I hopped out of my bed, my stiff white nightgown hung at my ankles. The candle on my bedside filled my room with a dim light, but it was bright enough to find my leather boots, tie them and jump out of my window. I had done it several times but it always filled me with exhilaration and fear. I had learned to love it. I hit the ground with a thud and a stifled groan. When I regained my bearings, I quickly but quietly ran through the village. I ran all the way until I reached the docks.

Standing at the end was Thomas. His arms were crossed, and his brows furrowed when he caught sight of me. 

"What took so long?" He questioned when I was close enough to hear him.

"Jane wouldn't go to bed." I explained out of breath from the running.

My baby sister, Jane, had fallen ill and now refused to sleep or eat. Needless to say, my mother was worried. My father chose to believe it was her being stubborn.

"Why can't you sneak out before they put her to bed?" He asked, putting his hand on my cheek "I want to see you as soon as I can." He pouted

"You know I can't do that." I told him, "They might hear me."

"They might not!" His brown hair fell into his face, covering his hazel eyes.

"Thomas!" I laughed "If they find out I've been sneaking out, I'd be whipped for sure!" My tone turning serious at the last part. The prospect of being whipped did not bring me any joy.

"Just make sure they don't find out!" He replied "Rose, please." He placed his hand on my cheek, I leaned into it "I want to see you as much as I can."

"I know," I nodded, "I, I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask." He smiled

Throughout the next day I did my chores quietly. Thinking about what Thomas had told me. I wanted to be with him as much as I could, but being caught would mean I could never see him again. After dinner I bid my parent goodnight, placed a kiss on Jane"s forehead, and walked up the wooden stairs to my room. I undressed, and listened for my parents to go to their own room. My father went to bed not much longer after I. My mother stayed with Jane who took exceptionally long to go to sleep.

I watched as the candle on my bedside got dimmer and dimmer. Filling my room with less and less light.

Finally I quietly got up and opened my chest at the end of my bed. In it was my dresses, and under garments.

I grabbed some, bundled them up, and placed them under my blanket. When I was satisfied with how the bed looked, I closed the chest, put on my shoes and jumped out the window.

I hurriedly ran to the dock, excited to tell Thomas what I had done.

But when I had gotten to the dock, he wasn't there.

I found this odd, since he always was waiting for me. Not once had I gotten there before him. I waited for him, and waited and waited some more. I waited until the moon was in the middle of the sky, but he never showed up.

The tips of my fingers began to feel cold, and it became harder to keep my eyes open. Eventually, as I was cold and tired, I walked back home.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts, I didn't realized that my mother was still up, until I was already in the house.

"Rose!" She gasped in shock, cradling baby Jane, who appeared to finally be nodding off.

"Mama!" I yelped

"What are you doing out this time of night!?" She questioned, keeping her voice just above a whisper.

I had to think much quicker than I would have liked "I heard something." I lied

"You heard something?" She asked "And you jumped out of your window to see what it was."

"Y-yes?" I said, attempting, and failing, to sound sure of it.

She obviously didn't believe me, I wouldn't believe me either, but she didn't get anytime to say anything because the tromping of my father walking out of their room was heard.

She hastily placed Jane in my arms, and ran to the table and started to run a rag over it.

"Rose?" My father asked "What are you doing up?"

"She was helping me." My mother said before I could come up with another bad lie, "With Jane."

He rolled his eyes, "I told you, she's just being stubborn." He huffed, crossing his arms

"How can a baby be that stubborn?" She snapped "If you would just let me take her to the doctor to be examined-"

"No Daleen!" He cut her off, "Do you know what the village will say? I won't have it! There's nothing wrong with her!" He bellowed

As he did so Jane, who had been so close to being asleep, started fussing in my arms. I quietly shushed her, and attempted to sooth her, but she was having none of it.

My mother took her from my arms, and attempted to get her back asleep. She said nothing and didn't look at my father.

"Goodnight." My father huffed, "and you get to bed." He said pointing a finger to me, then stomped back to their room.

Once we heard the door close my mother turned to me, "I don't know what you were doing out there." She said "And I don't want to know. But don't you do it again. If you do and you father finds out, he will have your head. Do you understand me?" She snapped

I quietly nodded my head, bid her a goodnight for the second time, and crept back to my room.

----------

It was four nights until I dared to sneak out again. I had stayed quiet and done just as my mother and father told me to do. I worked quietly on my chores, and never met Thomas's eye when we passed in the village. The fifth night, I built up the courage to sneak out once more. I listened for my mother to finish with Jane, then, quieter than I ever had before, slipped my shoes on, and jumped out the window.

When I reached the dock, Thomas stood where he always did, now with his back turned. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Where have you been?" He hissed, not looking at me.

"My mother caught me." I tried to explain, "I couldn't risk getting caught again."

He remained facing the other direction, "You won't even look at me during the day, I tried to smile at you, but you just looked the other way."

"Thomas," I started, "you're the one that didn't want anyone to know about us!"

"Does that mean we can't be friendly to each other?" He sounded hurt

I placed my hand on his shoulder, "Please, look at me, I'm sorry!"

He was silent for a few heartbeats, but then he turned and faced me, "I forgive you." He breathed, and then placed a soft kiss on my lips.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he wrapped his around my middle. I enjoyed the embrace until his hands dropped below my waist.

I jumped back, "Thomas!" I gasped

"What's wrong?" He asked innocently

"You know very well whats wrong!" I hissed "That was extremely inappropriate!"

"So is what we're doing." He replied with a sly smile

"That's why I allow you to kiss me." I retorted

"Come Rose," He started, "No one has to know."

"God will know!" I snapped, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him away.

He reached out and grabbed my wrist, "Now Rose." He said "God forgives." He said, speaking to me as if I were a small child. 

His other hand grabbed my shoulder and he pushed me down, the rough wood cutting into my palm as I braced my fall.

He knelt down infront of me and slipped one hand up the bottom of my nightgown. He crawled up, until he was directly above me. I could smell his breath, and I was sure he could feel my heart, with how hard it was hammering against my chest. My legs felt bare and cold. His hand, nearing the top of my thighs, felt foreign to the way they had always felt to me before. I tried to let out a scream for help, but he placed his other hand roughly over my mouth. I could taste the dirt from his hands. I felt around behind me for something, anything. I felt something metal, and wrapped my hand around it. It was rusty, and cold. I swung my arm around, and attempted to hit his ram, but I missed. I old nail in my hand hit his neck and dove in far.

Thomas let out a blood curdling scream, and fell off of me. His blood stained my nightgown and, his own shirt. His hands clawed at the nail, but the pool of blood only grew. It wasn't long before he stopped moving.

I stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

A man, who had no doubt heard Thomas's screams came running, but froze behind me when he saw what had happened.

"What happened?" He asked gruffly, after recovering his wits

I said nothing, I only stared at Thomas's limp body.

"Did you do this?" The man asked now shaking me roughly.

I still said nothing, instead only slowly shaking my head up and down.

He roughly took my arms and started to drag me away, I did nothing to fight back, I had no fight left.

"Witches." The man muttered, "First Salem, and now here."