Abigail

I think my sister, Charity, will have her baby any day now. Only weeks ago, she was imprisoned for being a witch. She is still so skinny, and there is a darkness in her eyes that I’ve never seen in her. My husband, Linus, and I try to remind her of all the good things she can now have. She’s alive and she’s free. Her baby won’t be born in that dungeon she spent so long in.

But her time there changed her, and I can’t pretend it didn’t. Duncan, her husband, had only just died when she’d been arrested. She hadn’t even had time to mourn him when they’d taken her away.

She misses him and I think she’s scared. She loves me and I think she feels safe with Linus and me, but I don’t know how to comfort her. I hear her scream in her sleep. She cries often. My heart breaks for my baby sister. Will having her child help her or make things worse? I think I shall find the answer soon.

I’m glad she’s here with us for now. I hope I can help her.

I cough and look down at the blood in my palm. Who knows how much time I have left?

Hopefully enough to be at Charity’s side when the baby comes.

I hear her now, crying. She’d been sleeping only ten minutes ago. Maybe she still is and is crying in her dreams.

But there is something else. A smell. I take a deep breath.

Smoak.

I walk to the hearth, but there is no fire burning. But the smell is there.

It’s dark. I’m the only one awake. I hear a crackling.

Fire. Unmistakably so.

Where is it?

I rush outside to find the source, hoping it’s a grove far from the house.

As I turn back to my home, I see it. Smoke rising from the roof.

I run back inside, and my eyes begin to burn. I rush upstairs, but the fire is faster than me. It’s all around me by the time I get to Linus. He’s awake and coughing.

Charity is screaming. The three of us are blocked from each other by a column of fire. I can hear her.

Linus throws a blanket over our heads and forces me through the flames. It’s hot but we make it to her. There is no way out though. The fire is growing. I choke on the smoke. I can’t breathe. It’s too hot.

The fire makes everything look yellow. The walls, the floor, my skin, and even my husband and sister are yellow. There is no other color.

And there is no escape. We huddle together as the smoke envelopes us. Even the smoke looks yellow now.

It looks like I won’t see the new baby after all.