Kissed by the Moonlight

1963

Salem - 1693

The people of Salem gathered in the centre of town. They whispered to themselves and between each other as they waited for her to be revealed. Many of the spectators waited in silence as they stared up at the wooden structure that would soon take somebodies life once again. They tried to hide the look of sympathy in their eyes, if anybody were to see it then they would be accused too.

The people began to quiet down when they heard multiple footsteps approach them. A man held carried the end of a rope which was tied to a woman. The woman looked weak, terrified and distraught. Her blonde hair was dishevelled and greasy, her green eyes were surrounded by dark circles and seemed to be lifeless. Her pale face was filthy due to the dirt and blood that covered it. The apron tied around her waist was now brown rather than white. It was torn at the ends and in the centre. For some reason, her shoes were missing. Her feet were covered in dirt and blood. The blood on her feet was fresh which was probably due to the fact that a stone would impale her foot when she took a step forward.

The woman tried to resist but the man just pulled on the rope harder, dragging her forwards. She struggled to climb the steps, but the man didn't care, he yanked the rope every time she slowed down. The crowd began to yell, obscenities spilled out of their mouths, it was quite a revolting sight to see. The woman was turned so that she faced the crowd. She saw the disgust and hatred in their eyes. The silent spectators saw the fear in hers.

A noose loosely hung around her neck as the man who dragged her untied the rope around her hands. Red marks could be seen when they were taken off, the woman winced slightly. She didn't make any attempts to stop what was going to happen, it was inevitable. If she tried to say anything, the crowd would yell louder, and nobody would believe her.

"Hang the witch!" The crowd chanted.

The fear inside the woman grew. Tears pricked her eyes, her heart thumped in her chest. This was the end and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her dull green eyes looked out to the spectators again. Their faces had not changed, they still expressed disgust and hatred. The woman locked eyes with another woman, she was surrounded by two others. They stood with straight faces and held no emotions in their eyes. The woman recognised the three women, she had seen them around town. She managed to pull her eyes away and search the crowd again. There were more people staring with straight faces and no emotions in their eyes. The woman felt her own eyes widen. Those women were the witches. The real culprits. The ones who should be being hanged, not her.

The man stood by the rope that was connected to her neck and gripped it tightly. The woman could feel the noose become tighter causing the fear in her body to become much worse.

"Hang the witch!"

"Hang the Witch!"

"Hang the witch!"

The crowd continued to chant; their voices venomous. The Judge stood in front of the crowd and close to the 'witch'.

"Alice Foster," he began, "you have been found guilty of witchcraft, treason and association with the Devil. Therefore, your sentence is death by hanging." He proclaimed. The woman, Alice, closed her eyes. Her lips began to move ever so slightly.

"Our Father, who art in Heaven."

The judge moved away from the woman but stayed on the wooden platform.

"Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done."

A nod was sent by the judge to the man who held the rope. His hands gripped the rope tighter and he began to pull down.

"On Earth as it is in Heaven-"

Her quiet whispers were cut off by the sound of her choking. Her body shook violently as her oxygen supply was cut off. Alice tried to gasp for breath, but it was impossible. The crowd in front of them roared in delight, another one of the Devil's children had been killed. The judge stepped towards the dying woman and grabbed her legs. He pulled her down with a large amount of force. A snap rang throughout the village. He let go and stepped back, the crowd watched as the limp body swayed from side to side. One by one they dispersed and continued with their day.