Ash and Bone

The crowd’s feet shuffled quickly through the town, the glow of their torches creating a dragon made of fire toward the woods.

The animals scurried, hooted and watched the townspeople travel the many miles to the home of the caster.

“Burn the witch…” someone repeatedly whispered, which turned into a chant.

The ‘witch’ was sound asleep in their bed, a proper crusting had formed on their eyes.

“BURN THE WITCH”

They jumped up out a bed, the glow of fire peeked through the windows.

They stepped outside, wrapped in a blanket, squinting at the townsfolk.

“THERE’S THAT UNHOLY BEAST’

“UNGODLY CREATURE”

“A DEMON”

They went back inside their wooden cabin and slammed the door closed.

“Ash and bone,” was all they said before dropping the blanket to the ground.

When the door has closed, the townsfolk went rabid.  They screamed, screeched and howled, running toward the cabin and beating on the closed windows and door.  Someone thought it was a good idea to throw their torch on the house since they couldn’t get in.  Everyone else followed suit.

The house started to catch fire, making the townsfolk cheer.  As the fire grew higher and higher, the townsfolk started to dance and sing. They had killed the witch!

But then the fire started to laugh.  A laugh that chilled the townsfolk to their souls.  The laughter grew louder, the fire licking and reaching for the small sliver of moon in the sky.

“BURNNNNNN THEEEEEE WIIIIIIIITCH,” the fire bellowed.

The cabin exploded, the bits of burning wood shooting into the sky before raining down on the townsfolk.  They started screaming and running around like headless chickens, bumping into each other, tripping over their own feet.

The spot where the cabin had rested suddenly burst open, many a demon flying out and grabbing townsfolk and grabbing them.  Some demons played with bodies by pulling them apart in a tug of war, dropping them from the sky, maybe even eating them.  Some demons took them back home.

Hours later, when the sun started to rise, the demons returned back from where they came.  The blood seeped into the dirt, the burning bits of log now lay smoldering in the fog.

The door to the cabin opened.

The ‘witch’ stood there in all their naked glory and stretched.

“I wonder if they burned that unholy, godless creature they were talking about.”