The Witch Cult
In one abandoned building at the edge of the city, television reporter Alisha Murphy and her crew quietly set up their equipment. The walls were cracked, the windows shattered, and water dripped somewhere in the distance. Every step made the wooden floor groan beneath their feet.
“We’re going live in 3… 2… 1…” Joel, the cameraman, whispered.
Alisha gave a quick nod and signaled for him to follow. Holding her microphone tightly, she moved slowly down the hallway and spoke in a low, steady voice.
“This is Alisha Murphy from ABC News. We are inside an old building where several witnesses claim a group of women, believed to be witches, are performing a dark ritual. Locals fear they are behind the recent baby kidnappings from the nearby hospital... but until now, there has been no real proof.”
Joel carefully aimed the camera through a crack in the wooden wall.
Inside, robed women were kneeling, faces hidden. In the center of a circle drawn with strange symbols… lay a baby. One woman raised her arms, chanting in a deep voice.
Alisha’s heart raced. “There’s a baby... right there. We’ve alerted the police, but we can’t wait. We’re going in to stop this.”
The witches turned suddenly, their eyes glowing with anger when they saw Alisha standing in the doorway. One of them stood up, her voice sharp and loud.
“Leave now! You’re not supposed to be here!”
Alisha didn’t back away. Her hands were shaking, but she held her microphone tight. Joel kept the camera rolling, capturing every second.
“What are you doing?!” Alisha shouted. “Why do you have a baby? Is this your offering? Are you the ones stealing babies from the hospital?”
Another witch, older and taller, stepped forward. Her face twisted in fury. “Yes! Get out of here before it’s too late!”
“Please,” Alisha begged. “Stop whatever you’re doing and give me the baby. He’s just a child. Don’t hurt him.”
Joel moved closer, zooming in on the baby lying in the middle of the circle. Strange symbols were drawn around it. The chanting had stopped. For a moment, the room was filled with heavy silence.
Then—
“Police! Nobody move!” a voice shouted as the door burst open.
The witches screamed and scattered, but there was nowhere to run. Officers stormed in and began cuffing them one by one.
Alisha ran straight toward the baby. Her hands trembled as she lifted the tiny child into her arms. The baby was crying, but he was alive.
Joel pointed the camera toward her.
Alisha looked directly at the lens. “We’ve saved the baby. Police arrived just in time. All the women who were part of this strange ritual—possibly a cult—are now under arrest.”
Outside, red and blue lights flashed as sirens wailed. An ambulance pulled up, and paramedics rushed in. One gently took the baby from Alisha and checked him carefully.
Joel followed Alisha as she walked beside the ambulance. She turned back to face the camera.
“With the arrest of this group, believed to be behind the recent string of baby abductions, we hope no more innocent children will go missing. This is Alisha Murphy, reporting for ABC News.”
Joel nodded and lowered the camera. “We’re clear.”
Alisha took a deep breath and looked back at the building. The witches were being taken away in handcuffs, screaming strange words no one could understand.
As the team stepped out of the building, their driver and assistant, Sam, ran toward them with his phone raised.
“Guys! Look at this!” he said excitedly. “Your live video just hit over a million views online—and that’s not even counting the people watching on TV!”
Alisha smiled, still catching her breath. “That’s great… I just hope the baby’s safe now.”
Cameras flashed around them, and the scene buzzed with police and reporters. The witches, now in handcuffs, were being loaded into the police mobile one by one. Alisha and her team walked past them, heading back to their van.
Suddenly, one of the witches turned her head and locked eyes with Alisha. Her voice was calm but cold.
“You will die soon,” she said.
Then she burst into laughter—wild, loud, and chilling.
Alisha froze for a moment, her heart thumping. She watched silently as the police mobile pulled away, the witch’s laugh echoing in her ears.
Joel placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t mind it. She’s just crazy.”
Alisha nodded slowly, but the fear lingered in her eyes.
She glanced up at the dark sky and whispered under her breath, “What if she’s not?”
The newsroom buzzed with energy as Alisha Murphy, Joel, and Sam walked back into the ABC News office. The adrenaline from the witch cult raid still clung to them, but it was quickly replaced by applause and congratulations.
“Alisha! That was incredible!” one of the senior reporters said as he passed by.
“You’ve got guts,” another added. “Running straight into a coven with nothing but a mic and Joel’s camera!”
Their boss, Mr. Allan Gomez, stepped out from his office with a rare smile. “Murphy, Joel, Sam—into my office. Let’s talk.”
Inside, the tone shifted. Mr. Gomez closed the door, then gestured to the chairs. “You three just broke one of the biggest stories this year. That baby’s safe because of you. Keep up the good work.”
“Thank you,” Alisha said, still catching her breath.
He leaned forward, his expression serious. “But I’ve got another assignment for you.”
Sam raised a brow. “Already?”
“This one’s different,” Mr. Gomez continued. “There have been eleven women who’ve gone missing—one each month for nearly a year. Same area. Same pattern. No clues, no bodies, no suspects. Police can’t explain it.”
Joel frowned. “You want us to investigate that?”
“Exactly,” Mr. Gomez said. “I need something deep. Go to the town, talk to people, find anything. We need answers. These women deserve justice.”
Alisha, Joel, and Sam exchanged glances. A heavy silence hung between them.
Then Alisha nodded. “We’ll get started right away.”
“Good. Don’t waste time,” Mr. Gomez said. “No one else wants this story. Too cold. But maybe that’s exactly why we should be the ones to do it.”
As they walked out of the office, Joel shook his head. “There’s a reason no one’s covering this. No evidence, no leads—these women just vanish into thin air.”
Sam crossed his arms. “And no bodies. Maybe they’re still alive.”
Alisha looked ahead, her eyes sharp. “Then we owe it to them. To their families. If they’re alive, someone’s holding them. If not, someone’s hiding them.”
Her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen and smiled softly. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
As Alisha walked out of the office, Joel and Sam moved closer to the window, watching her disappear into the parking lot below.
A black car pulled up, its windows tinted. A tall man in a dark coat stepped out and opened the door for her. Alisha leaned in and kissed him.
Sam’s brows drew together. “I really don’t like the guy she’s dating. Something’s off. He seems very mysterious.”
The man suddenly looked up—right at them.
Joel froze.
So did Sam.
Then the man smiled faintly.