Priscilla's Diary (Salem Witch Trials)

21 April 1692

I was going to tell Bernard about what I witnessed three nights ago, but that same night, as I was retiring to bed after writing, I went to check on the children. The boys were sleeping just fine in their room, but when I went to go check on the girls, Catherine's daughter was once again missing from bed. The only conclusion that made sense from that night was that she was playing outside in the middle of the night.

I kept it to myself. Bernard needed information for his witch hunts and here I was, keeping a piece of some away from him. Catherine's daughter is only a few years older than my daughter, so the mother in me doesn't believe that she could be doing anything harmful on purpose. But the same part of me wants to protect my children and rid our house from potential evil.

With this in mind, I had no other choice but to confront her this morning. Even though she was smaller than me and younger, the idea of questioning her made my heart pound in my chest. When we were off doing our daily chores, I pulled her aside to the back of the house and asked her what she was doing late at night. I tried not to feel awkward while acting like somebody else's mother.

"Mrs. Parker, I'm not doing anything bad! A few friends my age invited me to join them. We just talk and have snacks, that's all!" I felt my head get fuzzy. I am more confused about this situation than I have ever been about anything in my life. When I look into her eyes, I see an innocent child. But every time I think about her mother, the one that birthed her, I go back to us being contained in the same cell together. How much she scared me gave me goosebumps right there on the spot, just when I thought about her uncontrollable and eerie laughter.

Catherine and I grew up together. Our mothers knew each other and they were really good friends. We were also good friends but...I am not sure what happened between us. Suddenly she got distant and I had a sense that she was jealous of me in some way, but I don't know what or why. We still remained 'friends' though, my mother always taught me how to be civil and I have always kept that in mind. Maybe Catherine has been practicing witchcraft longer than I expected. Maybe she even taught her daughter some of her ways.

No matter what the case may be, it feels wrong to accuse her of something so serious. If Catherine did teach her devil work, then the girl may not think if it is wrong or not. You are never to disobey your parents, so maybe she is just as confused as I am in this situation. 

With that being said, I need to teach her how to repel the devil. I need to renew her spirits and pray that she doesn't get accused of any accidental wrongdoing before I try to help her. Even if that means keeping a secret from my husband and my other children. Even if that means hiding her from the rest of the village and withholding information about a potential witch in the area.