Witches are made, not born (Closed: BigHollywood)

[broomstix]

Elizabeth Pease was out in the field, working. It was the harvest time; the first harvest time since she had become the widow Pease, in fact, and she was really feeling Jonathan's absence now. The grief had passed, but now she learned just how hard it was for one woman and three children, only one of whom was barely old enough to work, to keep such a large farm going. Their farmstead was huge and fertile, the envy of everyone around them, and he had left her quite a bit of money, too. Money she could and should have used to hire farm hands to help her, but she had been too caught up in her grief to care. Now she was feeling the results of that slip-up in her back as she swung the scythe alongside her boy. She had never used one before, and she was probably committing all kinds of sins by being out there, working despite being a woman, but she had no choice. If the grains were not brought in soon, they faced ruin.
She stopped for a moment and put down the scythe to wipe the sweat off her brow. The Lord's will had made her a wife at eighteen, a mother of three at 23 - and now a widow at 24. It was not done for a widow to remarry, even a young one, but she would eventually have to. She still pined for her dear Jonathan, but death had parted them, and if she waited for her two infants to grow up so they could help her, they would all starve first. After harvest season...
The first advances would probably start soon. With her tall, lean build, wavy blonde hair (hidden under a bonnet, of course) and pleasantly heart-shaped face, she had been considered the prettiest wife in town. Now she was the prettiest widow in town, sitting on a fortune that was up for the taking. Now was not the time to think about men, though. It was time to work.
As her blade rushed through the tall grain again, cutting down armful after armful of plump ears which the boy hurried to gather up, her thoughts wandered to something else. Only days ago, everyone had gathered to hear men and women - mostly women, and mostly of the type she did not want to associate with - confess to the most shocking crime of them all: Having sold their souls to the devil himself!
Now they were rotting away in the town jail, and she frankly considered the hanging that was being prepared for them far too good a punishment. Yes, they would burn in hell - but she could not wait for them to suffer even in this mortal world, just for what they had done. Of course she would attend the execution. Not out of idle curiosity. She wanted to be there in the front row, watching these filthy, rotten - she stopped herself from even thinking the word she wanted to use next - repent for their crimes. Even if this harvest killed her - and, going by the feeling in her back, it very well might - she would have herself carried there!

 

[BigHollywood]

Solomon Turner rubbed his hands against the temple of his forehead as he tried to clear himself of this new headache that had recently developed. At 33, he was a young judge, however, he was also ambitious in what he had wanted to do. Though he had married, his wife passed away years ago while giving birth. It was a tragedy that he had never hoped to repeat again. Now, he was married to his work. His long, yet still in shape body, felt like the weight of the world was hanging on his shoulders as he lifted his weary, brown eyes up at the individuals sitting across from his desk. “Five?” He asked in a somewhat raspy voice as his hands moved back his black hair. “Just this past night?”

“That’s right,” Stated Mayor Davis as he looked at the judge. “They were brought into the station last night.”

“I have been back for not even a month from helping out in Salem, and now our town has this—” Solomon stopped while thinking for the right term to use.

“Abomination!” Shouted the reverend as he wanted to make his presence known.

As Solomon began to sit up, he thought, “So we have five ladies that were found unclothed in the middle of the Miller’s field last night, with no clothes on, and making a pentagram trying to summon the devil? And they were caught and admitted to this?” Solomon wanted to make sure he wasn’t going as crazy as he thought. “That would mean we have eight women and two men all claiming they made deals and are even possessed by the devil himself.” Solomon took the glass of water as his desk and drank it. It was one of the times that he had hoped it was a form of alcohol with this new revelation that had transpired.

“I say we make sure we aren’t a second Salem. Give the town two days’ notice that we’ll have a public hearing and that they can defend themselves. We’ll have these five at the gallows for all to see,” Solomon added as he stood up, looking at his compatriots. He knew this was going to be a bit of a challenge, though he never backed down from a challenge and would prove that righteousness would prevail, especially during these times as October was hear and the days would only be getting colder, shorter, and he feared crazier. Solomon shook everyone’s hand and walked with them to the door of his office. “You gentlemen have a good day and I’ll make sure I talk to some of the people that may know who these girls are and why they believe they are possessed by the devil.”

There was no doubt in Solomon’s mind that the turnout, especially with the influx of people who had left the travesty of Salem not too long ago, would be in attendance. He knew that security would be tight, but he still wanted to do his due diligence as he put his coat on and began to head to the stockade to talk to these delinquents, as he told himself on the way there.

The next two days would go by fast, however, he wasn’t even aware of what would be happening and how the people would be reacting.

 

[broomstix]

Elizabeth, still radiant despite wearing a very subdued widow's outfit, was standing in the marketplace with the other respectable women. She knew most of them, and they had quickly gotten a conversation going. The atmosphere was light-hearted, but also a little bit tense. A nest of devil worshippers had appeared, and that meant there were more hiding somewhere. All the women hoped that this would be taken care of quickly. With winter looming, they wanted to be safe in their homes, not staring out of their windows wondering what was stalking the long, cold nights.

She knew she was taking a risk by taking even this small break from the harvest, but there were things that were even more important than that. She was not only here to see utterly evil people confess in public. She was here to see whom they accused, so she could know who else was in league with the devil.

It was not rare for trials to be public, but it was rare for nearly the entire town to crowd into the marketplace for them. These were not the common sheep thieves or drunkards being judged. What was on trial here was a crime so enormous it went straight to the depths of hell.

The conversation among the women quickly turned to Salem. Now that name was infamous for the gigantic coven of witches that had been eradicated there. And now witchcraft had arrived here... an especially interesting story she heard was of a man named Giles Corey. She knew nothing of the law, but, apparently, a trial could only proceed if there was a plea of some sort.

"So if you refuse to plead, you just can not be tried?", she asked. Her neighbor Mary laughed. "Do you really think that, Elizabeth? Of course not. They will be pressed to plead."

"P...pressed to plead?"

"Yes. Staked out in the marketplace, and stones heaped on their chest until they plead - or die."

She shuddered at the mere thought. "So this man... they did eventually get him to plead, right?"

"No.", she said grimly, "he died eventually, in great pain."

"Why would anyone ever do that?"

This time, Miller's Beth, on the other side, got to play the role of the lawyer: "Well, if you die before your trial even begins, you are not guilty yet, you see? The judge will not see a single coin of your money, and it will all go to your heirs."

She nodded and almost felt something like admiration for this man, devil worshipper that he was. How much love must he have had for his children to go through all this? Yes, the tortures in hell had to be a thousand times worse, but still. She was so happy she would never have to feel what he had gone through.

The young judge appeared. All the women stopped their conversation and listened with rapt attention.

 

[BigHollywood]

The lines of questioning over the next day was somewhat expected from Solomon’s expectations. Of course, he knew that there wouldn’t be any names named, definitively. The information they gave would never hold up in a trial at all. The decision, in his mind, would be to allow them to plead their cases on the stage.

As the day of the trial commenced, Solomon looked at the stage and made sure everything was properly set up. He had spent some time pacing back and forth, seeing small groups begin to gather here and there. Luckily, the word of this spectacle had been firm on the fact that it would start after lunch. Mixed with the fact everyone was coming out, there would be no doubt people would have plenty of time to see it.

It was about an hour past lunch when Solomon arrived back on stage, this time with the reverend, constable, and mayor. They all sat down and waited as the town began to gather. Scanning around the area with his eyes, a bite less exhausted than the other days he’s had. He noticed, to no surprise, Elizabeth was pretty much near the front and center of the group, almost as if she were at her normal seat at church.

There was a bit of silence as the five girls who were accused the other night were brought up onto the stage, bound with what seemed like a bit more security than what would normally be allowed. They all stood off to the side, some of which had a look of nervousness on their faces. Since it was very uncommon for the gallows to be used, it was Solomon’s job to check to make sure the noose was secure. He knew this was the part of his job that he hated, since there were always some who would think he shouldn’t be judge and executioner.

Once everything was in place, the mayor spoke for a minute on the seriousness of these charges and allegations. He, along with the reverend did their part to let the women know there was still a chance at redemption. The reverend prayed over the whole ordeal and they went off the stage to look on from a distance. It was Solomon’s turn to speak as he addressed the crowd, “Good afternoon everyone!” His voice was a bit louder and sterner than it normally would be in these circumstances. “These five women stand here today, accused of practicing witchcraft, hedonism, homosexuality, and bartering with the devil himself! Each one will have a chance to plead their case to you and you will be determining if they truly are guilty or not!” He signaled for the first one to be brought forward and watched as the noose had been put on her.

“Miss Smith, you understand what you’re accused of correct?” Solomon asked looking at her, “Tell everyone here how you plead,” He commanded as he looked at the full crowd. By his measure, he expected hardly anyone would be at home or work.

“Not guilty,” the woman said confidently.

Solomon had expected this answer and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the others said the same thing. “So, if you aren’t guilty, then who is? Did someone lie and falsely accuse you?”

“Y-Yes. That’s what happened!” the young woman said, hoping she could wiggle her way out of this ordeal she had put herself in. “In fact, it was her! She made me – and the others – do it! Isn’t that right?” Miss Smith said to her friends, turning her head while pointing to Elizabeth.

Solomon’s look changed drastically as he saw who was being accused. “You are accusing Mrs. Pease? The same Mrs. Pease who has helped so many with never asking anything in return and is faithful to God and her community to no fault!?” Solomon had known Elizabeth and her husband for a long time and the accusation that was just made was the most abhorrent thing he had heard in a long time.

Without any warning or any chance to listen to the crowd, his furious eyes looked directly at the young woman and his hands had clenched the lever. “For all of your crimes, and with falsely accusing an innocent, you are hereby guilty!” He said loudly as his hands pulled back on the lever quickly and forcefully.

“No-no, I—” Was all that the girl could get out as her body fell and a loud audible snap was heard as the noose tightened around her neck. It took a few seconds; however, her body had been removed of life and began to sway back and forth, lifeless.

Solomon knew he would get some flak for not mentioning that God should still have mercy on her soul. He looked at the others and decided to make an example out of them, to let the town know that this wouldn’t stand. “You two,” He pointed at the next two in line, “Will be tested by flame. The other two, by water. They are to be carried out immediately!” He shouted as he motioned for several men to get the women and take them to where they had to go. As he began to step off stage, he told the men coming up, “If they die, they go with this one,” He pointed in the general direction of the swinging corpse, “To the woods and tossed there to let the animals take care of them. They are undeserving of a proper Christian burial.”

He made his way to Elizabeth and looked at her as the crowd has begun to disperse. “Mrs. Pease, I’m sorry that the heathen decided to falsely accuse you. If they were smart, the would’ve chosen someone else. My deepest regards,” Solomon stated with more compassion than what he had just given to the others. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” He inquired as he looked at her, realizing she must be shocked at what had just happened.

 

[broomstix]

The accused woman pointed at Elizabeth, but it might as well have been a gunshot. It took her a few moments to even realize she was being pointed at. She could only stare and mutter "what..." before her legs failed her and she fell over backwards to be caught by her friends.

She lay there, supported by their arms, while cold spread on her forehead and her throat dried out. Her senses slowly faded and only came back again a little later when she vaguely heard Mary ask a concerned question.

When she could hear again, she heard the judge roundly reject that accusation. His words came as a great relief to her. He did not believe the lies of Satan's bride even a little bit! As her fear faded, hate replaced it, and she shot the angriest glare of her life at her accuser.

An unusually wide grin spread across her face as he praised her and then reached for the lever to punish her, in Elizabeth's mind, at least, just as much for making ridiculous accusations as for her unspeakable crimes.

If she had ever enjoyed the suffering of others, it was now. Her eyes, still burning with hate, followed the falling body down. She even allowed herself a grim smile as she savored the surprise in her face. This had been the worst thing that had ever happened to her - even Jonathan's death had not hit her as much as this - she thought a word she was shocked to find she even knew - accusing her of consorting with Satan!

She was too squeamish for public executions, normally, but at the moment, nothing gave her greater pleasure than to watch this woman, who had made herself her mortal enemy in mere seconds, dangle lifelessly below the platform, her soul surely already on the way to hell where she belonged.

Elizabeth wondered what he meant by testing by water and flame, but she hoped it was as painful as possible. She had not missed the look the executed woman had given the others. Did that mean they had planned to accuse her all along? She was now beyond just wanting to see justice done against the worst type of criminal. She now personally wanted these women to be punished for daring to do that to her.

At least he had mentioned the possibility of them dying while being tested. She hoped it would be at least as painful as what she had witnessed right now. Or, even better, more painful. A snapped neck was not nearly enough retribution for this.

She was still a little pale when the judge came up to her. After she had gathered her thoughts, she answered, with burning eyes that would have shocked the mild-mannered widow's friends: "Yes, your honor. I want those other witches to come back on the stage and be punished for accusing me, as soon as possible. I want to hear them recant. I saw them look at each other. They were planning to accuse me all along."

She calmed down a little and continued. "So, did you root out the witches here, now? I hope there are no more of them here. I am so afraid of them...I hope you will destroy them, all of them", she said admiringly.

Now that the reality of the situation became clear to her, fear of being falsely accused of the foulest deed imaginable was replaced with fear of being forced into "admitting" it. She understood that witches had to be tortured to get the truth out, and that nothing could happen to an innocent woman because she was protected by the Lord, but what if human weakness overtook her while they were doing unspeakable things to her, and she falsely confessed?

She stopped herself. What blasphemous thoughts! Of course she would be protected by the will of the Lord. What was mere earthly pain compared to His will? And besides, she told herself to calm her fluttering heart, she had seen how little this judge had believed her. Surely no one would dare make that mistake ever again.

Tears ran down her cheeks. She was afraid, yes, but she was also ashamed. What a vicious shrew this false accusation had turned her into! She had feasted her eyes on an execution, hatefully demanded the punishment of other women, even doubted the power of the Lord! She should never have come here in the first place. This whole day had dirtied her soul, and she wanted nothing more than to return to her farm and do penance for the sins she had committed that day.

The crying became louder before stopping abruptly as she resolved to put this behind her. Nothing had really happened. No one had taken the accusation seriously, no one had done anything to her. She would just go back, bring in the rest of the harvest and hopefully forget about this day soon. She had not cried that much since her dear husband had died, and she would never cry that much again. Goodwife Pease could allow herself such weakness, but the widow Pease had to be strong, or she and her children would starve. A grim resolve replaced her fear.

 

[BigHollywood]

In all the interactions that Solomon had with Elizabeth and her late husband, he had never seen her so riled up, though it wasn’t a surprise considering the circumstances. He could feel the anger trying to escape the woman’s voice as she nearly demanded that the others be brought back onto the stage. He gave her a stern, yet compassionate look, as he spoke. “That won’t be necessary, Mrs. Pease,” Solomon said as he wiped a tear from her cheek.

“If you would like,” Solomon said as he took out his handkerchief and handed it to the still distraught Elizabeth, “You are more than welcome to watch the others suffer. There will be a fire starting in about half an hour for the two that are going to be tested by fire. Then, if you want, you can head down by the river and see the punishment for the other two. It’s only fair,” He had added, knowing he was taking a small advantage of her mental state.

He began to slowly walk away. As he did, he turned his head and looked back at her. “Our problem hasn’t been fully resolved, but I am going to make sure that justice is done and that our town remains holy.”

Solomon made his way over towards where the fire was getting prepped. He saw the two other women there, looking in fear. They had begun to start to plead a little as the realization of what was going to happen was coming into fruition. “It won’t do you any good!” He said from afar as he got closer. “You’ve already been tried and found guilty. Especially with accusing an innocent woman, how dare you?”

He looked at the men working on setting the fire. “Make sure there’s plenty of wood on there. And don’t make it too high, they need to suffer.” There was no doubt in his mind that they would do just that. Solomon was just hoping that Elizabeth would be watching to see justice carried out to help sooth her heart from this indiscretion.

As he finished watching, he went to go check on the cage for the water. He wanted to make sure it was going to withstand being in the water for long periods of time. At the same time, he described how the punishment for the remaining two would go to the people that were in charge. There was no expression on his face on the pleasure that he got from carrying out this punishment, however, in his heart was a different story.

When he made his way back to the fire pit, he saw it was set up properly and nodded to the men who had made it with an approving look. He watched as the women were tied to the stake, their clothes taken off to avoid any possibility of escaping. The crowd was just as big as earlier. He figured a portion of the townsfolk would’ve gone back home or somewhere else, however, that didn’t seem to be the case. He couldn’t find Elizabeth, though, as he made his way to the spot. Just as before, he refused to say that God have mercy on their souls as he lit the torch and watched as the flame came to life. It didn’t take long for the kindling to embrace the fire and to slowly start to arise. There was a little bit of smoke followed by panicked screams as the flames began to spread out, circling the two women. “Either your devil saves you, or you can join him, heathens!” He stated as he watched closer than he honestly cared for. It was obvious that the devil wouldn’t come to save them, though he was a bit sad that they had to perish this way as he saw them burn alive. After seeing the two bodies become charred and the fire extinguished, Solomon made his way to the river again.

Once he arrived at the river, he watched as the remaining two were begging and pleading, asking for copious amounts of forgiveness and that they were wrong. The same thing happened as before as they were stripped naked before being placed in the cage. “Perhaps your devil will save you two from drowning,” Solomon stated as it was closed and locked with them in it. “Surely he can make sure you can hold your breath long enough.” With that, he watched as the cage slowly became submerged until they couldn’t be seen. Several minutes passed before they reappeared, this time laying on the ground. Again, Solomon didn’t see Elizabeth anywhere and figured she had probably headed home. After watching the two heretics be submerged and brought back up again several times, it was evident that they weren’t alive.

No more words were spoken as Solomon finished up his work for the day. He headed back home, had some supper and got changed. Rather than going to bed as he should’ve, he had decided to take the next day off, God willing that nothing came up, and made his way to Elizabeth’s house. Once he got there, he knocked on the door and awaited her presence. “How are you holding up?” He asked with some concern in his voice. "I didn't see you there in the crowd, though it was fairly large."

 

[broomstix]

Elizabeth had returned immediately and spent the next hour in prayer, not only to be forgiven for her slip, but also to clear her mind of what she had experienced. The shock of the false accusation... the death of her accuser, which her eyes had drunk greedily, and which was sure to haunt her nightmares. She should have never gone there. She was so glad she had fought the urge to watch the other women being punished.... otherwise, she would have been haunted by the memories of them being tested by fire and water; she had no idea what that meant, but it was probably even more horrific than that purple face with the hanging tongue.

But there was no time to drown in her dark thoughts. The harvest was still out there, and she was the only adult on the farm. She changed into her work clothes, grabbed the scythe and harvested all day. The exertion, and the constant motion of her blade through the grain, worked wonders for her soul, and soon, she had managed to put the memories of the morning to the back of her head. Row after row, the golden ears of grain fell and reassured her that, at least, she would not starve. Behind her, David scurried and gathered the harvest, sweating just as much as his mother.

She had no idea if her children noticed the change in their mother, but they had to. There was no way they would not notice that she was lost in her memories of that awful event, but, thankfully, they did not ask. They were probably used to see her lost in thought. It had not been an easy year for any of them, but, to her satisfaction, she had mostly stayed strong and hidden just how devastated she had been.

That night, sleep did not come easily to her. Normally, even half a day of harvesting would make her rest like a rock, but she was kept awake by fears. What if the next accuser was someone more believable? What if she was not so lucky next time?

She was standing on a platform... every one of her friends was down there... wait, why was something so tight around her neck? It was choking! It was choking! She tried to scream for help, but before she could say anything, she felt a drop and a crack.

She opened her eyes. Then they widened in fear. Something was crouching on her chest. At first, she could only see a blurry outline, but as it became clear, she saw something that resembled a man, made of glowing coals. He was sitting on her chest, but she was not feeling the heat. Just an unbearable weight. He was staring into her eyes with something that resembled furnances. He did not say a word, just stared, his mouth flapping open and shut slowly, as if breathing heavily, but, still, not a word. She wanted to shriek in terror as a massive flame shout out of his mouth, but, strangely, she felt neither heat nor pain.

She woke up, covered in sweat. Had the Devil visited her during the night? But why? She had to have invited him into her dreams by her thoughts the other day. It was a warning, and one she would take seriously. Never again would she let anger rule her.

She began her daily routine now that she was a widow. She cooked the breakfast for her children and set out their bowls, ladling out an extra portion for David, so he would be strong.

Elizabeth was still shaken by the dream. She retired to pray even more fervently than she normally did the morning. Almost clutching the crucifix, she asked for forgiveness again, with tears in her eyes. She had sinned gravely, and she wanted nothing more than to be forgiven.

Just as she had gotten the oldest boy clothed and ready to work, she heard a knock at the door. Judge Solomon was standing there, looking rather concerned for her. At first, she was a little shocked, thought she had been accused again... but he was alone, not a guard in sight.

"That is right, Your Honor. I did not have the stomach to watch them. And, more importantly, as angry as I was at them at first, I have managed to forgive them and did not wish to see them suffer. It was sinful of me to even want that", she added, her head bowed. "But they did suffer, didn't they? I hope they will be forgiven."

Her head still down, she added. "Did any of the women tell you why they accused me? I do not know them, and I would be surprised if they knew me. I saw them exchange glances, so I do not think I just happened to be there when she pointed at someone. Have I angered them in some way? Is anyone spreading gossip about me?"

She really did not like to bring up any of this, in case it brought more suspicion upon her, but her curiosity was too great. Not to mention her concern for her children. What would they do if their mother was hanged?

 

[BigHollywood]

Solomon looked at Elizabeth as she spoke, raising both her confession and concerns. There was a momentary pause as the began to think of what he should say. “They did suffer,” He admitted while looking into her eyes. He knew that it would crush her hearing that. “As you know, only the Almighty can determine if they’re worthy of forgiveness. That’s something not even the reverend can do.” As he spoke, he started to make his way inside a little bit.

“I saw the same thing in Salem,” He told her as he sat down on a chair. “People were accusing others, simply so they wouldn’t be punished. I don’t think it’s any certain reason that you were chosen. I think it was more of you being where you were. No one thinks less of you because you were falsely accused. I sure don’t,” Solomon said as he looked at her. “I think it would take a lot for you to be accused. There would have to be a bunch of proof.”

As he took a break from speaking there was a moment of silence. “There’s others. None of them have named any names and none of them knew what was going to happen to those five. Unless they all name you individually without any others knowing, then I wouldn’t worry. I’m trying to keep this under control as quickly as possible,” Solomon admitted as he stood back up and made his way to the door. “I should get going,” He added as he gave her a quick glance. He put an arm on her shoulder, hoping that it wasn’t inappropriate and that it would help comfort her. There was a lot to still be done for the day and he didn’t want to take up more of her time. “If you need anything, please let me know, Mrs. Pease,” He said. There was no doubt in his mind that he still referred to her as being married, though she was a widow.

When he arrived back into town, he headed to his office. There was some silence for once in a long while. The town seemed to move steadily, as if yesterday never happened. Good, he thought to himself, the sooner this is done, the sooner things can be back to normal. He took a drink of water as he awaited to see what the other individuals that were being held thought about their sins.

 

[broomstix]

She had feared it. She had enough of suffering. She had enough of even having enjoyed it for one second. From now on, she would stay on her farm, take care of herself and her children and let the judge do their job. Such cruelty was not a woman's thing. At least not a woman who knew her place. How she hated herself for even having gone! Killing was mens' work, and they did well to keep women from it.

Elizabeth nodded at his reassurance, hoping that this "bunch of proof" would never turn up. More than being accused as a witch herself, she feared that any would be left, though. She hoped, of course, that the Lord would steer the judge right, but if not - if innocents got executed, they would surely go to heaven. And she much preferred that over even one witch being left here, ready to spread damnation, worse than any worldly disease.

She flinched a little when he touched her shoulder. You were not really supposed to touch women not your own...surely he knew that? But he meant well, she understood. "I do not think I need anything at the moment, thank you. Just go back to your work and rid us of evil, and I will go back to my harvest. I have to get all of us through the winter, after all.", she added with a sigh that slightly betrayed her worries.

Well, she had to clear all this from her head. The harvest was waiting, and so was her son.

 

[BigHollywood]

Solomon nodded as he saw himself out and began to head back to his office. He took in the view as he made his way, feeling the air starting to get a bit on the cooler side. When he made his way back, he saw there were some individuals wandering about, a bit of an uncommon sight from the town compared to a year ago.

Over the next few days Solomon was surprised in the amount of cases that had been showing up. Rather than seeing the amount of accusations decrease, they were increasing instead. The surprising part is that it was starting to spread out from the town into the farmlands. The interesting thing that had been going around were the reports of cattle being slaughtered. As he had spent time talking with the farmers with the other city officials, they had agreed that the killings looked more ritualistic rather than like an animal had attacked them.

It was a few days before Sunday when he had been listening to a lot of the heretics with their accusations. What was different and unique, though, was they continued to name the same person: Elizabeth Pease. He felt that his hand had been forced at the time. Tonight, he realizes, wasn’t going to be anything resembling a pleasant experience which he was hoping for. He had gathered a few people with the constable as they proceeded to head to the Pease farm.

Once they got to the house Solomon had knocked on the door. It was a bit darker than normal, which is what he wanted. His hands were on the verge of shaking and he cleared his throat as he heard footsteps and the door open. He had seen his old friend’s wife’s face look as tired and as exhausted as ever. “Mrs. Elizabeth Pease,” He began to speak, nervous for the first time in a long time, “I’m sorry to have to do this… But multiple people have accused you of being a witch.” There was no doubt the expression in her face would be shown widely as the words would set in with her. “We’re going to stand outside here, and the constable and a few others are going to have a look around, if that’s alright. You’ll also have to come down and stay in the stockade for the time being after we leave. Do you understand?” He asked, hoping she wasn’t going to be completely distraught.

 

[broomstix]

The words were too unreal for her to react. What had he said? What? She stood there for what felt like an eternity before she understood. When she did, her legs gave out. She knelt there, tears in her eyes, too weak to even sob. Too confused to say anything. What would become of her? What would become of her children? Would they believe her? They had to, didn't they? They were men of God, he was not going to lead them astray...

She vaguely noticed them looking around her house, but did not even care. For the moment, all her thoughts were with her three children. How long would she be away? What would happen to them? When she was released - if she was released, if they realized the mistake they had made - would they still be alive? And how long would it take these men to realize their error? If she was not back in a few days, they were doomed.

Then she remembered the story she had heard of that old man... if it came to trial, she told herself with grim resolve, she would not risk pleading anything. The only way to make sure her children would be safe would be to take the route he had taken. To allow herself to be pressed to death so they could inherit. Confronted with the horrible reality of it all, she could not say whether she would accuse herself under torture...

"I...understand..." she eventually mumbled, not sure if anyone was still there to listen. Through the tears in her eyes, she seemed to recognize a man-shaped figure, so he had to be there... she slowly rose, gathered up all her resolve and took a deep breath. If there was justice, then it would not take long for her to be back again. And there had to be justice...she had always believed in it, except in this moment of weakness just now.

 

[BigHollywood]

Solomon offered his hand as Elizabeth began to rise back up. He knew that this was wrong on so many levels, that this was not only a nightmare for her, but for the whole town. “I’m going to escort you. The reverend will stay with your kids for the night, if it’s not a problem. Then he’ll help see if someone in the congregation can watch them for a few days,” He assured her. He had to be as impartial with his feelings as he could be.

He offered her his coat as they began to walk back to town. Luckily, the stockade wasn’t in public view and most of the heretics had already been punished, so there wouldn’t be a whole lot of individuals. Not much was said, not much had to be. Solomon knew that this would be a huge impact on her life. He began to think of the difficulties and hardships this last year had brought her. Hopefully it would be all over soon, that this misunderstanding would be rectified.

As the finished going into town, Solomon escorted Elizabeth to the stockade and put her in there. He knew she wasn’t a threat, so he allowed her to keep his coat. He checked to make sure there wasn’t anything in there that he didn’t need. “I’ll check on you in the morning and we’ll figure out what’s going on with everything, alright?” Solomon asked, he tried to show some sympathy and compassion in his eyes as he looked at hers. “I know it’s going to be hard, but just try to get some rest.”

With that, Solomon began to walk out the building and back home until the early morning sun started to peak through the horizon, waking him up as normal.

 

[broomstix]

When she woke up, it took her a moment to realize where she was. So it had not been a nightmare. There she was, stuck, with someone else's coat around her (she vaguely remembered it being placed around her), accused of the worst crime she could think of. Too numb still to even think about escape, or defense, or really anything. In a way, she was thankful for that. Better to slip back into a half-slumber for now.

This feeling, or really lack of feeling, was like a gift from Heaven. Pain, fear, worries about her future...her childrens' future. They all disappeared behind a merciful grey mist and left her a shell. She would have to come to terms with so many things soon. She was now accused of witchcraft, accused of the most shameful crime she could think of. Yet there was still this vague hope that they would release her soon, maybe even admit their mistake.

Her plan...would she have the courage to stick with it? Well, she could certainly not stand there and just declare herself guilty. She was completely innocent, and no promises of a quick death or even mercy could make her say otherwise. But if she pleaded not guilty, she would be tortured. And then she would probably lie just to escape. No, the only solution she could think of that did not leave her children in poverty was to deliberately choose a horrifying death...

 

[BigHollywood]

The day had been just as repetitive as the last few days. Solomon made some breakfast, sitting down and gathering his thoughts from last night, thinking about what he was going to say to Elizabeth. But first, he had to go to what were turning into daily meetings with the other city leaders to discuss the recent developments.

As he made his way over, he took stock of how the people were acting in town. There was no doubt his job was hard and that it was requiring a lot more stress on not just himself, but his relationships with others in the town.

When he got to the meeting, they had talked for a while and decided who would help with the farm, who would help with the kids, and so forth. It was a bit of a conundrum to have one of the most loyal members to be accused of something so heinous, so devious. “I’ll let her know the details,” Solomon affirmed as he stood up to leave. He looked around the church and tried to remember the last time the spot where Elizabeth usually sat would be empty.

It was a brisk walk to the stockade that he wasn’t looking forward to. Though it wasn’t too far away, it felt like an eternity to get there. Once he arrived, he knocked on the cell door. “Mrs. Pease,” He said as he looked at his coat. “I hope you’re awake, we have quite a bit to talk about in my office,” Solomon added as he watched the lump under the coat come to life.

 

[broomstix]

So she sat a long time, covered in that coat, and tried to fully understand what was happening to her. Impossible. This could not be happening to her! She was not a witch, she was not someone you would accuse of being one, either. All this was not happening! And yet, every time she had that comforting thought, she just had to look around to be reminded that, yes, this was happening, and it was happening to her.

She was vaguely aware that he was talking to her, so she peeled herself from the coat and stood up. No use in talking. Not now. Besides, she did not know what to say anyway. How could she even defend herself from an accusation as monstrous and ridiculous as this? How could anyone believe she was a witch? She followed him wordlessly, head bowed - not so much in defeat but to not let him see her eyes, which were red from quiet tears.

And on they went to his office. She still remained outwardly calm, now determined again not to show how fear was riding her. Her entire stomach was a single knot. She probably should have been hungry, given how long she had been in there, but it was as if she had ceased to exist. A comfortable feeling under the circumstances. It was almost as if she was not there anymore, and that made the whole situation so much easier to bear.

 

[BigHollywood]

Solomon sat Elizabeth down and went to get some bread as he closed his door. He figured the guards probably didn’t feed her, not necessarily out of spite, but rather out of forgetting. As he walked around, he looked her over and sat down at his chair.

His hands had wrapped themselves together as he looked at her. There was no mistaking when he saw her face that she was deprived of sleep. No one could blame her, hell he couldn’t blame here. There was no doubt he would be in the same condition had the circumstances been switched around.

“So, Elizabeth, I want to let you know I don’t think any of this is right. I know the kind of person you are, and I don’t believe any of this. I do want to let you know that we’re making sure your kids are being taken care of,” He tried to assure her as he worked on keeping his voice in check. “As for the more unpleas—” Solomon stopped not wanting to finish, “Unpleasant news, Sunday night we’re going to have a trial for you.” The words felt like a stab at his heart as he imagined they probably were with her.

“All you’ll have to do is just plead guilty or not guilty and we’ll make sure it’s over as soon as it’ll start,” Solomon tried to reassure the woman. “Just for giving the people there, you can choose in what way you want to be… placed.” He was hoping she knew what he meant. At the same time, he was hoping that she would be a bit understanding to the circumstances at hand.

 

[broomstix]

Now was her time to set her bold, foolish plan in motion. She did not want her children "taken care of", whatever that meant. It was not that she did not trust him. It was the injustice of it all. She was not going to let her children be deprived of their property and placed in an orphanage somewhere because of some absurd accusation!

Still, she knew exactly what the consequences of her decisions would be. The other women had left no room for doubt: If she did as she was planning, she would have heavy stones placed on her and die after hours of suffering. She could not even imagine the pain that would cause. Or, what scared her even more, the hours of fear she would have to stand while those rocks slowly squeezed the breath out of her. The thought was so terrible it almost stopped her.

Almost. Face pale, eyes still down, she gathered all her courage. She was very proud of herself that, when she was finally brave enough, she managed to speak with very little trembling in her voice, just very quietly: "I refuse to plead anything. These accusations are so ridiculous that I do not even think I should have been arrested..."

There it was. She had spoken the words that would doom her. Now she just had to be brave enough to repeat them in court.

 

[BigHollywood]

Solomon spent more time going over everything that Elizabeth should be expecting at her trial. As the day progressed, he made sure that she was well taken care of. There was no doubt either of them felt that this whole situation was correct.

Small tidbits of time slowly creeped into hours. It wasn’t until later that he had her escorted back to the stockade, though this time, she was put in a different area than everyone else. It was one of the few times that Solomon didn’t want to explain what was going on. He made sure that she was comfortable before he left for a few hours.

Solomon let out a soft yawn as he realized how tired he was as he headed home for a while. As he got back to his home, he got undressed and began to get a small nap in. He had never felt so glad to be relaxing in his bed, though it was going to be only for a few hours.

The knock on his door woke him up. As he went to answer, talking to the individual, he simply mentioned to let him get dressed before he headed back outside. This time, instead of his normal business attire, he was dressed in somewhat of a robe. There were others waiting for him in a similar fashion as he began to walk to the stockade in the darkness, the few torches that were lit, showing the groups shadows on the walls.

When they arrived, he opened the room to where Elizabeth was. “It’s time to wake up, Mrs. Pease,” He said in a quiet tone. “Your trial is going to be now. Not after church like we had originally planned,” Solomon said as he watched her start awake. It wasn’t too much longer before they had escorted her in the middle of the night to the center of town.

 

[broomstix]

It was so dark in there. A smell, indescribable, of people. People who had been there before her. People who had, like her, crouched in this little hole and waited for what was about to happen.

She had fallen asleep, apparently. When she woke up, it took her a few moments to remember exactly where she was. Why it was so dark. Why she could not hear anyone else. And why her children were not there with her. It was such a shock she almost began to cry, but she stopped herself. It was what it was. She could not do anything about it now; all she had to do was to remain steadfast at her trial, to go through with her plan.

Oh yes, the plan. She had almost forgotten her mad resolution to die gruesomely for her children. She wondered if her courage was really enough for that. Would she be that determined in front of the court? Or even afterwards, when she saw the stones that would be her end? Would it hurt much? Well, of course it would. It would hurt like nothing else had hurt in her life. Worse than three births, worse than anything she could imagine...

When they left the prison, she was surprised to see it was dark outside. "Why are we having a trial in the middle of the night?", she asked in a voice that sounded more curious than afraid. It occurred to her that he was probably doing her a favor. A trial now, with no one watching, would spare her so much shame. But why bring her out in public in that case? Why not try her down there, where no one would see her?