Long ago, before technology took over the world and made life easier, there was magic. Magic described and seen deeper than those magic tricks magicians used to perform in front of children and audience to impress them, magic that could hurt, magic that could kill. This magic was owned by the witches and wizards, but long ago, witches were more popular and secretly dominated the world. These witches scattered all around the world, living in fear that someone might see them and call off the knights to sly them and burn them in front of a huge crowd who despised them more than anything. Witches were feared for their spells that could harm anyone in any way. What scared those most was the fact that they lived in fear every day, not knowing if it'll be their last.
But long ago, there
lived a young witch in the land. Ah, yes, she came to love a young prince and so the story goes.
Long, blonde hair and
cold yet sweet, blue eyes. She went by the name of Caroline; sweet, dear, and
loved by anyone and everyone—including the dear young prince, Marx. Marx was
the prince and the heir of the kingdom of that land at that time, and Caroline
just so happened to catch the prince’s attention. At a young age, both souls fell
in love.
“No need for a magic to stop time, no spell can
achieve what I feel.” Once said the
prince, "Love bounding through every
hour, joy lights a new day.”
Everyone loved the love
that was Caroline and Marx. Everyone smiled and gushed about how they looked
the perfect pair. Caroline’s perfect, silky blonde hair seemed to match Marx’s
chocolate brown locks. Their personalities weren’t any different; both were
very caring and kind towards everyone. They were loved for what they seem to
be. But from afar, someone despised them—no, someone despised Caroline more
than anyone; it was the woman who served the Catholic church of the land:
Amy. She hated Caroline for a reason; she was in love with Marx, the prince
who had shown her what it was like to live.
Amy envied
Caroline for being the one who the prince loved. All of these didn’t happen
before, and Marx was Amy’s and Amy’s only before Caroline came into his
line of view and stole him away from her. Because of that, Amy, the
well-known servant of God, began to blight her own soul; she began to blight
her own heart with the darkness that was her jealousy towards the witch that
was Caroline.
"She kept all the magic out of sight, how else to
achieve what you feel?” Once Amy asked
Marx, and the prince was taken aback. “Love
burning the final hour. She’ll light a new day.”
Now, hear the witch
crying louder as she’s tied up to her eyes.
“Penitence for your crime! Penitence and your life!” Said the crowd that was right before her very eyes, spewing
venom with every word, eyes looking at her with pure disgust. The Caroline that
everyone once loved was now the Caroline that everyone hated. It was amusing
that in just a flash, their love turned into burning hatred and that hatred
caused them to tie her up at a wooden crucifix, like the way Jesus Christ had
been tied. Dried hay and leaves rest beneath the end of the cross; they will
burn it once the church bells ring.
“If that love was just a curse, then you shall not
have any tears to shed!” Cried Amy as she
looked up at Caroline. Long, blonde hair faded and cut short. The life that was
in her eyes faded into a dull blue—cold and lifeless, hopeless, too.
“Let it light, let it burn bright, we only do what’s
right!” Amy added and as if on
cue, the church bell rang, indicating that the time for Caroline to be punished
for being a hideous being—a witch had
begun. Amy took a torch and lighted it with a fire burning so bright and
burning so painfully in Caroline’s eyes and she watched in fear as that burning
flame started to scatter on the dried hay that was beneath her tied feet. She
struggled, she begged for Marx to stop them, she begged for the prince to save
her, but the prince did nothing but watch as the flames went up to her feet,
blighting her delicate skin that he used to love touching. Marx apologized
inside his head, feeling sorry and guilty for being unable to do anything
despite being the prince and the heir of the land.
“Can’t believe of the fools that I see! You fed them
dirty lies!” Shouted Caroline and a
scream went out of her throat, and just like that, she was engulfed in the
flames that kissed her good night. Marx watched in horror, and as the flames
swallow Caroline—his dear, sweet Caroline, he could only mutter a few words;
“In another life, I will find you.”
*
“Good evening everyone!
Thank you for attending this year’s book fair!” And the crowd of bookworms
cheered wildly, raising their favorite books in the air and anticipating
excitedly for the very special guest that the hosts of the fair had mentioned
before, “Now, give it up for our very special guest! It’s none other than the
author of the very famous book, Witch
Hunt!”
The crowds roared
greatly, and there was a loud applause. He looked up from the book he was
holding and onto the stage right before him. He saw how she walked out to the
audience with a microphone in her hand, and he noticed her long, silky blonde
hair, and her cold yet sweet-looking eyes. And her smile! So perfect. She
caught his attention. Feels like something nudged onto him that it happened
before—somewhere…
She spoke for a while,
and then she descended down the stairs and onto the long table right in front
of them, and then… the book-signing came after. Each and every one of her fans
gathered up and lined up to have their copies signed by the lovely author with
the blue eyes. From what he could see in his spot in this long line, she was
friendly, sparking a conversation with her fans and smiling at them sweetly. He
wanted to see that smile up close, so he decided to stay within the line,
patiently wait for his turn.
And it was his turn. He
was up next and when it was already his turn, something unimaginable happened.
He tripped on his own two feet and fell right in front of her. Everyone was
dead silent for a moment, and he got up quickly, smiling sheepishly. Something
told this author that this man with the chocolate brown hair and piercing blue
eyes was familiar, and that she had seen him before. Light skin that seemed to
match hers, captivating stare and addicting smile… He was very familiar.
“Are you okay?” She
asked, and he chuckled an embarrassing chuckle, scratching the back of his
head, “Y-Yes, sorry about that.” He apologized, placing his copy on the table
in front of her.
“Thank you for reading my
Witch Hunt. I hope you liked it!” She said, grabbing the pen nearby while
keeping her gaze up at him whose figure seemed to loom over her.
“I liked it very much! It
was so detailed and so heart twisting.” The man replied and his embarrassed
smile mellowed down to a soft one. “Ah, I see…” The author smiled again and her
gaze fell down on the copy that belonged to the man in front of her.
“May I ask what your name
i--…” She stopped talking immediately when she saw the words written on the
first blank page of the book that she wrote.
It said;
