The Secrets Within

The First Witch Hunt

"Zemira!" A man yells as he walks through the dark woods, the only light coming from the fire on the torches he and the other men in the village had.

"Zemira!" Another man shouts, getting more frustrated by the second. It was almost 1am, he was tired and just wanted to go home.

"You cannot hide from us, Zemira!" The first man shouts again.

A girl, no older than 18, comes out from behind a tree just a few feet from the men. Her long white dress is dirty from running, her black hair in knots and her brown eyes, usually bright, almost gold, are now dark and full of tears.

"Drystan, please!" Zemira begged, breathing deep and quick. "I cannot run anymore!" She sobbed.

"Then stop running." The leader of this witch hunt, Drystan, tells her quietly, as he slowly walks to the girl like a hunter walking towards his prey.

"Stay away!" She shouts at him as she quickly backs away from the men. "I meant no harm to anyone!"

"You were performing magic!" Another man shouts in return. "We have a witness!"
"Silence, Merikh!" Drystan commands.
"I was protecting the village!" Zemira cries out desperately at the same time.
"Lies!" Yells Merikh, pushing past Drystan trying to get to the young girl. "There were two others with you!"
"Enough, Merikh." He turned his body towards the taller blond man trying to push past him and put a hand on his chest to push him away from Zemira.
"Where are they?" The blond man angrily questioned her.
"ENOUGH!" Drystan screams out in anger. The two go quiet. Zemira trying to swallow her tears and Merikh taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

Drystan turns towards Zemira, his dark green eyes, holding anger, confusion and curiosity.

"What were protecting the village from?" He asks her.

"What does it matter?" Merikh asks as he turns to look at friend. "She is a witch."

"What threat were you protecting us from?" He repeats the question, only louder to show he was ignoring Merikh.

Zemira slows her breathing as she looks Drystan in his eyes. Half of the men from the village who came on this hunt for the girl have gone home, the others stay quite behind the two men who have taken lead; curious about what the witch had to say.

"A witch from outside the village has placed a curse on this land."

"Ridicules." Merikh mumbled to himself.
"Be quiet." Drystan whispered back.

"It's why crops won't grow, and pigs and chickens disappear in the night." She explained. "Soon there-"

"How do we know you and the other witches aren't behind this?" Merikh argued, swinging his torch in front of her from a short distance. Zemira backed away, momentarily blinded by the light of the fire. Drystan snapped his head towards the man standing next to him, growing more irritated with him by the second.

"I will not warn you again, let the girl speak."

"Do you not think she is lying!"

"Does it matter who cursed the village!" He snapped. "If the people are in danger we need to know!"

It was silent for a few seconds, the two men looked at each other. Merikh breathed out slowly and looked at Zemira. "Speak, witch." He said.
Drystan closed his eyes for a moment in annoyance and ignored the comment.

"Soon the water will dry up and we will all starve." She told them quietly. "We were trying to stop the curse." She looked at Drystan with tears in her eyes. "We only wish to protect the village and everyone in it."
He slowly started to walk towards her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"I have never hurt anyone, I swear it!" She anxiously starts stepping back, away from him, her wide paranoid eyes never leaving his calm green ones.
She takes a few more steps and then her back hits a tree, this does not stop Drystan from stepping closer to the scared girl.

"Come with me." He whispered to Zemria.

"Drystan." Merikh tried to get his attention, but Drystan ignored him.

"Trust me." He whispered again, taking her hand after noticing Zemira's hesitation to follow him.
"I'll handle this." Drystan spoke loudly and turned to the other men. They all, including Merikh, turned and went back to the village.

"What are you going to do?" The girl asked, voice quiet and soft. The man didn't answer, he just started walking the other direction, pulling her with him.