The Witch Hunter's Descendants

“Help me! Please help me! ” Bridgit screamed in the dark forest, out of breath. Tears started to flow from her eyes as she looked at the emptiness that surrounded her. Kneeling, she wiped the dirt from her feet with her long white gown. Apart from her own cries, the only sounds she heard were the crows flying above the multicolored sky. She continued to cry as she kneeled in the middle of the forest. She became startled as she heard footsteps, and someone tapped her shoulder.

“Pardon me? Are you alright? I am Jonathan.” The young man asked as she slowly turned to look up at him. Aside from her disheveled appearance, her beauty was mesmerizing. He didn’t wait for her to reply. He helped her up as she gazed gracefully at him from within his arms. He looked down and saw that she was not wearing anything on her feet. She continued to gaze at him, not saying a word.

He looked around to see if he could find any shoes. Her gaze felt like he was in a trance. He eyed her up and down. She did not appear to be in pain. He let her go and motioned for her to stay still. He opened the messenger bag he was wearing and found a pair of leather shoes with cork soles. She lifted her gown and extended her feet.

The young man knelt and gently put on the leather shoes. He inspected her feet making sure that the leather was not too tight and that she could walk. Satisfied, he got up and extended his hand for her to take. She grabbed it and together they started to walk. He guided them towards a house that Brigit had not seen before. She looked around wondering how she had missed this place. They entered the house as Jonathan looked around wondering if someone had seen them.

**

“Hold up. You’re lying. That didn’t happen.” Lucy said as she started to laugh at Matthew’s story.

“What? Of course, it did. Brigit Bishops was one of my ancestors and all these items you see here belonged to her at that time.” Matthew said as he laid out all the items on the bed. He had a hairbrush made of bone, a toy box, leather shoes with cork souls and a book made of rags. Inside there were dated entries of written stories that matched what Matthew was just saying. She continued to read the page and stopped when she saw a familiar name. Can’t be.

“Ah I see you took that story from this here.” She said trying to hide the fact that one of her ancestors may have been the witch hunter that killed Matthew’s ancestor. She glanced at the items again and was drawn to the toy box.

She picked it up and searched for an opening. “Did they just hold this and that is how they played with it?” Lucy asked as she traced the carvings on the toy box with her hands. She became mesmerized by it and wanted to bring it home to show her mom.

“I don’t know. I think they did.” Matthew said as he went to take the toy box from Lucy. She resisted letting it go and asked him, “Could I take it for tonight to show my mom?”

Matthew looked at her strangely wondering why the sudden interest in the toy box. “Why? What’s going on?” He said as he reached for it again.

Again, she resisted letting it go. “I don’t think that this was Brigit’s.” He looked at her confused. “What do you mean?”

“I think this belongs to my family.” Lucy said as she held on to the toy box. It was a wooden toy box with carvings all around. Words to be exact. Words that she couldn’t decipher yet. Lucy wanted to bring it home and show it to her mom. Maybe she could help her read it.

Matthew moved closer to her and asked, “Why do you think that belongs to your family?” Lucy picked up the diary, and still holding the toy box, she showed him the passage she had read.

**

Jonathan Duff has been great to me, but I think he is getting suspicious. As I was laughing as Andrew played with the toy box that Jonathan had built for him. I had used my powers to add color and words to the toy box. The way he looked at me as he asked me how I did it. I couldn’t tell him, but I had to show him that I wouldn’t poison our child. Andrew was only 6months old, but he was already proving to be a powerful boy. I needed to nurture and encourage him, and I feel that Jonathan didn’t understand that. I am afraid that I may not be around much longer. There have been rumors about a witch hunt. This may be the last entry I make.

**

Matthew looked up and stared at Lucy. “Wait so Jonathan was your ancestor.” Lucy nodded as they both stared at the toy box in her hand. “I think so. Mom did mention seeing Jonathan Duff as being one of our ancestors in the genealogy she did.” Lucy said.

“Wow” Matthew said as he continued to stare at the toy box. He touched the carvings and words that surrounded the box. “Do you think your mom would know what it says?” He asked as he continued to look at it.

“I hope so. So can I take it for the night?” Lucy asked as he nodded, not looking up. “Great. I’ll let you know what she says.” She got up from the bed, kissed him on the lips and left the room with the toy box in her hand.

**

Matthew continued to read the diary to see if she had written more. He was relieved to see that there had been a few more pages added to the diary. He grabbed the trunk he had under his bed and placed it on the bed. He started to gather the items and one by one put them away when he decided to continue to read the diary.

**

Lucy entered her house and yelled “Mom! Are you here?” She closed the door behind her and walked towards the kitchen. She found her mom baking her famous brownies. That meant she was having her friends over.

“Hey, I called out to you. Having friends over again?” Lucy asked as she eyed the brownie plate that her mom was taking out of the oven. Her mom wasn’t reacting to her and started to wonder what was wrong with her. She patted her back. “Mom?”

Her mom gasped as she turned around to look at Lucy. She took the earbuds she had in her ear. “Oh honey. You’re here. I hope you weren’t telling me anything because I had heaven in my ears” She chuckled as she was referring to her favorite band from her past.

“I was just asking if you were here. I wanted to know if you could help me decipher this.” Lucy asked as she showed her mom the toybox that was still in her hands. Ironically, her mother was a lover of languages and she loved to decipher ancient writings.

Her mom got closer and was about to take the toybox from her when Lucy’s phone started to buzz. Lucy grabbed her phone and answered it. “Hello?”

“Don’t give the toybox to your mom!” Matthew yelled at her as Lucy looked at it confused.

“Matthew what are you talking about? Why?” She asked as she stared at the toy box. She never wanted to let it go. She was mesmerized by the colors and the writings.

“The toybox was charged by Brigit. She put a spell on it to kill any of Jonathan’s descendants because she had suspicions that he was going to kill her. She documented it in her diary. She had placed a protection spell on Andrew and that is why he was able to live a long time.” Matthew continued almost out of breath.

“But that makes no sense, if it had worked, I wouldn’t have been here. My mom wouldn’t have been here, right?” Lucy asked as she saw her mom looking at her concerned and trying to take the toybox from here. Lucy shook her head and stepped back.

“Yea but it had to be someone in Jonathan’s direct maternal blood line. Didn’t you say he was your mom’s great-great-great-great grandfather, whatever? I’m coming over” Matthew asked her, sounding impatient over the phone.

“Yea but how do we know if the spell even works? I mean you guys didn’t find it until your grandmother passed away. What if your grandmother knew and removed the spell?” Lucy asked as she didn’t want to believe that she was holding a charged item. “Also, wouldn’t I have died the minute I touched it?” Lucy said staring at the toybox wondering why she didn’t die.

Her mother stared at her with tears in her eyes, as Lucy looked up and saw her. The doorbell rang and she went to get it. Matthew was relieved to see Lucy still standing with the toy box in her hand.

“Oh, thank god you’re still holding it.” Matthew said, suddenly realizing that Lucy made perfect sense of what she had said regarding the toybox.

“Mom?” Lucy said as she and Matthew entered the kitchen.

“This isn’t how I wanted you to find out.” Her mom told her as she continued, “We adopted you when you were 6months old. Your dad’s sister was in an accident, and you were handed to us. I couldn’t have any kids. Probably a good thing considering.” She said as she eyed the toybox, “And I felt that you were my gift from the heavens. So, we adopted you shortly after.” She said as she dried her tears.

Lucy stared at her as Matthew awkwardly pretended to text on his phone. “So, what you’re saying is that dad is still related to me by blood as my uncle.” Her mom nodded.

She let out a deep breath as she took everything in. “Wow.”

“Please don’t be mad at me or at your father.” Her mom said as she extended a tray of brownies at them.

Lucy nudged Matthew to let him know he could look up now. “I’m 21 so that was hard for me to hear. However, I am not mad at you or dad. I understand why you did what you did. I wish you had told me when I was younger but I’m glad that you were the ones to raise me”

She grabbed a brownie as she held the toybox. She was afraid to let it go. “Matt you can take this back to your house. I don’t care anymore what it says.”

Matthew grabbed a brownie and nodded “Sure. I’m glad you guys will be ok. I’ll see you tomorrow. Mom is probably wondering where I went when I ran out of the house.”

“Tell your mom I hope to see her later.” Lucy’s mom said as she placed a few brownie squares in a large bowl.

“Will do. Bye.” Matthew kissed Lucy as he left.

He entered his house “Hey Ma! Angela said she hopes to see you later.”

His mom walked to him and said “Oh that’s tonight! I’ll have to make an appearance. Why are you holding that?”

Matthew looked down at the toybox. “Oh, Lucy wanted to find out what the writing said but not anymore.”

“Oh, Well I hope she didn’t touch it.” His mom said as she noticed the brownie that Matthew was eating. She pointed to it, and he cut a piece for her.

“Why?” He asked as she took a bite of the brownie.

“Because she’s Jack’s daughter and he used to be a witch hunter.” She said as Matthew gasped.