SLEEPING MONSTER – JUNIPER'S DAUGHTER IN TROUBLE by Nick Armbrister extract
SLEEPING MONSTER – JUNIPER'S DAUGHTER IN TROUBLE by Nick Armbrister
She was in trouble and running for her life through the forest. She was mortal now, so very human and frail, as fragile as a spring flower under threat from an immense frost. The frost dragon was chasing Juniper's Daughter through the forest, a night terror threatening to suck the very lifeblood from the witch. A slow horrible awful human death with no rebirth, for she had made a pact with her number one enemy, Satan, and bargained her soul away for a mere mortal man, to save him from the gallows. To save his life so she could be with him for one short human lifetime, together.
Her Mother Juniper had gone crazy and tried to kill her daughter with lightning from the sky and small meteors from space. Slightly wounded and very scared, the former witch knew her Mother had failed. The woman who was once Juniper's Daughter lived and ran for her life, her Mother abandoned her only child who had cast her lot in with the Devil. For the sake of a mere mortal man who was condemned to death for stealing a chicken, such was the way in medieval Saxony. Would my Mother really kill me wondered the panicked girl? Would she?
The ice dragon made another pass, sending freezing air and ice thundering down into the trees, missing the vulnerable girl by yards. Soon she would be hit, she knew this; this was her predicament now but events from before led to this moment. How could she forget them?
****
A storm appeared before the man could be hung; torrential rain flooded the town square forcing the executioner and population to flee to higher ground leaving the thief on the gallows. Juniper's Daughter caused the storm to save her love; against her Mother's wishes, for the man wasn't innocent, he was a criminal with a dark past of black arts and murder. That he had gotten away with due to Satan backing him, he thought the theft of a single thin chicken to feed his starving stomach would go unpunished and noticed, for the first time in his life he was wrong. Satan was about to cause an earthquake to topple the gallows and free the man but something stopped him seconds before the ground shook. A freak storm not of his doing – Juniper's Daughter was here!
Clouds coiled in the blue sky darkening it, rain fell down in torrents drenching the crowd who wanted to see a hanging, good medieval entertainment. Now with the man free and in the arms of the witch, Satan flung a lightning bolt down hitting the witch and burning her badly. She was on the edge of death with the former captive holding her head in his hands, enemy and witch crazily together in a surreal situation.
He cried for the first time in his life, never had he shed a tear for the hundreds he had slain before but now he did for the witch who had freed him. She was his mortal enemy, for he was allied with the Devil and darkness, all they stood for made the evil man feel alive. Now something had occurred. A freak happening, he should have killed the witch, burned down the village and killed its inhabitants but he didn't. When the fire struck the witch almost killing her, the evil man screamed, "Master, oh mighty Satan please don't kill the witch! She freed me! If it wasn't for her I would be dead, save her Master!"
"My slave, you have worked with my enemy and betrayed me. You deserve to die like she does, by letting her free you give her power over you and against me! No, she must die! You have one last chance slave to be totally subjugated to me, if not I'll burn you down along with your new friend! You must finish off Juniper's Daughter; kill her with your own bare hands. One more murder won't make a difference. Then I'll forgive you and forget about this little episode. Hurry now!" thundered a voice from the heavens, full of ominous hostility and hidden violence.
"I am still evil and still work for you, you know that! How can you doubt me? Look into my mind and soul. I let the witch free me for you! But I do love her and she can work for us. Ask her before you kill her, I refuse to murder her. She helped me and didn't hurt me," feebly replied the criminal to the dark rain laden clouds. His voice was barely heard over the poring rainstorm.
"Yes I know you work for me, think it over what I said!" bellowed the Devil from up above, making the ground shake.
"But…" stammered the mortal man.
"Let him kill me then Satan! I'm as good as dead already!" announced the witch coming round after being hit by the lightning bolt fired by her enemy.
"Yes my dear but I've changed my mind!" replied Old Nick.
"What do you mean? What tricks and games are you playing with us now!" screamed the condemned man, rage filling his puny body.
"Don't listen to him! He does this all the time, the bastard!" shouted the witch, looking up at a black cloud. She was sure now the Devil controlled those same clouds that she had cast upon the village to keep all witnesses away. She couldn't think clearly due to her wounds and intense pain.
"Be quiet witch!" said the Devil, firing another shot of lightning a metre from her head; the wet grass hissed and burst into flame. Juniper's Daughter struggled to move from the flames with great difficulty.
"Stop this mischief!" shouted the man raising his fist to the sky.
"Help me, I'm in great pain. He's right I'm finished. Kill me and put me out of my misery," begged the witch, her life slowly leaving her.
"Juniper's Daughter, I will heal you and let you live!" whispered Satan. Was this more trickery? "On one condition and one alone. Do you want to hear my proposal?"
"What is it? You only lie and cause pain and suffering, how can you heal?"
"Listen witch. If you make a pact with me and become human and not immortal, giving up your witchcraft, talents and right of immortal life, I will spare you're life and that of you're lover. I promise to let you both live together, in peace. I will also free your love from his dark debt to me. Do we have a deal?" beckoned the Devil playing his hand. Silence descended on the rainy village, water threatened the injured witch and her new friend. They had to move or be washed away soon.
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