9. NIGHTMARE

The guards carried Sarah's soaking body away from Abby. Abby couldn't believe that she would have to watch her sister die twice. While the Reverend was organizing a burning site in the town square, Sarah was put back into her jail cell. The Reverend oversaw the guards as they put up the large stake and then arranged bundles of twigs and straw around the base of the stand.

Abby had walked back to town to sit there and watched them construct the scene where her sister would die. She thought about going home but didn't feel as if she could face the twins. She just sat there on the ground and waited for the inevitable.

The site was finally ready when the sky began to darken and evening was approaching. The guards brought Sarah back out and they tied her to the post. Abby was so exhausted. She hadn't slept in two days. She felt as though she was all cried out but this brought a new wave of emotion.

Reverend Parris stood upon the platform next to Sarah. He had a scroll in his hand and he unraveled it to read to the crowd.

"This woman has confessed and has been convicted of witchcraft. She underwent the Trial by Water and failed. There is no room left for doubt that she is a daughter of Lucifer, the devil himself. Therefore, she will be burned at the stake until she is dead. May God have mercy on your soul." With that, Reverend Parris took the scroll and nailed it to the post right above Sarah's head.

She flinched at the hammering. It was the first reaction she had had since being tied to the post. She looked exhausted as well and only wanted for it to be over quickly. Reverend Parris stepped down from the platform and a guard set a bundle of sticks over the steps. With a nod from the Reverend, the guard held a torch and began to light the faggots. He walked around the circle, lighting it in several spots.

Abby began to cry again as she saw Sarah turn her head away from the smoke. She didn't deserve this. Abby couldn't understand how such a terrible thing could be allowed to happen with so many people standing by.

The flames began to grow and twigs crackled as the heat made them snap. Sarah was unable to stop coughing so she kept trying to hold her breath. Abby put her face in her hands and sobbed heavily. Then, she felt a cool hand touch her shoulder. She looked up and recognized Corin's beautiful face.

"Tell her to breath in the smoke." He whispered to her. "It will kill her more quickly and she will not feel the burn of the flames." After he told her this, he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

Abby searched the crowd for any trace of him but he was gone. She looked back to Sarah who was still trying to hold her breath. She pushed past the crowd to the front and screamed "Sarah! Listen to me! You must breathe in the smoke. It will end things more quickly." Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she said this.

Sarah looked at her and nodded. She gulped in a deep breath and the smoke filled her lungs. She choked and gagged on it but continued in to inhale and exhale. Her eyes were locked on Abby's. She mouthed the words 'I love you' and then lost consciousness.

The flames grew higher and higher and soon, her body was engulfed in them. Abby had to look away when the flesh began to burn. It was a terrible smell. She was only glad that her sister would no longer feel the pains of this life.

Even though Abby couldn't bear to watch, she stayed until there was nothing left but ash. The crowd had already dispersed and now the guards were cleaning up. She didn't want to go home. How was she going to explain to the twins that their mother had died while everyone in the town watched? Abby felt sick and would have thrown up but she hadn't eaten anything that day so there was nothing for her stomach to expel.

She began the long walk home, very slowly. The night air was chilly and she felt cold inside and out. As she drew closer to the house she heard laughter. She looked up to see Jane and Alec outside with the silhouettes of two men. Abby panicked and began to run. Were the townspeople back for the children? As she approached she recognized the two men, they were Eleazar and Corin.

"Hello Abby." Corin said.

"What are you doing here?" Abby asked suspiciously. "Children, go inside right now! You should have been in bed hours ago!"

Alec and Jane now looked frightened after seeing Abby. She was a wreck. They quickly obeyed and went indoors, shutting the door behind them.

"I'm only going to ask you this one more time, what are you doing here?" She said the words slowly and menacingly.

Eleazar put his hands up in the air as if to surrender. "Please Miss, we meant no wrong."

"Abby?" Corin asked.

She turned her focus on him. She was so worn out that it was all that she could do just to stand there. "What?"

"Did it work? Did you do as I suggested?" Corin's beautiful face looked concerned.

Abby nodded. "Yes… Thank you."

"It was the least I could do." Abby didn't know how true that statement was.

Eleazar spoke next. "We are sorry for you loss and we realize that we are bit early in what we're about to offer you but we want to make sure that the children are kept safe and that nothing like this happens again."

Abby's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? What offer?"

Eleazar swallowed. "We have the means to make all of your lives much easier. My employer would be very interested in meeting Jane and Alec. We would compensate you heavily and give you the guarantee that they will be well taken care of. You would be free to do whatever you like without the burden of caring for two children that are not your own. When they reach an older age, about your age, we would hire them to work with us as well."

Abby wasn't sure if she was hearing him right or if she was just misunderstanding him because she was so tired. "Let me get this straight. You want to pay me money to take away my niece and nephew to your 'employer' so that they can grow up to work for him?"

Eleazar evaluated the way she had reworded the proposition and then said "Basically."

Abby scoffed then said "Get the hell off my property."

The two men were surprised at her reaction. "Abby-" Corin started to say.

"You heard me. Leave. Now." Abby said the words threateningly.

"If you change your mind, if you find that you should run into any trouble and this turns out to be more than you can handle, call my name and I shall return." Eleazar nodded in her direction as a farewell gesture and then walked away with Corin at his side.

Maybe it was because Abby was so tired but she couldn't figure out how calling his name whenever she got into trouble would be very useful. She went back inside the house to face the twins. They were lying in their mother's bed but they were not asleep. Abby sat on the side of the bed next to them. She looked at their beautiful, angelic faces and tried to find the words but there were none. She just started crying all over again. She hunched over and buried her face in her hands.

Alec sat up in bed and put his hands on Abby's back. "Don't be sad Aunt Abby." He soothed. Jane sat up as well and wrapped her arms around Abby's waist. She hugged the two children in her arms and wept in their hair. Several moments went by before she could finally say the words.

"Jane, Alec, I'm so sorry. Your mommy isn't coming home. She's gone to heaven to be with your daddy." Abby clutched to the children tightly as she felt their bodies begin to shake and heave in her embrace as they began to cry. Jane's little voice wailed as her face was pressed against Abby's chest.

Alec was sobbing when he looked up and choked out the words "Why did she leave us, Abby? Why did she have to go?"

Abby's heart broke from having to look at his tortured, innocent face. "She didn't want to go. She loves the two of you more than anything else and she would have given anything to be able to stay with you. But there are some terrible people in this world who do terrible things. They took away your mother's life. I'm so sorry." The children continued to cling to her and cry. They all cried until, eventually, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

That was the first night that the nightmares began for Abby. At first it was very pleasant. She was back home in her life before Salem. It was winter but she couldn't feel the cold. She saw Joseph, her little brother. He looked… alive. She called out to him but he didn't come to her. Instead, he walked away. Abby followed after him.

"Joseph!" She called, but he did not turn around. She continued to follow him when the sky turned dark and the world around her lost its color, as if the life was being drained out of it. "Joseph, please wait! I'm scared!" She tried to follow after him but felt as though she couldn't move fast enough. "Please Joseph, help!"

It was then that he finally turned around to face her again. Abby was horrified at what she saw. His face had gone dead. There was no color or life in it. He looked terrifying.

Then he spoke. "Why did you leave me, Abby? Why did you leave me to die? Why is it that everyone whose life you touch ends up dead?"

Abby woke up with a jolt. She nearly knocked the twins right off of her but they remained asleep. It was still dark out and Abby was exhausted. But how could she sleep when only nightmares awaited her?