- Lana Oliver I arrest you for the murder of Liam Verity.

As my hands are tie behind my back with a rope, William Floyd looks at me triumphantly.

- I knew there was something wrong with you.

How did things turned out this way?

🎃🎃🎃

A day before...

- You already came back? asks Mary surprise.

- Hum, yes I figured out it would be better to make a list on all of the possible ingredients, I lie.

I don't want to talk about what I saw. Unfortunately Mary is very attentive.

- You saw a witch trial didn't you? she asks.

My back face Mary. She can't see my expression but she guessed out with my trembling tone. I turn around. Mary has a concern look on her face.

- I felt exactly the same, and I still do, when I first say one, she whispers.

- She was innocent, I say.

Her eyes darken for a second. She sights softly and sits on a chair. Her face is lit up by the flammes.

- People don't care about what methods to use as long as it works, she whispers in cold air of the room.

- But it doesn't work! It just kills innocents women!

- Lana, those women were not chosen arbitrarily. They were considerate too different. This village has a very strict community guideline. You have to blend in. A step out of the path and you are considerate as dangerous.

I come to sit next her. Her face is full of sadness. She seems now a couple hundreds years old rather than a youthful middle-age woman.

- Is this why you stay in the house?

She turns quickly her head towards me. I bite my lip realizing that my question can seem very rude. She doesn't scowl me for my lack of delicacy.

- It is one of the reasons, she starts, Also my husband recently died. I do not have yet the motivation to go out.

I forgot about that piece of information. I scream interiorly at myself. I am definitely not a good empath. She looks at me in the eyes with a soft voice.

- You should go to sleep, you will need energy for tomorrow.

It is only then that I realize that I am tired.

- Yes, you are right. I think that I am going to skip the dinner.

She smiles.

- Good night Lana.

I stretch a bit and climb the wooden stairs. I only take the time to take of my shoes and I fall into the bed. My mind seems full of fog. I simply close my eyes and fall into a dreamless sleep.

🎃🎃🎃

I wake up just in time to watch the sun rise. Dawn is my favorite time of the day. Everything is peaceful. Even though the knot in my stomach is still there I appreciate the landscape. I take the dress and go downstairs the quietest possible. I don't want to wake up Mary this early.

- Good morning Lana, you are already awake?

I look, surprise at my host. She is standing next to the fire à book on her lap.

- Good morning, yeah I am a morning person, I respond.

I am glad to see someone wake up early. My family and friends hate getting up early. Thinking about them make my heart aches. I hope I will go back home soon.

- I was actually thinking about the ingredients that you need for your recipe. I know a good place where pumpkins grow.

- You do? I exclame sensing some hope.

She chuckles in front of my impatience and her indicate where to find the field.

I thank her and rush outside. The cold wind rush into my hair. I walk- almost running, through the village. After what seems about half an hour of walk, I arrive. I stop panting. Mud has splash my shoes and a bit of the back of the dress. I hope Mary won't mind. I walk carefully making sure to not slip.

Even with my cautions I almost fall. I quickly grab a solitary tree who happened to be just there.

As I walk slowly I notice a weird shape in the middle of the field.

My eyes widen as I see the body of a dead man lying in the mud.

At the same time I hear heavy footsteps behind me. I turn around and shout sa loud as I can to grab their attention. A group of men come running in my direction.

I recognize William leading the group.

- Help! There is a man! He is here.

William make a sign with his hand and two man dress as hunter grab me violently.

- Lana Oliver I arrest you for the murder of Liam Verity and witchcraft.

As my hands are tie behind my back with a rope, William Floyd looks at me triumphantly.

- I knew there was something wrong with you.

What?

- You got to be kidding me! I didn't murder him!

- That is what they all say, he comments.

- I am innocente!

- That is what we are going to see.

My insides jump in my stomach when I realize there are leading me...to a trial.