The Witch of Jousen

0703 - 15

"Come on, out of the way, witch." She looked disgusted to see me.

I've been called a lot of names since that day. It was supposed to be a quiet afternoon, but I had to be a drama queen, scream my lungs out, kick, and flail my arms around out of the blue like a mentally ill maniac.

We could've all just shrugged it off after that, but, no, they were determined to get me – they finally had someone to prey on. The pranks got out of hand, and soon, the mean shit they did got me injured on multiple occasions. This bell I was holding didn't help either. I was that weird kid who speaks gibberish, the one who randomly passes out, and now I have this voodoo thing with me and it just caused more aggression.

I mean, I lost my father! And I know more perished that day. Is there something worse that could happen? It's like everyone's just oblivious to this. I don't understand. A lot of people died and they're here playing pranks like nothing serious is going on.

The last straw was back in homeroom.

I just fell unconscious, like I occasionally, and unintentionally do, but when I woke up, they started yelling and throwing things at me.

I wasn't even able to compose myself, it was just bad that I had to run out of there as quickly as I could.

I was an outcast from that day on.

Only after a few weeks did I understand why.

I was branded the 'Witch of Jousen'.

I got possessed.

Or so they say.

I don't even remember what exactly happened. As I said, I just passed out, and then I was the most hated student at school.

I tried to explain myself a lot of times, but nobody listened.

Nobody even tried to get near me.

Until that moment I walked past him.... That scrawny guy with a prominent graze on his eyebrow, red marks on his cheeks from shallow wounds that just started to heal. He brushed against me and I was pulled into an abyss of swirling images and disorienting echoes.

Images flashed in my head.

People consumed by fire;

People impaled by swords and arrows;

the undead rising;

People worshipping a shrouded figure.

It was so vivid that I had to hold my ears shut from the accompanying screams of agony and songs of celebration - like a cult in trance.

Right there in the middle was that shrouded figure, standing over a pair of dead bodies. Two, I think. I couldn't be sure.

Standing behind her was...me.

I don't understand, I keep seeing myself. She turns and looks at me like she's the only one who can see me. She nods at me, assuring me that I was indeed only visible to her, and then looks ahead as if I did not exist in here.

The lady in shroud took off the black robe hanging over her body. She looks all normal, at first, but looking at her eyes, there's a sinister spirit lurking behind, I could just feel it.