Middle School Flash Fiction Winner: "Salem" by Alaiyah Orjuela-Beltran
Salem
by Alaiyah Orjuela-Beltran
Belle watched as her world crumbled in front of her...Those wretched men of her town, dragging the one Belle loved the most. Those rotten men dragged Belle and Anne away from the townhouse and through the woods to the “hanging” tree. Anne was the one who was by her side from the beginning. Her most beloved Anne... Now her hands were bound behind her back. Belle felt helpless and she yelled for the men to let Anne go.
The people of her town soon flooded around the large tree. It was far away from the rest of the town, although that didn’t matter to anyone at this point. That cruel, wretched mob began chanting and roaring for the poor girls to confess. Belle looked over at Anne.
Weeping, Anne apologized to Belle. Closing her eyes, Anne confessed out loud to being a “witch.”
“I, Anne Hatte, confess to being a witch. I danced with him, I walked his rotten ways, I struck a deal with the devil!”
Belle could not believe what she heard.
Anne continued. “I clouded the mind of Belle Alcott. She is innocent. I clouded her mind with my corrupt ways.”
Belle couldn’t believe Anne was spouting these lies.
“NO! Please, Anne...! Don’t lie, tell them the truth! You are not a witch...” Belle was shrieking so the crowd could hear her deny Anne’s lies.
One of the men who was holding Belle back covered her mouth with his rough, fat hands.
“Hang the witch!” the crowd roared.
Shaking her head Anne smiled one, last time as she finally mouthed her goodbyes. Anne struggled against the ropes that lifted her body higher and closer to the branch it was strung up on. Belle screamed and continued to fight, yelling for her friend, before collapsing to her knees. There she could see Anne’s body hanging limp.
She looked like a doll simply swaying and blowing in the howling wind.
The crowd spread out and began to slowly disperse, satisfied that their job here was done.
Belle could finally run up to embrace Anne. She couldn't believe that the one she had loved, the one she cherished with her entire soul ... was gone; ripped away from her, due to those horrible monsters. They weren't even humans anymore to Belle. She was furious; but she carefully and softly caressed Anne's pale face once more. Belle did not want to let her friend go. Anger and love were at war inside her.
This was Belle’s breaking point.
In her mind she tried to make reason out of what just happened. “Why hang an innocent person for the accusation of being a witch?!” Blinded by her fury, Belle stumbled her way through the woods. She sat on the damp ground, the silver moonlight fighting its way through the thick leaves of the tall and strong trees all around her.
With a willful mind, she thought: "Fine. If they want a witch, they'll get one. They’ll pay. They’ll all pay.”
This would not be the end.