The Familiar: A New Sample
Pride Comes Before the Fall
November 20, 1639. Willia still objected to Warren’s control. She complained like she does to me. I am use to this because we are friends. He grew tired of her so he raised his left hand up high. She was raised off the floor to almost where her head touched the high ceiling of the room. Fire and lightning flew from his fingertips. Willia quickly died and she was thrown into the fireplace where she burned with a terrible fire! An awful smell filled the room. Panic filled my thoughts. Stephen ran over to Warren because he objected over his actions. Warren raised his left hand and Stephen was raised up high. Fire flew out of Warren’s fingers. Stephen’s body flew across the room and he too burned up in the fireplace! The fireplace crackled and sparked like dry cedar is burning. I was scared so I lay prone on the floor humbling myself. I cried and shuddered with grief. My life would soon be over as far as anything truly known to me!
The longest time passed. Warren tapped me on the shoulder as I raised my head to look at him. He smiled as he moved his left index finger back and forth as he shook his head “No!” Now, I get the message, so there was no more contempt from me! He just wants to deal with me and no one else at this time. He has my full attention.
“I won’t be trifled with! Do you understand?”
I bowed with humility and said “Yes. You are my new partner to act in their place.”
Warren said, “Very good. Now I am your new master…not your lowly partner! Now, do we fully understand each other?!”
“Yes. I will do as you command.” My body shook uncontrollably from fear. He holds all the control. Again I am their puppet on the strings. They pull the strings and I am their fool. Nothing has changed. Magic has only made me its slave!
For a short time I was in charge of my own life. I wanted more power and more money thinking that this would bring me some happiness. This was my fault for my own spirit to be so bold and proud. Now I see the error of my ways and nothing can change this to be right again. Now Willia and Stephen’s ghosts stand in front of the fireplace waiting to do his bidding. They remind me of an empty turtle shell by the way they now appear. They look hollow and wanting. They plead with me to help them be returned to their mortal bodies. Warren grows tired so he sends them away until he has need of them. He turns to walk away from me because he is not worried about me. He can find me when he has need of me.
I went to my room to cry and find some solace to this strange new situation. Inside my room there are tears for my friends because we now have no comfort from each other. Our séance has opened the door to something terrible and now it has a strong hold on us! They are dead and I am all alone to ponder my fate and future. I get deeper into trouble like a peat bog. The more I tried to fight it, the deeper it gets. There is no way to escape this strange warlock but to heed his words or soon perish. Warren’s magic has the power of many fiery demons and my magic is like a candle that can be easily snuffed out.
Losing Control
Warren left me alone for a few days so there was time to think about things. He knew that my fear was his best weapon against me. His is quite correct to think so. Warren’s presence was felt all around the house, so there was little sleep for most nights. He enjoyed his hold over me so he was not worried over me going anywhere. My dreams are filled with the events of my past life. I think about my wife and my life back in England. I dreamed about the long boat trip across the Atlantic. I see the birds and the shore of the first land that we spotted. There were knots in my stomach and I sweated. The many days I spent working to raise corn and tobacco with some natives I hired for a few trade goods and a chance to sleep in the cow shed. Then the bad drought that came and the sudden deaths of the native people that helped us farm. My dreams then change to Salem where I slept in the cemetery. I saw Willia as I was burying Stephen. I fell into his grave because I was ill from the scurvy. Then I watched my own demise and the lunar eclipse that changed me to what I am now. The witches I met were peculiar but these spirits that came with Warren made the witches seem almost like some normal folks. I tried to sleep some but I awoke when there was a loud knock at the door.
The maid came to clean, only to find the many odd bones in the fireplace. She then saw both their skulls piled in the firebox. The maid now fully knew what she was dealing with! Warren made her clean them up and hide their bones in an old trunk. Then he used magic to make her forget the incident. She had to be about the village so she could return home and not raise some trouble against us. He now has her to spread the story that Stephen and Willia have left for Boston to take care of an ailing father. Warren has all the notions on what to do to make things go well. Lies come easily to a liar! He is no novice. It was hard not be scared of him and still admire his tactics all the while. We have done all the hard work and he comes in to take the business and my friends away! Anger filled me as my form changed to a ram that knocked the west wall to pieces. I kicked out the southern window and tried to run for the hills. From a safe distance I watched the house. It is too cold so I return.
Warren comes in and he claps his hands together as it brings the window glass and wall back together like it was supposed to be. My form changes back to a familiar. He patiently scolds me for having a bad fit of anger. He acted more like a concerned father today than my tormentor. His tactics are to be more of a mentor since he has heard me cry out as I was a terrible drunk many nights. I am little use to him in such a bad state. He must have a great need of me for the present time. This Warren is a cunning and vicious creature that has some grand plans for his future schemes. My fear of him kept me from being too haughty or out of my proper place. He knows this fact as he delights in this place of refuge where he feels safe from any discovery. This same notion is something that was considered when we all moved here. Why did we move here? It was to start over here by feeling “brand new” with a clean slate. Now this warlock and his legion of demons wish to rewrite the history of the past as they make a new future here. This is not what I had in mind.
familiartales 