john murphy, WITCH

20 | It Takes Two to Tango

John Murphy was at a complete loss for words as Winnie finally reached Jaha's words. She didn't go any further, but John could imagine the torture of her trial and not being able to grieve her own mother.

Winnie didn't talk for the longest time but she made the fire and they drank water they had collected. There was no food and Winnie had lost her appetite for the first time in her life so she lay down and rested. She didn't complain when Murphy came to put his arm around her and he said nothing when he heard her cry for the first time. All he did was stroke her hair and allow her to come closer to him so she could burrow her face into his chest.

She had told herself she wouldn't cry but sometimes Winnie had to allow herself to be human.

Murphy wanted to alter the story of Winnie. He wished to be more than just a character in her future and take over the pen writing her life because he would have never have written that tale for her. It was horrid, but there was only one thing to say to her and he repeated the phrase again and again.

"It's not your fault," He knew though that no matter how many times he did say it, Winnie would never quite believe it.

And deep down he had to be glad as because of that day Winnie is lying next to him and the dark days of his incarceration were just that little bit brighter. He could have ended up with Atom as a neighbour, how that would have sucked. For a person that would say he hated most people, Murphy had never been more thankful for company.

"And you're a great sister." He whispered although he couldn't say the same for Bellamy being a good brother.

"John Murphy you are a great son," Winnie looked at him and poured her heart out because she knew when she awoke that her guard would be back up.

She remembered what he told her one day in the Sky Box, the secrets he told under the cover of a restless night when he couldn't sleep and Winnie claimed she couldn't either. She knew his story. The blaming of her father's floating on him by his drunk mother and the orphaned John Murphy.

"And what they said back there, in the camp, about you deserving to die, that was a lie. I know you and you deserve life John Murphy. Just because your an utter Jack Ass by default doesn't mean that you deserved to hang. And I am so sorry because that was all my fault, all of it."

"I pissed off quite a few people Winnie, I'm not a saint," His eyes were dark and dropped down to watch her, "And I learnt to be a Jackass just like you learnt to be a witch. You just need to promise me one thing."

"What?"

"We need to stop being so damn sappy because honestly all this 'you're not to blame' and 'you're perfect just the way you are', although it's true, it also makes me vomit in my mouth a bit whenever I hear it."

"Deal." Winnie still kissed her Jackass despite the vomit comment.

"Also you know what else I deserve?" He added after a moment of silence.

"Tell me."

"Revenge."

Winnie thought about that for a moment. They had been hanged and yet they were the ones being punished, Winnie forget about the two lives taken as punishment, that was the universe striking a deal with them. The people who crossed them, those that hunted the witch, they needed to pay.

"You know what, I'll take you lead for that Johnny Boy."

"You already cursed the camp Winnie, I'm going to have a tough time thinking up something to top that."

"I don't doubt your ability John, just tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"Well, there is something you could do...." Murphy winked at her in the fading light.