Witch Hunt

This weeks prompt comes from: Mode Room Press, at
www.moderoom.com

Describe a witch hunt in a Scottish Village.
with a case of hand grenades.
Such misery is the result of too much sleep!
Two Policeman enter.
While a man in the shadows loads a rifle.


Witch Hunt Audio

Witch Hunt

"You know, there aren't really any witches in Scotland any more," I said.
"What are you talking about? Of course there are. What do you think that we have been doing for the last five years?" Matt looked at me with a look of pity.
"For one thing we have been getting wet every Saturday night instead of hanging out in the pub with the guys. And what have we got to show for it?"
"Well there are no witches in this village, that is what we have to show for it. And what do you mean by there are no witches in Scotland? You saw the same report I did just last week."
We stopped under an eve and waited while two police officers walked by. We weren't doing anything illegal, but the case of hand grenades that Matt insisted on keeping in the back seat of the car, just in case, was a sure bet to get us in more trouble then we were looking for.
"I saw the report just like you Matt," I said after they had moved out of ear shot. "But what I didn't see in there was what those people were doing that was wrong."
"Sammy, their witches. They are going to be hexing our children and get them to come eat the gingerbread off their houses and then what? Then what will you do?"
"Matt," I said grabbing his arm as he tried to step out from under the eve. "What are you talking about? That is a fairy tale. Did you read the report? Those people are Wiccan, technically that makes them witches but they don't cast spells and they don't have gingerbread houses and they said they just wanted to be left alone. I don't agree with what they believe in, but they are not hurting anyone."
"Sammy, they're witches!" He said rounding on me. "Nothing good can come from them being here!"
"But that does not give us the right to do... to do what? What would we do if we found one? Blow him or her up with one of your grenades? What if they have children?"
"So you admit that there are witches and they have our children!"
"Your not listening to me Matty. I meant their own children. They are humans after all."
"How can a witch have a child? What do they do, 'magic' them out of the fire? Then it would be more of a demon then a child, and we have to rid the world of them too!"
"You didn't read any of that report at all, nothing after the title." I sighed deeply. "This brand of witches are men and women, and they don't do magic, they believe in trees and grass, and they have children of their own just like you and me."
"Oh Yeah! Well what about that dream? What about the one where they told me to rid the country side of witches?"
"Matt, you had been sick and sleeping for three days. You had a nightmare, that is the only thing that can explain it. It is the only thing that could cause this much Misery."
"Sam, if you don't believe me fine, but I am doing to do what I have to do to keep all of us safe. You will thank me when your kids are grown and they have not been roasted and put on the diner table of some witch family." He stopped then and took something out of his back pack. It was a rectangular box. As he opened it up I knew what it was going to be. He had bought a rifle, the kind you could take apart and put back together.
"Matt, what is that? You have gone off the deep end. You are going to hurt someone with that thing." He turned to me, his eyes were red with anger.
"Go then!" he said waiving the unassembled barrel at me.
I ran back up the street the way we had come. Within a few moment I bumped into the two police officers, and I made a choice.
"Officers," I said breathing deeply. "My friend, I think he is in trouble." I wavered just a moment and then lied. "He must be drunk or something, but he has a gun. You have got to stop him!"