructed with a mixture of what looked like wood and animal bones. On top of a wobbling table sat a glowing crystal ball.

“I apologize, I have no seating besides this chair. I usually don’t have visitors! Why, I can’t even remember how long it’s been since I’ve seen normal folk! Ah, excuse me, but I don’t know your names!” Lira said, clasping her hands together and smiling.

“Well, I’m Rodela and this is Chun,” Rodelia said.

“Well, that’s quite an efficient introduction. Nice to meet you both!” She shook both of their hands.

“I’ll grab you both something to eat then.”

She stood up and walked to the other side of the house. Though that didn’t take much effort since the house was just a single small room.

“Hey, what should we do? She seems so happy to see us. I feel bad for leaving. What about you?” Chun whispered to Rodelia. He had been quiet for a while. He was fiddling with his shirt, and trying not to make eye contact with Lira in any way.

“I don’t have many options for food. Finding something edible is way too difficult in this godforsaken forest!” Lira complained to them. She opened a cabinet that was about to fall off the wall, inside were jars full of mystery meat. She began to fumble around looking for something.

“You both look so lifeless, you both were just swearing like sailors and now you are so quiet. I promise I won't bite, so please liven up children!”

She presented them a plate full of stale weevil-filled crackers.

“We’re good, we just had some food.” Chun said, Rodelia nodded in agreement.

“So why are we here?” Rodelia questioned the library witch.

Before the witch could answer, Moth girl burst through the witch’s single glassless window. Moth girl slammed right into the wall and slid down to the dirty floor.

The entire house shook. That old leaning cabinet dropped to the floor with a loud crash. Tiny spiders began to flee from the broken home they called that cabinet, as the glass from the jars shattered.

Lira clenched her fist, her veins noticeably popping out of her head.

“ What are you doing?” Our duo coincidentally had the same thought and said at the same time. 

 Lira grabbed the bottom of Moth girl’s wing and ripped it.