This was only an excuse for them to finally be rid of her, she knew, her hopeless eyes scanning the throng of people before her. They were suffering from a recent famine, crops withering and people becoming lost to the ravages of illness and starvation. Being the so called witch of the village, Chise half expected them to blame her eventually. They often hated her for her odd crimson locks and emerald eyes that were a stark contrast to their ebony hair and eyes. It didn't help the matter that she had often said she saw things at edge of her vision, things that no one else could see.
They had called her a liar when she was a child, seeking attention, making up stories of fairies and the like to unsettle the other children. The poor girl had had little to no friends in the village, many of the other children's parents warning their offspring to stay away from the odd girl, lest they become cursed like her. She soon understood to keep her visions to herself, lest they invite more scorn and hatred upon her than she suffered already at the villagers' superstitious hands. This ostracism continued into her later years; cold stares, full of hatred and frustration whenever she would pass them by.. Slight whispers of 'witch' or 'monster' when they thought she was out of earshot. The 'accidental' tricks pulled on her by the smaller children and even some adults. It was only a matter of time before they became more...sinister in their displeasure. They needed a scapegoat, so here she was, dragged out of her home this fateful morning against her will. But to be offered as a living sacrifice, to that, in the vain hope of stopping its blight on their village, was too much for the twenty two year old to bear at the moment.
They had no real proof that the cause of the famine was said monster. Some hunters had said that they had seen something sneaking about, though it might as well have been a large bear or deer for all the disjointed testimonies they gave. One said it roamed about on all fours, another recounted that it strode about on two legs as men do. They all agreed though that possibly a human sacrifice might placate the beast. And who better than the red headed orphan, the outcast who saw spirits and other things that weren't there? And so here she was, paraded in front of the whole village like a delicacy on display, dressed up in a white gown that was usually meant for a bride, though it was nowhere near as elegant as when she first had it forced on her person. Dirt and dust from being dragged along had started to tear at the fabric, small cuts and bruises appearing along her bare legs and forearms. She shivered at the slight covering it lent her, the fabric much too thin to offer adequate protection against the autumn chill seeping in through her bare skin.
Chise had tried to protest, yet her words were lost over the crowds', their roaring voices creating a cacophony that drowned out her soft tone. The young woman couldn't hide the fierce palpating of her heart as she was dragged along the wooden pallet, a hand roughly grabbing her crimson hair. Most of the villagers looked at her with contempt or indifference, she noted, able to see them from her higher vantage point, before her hair covered her emerald eyes, bangs flowing in front of her face. Even the person who was holding her did not give her so much as a second glance once she was put in front of them, almost like cattle on display. As much as she wanted to flee and run, she could not, for her arms and legs had been bound tightly, only able to move because of the rough hand pulling her along. That too, was the only thing keeping her standing, and now that it was lost, Chise toppled to the floor with a loud thump, her body aching slightly from the contact.
She could barely hear the elder's words as they spoke, though she understood it was probably nothing pleasant for her. The raucous cheering of the villagers did little to ease her anxiety, her stomach dropping like she had eaten a rock. The feeling of another hand on her hair, pulling at it harshly enough to elicit a cry of pain from her lips. She was held aloft, feet dangling, toes brushing against the harsh wood in order to find some sort of purchase. The words she did hear now only made a chill creep up her spine, filling her entire body.
"Let us now depart! The sunlight wanes, and I'd rather us not come upon the beast in the shadows of the night!"
The young woman could do nothing as she was dragged away, despite her squirms of protest, several armed men following behind her. She could only hope that her death was to be swift and painless, oddly content with that thought. It's not like she had had anything to live for in the village anyway. They merely tolerated her, finally getting rid of her now that they had an excuse to do so. She was lead along the path into the forest, it's heavily wooded canopy seeming to swallow her up as the darkness of the branches and tangles of thorns enveloped her.