Witch Hunt #Wattys2018

Chapter 3

"I swung the nail, meaning to hit his arm, but hitting his neck instead." I finished looking at my father. As I had told my story we had sat down on the slightly muddy ground.

He held his head in his hands, as he took it all in. "How long, how long have you been sneaking out to meet this boy?"

I looked at my hands, where I fiddled with a stray hay straw. "Six months." I whispered

"Six months." He gasped "Do you know what would have happened if you had been caught?"

I looked back up at him, "Not something as bad as this." I responded

This took my father aback, as I never talked back, but as I had nothing to lose at that point, I went ahead.

"I suppose you're right." He responded His face then lit up, "Rose! Do you know what this means?"

"What?" I asked, very confused

"You're not a witch! If we tell them, they can't try you as a witch!"

"They can still try for murder." I said quietly, looking at the stains on my nightgown "If they even give me a trial." I added

"That's right." He murmured, "Brusco is very adamant about killing you."

"Besides," I said surprising myself with how calm I was, "If you do tell them, they'll just think I bewitched you."

He nodded solemnly in agreement, "There aren't many ways around this Rose."

"I don't this there is a way around it."

"Rose-"

"No Father. Forgive me for interrupting you, but there isn't a way around this. I'm going to die. You should go. I'm sure mother wants to know what has happened."

With nothing left to say he got up, turned and left.

I had no more visitors for the rest of the day, besides the guard that brought me breakfast. He tossed a wooden slab in my cell with a small piece of meat, that smelled a few days past due, and another stale piece of bread.

After eating my sorry excuse of a dinner, I curled up and tried to sleep. Though it was much easier said than done. Every time I shut my eyes Thomas appeared. Sometimes it was when I stabbed him, other times I saw when he attacked me. Either way, I knew sleep wasn't in my near future. I leaned my head against the rock wall and listened to the many crickets just outside the cell. I stared at the small window at the top of my cell. I couldn't see much, just the dark blue sky. I continued to stare at it as the night went on.

Suddenly a black fog passed by my widow. I sat straight up and kept my eyes on the same spot, unsure if I had imagined it. Then another passed.

I jumped from my spot and ran to the window, and tried to jump up to look out of it. Unfortunately I was too short, and even if I jumped, I couldn't see anything.

As I struggled, I heard yells from the guards, and maniacal laughter. I ran to my door and tried to see what was happening.

When all sounds of struggle quieted down, a man and woman I'd never seen appeared in my cell. The woman's hands were coated in blood, along with her grimy torn dress. It gave me a good impression of what had happened to the guards.

Both of them had an unkempt look about them. Long messy hair, neither had it pulled back. Their eyes had a mad hollow look about them.

Them woman grabbed my arm, causing me to let out a scream of terror, them the man held on to my other arm. The same terror that filled me when Brusco grabbed me, returned. I wasn't sure what was happening, all I knew was I wanted his hands off of me.