Remembrance

Embers danced in the air, my sense of smell was hardened by the scent of burning wood and something metallic. Noticing the searing pain on my forehead, I came to realize I was bleeding from a stone that got hurled at me. I stumbled in a daze trying to get my bearings, and right as I was about to faint, I heard it. I heard the proclamation clear as day.

“We’re here to witness the execution of a blight on our land, may we say good riddance to these heretics!”

The villagers let out a celebratory chant as they heard the declaration, and slowly the crowd's gaze shifted elsewhere. A group of men were carrying a man and woman both tied to a log post and gagged. The man carried bruises on his body, but his eyes were filled with rage. The woman stared towards the ground, her clothes tattered and holey like a rag. One would think her eyes were filled with shame, but they were eyes filled with contempt. Could it be because of the treatment they both received in captivity or for some other reason? Hey, I know those two don’t I? I can’t think or see straight because my head hurts!

“Hey loser!”

“...Huh?”

“Get the hell up! I don’t want you to miss this, not for the world!”

I know that voice, it’s Hector the son of the village chief. The snickering I hear must be from his so called friends, why am I here though? What was I doing before this? That’s right I was fetching water from the well, then Hector and his goons came at me.

Hey! Why’re you wasting time here! You’re gonna miss it!

L-Leave me alone Hector, I’m getting water for my parents. That way, when they get back, they can refresh them-

Don’t give me that s***!

Then he picked up a heavy rock and slammed it against my head. My head’s been cloudy since then. My clothes are caked with dirt, did these guys drag me here. It was hard to think with my pounding headache and Hector forcing my gaze elsewhere. What the heck is-

“-hilip! Philip, don’t look!”

I could barely hear the voice, I looked to see Hillary and her father trying to make it to me. Why do they look so sad, where am I not supposed to look? The voice from before continued his speech, I remember now, the voice belongs to the village chief!

“Because of the actions of these heretics, our yield is as barren as sand. For that purpose, we return these heretics to the earth! May their bodies become the nourishment for our salvation!”

“””””Salvation! Salvation! Salvation! Salvation! Salvation! Salvation! Salvation!”””””

W-What are these people talking about!?! I watched as they loaded the log posts on what looked like a bonfire, men wearing dark hoods began bringing torches to ignite it. The woman on the log began to whimper, and the man bit through his gag and let out a roar that could tear through the sky.

“Bastards! You dare blame us when we were the only ones to act! You dare condemn us when we worked ourselves to the bone for you! The fault isn’t ours, it lies with this bastard and the hogs he’s trying to please. Don’t you dare use us as scapegoats to cover this tyrant’s ass!”

As the man raged, the woman next to him began bawling. Why do her cries sound so familiar, and the voice of that man too. However, I remember them being gentler than- No, no this can’t be!

“More than anything, if you dare to kill us off, then know this. You better leave our son out of this, you leave my boy alone! You damn vultures!”

Those people, that man and woman! Those are my parents! I heard Hector and his friends snickering as they held me down. Then that bastard whispered in my ear.

“We made it right on time, to your parents' execution.”

I don’t know what came over me, but the moment I heard that the pain I felt disappeared. I immediately threw those rats off me, and pushed through the crowd. Hillary tried to stop me, but I kept pushing. Eventually I made it to the front, and I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Mom! Dad!”

The two of them froze and then looked in my direction. When my mother saw my injuries and my face she sobbed harder, as for my father…

“Damn you, Damn You All!”

He cursed the crowd, seeing his wish wasn’t even granted. I don't know if it was due to my appearance, but upon my arrival the crowd’s reaction sobered down. As if they finally realized what they were doing. Despite that…

“Tis’ a shame, but it must be done. May this be the last lesson this father gives to his son. Executioners, Light The Pyres!”

With that the hooded men lit the logs and my parents were slowly engulfed in flames. My mother screamed as the flames gnawed at her legs, my father bit into his lip to avoid howling in agony. All I could do was yell and plead.

“Please, stop this! Someone save my parents! Please!”

No one answered, instead they looked away. They ignored me, with shame creeping into their spirits. I could hear Hillary screaming at the horror of this sight, I could also hear Hector’s laughter. Surprisingly his cronies didn’t follow his lead this time, instead they sat there taking in the gravity of the situation. Despite that I tried, I began moving towards the fire. I had to save them, but–

“Paul! Paul Please!”

Following my father’s last request Paul, his best friend, grabbed me and pulled me away. I tried to fight to release his grip, but Paul held for dear life.

“Paul, release me! My parents, they're gonna die, release me!”

“Forgive me Phil, forgive me.”

“No! Mom! Dad!”

I could see the flames boiling the skin off my mother’s legs, the pain caused her to enter a state of shock. My father fought against the pain and looked at me.

“Son, I’m sorry you have to watch this. Don’t let this haunt you, but remember son! Remember, this is the evil that lurks in the hearts of men!”

The flames began reaching their upper halves, my mother as if hallucinating cried out for water that never came. With the last of his strength my father shouted, loud enough that a god could hear him.

“You want to claim my life, go on take it! In return, blot the soil of this damned land! May these bastards never reap good harvest again, may plagues take their children! May the wicked and depraved of this land be consumed by a hellfire stronger than these! All I ask is that when that day comes, you keep my son safe!”

“Dad!”

“Philip, live! Even if you have to crawl, live!”

My father began coughing violently, his body began convulsing and blood began leaking out his eyes. Paul and Hillary tried to get me to close my eyes, but I couldn’t. After what my father just told me, how could I? I watched as the flames cooked my parents alive, as their skin turned black, as they were unrecognizable. Then, only when the flames consumed them, did I ask the question.

“Why? Why? Whyyy Whhhhyyyy Whhhhhyyy Wwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????!!!!!!!! Mom!!! Dad!!! Nooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!”

Paul and Hillary pulled me away, but I’ll never forget this day for as long as I live. I never forgot this day even now.

****

I awoke to the familiar sound of crows making a ruckus outside. As I lifted my head from my withered straw bed, I took in my surroundings. Them being the old dilapidated shake I was exiled to. I couldn’t help but laugh, then I held my head and caressed my old scar now covered in hair.

“Ha, looks like you were wrong dad. That day does haunt me, and these bastards won’t let me forget.”

As I stand up my face brushes against a spider web, I rip it off my face. Only to be greeted by a spider crawling on my hand, I yelped as I smacked my hand against the wall to kill it. It hopped off before impact, and I ended up injuring myself for nothing. After caressing my bruised hand, I watched as the spider did a twirl on the window sill. Then it made a gesture like it was shaking its ass at me and leaped away.

“...I swear to god, I f***ing hate spiders.”