Hex

by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Every last grain of idealism would be sacrificed on the altar of safety.

“A fairy ring,” said Pete. “My mother used to say that if you counted more than thirteen toadstools in a ring it meant that witches had danced there, and you had to walk past with your eyes closed to ward off doom. Later I stopped believing in witches, so I did it as a balancing exercise.”

Loved this part because of my random obsession with fairy rings and the folklore and legends behind them, how different people from different places have varying superstitions around them. Always love seeing one pop up in a book when I'm not expecting it.

This is all it takes for people to plunge into insanity: one night alone with themselves and what they fear the most.