can
do, witch!”
“ I’m not a witch, neither is my mother!”
She nearly told them she was. She nearly revealed all but she
wanted to see her mother again. If she used her power, her mother
would die making sure Cora was saved. She couldn’t even think about
her mother being murdered, let alone watching at the gallows
helpless, unable to stop the inevitable.
“ We shall see about that!” The boy shouted and grabbed
her.
She felt the snap as her body tried to protect her, the wind
tried to push its way out of her attempting to reach the boy. She
reined it in; she couldn’t let them see her this way. She gritted
her teeth as the pressure to hold back her power became too
much.
The three boys pulled her to the small stream that trickled
through the bottom part of their village. On a day like today Cora
knew the water would be freezing cold, it was unfortunate that no
one had ventured out on this slightly chilly evening. She didn’t
know whether anyone would help her or turn aside and act like they
hadn’t witnessed what was about to happen.
She fought with all the commoner strength she dare muster but
the boys were stronger than her.
“ What shall we do with her?” one of the girls
shrieked.
“ We prove that she is human,” another boy said, his tone of
voice indicating he was proud with such a plan.
Before she could shout out for help, the boy pushed her to her
knees and rammed her face into the shallow water.
Cold water consumed her, knocking the air out of her lungs.
She fought against their hold, pushing with all the strength she
had to get air. Her element wouldn’t help her, it was frozen with
fear, fear that she might actually die. Typical that the only time
she actually needed it, it hid away. More hands pushed down on her
body as the edge of her mind blurred with terror. The burn in her
legs, in her arms, tightened as she sucked back the
water.
Her head was lifted and through the ringing in her ears she
could hear their laughter. She gasped for air, coughing as her
lungs went into overdrive. Before she could gather perspective, her
head was pushed back under the water. She couldn’t breathe, she
could only feel the thud of her heart slam against her chest as it
fought to keep going against all odds. Pushing back the fear in her
mind, she realised that there was only one way to get out of
this.
She stopped fighting.
Her heartbeat pounded in her head, her lungs screamed as they
fought for oxygen. The darkness was creeping in taking away the
panic. She could cope with this calmer state if her lungs weren’t
jumping around for air. It was the burning feeling, like her lungs
were on fire, that her heart was fit to burst, this was the hardest
thing to endure.
This was it, the moment she would die. She didn’t fear death,
she never had. If it came for her, it came. There was nothing you
could do about it. You couldn’t stop living life because you didn’t
know when it would end. Before death took her, the weight on her
body disappeared.
She was pushed over onto her back, her face no longer
submerged in the water. Her lungs squeezed, her heart jack knifed
as it fought to drag in air. She coughed and could faintly hear
their laughter over the buzz in her ears. She felt the thud on the
ground as they ran away from her. She lay there letting her tears
mingle with the water in the stream.
9
9 th November 1611
She was sure Jack had heard about her near death experience.
Most of the village had murmured about it. Fortunately, because
she’d given up fighting and had nearly died, the commoners now
believed she was one of them. It was a strange thing to consider
that luck.
If Jack had heard about it he hadn’t come to her, this told
her he didn’t care if she was okay, and the realisation hurt more
than anything, her heart shattered. The small pieces fell like
glass into her stomach. Had he ever loved her? Was he so filled
with hatred that he could switch off his feelings like this?
do, witch!”
“ I’m not a witch, neither is my mother!”
She nearly told them she was. She nearly revealed all but she
wanted to see her mother again. If she used her power, her mother
would die making sure Cora was saved. She couldn’t even think about
her mother being murdered, let alone watching at the gallows
helpless, unable to stop the inevitable.
“ We shall see about that!” The boy shouted and grabbed
her.
She felt the snap as her body tried to protect her, the wind
tried to push its way out of her attempting to reach the boy. She
reined it in; she couldn’t let them see her this way. She gritted
her teeth as the pressure to hold back her power became too
much.
The three boys pulled her to the small stream that trickled
through the bottom part of their village. On a day like today Cora
knew the water would be freezing cold, it was unfortunate that no
one had ventured out on this slightly chilly evening. She didn’t
know whether anyone would help her or turn aside and act like they
hadn’t witnessed what was about to happen.
She fought with all the commoner strength she dare muster but
the boys were stronger than her.
“ What shall we do with her?” one of the girls
shrieked.
“ We prove that she is human,” another boy said, his tone of
voice indicating he was proud with such a plan.
Before she could shout out for help, the boy pushed her to her
knees and rammed her face into the shallow water.
Cold water consumed her, knocking the air out of her lungs.
She fought against their hold, pushing with all the strength she
had to get air. Her element wouldn’t help her, it was frozen with
fear, fear that she might actually die. Typical that the only time
she actually needed it, it hid away. More hands pushed down on her
body as the edge of her mind blurred with terror. The burn in her
legs, in her arms, tightened as she sucked back the
water.
Her head was lifted and through the ringing in her ears she
could hear their laughter. She gasped for air, coughing as her
lungs went into overdrive. Before she could gather perspective, her
head was pushed back under the water. She couldn’t breathe, she
could only feel the thud of her heart slam against her chest as it
fought to keep going against all odds. Pushing back the fear in her
mind, she realised that there was only one way to get out of
this.
She stopped fighting.
Her heartbeat pounded in her head, her lungs screamed as they
fought for oxygen. The darkness was creeping in taking away the
panic. She could cope with this calmer state if her lungs weren’t
jumping around for air. It was the burning feeling, like her lungs
were on fire, that her heart was fit to burst, this was the hardest
thing to endure.
This was it, the moment she would die. She didn’t fear death,
she never had. If it came for her, it came. There was nothing you
could do about it. You couldn’t stop living life because you didn’t
know when it would end. Before death took her, the weight on her
body disappeared.
She was pushed over onto her back, her face no longer
submerged in the water. Her lungs squeezed, her heart jack knifed
as it fought to drag in air. She coughed and could faintly hear
their laughter over the buzz in her ears. She felt the thud on the
ground as they ran away from her. She lay there letting her tears
mingle with the water in the stream.
9
9 th November 1611
She was sure Jack had heard about her near death experience.
Most of the village had murmured about it. Fortunately, because
she’d given up fighting and had nearly died, the commoners now
believed she was one of them. It was a strange thing to consider
that luck.
If Jack had heard about it he hadn’t come to her, this told
her he didn’t care if she was okay, and the realisation hurt more
than anything, her heart shattered. The small pieces fell like
glass into her stomach. Had he ever loved her? Was he so filled
with hatred that he could switch off his feelings like this?
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