The Swamp Witch
April 2, 1980
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I was walking through the woods one day down by a swamp near my house in Sydney, Australia. The year was 1904. It was a very pleasant day. My name is John Hartman. I was not very good in school so my father made me quit. I was quite strong then because of farm work. Suddenly, I came to a swamp. In the swamp was a huge island. On the top of the hill was a dark, gloomy old shack. Suddenly, it did not seem like such a nice day. Clouds were moving in from the South, I knew we were in for a big storm. I quickly ran home. "Thank god you got home," said my mother. We had some old fish and rice for dinner. I went to bed early that night. I heard a strange, eerie voice calling me to the old shack. The voice seemed troubled, as if doomed to a certain death. I slowly got out of bed. As I was walking out, I grabbed my bow and arrows. It was pouring rain. The wind was howling. I knocked an arrow and left. I had heard stories about the swamp witch. I knew walking through the woods would be an unpleasant task. I was walking through the woods when I heard a rustle in the bushes. I sped 3 arrows and I looked behind the bushes. It was a barracuda. I heard the voice again, this time I recognized it. It was my mother. I ran as fast as I could to the old shack. "Curse you, swamp witch!" I yelled. I entered the wicked house. I heard a strange moaning the rose and faded away. I started up the dark stone steps. I saw a face. I shot an arrow at it. I heard a scream. "Mother!" I yelled. I heard the swamp witch roaring with laugher. I went down the steps. I saw the swamp witch! The sight of her made me faint! The next thing I knew my mother was calling me to breakfast and I was in my bed. |
Commentary: Mr. Hastings' comments notwithstanding,
the setting for this story at first seems problematic. Though it would be a
stretch, fixing the year at 1904 could be justified as a way to explain that
the main character's use of a bow and arrow. But there is nothing to suggest
that the action takes place in Sydney, Australia, a dry place not known for its
swamps.
Rather than invoking turn-of-the-century
Australia, this story conjures a surreal dream world. A place where storm
clouds zoom in at frightening speed, mothers are mistaken for witches, and
barracuda thrash about behind bushes (A note on the latter image: the author
remembers laughing very, very hard for a long time after writing it. The author
also remembers that none of his friends found the odd juxtaposition funny.) And
in the climax of the narrative, the story itself is revealed to be a
dream.
Though "The Swamp Witch" seems derived from mythology, (the hero's journey, the malevolent Other, accidental maternacide) the author admits that the primary inspiration was a song by The Charlie Daniels Band called "The Wooly Swamp."