Sometime ago in the late 1600’s, a community of settlers set out to establish a village of their own. They were a small group, consisting of no more than fifty men, women and children. Deep into unexplored wilderness they journeyed; determined that they wouldn’t stop until they find the place they can call their home. After weeks of travel they finally found what they were looking for.
The location was ideal for a fledgling village that is just starting out. There was plenty of open land for growing crops. The surrounding woods were filled with a variety of small game plus the occasional deer or two. A stream of fresh running water flow no more than half an hour’s walk away. One of the scouts even claimed to see fish splashing about the water’s surface.
They have finally found their home.
The settlers immediately set upon developing their village. Trees were felled to provide the lumber for their dwellings. The ground was tilled and soon was ready for planting. It would still take some time for the crops to grow so hunters were sent to the woods and fishermen to the stream to provide for their village’s sustenance. Through sheer diligence and hard work, they finished building the last house in just under a year’s time. To celebrate the completion of their new home, they held a feast.
It was during that feast that the cause of their downfall arrived.
From out of the forest came a woman caked in mud and half-dead from starvation. Her clothes were torn in places and her hair was a massive tangle of twigs and debris. Her words were unintelligible as she shambles erratically over to the gathering. She stops right in front of the mayor and let out an ear-piercing shriek before collapsing on the spot, leaving the man pale with fright. The villagers closed around this strange woman and recognition soon struck them when they saw her face. This young woman was once also a resident from the settlement the villagers split up from. She must have followed them the entire way here all by herself. Or at least it seemed so in the beginning.
The bundle strapped to her back suddenly stirred and a soft cry leaked from within. Closer inspection revealed that wrapped within the dirty rags was a little girl no more than a year old. Everyone was perplexed as to this unusual turn of events.
The village healer tried everything in her power to help the young mother but in the end couldn’t cure her completely. Her health was severely taxed during her arduous travel and she would remain sickly for the rest of her short life. Her mind was also all but shattered by the ordeal. Many a night she would twist and turn in restless slumber, suddenly jerking upright with a horrible scream that can be heard from one end of the village to the other. On some occasions she would run out into the village square, frantically tearing at her clothes and hair as she goes into a crazed dance. The elderly healer found it difficult to keep her docile then, often having to rely on strong herbs and tonics to force her back to sleep.
The little girl, on the other hand, survived the trip in relatively good condition. Many were amazed at how the child remained healthy while the mother wasted away to almost nothing. The wise healer credits it to a mother’s love for her offspring that surpasses even her mental health. Even in her ill state of mind, the mother still took care of her child. In fact, when the young woman first regained consciousness she cried inconsolably until they brought her little girl back to her. It was only then that she would calm down, happily nursing her babe to her breast as she hums a soothing lullaby.
The village council convened one night to decide on what to do with the mother and child. The mayor voted to have them sent back to the larger settlement. There the people would be better equipped to tend to the sick woman. The healer was against this idea. As frail as the mother was, she wouldn’t survive such a trip. Instead, she suggests that they let them stay in the village, going as far as to say that she will take care of them herself. The council cast their votes afterwards, and the final tally stood at eight to one. Only the mayor voted to have the mother sent away. The kind healer went back home to announce the good news.
In time, the mother showed signs of recovering her sanity, though not her memory; the terrible experience has wiped it out entirely. However, her words were clearer and actions more meaningful so that in itself is an improvement. She was soon capable enough to assist with the daily chores and would sometimes escort the healer on her rounds. She still gets tired easily but the healer was appreciative of what little help she can manage. With the exception of the healer and her daughter, she doesn’t have any interaction with the other villagers. The most people could get out of her was a smile in response before she would quickly continue on her way. Everyone received the same treatment except for the mayor. Whenever she sees him she would stare at him blankly. She would remain so; staring intensely at the mayor, until he moves out of sight. When the healer asks her about her behavior, she would answer that she herself didn’t know why she acted as such. The healer has her suspicions, but dismissed it as nothing more than a side effect of her illness.
As for the child, she soon grew up into a beautiful young girl. Like her mother she doesn’t interact with other people much. While the other children her age ran around and played in groups, she would keep mainly to herself. And as far as the villagers remember, they have never heard her utter a single word ever. They didn’t mind though. The village was prospering, everything was fine. Life was good.
Life suddenly took a U-turn.
The next few months were tough on the village. A massive earthquake struck, demolishing most of their wooden dwellings. Game was starting to get scarce. All their crops have died and their farmlands suddenly turn infertile. The fish were gone and even the water from their stream taste tainted. Also a number of the villagers have gotten mysteriously sick; not the least of which their venerable healer. But she didn’t let it stop her from doing her duties as village healer. Day and night she tended to the ailing. But the sickness was new to her; the cause unknown and the cure yet discovered. All she can do was ease her patients’ suffering before they finally died. It wasn’t long before she herself succumbed to the strange disease. Three days later she died; the eleventh victim but by far not the last.
Miraculously, both the young mother and child were spared from deadly malady. This brought about ominous talk from the other villagers. Whispers of dark magic and deals with the devil sprung up from idle mouths. To make matters worse, the mental health of the mother started to deteriorate at a rapid pace. Without the healer’s calming presence keeping her state of mind in check, it soon began to run rampant in her head. Her fits of insanity would take hold and she would find herself running into the forest naked, hair flying askew and maniacally laughing without control or care. Often she would return at the most ungodly of hours; her body splattered with animal blood, never remembering the where or the how, giggling uncontrollably to herself.
The council convened again to decide on this matter. This time however, their situation was darker and the atmosphere of the village far more grim. This time there was not a friend to take her side; no more kindly healer to show her mercy. They can no longer give allowances to those who cannot pull their own weight, and they have grown weary of taking care of others when they can barely take care of themselves. The vote this time was unanimous.
The mother is to be cast out of the village.
The mayor, along with his retainers, marched to the old healer’s house and burst through the door. They found the mother inside with her back towards them, calmly brushing her hair in front of a full-length mirror. She didn’t seem to have heard them come in. The mayor strode up cautiously behind the woman and catches his own reflection in the mirror. The woman turned up to see it as well. Suddenly she raised the hairbrush and brought it down hard onto the mirror. Shards flew everywhere and the mayor retreated back a step, covering his face to protect it from flying glass. The woman turned to him in a fury, shouting over and over a name that turned the mayor as white as a ghost. She lunges at him, bringing him down under her weight. Her nails began ripping at his face as she repeats the name again and again and again. It took all of the mayor’s retainers; four stout adult men, to finally wrest her off their leader. They restrained her with heavy ropes and took her away.
But not out of the village. Instead, the mayor had her brought to the village meeting hall. An assembly was called to determine the fate of the woman who, the mayor accuses, is a practitioner of witchcraft.
The mayor claims to have witnessed her practicing her dark arts in her unholy den. He claims that when he was discovered, the witch assaulted him with the strength and savagery of a creature from hell itself. He claims that, through his brave effort as well as those of his servants, they managed to subdue this concubine of the devil. The mayor piled on accusation after accusation as he watched the gathered citizens glare at the bound woman with anger and horror. The people were quick to believe his outrageous charges. Ill fortune has befallen them of late and they wanted to blame their troubles on someone. A witch makes the perfect scapegoat.
It wasn’t long before the entire assembly was screaming for the young woman’s blood. Even before she could speak a word in her defense, she was already guilty in the collective eyes’ of the people. The village tribunal has to shout for order just to be heard above the raucous din. When it was finally the woman’s turn to have her say she just sat there on the ground, rocking to and fro with her arms wrapped around her knees. The room was in an uproar. Guilty, guilty, the assembly shouted, and the officiating elder himself was convinced that they weren’t wrong.
She was sentenced to be immediately burned at the stake.
The poor woman was dragged out to the village square where a large pile of wood was already prepared. Two of the mayor’s men strapped her to the post while a third readies a burning torch. The sun had just started to set, casting a deep reddish hue all over the distant mountain range. At the mayor’s signal, the bonfire was lit and the flames quickly grew. The fire licked at the woman’s feet and soon her clothes ignited. It wasn’t long before she was completely engulfed. Skin began to melt, flesh started to char, and the woman’s screams can be heard throughout the valley.
And the village’s heart was as cold as stone as they collectively watched her suffer.
The mayor felt something brush up against his side. When he looked down he saw the little girl whose mother they are now persecuting through smoke and fire. The girl stared him in the eye, and the mayor’s blood ran cold.
“She remembers,” the girl said, her voice barely over a whisper, “and you kill her for it.”
The girl turned and jumped into the fire, joining her mother in fiery death. At that exact moment, the bonfire flashed and an inferno blasted throughout the entire village. The people ran in blind panic, trying to find any avenue of escape. The surrounding forest has already been set ablaze, trapping them from all sides. Cowering, they huddled in the village center, watching the flames close in around them. Mothers clutch their crying children close, bemoaning their misfortune. The men shouted and cursed; unable to resign themselves to their fate even though they know it is inevitable.
By morning, the village and the forest around it was nothing but ash. Yet still, from under the smoldering ruins something stirs. Desperately it claws its way out of the debris, wheezing at it tries to catch it breath. Harsh burns cover its humanoid body. Unsteadily, it makes it way into the wilderness, where the echoes of its cackling laughter can be heard for miles around.
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