The Cursed Village

Prologue: The Witch

'Burn the witch!' Shouts came from the distance. Through the trees some flickering lights could be seen, slowly inching forwards towards the girl hiding behind a tree. Footsteps moved next to her, and she ducked, praying that, whoever it was, they hadn't seen her.

'Nicole? Nicole?' a voice shouted nearby, a voice the girl recognised.

'Robert!' She whispered, though she knew he'd heard it, 'Why are you here?'

The footsteps stopped in front of her, and as she looked up she saw Robert's silhouette. He had a hand reached out for her, and she took it. Still hiding behind the tree, so that the others wouldn't see them.

'I could ask the same for you! They're saying you're a witch.' Robert helped her up, but didn't let go of her hand.

Nicole looked away, although she knew that in the darkness he would barely be able to tell. She whispered: 'It wasn't my fault. They're wrong. I'm not a witch.'

She briefly glanced around the tree and saw that the lights were still getting closer. Torches, in the middle of the forest. She suddenly realised what the plan of the villagers was, and tried to run away from them. Then after a few paces Robert stopped her, still holding her hand. In front of her too she started to see the lights.

'They want to burn the forest.' Nicole gasped.

'It's madness, isn't it?' Robert said. She nodded, although she knew her friend would barely be able to see it in the darkness. Suddenly the lights in front of her grew in size. As she turned around she saw the same had happened behind her, and all around.

'We need to run!' she gasped, 'is there anywhere that isn't burning?'

As she tried to turn around she was stopped by Robert, still holding her hand. She suddenly noticed he was still looking at her.

'You can let go now,' she said. He shook his head.

'It was my fault,' he said, 'I should never... she was my sister.'

Nicole realised what all of this was about. Robert's baby sister had barely received her name, when she got ill and died. It had all come out of nowhere, and happened so fast, that everyone had immediately suspected witchcraft.

'I had nothing to do with that!' Nicole exclaimed, no longer afraid of being heard. As the flames were slowly approaching she could see Robert's face. His hair, in a loose ponytail as always, with tears covering his face. His expression was contorted, a strange combination between disgust and fear.

'You don't think I cursed her, do you?' Nicole gasped, 'I thought you, of all people, would know!'

Robert took her free hand and pushed her against a tree. Nicole could already feel the heat of the flames as they approached. There was no escape.

'I won't let you escape,' Robert said, as he forced out a smile.

'I won't forgive you. Any of you.' Nicole coughed from the smoke.

The flames had already reached them, and the two screamed as the flames crawled up their body and covered them whole.

The fire had raged all night, and well into the following day. It was getting dark again when the forest was safe to enter again. The day after that night the villagers entered the forest, to find the body of the boy who had bravely sacrificed himself to help destroy the witch. They found his charred corpse next to what remained of an old oak tree. At the foot of the tree lay another body, that appeared unscathed by the fire. The men fell quiet, and then they heard it. A soft breathing. The witch hadn't died.

As the men looked at each other they all came to the same conclusion: As long as the witch was alive, they would not be safe.