The full moon was in place, they were on the hunt for the witch, searching for her dwelling.

"Are you sure that we're in the right place?" Edwin queried after cutting the shrubs that obstructed their path.

"Not yet."

They have been searching for the hideout until a shadow ran past them, a silhouette walking towards an abandoned as the two men followed pursuit. An old woman opened a wooden door, making a creeking sound. It was empty like the last time she was there, the two men walked up behind her and caught her, scaring her. Catherine whacked them upside the head in self defense.

"Ow!" Marvin covered his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Ow! Catherine?! What are you doing here?" Edwin held unto the bump on his head, rubbing his aching head.

"I should be asking the same thing, you imbeciles!"

"We thought that you were the witch." Marvin said.

"Well you thought wrong, I've been looking for that witch for the last couple of days and this is the only place where I can think of. I don't know where else to look."

"There is one more place that we haven't looked." Marvin implied.

"What other place could that witch be hiding?" Edwin asked.

Meanwhile at Croaker Swamp, Barbara memorized a spell, but not just any spell.

"The sky shifts into darkness, the dead rot in decay. The deceased ascend from their graves and were brought the light of day." She murmured.

The wicked witch tremendous beauty brushed her hair softly, enjoying the sight of her reflection. "Isn't it a lovely sight, only a few more minutes before midnight."

"Yea, the full moon looks radiant tonight, now would you mind letting me memorize the spell." Barbara said, not taking off her sight of the spellbook.

"I was talking about me, you simpleton."

*Great, now she thinks she is Aphrodite just because she took Cathy's youth to make herself beautiful.* Barbara thought while she rolled her eyes before rereading the spell.

The trio of villagers took a wrong turn to Gargle Gulch, they had to fight off the desert creatures. One of them; small in size but menacing akin to a scorpion. The other, a slippery desert serpent, hissing, slithering in a zigzag. Eyes glimmering in the moonlight.
Edwin stood in the way between the serpent and the elderly woman, with his sword raised. The serpent raised half of its body and hissed, baring its fangs. "This is your fault, Marvin!" Edwin shouted.

"This is the quickest route to Croaker Swamp!" Marvin shouted back, throwing a rock at the snake, hitting the snake by the head and slithered away. The homeless merchant crossed past the desert creatures. "Watch your step." Marvin dropped a dead lizard to the ground. Catherine's already wrinkled scrunched up in disgust with additional creases while they made their way to Croaker Swamp.

By the time they made it to the swamp, the witches took flight, riding their magic brooms.

"Are you jesting me?! We went all this way for the witches to fly off!? CURSES!!" Edwin angrily sliced a bush in half.

"They are heading to the Deadlands." Marvin said, estimating their destination.

"What?" Her hearing wasn't as good as it used to be.

"The Deadlands?! That place is dangerous! Whomever goes there will not come out alive. Is called the Deadlands for a reason!" Edwin shouted.

"There are two ways of getting into the Deadlands. Is either walking toward the Mist or teleporting into the depths of the underworld." Marvin explained.

"How on Earth are we going to do that?" Catherine asked.

"With the aid of a spirit guide."

"But none of us know any spirit guides." Edwin huffed.

"Fortunately for you, I know a shortcut."

"NO MORE SHORTCUTS! You will summon one of those creatures or so help me I will beat you with a staff!" The grumpy hag yelled.

"Fine." Marvin said in a monotonic voice.

He drew a circle around them by leaving a trail of rice before saying the magic words.

"In profundissimum infernum descent geniis et spiritibus caelum vertatur in tenebras. Adeoque in profundum tenebrosum quaernti porta et ascendet a terra ad lucem." A fog surrounded them before vanishing and they were teleported into the gates of the underworld. The dimension was dark save for the gaslight that Catherine carried.

"Where are we?" Edwin asked.

"We are at the gates of the underworld." Marvin responded.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" But before Catherine could touch the gates, Marvin stopped her.

"Noooooooope. We are going to the Deadlands, not the underworld. That way." He pointed her in the right direction.

*

The two witches were in the foggy, acrid land of the Deadlands. Both of them picking a spot before performing the spell. "Be very careful, even a minor mistake will keep you trapped here for eternity." Haggith warned.

"I already know that, I'm not a child." Barbara rubbed the palm of her hands. Despite the deserted appearance of the place, it was cold to the bone.

The trio roamed around the Deadlands. Marvin had a premonition that something bad was going to happen. Then all of a sudden, shadows raised and manifested themselves in a form a silhouette, dancing frantically, and a light appeared and vanished. Scattering in different directions, a shiver went through their spines. Ashes and rubble were swept away by a faint voice that called out to them, and they followed, searching for the source that is summoning them.

"The sky shifts into darkness, the dead rot in decay. The deceased ascend from their graves and were brought the light of day. The ghostly spirits escape their empty shells, their souls were freed from the depths of hell. The flames of their light were snuffed out, the soil of life starts to sprout. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, their flesh and bones arise from the earth's crust. Once that the task is completed and the deed is done, the spell of the undead will be undone." The dead rose from their graves and dug their way out of the dark soil.

The moans and whispers were heard all the way from the gateway.

"We're too late!" Marvin hollered.

The cackle of the wicked witch reverberated in the depths of the Deadlands.

"Yes! It worked!" Haggith flew off with her magic broom and scoured across the Deadlands at full speed, using her powers to search for a witch and to control mindless thralls. Finally, my plans are going smoothly. Soon, I will have enough power to have Dreadsville under my control. Then the land, and eventually, the province. I can't wait to put the dean shaking in his boots. Haggith smirked as she thought this, as she caught a glimpse of the intruders. But first, I have to get rid of those pesky villagers, starting with that hybrid. I have no use for her anymore. Those fools have no clue to what is coming to them. Haggith ascended in power and in flight.

Domus sensed a familiar spirit rising from the grave, a hand popped out from the ground with the stench of rotting flesh and decay.

"Domus, where are you going?!" The cloacked witch followed in pursuit. When the head of the witch popped out of the ground, Barbara stood still. "I can't believe it... it's you!"

She saw Domus sweep the layer of dirt that covered her face, before the broom hovered in the air spinning in circles upon recognizing it's former master. Barbara was paralyzed in bafflement, joy and sadness altogether. Her eyes watered when she saw her grandmother stand from the dry soil.

"Where am I? Who are you?" The revived witch queried in her confused daze. Her skin had a sickly green hue, and her hair, a weedy gray color, covered in dirt and roots from her the top of her head to the hem of her cloak.

"Granny, it's me." She unveiled her face. "Don't you remember?" Barbara walked up to her. Though Agatha, her grandmother, could barely see her in the dark atmosphere, but she could recognize the tone of her voice though it sounded a bit lower than she could recall.

"Barbara? Is that you?" Her granddaughter's tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Grandma!" She cried, running up to her. Holding her breath to at least block out as much of stench as possible while she went down to hug her.

Agatha was speechless for a minute, then raised her calloused hand and patted Barbara's back until she sensed a bolt of energy pass in a blink of an eye. She immediately knew who it was. Haggith flew past them, casting her spell to gather the revived witches like grains of sand, placing them under her control.

"What is she doing here?" Her tone as hard as a stone.

"Haggith... she is the one who convinced me to perform necromancy." She lied, she was goaded into performing the spell.

"I should have known she was behind this devilry. And you... I thought I taught you better than this. I told you to not resort to necromancy under any circumstance." Agatha admonished. Barbara kept quiet because she knew she was right. "There are certain things that shouldn't be brought back. This is what happens when someone disrupts the natural order."

Agatha walked forward as Domus shapeshifted into a staff to keep her from stumbling.