Title: Circumstance
Rating: PG-13
Part: Prologue
Date develop: 3 November 2001
Date revised: 3 November 2001

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Prologue – From the Beginning

As I look around my home now, it seem to me, much more emptier than in the past. The ones that used be with the remaining ones are gone now, whether it was being accused of witches, shunning themselves from the community because of losing loved ones, fleeing from the town from accusations.

Thinking about this more, perhaps it would be wise if I write this all from the beginning…

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Several months ago

Embers dwindled down in the fireplace as the warmth dissipated from the air throughout the home. The cold air from the lingering winter breeze blew throughout the house causing the lone occupant to hold her arms and warm herself slightly.

“How did it turn so cold?” The woman whispered to herself.

Walking outside she grabbed pieces of firewood and headed back into the house, feeling someone’s eyes watching her she turned and looked all around her. Her eyes scrutinized the countryside as she attempted to find something out of the ordinary.

Down the countryside she saw a flash of burgundy red hair, looking at the figure she realized it was just Baterich one of the more prominent females in the community. Baterich Reeve was one of those persons that would watch everyone else and gossip about him or her later. She tended to keep to herself than to go out into the open. Before her husband, Hughes Reeve, death, he had often bragged about his wife’s beauty at the local salon after a few drinks. Hughes died suddenly in his home not so long ago, probably an infection, and the child that the two were expecting also died.

Everyone pitied the poor woman, but the death of her child had also coincided with the unexpected circumstances of the children in the community. The children were walking around the community and their homes in trance-like states; their behavior was strange to say the least.

Amongst these young girls, was a child of ten years of age, her hair was of a dark black hue, some would have sworn to see purple highlights in the child’s hair; it was cut short to straight just above the shoulder. Hailey Tothyll’s father, was the prominent physician in Salem has it not been for his recent calling to Boston a few months ago. Now young Hailey resided in the home of the physician’s close assistant Susannah Mereworth.

Hailey, too, began to exhibit symptoms of reminiscent of the other girls. Somehow, Susannah was able to bring the child about and now young Hailey was about to run around like a child again. Susannah kept to herself for the most part, she was a part of the circle of friends that nothing seemed to be able to break their chain of friendship.

The female smiled at the friendships, and walked into her home with the firewood. Carefully she placed the wood onto the dying embers hoping the embers would catch the new fuel, however the embers died away at the hearth. Puzzled, the young woman carefully crouched to the fireplace and attempted to start the fire again. Seeing the sparks and the embers catching on again she stood up, took off her coif and brushed her long black hair from her eyes. She looked at her reflection in the window and noticed the faint violet highlights in her hair, she straightened out her hair and replaced the coif.

Looking to the small cooking area she sat down and readied herself with supper when a commotion outside grew in pitch and in sound. Curious to the commotion she walked towards the door and reached to turn the knob.

Before she may open the door, the door flew open and she faced an angry red haired woman. The female at the door pointed an accusing finger towards the other’s direction and screamed, “You, you were the one that bewitched my husband to death and killed our child!”

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