Witch Hunt


Julian Priest places a newspaper on top of a million other sheets of paper sitting on a rusty table. The headlines read "Public outcry against Priest." Other papers scattered about are splashed with words like "insanity," "sickening," "offensive," "disgusting," and "revolting." The sound of incoherent angry shouting is heard coming from outside of the penitentiary walls, the place where Priest has been residing for the past decade.

"All you need to do is plant one little seed," he chuckles. "Say something that can very well be meaningless, but it will take root in someone's mind. It will fester and grow until it starts to branch out; mature, forming seeds of their own. Soon those seeds will disperse into others, and that notion will be planted in their heads to develop."

Priest stands and begins pacing. "An insignificant-" He places a hand against the papers on the table. "Rotting-" He draws his hand across the documents as he walks back and forth against the length of the table. "Diseased-" He gives the papers one big shove and the pile scatters onto the floor. "Little shrub spreading in all directions until it is no longer a sapling, but a mounting tree."

A magazine half hanging off the table slips off, falling opened. A quote in big block letters reads, "A retrospective so amoral, so violent; so full of hate should never exist let alone be presented to the public eye." A smaller quote off to the side says, "Reminiscent of a serial killer's journal."

Priest sneers as he glances at the magazine; he continues, "And when a forest of these trees covers the land…" He walks towards the fenced window, his feet crunching against the fallen articles.

When his form nears the window, a glass bottle is shattered across the metal grating and the previous angry shouting hits a crescendo.

"The witch hunt begins." Priest watches dispassionately as someone douses his car with gasoline from a red fuel can. He turns away just as the same person lights his car on fire and the mob surrounding his penitentiary cheers.


Thanks to HachimansKitsune for the beta!

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