The Thing in The Forest

Chapter Four- 1676

 School was not difficult for me, not even sitting for long periods of time. My teacher was a man from out of town, quiet and studious with high expectations for us.

My best subject was writing. I loved to see my quill and ink glide along the pages. We didn't often get to use the quill and ink set, but when we did, my heart sang.

My older brother had finally become serious about his studies. Our father wanted something better for my brother besides working in the mines like him, and after years of convincing from both our parents, he now takes his work seriously. He sat behind me in our little one-room schoolhouse and never picked on me or looked over my shoulder for answers anymore. Sometimes I missed his pestering, but I wanted his future to be bright and successful, so I kept to myself now.

Well, almost to myself. Several rows ahead of me near the front of the classroom, was our younger sister. Her golden locks, tied neatly into two braids, were the envy of the other children. We didn't see light hair in our community often, so she was considered quite unique and beautiful. She would make a fine bride when she grew into adulthood. But for now, she ignored our teacher and was often reprimanded and sent to the corner. After school, I would scold her more on our walks home, hoping that someday she would wisen up like our brother and take her studies seriously.

Our little family goes to church every Sunday as long as the weather holds. It does take us a little longer now that Mother is with child again. I have heard her whispering that this pregnancy has been harder than her others and she is much more prone to bouts of exhaustion. I am having to do more and more of her chores, which I don't mind. I try to get my sister to help me, but she causes more trouble than she fixes, so I usually send her on her way with a handful of berries or nuts to munch on while I work.

I think Father is also needing more time to get to church. He sometimes has to stop and has coughing fits, urging us to continue where he can catch up to us, but we never leave him. He has had to sit down before and rest from the wheezing, his face flush from exertion. He refuses to see the community's doctor, saying that he just needs fresh air and that it will clear up soon. We all know he has the same cough as the other miners, but no one will say it out loud.

We sometimes sit in church and one of the men will start coughing uncontrollably and have to leave. By the time that man calms his lungs, another will start up. The preacher just keeps on with his sermon, projecting his voice as much as possible over the noise.

The latest sermon was about temptations, which is a fairly regular sermon, with the loose women just down the road from the mines. The temptresses have small hovels where they sing to the men like sirens, and the men are lured by them inside where they lose their day's wage. Or, that's what the sermon was about today. I am not allowed to go to that side of our town, so I just have to take his word for it. Several of the men hang their heads while their wives give them a side-eye, knowing that the sermon is hitting a little too close to home.

But this time, the sermon takes a wide turn and all of the congregation seems to be confused. Our preacher starts in about not only temptresses, but witches are invading our community. He speaks about a neighboring town hanging a witch who had put a curse on a family, causing a fire to start at their house and the family to lose all of their children. I could see some shocked faces, along with tear-streaked cheeks. My own mother was covering her mouth, agape with horror.

Witches, here in our community, causing the destruction of families. I pray that our family would be protected by our gracious heavenly Father, if it was his will to save us.