Rochelle is the gracious host of Friday Fictioneers. Rochelle says:
PHOTO PROMPT © Ronda Del Boccio
“Mama, what’s that smell?”
Long before we reached the part of the well-known path that was lit, an odd aroma met our nostrils. We were half-running because it took longer than I thought to get the animals fed. We were headed towards the town hall of our small village to see the trial for Velma, our neighbor. Trials were always held at night. Velma was accused of witchcraft when the tea she brewed broke the baby’s fever.
Sentence was being carried out as we made the clearing. Velma was at the stake, burning under the bright floodlight.
Tao Talk 
Doesn’t seem quite fair, burning her for curing the baby’s fever. But I guess that’s the nature of witchcraft hysteria
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Yes. Or any kind of mass hysteria.
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It seems unreal, yet in some respects only the people chosen as scapegoats have changed. (K)
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100% correct
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Poor lady, that’s what they did, back in the day.
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Yes :(
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😱
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How dare she save a baby.
There’s nothing quite like a good midnight witch-burning for entertainment…
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Oh no! :(
Witch execution!
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It’s a template for “us” and “them” that transcends time or group :(
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It is sad..but true! :(
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They might regret it the next time there’s a sick baby in the town. Good story.
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Thank you, Iain, yes.
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Dear MsJ,
What a thing to fry for. Well done. I mean, good job.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle.
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Brutal story, well crafted.
Which you crafted well.
Which craft, witchcraft.
Burn her, burn her!
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:) Thank you, for your compliment and the poem it inspired.
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This turns my stomach, so many have died for these stupid reasons. Well told.
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Yes they have. Thanks.
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We still hunt witches, we just have different way of “burning” them today. We let the media do it.
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Exactly, it never ends :(
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Oh dear. Heaven forbid they put aside their fear of witches when a child is saved. And they call witches heathens…
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Human ignorance, followed by evil actions, knows no bounds.
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Too late to the scene! Should have started a chant…’Correlation not causation!’ LOL
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You know I’m taking the hell express for that last comment don’t you? Dont encourage me! ;)
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Understood! No more provocative commentary..
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That is so terrible. Thelma cured a baby.
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Ignorance with malicious intent or blind brainwashing make for evil actions.
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true
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The fear of the unknown leading to a horrible part of history. So sad but well written story.
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Thank you, Brenda.
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Excellent rendering of a witch hunt, told as if it was just another days event..
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Exactly. This ties in with Reena’s Exploration Challenge this week, about “getting accustomed to darkness.”
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The matter of fact tone makes this horrific event even more horrific. Well told.
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Yes, the ways of the village have grown accustomed to the darkness. Thank you for seeing that.
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By mentioning the smell at the beginning, you emphasize how terribly real this was for people at that time. Though we don’t burn people at the stake these days, we still have our scapegoats…
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Thank you for your insightful comments, Magarisa. So true.
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You’re welcome.
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Oh! Terrible…
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I know :(
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