Josephine Strong

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Josephine Strong

Others

The Devils Aroma

The Devils Aroma

14 mins
244


I heard it. Silence. And then reciting, Esther chapter eight verse nine. “At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders” the voices echoed “to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.” I sat upright. How late was it? My hands shaking, I reached under my bed for my dress, it was black with thick white color. “ These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people '' I grabbed my bonnet quickly but did not run for fear of being heard by my mother who was surely downstairs like a good wife. “and also to the Jews in their own script and language.” I couldn’t think. If I was caught I knew I would be severely punished for being late to school, and yet if I decided to climb down the window I would be in deep trouble for dirtying my dress. Running down the street was obviously not an option because running to school is a foolish and childish thing. Running is for hunting and play. “10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring,” finally I decided to creep down the stairs. “and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.” mother didn’t seem to notice. It took everything I had not to run. I locked my legs and walked as fast as I could. Passerbyers glanced at me but I pulled my bonnet to cover my face. 


The town was quiet, it always is. Everyone knows that to be loud, to sing, or to dance is a sin. And I don’t know anyone who would want to go with the devil…. Besides maybe a witch. I can hardly remember when the trees were green. Now everything is as discolored as our dresses and suits. It smelled like wet wood and the water in my boots were as cold as the winter. By the time I got to school my feet were frozen and so was my nose. The classroom was cold and damp, though it was perfectly dry it was as if the walls had soaked up all the water from the snow. There was no fire in the schoolhouse but we had found that if we stayed close together we could keep warm. There were twelve long tables, six on each side of the room. The wooden benches that ran across them were a kind of brown that was almost black. Me and my friends sat on the left side with the rest of the girls and at the back table, it was easier to hide mistakes that way. Not that we tried to make mistakes, but last month when i went over to Doris's house I found that she had started having fits and struggled to keep herself from fidgeting. So Mildred and I agreed to try to help Doris, which was the right thing to do… right? Sure enough, Mildred and Doris were there waiting for me. I took the seat on the edge quietly. Mildred whispered “I won’t tell.'' Doris handed me her board which was covered in dust and had the first three commandments written on it. I nodded and started writing the commandments on my board. The teacher stood upright. His face twisted from a distinguished frown to a stern piercing look as he scanned the classroom. “Raymond, would you be so kind as to recite the first commandment?'' Raymond stood the floor under him slightly creaking. “Yes sir, Thou shalt not miss church and community meetings.” he glanced around as if to be reassured that he was correct. The teacher turned to the left “yes thank you, and Marjorie would you please recite the next.” poor little Marjorie quivering in her bonnet stuttered. “Thou shalt work hard and support my fellow puritans.” she sat back down quickly. He eased back into his desk. “Exactly, now i believe it would be appropriate to assume that those also apply to being on time to class, correct?” the class nodded in unanimous agreement. “Then why do I see wet footprints? Did I not clean up all of your tracks at the beginning of class?” I looked frightfully at the marks on the floor. Luckily my feet were mostly brushed off at the doorway, and there were only a couple wet steps. “Well? Who was late? Your mistake must be justified.” when no one came to the front of the class the pale man quickly turned stern. “Which child here dares to defy god's laws! I am not able to dream of what other things you could be doing if you are not even able to show up on time.” he scanned the room but Mildred and Doris kept their mouths tight. I glanced at Doris, her face was turning red. Doris was capable of staying still when she was calm but when she was stressed it was practically impossible. Finally she sprawled on the floor writhing in pain and muttering inaudible things as she knocked Mildred off the bench. The professor stood and rushed to Doris. “There is yet another witch among us.”


  Now I believe it is extremely necessary for me to inform you about witches before we continue. As all of you know, witches are highly dangerous and not to be left to do their work, for their work is evil. I believe that it is more of a fact than an opinion that witches are sinful. No one can deny that helping the devil is purely evil. First, we are to talk about how humans become witches. A person will decide to sell their soul to the devil himself, in return he will give them his aid in giving them magical abilities. as everyone knows the people most common to do this are women, children, and the elderly. Don’t think we are sexist in our religion! It's just the truth. The weaker our bodies are the weaker our spirits are. So the thing that decides if you are to be convinced by the devil's aroma is whether or not your spirit is strong enough to avoid temptation. I know people don’t believe in our puritan religion. But people have to see the reason or face the harsh punishments. Next, now that we’ve gotten over how witches become witches we can discuss what witches actually do. A witch's goal is to please their lord, the devil. Most of the things he asked of them included casting spells and terrorizing children by putting them under a dark hand. They can bend the will of nature in a most contouring way. However, we have found ways to spot witches. 


  First, you must check that they have not missed church meetings. Breaking the commandments from the puritan church would only and solely done by a witch since everyone in our small town is puritan. The only people I have seen that are not puritans are the french and the native Americans who attacked us before this harsh winter. Second, if you are not a man and are not married but you are successful in life then it’s a dead give away that you are a witch. It’s just not possible that you could do so well in life without a husband so you must have the devils help. However, on the other hand if you are poor and beg for food and shelter from others it is very possible that you would be willing enough to try to receive help from the devil. Next, if you have no children it proves that you are disobedient to god, for god has explained very clearly what he wants of women. He wants them to have lots of children. Alike to this clue, if you have a peculiar personality and you are more confident and blunt then the usual female you are most likely a witch. Although these clues are rather obvious and yet, some of the most important things you should look for in a witch are hard to see. If buttermilk has spoiled in their fridge, if they have a birthmark, or mole they have not withstood the devils aroma. Again, these are very important clues to look for if you don’t want to end up like those poor souls who were afflicted by the witches of salem.


  The walk home was terrible. It was wet and sloshy and we were late to get home because priests had come to look over us and see if they could find who was a witch. But it was just me, because Doris was being healed by the priests and Mildred had wanted to talk to the teacher in private. She acted very oddly after Doris had fallen, she wouldn’t let me touch her and was careful to step around me. Finally, I could see the oak door coming nearer as I walked. Once i entered the room my father pressed me up against the wall “Florence were you late to school?” he was speaking in a whisper but it was in such a way that I would have preferred it if he had been yelling and screaming at me. I shook my head, my bangs flying one way then the next. To a six-year-old, an angry father and a branch from a birch tree are the scariest things there are in life. My mother looked at me as tears fled from her eyes. Had she seen me? She couldn’t have? Risk herself being punished for me? My father stepped back and squinted at me. “You know lying is forbidden?” I nodded. “Even so I want you to stay in your room all day and pray. I ushered a thankyou and trotted up to the stars coming to a kneel once I reached my room. What had Mildred wanted to talk to the priest about? Had my mother really vouched for me? My young mind was not yet mature enough to linger on these things so I quickly dropped them and signified this by dropping my head to a bow as well as my thoughts. I sat there and prayed quietly for a couple of minutes when suddenly a knock came at the door. Not my door, but the main one. In our town, we try to stay distanced from our neighbors. I never asked why I just figured that I should since others did. The question was who was visiting us on a Tuesday afternoon. There weren’t any meetings to be held on this Tuesday and we were simply doing busy work. As obedient as I was, the curiosity of a puppy filled up inside me and I was taken under the devils aroma once again as I decided to listen at the door. A priest was talking “Yes the Mildred girl told me so” I could hear them all take a seat “the small girl was taken under a dark hand, it only makes sense that it could be her” my father stepped in “I don’t understand i-” the tall leaning priest leaned forward “she was the last one to see her since this started happening, she sits next to her every day, she is young, she is fairly small and thus for weak, and she has been caught missing an occasional class.” I could hear my mother's strain for words but nothing came. My mind squandered but I eventually figured out what they meant. They thought I was a witch. That I had cursed Doris and handed my soul off to the devil. I was accused of being a witch, Mildred had sold me out, I had lied to my father. I wanted to stop thinking about it as i had a couple minutes ago, but this time i couldn’t.


 The accused and the afflicted. The accused are those of us who are accused of witchcraft, and the afflicted are the poor souls who are taken under a dark hand and can only be saved if their tormentor is found. Approximately 19 people were hanged and died: Bridget bishop, George Burroughs, Martha carrier, Martha Corey, mary easy, Sarah good, Elizabeth how, George Jacob sr., etc. Equally important 4 people who died in prison: Lydia Dustin, ann foster, Sarah Osborne, and roger Toothaker. And of course, Giles Corey (married to Martha Corey) was pressed to death. Elizabeth Booth, Sarah Churchill, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Parris, Ann Putnam Jr, Susanna Sheldon, Mary Warren, Mary Walcott, and Abigail Williams were all afflicted and affected by the devil's work, just like Doris. These are just some of the victims of the Salem witch trials.


  All of a sudden, I was terrified. As if an icy spear from the native Americans had shot through my legs and out from my throat. I couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe. I sat on the floor kneeling and praying. But nothing I did stopped those dreadful footsteps from creaking up the stairs. Next thing I knew I was in a cell. This gave me time to think. I remembered my friend's trial. Her name was Dorothy Good, her mother had been pregnant with Dorothy's little sister when they were both accused. At Dorothy's trial she admitted that she and her mother had indeed committed witchcraft and Dorothy was set free, her mother however gave birth to the baby in prison and was hanged after that baby died in the cold cell. Ever since then Dorothy has been different, deranged even. My father has used the word “psychotic” to describe her at the dinner table. We are not friends anymore. All I could hope for in that box of ever closer bars was that the priests could see through the lies and realise that I would never listen to the devil's aroma.


 For a six-year-old, the situation was too great for me to comprehend. I wondered what my trial would be like. I knew I wasn't allowed to lie, but I hadn't committed witchcraft so I couldn't beg for forgiveness either. I had never had two commandments that butted each other in such a way that it made me sin no matter what i chose to do. Finally two men escorted me out of the stony building and off to the church which I could already tell was full of people. They pulled me to the stand across from Mildred and Doris. A priest with ash silver hair came to the pope. A lot of words and prayer was said and heard, but whether it was from my lack of education or my shaking fear I didn't understand most of it. What I did understand was that I was about to have to withstand the water test. 


  The water test. a very effective and accurate way to tell if someone is a witch. An innocent person will always sink but a guilty one will float. Soon large hands were around me. Tying me to a log that I was nearly half the size of. We were no longer in the church but at the small pond just out of town. We never come here except for the water test. A lookout upon the crowd and finally spot my parents. My mother is looking steadfastly at me. Her eyes pleaded. I try to catch my fathers gaze but he is avoiding it, all emotion wiped from his face. I know that no one can or will help me when I’m pushed into the water, my face towards the sky bobbing across the lake. 


The water is splashing around me like a mirror. The sky is grey against the palm trees and the silver lake. I’m being captured by the beauty and scenery when I remember that I have to sink. The water is like damp silk as it laps on my legs. Switch from side to side until I teeter and my face is plunged into the icy water. I’m scared but I have the sense to grit my teeth and hold my breath. I get cold and try to pull my face out of the water but this only drives me further down. Finally, I opened my eyes. There are no fish or plants. Just the empty endless lake. Or at least it looks endless. I start to spin and see the rope attached to me, floating and twisting like a demented serpent of the empty water. It feels like I'm down there for hours, the sand spiraling when I disturb the floor. Finally, I feel a tug, the serpent has got me. It’s leading me back to those people. Dragging me away from my new home. The lake.


It’s years from then. I’m twelve now, and it’s still just as cold as ever. But I'm old enough now to put two and two together. Though I keep it to myself I have a nagging suspicion. Does whether you sink or float actually matter, does it matter if you're late to school. I just don’t understand, because I made the mistakes only a witch would make and yet even the priests admit they were wrong about me. So now I’m forced to walk the streets of Salem knowing but not speaking that witches aren’t real. Besides, the only person I'd want to tell is Mildred who I was forced to watch be hung the day after me. Doris still isn’t better and I don't know what's wrong with her, all I know is she and Mildred are victims of this pit we call Salem. And that's the story of how I learned the secret of the devils aroma.


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More english story from Josephine Strong