Mercy

It was another beautiful day blessed by the lord above. The leaves and flowers seemed to sing in the gentle breeze as I strolled through the forest path. As I continued down the path, I couldn't help but smile about how happy my aging mother would be to see the gift I had gotten her for her birthday. I traveled to the next village over to obtain a long string of beautiful pure white pearls to adorn her hair for special occasions. 

     Yes, today is truly blessed, I thought as I stopped to admire some blooming Hydrangeas on the side of the path. That's when I heard soft whispers ghosting through the air. At first, I thought the light tinkling of voices could belong to those mischievous fairies that lurk about in the dark parts of the forest. However, I wondered if I could also be hearing something more sinister hiding amongst the darkened cloak of brambles and foliage. Curiosity got the better of me as I decided it wouldn't hurt to find out what could be lurking within the shadows of the forest. Quietly I slipped into the darkness of the forest and followed the sounds of ghostly whispers, that grew in volume as I closed in on the source. I stumbled upon a small meadow where the tree's foliage seemed to lighten towards the middle providing just enough sunlight to seep through and down on to two figures sitting upon a fallen tree, both conversing as if they were old friends. One of the figures was much taller than the other, the sun beams casting harsh shadows on their contrasting forms. Considering they were so deep within the woods the thought of, are they witches...? Slithered its way into my head.

My question was answered when the taller figure turned in my direction to pick up a basket that was set behind her, it was Violet a beautiful charitable girl from my village. She seemed content and not at all scared as she shared the berries she had stored away in her basket with her companion. Why was Violet here, of all places when she knew it was dangerous to stray from the path and wander into the forbidden forest. Hidden by shade and the tree trunks I tried my best to listen in on their conversation.

"Here," the smaller figure spoke as she handed Violet a small glass bottle, "this should be enough to heal her and don't use it all at once, a little goes a long way." Violet smiled and accepted the offering.

"Thank you, Kristina, I really appreciate you making this potion for my mother," Violet said placing the small vile into her basket.

"It's really no trouble at all, but why do you want to heal someone who hurt you? Why not just leave her to rot in her cell?" the young woman named Kristina said waving her hand about as she spoke. What Kristina said was true though, Violet's mother had been locked up for some time now, the only explanation given was that she was affected by a spiritual plague. Violet sighed, her eyes downcast as she shifted uncomfortably on the fallen tree. Before she spoke again, she gathered a part of her black skirt into her hands.

"The lord taught me that we must be kind even to those who are not kind to us. So, that is why I will continue to help my mother even though she can be cruel."

Kristina sat back on the fallen tree her hands resting behind her as she tilted her head back to look at the sky. A calmness hushed over the meadow as the two sat in comfortable silence, just listening to the softness of the wind and the stillness of the forest.

"You've taught me so much, you know that?" Kristina finally spoke, her voice not at all disturbing the tranquil atmosphere.

"As have you," Violet replied also looking up into sky. They returned to silence seeming to enjoy the presence of one another as if they had done this before.

"I wish I didn't have to sneak around to come see you," Violet said suddenly. At this statement Kristina turned to face Violet, her expression was one of deep melancholy.

"I do too, but you know that if you were to get caught even talking to the likes of me you would be tortured or burned at the stake, and that's the last thing I want. So, it's best we meet in secret." Wait is this woman saying she's a witch? I didn't pay much attention to her appearance at first but now that I take a closer look it is quite possible. She wasn't wearing a bonnet to hide her hair. Rather, she let it flow freely in the wind. She was dressed in black, however, she did not seem to be wearing an apron of any sort and her dress was covered in lacey frills with scarlet accents. This could just be because she was alone with no one to witness it besides Violet. Then why would she make that comment about Violet's safety. That's when Kristina turned, and there tied neatly around her neck sat a pentagram. The pentagram was made of silver and sat proudly on top of all the lacy accents adoring the top of Kristina's dress. The pentagram wasn't huge, but it was big enough for me to see it from where I stood in the shadows, so it wasn't hard to miss. Even a child could tell that this woman was indeed a witch.

I've always wanted to know where Violet would run off to once she had finished her charity work, chores, and bible studies. Now I guess I have my answer. I couldn't understand why Violet would willingly befriend a witch. She knows very well that witches are dangerous temptresses possessed by the devil. So why would she be so kind to one? From my place in the shadows, I continued to observe them. They were both laughing, the kind of joyous laughter someone can only produce when with a good friend. As I listened to them talk it sounded as though siblings were carrying on a conversation. Although, never once throughout their conversation did the witch Kristina tempt or talk Violet into committing a sin. Rather she giggled and snorted and gossiped with Violet, even comforting Violet when heavier topics came up in their banter. They both eventually hopped down from their makeshift bench and embraced one another.

"Be careful walking back into town, there are many dangers in the world that I won't be around to protect you from," Kristina said as she hugged Violet tightly. "Especially don't let anyone see that potion I gave you, cause if they do..." Violet began to rub circles on Kristina's back in attempt to sooth her anxieties.

"I know, I'll be careful and thank you again for your help I really do appreciate it. You're probably the only one who truly cares about me," Violet said notes of sadness in her voice as she spoke.

Kristina pulled out of the embrace slightly so she could look Violet in the face. "And, you are like the little sister I've always wanted. So that is why," she gestured to Violet's basket on the ground, "that potion needs to be kept secret. I can't lose you because of my healing potion." The two young women embraced once more before departing back down their own paths, Violet towards the sunny forest path and Kristina into the cloak of darkness that engulfed the forest. I couldn't help but feel conflicted. This witch didn't want to hurt Violet or taint her in any way. She even stated that she didn't wish any harm to come to Violet. But how could this be? Witches are the devil's servants. So, how could two drastically different people form such an everlasting bond? I guess there is more to this than I originally thought. For now, I'll keep this to myself, may the lord have mercy on their souls, I thought as I too made my way back to the forest path.