When Curiosity Drowns the Cat

“Never mess with things you don’t know how to work.”

Elena sat on a tree stump, long legs dangling, waiting for the next cart to arrive. She had just finished buying supplies at the next village, across the lake from her home. Being a Spring morning, the sun had risen from the clouds and she wasn’t bothered about waiting. Her head tilted back slightly, soaking up the sun’s rays dancing upon her pale face. The grasses were tall and spiked, like natures ticklish blades. A bloom of daisies grew among them. The young, naive girl crouched, her petticoat dragging in the dirt. Leaning her face into the flowers she sniffed, aromas getting caught inside her nostrils. Breathing in, she sighed out again, a pleasant smile spreading across her lips. There, in the corner, she saw a twinkle in the ticklish grass, this object glimmered in the sunlight. With her spindly, long fingers she picked it up, taking a closer inspection.

Rested inside her palm, was a silver pocket watch, the silver chain dangling from her fingers. The metal shone. This was like nothing she had ever seen. This was expensive, looking as if it had just been purchased that moment. Staring even closer she saw more details. A face with roman numerals around. Two buttons on the very top. One to turn the hands clockwise, the other to turn them the opposite way. Around the back of the watch was a flat surface, with no indication of whoever this belonged to. Underneath, a similar but slightly different button sat.

The girl started playing around with the watch hands, leaving them four spins forward, at three O’clock. One short press of the bottom button and the scenery started changing in front of her eyes. The spring morning swiftly turned into darkness, then back to light. A greyish cloudy day soon changed back to nightfall three times over until the world around her stopped.

The hands upon the clock read 3 o’ clock and it was now a rain filled day, the clouds watering the earth. The trees opposite her, swayed with the wind that gushed around the large lake, that separated the villages. A figure appeared in the distance. A young girl like herself but with darker hair. She was being slowly lowered into the water as she screamed, hands tied behind her back with rope. Gathered, right upon the wooden deck, was the entire village. Some watching with horror written on their faces, others smiling with glee. The brunette’s hands were bound tightly together, as she sat upon a wooden stool contraption, like a seesaw, her bare feet dangling a few inches from the water.

She recognised the girl instantly, even from across the lake. It was her oldest, dearest friend, now apparently accused of witchcraft. She moved closer, her muddy petticoat and apron dragging, moving gingerly towards the riverbank, behind pond weeds and bushes, hiding behind trees that grew around the lake edge, squinting for a better view. A young girl with wavy blonde hair, raced towards the front of the crowd. A pale girl with the same face as her.

The more she tried to focus on her doppelgänger, the fuzzier her mind was becoming.

In a split second she was being thrusted back through time itself. She was standing by the edge of the lake but there was no crowd to be seen. No doppelgänger, her friend gone. Stepping back from the lakebed she collapsed, her whole body tumbling to the ground, landing in a large muddy puddle. Her freshly clean clothes and bonnet covered in muck. Above her the faces of drooling horses stared down at her. A large wooden wheel of a cart bashing into her back.

“Move out the way!” A booming voice shouted, the driver of the carriage, holding the reins tightly in his large grubby hands.

Elena darted out of the way, backing up and crossing over the dusty path, were other villagers waited. Embarrassed, she could feel her cheeks glowing as red as a tomato. The villagers tutted and made sarcastic remarks to their neighbours, noticing the state of the girl’s presentation. Nevertheless, she clambered upon the cart with the others, taking her seat in the very corner, while people seemed to give her a large berth. The driver whipped the two horses pulling the open carriage cart and they started to trot back towards her village, around the now deserted lake, just birds and serenity.

Still clutching the silver pocket watch inside her sweaty, muddy palm she studied it more closely. She was in disbelief at what she had just witnessed.

“I am not a believer of Satan.” She thought to herself, staring out upon the calm water and the swaying trees. “But I have just witnessed magic. If what I saw was real and I am not insane, it seems that because I turned the hands four times I must have travelled in time, four days hereafter. If this is the case, I must warn dear Anne before it is too late.”

The cart ground to a halt, jolting the passengers forward. Elena dashed out of the carriage and ran as fast as her boots could carry her. Instead of going home first, she rushed towards Anne’s house. Her best friend. The two were as thick as thieves, ever since they left the womb. Hammering on the door, with no thought of the noise she was making, she cried her name, until the face of Anne appeared from the back of the dwelling, her arms full of clean clothing to be put on the line.

“My goodness! Elena! Will you please stop making such a racket! What will the neighbours think?” Anne hissed, taking her friends arm.

“I’m sorry Anne… I didn’t mean to, but this couldn’t wait.”

Anne pulled her to the side, dragging her gently to the back of the house where the washing line stood.

“What is it, Elena? You look in a state! I should wash your petticoat!”

“I fell… but look.” Elena pulled the pocket watch from her deep skirt pocket and placed it in her palm so that Anne could see.

“What is this now? I haven’t time for your foolishness!”

“I know this sounds like a ludicrous idea Anne, but it’s a time travelling pocket watch! I just went forward in time!”

Anne burst into a fit of laughter, “Now you really have lost your marbles Elena, now please let me work, if mother finds out I’m behind with the chores…”

“But Anne, you’re in danger! I saw you, four days from now, being accused of witchcraft!”

“Don’t say that word out loud Elena! This is not a joke! We do not joke about that… you need to grow up, take yourself out of the clouds and start living in this life, in this time! We are not children anymore! We are ten and six and looking for marriage!”

Elena sighed to herself. She wasn’t a woman suited for a life of marriage and because of this she was often called an outcast. Her friend had stuck besides her all these years but she was afraid that soon she could no longer be by her side, as they no longer shared the same strong beliefs.

“Please Anne, you’re my friend and you have been since we were babes… something is going to happen in four days, please be careful.”

Anne looked deeply into her eyes and sighed, squeezing her, pulling her into her chest. “Take care Elena… you need to get home before your mother finds out how long you’ve been.”

Anne handed her a damp cloth from a wooden bucket of soapy water. “Take this and try to clean yourself up.”

Elena smiled slightly but there was a fear deep inside her mind. “Please think about it.” Elena said, trailing off down the path. She glanced at the pocket watch in her other hand for a few moments, before heading for home, leaving Anne in the distance, pegging out the washing.

Whilst running towards her house, Elena dabbed her petticoat, trying to remove some of the mud and grime, so her mother wouldn’t shout at her for her unkempt appearance. No matter how much she tried, the mud upon her apron just smudged, making the dirt spread further. As she entered the wooden gates, her mother greeted her at the door, standing upon the step to the entrance, hands on her hips, her wrinkles making her sour face look more haggard than ever. Just from her mother’s look alone, she knew she was in trouble.

“What time do you call this?” She asked rhetorically, dragging her by the arm when she entered through the gates. “And look at the state of you! What have you been doing? You look as if we don’t love you or care for you, when you go around the village looking like this! What will the villagers say!” She tutted, not letting her daughter have time to answer. Elena’s mother took her by the hand tightly and dragged her into the house pushing her inside. “Take those dirty clothes off now before your brothers get home!”

Her brothers seemed to be the perfect children. Perhaps it was because they were born male. They were both older than her. James, the eldest, worked as a carpenter up at the top of the hill in the village. The middle child, Robert worked as a candlestick maker. They all worked throughout the day, coming home when the sun set. Neither of them was married, yet her mother seemed to only notice Elena’s faults. She huffed, stomping into her room, a bare simple place for praying and sleeping, while her mother prepared their evening meal. Their father had died years prior, from the plague, so her mother was a widow.

Elena flung her muddy clothes upon the hard wooden floor, into one messy pile and changed into something newer and cleaner from the wooden chest next to her bed. She sat down and kicked her dirty boots away, curling herself into a ball. Even if Anne didn’t want her help, she felt helpless if she didn’t at least try. Elena pulled the pocket watch from the wooden drawer she had placed it in for safe keeping and just stared at it for a few moments, before twirling it around with her thumb.

Jumping up from the straw bed, she held it outstretched, placing the hands three days from now. The room began to shake, her bed rumbling on the wooden floor. The candles began flickering around the room, until she was in complete darkness. Silence surrounded her. The smoke from the candle was still rising. She stared into the gloom for a few moments, sitting up on the bed, when she heard her mother call.

“Elena! Come here forthwith!”

Sighing, she put back on her hard boots, and left her room, hoping she had travelled forward in time. To her disappointment, she was greeted by her two brothers, sat at the table ready to eat, tired and hungry. Elena placed herself in the chair, tucking herself in and pouring herself some water from a jug. They did not even acknowledge her presence but rather talked about the beautiful women they saw in the village. Her mother took her seat placing a large pot of soup in the middle of the table.

“Let’s say our prayers now.” She told her children, who all bowed their heads, joining their hands in a gesture of prayer. After words were spoken and they had blessed the food they were grateful for having, her brothers dived into the soup pot, ladle deep inside, scooping and placing some into their own small bowls. Elena followed without saying a word, for a moment they all ate in peace.

“We heard you caused quite the commotion today dear sister.” Robert said, slurping soup.

Her mother’s ears pricked up, as she sternly looked up at her daughter, who felt her cheeks grow red hot from embarrassment.

“What is this now?” Her mother inquired.

“It was nothing…” Elena said trying to dismiss them.

“But it wasn’t, was it sister.” James, the eldest chipped in. “You fell over in the road, fell back on the horse’s cart and nearly caused the horses to crash! Apparently, you were talking to a tree!”

“That’s not true!” Elena raised her voice, slamming her spoon down on the table. “Not everything anyway…”

“Elena!” Her mother cried. “Will you behave! I have had enough from you today! I am tired of making excuses for you when the villagers whisper! What will they think?”

“If my sister is this much of a lunatic, what will potential brides think!” James added.

“You have no idea!” She said fighting back.

“Elena! Go to bed! You will not come out of your room until sunrise, you hear me!” Her mother angry pointed to the door while her brothers continued to eat.

With much fuss and anger, Elena fled and shut herself in her room, where she could hear mumbles from her family, talking about how she was unfit to be a lady. Kicking her boots off again and taking off her newly clean apron, she flung herself into the sheets, simpering away to herself. She cried herself to sleep until the break of dawn.

Elena was woken with a start. Her mother’s frowning face was staring down at her. She was then dragged out by her, without a word of explanation, pulled from her room and out of the house with no boots on her feet. The sun’s glare nearly blinded her, as she was forced into the road. The entire village, including her brothers and Anne, stood around in a circle. She stared right into the middle of the crowd, where irritated faces stared back at her. The town crier greeted her, pushing her to her knees. Elena looked up at him with confusion.

“I don’t understand - what are you doing...” She began to speak, before she was interupted by his booming voice.

“Elena Glennon, you have been accused of witchcraft.”

“Witchcraft? It’s not me! You are mistaken, Anne…” She glanced at Anne who looked rather coy and ashamed, she wouldn’t look directly at her.

“You have been witnessed talking about magic and witchery!” He continued ignoring her.

“Yesterday you were seen talking about time travel and you want for dark magic…”

“This simply isn’t true! Not everything!”

“For these reasons you will be punished and will be dunked into the lake of truth. If you do not drown, you are a witch who will be slaughtered, if you do we know that you were innocent and you will have died a martyr”

Elena was held captive, waiting for her trial trapped in the darkness, the only object for company, the silver pocket watch taunting her every hour of every day. Four days later,

she was taken to the lake, chained, and pulled against her will, forced into a wooden chair attached to a long unstable stick. The entire village gathered to watch. Her mother stood, not a single tear shed. Her brothers stood together. James linked arm in arm with Anne. It seemed the power of manipulation had worked on her friend, the need to fit in, to decide what is truly right.

As she was placed upon the chair, she took one last breath on dry land and watched the fog rolling into view. The clear faces of those she had grown up with all these years, forcing her to be something she wasn’t, slowly faded. Her friend, Anne, guilt written all over her face. The last face she saw, as she was lowered into the watery pit, was her own, more naive self, staring back in fear and confusion from across the lake. Words rang in her ears as she was drawing her last breath.

“Curiosity killed the cat and you are a lion in this situation.”