A Salem Awakening

Chapter 38

Abigail stormed defiantly toward the town center with Joseph trying to keep pace behind her. Her confident stride made it appear she had a plan, but Joseph did not know what it could be. He wanted to stay nearby in case Abigail tried something more advanced than she should, which was just about anything at this point. Luckily for them both, Abigail was no fool.

She arrived in the town square within a few minutes. She passed right by the stake where her mother burned just hours before. Abigail slowed her pace and walked past the stake as if it were sacred ground, staring with remembrance. The charred wood was still smoldering. Her mother's ashes were strewn about and the smell of burnt flesh still permeated the air. After a few moments of reflection, her determination was restored, and she continued on to the center of town.

"Tobias Warnock!" she yelled as loud as she could while turning in all directions so everyone could hear her voice. "Tobias Warnock – where are you? I summon thee!"

Some villagers turned their heads and started over to see why Abigail was yelling. A few people came out of the shops when they heard the noise. Abigail was drawing attention, and a crowd was forming, but Tobias was nowhere to be seen.

"Tobias Warnock! Please come out!" She continued to turn and yell, which drew more people over.

Joseph was concerned. He examined the entire town square, trying to determine the angle from which he might need to defend Abigail. "What is she doing? She's going to get herself accused and killed." He knew this could only end badly, but there were no other options. He had to trust she knew what she was doing, but he was fearful she did not. After about ten minutes the crowd grew to about thirty people and others started calling out for Tobias so they could see what this was all about.

Tobias finally entered the square from the direction of his house and made his way to the crowd where Abigail was still calling for him. The crowd grew to almost fifty people now.

"Young lady, what is this all about? Why are you making such a commotion?"

"Mr. Warnock," she said glibly while also trying to catch her breath. "Thank you for making yourself available. I have something very important I'd like to say to you in front of my fellow villagers."

"This is quite unusual, my dear child. I can't imagine what you feel you need to say to me in such a public fashion. There are procedures for you to make inquiries to the village." But internally this turn of events pleased Tobias. Abigail was making herself a pariah and this would make her soon-to-be disappearance easier to manage.

"Oh, this is not regarding the village, my dear sir," she said mimicking Tobias' way of speaking. Everyone understood her mockery and several people laughed openly because her tone and delivery were quite accurate.

With her hands clenched behind her back, she started pacing in front of the crowd. "Mr. Warnock, I've summoned you here today in order to accuse you." The townspeople gasped in unison. It was almost too ridiculous to consider, and yet everyone immediately considered it.

Tobias was stunned by her nerve. "She does not understand the wrath she is about to bring onto herself," he thought. He did not understand what game she was playing, and as a result he underestimated her move.

Abigail continued, "Earlier this week, you killed an innocent child, Millie Porter. Yesterday, you killed my mother."

Tobias interrupted her and made the mistake of talking down to her like a little child. The other villagers did not appreciate his tone. "My dear girl, as you know, Millie Porter exonerated herself, as did your mother." Tobias knew Willa did not, in fact, exonerate herself. But the villagers could not see the torrent and therefore thought she died and was exonerated. The villagers were his audience, not Abigail. He knew he just needed to win them over. "They were both legitimately accused and underwent the prescribed tests." He chuckled smugly as if to show her accusation was ridiculous, yet another mistake. "By the way, where is your dear father this good day?"