O'Hallow's Eve

Untitled Part 1

There once was a Witch in the woods.She lived quietly alone, surrounded by a grove of trees that bloomedwith sweet smelling flowers in the spring and turned into beautifulflames of red, orange and yellow leaves during the fall. She atemostly fruits, vegetables and nuts. Sometimes, she would come to townto purchase or trade for fresh meat from the butcher's shop. Shenever caused harm or bothered anyone. But still she was a Witch andthat meant the town folk avoided her woods as best they could.However, one day during the last few remaining warm days of Autumn aterrible accident happened. The Witch was down by the river doing herwash when a group from the village attacked her. She asked what theywere doing and why they were attacking her, but they refused tospeak. Some even mocked her genuine confusion, thinking she wasplaying dumb on purpose.

However her answers came when she wasthrown into the dirt of the town square. When she sat up she gaspedseeing the mangled bodies of the Mayor's youngest daughter, themiddle daughter of the town pastor and the oldest boy of the townhuntsman. They were torn apart by some feral animal. She lookedaround knew that no matter what she said, they would still blame her.She knew her kind was feared and with good reason too, but she wasn'tlike some of the more dangerous Witches, she lived a calm peacefullife, she helped others whenever possible and only hurt someone whohurt her or was attacking an innocent. She looked back at thechildren and crawled forward. She began to chant, healing theirwounds so they can look good for their funerals.

As soon as she was done, she wasgrabbed and dragged away to the court house. She stood trail,listening to all the lies and falsehoods being tossed around asevidence. She did not try to defend herself in anyway. She had noreason to if no one would believe her. She was placed in irons andplaced in a cell to await her execution after the funerals andmourning periods of the three families. In their time the mourningperiod lasted a whole year the children were buried a day after oneanother. She mourned for the three children who died, but she had notdone anything to them and it killed her that she could not have donesomething to protect them. No one but the town lawmen came near herand they only came to give her a bucket to wash, to collect her sidepan and bring her simple broth and day old bread.

Some said she did not deserve to eat orto live, but they would not break tradition. Only one guard was niceto her, he was an older gentleman, she remembered him. She made themedicine that helped ease the lung sickness his late wife hadsuffered from. He said that it made it easier for her to pass on. Healways came to sit with her at night, he talk about his wife, backwhen she was alive and full of life and even as she grew ill andfinally died. He would talk about how they had never had child oftheir own and that his wife if she were here would have thrown hergood skillet at the lot of the fools. He knew the Witch wasn'tresponsible for the deaths of those children and that it wasn't fairto blame her. She told him it was fine and that she accepted herfate. Sure she was scared and didn't want to die, but what could shedo? If she fled, they would hunt her down.

They talked for months and she couldnot help but fall in love with him. One night, three months into themourning period, he opened her cell and helped her wash her hair, hecarefully braided flowers into her beautiful black hair. She does notknow what triggered it but the feel of rough working hands in herhair made her give in to her desire. They made love that night undera full moon and she could not help but beg the Mother Moon for onelast mercy. When she woke the next morning, she was not in her cell,nor was she home. She did not know where she was and it scared her.She was dressed in a soft night gown, the material was fine,something only royals could afford and those who were poor had towork an entire life time to buy a single strip of it.

She startles when the door opens andthe kind lawman walks in, holding a fancy bed table laid withsomething hot and heavenly. He blinks and smiles at her. He tells herhe made her breakfast and lays it on her lap. She blinks confused andasked him what happened and he admits he has loved her since justbefore his wife had passed and that she had known, had given himpermission to pursue her as her last wish. He never made the movebecause he had to mourn her and then work kept him busy. She blushedand he gently cups her cheek. She touched his big hand and nuzzled itwith a soft sound. He tells her to eat and she digs in, ravenousafter having thin broth and hard bread only twice a day. The porridgewas thick and creamy, sweetened with honey and fresh berries. It wasso good!