Chapter Text
The witch was being held in the town’s only jail. It hadn’t held a real criminal in ages, usually it was reserved for scaring the devil out of mischievous boys, sentencing them to 6 hours of hard time for stealing wool from the widow or a cake from the baker.
But that was before today, and today it held a witch.
The town’s pastor was the only one willing to see her. The other residents were terrified of her curse, but the pastor had found the strength in his faith to see the witch, to pass her bread, cold meat, and oats. The only one willing to show kindness to her.
If she had actually possessed any demonic abilities at the time, she’d have cursed him so badly his body would be indistinguishable from her chamber pot.
He barely spoke to her, burning with rage inside but shoving it down as the book commanded. He would show up twice a day by her cell, slide her tray under the bars, and in the evenings, he’d ask her to repent.
The first day she spat in his eye. The second, when he came in shielding his eyes, she rattled the bars so fiercely he fell backwards. The third, she had cursed him out, speaking of his room in hell. The fourth, she didn’t even turn from the wall.
On the fifth day, he delivered her breakfast. Oatmeal with honey, two eggs fresh from the barn with salt and pepper. There was even a stack of pancakes. She knew immediately it was her last meal.
“There is still time, child. If you repent, and vow to come to god, then I can try-“
“Bullshit,” she hissed. ”We both know you laid these charges on me out of spite. You don’t want me to confess, you want me dead.”
“I-“
She turned around. “If I repented right now, would you honestly try and save me? Or would you tell not a soul, and in the evening come with the hangman and try to tell me that you were unable to convince the church. Think carefully, lying is a sin.”
He said nothing.
“You want me to repent for your ego. You want me to deeply regret what I did. This is revenge.”
She approached the bars, and put her face up to them, grinning.
“Well “father,” I’m not sorry. The only thing I’m guilty of is my pride. Tomorrow when you see me executed, I’ll be there with the biggest grin you’ve seen on a hangman.”
“Why!?” He screamed, enraged. He swung at the bars, but she fell backwards, laughing. “WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME!?”
“I didn’t mean to do anything to you, I did it for her. She just happened to be your wife, that’s all.”
“WHERE IS SHE!?”
“Far, far away,” she suddenly became serious, “far away and safe from you. You’ll never ever find her again.”
“GOD DAMN YOU! Go to hell!”
“I’ll see you there.”
He picked up the food and threw it at the bars, much to her delight.
“Tomorrow, when you’re dead, I’ll be laughing. Because there won’t be a hangman, only me. I’ll be the one pulling the lever.”
He watched as her smile finally faded, and he slammed the door.
She sat, looking at the door for a while. It didn’t take her very long to know what to do, but it took longer to figure out how to do it.
She glanced back at the bed, gritting her teeth. She knew, as disgusting as he was, she couldn’t even let him have that final victory.
She pulled back the bedsheets.