Culpa

“Twas a fine evening for a husking.” Priscilla remarked sweetly as she deftly twisted the wool fibers into her spinning wheel.

“Even finer than the evening were the looks John was casting over Mercy’s way.” Another girl crowed merrily and teasingly nudged a blushing Mercy.

Priscilla smiled indulgently. “Oh, that was nothing compared to the shameless cavorting between Charity and Luke.”

Mercy chimed in, eager for a distraction. “Why, she even left the husking halfway and didn’t come back ‘til nearly the end!”

A chair scraped on the wood floor as another girl leaned forward with merriment in her eyes. “How do you know she was with Luke? With all the witching going on, she could have been...” Her voice sunk to a mischievous whisper. “Dancing round the dark fire.”

Some girls gasped. Most chortled flippantly. But Mercy’s face blanched with shock. “Truly, Judith?” She faltered.

“I could be wrong... but we can never know.” Judith leaned back in her chair and resumed winding the yarn skeins, pleased at the reaction she had caused.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Mercy’s eyes were troubled, but the lighthearted girls around her took no notice.

 

“No! I take it back, I didn’t mean it!” Judith lurched through the door of the church, but the trial had already concluded. Choking on her cry, Judith stumbled to the front of the church and grabbed the pulpit in horror. Framed by the back window was the grim picture of the morbid jury and the stone-faced guards, clustered around the gallows upon which a white-faced girl stood, her hands bound.

“Charity!” Judith’s cry was meant to be a scream, but something was pushing the volume of her voice down to a hoarse whisper. “It was me, I said it.” She clutched her throat as the girl on the gallows looked in the direction of the church.

Charity’s face was pale and streaked with tears as the guard placed the noose around her neck. The two girls stared at each other, sorrow and weakness thick in the air between them.

“No...” Judith sobbed and sank to her knees, gripping the altar tightly. “I’m sorry.” She choked out, and her eyes closed as the trapdoor dropped.

 

Late that night, as Priscilla was brushing her hair in her room, she happened to glance at her window and caught a glimpse of Judith pacing in the neighboring window. “Judith!” Priscilla padded over to the window, brush in hand, and called softly. “Are you all right?”

The pacing halted and Judith’s face appeared in the window. “Who calls?” She asked fearfully, her fingers wandering over the window frame.

“It’s just me.” Priscilla assured her, a little alarmed at Judith’s behavior. “Is something wrong?”

Judith stared across the alley that separated the two houses. She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be alright. But...” A dreamy smile spread over her mouth as a dark cloud veiled the moon, casting shadows over her.

Priscilla shifted uncomfortably.

“What isn’t right is wrong. If I’ll never be alright...” Her eyes wandered. In the distance, a wolf howled. Judith’s eyes widened and without a glance at Priscilla, she withdrew into her room. A second later, the light that spilled out of her window was snuffed out, leaving only the dark curtains fluttering.

Priscilla slowly backed away from the window. After casting a dubious look at Judith’s open window, Priscilla closed her own shutters and locked them securely.

The howls increased. 

Author's Note

Please let me know what you think!

Reviews

[Tbear]

Oh my WORD!! I mean ..oh YOUR words!!! I want more..I want to know the before and the later..your descriptions are fluid..it has a flow that keeps me engaged... Write on young one.. write on

[Elletrik Writing]

Thank you so much!