Elise closed her eyes, but inside her brain, the cruel images spun around like a malevolent tornado. She crouched with her eyes closed tight and, holding her hands to her head. The darkness inside and around her seemed to have no end, until someone spoke behind her. The words carried from the depths of the forest and circled around her. "Child...you seem lost in these woods."

Elise stopped shaking and crying and turned around. A figure stood behind her in a glowing golden robe. "When the burdens of your life get too much," the figure said, sounding like a cross between a wise elderly woman and a goddess. "There is always a place you can go."

Elise's eyes were dazzled by the enchanting words and the even more enrapturing outfit. The figure held out her hand, causing her sleeve to slide down. Her hands were sparkling too. "Follow me," the figure said, beckoning Elise. "I will guide you to a land with no burden."

"But who are you?" Elise said, knowing full well she should never follow or talk to strangers.

"Would you rather be alone in your deepest regrets and memories?" the figure asked gently. "Or would you rather follow me to Paradise Eternity?"

Elise scratched her head, not knowing what Paradise Eternity was. The woman began to leave and Elise scurried after her.

As they walked together, Elise noticed the woman was leaving a trail of gold dust behind her. It danced in Elise's eyes and she smiled. Whoever this is, Elise thought. She can't be that bad. Perhaps she'll take me to heaven.

The woman snapped her fingers and a rainbow colored door dazzled Elise's vision. A sign reading Paradise Eternity hung from the door on a lanyard.

"Ooh can we go inside?" Elise asked.

The woman wagged her finger at young Elise. "You must knock three times on the door of Paradise Eternity."

Elise did just that with three polite knocks and the door opened without a creak.

Elise looked at the figure who urged her, "Go on!"

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She walked inside and found her body spiraling through a rainbow colored void. She twirled and twirled, her dress pirouetting until she found herself on a cloud. Shaking away the dizziness, she gasped at what was in front of her eyes.

There was a fancy resort building floating in a clear blue sky. It was made entirely out of glass and resembled a palace.

"Huh?" Elise said, "This isn't heaven!"

"Ta-da!" the robed figure said in a much zanier, younger woman's voice. "This is much better than boring old heaven. Welcome to Paradise Eternity. Sincirce the Island Witch's Resort and Spa."

Elise gasped over the foul witch's name, and stepped away from the robed figure. The woman screamed in an over-the-top voice, "And I'm your razzle dazzling host, Sincirce!"

The golden robe was shed. Before Elise stood the most colorful women she had ever seen.

Most witches in Elise's stories wore dark garbs and shrouds, often to hide their warts, but this witch was a fair skinned, blond woman with mischievous purple eyes and a curling smile. She sported a turquoise hat with a lacey red bow, a tight matching corset and a purples dress that went down to her ankles. She clicked her diamond heels together and smiled in a catlike fashion.

"Are you really Sincirce?" Elise asked. "Why aren't you moldy, green, warty and gloomy?"

Sincirce pursed her lips together. She ruffled Elise's bushy orange hair. "I'm an island witch, silly-gilly, we get a lot more sun so our skin doesn't turn all nasty and grody. Besides"--Sincirce flexed her abdomen--"I'm the head of my Witchlates class!"

"Oh I didn't know that," Elise said.

"You learn something new everyday," Sincirce winked. "Now how would you like an all expense paid stay at my witch's spa? You may not have warts that need removing or green skin to spray tan, but you won't believe the kind of wrinkles you can get from wandering the Forest of Reminiscimemory!"

"I can't believe this was all to promote and advertise your spa and resort!" Elise said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Thaaaaaat's captialism for you!" Sincirce sung.

"More like crapitalism," Elise muttered crossing her arms. "But you're lucky I could use some spa time after this stressful encounter."

"That's the kind of mindset I like to hear!" Sincirce said, two fingers over her eye. "Besides all the other crones will be totally jealous of your baby milk skin"--Sincirce turned aside and whispered--"I know I am!"

"Huh?" Elise said, blinking twice.

Sincirce stood and flung both her hands forward, causing the doors of the glass palace to part. Sincirce turned to face Elise who was completely flabbergasted by what she saw inside.

"Welcome to Paradise Eternity, my resort and spa where you can leave whenever you want!"

"Really?" Elise asked.

Sincirce turned aside to wink mischievously at the reader. "Of course!"