Two Birds [ONC 2024]

Witches

TW: The chapter may contain homophobia, conservative ideology, violence, death and anything else relevant. Reader discretion is advised.

"How was the dinner?" Catherine asked.

"It was alright," Margaret replied.

Catherine had made pork with vegetables and some juice. It was tasty when I had tasted and I knew that it must've been difficult for Catherine to make, considering she was not well-versed with cooking either. But she had tried her best!

Looking at Catherine I gulped. Why? Oh why was I getting this nagging feeling since the morning of something ominous? Something which won't be good, especially for...Catherine.

Have you ever felt that anxiety when you visit a new place and meet new people? Or rather, the anxiety and dread you feel when your loved one is sick and you're not sure what's going to happen next? Yes, that's exactly how I felt at the moment. Why? I could not understand.

Getting up, Margaret left the room, leaving us to satisfy our hunger.

"I'm so hungry!" Catherine exclaimed as she sat down and began preparing her plate, while I had lost it. I was certain that if I ate anything, I would puke it out.

"Jess, what are you standing for?" she asked. "Don't you want to eat the food that I've made?"

"I'm not hungry," I replied with honesty.

She pouted. "Alright then, I won't eat it either."

I sighed. "Please Cat, I'm do not feel like it." Saying which, I left the kitchen and went back to our room.

I sighed. All I wanted was this nagging and sickening feeling of some premonition to pass. Maybe if this night was to pass by, things would feel better?

Sitting on the bed, I recollected my memory of the last time I had felt the same emotions and anxiety. It had been when my mother was lying at her deathbed. After which I had never felt the same fear till date. But feeling it now meant something.

"Jess!"

I turned around to see Catherine standing at the doorway. "Come on! Why don't you want to eat?"

"I just don't feel like it!" I yelled in frustration. "I don't want to!"

Catherine sighed and sat next to me. Closing in our distance, she kissed my lips, taking my worries away.

Catherine's grip tightened around my body as I leaned into her for her to claim me. She was divine and I belonged to her.

Kissing me passionately, her hand wandered under my clothes, crawling its way around my body. The pinches and tickles which she gave me made me moan in pleasure.

I lay on the bed, she on top of me with her kisses on my lips harsh and domineering. She tickled her fingers around my breast, taking my breath away.

And then it happened.

"GOOD HEAVENS!!"

Immediately we sprung apart and saw none other than Margaret standing at the doorway. She was fuming in anger, her eyes bulging out of her skull.

"I KNEW IT! I SO KNEW IT!" she screamed frantically. "Your moans and everything since last night, I knew something was wrong. YOU BOTH ARE WITCHES!"

I gasped in shock. Witches?

"YOUR SINS ARE UNPUNISHABLE!" she shouted. "YOU MUST PAY FOR THAT!"

Immediately she ran out of the room and out of the house. What did she mean? What was she about to do?

"C-Cat," I stuttered, tears rolling down my eyes. "What now?"

Catherine was shocked as well. She could not react and before we could've done something, we heard a chorus from the outside.

Immediately we got up and walked out into the hallway. The entrance door burst open, revealing numerous townspeople.

"WITCHES!" a woman yelled.

"They'll kill us all!" another woman yelled.

"Kill them!" a man roared. And soon it turned into a unanimous shout, piercing our ears.

I could not believe it. They thought we were witches?

"RUN JESS!" Catherine yelled. We both sprung towards the kitchen as the crowd followed us. Immediately we exited through the back door and came out in the open.

My heart was racing with fear.

Soon we were running as fast as we could, while the crowd followed us from behind, torches in their hands. My panick was at its peak and so was that of Catherine. In the fear and chaos, I tripped on a stone and fell.

"JESS!" Catherine yelled. "GET UP!"

"I CANNOT!" I screamed. "My ankle... it's sprained."

By that time the crowd had caught up to us and surrounded us from all the sides. I lay on the ground, wailing in pain as Catherine tried to approach me but was immediately pulled by her hair by a muscular man.

"BURN HER!" he yelled.

"NOOO!" I screamed. "SHE-SHE'S CATHEINE, PRINCESS OR FRANCE! AND I'M JESS, YOUR PRINCESS!"

"Witches speak all sorts of lies!" an old woman claimed. "Burn them before they overpower us!"

Before I could do anything, the man pulled Catherine by her hair and pushed her to the ground. She screamed in terror as I saw three men throw down their flaming torches on top of her.

"NOOO!" I screamed and lunged forward, only to be pulled back by my hair. The crowd caught me all over, not allowing me to make a move as I saw Catherine burn right in front of my eyes.

Her screams bled my ears, her writhing body made me sick to the core. I wished to get swallowed by the earth at that very moment and exist no more. My thorat turned dry upon screaming and shouting out her name but all that happened was Catherine's screams turn into whispers and slowly her body stopped moving.

"CATHERINE!" I screamed in terror, my eyes bulging out and myself losing all sense of consciousness. I puked out whatever contents I had in my gut as I saw her body turn into nothing but ash.

Word Count: 981 Words