Chapter 1
Thea woke up to loud banging and shouting at her parents home home door.
She got up and threw on a simple robe. Once she had tied it around her waist she scurried to the door and picked up her fathers rifle standing by it. She got ready for whatever is behind the door and opened it.
There before her stood almost half the towns folk. All except some women, children and elderly. They all looked at her as if she was the scum beneath thr soles. They looked angry and disappointed, some of the men even looked at her with more then that.
The evil glint in their eyes brought her a cold chill down her back.
"Thea we're here to take you to town! Willingly or not!" the towns bakers wife Judy told her with an ugly snear on her face.
"But, why?" Thea asked looking at her questioningly.
"The ministers daughter Sara says that she's seen you practicing witchcraft! And honestly we believe her. A lone girl living so far from town all on her own. Your parents are gone for almost two years now and you still haven't taken up a husband!" Judy said while looking over her shoulders for supporting nods.
"That's enough talk! Lets grab her and tie her up in the back of the wagon!" One of the men said. Two of them stepped forward and grabbed her by her upper arms. She struggled against their hold and kicked out her feet while yelling for someone to help her. They carried her to the wagon, tied up her wrists and ankles and tied her mouth shut with an neckerchief, her mouth filled with the taste of sweat and dirt so much she felt like gagging.
When they were done they stepped back to let the wagon go to town. Thea could see that some of the locals followed on horseback and some walked. But there were those who stayed back to tear up her home. The home her father had built with his own hands for her mother and herself.
The sight brought new tears in her eyes and they streamed down her cheeks and were absorbed by the dirty neckerchief.
