Black Magic

Salem 1692

      The vibrant purple, pink, red, and blue wildflowers had grown in the clearing for as long as I had been here. Mother was the one who showed me the beauty here. The trees that lined the dark blue lake hung lowly their stringy leaves gliding across the surface of the water, gently swaying in the warm western breeze of midsummer. My black skirt caressing the emerald green grass, the wind warm against the coolness of my pale skin. My cream colored apron and cloak contrasting the darkness of my dress. My almost white, hip length hair that had once been braided, floating gently. My bonnet, that matches my apron, laying carefully on my head.

"Emmaline!", my mother's bell like voice rang out across the meadow. Running into her embrace.

       Her hair dark as the night, neatly piled on her head, framing her weather and age worn face. Sapphire blue eyes, framed by long dark lashes, set on her heart shaped, tanned face splattered in freckles. My mother, a short woman, not as she once was because of birthing four children. Stephan, was of nine and ten, the oldest out of all the siblings. His pale features were framed with dark blonde hair. His eyes were the palest blue imaginable. Charity, a year younger than myself, was a sweet little girl of five and ten. Charity had the darkest blue eyes that looked as though a storm was brewing in her eyes. Her hair a warm chocolate brown, that curled softly. Priscilla, was only of four, and sweeter than any candy I had ever tasted. Priscilla's hair was just like mother's black pin straight locks. Her eyes a dark blue green color.Her hair dark as the night, neatly piled on her head, framing her weather and age worn face. Sapphire blue eyes, framed by long dark lashes, set on her heart shaped, tanned face splattered in freckles. My mother, a short woman, not as she once was because of birthing four children. Stephan, was of nine and ten, the oldest out of all the siblings. His pale features were framed with dark blonde hair. His eyes were the palest blue imaginable. Charity, a year younger than myself, was a sweet little girl of five and ten. Charity had the darkest blue eyes that looked as though a storm was brewing in her eyes. Her hair a warm chocolate brown, that curled softly. Priscilla, was only of four, and sweeter than any candy I had ever tasted. Priscilla's hair was just like mother's black pin straight locks. Her eyes a dark blue green color.
 Walking through our town, left and right you could see posters hung for the search of witches. Other puritans chanted "Burn the Witches! They worship the devil!" The dirt pathways leading us to our small log cabin.

" Mother? The candles are done!", Charity called out as we entered the cabin. The smell of wax mixed with smoke from the fire entered my nostrils. Fresh flowers that Priscilla must have just brought in.

" Charity, where is Priscilla?",Mother asked.

"She is outside playing in the garden." ,Charity told mother. As she looks out the window the color in her face drains. Panic starts to show in her face. Suddenly, Stephan ran in, colorless face filled with fear.

"Mother! They took Priscilla. They are saying she is a witch.", a glimmer of tears appeared in his eyes. A scream ripped through the cabin.

"Burn that witch! Burn her at the stake! Hang her!", the puritans marched by with my sister in hand.

"Emmaline!", my name was ripped from Priscilla's throat as they lit the bottom of her skirts.

Painful screams, hurt sobs and tears surrounded me. Turning from the crowd too soon. The crowd began to grab at the last of my family. Pulling them up to be burned. The screams chilled my bones. As I managed to rip myself from the grasp of hands, I ran into the darkened green trees. No one came after me. My thoughts killing me mentally. My mother, brother, and both sisters had all died in less than a day. I was alone, no one left. My heart seized up, pain consumed my body. Crashing to the forest floor, sobs racked my cold body. The pain was unbearable. Screams left my body, shrill and high pitched, scream after scream after scream. My family was all I had, I had nowhere else to go.

The silence of the forest gave my head to much room to think of the recent events. My screams echoed through the forest. The dirt, sticks, leaves, and branches digging into my skin. The smell of blood stung my nose as snot and tears mingled on my face. My heart was breaking piece by piece with the screams of my family repeat over and over. Soon it was too hard to fight the screams in my head, as they slowly drove me insane. The last sounds my family made slowly lulled me into a fitful sleep.

Hours later I awoke, the sun lightly fell through the trees, blocking the sky. Darkness surpassed the light, everything was cold and dim. There was a spine chilling breeze that came up from the east, leaves rustled across the ground. Dirt churned, and trees swayed as I stood cold in the dampness of my rumpled dress. Stumbling around the forest, waiting for the inevitable to happen, I looked for a stream of some sort. If I could find the meadow I would have a piece of my mother left.

Softly I sang the lullabies my mother used to sing as I wandered along. My stomach growled nastily. That's when I stumbled upon a berry bush. The berries completely ripened, and sweet. Picking up my apron I began to gather as many as I could, plopping a few into my mouth, the juice dripping down my quivering chin. When I thought I had enough I marked the area with a shaky E, and continued to wander. Watching the path get darker, until I found a waterfall. The rusty brown colored rocks covered in moss, surrounded the waterfall. Hanging over the clear blue water was a cliff, that I stood upon. Looking down there were jagged rocks pointed up out of the water. Taking a deep breath in, I ran to the edge and jump arms open wide. The last thing I heard was the cracking of my spine before I let out a blood curdling scream. The woods had fallen silent. No bird calls. No howls, grunts, hoots, growls , there was just emptiness. That's the moment I felt my life slowly start to fade. The moment I gave my life for the pain to stop , the moment I was hoping to be reunited with my family. Instead of the white light I was hoping for, there was just red and a burning feeling throughout my body as if I was being cooked in my own flesh. The pain grew stronger as time slowly passed by. Five minutes felt like an eternity, but I soon saw the light I wish for. My life faded faster than it had been, and my soul floated away to where my family was. I would finally be reunited with them.