Witchery

Stella held Lucy Howel's hand as they trudged down the dirt path. "Lucy, in order to save our family you must sneak into the witch's house and steal the vials," Stella explained to the tiny girl, "I still distract the Gate Keeper and then do your best. We must both be very brave." Lucy nodded in understanding, but she was noticeably shaking and holding back tears.
Stella could see the Gate Keeper growing larger in the distance. She always expected a troll to fulfill that role, but the Gate Keeper was a heavy set woman of normal size. She wasn't particularly attractive, but she was hardly troll like. Stella pushed Lucy down into the ditch before the Gate Keeper could see that she wasn't alone, then she ambled up to the large woman.

"Ma'am, I'm lost in these woods. I need to get into town to fetch medicine for my younger brother. Can you help me find my way?" Stella pleaded.
"If you're here to steel from the witch, all you have to do is drink this small bottle of extra virgin olive oil. Then you'll need to vault over the fence. Once you're drank the EVOO the witch can't touch you, but you'll want to be quick."
"B-b-but how did you know?"
"I just know," the Gate Keeper said without emotion.
"Why would you help us? Is this a trap?" Stella asked - knowing that it likely was a trap.
"I detest that old witch. I stand on this road day and night and she never thinks to ask me inside."

Stella asked the Gate Keeper to be patient while she fetched a vault. She ran to the ditch where Lucy was still cowering. "Come on Lucy. We don't have to sneak in, but one of us will have to vault inside. Let's go. "
Lucy climbed from the ditch and announced "I will vault over the wall. If the witch can not touch me, I'm at no risk."
"It might be very scary."

The girls returned to the gate with a small spring vault. Lucy drank the EVOO, jumped on the vault, and quickly flipped over the gate. Only moments later she came running from the house with the vials in hand. The witch was only inches behind her - shrieking and clawing at the girl, but inflicting no harm. Lucy attempted to climb over the gate to return to true safety, but she could not lift herself to such a great height. Instead she squeezed her tiny body through the iron bars of the gate. Stella quickly thanked the Gate Keeper and the two girls ran down the path.

...

"Unfortunately, we must return to the witch's house. But we know that by drinking EVOO, the witch can't harm us. It will be frightening, but we must do it for our family, " Stella explained to Lucy and Lex.

The trio returned to the witch's gate and Lucy bravely offered to return into the house. Lex insisted that as the oldest brother, he must accompany Lucy. Oddly, the Gate Keeper was not perched in her usual place. Stella had thought to bring some EVOO for all of them. "Stella, you must stay behind in case there is trouble. Whatever you do, do not come over that gate," instructed Lex. He was only 15, but believed that he was an adult.

Lex and Lucy vaulted over the gate and ran to the witch's house. The witch was waiting for them, she swooped in upon Lucy and began to rip out her hair. "But the EVOO! She can't be harmed! This is wrong!" Stella panicked. The witch screamed "That only works one time you fools. For now the boy is safe, but this little girl is lost." Stella began to drink some EVOO so she could vault over the gate and save her small sister, but Lex called out to her. "Don't come over the gate. It is a trap. The Gate Keeper is a witch. And they have captured my soul. I am their prisoner now, but I will not be harmed." Stella was devastated.

...

Mr. Howel sat at the round, wooden table in the tavern. A young man was at the piano, playing intricate and sad songs. The barmaid waltzed up to Howel, "Why the long face?"
"That's my son at the piano. He doesn't know that I'm here. He was trapped by witched and now he can't see his family. I come every day just to see him."
The barmaid was too puzzled to respond so she simply walked away.

Shortly after, two men from the asylum came to the tavern and took Howel away without a fight.