Poe

Sarah Jenkins dreamed of having a daughter. She dreamed of tea parties and frilly dresses, but despite her efforts she could not get pregnant. Frustrated with the small town's doctor who seemed more interested in collecting a fee than helping a desperate young lady, Sarah was willing to accept help wherever it would come from. She heard rumors of a mystic who could be found wandering the alleys in the dark chilly nights, and when she could no longer stand the longing and frustration, sought out help from the bottle lady.

"Of course I can help you child, " the bottle lady whispered. She reached into her leather pouch and held up a single seed. "This seed was collected a year ago on the mourning after the new moon, harvested from a pumpkin heavy with frost" She turned the seed reverently between her dirty fingers. "Swallow this seed tonight at midnight, and seek me out at the cemetery on the night of the full moon. I will midwife the birth of your daughter."

Something seemed amiss. Sarah had heard the legends, and had been prepared to give the bottle lady some strange token in return. Nothing was asked of her. "No matter," Sarah thought."If this will give me my daughter, so be it." She did as instructed, and was amazed to wake the next morning with rosy cheeks and a slightly larger belly. Over the next month, the pregnancy progressed rapidly, and when the moon rose full and blood red in the sky, Sarah was waiting at the cemetery.
"Come child, come. Lay down on this stone and let's begin." The bottle lady smiled, and Sarah did as she was asked. As promised, Sara Jenkins gave birth to a baby girl that night, but died before she could feel the joy of motherhood.

"Thank you child," sneered the witch to Sarah's lifeless body as she held the infant up to the full moon.

"Welcome Poe, my child of sadness."