Author Games: Salem

Task Three: The Hunt - Male Entries

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Joseph Carlyle - The Mayor

Joseph leaned against his desk, head down. His teeth ground as his body tensed.

His daughter, dead.

His wife, dead.

His lover, dead.

He was completely alone.

In a rage, he slammed his fist against the sturdy oak desk, letting out a harsh cry. It sound guttural, animal like, startling him out of his haze. Something had to be done. Now.

~*~

Thought calling the town meeting and demanding everyone search in pairs wasn't, precisely, the most efficient idea he had ever come up with, Joseph needed to know who was the source of all of this murder. What better way than to pair up people, having them search a specific sector. Easier to weed out the murder. And it would be nice to have a little chat with Luca Grey.

Joseph felt half crazed as he led Luca into the woods. Thoughts were swirling around his mind, making him dizzy, making him doubt what was real, what was suspicion and what was fact. He hated this. He hated losing control like this. He no longer had such a firm hand on the dealings of his town. Whispers were everywhere. Witch, serial killer, demon. They were beginning to doubt his power to help. Joana had told him as much. Well, at least he still had his niece. His strong, sturdy niece, ready to face anything. Joseph sighed, allowing the thought of her to calm him. No need to lose control just yet. They weren't far enough away.

They were nearing his cabin when Joseph finally loosened the ever-tightening leash on his temper, slamming Luca against the nearest tree, arm at his throat.

“I get killing your whore of a wife, but why mine? Why my wife, my daughter?” he snarled.

Luca stared at him with wide eyes, vaguely frightened. “I don't know what you're talking about!” Suddenly his eyes sparked. “And my wife wasn't a whore!”

Joseph let out a laugh that sounded almost like a cackle. “Right, right. Is that what she told you? That the child was yours? Whore didn't even know whose it was, did you know?” An odd light appeared in Joseph's eyes. “Because she didn't, not really. She was so ready to spread her legs, she couldn't even decide who she was with around the time of conception. What a lovely whore you've got there. I see why you killed her, but why my Mina?!”

Luca was fighting him, looking as near crazed as he was. “My wife was a good woman! How dare you accuse her of such sin!” 

“She's a gypsy, isn't she? Aren't they all like that,” Joseph leered. He needed Luca Grey to confess. He knew it was Luca. He knew it. No, not knew it, but it didn't matter. Luca was good enough. Luca was a gypsy. Gypsy, witch, what was the difference? With that thought in his mind, Joseph released Luca suddenly. Luca stumbled slightly before regaining his footing and unleashing a wild glare onto the Mayor.

“Don't you dare! My wife was faithful-!”

“Your wife was willing to undress without a single word from me!” Joseph taunted.

Luca lunged at him and Joseph let him. A sharp crack sounded in the still air as Luca's fist connected with his face. Joseph let out a laugh.

“And I'm sure, with a temper like yours, it took little provocation for you to kill her!” Joseph whole body did a spin as Luca punched him again.

“Tu beng!” Luca screamed at him.

Joseph smiled. “Speaking in tongues now, are we? I'm sure everyone would be interest in that fact.”