The last witch of Ireland - A Fifty Words Story
"Michael, it's me, can't you see?"
Bridget's bottom lip trembled at the madness.
"The fairies have you!" he screamed as he set fire to his wife's nightgown.
He turned to the others.
“You’ll soon see her go up the chimney.”
He threw the lamp-oil.
Her screams would wake the dead.
Background
What a morbid little tale I hear you say? Well spare a moment for Bridget, as believe it or not this very thing happened to Bridget Cleary in County Tippperary in Ireland in 1895. Her husband Michael believed she had become possessed by a fairy. Perhaps the worst thing about it was that her own family helped to do it.
Initially plying her with all manner of herbal remedies to release the fairy, they eventually burned the poor unfortunate soul believing her to be some sort if witch. Thankfully this is the last recorded occurrence of such madness in Ireland.
The full story can be read here:
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/bridget-cleary-last-witch-burned-in-ireland
This was my entry into @jayna's #fiftywordscontest. This is a great way to get back into writing, hone your writing skills or just try out writing. We are building a super supportive little community here now under the watchful eye of @jayna. I encourage you to give it a go and be sure to check out as many other stories as you can, leave a comment, upvote them if you like what you have read and support each other :o)
This week's prompt was "witch", see@jayna's page for full details.
The picture I used above is not my own and the source is here
Thanks for taking the time to read my little story.
Peace out.
They still do that in donegal, it just never makes the papers. Strange things happen in the mountains.
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Really? How awful! The crazy things we humans do to one another are absolutely stupefying.
Ha ha, I assume you're taking the piss!
It is still very wild up that side. You wouldn't hear half the stuff that they get up to that side of the country.....
:D
Oh man, this is very eerie and with the added punch it's actually a true story. Well done @ablaze!
Thanks a lot @cizzo
Very nice writing. It invokes very vivid imagery. I'm sorry that things like that actually happened. The same with my story, it chilling what people can do to each other.
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Thanks a lot @blueeyes8960, Yes it seems absolutely ludicrous that this happened and relatively recently too.. Mans inhumanity to man knows no bounds..
Ah, a historic fiction piece. Well done, @ablaze. How shocking that people would set their own family members on fire. Superstition can lead to horrible things!
Absolutely, sickening stuff..
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Great story.
Mental illness can do some destructive things. (I don't know if anyone was mentally ill; that came to mind though.)