CHAPTER 11- Drive Of Past Memories II

In the darkness,

secrets are born and lies are forged.

~ Unknown.

***

'Burn her!'

'Burn her!'

'Devil's spawn!'

The first villager spoke again. 'Devil's spawn!'

'Beast!' Another said, dragging her before pushing her body towards another villager.

'Witch!'

'Repent!' condemned another, pushing forth Medusa towards another villager. This process continued from one folk to another.

'Be gone!' Another villager shouted. 'Witch!'

 'Step aside!' At the tone of the rough voice, the villagers parted way for the man. He matched forward, and into the crowd while he faced Medusa. Her black hair, blown back and forth by the wind, resembled the unkempt hair of a drunkard. Her eyes were red and tearing as she stared at the man before her.

 'Medusa,' he started. 'You have been brought forth and judged before God and mankind, therefore found guilty.'

 Meanwhile, Medusa found herself in this memory of her past, passed through the midst of the crowded villagers. She stood at the front and watched the scene unfold before her eyes.

 'You are a witch, a sorceress, Lucifer's mistress herself,' he continued with a visible frown on his face. 'For your curse, you will burn this night, and suffer the eternal flames of hellfire where your kind exists.'

 'I'm innocent, I swear!' She pleaded; tears welled up in her eyes. 'You must believe me. This is all the hands of the wicked. They will steal our land, slaughter the innocent and rob us our peaceful homes. He's back! Danger is lurking and we can prevent it! Those are false accusations labeled upon-'

 'She speaks lie out of her dirty lips!' one of the villagers rebuked venomously. What followed next were the disapproving murmurings amongst the crowd; some shouting and others insulting, waving their burning sticks in the air.

 'She dare preach about danger when she is the danger!' said another in disdain.

 'Ha!' barked the man who spoke earlier. 'You are guilty of the allegations and shall therefore suffer its consequences.' He spoke in finality and the crowd cheered in approval.

 'You cannot accuse me without proof! I am innocent of those allegations, I swear!'

 'You seek for evidence?' he asked, but behind those words were hint of sarcasm. 'If this would be your death wish, I shall honorably grant it.' Then he snapped his fingers.

 A lady stepped into the middle of the crowd with a black hat that covered most part of her face. But Medusa immediately recognized her. And she was surprised.

 'Aelin Hannreth ,' he called out, drawing her attention from Medusa. 'Do you swear by oath and in truth, justify the allegations labeled upon Medusa Mohanv to be guilty?'

 Medusa's eyes traveled from the man's figure to Aelin who stood watching her. She was in fear for what might happen. Aelin would stand for her, not against her? She found herself questioning this.

 'I, Aelin Hannreth, swear on this day, that the lady, Medusa Mohanv, is charged guilty for attempted murder of the king and the cause of recent deaths to be true.' Her words left Medusa's jaw drop in shock watching her last thread of hope cut loose. 'There are witnesses who claimed to see her perform dark magic, and that alone concludes this case. Medusa Mohanv, I, therefore justify this judgment, before God and mankind, not false but proven true and guilty as I appear as one of those witnesses.' She announced, and the whole crowd cheered at their instincts.

 Medusa sat paralyzed like a crafted statue made to rest on the ground. No words could form from her mouth. All the life in her eyes faded to dust.

 'You sin! And therefore, the blood that runs through your cursed vein will burn along with you this night.' When this was said, a lady and a man were thrown to the middle of the crowd. Besides them, a crying child wailed in the arms of one of the guards who were assigned to capture them.

 Medusa was distracted by the cries of the baby, and she finally spoke. 'Please, let go of my family! I beg of you!' she pleaded, constantly looking forth her family and the man before her eyes. Tears rolled off her cheeks at the sight of her sister tortured like that. She was innocent for Christ's sake!

 'Tell that to the devil when you meet him.' Was his cold response to her pleas.

 'How could you?!' Medusa screamed at Aelin. 'I trusted you! I trusted you with all my heart!'

 Aelin stood few inches away from Medusa. 'Poor you,' she sang and leaned to whisper, 'I did warn you, didn't I? A day will come when you will cry and you will forget your faith. Look who we have here.' She mocked. 'Always holding on to a pride that doesn't suit you.'

 Medusa's anger and irritation spiked, causing her to grab the small knife hidden beneath her belt the whole time and slashed her face at the right side of her cheek. The cut was so wild that it inflicted a deep wound.

 Immediately, a guard grabbed Medusa's arm harshly, locking her hand behind her back to his armored chest.

'Punish her!'

 Aelin glared at Medusa at the sudden scene. She touched her cheek to find blood and she fumed in anger.

 'When you see that scar on that face, remember me and call yourself a history!' she hissed, and Aelin bit her lower lip hard. She walked towards struggling Medusa and slapped her.

 'And that's for taking what always belong to me.' Aelin spoke in resentment, still glaring at her with daggers in her eyes.

 Medusa laughed. A painful and amused laughter that irked Aelin. Then she spat out blood on her face. 'Your heart will always be bitter. Always.' She swore, and Aelin grunted in displeasure. She raised her hand to slap her again, when the voice of the man stopped her.

 'That's enough, lady Aelin,' the man said. 'The devil did well to send such cursed being to our land.' He adjusted his hat on his head. 'And I shall send it back!'

 'No!' Medusa cried out as she was harshly dragged by two guards into a small cottage. Including her family.

 The villagers hollered and clamored at the scene before them. 'You are an abomination in the devil's grip.' He continued , watching Medusa being chained. 'Godless creatures!'

 'Set it ablaze!' At his command, a guard took the stick burning with fire and lit it on the dry grass at the roof top.

 'No! Please!' Her terrifying screams reawakened at the order. 'Stop! We are innocent! Ah!'

 'Forgive me…' Medusa could hear her mother's trembling voice and the heart wrenching cry of her sister. Tears rolled down her eyes seeing them in this condition. Her heart shattered to a million pieces. Why? They didn't deserve this. They didn't!

 'I failed you,' her mother whispered. 'Please forgive me…' she cried and leaned to kiss her forehead.

 'No,' Medusa whispered back. 'This is my entire fault.' She cried. 'My existence brought nothing but inflicted pain to you, papa and sister. Forgive me please,'

 'Shh…' She prevented her from talking further. 'You're my light. You, your father and your sister are my world. Nothing else is,' she convinced with a sad smile, taking a quick glance at her husband. When their eyes met, she smiled. 'He would have blamed himself too.'

 'Oh mother…' Medusa wept, pouring out her heart. The emotions she bottled all those while, shattered to pieces. She looked broken and deserted.

< Music recommendation; mournful dramatic music playing>

 'I shan't forgive myself.' She confessed. 'I swear to avenge us. I will pay humans and all kinds,' she said and coughed, as the smoke had begun to fill her lungs.

 Medusa who stood watching the memory remained rooted on her spot as everything became mute. She watched herself sweeping into another image. A sudden darkness washed over her entire being as she recalled the past. There is no escape for the wicked.

***

Chills. ^.^