Chapter Three
Father looked at me, there was not a trace of anger in his eyes like I thought there would be but anxiety and sadness. “Father, I did not do anything to the young girl,”
“Mercy, do you think I am a fool?” his chest began to move quicker as he breathed.
“No father,” I answered quietly.
“Yes, yes you do!” he exclaimed.
I was beginning to get frightened; my palms began to sweat and my heart began to beat faster. “No father, you are not a fool.”
“Well if I’m not a fool then why do you not tell me the truth?! I have not seen a person fall so ill so quickly.”
“Father I swear to you, I did not harm that girl, it was a disease of some kind - one of which we both have no knowledge on!” I lied. I did not like to lie to him; it was not how father raised me. Lying to him was disgraceful.
His dark eyes flared for a moment and for a moment he looked as if he were about to hit or break something as he did when he got mad at home. My bottom lip quivered and I felt tears fill my eyes. He was really scaring me now. He saw my teary eyes and stopped himself by pinching the bridge of his broad nose and exhaling. “Mercy, I thought we came to an understanding before. You are to follow my plan with absolute procession; do you want to get yourself found out and killed!?”
“Father, I promise you that it was not me who caused her misfortunate sudden change in appearance-a sickness fell over her due to her bad mouth.” I tried to convince him but my efforts were useless. He slammed his fist on the table in front of him with so much force a crack ran through the wood. I jumped in surprise at his sudden anger.
“Mercy Viola Thompson! Do you want to be killed? Burned at the stake for witchcraft?!”
“No father. I will not be burned to death, witch burnings don’t happen anymore.”
After a few moments of watching him I noticed the rage in his eyes die down and them shimmering with tears. He quickly blinked them away. I'd never seen my father so close to tears, not even when they took mother away. "You're mother was burned by this family against the law; who's to say this family will not do the same to you."
"Father I will not expose myself and I will not be burned, I promise you."
"I will not lose anymore of my family in such an inhumane manner. Follow my plan exactly," the way father spoke sounded so official, so final. I knew there was no arguing or reasoning. I now wanted to go against mothers wishes and follow father’s plan again. He was left heartbroken when mother was taken away. He didn’t show it physically but occasionally I saw sadness and longing for her in his eyes when we were back home. He wanted justice, revenge.
At that moment I felt my mother’s presence and she spoke in my ear ‘Tell him that he needs to trust you’ I glanced at mother from the corner of my eye ‘tell him Mercy'.
“Father, you need to trust me.”
My mother wandered away from my side to my father who had came to a halt with his paces. Mother lifted a hand to his face wanting to stroke his cheek so badly; she looked as if she were going to cry. They were both heartbroken at losing each other and I was stuck in the middle; who was I meant to listen to?
“I...I do trust you Mercy.”
“Then believe me.” His face was unsure of what to believe.
“...okay. Mercy I believe you.” Father embraced me tightly. “I’m sorry Mercy. It’s just...I’m worried that I will use you and I’ll be all alone in the world.”
