Winter Coat

“I need another blanket,” Susan muttered.  “This is ridiculous.”  The walls of the young woman’s tent rippled against the light wind and she shivered under her blankets as the cold settled densely around her.  The constant light snowfall pelted her tent with muttered pattering sounds.  Susan peeked over the edge of her covers to watch her small tent sway.  She could feel the cold somehow reaching through the blankets to seep into her and her bones ached from it.  She weighed her options.  On one hand, she felt like she could survive well enough with her parka, clothes, gloves, hat and four blankets. …

Hellfire

328 years ago:

When the first torch touched the kindling at the base of the wooden pole, Mary Sturgess moaned and writhed against the rope binding her in place.  She dug her bare feet into the dirt underneath her as if to dig her way out and away.  The wood to her left caught quickly and she felt the sudden heat in the warm night air.  The first Elder stepped back, his eyes shining in the flickering light.  The second Elder stepped forward and quickly set his torch to the wood to Mary’s right.  Younger than the other two and only just raised to his rank, he didn’t raise his eyes to the woman in front of him. …