Witch Hunt

This is a frightening tale of Witches and angry mobs!

Many centuries ago, when men were far more superstitious of the occult and its many dark secrets; a lot of people were petrified of female spell casters, otherwise known as Witches. The myths spread far and wide across England and America, tales of old hags with pointy hats, abducting children, casting despicable curses and flying on broomsticks. Oh, it may seem so silly and laughable now, but back then; it was very much a serious threat! However, whether or not you believe in the occult, there is a very real tragedy behind these true tales. That is, of the wrongly accused! Those innocent poor women who were hunted down and tortured or killed, because many believed them to be devil worshippers or Witches themselves. The following is a tale, although fictional, is entirely based around these dreadful events. That of a Witch Hunt within the American town of Salem, Massachusetts, during the year of 1692.

Her name was Julia Benzie and she had a loving husband, Johnson, and two daughters; one of them, named Elizabeth, fell mysteriously ill one morning. Back then, medical practice was very limited and a common cold meant certain death to many. So, in utter desperation, Julia sacrificed her soul in search of a medicine of supernatural origin. There was a myth of an old witch, a crooked old hag who had a long nose and green skin, who lived far from the village in the middle of the forest. Although Johnson kept Julia's plans a secret, townsfolk soon spotted her in and out of the forests, carrying seemingly random belongings of Elizabeth's. This ranged from shoes, dresses and even pieces of her hair. Julia spent weeks searching for this mysterious witch, but she was nowhere to be found. It was evidently a pure myth, a fictional tale to scare off children, which had escalated into rumour and belief among the easily deceived. However, in Julia's search, an unwanted consequence soon emerged. Everyone soon began to believe that Julia was actually the legend herself, or at the very least, it became obvious that she was involved in the world of dark magic. So townsfolk gathered in angry mobs, hunting the poor woman down. Julia and her sick daughter had fled to the forests, while Johnson stayed at home, desperately trying to miss lead the angry villagers from finding her. Sadly, Elizabeth died within those forests, her cold body was found not far from her crying mother, who was attempting to drown herself in a river nearby. Unfortunately the witch hunters caught up to her first, she was soon sentenced to death by witch burning as the townsfolk celebrated her death. Nobody can truly determine if the witch of the forests was a real entity or not, but the tragedy of Julia and her daughter, Elizabeth, is horrifying enough.

Thankfully we live in a modern time where people are less likely to accuse women of witch craft, over a silly miss-understanding, nowadays this would never escalate to murder. However, that does not necessarily mean Witch craft no longer exists. Depending on how open you are to occult belief, the threat of strange women in dark forests might still be something to be aware of. Many still claim to have been cursed, even to this very day. So maybe it's best to always be cautious when encountering such madness. You never what mysterious and evil people may be hiding in the dark. Tales of Hanzel and Gretel also come to mind, of seemingly friendly Witches who lure children into their dens, only to be eaten. Although that is a fairytale, it is believed Witches can also seduce young men by making themselves look pretty, young and desirable. These types of Witches are predators, stalking those they see as weak and easily tricked. So, if you ever find a strange, yet beautiful woman in the darkest, most remote forests. Luring you in with candy or a cheeky kiss. Then you'll be wise to turn the other way and run!