Season of the Witch Fanfiction

"Anna Speaks"

Hello. My name is Anna. I was birthed in the town of Birmingham, England on March 15. As a young girl I was very quiet and secluded. My parents and siblings always complained that I was too quiet and I should interact more with the people around me. But, as shy a girl as I was and still am, it was hard for me to strike up conversations with others. Having bonds with and friendships was never a point of interest of mine. I preferred to sit alone and daydream about getting married someday. When I started growing into a woman, I started to appreciate the company of friends. But I never could stay long with any friends that I met. My father was a merchant, so my family traveled a lot. It wasn't the life I would've chosen; I don't like moving from place to place constantly. As soon as I thought I'd finally settled in a village, my father starts moving again! I never had my own space, either; you'd think that a single daughter with two elder brothers would have different rooms. But, no, I was forced to share a room with my brothers. They were always so immature; playing jokes on each other and such. I hoped that my future husband wouldn't act the way my brothers did. My mother was the most beautiful person in my eyes. Long flowing hair, deep blue eyes, and a face that one would mistake to be that of a goddess'. She taught me housework and medicine, and also exploits that girls usually were not allowed, horseback riding and the bow and arrow. I did have daydreams where my mother was a heroine who would save me in my time of need. Yes, life for me was difficult and otherwise unexciting; but despite this, I was content, perhaps even happy.

But I can remember ever so clearly about how my life became a nightmare…

It was 3 months after I had turned 16. My family and I had settled into a small village outside of London. But I didn't feel welcome in the village. The people there always stared at me as if I was some kind of wicked creature. One man even held a cross to me when I went to rent horses. I told my father that I wanted to leave, but he said that they were trying to get a rise out of me. If they were just trying to offend me, they were succeeding. But why would everyone just choose to mock me? I did have one friend, though. A girl named Juliana. I had met her the day after my family had arrived. She was my age and had long, black hair. She said when she had seen me she felt an interesting atmosphere around me. I envied her; she was fearless. But, after a while, even she started to avoid me. "Why have you been dodging me lately?" I asked her, and she said she didn't want to be friends anymore. I was crushed. After that, I never left my home. For days on end I cried and cried. Why, God? I asked, Why are you letting this happen to me? But things were about to get much worse.

Before long, an epidemic struck the village. People were getting deathly ill. My mother was the first in my family to catch the virus. She couldn't get out of bed, so I had to take care of her day and night. After 2 weeks of sickness, she died. I felt my world breaking apart. Soon my father and two brothers had gotten sick as well, all dying. Then I was completely alone. Why didn't I get the sickness? I asked myself. I felt something pierce my insides; it stung like nothing I had felt before. Like something with large claws digging into me. Then I saw Him. A demon from Hell. He stared at me with a glare that poisoned me. "You are such a fragile soul." He told me, "It was easy for me to creep into you." I couldn't believe what I was hearing! All this time the villagers had been looking at me like I was a demon, when there was an actual demon living inside of me! He told me His name was Jarai and told me to remember it well. He admitted to starting the epidemic, which the people had renamed "The Black Death". He laughed at me. I felt my mind go blank, my head go heavy, my body go numb. I had to get away. I hoped that if I left the village, He would be tied to it. So, I got a horse and left. But, much to my dismay, He didn't go away. Wherever I went, Jarai followed me, and with Him, he brought the Black Death. I began to understand that he was fixated on my soul, not a place. But I continued to travel the lands in hopes that someone could help me.

The more He stayed with me, the more He began to take over my very disposition. I started acting like a completely different person. He made me utter curses and spiteful rites that hurt the people around me. I tried my hardest to rebel against Him, but He would not let me. He was far too strong for me to withstand.

It was until I was 18 that the Church arrested me for witchcraft. In a sense I was relieved; I thought maybe someone would help me. But there would be no one helping me. I was to be put to death for worshiping Satan Himself. This can't be happening! I don't want to die! I started to lose hope. I was thrown into a cell in a dungeon near the underground of a Church, where I was beaten and raped.

I prayed to God that someone would come and save me. And it seemed God had heard me, for the fourth night of my arrest, two men, that I learned were ex-Crusaders, were also imprisoned. One of them, whom I learned was named Beheman, seemed to be sympathetic of me. The other, named Felson, seemed to only gaze at my features. The next morning, they said they would take me to an abbey, called Severac. There monks would "destroy my powers and stop the Black Death". But there was one catch, that I would be given a fair trial. Fair trial? I doubted it. When did a woman ever have a fair trial? Their wish was accepted. Jarai didn't seem to take pleasure in that.

I was put in a cage that was latched to horses. With Beheman and Felson, I was accompanied by Debelzeq, a priest whom I disliked very much, Kay, an alter boy, Eckhart, a knight, and Hagamar, a guide. The first night of the travel, I had a talk with Beheman. He asked me if Debelzeq had hurt me. I didn't say anything; but he had. There was no one I feared more than him, except, of course, Jarai. I asked Beheman what would happen to me when we reached the abbey. He said that either my innocence or guilt would be decided by monks. Inside of me, Jarai laughed. He said that monks would not be able to save me. I was discouraged because I believed Him. But Beheman was so kind to me. He promised he would protect me from harm. I took comfort in his promise.

That same night the men decided they would take turns watching me. This made absolutely no sense to me. I was locked in a cage with no way of getting out. Why would I need watching over? Either way, Eckhart took the first watch. I tried to not pay any attention to him. I didn't want to make any relationships with anyone but Beheman. Eventually, I fell into a deep sleep. I dreamed of the horrors of my mother and family dying of the Black Death, and of the arrival of Jarai. I nearly cried, but I stayed strong and swept my tears aside. From the outside, I heard something just as terrifying, Debelzeq's voice. My body shivered. He and Eckhart were talking about the monks at Severac and how the Church couldn't afford to have had a girl accused of witchcraft who was not really a witch. I opened my eyes, and, seeing Eckhart ready to take off, I jumped to my feet and pleaded for him not to leave Debelzeq alone with me. Eckhart was trying to comfort me, but Jarai had other plans. He made me attack Eckhart and grab the key. "Stab him with his cross." He ordered me and I did. Quickly, I opened the cage and ran off into a nearby town. "Run. You must run away. Far away from here." He told me. I wanted to make my legs stop, I tried, but I couldn't. It seemed like it was not me who was controlling my movements, but Him. Please, stop it! I pleaded to Him. He laughed at me. He told me I would never be free. Tears ran down my face as I continued running. It wasn't very long before I heard galloping horses; the men were trying to find me. The demon decided to have fun playing with Eckhart. He made me run past Eckhart many times, but instead of me, Eckhart saw and heard his daughter, Mila, calling for him. Earlier I had heard Eckhart say I looked like Mila, who had died from the Black Death the previous year. Eckhart thought he saw Mila in front of him, and stepped forward. Right into Kay's sword. Mila had all been an illusion to trick Eckhart into being stabbed by accident. After that, they found me. I was hiding in a corner, crying. I apologized over and over to them for running off; I just couldn't let Debelzeq touch me again. I knew that was only half true; Jarai needed to see bloodshed.

The next day they made a burial that honored Eckhart's noble death. Noble? Perhaps. From afar I looked at them. My spirit felt wounded because I had gotten somebody killed, somebody who had believed in my innocence. I still felt like apologizing to Beheman about the previous night, although I had already many times. After the ceremony, they were about ready to start up again. But I saw Debelzeq stop Beheman. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I knew it was to "warn" Beheman of me, and the danger I cause.

We spent the rest of the day trying to find a bridge that let to Wormwood forest. I never liked bridges, whether in good condition or not. Finally, after countless hours, we found it. Unfortunately, the bridge was very old and fragile. My heart sped up; I didn't think we could make it across. Felson and Hagamar were fighting. I blocked out their noise and focused on the bridge. Beheman was not fazed by the fragile state of the bridge, for he crossed the bridge with confidence, holding the reigns of one of the horses with him. "Take the horses one by one to the other side of the bridge." he directed, "Then we will pull the wagon to the other side." The horses were safely taken to the other side of the bridge. Now Beheman and Felson were tying a long rope to the back of the cage. My body trembled in nervous insecurity. In my mind, the wagon was much too heavy for the bridge to hold. We wouldn't make it across. I closed my eyes and whispered a small prayer. Kay and Beheman pulled the wagon while Felson, Debelzeq, and Hagamar held the rope from behind to keep it steady. As it went along, I could feel the bridge collapsing. "We won't make it!" I yelped; but no one took heed. Suddenly, Jarai pushed Beheman forward. Beheman lost his balance and rolled backwards. Kay fell from his feet and nearly plunged to his death; nearly, because I saved him. With one hand, I grabbed his and pulled him up to the bridge again. He looked at me with fascination, for a girl couldn't or shouldn't be able to have such strength on a whim. I didn't know how I had done it; I had surprised myself also, although I showed no emotion. Having that attempt fail, Beheman had another plan. He had Hagamar help him tie the rope to the front of the cage. They tried the same thing, but this time Kay and Beheman were pushing it from the back. I checked security of the bridge; the ropes holding it up were wearing thin. "If you let me out it will be lighter!" I pleaded to them. They ignored me. "Please! I can help!" Still, my pleads fell on deaf ears. Why won't they listen to me? I sat down and hid my face in my hands. This is it…I thought. But then…we made it! Just as the bridge caved in, the men pulled all of their strengths together to get the wagon across! Debelzeq sat down, engulfed in pain. He apparently had been holding the rope so tightly that his hands were wounded. I smiled in satisfaction. Beheman wrapped Debelzeq's hands in cloth to stall the bleeding. "It would be a shame if he bled to death." I remarked sarcastically. Someone coughed from behind me to get my attention. I looked back; it was Kay. "Thank you." he whispered to me. I nodded his way in thanks.

Taking the only path from the now-detracted bridge, we headed for Wormwood forest. From there, we would take a mountain pass nearby to reach Severac. Soon we entered the forest. It was foggy; I could hardly see my own hands in front of my face. It annoyed me. I wasn't the only one annoyed. "This smog is bugging the crap out of me!" Felson complained. Beheman sighed and decided it was time for us to set up the camp. This time they didn't bother taking turns watching me; not after the incident with Eckhart. But they all sat far from me. They are trying to mock me. I was sure of it. It seemed like hours that I sat in the cage, bored. I let my thoughts wander to my family. I missed them dearly, and my heart ached. Everything had been taken away from me so quickly. I still wasn't sure how to comprehend it all. I saw Beheman approach the cage. He looked at me with glaring suspicion. "Kay told me what happened on the bridge." he said, "He said you saved his life. With one hand. Hard to believe." I, no, the demon smirked. I didn't do a thing. "We believe what we want to believe." Jarai said to Beheman, who didn't know He was talking through me, "Do you believe I'm a witch, Beheman?" Jarai made Beheman's torch light go out and then lit it again. Beheman stared at me, fearfully. "You're not afraid of me, are you?" He asked Beheman. Quickly, Beheman moved away from me. I don't think he told the others about what had just happened. I felt like laughing. At this point, I wasn't sure if it was really me who wanted to laugh, or if it was Him. But it wasn't long before my fears took over me once again. I couldn't sleep. My head drooped from the lack of sleep, but whenever I closed my eyes I saw the death of everyone around me. I heard footsteps, but I didn't bother looking at the person, because I somehow already knew who it was. Hagamar. He held his crossbow at his side. Now I looked at him. He put the crossbow up so it was a short distance away from my face and prepared to shoot. "Having trouble sleeping?" a voice, Beheman, said behind Hagamar. Hagamar turned around and tried to convince Beheman to allow him to kill me. I knew Beheman wouldn't let anything happen to me, so I relaxed myself. But Jarai felt restless, as if thirsting for blood again. He made me howl like a wolf. Debelzeq, Felson, and Kay came to see what the noise was. Realizing it was me, they all stared at me. Wolves howled back at me and came in packs. "She summoned wolves!" Debelzeq exclaimed. They all fought off the wolves using their swords but, seeing as they were outmatched, they fled. Hagamar struggled to get on his horse and eventually fell to the ground. The wolves circled around him, attacked him. They all watched helplessly as our guide was torn to shreds.

We rode away from the area. So many terrible things had happened, and I knew I was being blamed for them. Jarai took great enjoyment in this. It wasn't long before even Beheman lost all trust in me. He took Hagamar's crossbow and loaded an arrow in it. But Felson, noticing Severac in view, stopped his companion. Beheman calmed but he gave me a deadening glare that nearly made me sick.

We climbed the mountainside and made it to Severac. Now the monks would trial me, or so we thought. The Black Death had already struck the monks there. None of them were among the living. My spirits sank even lower. Now what would they do with me? Kill me? I felt like there was something amiss… But I didn't have time to wonder about it. Debelzeq came out of the abbey's entrance with a book. "The Book of Solomon!" Jarai said inside of me. The book of what? I asked Him, but He didn't answer me. He started to squirm in agitation. Debelzeq began the Rite of Witchcraft in the place of the monks. He threw holy water on me, which frightened Jarai. "I have deceived you!" Jarai said through me. Debelzeq stared at me hard, trying to figure out the meaning. The tone of my voice changed dramatically from a girl to that of a grown man's voice. "They are Godless people!" Jarai shouted, "They have sinned against God and His only son Jesus Christ!" I had no idea what He did that for, but I found out that it was a memory of Beheman and Felson's. The voice of their leader who led them into countless battles. Debelzeq blurted out that I wasn't a witch. Finally someone had caught on! He flipped through the pages of the book, until he found the Rite of Exorcism. He spoke in Latin the words on the page. Jarai started to panic. He melted the bars of the cage and jumped down. My whole body transformed into a demon's figure. With His two wings He flied into the abbey. I figured out on my own what was happening; it was His wanting all along to come to Severac. He wanted that book, the Book of Solomon, which was apparently a book of rituals that men used to defend themselves against evil. If He was able to get the Book of Solomon in His grasp, the world would plunge into eternal darkness. My soul shuttered from the very thought of it.

Although I couldn't even move my own body, for it was hidden inside of Jarai, I could clearly see everything that was going on through His eyes. The sky had turned black outside, I could see it through one of the large windows. From the black clouds, smaller demons appeared, and took over the bodies of the deceased monks. An army of the living dead. Beheman, Felson, and Kay fought to destroy the monks, while Debelzeq chanted the rite. But no sooner than he began, Jarai killed Debelzeq, ripping his head right off his body. After all the monks were truly dead once again, Jarai stepped in to brawl. Felson was the first to try and defeat Him. Felson butted his head against Jarai's, and He responded by clutching onto Felson with his wings. Without any effort at all, He relied on Hell's power to burn Felson from the earth. Beheman was enraged at his friend's murder. He charged at Jarai, who threw him against one of the pillars. Kay, being an alter boy, realized he was qualified to finish the rite. He picked up the Book of Solomon and began where Debelzeq had left off. Jarai was alarmed and fazed for a moment. This gave Beheman just enough time to pin Him against a wall. Jarai screeched and stabbed Beheman with the spikes on His wings. Beheman's pained screams made me so sorrowful. Kay was nearly finished chanting the rite, but Beheman was about to let go of Him. "Don't let go!" I tried to shout to Beheman, "Whatever you do, don't let go!" My words reached him, albeit subconsciously. I saw Beheman's fists get a tight grip of Jarai's arms. Yes! I thought. Jarai struggled to get free, but to no avail. Kay finished the rite, "Amen!" he shouted. Beheman let go of Jarai, and He tried to attack Kay, but perished in a white light before he could. I found myself lying on the ground. It took me a second to realize that I was finally free of the Jarai's control. Unfortunately, Beheman perished from his injuries shortly after.

Kay and I made graves to honor Beheman and Felson, but they also represented the deaths of Eckhart, Hagamar, and Debelzeq. I looked at the graves and pitied them. I owed them my life. I hadn't even told them my name. As we prepared to part from the graves, I took one last look at the swords that stuck into the stone graves. My heart was heavy, filled with grief, discontent, indecision… There were so many things I had left unsaid to Beheman. There were so many things I wish I could've done to prevent the bloodshed that took place. But it was too late. What was done was done. All I could do was look to the future.

And now here I am, three years later. When Kay and I had returned, the Black Death had ceased and life was returning. We married soon after we returned to the village. Life as a housewife has been simple and easy; I have finally settled in a permanent home. Kay trained hard and was knighted by the Church. He spends most of his days out battling, fighting the resistance army's that are against the Church. He doesn't spend much time at home, but I always await his return. We have a daughter, whom I named Serenity, who is 3-years-old. I do often think about Beheman and the others, and I am forever grateful for what they did for me. Because if Beheman and Felson had never agreed to take me to Severac, I am sure that the demon, Jarai, would still be causing havoc all over Europe.