Witch Trials
Disclaimer – Teen Titans + ownership -me
Chapter Four - Process
So the two girls stood in the accused box and awaited their fate.
"So, you plead innocent? Well let's see how the witnesses of witchcraft feel about that?" spoke the vicar with a slight hint of passion in his voice, either for the job or for sentencing witches to their doom.
A tall man came to the court where the whole village stood gathered. The man looked familiar and Raven remembered him as the man whom fate saw fit to humiliate.
The vicar spoke, "Mr. Turner, you believe you were attacked by a witch?" the man nodded anxiously, "Can you see this witch anywhere in the court?" he asked. Once again Mr. Turner nodded. "Can you point her out to the court, please?" the man stretched out his arm and pointed it slowly at everyone in the court before landing it on Raven.
"There she is, that's her. She's the one. No need to look any further." He muttered and the crowd all joined in muttering.
"Please explain what she has done to you." Beckoned the vicar.
"In the dead of night, she caught me refilling my buckets of water for my children's baths. She sent legions of bats at me and sent me flying into a wall without even touching me. She gave me a harsh beating and blinded me!" he began.
But Raven interrupted, "This is ridiculous! It wasn't night time, the sun was still up!" she was about to continue when she was interrupted.
"She confirmed it!" shouted the vicar.
"Listen to me!" cried Raven desperately over all of the gasps and mutterings in the crowd, "It was only morning, he was flirting with me and so betraying his marriage vows if he even does have a family and children. I do not have any power over animals and do not keep legions of bats with me. I admit I did push him into a wall for his rudeness and as for blinding him, ha! All I did was stick a bucket on his head."
"And in doing so you blinded me!" cried Mr. Turner.
"Then how could you have seen me and pointed to me amidst this crowd?" asked Raven.
"Arr! She's doing something to me!" cried Mr. Turner, "Look! She gave me the skin of a goose!" He stretched out his arm and showed the crowd a few goose pimples. They all gasped in unison. "I'm itchy, oh so itchy and cold!" he shouted scratching himself vigorously.
"Please, I have learnt long ago that those are caused by the feeling of fear or cold," defended Kori.
"Even so, a woman striking fear into a man's heart is unfounded, she surely is a witch!" countered the vicar. The girls tried desperately in defence, even their friends joined in and soon the crowd was so noisy, no one could be heard, "SILENCE!" shouted the vicar. The noise level went down and soon was cut off altogether. "There is more evidence against the other witch."
The vicar paced the court to add to all the drama and then came to the crowd, "Now, whom out of all of you saw a display of strength above any mortal level from this here girl?" he pointed to Kori. The crowd nodded in unison and whispered agreement. "Surely these powers of strength come from Beelzebub down in hell. A crime it is to commit to pass such strength onto someone unworthy, as some might say, put something dangerous in the wrong hands? Who else could do such a thing as to give strength that could be used against us, but Beelzebub? Would it be a lie if you said you are innocent when you yourself have given promises of loyalty to the devil himself?" he shouted. The crowd showed fear and hatred.
"Prove it!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"Prove it?" mimicked the vicar.
"Prove she's strong!" they shouted.
"Quick, bring forth some weights!" shouted the vicar. Someone brought a very large pig with a rope around it's neck into the court. "Pick. It. Up." Stated the vicar to Kori.
She nervously came out from behind the box and walked into the centre of the circular court. She looked at the pig, "I cannot."
"You cannot, or you will not. Is this an attempt at fleeing from the truth?" questioned the vicar.
"I will not," she corrected, the crowd gasped, "It would be cruel."
"Surely someone who cares so much for animals could not be a witch," cried Richard from the midst of the crowd.
"Ah, but what if she is deceiving you with a plan to make you all believe she loves animals but in reality, she just wants to look innocent?" asked the vicar. No one answered. "As I thought. Pick. Up. The. Pig." He said again.
Kori reluctantly walked up to the pig and pretended that she was struggling to pick it up when really she could have done it easily. After a few seconds of flying two inches of the ground, the pig started to panic and so Kori released him.
"Today, you all did see the strength of this witch. She lifted the heaviest pig when no man could have. I say this is proof enough!" screamed the vicar dramatically to the crowd. "But first let us pass judgement upon the witches. Give them the option of coming forth or reluctantly burning at the stake."
"I did not commit witchcraft!" shouted Raven desperately. Kori said nothing.
"Ah, we have a rebellious witch here!" shouted the vicar, "What do you propose we do to her?" the crowd starts to shout 'burn her', "No wait, let us not make ourselves out to be primate men, the rebellious witch, Goodie-Raven is entitled to due process."
The witches were taken to the village square where there was a blocked up well. It wasn't used for years ever since the dead rats were found in it. It had no cute little roof over it and was just a circular table. Tiny drops of rain started to fall from the cloudy sky and turned the dirt beneath their feet to mud. Kori's hair was flattening but Raven's (which was still in it's bonnet) was not.
"Now, this is how the process works, rebellious witch-" started the vicar.
"I have a name," spat Raven viciously.
"We will put wood on the well and set it alight, we will then take a knife and lace it deep across your right hand. You are to put you right arm deep into the flame and wait for a full minute. When the time is up, you are to remove your hand and we will extinguish the flame with water. If the smoke that rises is thick, grey and has an aroma of burning wood then you are a witch, and if the smoke is thin and odourless then you are innocent and free to go with what's left of your hand."
"That's unfair, if you burn wood then it is bound to smell like burning wood!" shouted Victor defensively.
"Ah, but if you burn a witched blood, it is also bound to smell like burning wood." Countered the victor.
"What makes you think that?" asked Garfield.
"Logic, my friend. We kill witches by fire because witches burn well. So does wood. Therefore, if my logic is accurate, witches are made of wood!"
"But how is the test accurate if you also burn wood?" asked Richard.
"Because if an innocent person's blood touches burning wood it does not burn and will counter the burning smell, it may even extinguish the flame altogether."
(A/N. Sorry if it's confusing. I'm sort of having trouble thinking up a process. Basically, witches are made of wood and so the blood burns well. Innocent people are not made out of wood and so the blood will stop the burning wood smell. Still confusing, huh?)
"Now, lift up your shirt sleeve and put your right hand in the fire, dear girl," beckoned the vicar.
"This is inhumane, it's unethical. You can't just-" stuttered Raven as the vicar grabbed her arm.
"Stop!" someone cried, "She is not a witch!" Kori walked forward. "It was me." She practically whispered it, the gathering crowd gasped dramatically, "I was with Raven this morning when she was confronted by Mr. Turner. I cast my spell on him for his mean words of inferiority towards women. It was all me." The crowd were flabbergasted but the vicar was grinning insanely.
"Full, confession!" he shouted, "Raven is innocent, Kori is guilty. Step forward. It is vital nonetheless to determine whether you are telling the truth or defending your friend." These last three words really cut into Raven there was a war waging in her mind but Kori seemed to know what she was doing so only time will tell their fates.
The vicar grabbed Kori's right hand unexpectedly and sliced a knife across the palm. Kori screamed but tried to hold it in by squeezing her lips together. It stung badly, and the rain was only making it worse. He thrust the hand into the flame and his own hand retreated. The vicar ensured that she would keep it in by holding the top of her arm tightly.
Tears streamed down Kori's cheeks and pain was written in her face. But she did not scream. She was taking the pain and attempting to mentally numb her hand. She stood almost bravely and solidly and yet innocence was present.
The world was silent. The friends looked at Kori with all of their pity and guilt. To Kori, all she could hear was the crackle of the fire and the trickle of water on the ground.
The minute was up and Kori's hand was removed from the flame. It was red and the skin was pealing off like a glove. It was completely raw flesh in seconds. Kori held it tightly in her other hand and wrapped her apron around it. She squeezed in attempt to numb it further but it was unbearable. Nevertheless she stood strong and abandoned her hand. She looked towards the flame which was about to be extinguished with a bucket of water. Blood trickled from Kori's fingers ferociously and soon she became very pale in the face.
The bucket was poured onto the fire and with it came an explosion! A small purple-red explosion sent the closest person flying backwards, Kori. Her eyes were shut tight and her body hurt very painfully. She could her gasps of shock and concern and someone calling her name, 'Kori!' but that was all she heard before she backed out from blood loss.
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Which was ironically what they did to cure diseases back then. A couple of leeches should do the trick.
I hope you liked reading the chapter as much as I liked writing it.
That was the longest chapter I have ever written for Fanfiction.
1783 words minus the bottom bit!
Thanks for all of the reviews so far!
I sat back looking at the stars and began to think.. where the HECK is my roof!