Midnight Ride

The city burned, fire lighting up the night sky. Adelaide turned her head away. They would pay, whether with their lives or with grief and despair she did not care. She was close enough she could still feel the warmth of the blazes brushing her cheeks. “Let’s go, Shadow,” she whispered to her horse, nudging him with her knees. His huff could barely be heard as he obeyed, taking her further into the forest. The snapping of twigs beneath his feet echoed across the otherwise eerily silent woods. As they travelled, Adelaide thought of the events leading up to this midnight ride.

It was midday as townsfolk stormed her house, throwing the door open as she sat reading in her chair. She barely noticed her book thumping to the floor as she quickly stood in surprise. They screamed at her, accusing her of being a witch. Even the man she thought she would marry, Jonathan, stood among the crowd and at that moment she what it meant to have a broken heart. Hers felt as though it had been ripped from her chest, leaving a gaping wound in its wake.

The men grabbed her wrists, twisting her arms painfully behind her back. She could not move. They dragged her to the jail and threw her into a tiny, dank cell. Mildewed hay sat in the corner. The clinging of the bars rang throughout the night as they slammed the door shut. She knew she didn’t stand a chance and chose only to listen while they screamed slurs at her. They would believe what they wanted anyway, so she only said one thing. “If I really am a witch do you think your simple cells can hold me?” Her eyes sought out Jonathan’s, hoping he’d come to his senses and convince the townsfolk how wrong they were. He avoided her gaze.

“Hold your tongue, witch. You are to be burned at the stake tomorrow. We will not have your attempts at bewitchery,” the constable spewed, spittle flying from his mouth. It hit Adelaide underneath her eye. Using the sleeve of her dress, she wiped it away as she held his gaze. Fear grew in his eyes until abruptly he turned and left. Slowly the crowd followed, including Jonathan. Adelaide held back a sob. She would not let him see her grief. His betrayal hurt, more than she would ever let anyone know.

A single guard stood at the top of the stairs. They were too frightened of her to leave anyone with her in the basement, the cowards.

The hours passed. She watched as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. As the night grew, so did the cold. They hadn’t even had the decency to give her a blanket. Once she’d yelled to the guard, “Please! I’m so cold! Could you give me a blanket?” His only reply was to tell her to keep quiet.

So, she paced the cell to keep warm. Her shoes clacked against the stone as she counted her steps. “One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.”

Several hours later now, Adelaide pet Shadow and slowed him to a stop. They were far enough from the town now that should anyone see her, they wouldn’t suspect her of having set the fire, though the glow from its light could still be seen. She laughed, the sound bubbling from her belly. If only the constable had known her true nature, he never would have attempted to lock her in that filthy cell. She hadn’t lied; it could not hold her, and now they would all pay.