The Promise

The Promise

They arrived late in the night, at a time when even the moon had wearied of casting a glow. They knocked sharply at the back door, their feet making rough scraping sounds in the dirt and gravel outside. She opened the door quietly and they handed her the coarse-hewn wooden box without ceremony. She took it with trembling hands and set it down just inside the door, closing them outside without a word of farewell. Her knees began to buckle under her and she slipped to the ground, a weight descending all around her like a leaden cloak. She wrapped her arms about the box and the tears flowed, swiftly moving to wracking sobs that convulsed through her body. She slowly pulled herself up and forced herself to breath in some calm and will herself to open the box and pay witness to what lay there.

The shreds of what was once a dress met her fingers first. She remembered this dress, remembered the time she had stitched it together so many years ago. Its color now faded and stained, its form beaten and shredded, in pieces many too small to even yield a proper cleaning rag. Within the folds of the fabric, a couple of articles of jewelry met her fingertips. A ring that had been in the family for as long as could be remembered. She closed her hand about it and summoned the image of the first time she had seen this ring, on her grandmother’s hand when she was but a small child. How it had sparkled in the sun, dazzling her eyes and drawing her close to her grandmother’s sleeping side. And when she saw that the ring had slipped from her grandmother’s hand in her passing and onto her mother’s, she began to yearn that one day it might pass to her. She remembered the anger she felt the day it finally slipped from her mother’s hand and was not hers. She covered her face with her hands, the ring making a deep indent in her forehead from how hard she pressed it against her skin as she cried. It was hers now, with a passing as weighty as the loss.

She picked up the other item, a simple gold cross on a leather cord. She remembered the day it was hung around her neck, in front of the whole town. She remembered her form laid out in her long white gown, her arms outstretched and it felt as if she would never move. She had become a bride that day, a bride with no husband who would keep her bed warm at night or plant in her children to love. But, she glowed when she turned to look at them after rising and the cross was placed about her neck. Her mother had let the ring slip from her hand that day and given it to her even though it was against the rules and unlike what the others wore. But they allowed her it, or at least chose not to say nay. Both of these tokens, she pocketed to later put in her treasure box.

Gently, she lifted the shreds of the dress from the box and buried her face in them, breathing in her smell, her fears, her courage, her memory. Then slowly, she set it down at her side, tucking stray edges and softly patting it down.

She looked again into the box. There was a smaller box in the corner and she lifted it out. A deep wash of fear hit her as she held it before her. She didn’t want to learn what was inside, but she had made a promise and a promise must be kept. So, she took a deep breath and lifted the top. A bloodied kerchief lay folded inside. She touched the edges with shaking fingers, parting it open. A small nest of scorched human hair lay within. The sobs began again and she dropped the box, sending its contents tumbling into the larger box. Underneath, as the last of the contents fell, a small pile of papers cascaded down. She gasped softly as she recognized the hand that had penned the writing on them. Carefully she gathered them up and looked at them and knew the entire tale was there. She folded them gently and placed them in her waistband and closed everything else back in the box.

Tomorrow, she would give the remains the burial they had refused her. Tomorrow, she would be ready to speak what must be said.

She pulled herself wearily to her feet and headed to her room. Tonight though, she must read the rest of the tale.

Sephi'PiderWitch 2009

Eulogy

Eulogy

It is a sad and bleak day that brings me here to pay my farewells and put to its final rest my companion and helpmate of these many years.

Before you, the greatest have knelt and bowed their heads. In your sharper moments, you showed compassion and dealt your blows with swiftness and mercy. Never did you hesitate to strike with precision those that had been condemned before you. And even in your later years, when age had worn your edges and dulled your gleam, still you did not falter in administering your duty.

A lifetime you have stood at my side. A lifetime I have wrapped my hands about your smooth handle and lifted you above my head. A lifetime you have found your mark to the screams and applause of the crowds. A lifetime of lives sacrificed to your blade. A lifetime till one life too many and the steel cracked and split you, severing you from your handle as surely as you had severed the heads of the lives laid before you.

The time of your kind is done, they say. It is a new age with a new way.

The ceremony is gone and the crowds have been sent home. The condemned now die without fanfare. No screams and cries to send them to their forever land. Tis good that you did not survive to see this day.

My hood and robes packed away. I shall follow you soon enough, my friend. I look for the day that we shall be reunited in the great beyond, your blade forged anew and crowdscheering us again. Till then, rest my friend.

Sephi'PiderWitch 2009

Oh Look!

Oh Look!

Oh look! Yes you! Come here! Just a quick peek beyond the curtain and the world will never be the same again. Come closer! Just one more wee step. Here, let me help you. I’ll part the veil just the slightest bit. Oh look! Can you glimpse what is beyond? Just one step closer and more shall be revealed. You do want to see more, don’t you? Oh look! That flash of a

unicorn galloping past! Did you see her? Like a flash of starlight streaking across the land. And there. Right over there! A field of fairies at play. Aren’t they just lovely to behold? More to see there is if you but move a bit closer. Oh look! A Phoenix bursting into the air from the flames! His colours so bright they almost make your eyes ache. Watch as he soars up into the heavens, his magnificent tail trailing ribbons of flames behind him. Wasn’t that just glorious? There is so much more to see, but you are still too far away. Won’t you come just a little closer? Oh look! Off in the corner, did you see the galaxies collide? Watch as their remains cascade across the heavens and look deeply into the blackness of the void they leave behind. There are universes beyond imagination just past this curtain. Would you miss a moment of it? I see you still hesitate. Come now, you are almost there. Oh look! A griffin making off with a beaste of the fields, a dragon rending its prey. Spirits and demons and fantastickal creatures to inspire and terrify your soul! Oh no! Don’t step back! They are but dreams and cannot hurt you! Come back! Oh look again! Beauty beyond compare! Lands of swirling colors, blooms of intoxicating scent! See? There is no need to fear! That’s it! Come closer. Oh look! A beauty that fantasies are envious of! Her skin so perfect, her face so fair. Her eyes look on you with the desires of lifetimes of searching. Look how she reaches to you! Can you resist her look and the chance to touch her hand? Oh look! She is calling you, drawing you, imploring you. Can you still refuse? Oh good! Go with her. How does it feel within? What?! You say she has talons and smells of death? She has pierced your flesh and is chaining you! What? You are afraid? You feel pain? You feel darkness closing in? You have changed your mind and want to leave now?

No need to worry, it shall pass.

Psst!! You over there! Come here!

Oh look! Just a quick peek beyond the curtain and the world will never be the same again . . . . . . . . .

Sephi'PiderWitch 2009

Worst Day

Worst Day

I so glad to be home Teddy! I had the most awfulest day I has ever had! Remember how mommy and daddy had me get all dressed up in them new spiffy clothes they boughted me? I was all happy and cited cuz I thoughted they were going to take me to somewhere fun and special. Well, we got in the car and they put them straps on me so as I wouldn’t fall off the seat, like I really that dumb that I would fall of the seat. Anyway, we starts driving and driving and driving and I looking out the window at everything going past and finding the slug bugs and naner cars and making funny faces and waving at the people when we comes alongside them. And it seems like we were driving for hours and hours.

Then, daddy pulled off the main road and onto this dirt road and we went bumpity bump along it and he kept turning the car this way and that and every time he did I started falling in that direction. Lucky for me I had those straps on or I migha fallen off the seat! And I am looking out the window and there nothing but trees all around us. All the houses is gone. And I am thinking we is lost and start to get scared. What if we can’t find our way back home again? I started to cry a bit but mommy made that shushie noise that makes the tears stop afore they fall out.

After we been driving bumpity bump for a whiles, daddy makes a sharp turn and almost makes me fall out of the straps I pulls so hard. Then we is driving on the grass and there is lots lots of cars parked way out there. There is also this really big tent over past all them cars. I start getting all excited again cuz I start thinking maybe we going to see the circus and all the animals and clowns and magic people. Daddy stops the car by all the other cars and I can’t wait for mommy to let me loose from the straps so I can go see inside that tent! But, when she lets me go, she takes my hand real strong so I can’t get away and makes me stay right next to her. I tried and tried to pull away and then she got mad at me and told me to stay still. Well, I know better than to fuss when she sound like that. If I don’t, I know I could get a whupping and I try not to get those.

After a few minutes, we start walking to the tent, mommy never letting go of my hand and making me stay right next to her. We go inside and it is full of people and it is all a hush and quiet. There is all these fold up chairs all over in rows that people are sitting on and they pull me to a row where there are empty seats and tell me to sit between them. I can tells I had better be real good cuz they put me between them. They only do that so either one can pokes me if I act up.

Pretty soon a whole group of people come in all dressed in pretty dresses, even the men. They all line up at the front of the tent and one of them sits down at the piano and begins to play some music. Then they all start up singing. Its real lively music and all bout Jesus and God and angels and sins and such. Everybody else starts to join in and sing along and stand up and begin to dance as well to the music. Then some of the women begin singing real loud and waving their arms around in the air. The people around them start to move away, and I don’t blame them, I would move away too cuz I would be afraid of getting hit by them. Then it got really strange cuz they started yelling in some other language and I couldn’t understand them. A couple of them started to cry really hard which made me real scared cuz it made me wonder if there were ghosts in here and going to come after me next. Then a couple of them started swaying and fell on the ground and acting like my friend’s dog that ate the rat poison.

I started crying real hard then and told my mommy I wanted to go home. She just put her arm around me and was telling me everything was ok. I was still scared and crying and tried to crawl in her lap to hide my face, but daddy got real angry and told me to sit back down and stop my nonsense. I didn’t understand why it was nonsense to be afraid when people are crying and falling on the ground and making like they are poisoned. But, I quieted myself as best I could and tried to make my mind think of other things like being back home in my bed where it was safe so I could distract myself some.

Then this man walks in dressed in this shiny suit and wearing a big black hat. He walked real slow like up to the front of the tent and tap-tapped on the microphone which made a loud screechy noise after it thump-thumped. Then he started to speak real softly and I could almost not hear what he was saying. I thought maybe they didn’t have that microphone turned up high enough, but then he got louder and louder. He was talking bout God and Jesus and how we was all sinners and should all be ashamed of ourselves and the way we lived. Then he was saying that if we didn’t change our ways, we was going to be thrown into this lake of fire and we would be there forever and ever. I began to cry again and mommy tried to shush me again. I didn’t want to burn up in a lake and be there forever. I couldn’t think of anything I had done that would make me deserve such a punishment, not even when I tied Missy’s braids together or even stealing the piece of candy from the store. And those were the worst things I could remember doing. But, he said we was all going to get thrown there.

And then he started saying we could make it all better by coming up and letting him save us. People started filing out and following him out of the tent to the stream that was just behind the tent. Momma and daddy took my hand and made me follow them out there as well. Then the man walked into the water and started calling for people to come join him in the stream. And that water looked so dirty, I couldn’t believe anyone would go near it. But, they started walking down and right into the water with him. Then he would put his arm around their shoulder and slapped their forehead and pushed them splash under the water and held them there for a bit. When he let them back up, they were sputtering water all over and he told them they were saved and all their sins had been washed away.

I started to realize that mommy and daddy were leading me to the water with them and I started to cry again saying I didn’t want to get pushed down under the water. They knew I didn’t know how to swim and I was afraid of the water. But, they held my hand tight and wouldn’t let me go. I tried really hard to pull my hand away, but they wouldn’t let go and they just ignored me no matter how loud I screamed and cried.

We finally got to the water and they lifted me by my arms between them and walked out till we was in front of that man. He told them to put me down, that the water wasn’t that deep, but it came all the way up to my chest! I was about to run away when daddy gave me one of those looks that meant I wouldn’t be sitting for a very long time if I tried, so I just stood there sobbing. Then the man did to me what he did to all the rest and he pushed my head down under the water and my feet slipped in the mud and I had water in my nose and mouth and eyes and I knew I was going to die and I wasn’t going to be saved like he said I was. I started kicking and slipping around on the mud under me. Then, I felt someone grab my arms and I was pulled up out of the water and saw it was daddy and he held me real tight. He carried me out of the water and set me on the shore and then I had to watch while that man did the same thing to him and mommy.

By the time they were done, I was shivering all over as it was kind of cold outside there. Mommy looked at me and said we had had enough for one day and we should go home. Daddy started to argue and she said no, we was going and that my lips were blue. That made me scared again, thinking maybe I was gonna die after all if my lips were blue. So, we got in the car and started driving back. Then I noticed a black slimy thing on my leg and started crying all over again. Mommy looked at it and made daddy pull over and when she pulled my clothes off, there were lots of them all over me. They began picking these things off me and they left big red marks where they had been and I got even scareder. After they were done, mommy wrapped me in a blanket and put me back in my seat. I think I fell asleep then, cuz I don’t remember nothing else till they put me on my bed and I woke up and saw you!

It really and truly was the worst day of my life Teddy! I’m so glad I am back home with you!

Sephi'PiderWitch 2009