The Beast And The Blessed

The Warrior and The Witch - One: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V. 11 years old

Everything hurt.

The throbbing in my head forced a whimper from my lips, and the cold night air made me shiver as it grazed over my body.

I had never fallen asleep with my window open before. My parents would have killed me if they knew I had managed to pry the nails free of the wood for fresh air. I had always been vigilant in ensuring I only left it open for a few minutes at a time so they would never catch me. Yet, the smell of fresh pine on the breeze told me I had failed tonight.

My body fought against me, wanting to return to my deep slumber where there was no cold or pain. Only my blanket was gone, and my mattress was hard and freezing. My eyes shot open with panic as I felt someone pulling on my leg.

My vision was blurry, and my head spun as I grimaced from the blinding agony that crippled me when I tried to move. The pain only worsened when I attempted to look down, unable to see who was touching me. Very few ever did.

Their rough hands gripped my calf tightly, and I kicked in an attempt to free myself from their hold. Their hands were too large to be my mother's, and my father hadn't ever touched me. I was their cursed child.

He called me the devil.

I was their curse to carry and their secret to bury.

’Stop moving!" A voice snapped, and my head shot back painfully against the solid surface beneath me, hitting an already sensitive spot that I hadn't remembered injuring.

I had an idea of what was happening. My parents used to call in men dressed in black who told me they were there to purge me of the demon in my body. They would tie me to my bed frame, chant and yell while splashing me with water.

But this was different.

The cold metal dug into my skin as the woman clasped the object around my ankle, pulling my leg until it was straight. I blinked several times as the world around me started to become clear. The dark night sky was illuminated by the bright glow of the moon above us, and I froze in a moment of panic when I realized I was outside and not in my bed as I had assumed.

I wasn't allowed outside.

I remembered my mother walking in to tell me it was lights out like she always did, and then there was nothing. No memory of getting ready for bed or lying down under my blanket.

Had I been sleepwalking? Was this to be my punishment for disobeying the rules?

old, wrinkled hand moved over

go as she used her thumb to lift my eyelid as far up as she could, exposing the pure white underneath. It was the reason my parents had been seeking help. The lack of color in my eyes was not like theirs. They didn't like that, never mind what

one of the rules. One of the many rules.

was not allowed to leave the house or be seen by anyone. The only people who knew

cried out in terror as they cut my clothes from my body. My mother caught my eye as she stood, silently crying, next to my

tried to

didn't understand why I was

the stranger dug

My scream echoed into the night for hours, drowning out the women

my body. I could

body went numb, blocking out the searing pain that covered almost every inch of my flesh. The only thing I could feel were the string-like tethers stemming from the witches holding

dear. We are going to get this out of you." The old woman croaked, sounding giddy yet strained

want them to get it out of me. My parents may have seen my gift as evil, but I loved having it. My powers had been given to me

come close. But they had also never done anything like this. They never cut my

They hurt me. I didn't understand why they needed to draw

I tried to resist, but it felt like they were a part of me now. No matter

let

a door, one I unknowingly could never close again. The bright and strong feeling of magic washed over me, and I focused on it, pulling

eyes opened, and I gasped as I could see the darkness of her greedy soul in the depths of

away, but I tightened

to get to the hypnotizing, swirling light filled with magic. There wasn't a doubt in my

brighter in my mind, and I pulled them to me faster as I tried to follow them to the source. I could hear the women

deserve this punishment. I had

faded to black. I didn't move for

to see the moon had moved further across the sky. The metal chains suddenly went slack with the sound of them

and father were still standing there staring in horror. I had expected my mother to run to me, happy that I was okay. But she just stood there with her wide eyes and a shaking hand over

father whispered, but I ignored him as I stepped

flinched back against my dad's side, and he quickly drew his gun from his waistband. The barrel was pointed at me,

glanced down to see my pale body covered in blood. "I was good.

this time was followed by me taking another step closer and my parents