“Surely not all women? Otherwise, you might be tempted to burn me right here, wouldn't you?” He stops behind me and I turn to face him, putting a confused look on my face. “Is everything okay?”
“I… yes. I’m okay. Let’s just get out of here as quickly as possible, please.” His voice trembles a little and I find myself wondering if this man is important or if he will be sorely missed.
The rain grows heavier, and it becomes harder to walk through the leaves and mud, but I enjoy the challenge. The thunder booms over our heads and lightning illuminates my path. I don't think my new friend here is enjoying this one bit. Perhaps he believes I’m a witch and wants to kill me, or perhaps he is just so cold and wet that he wants to get to safety and warmth.
“Why is a nice lady like you out in the middle of the forest, during a storm?” He shouts to me over the sound of the thunder. I turn to look at him, seeing he is struggling to walk in the mud; he’s heavier than me so he sinks more.
“Oh, I like to come here and gather ingredients for a potion I’m making. I was about to dance naked in the rain and chant and sing but you caught me before I was able to do so.” I smile at him, my brown hair plastered to my face. His eyes widen and panic takes over his features. He holds his hands up to his mouthin shock and tries harder to get his stuck foot out of the mud. A crow caws nearby.
“Wi… Witch!” he yells out, terrified.
“Now, now. There is no need to panic. You said you owe me for helping you? Well, I need that payment now. I am going to offer your soul to the Devil.” I laugh at him. This is playing all too well for me. I really wish I was a witch at this point, but this facade will do.
“No! Please, I'll do anything! Anything!” He pulls at his leg, but the more he pulls, the deeper his foot goes. He’s trapped, and all mine. It almost feels like a gift.
“Get on your knees and beg,” I demand.
He drops to his knees, best he can. Water running off his hair and nose onto the ground. The sound of suctioning around him echoes and I realise that his hands are now stuck, too.
“I beg of you, Miss Grimes, I have a family. I will return to them and not participate in the witch hunt. I swear! Let me go back to my daughter. My wife. I won't tell anyone about this encounter. Spare my life. Please,” he sobs hysterically.
With my dagger in hand, I step around him, out of his sight, until I am facing his back.
“Oh god, please!” he cries to me.
I lean over him, grab his hair, pull back his head and place my dagger at one side of his throat. “There is no god here,” I whisper, before slicing his throat from left to right, slitting a grin to match the one on my face. Blood sprays out and mixes with the heavy rain. The man's gurgles are too quiet, but I can see into his eyes as I keep holding his head up.
There.
Rightthere.
He looks at me and his eyes go dim.
Dead.
I drop his head and let out a soft moan as he slumps face first into the paste of earth and water. The handle of my knife is still firm in my hand, and I need one last thing. Pressing my knee in between his shoulders, I slide my fingers up the back of his skull, then tighten, all the while, the rain cleanses my body of thered. All thered.Slowly, I push my dagger through his skin, the tip appearing next to where I hold him. Forwards and backwards, I cut. Hair snaps and curls between my fingers as his skin comes away. Squeezing my handful of his flesh, it tears from him. One final slice and his face slaps back into the mud. It’s only now that I see he is of golden hair.Of course he is.But it isminenow. Matted and beautiful in my hand, I lift that singular cut of skin clinging onto the roots and wet my lips on it.
I’ve never taken a trophy from a kill before, but I felt it in my soul that I needed a piece of him and his hair was the first thing I thought of. I press it to my chest and look up to the sky, relief and pleasure flowing through my body, and I laugh, rain hitting my face hard. The thunder roars, sending ripples through me. I drop my head back down, eyes closed, and wipe off the rain from my face.
Looking up, I seeHim.
He’s just standing at a nearby tree, a witness to what I have just done. His long black hair is soaked and sticking to his face and his black eyes stare at me, as a cruel grin spreads across his face. My heart starts pounding against my ribs.
I can see him better now, despite the heavy rain around us. He wears a tunic that has a deep V, showing me his chest which glows.Why is he glowing? Is he a witch?His trousers are black and paired with the same coloured boots. There’s no mud on him whatsoever, but he is drenched, just like me. How long has he been standing there, watching me? Is he the Devil? Did he bring that man here? I have so many questions, but I don’t dare voice them to him.
The gleam on his chest stops and I now see markings there. A rune. It's in the centre of his chest, spreading out across to his shoulders. Around his neck hangs a small crow upon a thin, dark chain, with wings outstretched, its head staring at its master.
I look back to his eyes; I could feel that they never left me as I looked upon his body. He’s so tall and broad and I’ve never seen anything like him. He continues to grin at me like a man gone mad and then he bows at the hips towards me.
A spooked deer runs past me, stealing this man's image away from me.
He left me again.
Evelyn.
My name is whispered by the wind, echoing around me. And then it’s gone, as surely as he is.
I take a sip of tea as I huddle around my hearth. I stayed out far too long in the rain and I don't remember getting home or stripping out of my wet garments. My clothes are hung up to dry and my dagger is on the kitchen table. I feel like I've lost all memory of the last few hours.What did I do?I look into the flames and watch them dance as I try to recall today's events.
