I am standing there, in the middle of the town center, frightened as my fellow sisters are getting burned at stake. Their screams are loud enough to pierce my ears, as blood curdling screams are coming out of their mouths, and the floor begins to tremble. I start to shake in fear as my head revolves around the idea that I might be next. I get an herbal remedy out of my silk black knitted purse, to smell and release my tension. As I am about to smell my mixture of lavender and rosemary, I whisked away from the stench of burning flesh as a guard all of a sudden grabs my arm and squeezes me. I feel my arm pulsing and my heart pumping out blood faster as he drags me out to the nearest wall. He pins me in between his presence and the cold brick wall behind me while he starts naming out the cruelest words known to man.
What feels like a blurred dream, all I can focus on is his alcoholic breath. It brings some type of closure in me as it spins me back to my younger days when my father would ask me to bring him liquor. I feel like a total disgrace to humanity as he’s spitting out these horrid unreal things about me. How can someone make this inhumane accusation about me? As I catch my breath from the beating he’s giving me all I can think about is vengeance. How badly I wish I were a witch to do evil practice on him. He drags me forward to the line of suspected witches who are waiting with pity for their life to be taken away. We don’t say it, but we all feel the same way, powerless. Who knew that in a world full of freedom, one would end with no power? My knees start to weaken and I feel the most sensible I have ever been. I think of any other assortment that could possibly take my mind away from the present.
My mind stays plagued in the present moment's impact on our future. I hope not for our fellow sisters to forget the torturous touch of the games against your skin and the tattered flesh that now remains. I hope that as they see us they are reminded of the cruelty of man, the injustice in our nature, the hurt in our peace. Another poundful scream of pain rushes through the air as another supposed evil creature is being taken. It was more than just being a witch, it’s the fact that we are all women. Men want the world to be only theirs, and that cannot be the case. I am next in line, as the guard pushes my lower back harshly with his walking stick. My heart pumping and beating louder than ever, as if I had stolen a candy from the grocery store. I get dragged up to the stage for the whole world to see my death. I stand there, in shame but a lingering pride in being a woman showers throughout my body. I stand there proud knowing that the men trying to take over our world all received their life from the people they hate the most. Women.
I decided to write this story because I took inspiration from my study abroad trip in Edinburgh, Scotland. The gothic streets full of mysterious ways unlocked this story from my heart. It was a specific day that came to mind when I was writing this piece. The skies were gloomy, but the sun still managed to pierce through the foggy clouds. Our instructor was giving us a tour near Castlehill, where she found the idea of the Salem witch trials in my brain. As she was explaining how the exact floor that we were standing on was where the trials were taking place many centuries back, something inside of me sparked. I had basic knowledge on the trials, based on my sophomore year English class, but for some reason I felt so much connection and distraught from the injustice that the innocent women would go through. This spark infused me to create something more out of it so I decided to continue my thought and hopefully discover more throughout this story.
This story reflects on the idea of women always feeling like they aren’t enough, or that they will never be as strong or powerful as men. Through the writing of this story I was hoping to overcome this issue and claim that women are equal as men and possibly even stronger. As I had mentioned in my story men wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for a woman. I hope to continue writing this story and embrace the past injustices, like the Salem witch trials, but also overcome it and realize that it happened in the past but as we grow into our society feminism is taking over and leading us to learn from our past.
One of my choices that I portrayed in my story was setting. I decided to be big on setting, I really wanted to be explicit and clear with what was exactly happening, and what the character was feeling at all times. A specific example I used in my writing was the herbal remedy that the main character was smelling, in order to relax. I did this in order to connect with the history and shadow how the witches would get suspected from being a witch by simply having herbs whether it was in their house or on them physically. Also, the public execution setting helps show the harsh reality these women faced, while the small moment with the herbs creates a difference that highlights the character’s inner world and strength.
When I started writing, I looked at some history and stories with strong female voices to get some ideas. One challenge was making sure that the story wasn’t just about violence or fear but also showed the narrator’s feelings and thoughts in a way that felt real and respectful. I went through different ideas to balance the intensity without making it overwhelming. For future revisions, I want to develop the relationships between the women more, to show how they support each other even when they’re scared, and also make some scenes faster or slower to build more tension.
In the scene where the guard grabs the narrator, I slowed things down to focus on what she’s feeling in the moment, her fear, her memories, and her anger. I kept the point of view very close, so the reader experiences everything through her eyes and senses. I chose a voice that’s honest and emotional because I wanted readers to really feel what it’s like to be in her shoes. The mix of vivid details and personal thoughts helps make her a fully rounded character, not just a victim but someone who is strong and proud despite the circumstances.
Writing this story helped me understand how powerful storytelling can be when it connects history with today’s issues. I learned how important it is to pay attention to small details that can make a story come alive and how a strong narrator’s voice can carry a heavy topic without losing the reader. It also made me think about the experiences of people who’ve been silenced or treated unfairly and how stories like this can help bring their voices back to life. Overall, it was a chance for me to practice writing with emotion and purpose.