The Blonde Goat of Limbaba

By Agatha Blakey

Ten thousand years ago, a baby was found in the bush by an old witch—her mother crashed before giving birth. The old witch picked her up and took her in. When the little girl turned eighteen, the old witch opened up to her.

 

In The Blonde Goat of Limbaba, Olivia found out that as a superior witch, there's no such thing as doing good. But instead of choosing to do less evil, she disagreed and made it clear that she could do good throughout her life. When she turned thirty-five, nature came calling. The good girl turned evil, began to kill humans. Anyone she slept with, she killed.

 

She didn't know that Limbaba had a Queen. The Queen witch heard about what she was doing and banished her to die in a strange land. But when Olivia got there, she planned to kill the Queen witch and take over Limbaba.

 

There's something about Limbaba: you dare not kill goats here. Goats were pets, and they even had human names. Some say that these goats have spiritual powers and their owners keep them because they bring good luck.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: DustedPenny Publishing
• Release date: Nov 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781957099019

Book preview

Chapter 1

Olivia – The Witch

––––––––

Ten thousand years ago, there lived a witch named Olivia. Her mother gave birth to her at twenty years old and died. In her family, no one lived above that age. One afternoon, an old witch who was collecting herbs in the bush heard a baby’s cry. She stood upright and began to search for the baby.

Who left a baby here? she asked as she scanned the bushes.

Getting close to the baby, she ran to it. She looked around but couldn’t see the baby’s mother.

Where’s your mother?

She looked closely at the baby and noticed something: it was a very dark mark on the baby’s shoulder. When she saw this mark, she immediately knew the baby was a witch. She quickly wrapped the baby and took it home. When she got home, she boiled water and bathed the baby.

Stop crying! she said aloud, but the baby kept crying. She felt the baby was hungry, so she fed it, and it stopped crying. I’ll call you Olivia, the hungry child.

Olivia grew up to become one of the most beautiful women in Limbaba; everyone loved her. She had everything she wanted. When Olivia turned eighteen, the old witch opened up to her.

Olivia! the old witch called.

Yes, mother.

Olivia quickly went to answer her.

Sit down. There’s something I want to tell you. It’s been a month since you turned eighteen. Have you noticed anything different?

What do you mean, mother?

When the old witch turned eighteen, things that felt heavy when she carried them became very light. Sometimes she acted as if they were heavy so that people wouldn’t wonder why it was so easy for her. She also noticed that whenever she got injured, she healed quickly. The old witch disclosed all this to Olivia and said, Think again and tell me if you’ve noticed anything different.

Olivia remembered something that happened and replied, Heavy things still feel heavy when I carry them. I haven’t bled in a while, but I noticed something strange yesterday. Tell me, the old witch said, and Olivia looked deep into her eyes. Yesterday morning, I went to get something to eat from the kitchen. As I walked in, a rat saw me and started running. I said stop, and immediately the rat stopped. I picked it up and threw it out the window. The old witch smiled and said, You’re a superior witch. What do you mean, mother? It means you can command things to happen. It’s hard to find a superior witch. But you can be stopped! When Olivia heard this, she was confused. I don’t understand, she said. Many years ago, your pregnant mother crashed in the bush. She gave birth to you and died. I looked, but I couldn’t find her body because when witches die, their bodies melt.

Olivia was shocked.

Are you telling me you’re not my mother?

I’m sorry for not informing you sooner. But I felt you might not understand what I’m talking about because even though you had the mark of a witch, you still needed to turn eighteen before you’re officially one.

Olivia began to cry.

How did you know my mother was a witch? she asked. The old witch, feeling so sorry, replied, When I was just a few hours old, a young witch found me in the bush. She waited until I was eighteen before she told me all I needed to know. I’m just doing the same for you, hoping that you’ll do the same for someone else someday.

Olivia, who just stopped crying, noticed that all her tears dried up quickly, and it was getting harder to tear up again. The old witch saw this and said, Do you see what I’m saying? It’s getting harder for you to cry; superior witches don’t cry. I can cry because I’m not a superior witch. Olivia was curious. What’s the difference between you and a superior witch? she asked. The old witch cleared her throat. There are a lot of differences between you and me. You, as a superior witch, can teleport from one place to another, but I have to fly like a bird if I want to reach my destination quicker.

Olivia looked to see if the old witch had wings on her back but saw nothing. Can you tell me more? she asked. The old witch smiled: she saw her looking. Of course. As a superior witch, you need to beware of hunters and their weapons. They’re very dangerous. Don’t let them shoot you. When Olivia heard hunters, she interrupted and asked, Do hunters hate witches? No, I’m just telling you what can kill you.

Olivia was scared, but the old witch tried to make her feel better: You don’t have to be afraid. With time, you’ll understand everything. We witches are cursed. Your mother was ignorant, and that’s why she didn’t break the curse. What curse? asked Olivia. There are only two ways to break it: you can fall in love or have sex with a human. But there’s a catch. What’s the catch? For the curse to break, the person you fall in love or sleep with must be your age-mate. Your mother probably thought she was a superior witch, and that’s why she chose the second option. I don’t blame her. It’s obvious she died because of the lack of information. That’s why I’m making sure you’re well-informed.

Olivia was thankful that the old witch opened up to her, but some things she heard didn’t make sense to her, so she asked, How did you break the curse? The old witch was happy with her question; she was glad that Olivia now knows she’s a witch. When I turned eighteen, the woman I thought was my mother sat me down and told me everything. She told me that I need to fall in love with a human because as a non-superior witch, that’s the only way to break the curse.

The old witch stopped to make sure Olivia was paying attention: You have to listen because I can only narrate this once. Olivia adjusted her seat and gave her full attention, and the old witch continued talking: Even though as a non-superior witch, I can make someone fall in love with me, I also need to love the person for the curse to break.

Olivia knows that the old witch is ninety-two years old, and she broke the curse. She couldn’t wait to hear the whole story. How did you fall in love? she asked. The old witch smiled and told her everything.

One early morning, while the old witch flew around to get something to eat, she saw a mango tree. She could see the ripe mangoes and quickly went underneath the tree. She looked up and saw a very handsome young man who was plucking some for himself. He looked down, stared at her, and fell. Quickly, she caught him and placed him on her lap. She looked straight into his blue eyes, and he kissed her. The young man asked for her name. He was nineteen at the time, and it’s been five months since she turned nineteen. She told him, and he wondered how she caught him without having a scratch. The old witch disclosed that she was a witch, and he laughed. She didn’t know if he thought she was joking. Despite that, he invited her to his house. When she got there, she met his parents. They loved her and told her that they’ve been hoping their son would find a wife. It all happened so fast; they got married in two days.

Not believing the story the old witch narrated, Olivia asked, How were you able to pull that off? The old witch assured her that they genuinely fell in love: I was ready to use my powers to force his parents to love me, but I was lucky they did. They told me that it was their dream to see their son get married before they die.

Olivia was happy to know that the old witch was telling the truth. The old witch laughed and said, I know I’m still a witch, but one thing I noticed was as soon as we got married, I could no longer fly. I lost all my powers, and I felt like a human being.

Olivia was excited and thought the old witch had become human. You became human? she asked. No, she warned me! the old witch said aloud. Who warned you? Olivia asked anxiously. The old witch held her hands, looked at her, and answered, My mother. She told me I’d feel like a human when the curse breaks, but I should never think I’m one because I have to keep doing good to maintain it. That’s why I picked you up and took you in. If I hadn’t done that, the curse would’ve returned.

This is too much for me. How can I always do good? The old witch giggled and said, I asked my mother the same question, but she said, ‘You have a spirit in you, let it guide you.’

The old witch felt they’d discussed enough, so she asked Olivia to prepare something for them to eat and sleep that night.

In the morning, Olivia woke up; she was thinking about last night. What her mother told her hasn’t sunk in yet.

I don’t have much time. I need to find someone.

She tried to teleport but was unsuccessful, so she went to her mother, who was fast asleep. She woke her up and told her about the unsuccessful teleport attempt.

Mother, I’m so sorry for waking you up, but I have something to ask you. The old witch, who was half asleep, looked at her and said, Go on, my dear. I’m all ears. Mother, you said I’m a superior witch, so I tried teleporting this morning, but I was unsuccessful. Why is that? The old witch sat upright and asked, Can you force nature? Olivia couldn’t understand the question. What do you mean? she asked. The old witch tried to explain that she shouldn’t force nature and everything will happen in its time: When I was your age, I woke up one morning and saw myself in the air. I had to teach myself how to fly. When yours comes, you’ll know, my dear.

***

It’s been two weeks since the old witch told Olivia everything she needed to know. One afternoon, Olivia was harvesting yams on the farm, which was close to her house. As she was putting them into a basket, a snake came up behind her. The snake tried to bite her, but a force took her and placed her behind the snake. When Olivia saw the snake, she quickly picked it up and killed it. She went to the kitchen and came out with a knife; she cut the snake into pieces. Olivia washed the snake and took it to the kitchen. She prepared stew with the snake, boiled some yams, and ate.

When the old witch came back, she was so hungry, and she asked Olivia if there was something to eat in the kitchen.

Olivia, did you harvest the yams? Olivia, who was resting in her bedroom, came out and said, Yes, mother. I boiled some yams and prepared stew with a snake. The old witch wanted to know how she was able to kill the snake: That’s nice. How did you kill the snake? Olivia told her what happened, and she smiled and said, Olivia, you just teleported. The powers have come upon you. Olivia was happy. She couldn’t wait to teleport around the land. Does this mean I can go wherever I want? The old witch saw how excited she was and said, Olivia, I’m not a superior witch, but I must warn you. Don’t use your powers for evil. Always do good so that you’ll keep the curse broken, or else you’ll die young. I will, mother.

Olivia walked back to her room—sat on her bed—and began to think of a solution: Should I force a man to sleep with me? Or should I fall in love and get married? I’d love to get back to normal. How can I do this? Okay, I’ll look around.

When Olivia thought about looking around, she teleported outside her home. That’s crazy! Take me back to my room! she shouted, and she was back on her bed.

Olivia thought about where she could go to find love: Mother found love under the mango tree. Take me to a mango tree. Olivia saw herself under a mango tree, which was very close to her house, but no one was there.

Take me to another mango tree.

And this time, Olivia saw herself deep in the bush. It looked like no one was there until she heard a gunshot. Take me home! she shouted. She was frightened but was back in her room. Olivia wondered why she kept going to the wrong places, and then she remembered what her mother told her.

Okay, I’ll let the spirit lead me.

Some days later, Olivia had a dream where she saw herself singing alone in the bush. A handsome young man passing by heard her voice. He saw her from afar, tiptoed, and tapped her shoulder. When she looked back, she saw the man and woke up. Olivia couldn’t believe it was a dream. She looked around, and it was already dark. What’s the meaning of this? Does this mean I’ll find love instead of just having someone sleep with me? She concluded that in the morning, she’d teleport into the bush.

I hope I find him there.

Olivia was up all night. When everywhere was bright, she sat upright and said, Take me into the bush. Olivia saw herself deep in the bush. Quickly, she sat down and began to sing; she sang for twenty-five minutes, but no one came. Olivia got mad and teleported back to her room. She tried so hard to cry, but it was impossible. How can this be? I need to find someone, or else I’ll die in two years.

***

It’s been four months, and Olivia hasn’t broken the curse. Mother! Olivia called but received no response. She walked to the old witch’s room and knocked on her door. Mother, are you there? Yes, come in. Olivia walked in and sat on the bed. Mother, there’s something I want to ask you? What’s it? What happened to your husband? I’ve never seen him. The old witch became emotional and replied, He died thirty years ago. I loved him so much. I didn’t want to discuss his death with you because it always makes me feel bad. It’s alright, mother. You don’t have to tell me what happened. The old witch thought that since Olivia is now a witch, there’s no need to hide anything from her, so she decided to tell her what happened.

The old witch’s husband was a kind man. He gave her all she wanted. He was everything a woman or a witch could wish to have. But one night, as he was coming back from a festival, he was ambushed and killed. The old witch didn’t know who was responsible for his death, so she met a superior witch and begged her to investigate the murder. The witch came back and told her all she knew. The witch said it was her childhood friend, a non-superior witch, that killed him. The old witch couldn’t believe it. She wondered how her best friend at the time could do a thing like that and concluded that she was just an envious witch.

Olivia was angry and wished the evil witch died. Is she dead now? she asked. The old witch explained the reason why she didn’t seek the death of the wicked witch: I didn’t want to bring back the curse, that’s why I didn’t plan to kill her. But I later found out that a witch killed her. Olivia was happy to know that the evil witch was dead: That serves her right. What a wicked witch.

***

Olivia planned to find a superior witch since her mother wasn’t giving her the information she needed to break the curse. She believed she must talk to someone who could help her, so she teleported out of the house, walked a mile, and kept looking at everyone’s shoulders. She hoped to find a superior witch that day.

From afar, Olivia could see an old witch carrying a basket. Are you a witch? Olivia asked as she got close, but the witch quickly vanished.

That must be a superior witch. Take me to wherever she is.

Olivia saw herself behind the old witch. The old witch already knew she was behind and asked a question without looking back: Who are you? I’m a superior witch just like you. I need your help. The old witch knew Olivia was a witch and thought she was trying to attack her; that’s why she teleported away.

Why do you need my help? asked the old witch. I’m eighteen. I only have one year and seven months left. I need your help to break the curse. When the old witch heard this, she knew Olivia meant no harm, so she said, Follow me. The old witch vanished again, and Olivia immediately gave a command to follow her.

Olivia saw herself in a dark room. The old witch opened a window in the room, and it became bright. What’s your name, young girl? I’m Olivia. The old witch looked at her and sat down. Sit down, the old witch said. Olivia quickly sat down on a dusty stool. You said you’re eighteen, right? Yes, that’s right. My mother is a non-superior witch. I came to you because I know only a superior witch can help me. I only have one year and seven months left. I need to break the curse. The old witch laughed. When did you turn eighteen? she asked. Olivia wondered what was funny. Five months ago, she answered. The old witch laughed again. Olivia was confused, but she kept quiet.

If you turned eighteen five months ago, then you only have seven months left to break the curse. Olivia couldn’t believe her ears. My mother said I could live up to twenty if I did nothing about it. Yes, you can, only if you’re a non-superior witch. Your mother is a non-superior witch, and she can only tell you things she knows about non-superior witches. You’re right. This was the feeling I had when I asked my mother one question, and she refused to answer. I felt she was hiding something from me. Well, you can’t compare yourself to a non-superior witch.

The old witch stopped talking for a second. She looked at Olivia’s shoulders and continued: Non-superior witches are emotional, and they act with their emotions. But as for superior witches, when we want to get something done, we go for it. I know you didn’t even tell her before you went looking for a superior witch. That’s right; I didn’t. I knew it. Do you know why I disappeared when I saw you coming close to me? No, Olivia answered. It’s not common to see a superior witch walking. At first, I had no problem walking past you. But when you asked me if I was a witch, that made me feel you wanted to attack, so I had to vanish. Olivia apologized for making her feel threatened. And the old witch told her that there was no need for that.

But why were you walking like a human with a basket? asked Olivia.

Once in a while, I walk around trying to behave like a human. I was coming from a friend’s place. As you can see, there are oranges in the basket. I went to get some for myself.

Olivia seized the opportunity to ask the question that’s been bothering her: My mother told me that if I break the curse, I must keep doing good, or else I’d die. Is she right? Yes, she is. But if you break the curse, your powers will still be there with you. For instance, if you kill someone and break the curse, you’ll still be able to teleport and cast spells. Just know that when you do something evil, you have one year to correct it, or else you’ll die. When Olivia heard this, she was happy to know she could live longer.

I’ve tried to find someone to fall in love with, but it feels so hard. Then the next option is to have sex with your age-mate. Look, the age requirement is just for the first time you break the curse. Oh, it’s good to know that I have options. But is it possible to do that without falling in love? The old witch laughed and said, Yes. The answer is in the command, young girl. You just have to give a command.

Olivia felt relieved.

Okay, I’ll try to break the curse tomorrow. Thank you so much. I’ll return to tell you what happened.

Olivia went back to her room.

Olivia! her mother called. I’m in my room, mother. The old witch quickly opened the door and asked, Where have you been? I checked your room, but I couldn’t find you. Where did you go? I went for a walk, mother, Olivia lied. We have nothing left to eat tonight. Can you prepare something for us to eat? Of course, mother, I will. Olivia walked to the kitchen, but there was nothing to cook, so she went to the farm and harvested some vegetables. She prepared soup, and they ate that night.

In the morning, Olivia was restless. She thought and planned her next moves. How can I get this done? The old witch said the answer is in the command. What does she mean? Should I command someone to have sex with me? I have to try this to see if it works.

Olivia quickly gave a command: Take me to a young man’s room. And she saw herself in a young man’s room. But when he saw her standing next to him, he shouted and asked in fear, Who are you? How did you get here? Be quiet. How old are you? I’m twenty-five, replied the young man. Olivia was sad to hear this and immediately went back home. When she got home, she was furious: What’s all this? The old witch told me the answer is in the command. Why did this fail? I must ask her. I hope she didn’t lie to me.

Olivia gave a command and teleported to the old witch’s house. The old witch, who was preparing a delicious meal, could sense her presence. Without looking, she asked, Did you get it done? Not yet, Olivia replied. What went wrong? I teleported to a young man’s house but found out he was twenty-five years old.

The old witch laughed.

You have a lot to learn, young girl. How did you get here?

I gave a command to teleport to your house.

Isn’t it obvious? asked the old witch.

Olivia was confused. She couldn’t understand the old witch, so she asked her to explain what she meant. You’ve got to be specific. How specific? I gave a command to teleport to a young man’s house, but he was twenty-five years old. Yes, that happened because you weren’t precise.

In anger, Olivia went back to her room; she was restless.

Alright, I think I’ve got this.

Olivia decided to give a specific command: Take me to a man who’s my age-mate. She saw herself outside a home. Quickly, she looked from an open window and saw a young man having dinner with his family.

Olivia quietly gave a command to go back home.

I’m giving up. What’s all this? I was specific this time, yet it failed. Why is this so hard?

There’s something about superior witches—they hate failing; they like things to turn out as planned. It’s clear Olivia is still new to this, and she’s learning.

Olivia, who’s been rambling for an hour, couldn’t figure out why the second attempt failed: I’ll try the third time, and if it fails, I’ll give up. What went wrong? What did I say wrong? As soon as Olivia asked these questions, she had an idea: Assuming he was alone, I would’ve commanded him to sleep with me. I have to go back. I’ll wait until midnight, and then I’ll teleport there.

Olivia couldn’t sleep. She waited until it was time: Yes, I believe he’s asleep and alone. I’ll teleport now. She quickly gave a command and teleported to the young man’s room. Olivia made a mistake: she didn’t look closely at the witch having dinner with the young man. She thought she was his biological mother.

Fifteen years ago, the young man’s father, Hudson, lost his wife. They were all humans, but she died of a heart attack. Hudson had to remarry. He needed help from someone who could take care of his young son.

One day, Hudson went into the bush to get wood. It was so cold, and he was trying to warm up the house. A pretty lady came out of nowhere and offered to help him. Fast-forward, they fell in love and got married. Hudson never cared to ask if she was a witch because she was gorgeous and caring.

When Olivia got to the young man’s room, she saw him sleeping.

Wake up! she commanded. Who are you? asked the young man. Shut up and have sex with me. The young man pulled his pants without hesitation, and Olivia commanded her clothes off but was surprised when the witch grabbed her.

As soon as Olivia teleported into the young man’s room, Hudson’s wife, who’s also a superior witch, felt her presence and quickly teleported behind her. The witch grabbed Olivia, who was naked, and threw her to the wall. Olivia tried to scream in pain, but the witch commanded her to shut up. The witch slapped her and broke her neck, but Olivia managed to escape. The young man came back to his senses and wondered why he was naked. The witch commanded him to put on his pants, snapped her fingers, and made him forget everything that happened.

Olivia crashed into her room but managed to get up. The attack resulted in her broken legs, shoulders, and neck. She’ll be fine but would have to wait a few days to heal.

For five days, Olivia couldn’t talk, walk, or think straight; she waited patiently to heal. On the sixth day, her mother opened the door. She could see her room was disorganized.

I haven’t seen you in days, are you okay? asked the old witch.

I’m not feeling fine.

Have you eaten?

I’m fine.

You need to eat so you can recover faster.

The old witch went to the kitchen and got her a plate of rice and a cup of water. Olivia ate and said, Thank you, mother. You’re welcome. There was no visible injury, and the old witch couldn’t figure out what happened. She thought Olivia was just ill and wished her a fast recovery.

The next day, Olivia recovered from her injuries but was fuming: Who in the world was that witch? How was she able to hide her identity? She was way stronger than me. I need some answers.

Olivia quickly teleported to the old witch’s house.

Did you get it done? the old witch asked.

This is harder than I thought.

Don’t feel that way. What happened this time?

I found a young man who was my age-mate, but his mother was a superior witch; she attacked me.

The old witch disagreed and said, A witch can’t give birth to a human. Olivia was surprised but asked, What was she doing there? It looked like she was part of the family. In reply, the old witch told her what might have happened: It looks like the witch fell in love with the man. A fellow witch will attack you if they see you as a threat. You need to learn how to defend yourself so that you can fight back.

Olivia wondered what was there to learn: What do I need to know? That witch beat me up. It’s obvious she was way stronger than me. The old witch laughed at her and said, It’s okay to command with your voice, but as a superior witch, you can still give commands with your mind. You need to learn how to use your mind to defend yourself. Wow, I never knew that was possible. No wonder she didn’t say a word. The old witch smiled and replied, If you’re in a situation where you can’t talk, you can use your mind. That witch wasn’t stronger than you; she’s just experienced. Olivia was happy to hear this. She appreciated the old witch for the information and teleported back home.

Should I find another man to sleep with me?

Olivia was scared of going back to the young man but decided not to give up: I know she’s more experienced, but I can’t give up. I was close to breaking the curse. I have to wait until midnight, and then I’ll try again.

***

In Limbaba, almost everyone had a goat. Goats were pets, and they even had human names. In this land, it’s a crime to kill and eat goats. Some say these goats give their owners good luck, and that’s why they keep them.

Supposedly, thousands of years ago, a beast attacked the land and killed a lot of people. This incident made the hunters come up with a plan to defend their land. They had to invent guns, swords, and they improved their skills.

Olivia knew the witch had a goat, so she planned to use