”No!....no! Please don't do this. I'm innocent. I didn't…I really…didn't”, Camilla spoke in a tone so soft it was almost unheard.
She had been the Belle of society chased by every eligible bachelor in town both great and small. Who would have thought that she would be reduced to an irrecognizable beast.
Blood flowed from her broken skull through her face and down her garment bodice. Her golden blonde hair formerly impeccably smooth and silky, now lay like a wild farm with scattered leaves on her head. Her full pink lips were now pale and dull. A resultant effect of excessive crying but no matter what she appeared like now, the town's people didn't budge. They were stuck in their ways and also…..in their laws.
Those who had hitherto envied her amazing beauty were the cheerleaders of her agony. ”How can someone be this beautifu”, they thought.
”She must be a changeling” they whispered and like a forest caught on fire, the rumour spread fast.
Yesterday
Camilla was happily singing in front of her flower shop. She grew flowers that were just as beautiful as she was….well almost. Camilla's beauty was one on par with the glowing moon. It shines and burned the eyes of anyone who stared at her face for too long.
She knew she was beautiful but she didn't care. She was only concerned with spreading the aroma of joy through her flowers. Her shop in the busy street of Duke town was always crowded. Customers came to buy and stare at her beautiful face.
Bachelors dressed to their nines and posed as customers just to get her attention but Camilla was not vain and so their antics failed.
Yesterday….just yesterday, she was the most beautiful maiden in town. Loved by all, envied by some. She was busy in her shop when suddenly, she heard two dogs barking in front of her shop.
She came out to see what the matter was but they barked louder and that frightened her. The barks attracted other town people and they gathered in front of shop.
”Camilla, are you a witch? Dogs only barked at witches you know”.
That was Alphina, Camilla's nemesis. She wasn't as beautiful as Camilla but she was twice nasty while Camilla was humble and that caused her to be so jealous of Camilla.
”Now the opportunity comes to put you in your place” Alphina thought.
The question she posed Camilla's way stirred the crowd gathered and they began to hurl food items at her. To make a strong case, someone stormed into her shop and came out with some candles, tarrot cards and a dried dog bone.
”Those are not mine”, Camilla screamed but the angry voices of the mob was louder. Those items belonged to a dear old lady she had once helped. The old lady had asked her to keep them before leaving many months ago but she never returned to collect her items.
They kept hurling stuff at her and when they had their fill, they dragged her to the town square for public disgrace, according to their laws. She would be burnt on a stake at midnight the next day
With her last srength, she cried out ”I'm not a witch” but Alphina suppressed her voice with a slap.
”Maybe you're the one responsible for all those deaths in our town. You killed them and ate their souls, that's why you are so beautiful right”
”No …no, that's not true” . Camilla sobbed harder but the town was unmoved. They hated supernaturals the most and would not listen to reason.
Present day at 8pm
The tied her dishelved self to the wooden stake. Her cries for mercy were ignored and it was like they were right to do this because at the stroke of 8pm, the sky cracked open, but no one seemed surprised.
Seeing all that was happening, Camilla resigned herself to silence. She carried her silence like a weapon, heavier than a two-handed sword, as she looked at them with weary eyes. Her eyes once a brilliant green were now dull with sorrow.
She watched as they set the fire and as the fire engulfed her entire body. Everyone expected her to curse but she didn't rather, she smiled and then said with one last breadth.
”Seek out the black leather shoe".
……And with that she died.
Alphina had heard Camilla's last word. Thinking that it held a magical secret, she rushed to Camilla's shop and began scattering things, searching for the shoe.
When she found it, she called the attention of the other villagers and they once again gathered in front of her shop. Lifting it, they found the note tucked inside a shoe, written in a language no one remembered learning.
If they'd learnt that language, they'd had spared Camilla but forever, the people of Duke town remained unmoved and unprogressive in life.
Thank you all for reading. This is my entry to the literary games #7.
Images were imagined with Meta Ai.