Burning the witches
It started with a windstorm that brought down the house of the magistrate. Then a flood took out the crops of two local merchants. Two young children fell into a well and were drowned. Then Parson Brown took ill.
The womenfolk of the town immediately took up the cry. “Witches are among us!” they declared. “The devil’s own have come to our village! ‘Tis the work of witches! We must act immediately or it will go all the worse for us!!”
There wasn’t a known practicing witch within a hundred mile radius of the village, much less anyone capable of the mischief blamed upon their ilk. Nevertheless, the matriarchs of the community could not be dissuaded from their claims. Therefore a dragnet was immediately undertaken for the purpose of snaring every witch in the surrounding countryside. The targets: any suspicious female who was unknown or a relative newcomer, especially those who were not viewed favorably or who were suspected of immoral behavior!
Little bands of townsfolk immediately went out, rounding up any and all females who lived alone or in groups of twos and threes. There were protests of innocence of course, but there was no mercy to be shown. The women of the town had been riled up into a panic and were not about to have their minds changed on the matter!!
For some reason they singled out mostly the young and attractive, no doubt fearful these lusty wenches might prey upon their menfolk. So they were gathered up from the countryside and then herded into a storeroom just off the village square. Dorothy and Aneeqa were included among them, especially since it was suspected they were guilty of immoral behavior with several of the husbands of the village!
There was much fear and trepidation in the storeroom amongst the captives contained within. Aneeqa and Dorothy made it their purpose to console the others as best they could. But deep down they had already deduced what fate had in store for them. However they spoke not a word of it to anyone for fear of alarming the others even more.
By the evening of the 30th just over a dozen innocent women had been gathered up to be held captive in the storeroom. The villagers then met in the town hall to discuss the disposition of the woman they had rounded up. A decision was made by a majority faction to burn them all… and to burn them alive!
A small handful of townsfolk were uncomfortable with the decision, suspecting they had only succeeded in rounding up women who were innocent and were simply not as well known among the villagers. Some were suspected of immoral behavior; although certainly not deserving of death! But they dared not raise their voices in disagreement lest they be accused accordingly and suffer a similar fate. So they remained silent on the matter, ashamed of their cowardice as they sought to protect their own lives.
The townsfolk believed the last day of the month would be appropriate for delivering the village from the curse that had seemingly befallen it! How fitting that the devil’s own day would be used against him!! So it was decided to burn every last witch the next evening on All Hallow’s Eve!!
The next morning a little food was delivered to the women in the storeroom. Several of them proclaimed their innocence and asked to be set free, only to learn they had all been condemned to death by burning, sentence to be carried out later that day. Understandably there was great wailing and mourning. The news did not come as a shock to Dorothy and Aneeqa who did their best to bring what little comfort they could to the others.
A lone cart arrived by mid-afternoon and the women were systematically taken out in twos and threes. Dorothy and Aneeqa were forced to wait their turn as others were taken away ahead of them. The agony of knowing the cart would soon be coming for them was almost more than they could bear!
After several trips the cart finally came for them, much too soon for their piece of mind! They were imprisoned within its confines as they were taken through the center of the village to a place on the outskirts of the community. There they saw the women they had been incarcerated with being tied in two rows to wooden posts with great piles of wood and timber being placed around each base they stood upon!
There was much wailing and great sorrow, including many protestations of innocence! But there was no mercy to be found anywhere among the villagers. There were many cries of “You will burn this evening, witch!” and “Weep only for yourself, you accursed thing of the devil!” In fact it seemed like the women of the village were more enthusiastic for the burnings than the menfolk!
Dorothy immediately got the shakes as they were taken down the row to her position. There were posts on either side of the lane with frightened women being secured to their doom as they begged for their lives. She became more anxious, knowing she was to be burned to death along with the others. But at the same time she found herself becoming shamefully aware of the start of a blossoming of something wet and pleasurable down in her loins.
She did not resist as a couple of men took her to a vacant post. After all, what purpose would it serve to put up a struggle?? She had been condemned with the others and she could tell by seeing the faces of the determined matrons of the village there would be no sympathy bestowed upon any of them!
She watched with growing desperation as they started to take her companion over to the next post in line. That’s when Aneeqa interrupted them with the words, “Wait! I will die with my friend!”
“So be it!” one of the matrons cackled mercilessly at her. “Then you will burn together as witches!” Dorothy smiled appreciatively at her companion, feeling some small comfort knowing she would not be going into that great beyond alone.
As she and Aneeqa were bound to their post she watched as the lone cart was taken back to fetch those who remained in the storeroom. A few minutes later it returned with the last of the women contained within. The pair were taken out and secured to the last of the posts on either side of the path so they could look at each other. Dorothy could only tremble with fright as her disturbing arousal increased.
“They are prepared!” the mayor of the village declared with great satisfaction when the last of the girls had been bound to their posts. “They will all burn when the moon lifts its face into the sky!” His elderly wife stood next to him, smiling with a great sense of satisfaction.
Dorothy looked over at him and she couldn’t help smiling at the memory of their most recent encounter together. “Is this how it is to be?” she called out to him with a devilish grin. “Am I to receive no last moments of pleasure from your loins as I have these many months? And you would deny my friend as well?” If she was to burn, why not enjoy teasing those who had cowardly condemned them all.
“Silence!” he bellowed, his face turning red. Then he hefted a branch and pointed it at them. “You witches will burn for the curse you have brought to this village; of that I am certain!”
“We have brought no curse!” Dorothy called back defiantly. “I think we will burn simply because your wife does not like it when you stop by for a visit late at night, love!” Despite her predicament Aneeqa had to quietly chuckle along with several other villagers who had overheard the remarks.
The mayor’s face went ashen and then turned beet red. “Silence!” he bellowed. “You are witches and you will burn!”
“We are no more witches than your wives and daughters!” Dorothy declared, looking around accusingly at the women of the village. “In fact I daresay there are witches among us who have yet to be bound!” Indeed, several in attendance had certainly acted in a manner unbecoming for a wife or daughter!
There was a gasp of horror as several of the women started chittering nervously. If this thing got out of hand there could be even more accusations… perhaps many more burnings!! But the mayor was having none of it!
“For this insolence you will burn now!” he proclaimed! Then he waved around and demanded, “Torches! Bring the torches and set the fires!”
“Very clever, love,” Aneeqa responded mockingly to her friend. “Are you in that much of a hurry to be warmed from the cool of the evening?”
“They will burn us anyway, the hypocrites,” Dorothy responded with a wry smile. “This way they know we understand why they have chosen us… why perhaps they have chosen all of us!” A glance around at the other doomed wenches confirmed it was possible the men of the village had been in the company of more than just Dorothy and Aneeqa.
The torches came out and two of the male villagers started at the end of the rows furthest away from Dorothy and Aneeqa. The women on those ends began to mourn and wail as their pyres were lit. Then the men carrying the torches moved up to the next ones in line.
There were six posts on either side – twelve altogether! Dorothy and Aneeqa stood bound together at the fifth in their row! They knew the moment of their passing from this earth was at hand and they both began to tremble anew as the torches drew nearer!!
The pyres under the second woman on each side were set ablaze… and then the third! It was taking some time for the fire to reach each frightened damsel!! Dorothy realized they would all be set ablaze before the flames would begin to consume the bodies down at the far end of the rows!! Thusly that would grant them the horror of watching each girl start to burn ahead of them, knowing that death would soon be coming for them as well!
Soon the pyres under the fourth woman on either side of the lane were lit. Dorothy could only watch in absolute horror, knowing she and Aneeqa were next in line!! She was unbelievably wet down below and she simply could not stop trembling! Then it was their turn!!
The man with the torch came to their pyre next. But the mayor snatched his torch away, wanting to do the task himself. “And now you will burn!” he told them both with great satisfaction.
Dorothy could not help herself and she cackled with glee. “I burn with lust for your member inside me one last time, mayor!” she called out defiantly.
His wife reacted in horror at the proclamation of his apparent infidelity and she nearly fainted dead away. But Dorothy’s words incensed the mayor. “BURN THEM NOW!” he roared as he lit their pyre.
Dorothy gasped and shuddered, nearly screaming in orgasm the moment the flames took hold of the timber below them. “We’re in for it now, love,” Aneeqa gasped anxiously. Dorothy nodded, her eyes wide, her body trembling from a very great and shameful arousal.
She desperately looked all around as though salvation might materialize from out of nowhere. But most of the villagers stared at them with a cold, hard gaze. The hesitant ones – those who knew they were innocent – could not look them in the eye and were forced to turn away.
“It will burn his conscience… and that of his wife,” Dorothy declared quietly… although it was more out of hope and vengeance than anything else. It was small consolation.
The last pyre on the end was lit and Dorothy watched the poor girl next to them start to cry out. Then she started to hear screams down on the other end of the rows. Smoke was now drifting up around the first of the victims.
She stared in horror, her body trembling like mad! The fate of those poor girls would soon be her own! Even now she could feel the warmth from the flames below them!
There were more screams as more of the young women began to cry out in terror. The flames looked like they were taking a long time to get going. But there was no doubt each and every girl accused of witchcraft was now feeling the warmth from the object of her demise!
“Does the night air make you chilly, witches?” one of the matrons called out. “You will soon be warm now, I’ll wager!”
‘No warmer than you will be when you face your Maker for this atrocity!’ Dorothy thought bitterly. The fires were intensifying and she could hear the flames crackling with hunger… hunger to consume human flesh!!
The sun was just dropping below the tree line when the girls in the first lit pyres began to shriek. Dorothy shuddered from a shameful stirring as the flames began to lick at their simple peasant garments. Why was this horrific display turning her on so?
“Oh bloody hell!” Aneeqa gasped as she began struggling against the bonds that held her to the post. It was getting warmer and warmer, the flames searching them out. Dorothy was numb with horror… numb with a shameful arousal!!
The next two girls in the parallel rows began to shriek as the flames intensified. The others were forced to watch in utter horror, some pleading for their lives while others prayed to their Maker. That’s when Dorothy detected the voices of the vindictive villagers. They were chanting…
“Burn witches; burn! Burn witches; burn!”
It was a low chant… cold and merciless, bereft of sympathy. It was a distinctly feminine chant. But soon there were male voices that joined in…
“Burn witches; burn! Burn witches; burn!”
The first of the victims in each row were screaming and thrashing about now, the flames leaping up all around them. The second of the girls in each row were just now beginning to feel the flames. Those in the third position were coughing from the smoke as they wriggled and thrashed about. Dorothy and Aneeqa could only watch in abject horror, the former strangely becoming more and more excited!!
The sun was down but there was still light in the sky as the first pyres became consumed with flames! There were inhuman screams as shapes within the fires jerked about. There were significant puffs of flame as their hair caught fire and began to burn on their heads. But by then the girls in the second position were dancing and thrashing about in a futile effort to avoid the heat and the flames.
Dorothy watched with wild, frightened eyes. It was horrifying beyond belief… and now she thought she could smell the distinct odor of charred human flesh. She and her companion Aneeqa writhed helplessly from the growing flames of their funeral pyre.
By now the screams of the girls in the third position were piercing the night air, joining the screams of the girls adjacent to them. But the cries of the two at the beginning of each row had finally been silenced. Their pyres burned brightly and there was no evidence that any living being was still alive within those mighty flames leaping up into the sky.
The girl next to them began to cry out as her flames got higher. Dorothy and Aneeqa were already coughing from the smoke. But for some reason Dorothy wanted to perish from the flames and not from lack of fresh air! She could not explain why; it was simply her desire!
Now the flames in the second pyres in the two rows had matched the flames of the first. The girls in the third positions were writhing and screaming and struggling as the flames hungrily devoured their simple attire. Then there were two distinct puffs as their heads lit up, the fire consuming the hair upon their heads.
The girls in the fourth pyres were crying and screaming now, having witnessed their deaths reflected back to them from the girls who had gone before. Dorothy and Aneeqa could feel the flames leaping up all around them, hungrily licking out for their garments. Once those were set ablaze it would only be a matter of time!
The fires made the dusk of evening into the bright light of day as each pile of timber became consumed by the growing flames. Dorothy anxiously wriggled around, instinctively struggling against her bonds. When she turned to look she saw the last girl in line watching them, a look of utter horror in her features.
The girl next to them – the fourth in line – was now fully enveloped. Dorothy heard a dying scream before the shape consumed by the flames began to crumple. Then she heard more screams… screams that sounded maddeningly close. The screams were coming out of her mouth, coming from both her and Aneeqa as their flames rose higher!!
With a whoosh their garments were set ablaze. Dorothy and Aneeqa screamed and screamed, thrashing against the bonds that held them to their post as the fire hungrily consumed them. A moment later Dorothy was dimly away of a sudden whoosh of flames that consumed the lovely golden tresses on her head. Then she heard the screams of the girl next to them, the last girl in line. Her body was now ablaze with fire!
The flames crackled hungrily, drowning out the villagers’ chants of “Burn witches; burn! Burn witches; burn!” Dorothy screamed and screamed until she couldn’t scream anymore. She was dimly aware she had experienced the pleasure a woman feels when a man’s member deposits its seed deep inside her. Then she was aware of nothing at all as blessed oblivion finally claimed her.
It was not long until 12 immense, flaming pyres illuminated the outskirts of the village. The chants died off as the ravenous fires roared skyward. Then the townsfolk backed away from the overwhelming heat of their merciless actions.
All of the sudden a frightened female voice screamed, “THERE BE WITCHES HERE!!! HEAVEN HELP US!!” The villagers began to look all around in confusion and alarm. Then a log exploded from the intense flames. Another one popped a minute later and it was enough to send the terrified townsfolk fleeing in all directions.
Fear had set in… fear and paranoia.
Now it would not be long before there would be more burnings. And the population of the village would soon begin to diminish dramatically…
(written for Dorothy and Aneeqa Oct 30 ’13 by riwa)
(The manipulations are provided for illustration purposes only.)