Prologue

Salem Ma. 1690

Daniel sat in the front row of the church next to his brother Wyatt, who was fidgeting in his seat. Daniel was fully engrossed in what Preacher Garland was saying 

“No man should lay with a woman without her being his wife. Doing so could result in death. One must not find joy in fulfilling one's marital duties for it is sinful in nature.” He said. Daniel was hanging on every word. The thoughts that seemed to be cemented in his head were that of a sinful nature, and if he listened close enough, the things preacher Garland said would help him combat those thoughts. 

Then she walked in, the most beautiful woman in the village. Louise. Her hair was the color of strawberries, and her eyes were the most alluring green. When Daniel saw her, he lost track of what the preacher was saying. It was as if he could see his entire future in her eyes. She smiled when she looked at him. Daniel tucked his head and looked at Wyatt out of the corner of his eyes. He was staring at Louise, the lust obvious in his eyes. When she spoke, it was clear she was talking to Daniel. 

“Sir, may I sit beside you? Louise asked. Daniel just quietly nodded, completely lost for words. She turned her head toward the preacher as if to ask if it was okay, considering it was not the custom for an unwed woman to sit next to a man. 

With the approval of the preacher she quickly took her seat. That was only the beginning of their love affair. 

Soon after they were inseparable. Daniel would call upon Louise early every morning and they would spend the whole day walking around the village. Daniel craved being in her presence. He would stand in front of her door just looking at it until Preacher Garland ran him off. He was having trouble sleeping. Daniel was in love. He saw his future with Louise and had planned on making her his future, that was until Wyatt caught the fever. 

 “Daniel, I promise it's ok. Wyatt will get better.” Louise said, comforting him.

“He is deathly ill,” Daniel said between sobs. “The physician said he won’t make it past the night, the fever is killing him.” 

“I know something that might save him…” She started. 

“Anything, I’ll do anything that will save my little brother.” He said excitedly, cutting her short. 

“Okay, so this is what we're going to do.” Louise started. “ The moon has healing abilities that were given to it by God. It is said that we are  to cleanse the bloodline of illness if we make a sacrifice of sorts.”

“What kind of sacrifice?” 

“Well we would have to make love in the moonlight after drinking each other's blood. But we would have to conceive a child in order for it to be successful. Then we will wed and it will all be okay, no one will ever know.”  

“That’s witchcraft, Louise never speak of things of that nature. They will see you hang for less.” 

“Daniel I have already prayed and spoke with the pastor, I have permission, and I know you want to help Wyatt.” She played on his love for his brother. He would do anything for him. 

“Okay.” He agreed hesitantly. They waited until the sun went down. Louise had said that it had to be by the light of the moon. Daniel met Louise behind the church. because that is where the moon shone the brightest. 

She stripped off her dress, unveiling her smooth, silky olive skin. Her breasts were taught. Daniel was frozen in place as he stared at the perfect heavenly body of a woman. He stared so long that Louise started to squirm. So when she  gestured for him to do the same,he made quick work of his pants and tunic. 

She grabbed the knife she had hid earlier that day, and sliced threw her palm. Then she handed it to him. After the blood had pooled in the palm of Daniel's hand, she grabbed it and began to suck the wound until it had stopped bleeding. 

Daniel was in utter shock of what his body was doing. His manhood stood straight up as if it was being pulled by a string. Louise then laid Daniel on the ground under the moonlight. She climbed onto him, straddling his lap. She reached down and grabbed his manhood and Daniel jumped.

“It’s part of the ritual.” She reminded him. She positioned it at her entrance and sat down on it. Daniel closed his eyes, unable to think of anything, but the sheer pleasure that rushed through his body at that point . He opened his mouth to moan, that's when it happened, the moment that determined the rest of his life. Louise pressed her bloody hand against his mouth and it began dripping across his tongue. She rocked back and forth on his stiffened member. It felt as if his body was spasming. All his nerve endings stood on end. Then a bolt of sheer pleasure rippled through him, and then it was over. 

“DANIEL, DANIEL COME QUICK!!”  Preacher Garland yelled as he rounded the church. “What is going on here? Daniel.. You're a Witch. That’s blood magic!!”  

“Preacher, Wait.” Daniel tried to explain. 

“No, Daniel! You performed blood magic, and that is why the fever has taken your brother. Wyatt is dead, and now so are you and so is Louise.” He continued. “Now to the cells with you.” 

“Preacher, Please.” Daniel begged but he was already being picked up by two men that had appeared behind him. When he went to look at the men's faces so he could plead his case, he could not place them. These men were not a part of Daniel’s village. The moment that realization hit him, so did one of the men, and he was out cold. 

Daniel woke up in the cells beneath the church. Reality set in, and Daniel broke down. He sat and cried for hours. He cried because he was tricked, because he had failed, but mostly because his brother was gone. 

When Wyatt’s funeral was held, he could hear the organ playing above him. He heard the preacher give his sermon on death, and how Wyatt was in heaven with our lord.  He even heard his mother sobbing, not only because she had lost one son, but both in one night. It broke his heart more. 

The days faded into weeks, the weeks to months. Daniel had given up on keeping track of  how long he had been down there. When he finally heard somebody unlock the cellar door he jumped up, filled with hope. Hope that the preacher realized he had made a mistake. He would even marry Louise if that's what it took, so his mother didn't have to witness what he knew was coming next. But when he saw the man that punched him, his body sank. Daniel knew at that point, there was no hope. 

The man unlocked Daniel’s cell door and drug him out and up the stairs. When the sunlight hit him he was blinded. He almost didn’t see the pillar of twigs and straw. Daniel thought he was just going to be hanged like the rest. 

“NO!!” Daniel screamed “Hang me, please hang me.” He pleaded. But it was to no avail. The man scooped him up , tossed him onto the platform, and  Quickly tied his hands around the wooden pole in the middle of the pillar. 

“May God have mercy on your soul.” The man said, chuckling. Then the preacher stepped forward with a torch and shook his head before lighting the bottom of the pillar on fire. 

The whole village watched as the flames crawled their way up the Daniel. When they finally made contact with flesh the smell was unbearable. Daniel screeched at the top of his lungs as the white hot pain melted the skin from his bones. He took one last look at the place he once called home, at the people that he loved, at his mothers crying face, and passed out because of the pain.