APRIL 2, 1692
ABIGAIL SWIFT
The
neighbor's horse and the wagon was an ideal means of transportation
for
me. The Sacred Crone knew hooking up a wagon to a horse was
something
I had never done. I knew as much about hooking wagons to horses
as
I did about carpentry work. However, I had to learn and quick, and there
was
a reason. Mother needed me, and I was confident in my young, naive
mind
I could save her from her uncertain fate.
As
you know by now, I'm Abigail Swift: Rachel's baby sister and the second
witch
to join the Magnificent Coven, but that part comes later. Before I
received
my powers, I could neither decide the best lunar cycles to cast a spell,
nor
could I define a lunar cycle. And just like my sister Rachel, I had absolutely
no
magical training. Instead, my powers not only found me but also, unlike the
other
witches in our coven, equipped me with a unique ability. It was unusual,
and
something even the most powerful witch in the Western Hemisphere
didn't
possess.
My
journey as a witch began the evening just before Mother's execution. The
horse
and wagon took me into town, as I had hoped. It stopped, as I pulled on
the
reins and jumped off the wagon. I quickly hid behind wooden barrels and
hoped
no one would notice me. Two men walked by the barrels holding unlit
torches
and rope, walking toward the middle of town where Mother's execution
stake
stood tall in the evening sky.
"Praise
Father God of Abraham for the burning of another Daughter of
Lucifer,"
one of the men said.
"We
will have to cleanse the town jail with holy water after tonight," the
other
man
said. "The stench of evil and disease are all over them."
I
hurried behind the town jail and peeked through the cell bars. Mother had
chains
on her feet and loudly begged to be released from prison. I paused and
stared
at Mother. Perhaps I was naive to think I could somehow release Mother
from
her prison. Instead, I did the only thing I could think to do, and that was
sing.
Mother told me my voice was beautiful, and it always made her smile. It
was
indeed worth a try.
Then
the moment came. I opened my mouth wide and began vocalizing the first
note.
A green cloud appeared from nowhere and flew into my mouth. The impact
knocked
me back a couple of feet and onto the ground. My throat felt dry and
had
a bitter taste. I repeatedly coughed and gagged. My throat began to glow
green
with an intensity that warmed my face. Everything around me appeared
blurry,
as I stood and staggered away. I could hear two men in the distance
unlock
Mother's jail cell door. Her screams echoed from the jail, as the men
dragged
her away. They took her to the middle of town where her execution was
about
to begin.
The
green cloud continued flowing through me, as I staggered through nearby
overgrown
fields and lavender-covered meadows. My face tingled, as my throat
still
felt as though I had swallowed several blunt objects. Suddenly, a voice--
neither
male nor female, was raspy with a hiss and spoke to me:
"Sing,
Precious Abigail...Sing your destiny."
A
wounded deer limped through a nearby field. It walked up to me and rested
its
head on my shoulder. I petted its soft, brown fur and closed my eyes. My face
tingled,
as a stronger power flowed from my stomach and up to my throat. I
opened
my mouth and placed my hand over the dear's bleeding wounds.
My
vocal cords dispersed a melodious incantation that was both hypnotic
and
beautiful:
"Your
heart is pure as snow,
You
mean no one harm.
Be
healed and go about,
Healed
in my loving arms."
Part
of me was startled, even though I felt it was the right thing to say at
the
moment. The deer's bloody wounds suddenly vanished, and it appeared
uninjured.
It ran away as though nothing previously happened to it. I
remained
silent and took in my surroundings. The nearby angry chanting
of
townspeople quickly reminded me. Father God of Abraham! Mother was
in
trouble, and I had to do something.
"Burn
the witch! Burn the Witch" echoed aloud from the angry crowd and
was
heard for miles. I hid in the back row of the crowd and kept quiet until
the
right moment. Then, without warning, something else took precedence in
me
over my concern of Mother's execution. I suddenly saw everyone's souls.
Each
one as heartless and full of every kind of wickedness as the next.
Then,
I focused my attention to Mother being tied to the stake. She was
bound
to the wooden structure with thick rope, as everyone spat on her and
called
her every evil name imaginable. Foolish men! They all thought they had
the
last laugh. Bad news for them was my fury was about to be unleashed, and
they
didn't stand a chance.
* *
* * *
RACHEL
SWIFT
Aunt
Tabitha and I arrived at Mother's execution. We stayed behind the crowd,
watched
helplessly, and could do nothing. I attempted to raise my hands to
unleash
my new powers, but Aunt Tabitha stopped me before anyone noticed
another
witch in plain sight.
In
the distant left, I spotted Abigail behind the angry crowd. Her fists clenched;
her
eyes enraged and focused on the mass crowd of people. Evident disgust
radiated
from Abigail's' face. In fact, so much a certain glow surrounded her
face
and made everyone slowly notice her. the crowd gasped. "She's the witch's
daughter,"
they whispered among themselves. Mother saw her and begged her
to
run away, but she didn't move.
Despite
my better judgment, I ran toward Abigail and knelt in front of her.
"Abigail,
we need to leave now," I pleaded with her. "What are you doing
here?"
"I'm
making it all better," she replied without moving an inch.
I
grabbed Abigail's arm and demanded we leave. An aura glowed from her
throat,
and her eyes began to illuminate a soft, green glow. It was evident to me
she
too was touched by the hand of the same magic that forced itself on me.
My
eyes filled with tears, and my mouth gaped shocked. "Abigail," I
said. "You
need
to leave now. You have no idea what this magic can do through you."
"You
are my sister, but I'm here to save Mother," she said. "I implore
you. Do not
stand
in my way."
My
eyes glowed, as I was about to use my magic to restrain Abigail. "I forbid
you
to
do that, Abigail," I protested. "Don't test my powers."
Abigail
extended her hand toward me, yet remained focused on the task at
hand.
"No, Sister. Don't test my powers," she said with a near-growl.
Her
magic pushed me backward. I quickly stood and took my place by Aunt
Tabitha.
The townspeople quieted themselves and proceeded to light torches
and
raised pitchforks. The minister, who was also the executioner, stood among
the
crowd. He read Mother her last rites and asked if, as he so eloquently said it,
"the
witch" had any last words.
"She
doesn't, but I do," Abigail shouted, levitating in the air a couple of
feet and
toward
the front of the crowd.
The
townspeople turned their attention on Abigail and crept backward in fear.
They
whispered among themselves Abigail was a witch and she should die with
Mother.
All I could do was fall into Aunt Tabitha's arms and weep, watching my
sister
unleash her powers.
One
of the men lit an arrow on fire and shot it at Abigail. It hit her, as flames
engulfed
her. Mother and I screamed fearful, watching Abigail's remains
her
until her body was burnt and crisped.
Suddenly,
a green aura glowed around Abigail's ashes. The ashes lifted into the
air
and swirled like a cyclone. The ashes morphed into human form and made
Abigail's
body age thirty years. A beautiful singing voice echoed from a grown Abigail
and paralyzed everyone who listened. The mystical tune paralyzed the townspeople
who tried to flee for their lives, including me and Aunt Tabitha.
Abigail
looked at every person in the crowd with glowing green eyes and sang the
following aloud:
"Your
hearts are black,
You hide behind your lies.
Do unto one another,
And then say goodbye."
One
by one, except for me and Aunt Tabitha, the townspeople began turning
on
one another. Siblings killed siblings, and rivals murdered one another. Those
who
committed evil things in secret began acting out their heinous, perverse and
torturous
fantasies with one another. When they finished, they all involuntarily
jumped
into the bonfire, one by one, and burned to death.
Aunt
Tabitha and I regained our movements. My sister's wrath finally ceased
and
the smoke cleared. Dead bodies appeared scattered on the ground, the
stench
of burning flesh lingered in the air, and Abigail was gone.
