“Begone, you foul and disrupting entities! You are not welcome here!”
Moving to close the door swiftly and gracefully as my elders have once many times before. Marking the sides of the door with salted water, I lay my chalice and bell down. Raising my arms and saying with a steady and assertive voice, “Welcome to all entities of Light and helpfulness. Fill this home with your presence and blessing. Keep out all beings of Darkness, and bring our life back into proper balance.”
My hut was enveloped in the purifying scents of frankincense and myrrh. Feeling a void around me as the positive entities I asked for, entered the house. The elders told me never to banish entities and not replace them, because if you don’t, the same entities could move back in and bring more. Needless to say a void must always be filled.

Closing the door I turn around to put out my alter candles. All of the sudden the door swung open and terrifying faces burst through the hut's wooden door, screaming in terror, I scream louder to warn the others in the back yard. It was too late. They were

Cyr 2


already slaughtered, and I was next. Hearing my sister, mother, and friends screaming just as I, was a sad scary thing.
How could it had only been just a few seconds ago that all was peaceful and quiet, and now I'm going to lose my life to these barbaric demons. The evil grimaces on their faces looked like there were going to enjoy killing me. But little did I know they weren’t going to kill me yet. They bound my hands behind my back and gagged me with a cloth that tasted unclean. Then they put a sack over my face and tore me out of my hut.
Hearing the screaming of those still alive and the moaning of those near death. “leanbh-ghealach,leanbh-ghealach!” My mother calls out to me. Her voice sounding scared and panicked. I hate to hear her like that. “Fanacht láidir mo bláth beag!” Her words rang in my ears, be strong my little flower, be strong my little flower, over and over again. Her voice more frantic then before “Nach bhfuil aon! le do thoil nach a! Leanbh-Ghealach” No not me, not moon child? What was about to happen? Then something hit the back of my head very hard and knocked me unconscious.

I woke up in cold sweats on the dank and dirty cave floor. Dirt and blood covered my body, and I was sore from the beatings I got earlier that day. I had another one of my nightmares again, it was about the night I was taken away from everything I ever loved and brought to this dreadful place. The white robe I was wearing was no longer white. It
































































Cyr 3
was stained of blood, dirt, and whatever other substance fell on me. The robe was a tattered mess and was becoming threadbare. Its long arms were no longer in tacked, I
ripped them off to help my friend form bleeding out. One of the soldiers that had captured us and brought us to this imprisonment had sliced her arm at least a knuckle deep with his sword to get her to move out of his way. I had to drag her over to the wall before he could get another hit in. I had nothing to work with, but I knew that I had to do something. I tore my sleeves knowing I had to stop the bleeding. It worked till the blood soaked threw. So I tore off the other sleeve and tied it over the cut hoping that now that I had the blood clotted, then had tied above the wound so the blood wouldn’t reach to her cut. To my relieve it stopped.
I tended to it for the next few days, washing the cut with whatever the soldiers had given to me. It wasn't much, but it might help. Infection set in, and soon cleaning it with the soiled water didn't help. She became week and soon passed. Out captors didn't pick up her pale lifeless body till the smell was rancid and her body was rotting where she lay.
I stared in terror as the soldier picked her up to bring her out and on to a pile of others who didn't make it. I wondered if I were next to die. You never knew who was next. One dies of the fatigue, another of illness, and if you were lucky enough you would be burned at the stake. Yes, it was a slow and painful death, but you weren’t left around for days.
I could hear my mother's words once again, as if telling me not to think of such evil things, as she often did, “Be strong my little flower!” Her last words of
Cyr 4
encouragement rang threw my ears. I looked at the dirt floor, nodding off before the dawn hit and I was to get up and await my food and water.
I dreamed of the old days, of when I was little, or no cares in the world. My younger sister Ghrian and I were in a meadow. The air felt crisp against my face and I could taste the pollen in the air. We were out picking autumn flowers to weave in to wreaths for the Samhain celebration later that night. Even this far away I could smell the food the others were making for the spirits that were passing this evening. “leanbh, why did we have to move again?” Ghrian asked. I was only 5 and I was to young to know my self. I looked in to her eyes that shone blue and told her the explanation I was given by mother. “The world told us to move, it was time we explored in to higher and safer mountains where we wouldn’t be found.”
Her blond ringlets blew into her face mixing in with the confused look she wore. She was only two years younger then me but you would have sworn she was older. She was born under the sun, which is how she got her name, Ghrian. Her full name was Ghrian-Leanbh meaning sun child. Unlike me, she could use the suns' power and create magic. My name Leanbh-ghealach, means moon child. She looked away, then back. She looked as if she wanted to ask something but she didn't have time to ask it, because mother was calling us back.

I woke up suddenly with my mothers words ringing in my head again. “Be strong my little flower!”At that moment I saw a soldier take the girl across from me away. He muttered something in a language I didn't know and threw her in to the wall. I felt my self



























Cyr 5
scream in her defense. I yelled out at the soldier “tú muc lofa!” One of the other soldiers

must have know my tongue and translated my message to the man who threw the girl in to the wall. He looked happy at the fact I was mad. He gruffly said something to his translator who looked at me and said “So you think I'm a pig?” Then a red sneering pain I've never experienced before shot threw my leg then my whole body. I looked down and my leg was sliced down the side. A giant hunk of meat hung off my leg. The translator spoke again “I would like to see you doctor that injury.” The two men left with the unconscious girl, draped over the shoulder of the man I called a pig.
Once again my mothers words came to me “Be strong my little flower!” I had no sleeve left so I had no other choice. I pulled off my tattered robe and tore it in half. I tied one of the half's to my wound and the other above the wound, just as I done to on the girl next to me when I fixed her arm.
I sat in pain the whole day. I had given my food rations to the sickly girl next to me. When I did she gorged on what little food there was. She left the water and told me to keep it. So I did, and drank for the first time in three days. It felt good going down my dry cracked throat.
Soon it became night. I couldn't see outside but I knew some how. The girl who I gave my food to looked at me “You know that it's night, just as I do.” I looked at her. “Yes, I know it's night. How can you tell I know?” Is it possible, was she born under the moon? Is she a moon child as well? “I can tell just by how you act.” I looked at her in
Cyr 6
disbelief. So she is a moon child. “You silly child. Did you not know it's a full moon out tonight? Or do you not know a healing spell?” The look on my face must have given it away. I didn't know it was a full moon tonight. I've been so detached to the earth and focusing on
my own pain that I have been neglecting my powers. “No I didn't know it was a full moon tonight” I sheepishly replied. “You never answered my question about you knowing any spells about healing. Do you or do you not?” At that moment she looked as if she were glowing, like she wasn't sick at all. “I'm sorry I don't remember any at the moment.” The woman looked at me in sadness and wonder. How strange was it that a high priestess as myself, who worked with the moon, didn't remember any spells. “How long have you been in here for?” I honestly didn't remember, so I gave her my estimate. “About three months,” she looked horrified. “My dear, you have been in here for more then three months. That's how long I have been here for.” Is it true, have I been here for more then three months?
The woman spoke again “What is your name child?” I told her “Leanbh-ghealach” “Merry meet Leanbh-Ghealac, I am Aideen.” Merry meet, we are in kind of an unusual place to be saying that, but I am not going to be rude to an elder. “Merry meet to you too Aideen.”She looked giddy and full of life as if she were never sick at all. “So for that healing spell repeat after me 'Healing moon lead your power, bring me peace this very hour, I call upon your strength and might, bless your child this secret night'” I did as she said and spoke the spell. Nothing happened, Aideen saw the look on my face and once again guessed what I was thinking. “My dear Ghealac, it's not going to work instantly. Go to sleep, and in the





















































Cyr 7
morning you will feel better.”

Sure enough Aideen was right. My leg felt almost all the way better. “Aideen, Aide-” She lay motionless on the floor. Her chest barely moving and her complexion went from pale she was last night to white. I went to her side, forgetting my hurt leg, and knelt beside her. I shook her and she didn't stir. I shook her again and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She

was dying. “Aideen, please don't!” As if she knew what I meant by “please don't” she lifted her skeletal hand and placed it to my face. “Hush my child. You must be strong. I won't be here forever.” My mothers words came in to my head again “Be strong my little flower.” As I held Aideens’ frail body in my arms I began to cry. How could I care for someone who I barley know? Aideen's eyes looked back up at me and they had that glint of light in them I had seen last night. That light that told me everything was going to be okay and that I had to worry about anything. Aideen wiped the tears from my eyes and said again “Be strong.” She let out one more staggering breath and that was it. The light in her eyes was gone. Her chest didn't go back up to breath, she had died.

Her dead body was lying there motionless in my arms, with me sobbing me over her. My tears were running down my face and rolling off of hers. Be strong she told me. How was I going to be strong? My only friend who was still alive, is now dead.

“Take me with you!” screaming my lungs out I screech again “Take me with you! Don't leave me here! Aideen, I know you can hear me!” The guards came running to see if someone had escaped instead they found a heap of two bodies on the floor. Aideen and Cyr 8
myself. They laughed at the sight of us. Muttered something in their language that my ear had herd many times. “May you all go to hell and not have a drop of porter to quench your eternal thirst! I hope you burn in hell!” being the beasts they were they didn't under stand a thing of what I just said other then the soldier who could translate from Gaelic to there beastly tone. He told them what I just said and they all just laughed. One of them came up to me and slapped me in the face, the white-hot pain surged threw my body. My face felt as if it were on fire. Once again my voice thundered threw the cave “If you hate

me so why keep me here in this hell!” Laughing the soldiers looked at me while one of them knocked me unconscious.

Waking up I found myself more soar then I had ever been in my whole life. Bruises and cuts covered my body. Who knows what happened to me during my time of being unconscious. By the looks of my self, nothing good happened. A meek voice came from down the way a little bit. “They destroyed you when you were gone. Beet you senseless to the point to which I thought you were dead.” So that's what happened, and this poor sole watched the whole thing. “I'm sorry you had to watch it. Such a young girl as your self should have never have had to experience such a thing.” She looked at me and I saw a tear fall from her eye. “My mother was murdered; those disgraceful guards took her head and maimed her. My brother was stuck in the house when it was caught fire. I watched my father get stabbed to death. And my little sister, oh the poor thing. She was brought here with me and didn’t make it past a week.” She started to cry. I tried to move to comfort her, but I couldn’t move due to the condition I was in. “Hush child it’s Cyr 9
going to be okay.” How could I say that? Everything was not going to be okay, as a matter of fact we were going to die and there was nothing to do about it. Plain and simple, we were going to die.

She kept crying and eventually the guards came. They said something in there tongue. “I don’t under stand!” the young girl shrieked. “Leave me alone!” one of the guards kicked her in the side. She let out a cry of pain. They hit her upside the head and she fell to the ground, her breathing light enough so my mere eye could see her chest barely move. The evil men went on there way laughing at the act they had just committed.

“You evil brutes'! I hope you rot in the fiery pits in which Hel will decided what punishment you deserve!” The men turned around and laughed at my anger, then turned around and left.

I couldn't tell if she was dead or alive. I sat there wishing I could move over to see, but my leg wouldn't allow such a thing. A few hours went by and the young girl started to stir. A few more minutes went by and she opened her eyes and lifted her head. I wasn't sure what she was staring at but whatever it was it was behind me. She grew wide eyed and started to scream. I couldn't turn my head to see what she was looking at in enough time, all of a sudden I felt the smack of a heavy object hit against my head, before I could comprehend what it was, I was out.


When my world came back to me I found both my hands and feet bound together behind a wooden pole. My back was stiff against the long pole and I could feel the warm Cyr 10
sun lick my face as the wind swept my hair away. I took a breath in and was relieved to fill my nose with fresh air. I opened my eyes and looked down. I was decorated over a large stack of wood. I realized what this meant, I would die today. I would die a death of a lasting pain and the dreadful agony of being burned at the stake. This also meant another thing, my freedom.

Waiting for my death was long and cold, having no clothing on took its tool as well. When I was in the cave it was cold, now out in the elements I could feel mother-
natures wrath. From behind me I could hear the crow singing her song of laughter as she flew above me as if laughing at my state. Listening more my ears picked up the acute sound of feet against the grass as a field mouse ran by with bread in it's mouth. Funny how much better this little creature is more nourished then myself. Looking around I noticed that there was a wall of forest on the other side of the clearing. In that clearing there was a white stag. What a funny concept at this time seaming as how I am bounded to this poll. I heard something else, it was a male voice. The voices came closer and closer till I knew they were right behind me. The two men came around to the front where I could see them. One man held a torch, the other started speaking in his tongue and I could not understand what he was saying. The man who held the torch bent down and lit the pile of logs under my feet then the both of them left.

I could see the flames creeping up closer and closer to my feet. Be strong my little flower. My mother’s words echoed in my head as the flames licked the bottoms of my feet. The flames grew higher and engulfed my legs in the burning pleasure of freedom. Be strong my little flower. “I’m coming mother!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I
Cyr 11
screamed to her again as the flames of my freedom ate the enslaved flesh of my tortured body. Be strong my little flower. Her words rang in my head as the flames slowly covered my chest in a pain that hurt but would soon be my savior. I could see my family at the start of the forest where the white stag was earlier. Be strong my little flower. The words I could see come off of her mouth floated from the field and drifted to my ears. “Soon mother, I’ll be with you soon.” I tried to yell it but the smoke from the fire enabled me from my speech. After that I could feel the flames ignite around my throat as it touched my skin. Be strong my little flower. I could no longer see my family by the forest but I knew I would be with them soon. As the flames licked my face I thought about my freedom. I would be spread across this land as a reminder of what had happened. Be strong my little flower. Those were the last words my mother had said and now they were the last words I would think of before my death. I felt myself slowly slipping away. Be strong my little flower. My world was gone and my freedom was here. I am free.



















“Begone, you foul and disrupting entities! You are not welcome here!”
Moving to close the door swiftly and gracefully as my elders have once many times before. Marking the sides of the door with salted water, I lay my chalice and bell down. Raising my arms and saying with a steady and assertive voice, “Welcome to all entities of Light and helpfulness. Fill this home with your presence and blessing. Keep out all beings of Darkness, and bring our life back into proper balance.”
My hut was enveloped in the purifying scents of frankincense and myrrh. Feeling a void around me as the positive entities I asked for, entered the house. The elders told me never to banish entities and not replace them, because if you don’t, the same entities could move back in and bring more. Needless to say a void must always be filled.

Closing the door I turn around to put out my alter candles. All of the sudden the door swung open and terrifying faces burst through the hut's wooden door, screaming in terror, I scream louder to warn the others in the back yard. It was too late. They were

Cyr 2


already slaughtered, and I was next. Hearing my sister, mother, and friends screaming just as I, was a sad scary thing.
How could it had only been just a few seconds ago that all was peaceful and quiet, and now I'm going to lose my life to these barbaric demons. The evil grimaces on their faces looked like there were going to enjoy killing me. But little did I know they weren’t going to kill me yet. They bound my hands behind my back and gagged me with a cloth that tasted unclean. Then they put a sack over my face and tore me out of my hut.
Hearing the screaming of those still alive and the moaning of those near death. “leanbh-ghealach,leanbh-ghealach!” My mother calls out to me. Her voice sounding scared and panicked. I hate to hear her like that. “Fanacht láidir mo bláth beag!” Her words rang in my ears, be strong my little flower, be strong my little flower, over and over again. Her voice more frantic then before “Nach bhfuil aon! le do thoil nach a! Leanbh-Ghealach” No not me, not moon child? What was about to happen? Then something hit the back of my head very hard and knocked me unconscious.

I woke up in cold sweats on the dank and dirty cave floor. Dirt and blood covered my body, and I was sore from the beatings I got earlier that day. I had another one of my nightmares again, it was about the night I was taken away from everything I ever loved and brought to this dreadful place. The white robe I was wearing was no longer white. It
































































Cyr 3
was stained of blood, dirt, and whatever other substance fell on me. The robe was a tattered mess and was becoming threadbare. Its long arms were no longer in tacked, I
ripped them off to help my friend form bleeding out. One of the soldiers that had captured us and brought us to this imprisonment had sliced her arm at least a knuckle deep with his sword to get her to move out of his way. I had to drag her over to the wall before he could get another hit in. I had nothing to work with, but I knew that I had to do something. I tore my sleeves knowing I had to stop the bleeding. It worked till the blood soaked threw. So I tore off the other sleeve and tied it over the cut hoping that now that I had the blood clotted, then had tied above the wound so the blood wouldn’t reach to her cut. To my relieve it stopped.
I tended to it for the next few days, washing the cut with whatever the soldiers had given to me. It wasn't much, but it might help. Infection set in, and soon cleaning it with the soiled water didn't help. She became week and soon passed. Out captors didn't pick up her pale lifeless body till the smell was rancid and her body was rotting where she lay.
I stared in terror as the soldier picked her up to bring her out and on to a pile of others who didn't make it. I wondered if I were next to die. You never knew who was next. One dies of the fatigue, another of illness, and if you were lucky enough you would be burned at the stake. Yes, it was a slow and painful death, but you weren’t left around for days.
I could hear my mother's words once again, as if telling me not to think of such evil things, as she often did, “Be strong my little flower!” Her last words of
Cyr 4
encouragement rang threw my ears. I looked at the dirt floor, nodding off before the dawn hit and I was to get up and await my food and water.
I dreamed of the old days, of when I was little, or no cares in the world. My younger sister Ghrian and I were in a meadow. The air felt crisp against my face and I could taste the pollen in the air. We were out picking autumn flowers to weave in to wreaths for the Samhain celebration later that night. Even this far away I could smell the food the others were making for the spirits that were passing this evening. “leanbh, why did we have to move again?” Ghrian asked. I was only 5 and I was to young to know my self. I looked in to her eyes that shone blue and told her the explanation I was given by mother. “The world told us to move, it was time we explored in to higher and safer mountains where we wouldn’t be found.”
Her blond ringlets blew into her face mixing in with the confused look she wore. She was only two years younger then me but you would have sworn she was older. She was born under the sun, which is how she got her name, Ghrian. Her full name was Ghrian-Leanbh meaning sun child. Unlike me, she could use the suns' power and create magic. My name Leanbh-ghealach, means moon child. She looked away, then back. She looked as if she wanted to ask something but she didn't have time to ask it, because mother was calling us back.

I woke up suddenly with my mothers words ringing in my head again. “Be strong my little flower!”At that moment I saw a soldier take the girl across from me away. He muttered something in a language I didn't know and threw her in to the wall. I felt my self



























Cyr 5
scream in her defense. I yelled out at the soldier “tú muc lofa!” One of the other soldiers

must have know my tongue and translated my message to the man who threw the girl in to the wall. He looked happy at the fact I was mad. He gruffly said something to his translator who looked at me and said “So you think I'm a pig?” Then a red sneering pain I've never experienced before shot threw my leg then my whole body. I looked down and my leg was sliced down the side. A giant hunk of meat hung off my leg. The translator spoke again “I would like to see you doctor that injury.” The two men left with the unconscious girl, draped over the shoulder of the man I called a pig.
Once again my mothers words came to me “Be strong my little flower!” I had no sleeve left so I had no other choice. I pulled off my tattered robe and tore it in half. I tied one of the half's to my wound and the other above the wound, just as I done to on the girl next to me when I fixed her arm.
I sat in pain the whole day. I had given my food rations to the sickly girl next to me. When I did she gorged on what little food there was. She left the water and told me to keep it. So I did, and drank for the first time in three days. It felt good going down my dry cracked throat.
Soon it became night. I couldn't see outside but I knew some how. The girl who I gave my food to looked at me “You know that it's night, just as I do.” I looked at her. “Yes, I know it's night. How can you tell I know?” Is it possible, was she born under the moon? Is she a moon child as well? “I can tell just by how you act.” I looked at her in
Cyr 6
disbelief. So she is a moon child. “You silly child. Did you not know it's a full moon out tonight? Or do you not know a healing spell?” The look on my face must have given it away. I didn't know it was a full moon tonight. I've been so detached to the earth and focusing on
my own pain that I have been neglecting my powers. “No I didn't know it was a full moon tonight” I sheepishly replied. “You never answered my question about you knowing any spells about healing. Do you or do you not?” At that moment she looked as if she were glowing, like she wasn't sick at all. “I'm sorry I don't remember any at the moment.” The woman looked at me in sadness and wonder. How strange was it that a high priestess as myself, who worked with the moon, didn't remember any spells. “How long have you been in here for?” I honestly didn't remember, so I gave her my estimate. “About three months,” she looked horrified. “My dear, you have been in here for more then three months. That's how long I have been here for.” Is it true, have I been here for more then three months?
The woman spoke again “What is your name child?” I told her “Leanbh-ghealach” “Merry meet Leanbh-Ghealac, I am Aideen.” Merry meet, we are in kind of an unusual place to be saying that, but I am not going to be rude to an elder. “Merry meet to you too Aideen.”She looked giddy and full of life as if she were never sick at all. “So for that healing spell repeat after me 'Healing moon lead your power, bring me peace this very hour, I call upon your strength and might, bless your child this secret night'” I did as she said and spoke the spell. Nothing happened, Aideen saw the look on my face and once again guessed what I was thinking. “My dear Ghealac, it's not going to work instantly. Go to sleep, and in the





















































Cyr 7
morning you will feel better.”

Sure enough Aideen was right. My leg felt almost all the way better. “Aideen, Aide-” She lay motionless on the floor. Her chest barely moving and her complexion went from pale she was last night to white. I went to her side, forgetting my hurt leg, and knelt beside her. I shook her and she didn't stir. I shook her again and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She

was dying. “Aideen, please don't!” As if she knew what I meant by “please don't” she lifted her skeletal hand and placed it to my face. “Hush my child. You must be strong. I won't be here forever.” My mothers words came in to my head again “Be strong my little flower.” As I held Aideens’ frail body in my arms I began to cry. How could I care for someone who I barley know? Aideen's eyes looked back up at me and they had that glint of light in them I had seen last night. That light that told me everything was going to be okay and that I had to worry about anything. Aideen wiped the tears from my eyes and said again “Be strong.” She let out one more staggering breath and that was it. The light in her eyes was gone. Her chest didn't go back up to breath, she had died.

Her dead body was lying there motionless in my arms, with me sobbing me over her. My tears were running down my face and rolling off of hers. Be strong she told me. How was I going to be strong? My only friend who was still alive, is now dead.

“Take me with you!” screaming my lungs out I screech again “Take me with you! Don't leave me here! Aideen, I know you can hear me!” The guards came running to see if someone had escaped instead they found a heap of two bodies on the floor. Aideen and Cyr 8
myself. They laughed at the sight of us. Muttered something in their language that my ear had herd many times. “May you all go to hell and not have a drop of porter to quench your eternal thirst! I hope you burn in hell!” being the beasts they were they didn't under stand a thing of what I just said other then the soldier who could translate from Gaelic to there beastly tone. He told them what I just said and they all just laughed. One of them came up to me and slapped me in the face, the white-hot pain surged threw my body. My face felt as if it were on fire. Once again my voice thundered threw the cave “If you hate

me so why keep me here in this hell!” Laughing the soldiers looked at me while one of them knocked me unconscious.

Waking up I found myself more soar then I had ever been in my whole life. Bruises and cuts covered my body. Who knows what happened to me during my time of being unconscious. By the looks of my self, nothing good happened. A meek voice came from down the way a little bit. “They destroyed you when you were gone. Beet you senseless to the point to which I thought you were dead.” So that's what happened, and this poor sole watched the whole thing. “I'm sorry you had to watch it. Such a young girl as your self should have never have had to experience such a thing.” She looked at me and I saw a tear fall from her eye. “My mother was murdered; those disgraceful guards took her head and maimed her. My brother was stuck in the house when it was caught fire. I watched my father get stabbed to death. And my little sister, oh the poor thing. She was brought here with me and didn’t make it past a week.” She started to cry. I tried to move to comfort her, but I couldn’t move due to the condition I was in. “Hush child it’s Cyr 9
going to be okay.” How could I say that? Everything was not going to be okay, as a matter of fact we were going to die and there was nothing to do about it. Plain and simple, we were going to die.

She kept crying and eventually the guards came. They said something in there tongue. “I don’t under stand!” the young girl shrieked. “Leave me alone!” one of the guards kicked her in the side. She let out a cry of pain. They hit her upside the head and she fell to the ground, her breathing light enough so my mere eye could see her chest barely move. The evil men went on there way laughing at the act they had just committed.

“You evil brutes'! I hope you rot in the fiery pits in which Hel will decided what punishment you deserve!” The men turned around and laughed at my anger, then turned around and left.

I couldn't tell if she was dead or alive. I sat there wishing I could move over to see, but my leg wouldn't allow such a thing. A few hours went by and the young girl started to stir. A few more minutes went by and she opened her eyes and lifted her head. I wasn't sure what she was staring at but whatever it was it was behind me. She grew wide eyed and started to scream. I couldn't turn my head to see what she was looking at in enough time, all of a sudden I felt the smack of a heavy object hit against my head, before I could comprehend what it was, I was out.


When my world came back to me I found both my hands and feet bound together behind a wooden pole. My back was stiff against the long pole and I could feel the warm Cyr 10
sun lick my face as the wind swept my hair away. I took a breath in and was relieved to fill my nose with fresh air. I opened my eyes and looked down. I was decorated over a large stack of wood. I realized what this meant, I would die today. I would die a death of a lasting pain and the dreadful agony of being burned at the stake. This also meant another thing, my freedom.

Waiting for my death was long and cold, having no clothing on took its tool as well. When I was in the cave it was cold, now out in the elements I could feel mother-
natures wrath. From behind me I could hear the crow singing her song of laughter as she flew above me as if laughing at my state. Listening more my ears picked up the acute sound of feet against the grass as a field mouse ran by with bread in it's mouth. Funny how much better this little creature is more nourished then myself. Looking around I noticed that there was a wall of forest on the other side of the clearing. In that clearing there was a white stag. What a funny concept at this time seaming as how I am bounded to this poll. I heard something else, it was a male voice. The voices came closer and closer till I knew they were right behind me. The two men came around to the front where I could see them. One man held a torch, the other started speaking in his tongue and I could not understand what he was saying. The man who held the torch bent down and lit the pile of logs under my feet then the both of them left.

I could see the flames creeping up closer and closer to my feet. Be strong my little flower. My mother’s words echoed in my head as the flames licked the bottoms of my feet. The flames grew higher and engulfed my legs in the burning pleasure of freedom. Be strong my little flower. “I’m coming mother!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I
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screamed to her again as the flames of my freedom ate the enslaved flesh of my tortured body. Be strong my little flower. Her words rang in my head as the flames slowly covered my chest in a pain that hurt but would soon be my savior. I could see my family at the start of the forest where the white stag was earlier. Be strong my little flower. The words I could see come off of her mouth floated from the field and drifted to my ears. “Soon mother, I’ll be with you soon.” I tried to yell it but the smoke from the fire enabled me from my speech. After that I could feel the flames ignite around my throat as it touched my skin. Be strong my little flower. I could no longer see my family by the forest but I knew I would be with them soon. As the flames licked my face I thought about my freedom. I would be spread across this land as a reminder of what had happened. Be strong my little flower. Those were the last words my mother had said and now they were the last words I would think of before my death. I felt myself slowly slipping away. Be strong my little flower. My world was gone and my freedom was here. I am free.