The words of the witch stupified Elise into senseless babble.

"The whoodoo do what now?!" the little girl squeaked.

The Whoodoo Lady cackled.

"The sheer irony of the noble hero of the prophecy being tongue tied by its mere mention. Such are the mysteries of the sea!"

"Hero?" Elise squeaked again. "I can barely tie my shoes. Why do you think I wear sandals all the time?"

"At least her wit is limitless," said the old lady, giving a wrinkly smile.

"Is that your evil potion?!" Elise stammered pointing at the cauldron behind her. It was printed with colorful floral prints upon its lavender surface.

"It's clam chowder!" the old woman responded drolly.

The Whoodoo Lady held up her hand, and magically yanked forward a tiny footstool for Elise to sit upon. "Let me tell you this, little one, I am a friend of the great Sea King. Still am too."

"You are?" Elise asked with a smile and she figured under those circumstances that she could sit for a while.

"Would you like some clam chowder, dear?" the witch asked knowingly

When the fumes wafted towards Elise and she inhaled, the broth smelled delicious. Her stomach rumbled.

The witch magically zapped a bowl into Elise's hand.

The opague white stew with bits of clams, potatoes and cheese magically levitated into the bowl.

Elise lapped at it with her tongue. "She sells seashells! This is amazing!"

"Not bad for an old crone?!" the Whoodoo Lady cackled. "Now while you dig into that soup, let me dig into your prophecy."

Elise turned around and looked at the doorway. She had not emerged to tell everyone the coast is clear. But perhaps she could at least hear the old woman tell her tale.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"You may not know this, young one, but the signs appear in strange places. Especially for one as gifted as I."

The old woman summoned a box of Yo-ho-Oats, a brand of oat meal used commonly throughout the sea. "For I read the prophecy in my oatmeal this morning!"

"Golly, really?!" Elise said scratching her head. "When my daddy makes it all I get is brown sludge."

The old woman cackled again. "When this happened, I immediately redirected the lightning bolt of that inferior witch who thinks she's prettier than she is. I give her a 7."

Elise giggled again. "I thought this was a clam chowder not a roast."

The Whoodoo Lady lifted her finger. "The library by the sea is always open. Now you may be asking. What does the prophecy say about you and this mysterious man?"

Elise nodded. "Yesh. Please tell me! Is he handsome?"

"Erm...yes," the old witch responded. "But a bit too old for you."

Elise's arms sank. "Aww coconuts."

The old woman's eyes seered bright orange. She spread her arms far apart and spoke in husky, spooky tone. "The prophecy said, a girl with a noble heart and mind shall indeed restore the Sea King to his rightful throne!"

"Oh yay!" Elise said giddily. "Yay me."

"Yay you..." the old woman responded. "But there is a man. A devilishly handsome man with a wicked heart who could send your best laid plans awry."

Elise wrinkled her brow. "But why would he...why would he do such a thing?"

"Because…" the old woman said raising her hands like talons. "He thinks only of himself. And not for the greater good of the ocean."

"Who is he?" Elise asked.

The old lady placed her fingers to her head and closed her flashing glowing eyes. She seemed to have a tremor as she did. "His identity is unclear to me, but the prophecy allowed some details written on the flakes of oatmeal."

"He is a rogue…" she said, and trembled. "That much is clear. He is a sea faring man who has traveled far and wide. He's made many a friend or foe with his rakish qualities."

Elise crossed her arms and closed her eyes. A handsome man looking to undo everything she did. That was good in some circumstances, she thought, but this is the ocean we're talking about. Who would want to harm such a wonderful ocean?!

"So far," Elise said. "This could be any pirate. Only one who takes better care of his personal hygene so he's a bit more dreamy."

The old woman's eyes shot open. "The prophecy warned of one specific thing. He is someone you've crossed path with numerous times and know very well."

"Heya Freckles," a squawky voice said from behind Elise.

She nearly hit the roof over it. Turning around, Elise paled when she saw the good captain walk in with Tony in tow.

"We were getting a bit concerned," Archibell remarked. "You hadn't come out after Sugar sent you into this den of evil."

"Personally," Tony laughed from the captain's hands. "I think he wanted to get away from his ex. He's more scared of her more than dis witch doctor person."

"Shush…" the captain said. "But uh...now that I get a good look. This is a pretty nice pad she's got here."

"Thank you!" the Whoodoo Lady said with a smile. "You didn't tell me you knew such a handsome specimen, child."

Elise mouthed words but nothing came out. Handsome? Roguish? Someone she knew?

This might be the man she was hoping she'd never come across.