Innocent
Sunset.
“I’m innocent! Why don’t you believe me?!” Sarah screamed as she struggled against the people who were leading her into the courtroom. She was being placed on trail for witchcraft. The year was 1692, the date was March 15, and it was eerily cold and rainy outside on what should be a nice spring day.
“Settle down!” The person who had her by her left forearm hissed loudly and she turned to face him.
“You know I’m innocent, William. You know I could never do anything like this! Why are you doing this?!” She pleaded him and he led her over to the bench where she would sit.
“Because Mrs. Albert died day before yesterday and you were the only one within the mile around her! You murdered her, Sarah.” William moved so that he was standing in front of her.
“I didn’t!” She protested softly to herself but then louder to everyone that could hear her. She watched as the judge came in and the room calmed down from the buzzing noises to now just soft whispers as Sarah glanced at William.
“Please. What about me?” She questioned softly and he glared at her.
“I’ll be damned if I let you embarrass me like this! You know exactly what you did!” He nearly shouted and she swallowed back the lump in her throat.
“What about us? What about love, William?!” She begged with tears starting to sting her eyes.
“I could never love a witch…and that’s what you are! You deserve to burn in hell!” William yelled loudly and his hand hit the wooden stand where she was sitting hard.
“Take your seats!” The judge’s voice rang through the now silent room. After the towns people got settled the judge’s eyes landed on Sarah. She was sitting in her seat fiddling with the loose string on her dully colored dress. It seemed to have match the mood and the weather of that day.
“Sarah Lewis! What do you have to say? Did you or did you not murder Mrs. Albert yesterday?!” The judge asked her harshly and she looked up at him briefly and shook her head.
“I had nothing to do with the death of my neighbor!” Sarah’s voice got loud as she stood up but William grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved he back down into her seat on the hard, cold, and wooden bench.
“Liar!” A citizen of the small town of Salem yelled loudly and a look of shock appeared on Sarah’s voice.
“Sentenced to death by hanging! Tonight at Sunset!” The judge loudly stated and the towns people cheered and when Sarah tried to stand up William grabbed her arm and sat her back down. After having her hands tied together with ropes she was finally able to stand up and William roughly led her out of the small room and outside. The sunlight made her flinch, she had been in the dark for hours upon hours this morning.
“You didn’t tell me! I can’t believe I fell in love with a witch! I hope you burn forever!” William raised his voice at Sarah and she continued to walk and held her head high. She knew for a fact that she did not kill Mrs. Albert and no matter what her faith had not gone anywhere. She knew that God would save her.
Sunset came and Sarah Lewis’s final moments came slowly. She awaited her death as she stood on the ground next to the gallows where she would be hung. She knew that it would be quick, her neck would simply snap and then her world would go black.
“Sarah, if you confess now…you can be charged with murder and be in prison instead of being hung.” The judge who had trialed her looked her over and she slowly shook her head, refusing to back down.
“Hang her!” William’s voice came from behind and she turned to glance at her fiance, the one she had fell in love with had now wanted her dead because of a rumor. Sarah had never once practiced witchcraft but they (the townspeople) refused to listen to her. She pleaded and cried but nothing worked. Her eyes met William’s and he looked away, afraid that she would cast a spell on him, a curse even.
Sarah stood on the platform that would soon drop out and her short life would end just a short as it had begun. She bravely watched as the began the ceremony to hang her, she wouldn’t get a burial like the other people. No, she was considered a witch, she would be throw in the crevice with the other bodies that were being hung and then dirt would be thrown on them.
Sarah Lewis’s life ended at exactly seven fifty-seven that evening and William could do nothing but watch. The harsh words that he had said to Sarah had ran through his head. He mouthed them over and over again to himself. He walked up to her lifeless body that was next in line to be cut down.
His hand reached up and fingered the fabric at the end of her dress that she had changed into. It was brightly colored with pink and purple designs on it. She had made it a few weeks earlier and it was her best dress. William frowned and slowly let go of her dress, his life, and everything else in between.
“Settle down!” The person who had her by her left forearm hissed loudly and she turned to face him.
“You know I’m innocent, William. You know I could never do anything like this! Why are you doing this?!” She pleaded him and he led her over to the bench where she would sit.
“Because Mrs. Albert died day before yesterday and you were the only one within the mile around her! You murdered her, Sarah.” William moved so that he was standing in front of her.
“I didn’t!” She protested softly to herself but then louder to everyone that could hear her. She watched as the judge came in and the room calmed down from the buzzing noises to now just soft whispers as Sarah glanced at William.
“Please. What about me?” She questioned softly and he glared at her.
“I’ll be damned if I let you embarrass me like this! You know exactly what you did!” He nearly shouted and she swallowed back the lump in her throat.
“What about us? What about love, William?!” She begged with tears starting to sting her eyes.
“I could never love a witch…and that’s what you are! You deserve to burn in hell!” William yelled loudly and his hand hit the wooden stand where she was sitting hard.
“Take your seats!” The judge’s voice rang through the now silent room. After the towns people got settled the judge’s eyes landed on Sarah. She was sitting in her seat fiddling with the loose string on her dully colored dress. It seemed to have match the mood and the weather of that day.
“Sarah Lewis! What do you have to say? Did you or did you not murder Mrs. Albert yesterday?!” The judge asked her harshly and she looked up at him briefly and shook her head.
“I had nothing to do with the death of my neighbor!” Sarah’s voice got loud as she stood up but William grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved he back down into her seat on the hard, cold, and wooden bench.
“Liar!” A citizen of the small town of Salem yelled loudly and a look of shock appeared on Sarah’s voice.
“Sentenced to death by hanging! Tonight at Sunset!” The judge loudly stated and the towns people cheered and when Sarah tried to stand up William grabbed her arm and sat her back down. After having her hands tied together with ropes she was finally able to stand up and William roughly led her out of the small room and outside. The sunlight made her flinch, she had been in the dark for hours upon hours this morning.
“You didn’t tell me! I can’t believe I fell in love with a witch! I hope you burn forever!” William raised his voice at Sarah and she continued to walk and held her head high. She knew for a fact that she did not kill Mrs. Albert and no matter what her faith had not gone anywhere. She knew that God would save her.
Sunset came and Sarah Lewis’s final moments came slowly. She awaited her death as she stood on the ground next to the gallows where she would be hung. She knew that it would be quick, her neck would simply snap and then her world would go black.
“Sarah, if you confess now…you can be charged with murder and be in prison instead of being hung.” The judge who had trialed her looked her over and she slowly shook her head, refusing to back down.
“Hang her!” William’s voice came from behind and she turned to glance at her fiance, the one she had fell in love with had now wanted her dead because of a rumor. Sarah had never once practiced witchcraft but they (the townspeople) refused to listen to her. She pleaded and cried but nothing worked. Her eyes met William’s and he looked away, afraid that she would cast a spell on him, a curse even.
Sarah stood on the platform that would soon drop out and her short life would end just a short as it had begun. She bravely watched as the began the ceremony to hang her, she wouldn’t get a burial like the other people. No, she was considered a witch, she would be throw in the crevice with the other bodies that were being hung and then dirt would be thrown on them.
Sarah Lewis’s life ended at exactly seven fifty-seven that evening and William could do nothing but watch. The harsh words that he had said to Sarah had ran through his head. He mouthed them over and over again to himself. He walked up to her lifeless body that was next in line to be cut down.
His hand reached up and fingered the fabric at the end of her dress that she had changed into. It was brightly colored with pink and purple designs on it. She had made it a few weeks earlier and it was her best dress. William frowned and slowly let go of her dress, his life, and everything else in between.