Grave Mistake

Part I

16:56 – Saturday, 21 July 1695

There are people being buried alive. I fear for the poor Souls who awaken trapped inside those caskets. Yet another day has gone by and still the Priest refuses to heed my word, but I will continue to persist. More Lords and Ladies are being buried due to an unknown ailment as the Priest seems to think that they have passed, but recently I have discovered that some are alive and that their hearts still beat within their bosom. If he does not hearken my words, the nobles will wither away in caskets to their deaths. I have reason to believe that it is their expensive cuisine that has caused these false deaths. It is, however, unfortunate that no person will listen to a woman whom they avoid like the plague and are frightened of. Frightened? Of me? What a ridiculous thought, but it is undoubtedly true. They all believe me to be a witch, but of course I am not such an evil creature. I am but a lowly human. Or could they possibly be right? At times I have knowledge I had no means of searching for, nor did I hear it from another, but it is there. At other moments I seem to know what is in their thoughts. It is only fragments, sometimes in pictures or words, other times spoken without sound. Most times it is difficult to understand, but I am still learning and lately I am able to put the pieces together. It is lucky I am not put to the stake and burnt, but it is not by mere coincidence. My papa, Balthazar LeStraut, has too much influence in our town – no one would dare harm his only child for fear of being exiled. If he ever heard such an accusation he would demand evidence of the crime and, of course, no one has any such evidence which means they would instantly be punished. My papa is a very protective man, but I am not hiding behind his influence. I refuse to be seen as such a coward. I will stand tall and face them head-on. I must hone these gifts to help the Souls being buried alive, and that is exactly what I plan to do.

Alallia put her quill down. The black leather-bound book in which she wrote her thoughts had been a present from her beloved Elliot. Although Alallia, being 19 years of age, could have gotten married quite some time ago, she declined the few proposals she had gotten. Few men interested her. Only one had caught her interest, Elliot, but she had even refused him. It was only a matter of time before her strangeness chased him away from her as it had done all the other men and she knew this very well. She feared the day it would happen. Elliot had been her friend since she was but a young girl, even before she found her abilities –he had been the first one she told about it too- and had stuck with her through it all. Maybe that was why she had grown feelings for him. Alallia knew her father had wanted her to marry at a younger age, but he was lenient. She also knew that he was lenient because he knew that she was already on good terms with him who her father had arranged for her to marry –Elliot. He had only arranged the marriage after he had seen her refusal of all her other offers, but he had planned it for some time. Slowly Alallia closed the book and firmly held it to her chest. It was a precious artefact and if she could, she would hold it and its giver close to her heart forever. But forever was a long time.

She closed her eyes and reminisced in her memories with Elliot. One of her fondest memories of them together were a summer's day a year past. Alallia had been in the stables with her favourite Stallion, Apollo, a yellow-dun horse with dark –almost black- points on his muzzle, lower half of the legs as well as his mane and tail. The horse was as wild as a Blizzard –thus the nickname 'Devil-horse' found its way to him- , but when in Alallia's care he was a true sweetheart. Those who saw Alallia and Apollo together would say that the two shared a Soul; it was another reason people were frightened of Alallia. No one but the 19 year old girl could tame the wild horse. From the first moment she had gotten on a horse, she had the special gift of taming the horses. Some saw it as a gift, others saw it as different, strange and people rarely accepted that which is different. Alallia brushed through Apollo's mane, deep in thought. She thought about her strange abilities that had suddenly appeared when she was 8 years of age and wondered where they had come from. She wondered why she was the only one who had them and why people seemed to shy away from her because of her 'strangeness'. She had so few friends and wanted to make more, but no one would speak with her long enough. No one but other nobles were rude to her, to which she was grateful. Everyone else was polite. Then, suddenly, her thoughts took a darker turn and she wondered how she could find those rude and spineless fools' deepest secrets. That way she would spill the secrets and make them sorry for ever talking behind her back about her, spreading false rumours, and everyone would believe Alallia LeStraut for she knew things no other did. A dark shadow crossed her face and Apollo pawed at the straw-strewn floor nervously. He was uneasy. Suddenly arms had enveloped her from behind and Alallia started, spinning around. "Elliot!" An excited smile graced her lips as she threw herself in his arms, all dark thoughts forgotten. Elliot tightened his grip on her and chuckled, kissing the top of her head. After standing like that for a few more seconds, Alallia finally let go and took a step back. "What are you doing here? I did not expect to see you this day." She said this with an air of appreciation. She had wanted to see him today, but thought he would be busy.