Till Death Do Us Part

“Nathaniel, where are we going?” Charity looked around frantically as her friend pulled her through the woods near town.

“I do not know.”

“What? What do thou mean? Tho-thou must know where we are going!” She yanked her hand from Nathaniel’s.

“It does not matter where we go, all that is important is we are there together.”

She blushed and he took her hand again, pulling her through the woods and away from Salem. They had been walking for about four minutes and were now well into the woods. The whole time Charity had been able to hear her heart pounding in her ears.

Six minutes into running away, Charity yanked her hand from Nathaniel’s once again. She leaned against a tree, panting.

“Nathaniel, please, let me rest for a while. I am tired.”

“What if-”

“I will not be long, please wait for me.” She looked at him pleadingly.

He only nodded and sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until finally, Nathaniel broke the silence.

“Charity, I do not know where we will go…but when thou and I arrive there, I want thou to-”

He was interrupted by hurried, crashing sounds coming through the woods. The town had come looking for them.

“Charity, go!” Nathaniel clumsily hurried to his feet and helped Charity to hers.

“What about thou?”

“It is more important for thou to be safe.” He pushed her a little farther into the woods.

“Nathan-”

“Run!” He pointed for her to keep going.

“He-he is not coming with me.” She began crying again as she realized this.

“Nathaniel, I love thou!”

“I love thou as well…now go! I will protect thou.”

“Come with me!”

“No. I will tell them the truth, they will forget about thou.”

“What? Nathaniel, what art thou-”

“I am the one that should have been on trial!”

“Wha-wha-what?”

“Go!”

Charity ran farther into the woods, stumbling over tree roots and bushes. Tears were running down her face. She was confused, angry, and heartbroken. The man she loved had lied to her. The man she loved practiced witchcraft. The man she loved was going to die for her.

~

Charity awoke late the next morning. Her face was tearstained, the hem of her dress in tatters, and every inch of her was covered in dirt. She had tripped sometime in the night while she fled Salem and cried herself to sleep.

It wasn’t supposed to end this way. She wasn’t supposed to get accused of things she had never done, Nathaniel wasn’t supposed to lie to her, she wasn’t supposed to run away. She wasn’t supposed to run, not from Nathaniel. They had promised each other, long ago, that the only thing that would ever separate them would be death itself. Their mutual confessions of love the night before had made her remember that promise.

Charity whipped her face off as best she could and scrambled to her feet. As of now, there was no more plan. She started running as fast as she could back toward Salem.

~

Everyone looked at the wide open door of the church in shock. A very disheveled Charity Blackburne stood in the doorway. This was an odd enough sight to draw their attention from the unexpected confession of the preacher’s son.

“Nathaniel!”

“Charity? What art thou doing here? I thought-” Charity crashed into him.

A horrified murmur spread through the assembly and Nathaniel’s whole face turned red. Master Lyttle stood up in outrage.

“This devil child had bewitched my son! She will cause the ruin of this village!”

“Charity, this is not proper! Let, let go!” Nathaniel tried to pry Charity’s arms from around him, but to no avail. Eventually he gave in and hugged her back.

“Nathaniel, have you truly lost thine very soul because of this witch?” An enraged Master Lyttle glared at the couple.

“Charity Blackburne holds my heart, and she may have my soul as well if she will take it.”

A gasp and general murmur distrust ran through the assembly.

~

Weeks had passed since the confession, condemnation, and arrest of Nathaniel Lyttle. Charity had been rearrested with him. Now, here they were, together for the last time. They stood next to each other at the gallows. A look of fear and uneasiness was on Charity’s face, a look off calm peace was on Nathaniel’s. Charity grabbed onto her companion’s hand as the nooses were put around their necks.

There was a loud snap, gasping for air, and finally silence. Then, slowly, the lifeless hands slipped out of the grip that had been so tight in life.