Quest (The Quest Saga)

5 - White Hot Lies

The meteor shower ended. James was thrilled, it had been very long too. He’d never even dreamt he’d witness a meteor shower in his own village! He’d once travelled miles and missed one but know he’d seen one and he was overjoyed. He felt that even his argument with his wife couldn’t bring him down from the bit of joy. And she loved him anyway - she’d see sense.

But life is cruel.

As he walked home he thought he’d been out all night because it was light in the village but as he drew nearer he realised it was his house on fire.

He started to run to his house as tears began to stream down his face. His neighbours rushed to him begging him not to come any closer, they told him they’d done all they could. Others asked him where he had been at this time of night.

But then he saw it, as his eyes strayed away from the sorrowful faces and down at the burnt cinders of his house. Lying on the ground, dragged away from the burning wood, a charred and blackened child and woman.

James cried and he rushed towards them. A woman brought Adam to him, James’ only relief was that one son had survived. That night he had a bad dream, it was a really horrible dream. The stars were laughing at him, taunting him about his loss. He could see his wife, she was screaming and stars were tugging at her skirt - setting it on fire. She was burning, the flames climbing as she tried to pat them down. Her hands bloodied and melted and the flames scalded her neck. Her hair alight with flames as she looked at him. Those eyes, wretched, enraged, disappointed, pleading. Then her eyes burnt too and there was nothing left.

Only one week after the tragic fire, and suspicions had already arisen that James had set fire to his own home. Rumour had spread that he had an argument with his wife and in a fit of rage locked her and their children in the attic and using witchcraft set fire to the house while he was watching the stars.

Several of James’ friends admitted that although they knew him as a good man, the way he watched the stars every night was unsettling. He also continued to have bad dreams, they were frequent and quite disturbing, he was often a nervous wreck because people continued to accuse him of witch craft. Being a warlock was a crime, and the punishment was death.

“Adam, listen to me. People are coming to get me. I might not be around much longer. When the people come I want you to run to the Walkers, they’ll look after you.”

“Daddy, I’m scared.”

“Don’t be scared the Walkers will look after you.”

James knew his time was up, but if he left the house he was staying in he would be captured for sure. The Witch Hunters were coming. Their chanting was so loud and the light from their torches were flickering so bright he could see them from the end of the street. Adam was shaking and James didn’t want him to cry for fear the Witch Hunters would hear as the marched past.

They were approaching quickly - they’d been tipped off James just knew it. James wanted to hold on to Adam, he loved that boy so much, Adam had taken after his mother; he had her eyes, her freckles. “Go to the Walkers, go now!”

”But Daddy! What about you?”

”Go! And avoid the Witch Hunt!”

Adam ran as fast a his little legs could carry him, sobbing softly under his breath. He left out the back door and heard the Hunters before he saw them. The golden flickers and the chants passed the fronts of the houses, Adam sat with his behind a house and peeked down a alleyway. The golden light had turned blood red and the chants had grown louder, Adam heard his heart thumping and thought it would burst. His breath was getting stuck in his throat. His lungs were tightening. His eyes felt too big for their sockets. He saw a door get kicked down and a woman scream. He didn’t hear anything though, just his heart thumping.

Then a hand rested firmly on his shoulder.

“Adam, I need you to be quiet and don’t make a fuss.” Whispered a the voice that belonged to the hand. Adam turned round and was relieved to see Mr. Walker.

James Walker owned a farm, it wasn’t a huge farm. However, he’d tell you “when you go around planting seeds one by one” it feels huge. He was married to Charlotte Walker, Adam thought Charlotte was the prettiest woman in the world, even prettier than his mother, and she was kind to him too.

She was being very kind to him now, almost as if she knew something he didn’t.

“When is Daddy coming here?” He asked, it was a very innocent question. He just wanted to know. However Charlotte's face suddenly seemed very forlorn.

“Tell Abby to get ready and come down to the lake. It’s a warlock tonight.” James said coldly. Charlotte got angry then telling him not to say that while Adam was around. He told her to bring Adam too, everyone had to go or risk suspicion and he wasn’t putting his neck out for anyone.

“But that wasn’t James’s wish! That’s why Adam’s here, you can’t take him to see his father die!”

“I can, I will.”

James sat, tied, to the end of the dunking stool hanging over the lake. A tear rolled down his face. He could hear voices from behind him but he didn’t care to look round.

“… charged with being a warlock….. Using witch craft to murder your wife and child…”

Out of the corner of his eye James saw Mr. Walker and Mrs. Walker he wondered where they had left Adam. Surely they wouldn’t bring him here. Adam waddled up to Mrs. Walker and James’s heart sank. He couldn’t control himself any longer.

“Take him away! Take my son away! He shouldn’t see this!” Screamed James. The judges and members of the parish looked dazed for a second and then looked for Adam. Mr. Walker brought him forward, he was sobbing and asking anyone why Daddy was shouting. It was concluded that Adam should see what a bad man his father was.

The dunking stool was like a giant see-saw, with James tied to the end over the lake and the dunkers on the other end. They where given the orders and James plunged into the icy cold depths of doom. The water was like concrete smashing into his face and he could feel the cruel fingers of judgement feel every pore in his body, the hands wrapping themselves around his throat. He had sinned, now he would be punished.

If James was a warlock he would not drown. That was what was believed. If he did rise from the water, he would most likely be executed another way. James felt like he had been under the water for a century when he felt himself fading away from the cruel world. Then he was rising out of the water and he was above its surface again.

“James Barson do you confess to witch craft?”

Why should he confess only to be killed in a more painful form? He thought to himself. He looked for Adam, the poor boy was in a fit of hysterical tears.

“Please, take my son away from here, he shouldn’t see this.” James begged, his voice was faint and croaky. He felt drowsy and everything was blurring. Then the judges asked if he would confess when he son wasn’t here? James thought they would take him away if he confessed.

But they didn’t.

“He has confessed!”

“He won’t drown! He his a warlock!”

“Quickly! He must be burned! He will curse us all!”

James was confused. Was Adam still watching? They said they would take him away didn’t they? His was being untied, where were they taking him. Everything was getting dark.

He blacked out.

Adam turned to Charlotte Walker “Don’t make me watch Goody Walker. I don’t want to see.”

“I can’t take you away or they’ll call me a witch Adam. Just close your eyes.” She said soothingly but there was a lump in her throat and it stopped being so comforting.

James was carried somewhere. They did something. He was tied up again. Something else happened. James no longer knew what was happening. The stars were out tonight, bright and clear. He could hear their laughter, and Adams cries. Then the flames grew too tall and all he saw was fire.