Hello, I know I should be writing my other stories but I had to write this as it was gonna burst from my brain soon. I wanted to let you all know before hand, I am writing a nonfanfiction version of this as well, so in the unlikely event that I can actually finish that and get it published I will take this version down. But I doubt that will happen because I struggle with finishing nonfanfiction stories. Now that that is out of the way, I hope you enjoy this story and please feel free to tell me what you think.
I don't own RotG
There are legends about this forest. No one quite knew when the legend started, but they do know it's more than empty words. It is warning that haunts this town to this day, one that wards off those who would do harm to others lest they suffer a terrible fate. A fate brought upon them by a most vengeful thing, but then again, how could you blame her for that? The legend that haunts the town and terrifies the residents to their core when they hear it, the one that holds more then just a warning but the truth of what the towns history is built on.
"It is said that in the times of the colonies the fear of witchcraft ran wild through out the world. In the town lived a man named Acresti Protho, he lived peacefully with his wife and four children. Unfortunately, he had a lustful hunger for younger flesh, and his sights landed a poor girl, whose name was never known. Acresti tried to take the girl as his lover, but she refused the married man. Outraged and insulted he accused her of being a witch and casting a love curse upon him.
As were normal for the times, the girl was arrested and tortured until she confessed. But she never did, through all the torture she remained in a stoic silence, she never faltered in her innocence. That would later be revealed to be her downfall though, as it is said that not only did her innocence never weaken but neither did her body. The strength she held throughout the investigation was enough for the courts to believe she was in line with the Devil. When she was in court and was asked why she put a curse on Acresti she laughed, the laugh of a child at play. And it horrified the court to its bones. She was found guilty of Witchcraft and, when she refused to persecute anyone else, sentenced to hang.
When the day arrived and she was taken to the forest where the Witch's tree was she was not crying, nor was she begging for her laugh or claiming her innocence. She was quiet, until they put the noose around her neck. Then, suddenly, the whole town watched in horror as a smile grew across her face and the same child-like laughter from the courtroom bubbled up out of her throat. The sound echoed as the stool was kicked out from under her and she writhed as the rope slowly strangled her. Her body then hung lifelessly from the tree, a smile still on her face.
The memory of the witch haunted the town for weeks after her execution that is everyone but Acresti. Mere weeks after the odd execution he was out again, his sights falling on another young girl of the name Annabell. This time though he was determined to get what he wanted. So, he tricked his new target into following him deep into the woods, far too deep for the poor girl to find her way out, and there he attacked. The girl tried to run back to town, but she found herself lost amongst the towering trees. Acresti was close to catching her and she fell to her knees crying in fear and waiting for the later she felt a light touch upon her shoulder, nervously she looked up and beheld in horror the face of the accused witch whose death was not even a month ago. The girl raised her hand to her mouth in a silencing manner, and though Annabell felt she should scream the calming look in the dead girls eyes made her stay as she was. A gentle smile spread across the witch's face and she opened her mouth when suddenly the sound of panting hit the two girls ears. The accused's face suddenly changed to that of anger as she stood and walked determinedly past Annabell, who watched as she disappeared into the forest towards the source of the noise. Suddenly the child-like laughter that haunted the town echoed throughout the forest, chilling Annabell's skin to the bone. Suddenly, the laughter was drowned out by the gut-wrenching scream of Acresti Protho. Then, just as suddenly, the forest fell silent again. The witch walked back into the clearing where Annabell was shaking in fear, she smiled and knelt in front girl before gently placing her hand on her forehead and Annabell found herself sitting back in her room.
No one was quite sure what had happened to Acresti that night, even Annabell, but when they later searched the woods they found his clothes, shredded and with a tree standing proudly in the center of the fabric remains. Some say that when they stood around the tree they could hear echoes of his pained scream flowing with the breeze through the leaves.
From that day on, any who entered the forest or surrounding town who angered the spirit of the accused witch disappeared in the middle of the night with laughter and a scream. And all that would ever be found of them was torn clothes around a tree. The only thing left of the memory of the accused witch is her noose, still hanging on the Witch's tree. A horrid reminder of the monster they accused her of, and the guardian she became."
Over the years, those who enter the forest say that they can hear the echoed screams of terror and pain of those who the Witch has punished. And every year they find more and more shredded remains of clothing with no explanation beyond a tree and echoes of faint laughter. The echoed screams are heard on the nights when the Witch strikes and then all falls silent, a dark reminder to the people of what lurks in their forest. Although the forest has a deadly side to it it is also said that more laughter has filled the forest, but different than that that is heard before the screams. It is said to be the carefree laughter of the children whose distraught souls have been lifted by the Witch, and now they spend eternity playing and laughing in the forest safe from the pain they felt when they roamed the mortal plane. Now they play with their savior and laugh with child-like freedom, the cares of the world far beyond the forest's edge.
Beware those, though, that hear the laughter of the accused Witch.
Now, I know that this chapter was a little short but I figured it would be good to give you a little backstory before I dive into the main story. Also I am working on a cover for this story so it will not stay as is now, it will change as soon as I am done drawing it. I hope you liked it and until next time.
The Freak is out of here :)