One Night in Salem by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FunDead Publications
Published: 2017-09-30T05:00:00+00:00

1672

what they did not know

Linette Kasper

They speak of attack in town, so on the outskirts, we prepare.

There is unrest amongst the savages. The saved ones that live alongside us say it is not them. They claim the ones doing this are the pukwudgies—malevolent creatures from their folklore. They say they are trying to start a war between us.

Do we dare trust them, or are they agents of the Devil as the others are, still linked to their past? We watch their actions with leery eyes, expecting. With the heightened fear, it only takes one act of deceit to turn the village against them.

Another night of waiting and wondering. We retreat to our homes as the sun descends below the horizon, shuttering windows and settling into evening routines. The few houses along the road are dark and quiet, everyone and everything hushed. They prefer night because by the time we see them, it is too late.

I watch through slits, pondering if this night will be different from the last. Behind me in the room, Mother sits by the fire holding my brother, the babe swaddled tightly as she rocks him with a soft prayer. Father sits opposite her, listening to the house, as Amelia plays quietly on the floor with her poppet.

I return my attention to the world outside, scanning and waiting. For what? I am not sure.

It is dark, save for the small, amber glow of fires in nearby homes breaking the monotony of the blackness. The pale light of the waning moon barely illuminates the road, casting faded shapes that move slightly with the eerie wind whistling through the cracks in the house.

I turn and check on the family, still in the same positions as before, though now Father is dozing. I smile and return to my watch. No change.

Time passes slowly and my eyes begin to droop. A sound startles me and I jerk awake. Mother nudges a sleepy Amelia and urges her to bed, climbing the ladder to the upper floor with her in the lead.

I stay, continuing to watch the road. I move to another window and spy the blackened woods across from us. I focus, watching the edge for movement other than the wind. If they plan to attack, they will come from here. Branches full of colored leaves dance, waving up and down as the trunks sway gently back and forth, enthralling me.

The trees stiffen along the line and the woods are still. I stare, wondering if the wind ceased, but realize it has not as it continues to whistle tunelessly through the house. I glance over my shoulder at Father, slouched in his chair next to the glowing embers of the dying fire.

Turning back, I catch a figure emerging from the woods, tall and pale. Then another appears behind him, as if from nowhere. Then another. A few more follow, slowly staggering toward us, as if out of the trees themselves.

I back away, turning and rushing to Father before shaking him awake. He bolts upright.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.