AN: I do not own or operate the characters from Victorious. I just keep them alive. Someone else owns them and has already made a fortune from them.
This is another of the historical One Shot stories I have planned. Even though I got mixed reviews on the first in this series, I will continue placing our girls in different historical situations. I hope this one gives Invader Johnny what he was missing in the last story. These are not romantic stories but friend stories. I hope you like it.
Enjoy S.M.
Hocus Pocus
Jadelyn West was a very happy young lady. She was celebrating her fifteenth birthday today. That would mean that she would not have to do her chores and there would be a pie at the evening meal.
Things had not been easy for the settlers in Windsor. They had a very rough crossing coming from England. The ship had a much more regal name than its appearance. Jade remembered how taken she was with the name "Mary and John". Such strong names. It gave her confidence as she boarded this small ship in Plymouth England.
About half of the people on the Mary and John had died from consumption on the voyage over. When they arrived they had sixty of the one hundred and ten that had set out. They were so happy to be on land again.
They briefly settled on the coast and then five years later Reverend John Maverick and Reverend John Warham led them over land from Dorchester, Massachusetts to this new settlement.
One of the families that joined the over land trip was the Vega family. He had been a Spanish landowner and traveled to England where he met his now wife. He gave up his property and titles and joined the church. They were allowed to marry and brought forth two daughters Katrina and Victoria. David Vega was now a farmer in his new life and a very pious man.
Victoria and Jadelyn were about the same age and they became fast friends. Victoria was the only person who could see past the temper and bristly attitude of her new friend.
They built homes and settled in and farmed the land. In 1637 the settlement decided to name the settlement Windsor. A church was built as the center of the community. There was no mayor or judge, the reverend Warham took on those roles. He was a very strict man, but he was chosen by God to lead them. They would be lost without his divine guidance. He was their shield between them and the evil that lurked in the world.
Victoria and Jadelyn were inseparable. They did everything together. They loved to go for walks down by the river. They would sit under a large tree and watch the water go by and talk about everything and anything. They were always very careful not to go near the water as neither of them could swim. They were happy just sitting and watching leaves float down the small stream.
One Sunday Jadelyn was called to come to Rev. Warham's house with her father. She ran to tell Victoria about the calling. There was only one reason that a young girl would be called. The Reverend had decided on a young man that she would soon marry. This was traditional in their community. Soon she would be married and she would start a family of her own.
Victoria was very happy for her friend. She hoped that the Reverend had chosen a good man for her. Katrina was married a year ago to a young man. Everyone was thrilled. He was to be their father's heir as he had no sons. Soon after the wedding Sinjin Van Cleef showed his true colors.
It turned out Sinjin liked to drink homemade liquor. He was running a still in the woods outside the village. He was selling it to others in the community. This was very much against the rules outlined by Rev. Warham. He was making the devil's drink.
The sherrif was about to go and arrest him when he had a tragic accent and God smote him for his sin. Something went wrong at the still site and his boiler must have pressurized. When it blew up he was torn apart. They had to have a man climb a tree to get a major part of his body down from a large branch. He would be buried outside the sanctified ground of their cemetery because of his sins. His actions brought shame to Victoria's family. She didn't want the same for Jadelyn.
Jadelyn couldn't contain herself. After she met with the reverend and her father. It was true they were there to discuss her future. The young man she was to marry was from a neighboring village. His name was Becket Oliver. His father ran a dairy. He was an only son and stood to inherit the entire enterprise. She would be set for the rest of her life.
When Jadelyn told Victoria about Becket the two of them hugged and squealed and jumped up and down. The girls didn't care if they were causing a scene and having all of the villagers staring at them and whispering about them. This was a huge event in Jadelyn's life. She would be meeting with Becket next Sunday at church. She would then be chaperoned on a picnic so they could get to know each other.
The week seemed to drag on and on. The girls spent all their extra time together imagining what Mr. Oliver would be like and what it would be like to be married. They were sure that it would be like a fairy story. He would sweep Jadelyn off her feet and take her to a wonderfully large home and she would have servants to look after her every need and want.
Mr. Oliver would rise and dress in a dapper suit and read the accounts while having his breakfast. Once the kitchen maids cleaned the breakfast dishes he would go to the barns and oversee the milk production. He would handle his men like a team of horses. He would truly be the lord of his manor. She would be the lady of the manor.
They would move in only the best circles and attend dances and meals in all the best homes in New England. Before long Mr. Oliver would be governor of the colony. This would make sure that their children would be set for their life. She knew that she had stars in her eyes, but even if half of this came true she would be the luckiest girl in New England.
When Sunday came Victoria was at Jadelyn's house before the sun came up. She was there to help her friend with her bath and getting her ready. Jadelyn was sick to her stomach she was so nervous. Victoria was going to be her grounding today. She didn't know what she would do without her best friend.
Victoria spent almost an hour working on Jadelyn's hair. She had long dark locks and it hung in loose ringlets. As she was doing the ringlets with the hair iron Victoria had an idea that she was sure would make Jadelyn stand out and be most memorable to Mr. Oliver.
First of all she had to convince Jadelyn to trust her and let her do something to her hair that no one had ever done before. She took one ringlet and dipped it in bleach. She knew that when she dripped bleach on her clothing once while doing the laundry. She thought that it should do the same to one's hair.
When she took the lock of hair out of the bleach she was pleased to see that she had been correct. Then she rushed around the kitchen looking for a crock of beets. She quickly forked out all the beats into a bowl and set them aside. Now she had a crockery jar half full of beet juice. She held it and dunked the bleached lock in the beet juice for a time. When she pulled it out and rinsed it off she was very happy to see the single red ringlet hanging down by her friend's ear.
Victoria held up a mirror for Jadelyn to see her work. Jadelyn squealed with delight. This was so unique Mr. Oliver had to remember her when he left to return to his home. Jadelyn felt so naughty with the red streak in her hair. It was not the kind of color that most modest women would wear. She would keep it covered in church, but once she was on the picnic with Mr. Oliver she would remove her bonnet and let it fall out.
They could hear the bell calling them to church. After one last quick look over Jadelyn was given Victoria's approval and they hurried to the square. Once they were there they took their time and walked like proper ladies to the steps of the church and were greeted by the older men outside the church.
They nodded politely and ascended the steps. They were greeted by Rev. Warham and he took a moment introduce her properly to Mr. Oliver. He was a dashing young man with dark hair and eyes. He was dressed very well and had impeccable manners. She could see herself walking with Mr. Oliver down the aisle already. She could learn to love this man.
Victoria watched from a distance and she too approved of Mr. Oliver. He did look like a fine man. He would make a great husband for her friend. His fine suit told Victoria that he must have a great deal of money. He was a true gentleman.
She knew it wasn't right, but Victoria hid in a small bunch of willows and watched the picnic from a distance. She was swept away with the romance of the entire situation. She knelt down and heard a slight crunching sound. The sound was made from crunching up the small shoots of dogwood. She automatically reached down and picked the small plants and put them in her pocket. This had been her habit since she was a very young girl. She collected any number of varieties of plants and tree bark.
When the picnic was over Victoria quietly took a route through the forest to her home. She took the small shoots out of her pocket in her dress and put them in a small crock by the window sill. There were many of these crocks in a cupboard in the corner. They were behind the linens behind a false wall in the back of the cupboard. The piece of furniture had been made for her grandmother years ago. She taught Victoria all of her secrets and swore her to secrecy.
Jadelyn was the only one who knew that Victoria picked wildflowers and plants. She just assumed that Victoria was drying them and pressing them in an album. Even she didn't know the real reason that Victoria gathered these plants. She would soon be taken into her confidence.
Jadelyn and Victoria were still inseperable during the week, but on Sundays Jadelyn was all for Mr. Oliver. They had been seeing each other for about two months when Rev. Warham announced their upcoming nuptials from the pulpit one Sunday. Everyone clapped for the young couple. Although Victoria was happy and excited for her best friend she was sad for she knew she would lose her and things would never be the same between them.
All was going well in the village of Windsor until a dark cloud appeared one day in the afternoon sky. The cloud was a small dark grey color and just hung over the area. No rain fell from the cloud and it stayed for hours. Then as night fell it disappeared. Reverend Warham was concerned. He said it was a sign, but he was not sure of the meaning of the sign.
It wasn't a week after when people started getting ill. They had great stomach pain and could not keep any food or drink inside them. The illness was a killer and everyone knew it. Dysentery would kill more people in history than any war.
Rev. Warham held church services every evening praying that these people would get better. Some people tried home remedies of tea and vinegar but nothing seemed to help. Almost every family had someone sick in their care. However there was no illness in the Vega house. Mrs. Vega always had the family washing. At one time she found bugs in her house and had a fit. After that no one was allowed in the house without washing hands, faces and sometimes even feet.
The local colonists were starting to look at the Vegas with some suspicion. But they had known them for years and known them to be God fearing Christians who would do anything they could to help their neighbors. Mrs. Vega and the girls even went and prayed for many of the ill colonists. Rev. Warham blessed them as great servants of the village.
When Jadelyn came down with the sickness, Victoria ran to her side to pray for her. She spent days by her side praying and holding cold cloths to her forehead. She was watching her best friend die and she was not going to let that happen. She was going to help her.
In the middle of the night Victoria decided that she had seen enough and that Rev. Warham's way was not working. She ran home and in her room she started to gather what needed. She took a small box from her secret cupboard. She took out the strange looking root and put it in a pestle. She took the mortar and started crushing up the dried root. When it was a fine powder, she mixed it into a bowl of hot water. She added a half an ounce of distilled corn alcohol and stirred it all together. When she was finished she carefully poured it into a small flask. She made sure to tidy up her work and hide it all again in the cupboard.
Victoria ran to Jadelyn's side. She then told her mother that she would sit with her friend for a while and she could go get some rest. Once she knew they were alone she brought out the flask and held it to Jadelyn's lips and told her to drink.
Jadelyn did what she was told and drank the very tart liquid down. She coughed and sputtered and lay back down. Victoria replaced the wet cloth on her friend's forehead. Victoria slipped the flask back into her pocket so that no one would see it. She then held Jadelyn's hand while she slept.
Victoria continued to visit and administer her cure to Jadelyn for about a week when they started to see her strengthening and recovering. She was able to eat and drink to replenish her strength. She was going to be alright.
By the next Sunday Jadelyn was able to attend church and give thanks for her recovery. Everyone gave thanks in the church. Everyone except for Victoria, because she knew that the truth of her recovery was the medicine that she created and administered to Jadelyn. Without the root of cattail rushes she would have died like so many others.
Although delayed, Jadelyn's wedding was still going forward. She was going to marry Mr. Oliver after all. He of course was pleased beyond words that she was going to be ok and he told her it was a blessing from God. Jadelyn told him that she also believed that Victoria had something to do with her getting better. He encouraged her to tell him all about the medication that Victoria had created and give to Jadelyn in secret.
The very next day a couple of men from village came to the Vega door and demanded that Victoria be brought out before them. They then accused her of witchcraft and took her into custody. Victoria was drowning in her own tears as she knew what happened to girls that were accused of being witches. She would be hung or burned at the stake. Why was this happening to her?
There would be no trial in Windsor. Rev. Warham thought that he could not be objective he passed it over to the Governor of Boston. Victoria was placed in a cart and hauled to Boston for her trial. Her mother and sister wailed and followed the cart as best they could. Jadelyn was crying and asking what was happening. She tried to stop the men, but to no avail.
Victoria was taken to the courthouse in Boston and put in a cell in the basement. She was alone in the dark damp stone room. The moonlight was shining in through the barred windows and on the floor. She looked down at it thought what a pretty color blue white the light was. That was just the way Victoria was. She was in a cell facing death and she still found beauty in the world.
She lay down on the small slab of wood that was to be a bed. She huddled in the fetal position thinking about her family and Jadelyn. She found sleep through exhaustion about an hour before dawn. At dawn a jailor came and passed her a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of water. She managed to eat the cold oatmeal and drink the water. She looked around and saw a drain in the corner of the room. She came to the uncomfortable conclusion that this was her chamber pot.
Victoria strattled the drain and lifted the layers of clothing she was wearing. She untied the ties holding the crotch of her pantaloons closed and squatted over the hole in the floor. She leaned her back against the cold bricks and allowed herself to relax and feel relief. When she was finished she retied the cotton ties and lowered her dress. She wished that she had water to wash with. Her mother's compulsion has deeply entrenched in her upbringing.
Before long a group of men came to her cell. A Reverend Smith proclaimed that she had been charged with witchcraft. Another man told her that she would now be taken to stand trial for the crime. She was chained and guided through the halls of this prison and up the stone stairs. The daylight hit her through the window and she felt its warmth on her skin. It gave her comfort.
When she was led into the courtroom she could see her parents and sister in the seats. There were people she knew and people she didn't know, but it was the face of Jadelyn West and her tears that tore through soul. Jadelyn was crying tears that would last a lifetime.
The Reverend Smith read the statement declaring Victoria Vega a witch. The judge asked if they had a list of witnesses and they told him that they only had one and would only need one witness. He told them to go ahead and call their witness.
Jadelyn was shocked when her name was the one that they called. She did not rise at first, but as the judge made it clear that she had to come forward when called she rose slowly and walked to the stand. She took the oath to tell the truth and waited for the reverend to start the prosecution.
He asked her name and age and if she knew Victoria Vega. She told them and still couldn't see how what she would say would prove that Victoria was a witch. It couldn't because Victoria wasn't a witch. Jadelyn would have known.
Reverend Smith then asked if Jadelyn had been ill that spring. She told him how she had dysentery and that by the grace of God she was made well. That was when the reverend stopped her and asked if anyone other than God made her well. Jadelyn told of how her mother and friend sat by her bedside praying for her.
Then he asked her if Victoria ever gave her any kind of potion to drink. She could not lie in the face of God and others so Jadelyn said that yes Victoria had made a liquid that helped cure her.
He then asked if she had ever seen Victoria gather plants and flowers. She told him that yes and that many girls collect and press flowers, although she had never seen any that Victoria had pressed.
He asked her if Victoria had ever told her what she put in the liquid that she gave her. She told him that it was cattail rush roots, corn liquor and hot water. The entire audience let out a very loud aww.
As soon as it was out of her mouth she realized that what she had said had just condemned Victoria. She had admitted that she had used plant extracts and alcohol to cure her. Alcohol was an illegal offense that was not accepted in their circles.
Jadelyn tried to tell them that it was the prayer that healed her and not the potion. He then asked if Victoria had ever mentioned that her cure was stronger than prayer. Jadelyn looked sadly at Victoria and started to cry. She had to tell the truth and both girls knew it well.
Jadelyn turned back to the reverend and declared that Victoria had said that she told Jadelyn that her medication, as she called it, was far stronger than a few prayers. She said the prayers were meant to give the healthy something to do while the medication took time to work. With that she hammered the last nail in Victoria's gallows.
Reverend Smith thanked Jadelyn for her testimony and told her she could go sit in the crowd. Jadelyn hung her head in shame as she knew she had just done her best friend a great disservice, even though all she did was tell the truth.
When she took her seat she tried to catch Victoria's eye to whisper an apology, but Victoria was sitting with her head down. Reverend Smith asked her to rise and face the crowd for her sentence. Victoria slowly stood and raised her tear stained face to her family and friends. She took a deep breath and tried to be strong.
Then Reverend Smith spoke, "Victoria Vega of Windsor Connecticut, you have been charged under the laws of the colonies as a witch. We have heard testimony as to actions that you have undertaken and statements you have been heard to make. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Victoria sniffed and then said, "I am not a witch. I was taught to use plants to heal people by my grandmother. All I wanted to do is save the life of my best friend. How can saving a life be witchcraft? I just tried to do good for my community. When you kill me I will be gone, but you are the ones who will have to live with it on your conscience. You will kill an innocent girl not a witch."
"With great consideration of these pieces of evidence you have been found guilty of being a witch. This court prescribes that you shall be hung by the neck until dead in Boston Common. May God have mercy on your soul." Then Reverend Smith nodded to the sheriff and his men and they escorted Victoria out the front doors to the hanging gallows that stood in Boston Common.
Mrs. Vega and Katrina cried loudly weeping from a broken heart. They were yelling "No, No!" Katrina had to be pulled away from Jadelyn as she attacked her. The men in the crowd pulled the girls apart. This was not going to be an easy sentence for anyone to administer.
Victoria was ushered up the wooden stairs to the gallows that awaited her with a large rope tied in a noose swinging in the breeze. She hoped it would be over quickly. She had heard of people strangling to death because the rope didn't break their neck on the fall. They called it the Hangman's Dance as the condemned thrashed around as they fought for a breath.
A good hangman tied a tight knot with thirteen coils. A coil for Jesus and each of the apostles in some legends and others claim that it is because thirteen is an unlucky number. The knot is snugged up under the left ear against the skull so it will snap the neck on the impact of your weight meeting the end of the rope. Everyone prays for a skill hangman.
Victoria's hands were tied behind her back with rope and she was guided over the trap door in the gallows. She was given a chance to look around one last time and then a dark hood was put over her head. The hangman didn't say a word he simply slipped the knot over her head and tightened it around her neck. He stepped back and released the trap. Victoria Vega's life was over within a wink.
Her family was allowed to take her body home to Windsor to bury her there. She would not be given a funeral nor would she be allowed to be buried in the cemetery. She was buried under a tree on their land. Her mother was devastated and just gave up after Victoria's death. She died a year later and was buried next to Victoria.
Jadelyn was married to Mr. Oliver, but was never happy again. She gave birth to five live children. Her first daughter was named Victoria after her childhood friend. People advised against it, but Jadelyn would hear none of it. She lived a long life and died sick in bed in her seventies.
If there is one irony in the entire story it is that Jadelyn's grandson was one of the first doctors in Boston. He was known for treating his patients with chemical medications as well as ancient combinations of plant extracts. Many of his cases were written up in the New England Journal of Medicine. He cured many people of stomach disorders using a tea made from hot water, rum and the roots of Cattail rushes. It was a home remedy his family had always used.
The End
The End
AN: Well that was my second Jori in history one shot. Please let me know what you thought of the idea. This was fun. A young woman named Margart Jones was hung in Boston in 1648 for healing people with medicine and other interesting accusations. It is an interesting read on Wiki. I hoped you liked it. Let me know what you think. I know Invader Johnny won't like it because Tori dies. Sorry. S.M.