Chapter Ten

"What did you think of my little story, witch?" The man behind me chuckled. 

Was this bastard the cause of this? I turned around slowly. I was a fool to think he wouldn't do anything, and I was an even bigger one for coming here and thinking I'd be safe! Filled with self-loathing and hatred for this man, this ungrateful waste of space, I glared at him with every ounce of disgust I had. 

The man, John's father, stood at the entrance to the alley. He belched, filling the cramped space with the stench of alcohol, and not just ale. He'd been into a bottle of liquor, without a doubt. A twisted, satisfied smile sat on his face as he swayed on his feet. "You should have given me what I wanted back then. You should have considered yourself lucky to have someone like me wanting to use your services! Just who do you think you are?" He grumbled, the smile slipping for a moment. Then it returned in full force, splitting his face with the cruel expression. "So I just had to show everyone who you really are! No one would listen to me when I said you caused John's accident. I had to find a way to make them all see just who you really were." 

He stalked closer. I wanted to step away, to run, but if I moved too suddenly, things wouldn't end well for me. Then again, they may not end well anyway. The man suddenly thrust an arm out and grabbed onto my wrist. I hissed in pain. His grip was far too tight for someone as drunk as he was. My chances of escape just evaporated.

"Now, everyone is going to see you for what you really are—a dirty, evil witch who has no purpose in this village." His grip tightened on my arm, his blunt nails digging into my flesh. You should have moved deeper into the forest! I mean, come on! You're useless!" His laugh echoed off of the brick walls surrounding us. "Even the Fates have abandoned you!"

He's right—I knew that—but I was still human, and I still had the will to survive despite everything the Fates had thrown my way! I pulled against his grip, using my other hand to claw at his thick, meaty fingers. 

He didn't feel a thing. He just continued laughing and rambling. He pulled at my arm, dragging me toward the opening of the alley. "Tonight, everyone will finally turn their backs on you for good; I will make sure of it." 

No! I couldn't let this happen. Desperation clawed at my throat, emotions welled up and sent tears running down my cheeks. I pulled harder at his grip, but my efforts only made him tighten it further. My bones ground under the pressure, and I had to keep myself from crying out. Deciding to change tactics, I kicked out, connecting with his shin. He grunted but didn't let go. Pulling his free hand back, he slapped me across the face. Pain radiated through my jaw. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth. 

I mustered all of the strength I could and kicked out once again, this time aiming for between his legs. Thankfully, the hit landed, and he doubled over, his grip loosening just enough for me to lift my arm free. Before he could regain his composure, I sprinted down to the other end of the alley. 

Once I was free of the confined space, I kept running. I couldn't stop. If I did, he'd catch me. In my mad dash to get away, my hood slipped free. I couldn't spare the time to stop and fix it, though. Even a second of hesitation could mean a gruesome end. It was a fatal decision that ended up being the final nail in my coffin on this night of misfortune.

"Look, Mommy! It's the witch!" 

Turning my head, I saw a small child pointing in my direction. Everyone who heard the girl stopped to look in my direction—the people from town and the people visiting. They all stared at me with a fine mix of confusion and loathing. 

I paused to pull up my hood to cover my hair and face and quickly tried to make my way through the crowd. Just what were these many people doing away from the main square, anyway? The road was congested with people milling around, making getting through a slow process. Even as I tried to push my way past, it seemed like the crowd was purposefully blocking my way. Fear gripped my heart in a vice. 

I heard panting behind me, then a shout. "Stop that witch! She tried to kill me!" Oh, no. My assailant caught up faster than I expected him to. Everyone around was wary, but some of the residents reached out and grabbed for me. I pulled my arm free from a rather spry older woman's grip. 

Shoving away the outstretched hands, I urged my legs to move faster and wove my way through the crowd. At first, it's only the villagers who try to catch me, spitting venomous words in my direction, but then the newcomers and vendors try to stop me as well. Still, I dipped under their arms and around their bodies, hoping beyond all hope that I'd break free of the crowd and escape the hell that awaited me if I were caught. My hopes were dashed when I felt strong arms grab me by either bicep. As I turned my head to see who was holding me, my feet left the ground as I was lifted. A knight had me firmly in his grasp.

He wasn't wearing armor, but the emblem of the Imperial family was plain to see on his clothing. "Well, it looks like I'll become a true hero tonight." He laughed, a sinister look on his face. My hands started shaking, and my breath came in short gasps as despair settled in. 

Why was this happening? The only crime I'd ever committed was being born. Was that truly worth a death sentence? My eyes roved over everyone gathered. The faces of scared and confused children, the hatred and disgust in the eyes of the adults, looked back at me. I took a deep, shuddering breath as reality sunk in. This was to be my end. 

A rock soared through the air, hitting my temple. My vision blurred as white-hot agony exploded in my skull. As if waiting for an invisible signal, everyone picked up the first thing they could get their hands on and began pelting me with random objects as the knight kept hands wrapped tightly around my arms, bruises already forming where his fingers dug in. 

Rocks, fruits, and even books tore into my body. I didn't know how long this went on, minutes maybe, or even hours. At first, I tried to fight, to turn my face away from the assailing objects, but my efforts were futile. By the time the deluge slowed, blood was running from a gash on my forehead, and the taste of blood in my mouth was renewed. My body hung limply, the pain from each blow merging into a single dull ache through my whole being as I grew numb. My vision faded in and out as I still dangled limply from the knight who practically used me as a shield through the impromptu stoning. 

Once the townsfolk stopped, the bastard who instigated this turn of events sauntered up, a smug look resting upon his face. I barely had the strength to lift my eyes and meet his haughty gaze. His expression twisted to one of disgust as I stared him down. Hauling his fist back, he punched me across the face, cackling like a madman as he did. The fresh hit bit into my flesh, cracking bone under his rough knuckles. A pained whimper escaped my lips as my head lolled to the side. Then, with every bit of audacity I would expect of someone like him, he ordered the knight. "Why don't you drag her to the edge of the woods and leave her to die? I'm sure the beasts of the Forsaken Forest would love a good snack." 

Much to my surprise, the knight obeyed. He slung me over his shoulder like a sack of flour and walked me out of town. He ventures well past my home and deep into the forest. Why would he go so far? When he was satisfied, he tossed me onto the ground without an ounce of care. Before he turned to leave, he stopped and said, "I hope you die out here. There is no place in this world for a disgusting creature like you." He spat, the disgusting glob landing on my cheek, and walked away.

I groaned and rolled onto my back, pain stabbing into every inch of my body. What a mess I must look like right now. One of my eyes was swollen shut. I'm sure my face was swollen as a whole, actually. Based on the stabbing pain in my chest that comes with every breath, I was sure l had a bruised rib or two. At worst, they were broken. My cheekbone was surely broken, and my wrist was probably fractured as well.

As I lay in the deep drifts of snow, the cold and dampness of it seeped through my clothing, sending shivers wracking down my bruised and broken body. Tears fell freely from my eyes, practically freezing as they slipped down my face. I felt hopeless, truly and completely. Deep inside my heart, I could feel something crack and break beyond repair.

I knew they were afraid because I wasn't normal, but did that warrant this amount of hatred from them? Didn't they realize that I already hated myself enough for the lot of them? I carefully lifted my right arm and looked at my mark of Fate. An irrational anger spread through my veins, temporarily masking the numbness that had crept in. 

This was all because of my damned mark! It wasn't my fault that the Fates gave me no destiny! Sobs tore from my throat, hoarse and violent, and my shouts of anguish echoed through the trees. I was a fool for going to that damned festival. I was a damned idiot to convince myself that it would be alright. 

Hours passed like this. My throat is sore from yelling into the void of the endless night. I couldn't feel the tips of my fingers anymore. The moon was sinking low in the sky. Dawn would be approaching soon. 

A rustling sound drew my attention away from the sky above. I carefully looked around and saw a nymph hidden behind a tree. Which one was that? A purple hue tinted her skin, and stripes of a dark violet and a bright white stripped down her hair. It was Passion. 

Seeing her reminded me of the delicate flowers outcropping on the cliffs. A few weeks ago, I ran out of the extract and had been barely getting any sleep because of it. But if I could get some more, I could sleep. If I take enough of it, maybe I could rest for a long, long time—so long that the world would forget I ever existed. 

A sense of determination washed over me. With this new goal in mind, I attempted to stand on shaking limbs. I would try to get the flowers on the cliff. If I failed, I would surely fall to my death, but at this point, I didn't care. There was nothing left for me in this world anyway.