Tainted Love

Chapter 12

Rose's POV

~flashback~

These hadn't walked far before we found the mob with pitchforks, torches, and every other weapon. For men and women of Salem, Massachusetts, this was normal. I hated them for it. Someone makes up the foolish rumor of "Alice turned my daughter into a duck" and Alice is now a witch and must be eliminated.

Reynold ran up to Minister Charles, trying to talk him out of this. My father  was carrying a torch, making me want to scream. He didn't understand. No one had any common sense. All they did was believe that the devil was out to kill us all by using our own, and so they would fight back. Too bad they didn't know there was absolutely nothing they needed to.

William and I stood in the back of the crowd. The entire village got involved when a new person was accused. She would always be publicly dragged to the prison, where she would either die, or go to trial. Nine times out of ten the innocent women never made it out alive.

The three of us had been trying to stop it for years. No one else believed in reason, so we had tried to make them. Our efforts always failed, but we kept trying.

The march began. This time, the accused was an old woman who lived alone on the outskirts of the village. Someone had found the limbs of a their young son lying just feet away from her house. She claimed she didn't even know his son had been missing for a month. Now, there would be no mercy. No trial. They would have the poor old woman's head on a pike.

Darkness fell, and the torches were the only way the mob could see. We were a mile away from the cottage. William and I were in the back, hoping Reynold had come up with a plan to save the poor woman.

I warm hand grabbed mine. I smiled. Reynold lent over and whispered in my ear.

"We need to hurry. William's going to distract the group, and we're going to run up to the cottage and warn her. No one should die because of a false accusation."

Just then, I heard someone yell. "Ah! My ankle!" William yelped, rolling on the floor. Everyone rushed to him. Reynold grip around my hand tightened as we sprinted up the road, quickly yet silently. The road faded away to grass, and the flat dirt turned into a massive hill, where a well-lit cottage rested at the crest. I heard someone in the distance.

"You, carry the lad back. We must continue."

I felt my stomach do a back flip from the thrill. We were finally going to make a difference in this tiny village, all while saving a life. Then, we would be married. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Reynold hastily knocked on the door. A woman, who look rather menacing, opened the door halfway, her silver tied up in a frizzy bun.

"Hello, Sir, is there anything I can do for you?" she asked. I sighed. Though she looked creepy for her age, she was just a sweet only woman. That's all she was.

"Ma'am, you've been accused of murder. We're here to get you out of here before the village reaches you," Reynold said hastily. The woman's eyes widened with worry. I felt so sorry for her.

Just then, Minister Charles called out to us. "Is that you, Reynold? What are you doing?! Grab her!" The mod began sprinting up the hill. We wouldn't be able to get the woman out of there in time. In a matter of seconds, the faster men, were merely twenty yards away. Reynold gave me a look of panic. We were in way over our heads.

I heard the woman fling her door open, but I kept my eyes on the group running up to us. Then, an icy shock tingled across my neck. Reynold gasped. "Get away from her!" She yelled. Lunging towards me. I was thrusted backwards. It hadn't occurred to me that a dagger was being held to my throat, and that the old woman was holding me still with a strength stronger than ten men.

The mob came up to the hill. "Don't come any closer or she's dead!" the woman growled. I could barely breath with the sharp blade against my throat. All I could do was stare at Reynold. My father broke from the crowd, but he immediately saw that I wasn't looking at him. The only sound was my panicked breath, and the only thing I could see was the love of my life with tears running down his eyes.

"Ma'am, please let her free," he pleaded. I had never seen him so torn. A single tear fall down my cheek. At least I could see him for the last seconds of my life.

The woman cackled. "Do you love him?" She asked. I choked on my gasps. "Answer me!" she shrilled, pressing the dagger closer to me.

"I'd die for him," I said bravely. Reynold shook his head. "Rose, don't," he begged. The woman seemed to laugh behind me.

"Let this be a message to all of you," she announced. "I refuse to die easily."

Reynold yelled, collapsing to his knees. The woman began to chant something, but it was in such a strange, raspy voice that couldn't form the words in my mind.

"Reynold!" I screamed. It was no use. I was forced to watch as he crumpled to the ground. The woman let me go, cackling as I ran to him. We was the color of snow, and his body that was once full of life was as still as the people surround us.

My father ran towards the woman, who continued to cackle. "I'll have your head for this!" He came at her with a knife. I watched as she flicked her hand, and an overwhelming pain surrounded me. I screamed. Every part of me felt like it was being crushed. I felt to feel fuzzy. I collapsed to the ground, my father running towards me.

As everything turned black, all I could hear were the woman's words as the mob ran towards her. "Love is a lie, dear, and may you finally see that as truth."

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So exciting! Sorry to leave you in suspense! New chapter tomorrow!