The Burning

Running bare foot.Dress dragging through the mud.Covered in grass stains,rocks cutting into my heels,and shaking so cold.I can hear the coon dogs and the blood hounds hot on my trail.The flicker of their torches still visible.I feel my ankles give from hours of fleeing fate but they close in hungry with madness.The ground I hit hard unable to stand.Looking up at danger and staring it right in the face but fear I won't admit.

Scooting backwards on my a*s.They catch me and hold me in place.Wrapping the nylon around my throat.Smacked by the brutality.Kicked so hard my ribs snap like twigs.My dress of white torn as I am dragged by a horse.The burns brand my flesh.I close my eyes knowing what the break of day will bring.

When I catch the light I am tied before them as they cackle.Rows of crows land to watch my punishment.They spit upon me as I am let loose.Blood trickling down my skinned up knees.Cut loose but I am too weak to fight them off.One by one.They throw me to the ground.Held in place by my long burgundy hair.My dress completely ripped from my body.I turn my head as he forces himself in my dry c**t.The pain is immense but I dare not scream.Their wives watch and point their fingers at me.Laughing as the next one comes for his turn.Playing with my breasts.I kick him in the nuts.

He did not like that too well.His fists raining down on my frail pregnant body.My own father watching with that cruel look in his cold brown eyes.He was their preacher and he wanted me dead for running away with the stranger they called the devil's son.The witch's boy.One after another.My fingernails digging into the earth below.Sand and blood.My cuticles coming off as they violated my a*s.I was a freak show they all got a kick out of.My son stirred in my stomach.

I did not care what they did to me but I had to protect my baby.They pissed on me when they finished taking me like a common jip dog.The women whom knew me just kicked me as I lay there shattered like an old church house window.My bruises throbbing with pain.They moved me to a stall in a nasty barn full of horse s**t.Still exposed.Lifeless I was sprawled out but tears would not come.I held my belly.Praying my son would be spared.He would come soon into this world.

The next day I was strung up and they pulled out cruddy blades.They slit me open.Carving me as if I were a turkey.I shuddered.Then the worst came.The blade twisted in my vagina.Inner muscles shredded.I screamed.No longer could I handle it.This gave them glee and they did it again.I puked.My child gone.All I could do was shout"You reap what you sow and you all better pray hard because when you set me afire tonight.I promise you.All of you.There will be nothing left.When he comes for you"

They knocked me out.I was shaken until I came to.My ankles broken I walked even though I wanted to slump over.They hit me with stones but I never stopped as I was bound.The executioner held the ball of fire that would end me.All of them chanting "Burn the witch.Kill the devil's w***e."I just held my head high as they lit me.The crescendo consuming me in a matter of seconds.I could smell the smoke and my burning bodice.My own tormented screeching echoing the deadened pine.Until I was just ash in the wind.Floating away with leaves of late autumn.