What a lovely fluffy cuddly story...
At first, I just put this in the WTFAIR
category, but then I had a bit of a Fridge Horror moment while I was thinking about it on the way home from Tesco. Here's my largely unsupported speculation about what's going on here:
Some unspecified cataclysm occurs, reducing the Earth to a barren, lifeless wasteland. The Witch (or so I assume her to be) is the only survivor. To assuage her loneliness, she creates a young companion by drawing her with a special magical ink. Unfortunately, the process is flawed, and poor Ink is fated to die in various unpleasant ways, over and over again. But see how the gravestone only has space for one more mark? That's because there was only enough ink in the bottle to perform the drawing ritual 100 times. When the current Ink inevitably dies (by drowning, as foreshadowed by her fascination with the sea), it will be for the very last time, leaving the Witch alone, with only her fading memories for company. In an empty universe. For the rest of eternity.
There is one small glimmer of hope: It's hinted that the Witch can die, so at least she may be able to end her suffering once and for all. If she has the nerve...