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Witch Hunt

When Making Things Right Goes Wrong

By Staci TroiloPublished about a year ago 10 min read
13
Witch Hunt
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Ann kicked a stone down the dusty path. “Are you both clear about what you need to do?”

Abigail played with the end of one of her braids. “I don’t know if I can do that. We’re not supposed to lie.”

“It’s not a lie, Abigail. I saw Sarah Osborne in the woods with my own two eyes.”

“Then you should be the one to tell on her.”

“It needs to start with the two of you. You’re related.”

Betty wrung her hands. “We’re cousins, not sisters.”

“People will take it more seriously if it comes from two families.”

“We are one family. We live in the same house.” Abigail shrugged. “Besides, you have nine siblings. Ask one of your sisters.”

“I told you, it should come from two different families, same house or not. It looks less contrived that way.”

“Is it a contrived story?” Betty asked.

A raven cawed as brisk February breeze whistled through the forest. Dormant branches rattled together, the noise causing a chill to skitter up Ann’s spine. She ignored the question and asked one of her own. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” the cousins said in unison.

“I suspect that’s Sarah now, casting a spell or doing a ritual. It sounds like… bones!”

Betty squealed. Abigail inched away from the edge of the path. Both girls cast wide-eyed glances into the trees.

Ann suppressed a grin.

“I don’t think we should be here.” Abigail’s voice held a soft quiver.

“Are you afraid of witches?” Ann asked.

“Of course I am. Any God-fearing Christian is.”

“Then I don’t understand why you won’t give testimony against one of the most evil witches in Salem.”

“Because I’m not certain she is a witch.” Abigail’s words were stronger than her voice.

“Witches?” Betty asked. “More than one?”

“Three,” Ann said. “An unholy trinity.”

Abigail shook her head. When she spoke, she no longer sounded uncertain. “You claim to have seen her—no, I’m sorry, them—in the woods, but we haven’t. What were you doing in the forest at night, anyway?”

“I heard a noise, so I followed it. That’s when I saw them.” Ann squared her shoulders. “They were dancing and chanting around a fire. I was lucky to have escaped with my life. With my soul.”

“All the more reason you should be the one to tell the town elders. It was, supposedly, your life on the line.”

“What do you mean, supposedly?”

Abigail crossed her arms. “I wasn’t there, Ann. I can’t give honest testimony.”

Betty looked up at her, brows furrowed. “You can give honest testimony, can’t you, Ann?”

She looked up at the cloudless sky. The bright blue from earlier in the day had dulled to a periwinkle tint. On the horizon, a blazing ball sunk behind leafless limbs of birch and ash. The temperature had already dipped, and when the sun fully set, it would be too cold to stand around. They needed to be home before then, anyway, so she had to move the conversation along. “I resent what you’re both implying. Maybe you aren’t willing to help me because you’re one of them. Makes sense. I thought you’d want to get rid of your father’s evil slave, but perhaps she’s already corrupted you.”

“Tituba?” Tears welled in Betty’s eyes.

“How dare you think such a vile thing about us!” Abigail pressed her palms together as if in prayer and looked up to the heavens.

Ann scowled. “After all my father has done to protect this settlement, you cast aspersions on my family name?”

“Not on your family name, Ann. Not even on you, though I do question your story. If I had heard a disturbance at night, I’d have woken my uncle. It seems… unlikely that you dressed, ran outside, then surreptitiously followed someone into the trees. Then to witness a… a… what? A séance?”

“I didn’t stay to find out, Abigail. I saw Tituba, Sarah Osborne, and… Sarah Good. They were performing some kind of dark ritual, so I ran.”

“Sarah Good? The homeless beggar? She couldn’t afford a weed, let alone herbs necessary for a witch’s brew.”

“I’m sure Tituba stole whatever was necessary from Betty’s father. And I didn’t say they were brewing anything.”

Betty chewed her lip and looked from Ann to Abigail and back.

Abigail sighed. “For the sake of argument, I’ll stipulate all that is true. It still doesn’t answer why you didn’t tell your father.”

Ann smoothed her skirts. “I didn’t want to get punished for leaving the house after dark.”

“Yet you expect us to admit to breaking curfew? Especially when we didn’t?”

“All you have to do is cry out when your parents think you’re asleep, then say the witches hexed you. I don’t understand what’s so difficult about that.”

“I don’t understand why you’re suddenly convinced they’re witches. What did they ever do to you? What are you really up to?”

Abigail was too nosy, her questions too pointed. Ann took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I put my trust in you. I thought you would want to help me fight against the devil, not defend it. Nay, embrace it.”

“Abigail!” Betty cried. “Tell her we’re not witches!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Betty. I’m no more guilty of supporting witchcraft than you are, and Ann knows it. Come on. We’re going home, where I will be telling my uncle of this conversation.”

Their voices grew louder, and a stranger approached. Ann was out of time and needed to get the situation in hand before it spiraled out of her control. She reached out for her friends’ wrists. Clutching them tightly, she pulled the girls to a stop then stared at the woman with a critical eye. Something about her clothes didn’t seem right. Her dress hung a little too perfectly off her slender frame, like the material was a more supple weave than even the finest silks from Boston. She’d love a few frocks like that. Where had that fabric come from? How could she get some for her own dresses? “Who might you be, and from where do you hail?”

“Is that how you greet your elders, young one?”

Her pattern of speech was off. Ann studied her carefully. “You aren’t my elder. I don’t know you at all. It’s a reasonable question.”

“Which query might that be? My identity or my former location?”

A strong sense of familiarity overcame her. Had she met this woman before? Surely, she’d remember someone so odd. “Let us start with your name.”

“I am Mary. I come from Pennsylvania. And you are?”

Ann’s stomach soured. She got the feeling this woman knew exactly who she was. “You may call me Ann.”

“Greetings, Ann. Who are your friends?”

She suspected Mary, if that was her real name, also knew the answer to that question.

The woman offered a small smile. “I suppose I can understand your reticence to answer me. After all, names have power, do they not?”

Abigail gasped.

Ann’s eyebrows arched. “You’re a—”

“I have traveled far, and the purpose of my visit is not yet fulfilled. Perhaps you could help me.”

Betty stepped behind Ann then peeked out from behind her skirts. Abigail closed the distance between them and grasped her cousin’s hand.

Ann lifted her chin, though fear had her legs trembling. “We aren’t supposed to talk to strangers. You can find assistance at the meetinghouse. I’m sure Betty’s father, Reverend Parrish, will be happy to help.”

“Ah, the esteemed Reverend Parrish. I have heard many things about him.”

“My uncle is a great man,” Abigail said. “I have no doubt his reputation is the envy of many in other towns.”

“Oh, his reputation is legendary. As is that of many residents of Salem, like that of Sergeant Thomas Putnam.”

Ann backed up and whispered, “Witch.”

“Is that what you think, Ann Putnam? Or you, Betty Parrish? Or you, Abigail Williams? You think my knowledge of your names and families come from a supernatural place?”

“Where else?” She wanted desperately to flee, but her feet had rooted. Her friends seemed to be following her lead, for they, too, froze.

Perhaps the witch held them against their will. She tried to swallow, but her throat closed.

“What would you say if I told you it is not magic but science that brings me here?”

Ann’s heart pounded so she feared it would burst. “Blasphemy!”

“No. Reality. I know all about you. I know what you’re thinking, what your plans are. What the results will be. It’s not pretty, and history will not treat you kindly. None of you.”

She shook her head. “Your phrases are odd, and you talk of things impossible to know.”

“Witch,” Abigail moaned.

Mary's jaw set. “No. Scientist.”

“Women do not study the sciences.”

“Not in your time, but they do in mine.” She looked at a device on her wrist. A bangle of some sort, with lights and buttons.

Ann’s feet finally obeyed, and she stumbled backward. Without Abigail and Betty behind her, she’d have fallen. “What sorcery do you wield?”

“Again, no sorcery. Science. And I’m almost out of time.” Mary sighed. “You know, I’ve come here before. Many times. I’ve tried to reason with you, tried to trick you. I’ve intervened more than I’m allowed. Hell, I even abducted you once.”

Betty sobbed.

“Don’t worry. It didn’t take. Nothing changed.”

“Changed?” Ann asked. “What are you trying to change?”

“You! You selfish, spoiled girls. Were you bored? Annoyed? Triggered by some slight?”

Abigail shook her head. “This is madness.”

“No, this is an atrocity. I know your plans for tonight. You intend to fake some kind of supernatural fit. You’ll cast damning accusations and set off a chain of events that see twenty-five innocent people die in horrific ways, starting with Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba.”

“Soothsayer,” Betty wailed. “Soothsayers are evil.”

“Not a soothsayer. For God's sake, will you listen to me? I'm a scientist. And I’m out of time. You must not carry out this witch hunt. If you don’t listen to me—”

Then she was gone.

Betty and Abigail shrieked and wrapped their arms around each other.

Ann’s own thudding heart skipped a beat, but she recovered before her friends. Never one to waste an opportunity, she pulled them apart and took their hands. “That Mary… she was one of them. That’s how she knew they’re witches.”

“We have to tell my uncle!” Abigail blinked back tears.

“Or we follow my original plan.”

“That’s not necessary now. We’ve seen it, too, Ann. We don’t have to make up stories or act out possessed fits.”

“Oh? Are you going to tell your uncle that a female scientist accused us of being horrible people then disappeared in front of our eyes?”

Betty wiped tears off her face. “I want to go home. I’ll tell Father whatever you want.”

“Fine.” Abigail turned toward the village. “Whatever gets us out of here.”

Ann smiled. “I’ll tell you exactly what to do.”

###

Mary reappeared in the traveling chamber. She started unfastening the high collar of her gown as she burst through the door to the embarkation theater. Looking up at the observation deck, she yelled, “Well?”

“Which tragedy were you hoping to circumvent?” a technician asked.

“Salem Witch Trials, 1692.”

He checked his tablet then shook his head. “Twenty-five dead.”

At least she hadn't made it worse this time.

Her commander descended the stairs. “You’ve tried five times now, Major. I can’t devote any more resources to it.”

“One more? Please?”

“It’s clearly a critical point. Time won’t bend to your will if an event had had too much impact on the world. If you managed to force it—and I don’t believe you can—you could cost us something greater. Like our independence. The cure for polio. The invention of time travel.”

“I could stop a world war.”

“No, you can’t. We’ve tried that, too, and it never works. The changes we make have to cause only small ripples through the ocean of time. No waves. Definitely no tsunamis.”

“But—”

“That’s enough, Major. One more outburst and you’ll be removed from the program. Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You debrief in one hour. Tomorrow, we attempt Dallas, November 22, 1963.”

Mary raised her eyebrows.

“It’s one death we’re trying to stop, not twenty-five. Maybe that’s one we can reverse.”

She doubted it, but it was worth the try.

Short Story
13

About the Creator

Staci Troilo

Staci's love for writing is only surpassed by her love for family and friends, and that relationship-centric focus is featured in her work, regardless of the genre she's currently immersed in. https://stacitroilo.com

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  2. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  3. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  1. Expert insights and opinions

    Arguments were carefully researched and presented

  2. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  3. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

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Comments (12)

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  • Jacquie Biggarabout a year ago

    I read a story recently with the premise that our lives are preordained, nothing we do can change the course we are set on. Your story gives us a chance to try- well done.

  • D.L. Finnabout a year ago

    Love it, Staci! Yes, if can even save one of those lives, I agree.

  • Teri Polenabout a year ago

    Time travel stories are among my favorites. Wouldn't it be fascinating if this could happen? Sure enjoyed it, Staci!

  • Jan Sikesabout a year ago

    This is a fantastic story, Staci. Oh, if only such tragedies could have been prevented. Great work!

  • Harmony Kentabout a year ago

    Fantastic story, Staci. Gripping and all too believable. Love it 💕🙂

  • Michele Jonesabout a year ago

    Things happen for a reason. They may not be for the good of society, but they are the reason we are who we are. To change one small thing could have a devastating effect.

  • John W. Howellabout a year ago

    A terrific story, Staci. It is obvious the science program is not working well.

  • Joan Hallabout a year ago

    Loved this, Staci. The Salem witch trials have always fascinated me. And you know how I feel about the JFK assassination. Great job!

  • Gwen Planoabout a year ago

    What a great story, Staci. I loved it! If only we all could see the impact of our decisions, we might have a different world - or not. 🎉

  • Priscilla Bettisabout a year ago

    Ooo, that Ann! I was riveted, Staci, awesome story!

  • Mae Clairabout a year ago

    That was a riveting story, Staci. I positively loved it!

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