
The Noon Witch's Trap.
The blinding sun beat down on the endless dunes as I desperately looked for a sliver of shade to relieve myself. Out of the shimmering heat haze, she appeared—Polednica, the mythical Noon Witch. Before I could even react, her cold hands moved with unsettling swiftness, one clamping firmly over my mouth to smother my gasp while the other pinned me in place. Frozen in a mix of shock and intense vulnerability, I was completely at her mercy under the scorching sun. Just as suddenly as she captured me, she vanished into thin air, leaving me standing breathless, disoriented, and utterly confused in the vast emptiness.
