10 Minute Tales

Jun 19 - Heretics

"Do not be blinded by the whims of the devil!" the zealot cried out, holding his torch high. "He has sent these witches to try us, and by God's grace, he shall find us ready for his deceptions!"

"Burn the witch!" another one cried, driven to a frenzy by the zealot's purity of heart.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. "Yes, burn the witch! Her arcane heresies are not what God wills for us! Her so-called healing weakens the soul, leaving it vulnerable to deception and betrayal by Satan's toying!" he pointed the torch at the nearby hill. Sat at its foot was a hovel, occupied by the supposed witch. She had helped the people in their time of need, offering good luck charms for hunters and poultices to fight off disease. However, with the inquisition looming over them, the people had decided she could not be allowed to continue practising her art. She had to burn.

"But why?" a woman called out, unable to hold herself back. "She helped my second son come into this world!"

"And he shall grow to be a spawn of Satan!" the zealot replied, pointing his torch at the woman now. "He is cursed, a blasphemy in God's eyes! He, too, should burn!"

"But he was baptised! His soul is saved!"

"Aye, that he was!" another voice called out.

"Silence!" yelled a third. "We need to burn the witch!"

"Burn the witch!" came the chant, and before the protestors could stop the crowd they started marching. The first protester tugged at her husband's sleeve.

"John, please, you need to stop this!"

"Martha, get back to the house. We'll have to talk about this later."

"What would Matthew say if he knew you were going to kill the woman who saved you?"

"I said get back to the house!" he shoved her, making her stumble and fall. "God wants this woman dead, Martha. I don't like it myself, but I cannot question His will."

"John..." she mumbled, staring up at him in disbelief. He just shook his head and carried on, following the crowd. She sighed, getting up again. There was nothing more she could do. As she turned to leave, the crowd gasped in shock. A pack of doves had flown out of the house and now fluttered into the evening sky.

"It is a sign!" the zealot yelled. "God himself has sent these doves, showing that he has abandoned hope in all beings within! Burn the house, that the witch burns with her blasphemous items!" he threw the torch at the house, the flames licking at the house. More torches joined the first and smoke started to billow from the pile. A couple of protesters tried to approach, to extinguish the flames that were sure to engulf the house, but the mob stopped them. "Those that wish to save her now should burn with her!" the zealot cried, drawing a sword. This got the mob's attention, and they turned to capture the protesters. The house was smoking as they were thrown in. Martha was powerless, only watching from a distance. What manner of beast would do this to their fellow man...?