The Great Forest

The Evil Within

~~PRESENT~~

The Sheriff and three other men ushered Mr. Horris out of the auditorium. After a sudden outburst of hysteria, Mr. Horris collapsed from exhaustion. Apparently no one had thought to let him rest before putting him on trial. As the door shut behind them, the Priest shakily stood up from his chair, grabbed his cane, and made his way to the center podium. He wore a silk, black, gown, and a red prayer scarf tied at his waist. Despite the need for a cane, he walked tall with purpose and dignity, clearly holding an authoritative presence. Once he reached the center, he straightened himself and cleared his throat.

"Twelve years ago," he began. "Our village experienced great turmoil. Witches and Wizards had cursed our land, and from those curses came famine, drought, and sickness. We lost many lives, over a third of our population. In order to lift the curses, we expelled the evil from our midst. Now, I am afraid, it is obvious to see, that such a tragedy has befallen us once more. There is someone among us who is practicing evil!"

The room up-roared. People became red with anger, others became pale with fear. One woman shrieked. William kept silent. He knew where this was leading, what the Priest was going to say.

"The only way such a monster can reach us is if someone invited it in. In order to invite such villainy, a rule must be broken. The Devil must be called. God must be defied. Whoever is responsible, is so because of their sin!"

The crowd continued to fret. William sat back in his chair. He breathed slowly to calm his nerves. What the Priest was saying was more than unsettling. He tried not to think of what this would mean for him later...

"How do we know the man didn't hallucinate?!" a voice called from the crowd. It was overpowering, clearly heard over the fearful shrills of the townspeople. William immediately knew who it was; his best friend, Noah, the son of Lord Barnabas.

The room grew quiet as they awaited the Priest's response. "You accuse Mr. Horris of lying, Noah Barnabas?"

Noah stepped into view from the balcony, facing the Priest. "I do not accuse him anything, I simply wish to question all possibilities. It is no secret to Dolorville that Mr. Horris has a history regarding the consumption of mushroom ale."

"That might be so, but how do you explain the death of his family? Surely you were there with your father upon the discovery of his home ablaze. What do you have to answer that?"

"Perhaps it was an accident. We did not fully interrogate him, Your Grace. He could have lit a cigar, he could have drank the ale."

"He did not show signs of such things while he was here."

"They would have worn off by now, Sir. Maybe this morning, whoever saw first saw him, could act as a second witness."

William's heart dropped to his stomach. The room became a flurry again, as people tried to find the second witness. At that moment, the Sheriff entered again. The Priest turned to him.

"Ah, Sheriff Sverkerson, just the man we need. Who came to you this morning with the news of Mr. Horris?"

Sheriff Sverkerson was a very large man. Quite appropriate, considering his name. He had a long black tunic and chain-mail underneath. He wore a steel helmet, which was currently tucked under his arm, revealing a gray, receding hair line. As if he couldn't get any more intimidating, he had a scar on the right side of his face from his temple to his chin. He responded to the Priest in a slow, deep voice.

"It was the butcher Colton's son, William. He came to my home this morning with Horris following."

"Where is William Colton?"

William stood and walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned over the railing. "I'm here," he said. Noah looked across at him, then back at the Priest. 

"William, what state was Mr. Horris in when you first saw him this morning?"

The room grew deathly still as William felt all eyes were on him.

"H-he was in a frenzy. He was wearing only undergarments... a-and was covered in soot. He-"

"Did he show signs off being intoxicated, drugged, or under any kind of influence?"

William began to feel light headed. He didn't enjoy being under so much attention. "I-I did notice he-h-his eyes were a little r-red, like... bloodshot. He shouted everything he said, a-as if he couldn't hear it himself..." William took a deep breath. "H-his words were slurred, but he wasn't weak like a drunk. He was very strong, he grabbed my shoulders and shook me."

The Priest turned to Noah. "You see, he was strong. One who has drank the ale suffers weak muscles. This means Mr. Horris could not have drank the ale. What was not hallucination, so do not continue to throw accusations if-"

Naoh interrupted him. "Sir, I believe we need to have a second inquiry of Mr. Horris, but along with any and all witnesses to the scene. We need to be thorough before we can prove-"

"Don't interrupt me, boy! Do you not think I can recognize the devil when I see him? I have seen more then you, so you would be wise not to cross with any of your falsehoods and accusations!"

The crowd had become a frenzy again. At this point the Priest decided to end the inquiry, and cancelled the thought of holding another. The people of Dolorville continued on their daily chores, a feeling of silent dread and fearful anticipation thickened the air.