Witch, Pagan, History
What happens to witches
Gabriella watched her mother stir the soup, reciting chants for good harvest and health like she did every evening. She was tired from a long day of plowing the hay fields with her father, and she flopped down on her bed on the floor. “Ella, could I have you help for a moment?” her mother called. Gabriella pulled herself up off the floor, rushing over to help her mother with the giant pot of soup when, all of a sudden, she heard a cry.
Gabriella ran outside to search for what had made that cry. Her mother and father had always told her that, other than for food and to stop their suffering, the Great Mother would not allow humans to permit animals to die needlessly or to suffer. But what Gabriella found was not an animal; it was a small boy. The boy was lying on the ground holding his leg and obviously in agony.
Gabriella rushed over to aid the boy. She lifted him and carried him carefully home. When they arrived home, her mother rushed to Gabriella’s side and started to examine the boy. After she decided which herbs would help the boy, Gabriella made a compress for his leg and began to boil herbs for a bath. “My name is John” said the boy quietly “Find my Nana, I need her, she makes me better” Gabriella rushed to John’s side, “Where is she? Where do you live?” she asked. John went to respond but instead started to cry, then to scream. Gabriella rushed to get the compress and all her attention turned to helping John.
John lapsed into a deep sleep and stayed asleep for the entire day. As dusk was approaching, Gabriella and her mother woke John up to give him some broth. He did not speak but continuously whimpered and cried untill he fell asleep. This pattern continued for three more days until John’s fever broke, the same day that Gabriella’s father returned from where he had been working. John awoke and immediately asked for water. Gabriella rushed to get some for him and then he began to talk.
“ I need my nana. We live in Oxford, Carburey Lane,” John said. “Papa, go!” said Gabriella. Her father grabbed his coat and hitched the fastest mule to his cart, Oxford was 2 hours away by mule and cart. With her father on his way Gabriella set to answer on of the biggest questions in her mind. “John,” “ she asked “How old are you?” “Eight” John replied. “Then how did you get this far from Oxford?” she asked. Fighting back tears, John told this story: I was sitting in my backyard playing with my new puppy, being really careful not to hit my mother’s rose beds. Then suddenly two men with cloths over their faces grabbed me. They pulled me onto a horse and rode away. We rode for what seemed like days; They gave me no food and no water. When I struggled, they held me tighter, then I fell of the horse.The huge beast stepped on my leg and I heard it crack. My captors, I believe, left me for dead, but then you came. You saved me Gabriella!
John began to cry, then fell into a fevered slumber. Gabriella went to her mother and told her John’s story. Her mother made a tincture for calm and another for shock. Then Gabriella and her mother lit a candle for the small boy. John woke up around dusk, and then a most terrifying thing happend.
The door slammed open and Gabriella’s father with his hands tied, walked in followed by a large burly man, and another man and two women obviously noble. The older woman ran to John after seeing the pagan amulet on the door, and picked him up, Gabriella stood by John expecting praise or at least a warm look, but instead the woman yelled “ Get away from me you filthy witch!” Gabriella and her mother were tied up beside her father. “ You are on trial for witchcraft and kidnapping” said the large burly man. Then, with this statment Gabriella’s mother damned them all. “ I am pagan, a witch, I woship the Great Mother, but I am not evil!” Gabriella and her mother and father were taken to O xford and five and a half days later… well you all know what happens to witches.
Note:
This is historical I support people of the Pagan Religion and I hope I don’t offend anyone!