The Skinwalker Hunter

Chapter 10 - Hunter 1623

"Elizabeth Read, you are charged with the crime of witchcraft. How do you plead?" My voice was loud and boomed across the town square, reaching every ear of every citizen crowding around the edges of the courtyard. I wanted them to all fear and respect me.

"It does not matter how I plead for my demise is the design of your benefit." She just did not know when to keep her poisoned thoughts inside. There was a hushed murmur rippling through the townspeople. I had to put an end to this.

"Silence! " gesturing to the guards to escort her to the wood pyre, I turned my attention back to my audience. "The words of a witch I tell you. She has confessed her alliance with the devil and her punishment shall be to send her back to her master. Light the pyre!"

The whole town centre erupted with cheers. For the God-fearing people, it always surprised me how much they enjoyed watching an execution.

Four masked guards made their way to the middle of the courtyard, each holding a burning torch. In perfect unison, they lowered the torches to the four corners of the wood pyre and took a single step backwards. The timber was dry and it didn't take long for the flames to take hold. As the base flared to life with flames, black smoke billowed up the wooden stake and over the witch's body upward to the blue sky.

"Be warned, " Elizabeth said, " the fate that I am condemned to will be same for those who get in his way."

"The ramblings of a crazed witch!" I could not wait until she succumbed to the flames, her words rattled the townsfolk so, but she would not be silent.

"Your true self will be revealed, Mr Hunter." Her violet coloured eyes stared straight through me. Die already I thought. "I curse you for the wrong you have done. The evil you have committed. I curse you for the evil that continues to be."

" Witch! Witch! Witch!" The townspeople began chanting as Elizabeth's words confirmed her as the witch she was being burned for. I could not keep the smile from spreading across my face. I had won. They would no longer doubt my words. Those eyes could no longer look straight through me and see me as I was. 

As the flames grew higher and licked the base of her feet, her expression never changed. Never showed the pain she should be screaming over. She just stared straight back at me. Her lips moved slightly, forming words only she could hear, slowly getting louder until they could be heard loud and clear for all to hear.

"I curse thee for what thou hast done. Eternal darkness and a burning sun. For as long as the blood of my kin shall flow. Eternal damnation is all thou shall know." Never breaking eye contact, Elizabeth chanted the same words over and over. "I curse thee for what thou hast done. Eternal darkness and a burning sun. For as long as the blood of my kin shall flow. Eternal damnation is all thou shall know."

Flames devoured the timber, eating through the wooden stake Elizabeth Read had been tied to, melting her clothes to her skin and sucking the life from her ravaged body. Her haunting words echoed around the courtyard over and over until her last breath was taken and the life in her eyes had gone out.

Finally! It has never taken this long for them to die before. Her words bounced around my mind, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Silly old woman, " I muttered to myself, before addressing my people one last time. "The witch is dead. Our township is once again a safer place to be. It is my pleasure to continue to keep you and your children safe from the sorcery taking over our county."

Cheers erupted once more from the crowd as I bowed my head and backed up. Spinning around, I made my exit from the podium and headed towards my sleeping quarters. Feeling strangely drained for the first time in a long time, I needed to lay down to rest. Closing the door behind me I crossed the room to the window. The rancid stench of burning flesh was wafting in, making my stomach turn and twist in protest. Pulling the window shutters in I drew the curtains and flopped down on the bed. Sleep overtook me before I could even remove my shoes. 

                          *  *  *

"Excuse me, Sir, " whimpering words stirred me from my slumber. 

"What is it, Henry?" I was still feeling tired and being awoken early was affecting my mood.

"We have been worried about your health, Sir, " he replied.

"What are you waffling about, " I rolled over to face the doorway in hopes to get a better understanding of why anyone would be concerned about my sleeping habits. "Is it not a gentleman's prerogative to indulge in an afternoon rest after the events of today."

"Sir, " Henry stuttered over his words showing his fear of revealing his reasons. I detested weakness and fear being displayed so openly in my servants but relished in the power I had over him.

"What is it, spit it out, son." Now he was irritating me.

"Sir, you have been asleep for three days now, " he explained. "We called on the doctor and he implied us to wake you."

"Three days, " my mind was reeling from the news. "How could this be true?"

"Doctor Bennett has arrived and is requesting to see you."

"Send him in." I waved Henry away and pulled myself up so I was seated with the wall as a support for my back. Doctor Bennett entered, placing his black doctoring bag on the armchair beside the bed. Opening it up the doctor proceeded to rummage through the contents, placing the occasional satchel on the dresser before continuing his search.

"Tell me what is going on, " I demanded, growing weary of his silent actions. "I do not feel ill only depleted."

"Mr Hunter, are you aware that you have been in a state of slumber for three days and three nights?" I shook my head fearing my voice would betray me. "Yet, here we are and slumber is still your greatest desire. This is very concerning."

Grabbing the satchels, Doctor Bennett finally made his way to my bedside. He commenced his examination, starting with placing his hands on my forehead. It was some time before he had finished poking, prodding, stretching and pulling every part of my person.

"Well, what did you find?" I needed to know. Overwhelming feelings of emptiness and uneasiness had started to develop in my stomach.

"Your body and soul are resisting the natural order of this world and appear to require abnormal amounts of sleep to purge itself of the fouled humour within." His words and Elizabeth's chant made my head start to spin and pound painfully against my skull.

"How do I expel the foulness from my body?"

"Firstly you need to stay awake throughout the rest of the day, " he explained while mixing some dried leaves into an iron bowl. "Once the night falls, you must realign yourself with the natural order by sleeping only in the darkness and waking for the light of day. Your demeanour is very fragile so from the rise of the sun of tomorrow's morn it will be necessary to bathe your skin in sunlight."

"Will the light of day expel the foulness within? How did it get inside me?" My mind was reeling with unanswered questions and for the first time in my adult life, I was weak and afraid.

"It was the work of the devil, Mr Hunter, " he explained as he poured the herbs from the bowl into a calico satchel and fastened the drawstring before handing it to me. "Attach this to the front of your night garments to encourage sleep. As for maintaining alertness during the daylight hours, you will need to mix these leaves with boiled water and drink it as many times as you require to stay awake."

I extended my hand to accept the leaves bringing them to my nose to inhale their aroma. It was not a foul scent but it was strong enough to crinkle my nose in protest and curious about the taste.

"I will check in on you by the end of the week." With that, Doctor Bennett gathered his medicines, returned them to his bag and swiftly left the room. "Henry!"

"Yes Sir, " Henry answered as he entered the room.

"Mix these leaves with boiling water and serve it to me in a drinking tankard, " I commanded, handing him the leaves and gesturing him to exit my chambers.

My head was spinning with illusions and theories about the fouling of my humour. How does one foul the life fluids within the body? Was it the crazy dying words of a burning woman or the evil actions required of me to gain this privileged position of power I deserved? Resting my pained head against the wall behind, I closed my eyes trying to ease the discomfort. The effects of my ailment were apparent as the heaviness of sleep weighing me down dragged me back into a slumber.