The Witching Hour

Elizabeth ignored the man and held Hannah's hand, letting her lead her deeper into the forest, far off the worn path through many twists and turns. She would never be able to find her way out on her own! Where were they going? Elizabeth clung to Hannah, occasionally throwing fearful glances towards the man, who smiled and seemed highly amused with her. But even though she was afraid, Hannah's warm hand comforted her. It was real. She was not a "spirit"!

Finally they arrived at kind of rounded semi-circle of tangled thorn bushes whose serpentine branches were thick with huge, spiky thorns. No one could possibly get through this barrier!

They stopped, and Hannah said, "Watch me, child, and take heed."

She made a series of gestures with her hands that looked like an "X", at the very juncture of the semi-circle. And like magic, a gap appeared in the bushes. But then she made the same gesture, and the gap instantly closed itself.

"Now you, try, child."

It took several tries but finally Elizabeth was able to open the secret passageway.

"Now you know the way, my dear."

"But how would I ever find my way back here, again, Mistress Hannah? I would get lost!"

"Oh? I think not. I have shown thee. I have led thee here. You will remember the path, next time."

"But where are we?"

"Come," Hannah beckoned.

She led Elizabeth into a dark, round space covered entirely with a roof of intertwining thorn bushes. Benches made of soft wood surrounded the center, in which there lay a large stone slab, with four stone posts on each corner. Hannah made a gesture with her hands, and torches suddenly came to life illuminating the space.

Immediately Elizabeth thought of Mistress Mary. "I've seen the lights, flickering, at night!" But Elizabeth pushed this thought from her mind.

"Come, child, and sit next to me." Hannah gestured to one of the benches.

"Elizabeth, this is my husband. I have told thee about him. His name is Robert." But she pronounced the name with a French accent, and when Robert came to greet her, her kissed her hand gallantly and said, "Enchanté, mademoiselle. Ah, que vous êtes tres belle. Elle est une vrais blonde, Hannah, n'est-ce que pas?"

"I do not speak French!" Elizabeth cried, pulling her hand away. He kept his hot lips too long on her skin.

"Hush, he said you are beautiful, and he wonders if you are a true natural blond."

Robert said on the other side of Elizabeth, opening his coat a bit so that she could see his thighs, which he kept spread wide.

"Elizabeth, I missed thee last night. Why were you not here?"

"I was home, Mistress. I was . . . tired, and needed to sleep."

"Why, child? Did something upset thee?"

Hannah rubbed her shoulders, and stroked her soft hair, and leaned in to kiss her. Her ruby lips found Elizabeth's own and she whispered, "It is I, your friend. I will not harm you. Do not be afraid."

Elizabeth could not help yielding to Hannah's soft, gentle kisses and caresses. They seemed to have a magic effect on her, sending warmth and pleasure throughout her body like wildfire and calming her fears. She kissed Hannah back, and let Hannah open her mouth and take her tongue and suck it into her own. Oh, the feelings that coursed through her body!

"Have you missed this, my sweet daughter? Have you missed my tongue, and my touches?"

"Yes," Elizabeth sighed, reaching for her mouth. She did not want her to stop.

"Tell me what frightened thee the other night, Elizabeth. Tell me the truth."

Hannah had the strange effect of always making Elizabeth truthful. Her kisses opened her soul and made it completely transparent. She could not lie.

"The thing I saw, Hannah, and what you were doing to it."

"Ah . . . You saw me sucking my husband's prick."

"Yes," Elizabeth gasped.

Hannah kissed her deeply, and caressed her breasts, making Elizabeth moan when her soft fingers touched the tips and squeezed them.

"Tell me, did you touch yourself later? In bed?"

"Yes, Hannah," Elizabeth was unable to say anything else. "And I dreamt of you, and of Father."

At the mention of Father, Elizabeth saw Hannah and Robert exchange a look.

"My child, do you think this is wrong? Do these feelings in thy body trouble thee?"

"No, Mistress. I want more. Please."

"What would you like, child? Be honest, and show your good friend Hannah."

Without even realizing it, or being able to stop herself, Elizabeth found her hand slipping sideways, and slithering up Robert's thighs, like a blind woman feeling her way to something she knew was there.

"Ah, I am delighted! You want my husband's prick!"

"Yes," said Elizabeth, as if in a dream.

"Would you like to kiss it, and suck it, such as you saw me do?"

"Yes . . ." Elizabeth whispered, still reaching beside her.

But Hannah found her groping hand and stilled it, and pulled it back. "Open thy eyes, child. And look."

Elizabeth looked to where Hannah was gesturing and gasped. Her husband, Robert, was lying back, with his eyes closed, his legs spread very wide, and Elizabeth could see that swollen thing pushing up through a gap in his breeches. It was just as big as she remembered. She could only start in wonder, and clutch Hannah's hands.

"Daughter," Hannah whispered to her, "Now tell me the truth. You see that pretty cock, how wonderfully big and hard it is?"

"Yes," breathed Elizabeth, mesmerized and simply unable to tear her eyes away.

"Tell me whose cock you truly desire."

Elizabeth whispered instantly, "My father's, Hannah. Andrew's."

"I wonder, Elizabeth, do you think it is as big as my husband's?"

"I do not know," Elizabeth whispered, "But I hope so."

Hannah's sweet kisses seemed to act like a truth potion on poor Elizabeth! She found herself saying things she didn't even know she thought until she said them—shocking, wicked, evil thoughts!

"Child, you are like a daughter to me. I want to give thee a present."

Hannah reached into her vest and withdrew a tiny silver bottle.

"Here, daughter. This is a sleeping draught. Put several drops of this in thy Father's tea, or beer, at nighttime, and I assure you, he will not wake during the night, for anything. He will sleep like the dead. You may . . . do anything. I would like thee to undress him, and look at his prick, and touch it if you wish. But . . . daughter, do no more than touch."

"Yes, oh yes," Elizabeth sighed, never taking her eyes from Robert's body. She unconsciously reached her hands again towards the beautiful thing, wanting to touch it, but Hannah gently drew her back.

"No, child not yet. I do not think you are ready . . . but soon, soon . . ."

"Yes, Hannah."

"Now, I will see thee again in two days' time, daughter. And before you go, I must say a few words."

Hannah caressed her body lovingly, touching and holding her, like her own loving mother.

"Your life is a choice, my dear child. I have given thee some powers, I have opened your eyes, as much as I can. But the choice must be entirely thine own. Meet me here in two days' time, with your mind fresh and clear, and then tell your friend Hannah if you would like to proceed."

"Proceed with what, dear Hannah?"

Hannah whispered in her ear, "With the Sabbath, dear child, and do not pretend that you do not know what I mean."

Elizabeth pulled back and looked at Hannah's beautiful, dark eyes. They were extremely black and usually so kind, but in them now she saw not only a dark, menacing power, but even more, a tiny flicker of orange, a pinpoint of firelight in the black depths.

In that moment Elizabeth felt nothing but love, even as she felt her world crashing down around her. She divested herself of her innocence in one moment, with the help of Hannah's knowing gaze piercing her soul. Of course she had known. She had known all along, she thought to herself.

Elizabeth held Hannah's steady, intense gaze with her own deep blue eyes, and never looked away. They seemed to exchange souls.

Hannah whispered, "Come and join us, my love."

Elizabeth nodded. "What must I do?"

"I think you know, daughter. Haven't I given you enough signs, and clues, and hints? Seek out thy heart's true desire. That is all I want from thee."

"Yes, Mistress. I will." Elizabeth said.

"The more time that passes, the more the magic of my kisses will wear off. The lies and falsity of the world outside the forest will close in on thee. I cannot do more than this. So here, dear Elizabeth."

Hannah pressed the silver vial into Elizabeth's hand, "You will still have this. Do not lose it, and remember what I said. Now I think I should help thee get home tonight. . ."

And with that, Hannah drew her red velvet cloak tightly around Elizabeth's body and whispered in her ear.

"The Manse."

+++

Elizabeth awoke the next morning in her bed feeling groggy and confused. The images and memories of the night before were already getting colder, and farther away. She knew she had seen Hannah. She remembered . . . thorn bushes, and a kind of stone altar. . . Hannah saying to her. . . in two days' time . . .and she felt once again the throbbing ache in her belly, the cravings of her flesh whenever she thought of Hannah.

If she would not see Hannah in the woods this evening, then she would not go to Mary's today. She would clean and cook for Father, who was looking so tired and worried lately. She arose and went to seek him. Perhaps he had not left for town just yet.

"Father!" Elizabeth exclaimed. He was just now heading out the front door.

"Daughter. I did not want to wake you."

Elizabeth gazed at her father and felt a strange, wild joy come into her heart. She recollected the words, again, of Hannah . . . Seek out thy heart's desire . . . was it not now here, in front of her own eyes?

Her father was young, not yet 40. His handsome face, which she had so often seen smiling with love for dear Mama, was worn and tired. . .but his body was strong, and tall, his hips slim, his chest broad. Elizabeth's gaze traveled down to the buttons covering the front of father's breeches, and more images flooded her mind from the night before—of Robert, and the silver vial she had upstairs in her cloak. She felt a strong trembling in her stomach, but it did not scare her.

Elizabeth rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her full breasts into his body.

"Papa," she cried. "I will miss thee, today. And dear Father, do not be sad. Perhaps you may be seeing mother again sooner than you think."

Andrew grabbed her slim shoulders and pulled her away, gazing fiercely into her eyes.

"What do you mean, daughter!!"

"I . . . I do not know! I do not know why that came into my head, Father."

"Your mother is in Heaven, child!" he said, harshly.

"Yes, Father, I know!"

Andrew suddenly clasped his daughter to his chest. "Ah, forgive me, child. I simply cannot get used to her being gone."

Elizabeth held his face, caressed his cheeks, and looked into his melancholy grey eyes. "But you are doing the right thing, helping these women. It is what she would have wanted."

"It is a trial, daughter. There is too much ignorance, and prejudice in this world!"

Elizabeth leaned up and kissed him, on the lips, like Hannah had done to her. "Good luck today, Father. May God bless thee. I will have supper waiting for you when you get home."

After he left, Elizabeth went back to her room, found the silver vial and held it to her lips. "Tonight," she whispered, "Tonight!"

+++

Andrew spent the entire day in town arguing with the Magistrates, and pleading for the cause of the three accused witches.

It was difficult, but the eloquent words and passion of the good Pastor Brown in the end held sway, and he convinced the townspeople to stay the wicked drowning of the three women until the following week, when they could be justly tried. It was all he could do, but he had saved their lives for the time being.

As dusk drew near, Andrew was still standing and lecturing on the high scaffold in the middle of the town square, when he saw in the distance, just at the outskirts of the Witches' Woods, a gray, hooded figure. It might have been mistaken for a rock, or a tree, but Andrew knew better. He was slightly confused, given their last words, but when he saw the cloaked figure make the slightest gesture, pointing to the Woods, he knew the sign was for him, and he did not question.

It was fully dark by the time he gently turned his horse away from the main roads and headed into the soft dirt path into the forest. But his horse, Nellie, did not seem to want to enter. She pawed at the ground and shrieked and whinnied and tried to buck him off, absolutely refusing to step one foot into the darkly shrouded path.

"Hush, Nellie, that's a good girl," he said, trying to calm her down, but the poor horse was terrified. The moment Andrew got off and stepped on the ground, she took off at a wild gallop, tearing across the farmlands and, Andrew hoped, headed back to the Manse. She had never done that before!

He commenced his walk, and not ten seconds later he heard the sound of footsteps. He looked up, and saw Hannah.

"You!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, it is I, Pastor," Hannah said with a knowing smile. "Art thou surprised to see me thus?"

The last time Andrew had seen beautiful Hannah, she had been naked, her body glowing in firelight. He felt himself hardening at the memory, and at seeing her again, and so near.

"Do not fear, Pastor. I am come with good news."

"Did she send you?" he asked.

"Yes," Hannah smiled. "My Mistress is very pleased with you today. That is why she sent for you, and sent me to see you."

With the subtle, seductive manner that Elizabeth knew only too well, Hannah managed to slip into the Pastor's arms before he even knew she was there. Her lips were close to his own, and as she spoke, she stroked the front of his trousers.

"Oh! Thy prick is in a goodly state, Pastor. I am happy to see that . . . I think this will please her," Hannah smiled.

Andrew glanced desperately around the forest. It would not do for anyone to see Pastor Brown close with a woman. Mistress Hannah had this effect on him, and she well knew it.

"What do you mean? And what do you need to say to me?"

"I have a message, from my lady. You will be seeing your wife in one week's time, Pastor, as long as you keep to your end of the bargain. She wishes me to tell you this in gratitude for your work today."

Hannah glared down at the town.

"Whatever you think of us and our ways, Pastor, we do not care for this human practice of slaughtering innocent women. We are grateful to you, and . . ." Hannah stroked his hard cock, "You will be well rewarded, come next Friday."

"And so it is set?" asked Andrew.

"Yes. You remember the way to the sacred grove? And the signs?"

Andrew nodded, trembling, but from what he was not sure—guilt and desire, in equal measure.

"Oh, thou art pretty," Hannah murmured, gazing at him. "We will certainly have a good Sabbath this year. Good night, Pastor Brown, and sleep well."

Hannah drew her cloak about her, murmured something, and in an instant she was gone.

+++

Later that night, Elizabeth lay awake, looking at the moon out her bedroom window.

Father had been so tired when he came back, it had been an easy matter to slip the sleeping draught into his tea. Elizabeth had been so worried she had poured half the bottle into the mug, and within minutes Father had stumbled upstairs and dropped down fully clothed onto his bed.

Hours later, she could hear him breathing deeply. He had not stirred for one second or moved a single inch.

Elizabeth hesitated, and gazed at the moon, not knowing that her own father had wrestled with the same doubts and choices many months before, and had already made up his mind.

It was true the further away she got from Hannah's kisses, the less . . . enchanted she felt, and the more doubt and guilt crept into her mind. The more she could hear Mary's voice in her ear, as well as Hannah's. The delicious feelings of being with Hannah in the grove had been fading all day like a dream in the morning light.

Child, do you think this is wrong? Do these feelings in thy body trouble thee?

No, Mistress. I want more.

That is how they seduce you, my dear! You have been taken in!

Thy life is a choice. It is thine own to make.

As Elizabeth slowly got up, she did not know that the same feeling prompting her to glide down the darkened hallway towards her father's room was the same one that had made Andrew unable to stop his trips into the Fields lo these past months, the same one that would bring him to the Sabbath, just as she.

It was the feeling, the absolute certainty, that this is what mother would have wanted. Trust Hannah, her mother's voice whispered into her soul. You can trust the beautiful witch of the woods, and do as she says.

I would like thee to undress him, and look at his prick.

Elizabeth knew she was sinning, and making a choice to sin, but hadn't Hannah pressed her hand between her legs, and kissed her, and smiled? Wouldn't she love the wonderful feelings throbbing there now? How could this be wrong?

Something was leading her like an enchanted sleepwalker inexorably to her father's bed. She placed a single candle on his dresser and gazed at his beautiful face as she slowly unbuttoned his linen shirt with trembling fingers. She longed to kiss his lips as Hannah had kissed hers. But she did no more than touch—tenderly tracing his lips and chin, his neck and then his shoulders with both her hands, loving the sensation of his powerful muscles and the masculine strength they conveyed.

Slowly, Elizabeth's hands slid down lower, where his brown hairs grew thicker and stiffer and disappeared into his heavy breeches.

She unbuttoned the stiff fabric, and lifted the flap covering his lower belly with trembling, nervous fingers. Her hands shook, but she felt Hannah, and mother, with her, looking on with admiration and approval.

"Oh!" Elizabeth cried, and her hand flew to her mouth when she at last freed the object that was the sole focus of her thoughts.

She gazed in awe at the sight before her, and instantly a vision came into her mind, of the strange altar in the center of the sacred grove. Of Father, writhing on top of her naked body. In her head she heard mother's moans and cries, the ones coming from her parents' bedroom in the middle of the night. Husband, give me thy prick! Harder, make it last, make it good!

"Oh, Hannah!" Elizabeth thought, as lust such as she had never felt or even recognized poured into her young mind. Loving her father's beauty and telling Hannah she desired and wanted his cock was one thing, but seeing it, in the flesh, was quite another! Elizabeth never knew such feelings could consume her body! They were different, and stronger, and better even than the ones Hannah's kisses had given her!

Elizabeth stood for a long, long time just looking . . .

His prick was not as smooth and perfect as Robert's, but it was longer, and thicker. It was bumpy, and ridged, and crisscrossed with many thick veins. The large sacs below were purple, and the cap huge, and violently red! Oh what a strange sight! The tingling in Elizabeth's breasts spread throughout her whole body, eventually coming to lodge deep in her belly. She could not help imagining what it would feel like to take this thing inside her! To not only lick it, and suck it, and kiss it with her mouth, but to feel it pressing and pushing into her body!

Slowly, fearfully, she reached out her trembling hand. As soon she had exposed his member it had grown stiff, and continued to stiffen as she gazed at it. She lightly touched it with her dainty, delicate fingers and gasped—it was hard, and hot! She could feel it pulsing and throbbing like a live animal. Tremulous feelings coursed through her body; she could feel moisture collecting between her legs, and something opening and closing in that aching space, craving and needing its touch, its presence! She stroked and caressed the whole length, from the shiny red cap to the swollen sacs below nestled in his thick hair.