Page 10 of Damnation (Gallows Hill)

Chapter Eight

Thomas

I find myself unable to take my mind off Sarah.

She wholly occupies my mind and all my heart desires.

I wish nothing more than to be by her side now as spring draws near.

The preparations have been made, our time is growing near.

Two more Sundays and the journey shall be more favorable for young Dorothy as well as Sarah in her condition.

Her belly grows by the day, as does my joy.

She believes it to be a little girl and was worried that would displease me.

Maybe at times it would, but not with her, nothing with her could ever bring me anything but happiness.

Instead of preparing my fresh start, tidying up my affairs, or sneaking in a few more minutes with my beloved, I am here, in the town’s meetinghouse, where we are finally interrogating Tituba for her crimes against Parris’s daughter and niece.

He has been beside himself with anger, desperate to try her for her wrongdoing, but it had taken time to assemble everyone for a proper interrogation in the dead of winter.

Jonathon Corwin calls attention to the room before the jailer brings in Tituba.

Her ankles and wrists are shackled, her feet bare, and her face lacking any real emotion as she stares at each one of us assembled in the meetinghouse.

When her eyes land on me, goosebumps appear across my skin, and I do not like it at all.

“Tituba, I think you ought know why you have been taken under arrest,” Corwin begins.

“I know what you all try to besmirch my name with,” she agrees.

“Are you saying it is not the truth Reverend Parris speaks?” John Hathorne asks from the corner of the room.

“Liar! She is a liar and an enchantress! Can you not all see? The culture she brings to our pure village, it tarnishes our life, our children. I place the blame on my own household for allowing it here this long. We must purge Salem of this evil at once!” Parris exclaims, jumping to his feet as murmurs echo in the room.

“Tituba?” Hathorne asks, directing his attention to the woman in question instead of our impassioned reverend.

“I have never caused the shaking fits of Miss Betty.”

“But is thou a witch? Does thou perform witchcraft? Is your loyalty to the Devil himself, or Jesus Christ?” My brother intervenes from my right.

Tituba sets her sights onto my brother, that same hollow look upon her face as she takes him in and shakes her head.

“I do not accept your notions of religion, for they go against my own.”

“Do you hear that? She rejects our lord and savior! She is evil incarnate!” Parris begins again.

I frown at her words, as do many of the others, as Hathorne continues his interrogations.

“You reject the Church, but you are not a witch? Is that what you speak?”

“I do not claim such title,” she speaks cryptically.

Hathorne’s patience wanes as he glances to the guard, nodding his head.

In the next moment, a club is pulled from beside him as he hits her across the back.

She cries out in pain, falling to the floor as he strikes her again and again.

The scent of blood fills the meetinghouse, sickening my stomach with each blow, before Hathorne makes a ceasing motion with his hand.

The guard hauls a bloody Tituba to her feet, face to face with Hathorne as he speaks.

“I grow tired of your games. Speak truth in this moment, does thou practice magic?”

She remains silent for a moment before a sickening smile spreads across her face, blood spilling down her lip as she speaks.

“I do.”

“She admits it! Straight to the Gallows with you! Jailer, take her immediately to Gallows Hill,” Parris begins.

I rest my hand onto his arm, attempting to settle him. His eyes turn to me with outrage, but ‘tis enough to keep him silent as Corwin speaks.

“Agreed. We have no room in our perfect new world for the likes of you. Your evil may have originated elsewhere, but it will soon die as it ought.”

The jailer begins to take Tituba away as an evil laugh bubbles through her chest.

“Hang me at the Gallows, I have little care, but your troubles are far from over.”

“What does thou mean?” I sneer.

Tituba’s devilish smile turns to my own as she shakes her head, her lips sealed. Unrest begins stirring amongst the men as chatter rises.

“Does she mean there are more witches? In Salem?”

“Surely not!”

“Bring in the girls!” another exclaims.

Corwin attempts to control the room, but it is hardly successful. Glancing to Parris, he nods his agreement. I hear Parris curse beneath his breath, a thing I have never heard escape my friend’s mouth as he storms out of the meetinghouse to fetch his kin.

When I turn back to face the room, I find Tituba’s eyes on me once more, that evil grin with a curious glint in her eyes. It unnerves me immensely, though I do not allow it to show.

Within the hour, Parris is back, accompanied by young Betty and Abigail, who look sickly and disturbed, visibly shaking when they enter the same room as their assumed tormentor.

“Girls, what treatment have ye experienced?” Corwin asks them.

They look fearful as their eyes bounce around the room.

“We have been bitten and pinched!” Abigail cries.

“And tortured as well!” Betty agrees.

“By whom?” Hathorne asks.

“Tituba, of course!” Betty exclaims.

“Anyone else?” Parris asks. “We have reason to believe of others in Salem, think long on it. Who else torments thee?”

The girls exchange looks and softened whispers before Parris presses on.

“For all to hear! Who torments you?”

“Tituba, Sarah Osborne, and Sarah Good!”

Outrage flies around the room as I feel my heart cease beating. My whole body goes numb and cold before I jump to my feet.

“Outrageous! Where are the facts of your claims? How do we know they have not pulled these names from thin air? Brothers, we must tread carefully with accusations of such.”

“What say you all the same?” Corwin challenges. “We may be dealing with an issue greater than one or three witches, Putnam. Do you have any proof or fact to soil the claims of these victims?”

I want to say yes, to tell them my Sarah would never hurt another.

She is quiet and impoverished with a sad excuse of a husband.

She is not well liked because of him and the things he forces her to do, yet none of this means she is evil.

She loves God as I do. She loves her daughter, her town.

She is no more a witch than I, but I ought know better than to speak such things nor raise suspicions.

“We need to examine them too!” my brother exclaims, casting me a suspicious look as others cheer in agreement.

My eyes widen in panic at the idea of such, but I remain calm and steady as I agree.

“Let us gather them at once and examine for truth. Just as you speak, Corwin, if the claims are true, who is to say it ends with three? All of Salem may be in danger of purgatory if we do not move with haste.”

Corwin nods, as does Hathorne.

“Go forth, gather the two women and bring them at once. We shall hold a town meeting this Sunday.”

“I will collect Osborne, her shop lay beside my tavern,” Ingersoll says.

“I will accompany thee.” Parris nods.

“I shall collect Good,” I volunteer.

“Then I too shall accompany you, brother,” Edward speaks.

I lower my voice for us two only.

“That need not be necessary. I can manage such matters.”

“I have no doubt in that, brother, but I shall accompany you regardless.”

My eyes shoot daggers towards him, but I make haste out the door before others should try to follow.

When I suggested to bring them in, my first thought was to grab Sarah and run.

Hide her in the woods if I must until nightfall.

Edward has made this matter all the more complicated now, and I’m not so sure of what my actions will be next.

My boots crush the dirt beneath me as I all but run to the Good home. Edward is quick to keep beside me, his words harsh and brash.

“Whatever is the hurry? Surely, she is not going anywhere.”

“I want justice for Salem and security at once,” I speak, not turning around to look him in the eye.

He does not respond, though I know that is trouble. Edward surely always has something on his mind, and when he remains silent, it is when the thoughts run rampant in his head.

My heart plummets when we arrive at the Good house to see Sarah and Dorothy out front. They are laughing, spinning in circles filled with joy. I so wish she had been away.

They both notice me, Sarah’s smile on me for a moment before it drops at the sight of Edward.

“Mr. Putnam and Mr. Putnam,” she greets.

“You need to come with me, Mrs. Good. Now,” I say, attempting to sound as authoritative as possible.

Fear flashes upon her features as she tucks Dorothy behind her.

“Whatever for?”

“There are claims against you. You are required to appear before the town this Sunday,” Edward speaks.

“Claims?” she asks as her husband steps outside.

“What is the meaning of your trespass?” he slurs, his stance wavering as he does.

The drunk arse is worse off than I ever knew. The stories Sarah has told me ignite my soul with a burning anger that will only have relief when William Good is cold and rotting beneath the earth. I do not have a moment to channel any ire to him. Instead, I have only one to think of.

“Witchcraft,” Edward says, startling William. “Your wife has been accused of bewitching two young girls. We’ve been sent to fetch her for examination.”

William turns to face Sarah, rearing back his hand to deliver a blow to her face. I do not allow it, though. I step in between them, catching his arm easily as I toss it to the side.

“You shall not touch her. She is needed in town. You may be allowed visitations after she is seen.”

Like hell I would allow such things.

William scoffs. “Why would I want to see her? Take her from my sight, banish her, hang her for all I care. Devil woman, curse of my life!” he shouts, spitting at her feet.

I turn to face Sarah, who has gone white in the face. She turns to run, and I make no effort to grab her. Unfortunately, Edward does. He sees her eagerness to flee and grabs her up in the next moment.

“NO! Let me go! ‘Tis a lie! I am but innocent! Nooo!” she screams as Edward hauls her towards the road.

My heart cracks in half at the sounds of her screams as little Dorothy chases after them.

“Mama! Mama!”

I stop her quickly, kneeling down to speak to her.

“Please, do not follow us, Dorothy. Everything will be as it should. I promise.”

She looks up at me, tear filled eyes so full of fear. I have yet to spend time with this child, though I have promised Sarah to care for her like my own. In this moment, she feels more like my own than any of my real children do.

“Stay, please. I will take care of us,” I say softly, only for her little ears.

She looks confused at my words but nods as she watches Edward carry on, hauling her mother down the road. I hurry after them, casting Dorothy one last look as tears pour down her sweet face.

Once I catch up to them, I pull Sarah from Edward’s grasp immediately. Edward attempts to steal her from me as I shove him away. He looks at me with outrage.

“What is the matter, brother? Want the witch all to yourself?”

I sneer at him, tightening my hold on her.

“That be enough out of you. There be only claims had, no proof. We were sent to collect for examination. That is it.”

Edward mutters something beneath his breath that I cannot quite make out. I do not pay him any mind either as I look to Sarah, allowing us to walk ahead of Edward so we may speak to one another.

“What is going on, Thomas? I’m frightened.”

“You have nothing to be frightened of. The Parris girls have made claims against a few. Your innocence will shine through.”

She swallows roughly, her limbs shaking in my hold as we continue down the road. God, please let this nonsense be put to rest. I know not what Corwin or Hathorne have planned, but I pray it is quick, easy, and allows Sarah and I to escape this village in one piece. Together.