Charlotte lived in a small village called Blackwood, filled with apple gardens. She was a 45-year-old single woman living in a small cottage with a small garden. Her parents passed away from old age. She had relatives, but she didn’t want to live with them. She didn’t have money to redecorate her small cottage. So, she was famous in the neighborhood for her pitiful old house. She relied on government pension to survive. The money was not enough for renovations and repairs. She always struggled financially when something broke down in her home. She could sell the house and leave it behind for good, but she couldn’t leave the green apple trees. They made her excited and full of life.
Charlotte stole apples from neighboring gardens, cooked apple pies, and sold them in the farmers' market. The look on people’s faces when they tasted her apple pies was priceless to Charlotte. Somehow, apple pies made from stolen apples tasted better in her customers’ mouths. She used the money for home repairs, but even that was not enough. Her cottage needed fundamental repairing. It required a complete rebuild.
Besides money, the thrill of stealing prompted Charlotte to steal again and again, and it became a habit she couldn’t live without and control. She was obsessed. No one knew the thief was Charlotte. The dogs guarding each garden were useless. Charlotte knew how to calm them down, so they wouldn’t bite her while she was stealing apples. She knew a technique to hypnotize dogs, and it worked every time she faced an angry dog guarding one of the gardens she was visiting.
Blackwood’s graveyard was infamous for its horrific stories about ghosts, and incredible creatures eating humans alive. No one dared to go there at night. The days were no different. No dogs guarded the graveyard. An air of mystery enveloped it. The capacity of the graveyard was reached a long time ago. And no new burials happened. There were no visitors as well.
The graveyard was filled with apple trees. Sweet juicy apples. A house was built right at the center of the graveyard. Mr. Jenkins with his daughter Viola lived in that house. Viola was fourteen. She never went to school and was homeschooled. It was rumored that it had been 15 years since Mr. Jenkins left his house. He had servants who bought their necessities and helped him. Charlotte was curious to know why Mr. Jenkins never left his house or attempted to sell apples in the farmers' market.
Charlotte never visited any graveyards at night. But, she desired to go there and taste the apples. Her fear prevented her from stealing from there for a long time. But, recently, stealing from the neighboring gardens didn’t bring the satisfaction she desired. So, she decided to go to the graveyard, which was far from her house.
She got in her car and drove for about two hours. The graveyard was silent. The gates were open. No dogs were barking. She saw no ghosts. Nothing. The graveyard was an absolute nothingness. The dead rested peacefully there. Charlotte parked her car a little far from the gates and walked to the graveyard. She took her black plastic bags with her. After ten minutes, she was standing beside an apple tree in the graveyard. She started picking the apples and putting them into her plastic bags. An hour passed and Charlotte filled nearly all her plastic bags.
There was a lake nearby. She didn’t want to go close to that lake because it was close to Mr. Jenkins’ house. She feared she might wake up Mr. Jenkins and Viola. But, she saw something shining in the dark on an old tree right beside the lake. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she went closer to see what it was. As she approached the old tree, she saw golden apples hanging from the tree.
Charlotte never saw golden apples in her life. She tried to pick one of them, but she couldn't. She tried her best, but she just couldn't. Suddenly, Charlotte heard a hissing sound. A big creature appeared before Charlotte. Charlotte was startled. Fear and disgust engulfed her. The creature had the head of a fish, and body of a snake. His black skin shimmered in the darkness of the night, and his eyes were hazel, almost the same color as the golden apples.
“You can’t pick those apples. The tree belongs to me! Only the one who holds the master golden apple can pick apples from that tree! The tree bears infinite numbers of golden apples! When you pick one of the apples, it is instantly replaced by another one! This tree is magical!” The hideous creature said, and attacked Charlotte, and bit her right hand. Charlotte screamed as she was trying to take his right hand out of the creature’s mouth.
Suddenly, Charlotte heard a man’s voice mumbling in a strange language. The creature cried in agony and released Charlotte’s right hand. The creature, annoyed, retreated into the water.
Charlotte panting looked at the man, who was standing there wearing a black robe. Charlotte was afraid of this. That, she might get caught.
“Who are you? And what are you doing in my property?” Mr. Jenkins said with a big frown. He was slim but muscular. His hair was gray and he had a handsome face.
“I’m sorry. I truly am. I shouldn’t have come here. Please just forgive me. Let me go!” Charlotte said, pleading for her freedom.
“Foolish woman! You can’t leave here!” Mr. Jenkins said, blaming Charlotte for her carelessness.
“What do you mean, I can’t leave here?!” Charlotte said, nervously, her voice shaky.
Without hesitation, Charlotte ran towards the gates, but an invisible force prevented her from exiting. It was like an invisible wall separating the inside from the outside world.
“This property was given to me as a gift. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I didn't know about the creature living in the lake. A powerful spell has been cast on this place by the creature who was just eating you alive, had I not woken up to save you! No one can leave this place!” Mr. Jenkins snapped. “We must go back to the house. Let me help you with your injury. Let’s go inside the house and I’ll explain everything!”
Charlotte looked at Mr. Jenkins, trying to find out if he was telling the truth. And, if he was telling the truth, she was in big trouble. He seemed to be an honorable man.
Charlotte and Mr. Jenkins walked to the house. Mr. Jenkins attended to Charlotte’s injury. When he was done, he brought a book with him to show to Charlotte.
“They are called Aqua basilisks. Only one lives in that lake. He has cast a dangerous curse on this property. People can come in, but they can’t get out. According to legends, his power comes from a golden apple in his belly. It is called the master golden apple. It is magical. He swallowed it centuries ago. There is an incantation that makes him leave and retreat underwater. But, there is no way to destroy him. At least not that I know of,” Mr. Jenkins said, and showed the book to Charlotte. “Take it…. Read for yourself, if you don’t believe me.”
Charlotte didn’t believe Mr. Jenkins and the story he supposedly “made up” about Aqua Basilisks. However, she was curious about the master golden apple, assuming what Mr. Jenkins said was true. So, she started reading the book. The book said this apple brings magical abilities one has to the surface. A desire developed in Charlotte as she was reading the book. She had to get her hands on that golden apple. She needed to make an apple pie with it. A magical apple pie. And, eat it.
“The only way to break the spell is to take out that apple from the belly of this creature. By taking the apple, we take away his power. But how?” Charlotte asked Mr. Jenkins, who was staring at her strangely.
“Hmm…. If I had known that, I would have saved myself and my daughter from this isolation, from this hell ….” Mr. Jenkins said, annoyed at Charlotte’s insensitivity.
“I have an idea….. I make delicious apple pies….” Charlotte said with a big smile on her face as if she had won the lottery.
“So?!” Mr. Jenkins said, unsure of what Charlotte was going with this.
“Let me make an apple pie, and I’ll make the creature vomit that apple. No one can resist my apple pies. We can be free! But, when the creature vomited the golden apple, I must take it for myself! Deal?” Charlotte said, with excitement.
“Worth a try…! Whatever you want. You can have it!” Mr. Jenkins said, unsure. “Follow me….”
Charlotte followed Mr. Jenkins. They reached the kitchen, which was old. Mr. Jenkins’ house was like her house. It needed repairs. A lot of repairs.
Charlotte started cooking and after about two hours, the smell of a poisonous apple pie filled the house.
Charlotte and Mr. Jenkins put the apple pie near the tree where Charlotte was attacked. The Aqua basilisk sniffed the apple pie and took the bait. Charlotte and Mr. Jenkins who hid themselves, watched how that hideous creature devoured the apple pie. When he was full, he let out a cry of agony. The poison worked, and he vomited the golden apple. He let out strange sounds that sounded like cries for help; after some time, his lifeless body rested beside the tree.
Charlotte held the heavy golden apple in her hands, and a light, emanated from it, lighting up Charlotte’s excited face. Mr. Jenkins who was happy shouted “We defeated him….. We defeated him……”
“Dad… What is going on? … You defeated who?” It was Viola, who had just awoken from a deep sleep. “I heard a strange sound, followed the source of the sound and here I am…”
“We are free to get out of this house…. We are finally free…. We must thank Charlotte…. She was the one who suggested a solution to our problem…” Mr. Jenkins said, hugging Viola, with a big smile on his face.
Charlotte made another apple pie, but this time with the master golden apple.
“Delicious!” Charlotte moaned as she put a big slice in her mouth. "Now the golden apple tree is mine... I can make however many pies I want...." She felt powerful, and satisfied, and didn't feel the need to steal anymore. She was full of magic and knowledge. She felt it in her veins.
Charlotte picked many golden apples from that tree and made a lot of pies. People loved her pies and felt its magic. And, finally, she was able to remodel her house.
The end