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A Witch Hunting by Tayler
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A Witch Hunting

Tayler

Chapter One

He stood on the side of the road, traffic flying past him with no heed to the weapon in his hand. The cool metal of the axe head was smooth against his palm, making its purpose a little less daunting. For what deed of this nature could be so gentle to the touch? What deadly action could be so perfectly shaped and without blemish?

This was.

'Its coming,' Carl told himself, running the pad of his soil covered thumb over the inner curve of his tool. 'Won't be long now.'

His aged and slightly blinded eyes caught hold of a moving shape that was not the size of a car or bus or even a tractor. No, it was small in the distance, like an ant coming over a large dirt mound. Just a little white blob to Carl's eyes but he did not need perfect sight to know what and who it was.

Pearls of sweat formed near his receded hair line, beading together before falling to his already damp collar. The early morning heat made his plaid shirt and jeans a little more constricting then they had been the morning before but then again, he wasn't sweating this much the morning before. Nor had he eaten as much breakfast but then again, he didn't have to…dispose of something yesterday morning.

The white blob had begun to gain shape. Narrow shoulders became discernable, connecting to a pale neck and then to a head topped with a white covering. A torso and chest was hidden beneath white cotton that also covered the thing's arms. A small pack was around the things waist, rising and falling against the hip it rested on. Legs came from beneath the pack with a black pair of…yes it looked like shorts that only covered the top of it's thigh, the muscles beneath contracting and relaxing as the thing moved.

'It's getting closer,' Carl thought, his grip tightening on the head of the axe as the thing got within twenty feet. Fifteen feet. Five feet…

"Hullo Mr. Wilmer," the thing greeted. "Nice day isn't it?"

"Yes," Carl replied. "Quite nice…"

'Do it!' the voice in his head commanded. 'Before it runs off again!'

"What's wrong Mr. Wilmer?" the thing asked, concern crossing its gentle features. "You look rather pale."

'Now!'

Carl's body, though aged sixty-five years, was quick for it's term in life. He swung his arm forward, his grip sliding to the wooden handle, and lashed out at the creature before him. It screamed as the axe tip grazed it's shoulder. Stumbling back, it tried to run but Carl was right on it.

"I won't let you spoil this world!" he cried, raising the axe high over his head before bringing it down for the fatal blow. A sickening crack sounded through the suddenly still air.

"Be gone demon of hell!" Carl shrieked. "Leave this world and never return!"

The thing fell to the ground, the blade embedded deep within the back of its head. Blank eyes stared up at Carl as if accusing him for being so reckless. He saw a promise in those forest green orbs as well, telling him that this was not over.

"Go back to hell," he hissed, spiting on the now lifeless corps. He was slightly surprised that no spirit slipped from the dead lips, no sign of the evilness that was encased inside. Maybe he had killed that too, the demon as well as its blackened soul.

"Get him!" an new voice cried from behind him. "Get him down on the ground!"

"Make sure he doesn't have any weapons!" another added.

"Be careful Mark!" sounded another, more feminine voice.

Before he could think, Carl was tackled to the ground and his face pressed into the earth where the thing's liquid of life had spilled.

"Phone the police!"

"Check the girl!"

"Get a hold of him!"

"My God! He slaughtered her!"

Voices, so many voice surrounded Carl. The weight of a man, no, two men were upon his already damaged back, making him cry out in pain. What had gone wrong? Why were these people punishing him? He just saved humanity for Christ's sakes!

"Get off me!" he groaned, words muffled by the gravel that his face was pressed against. "You don't understand! That wasn't a girl! It was a demon from hell!"

Sirens sounded in the distance. The police had arrived.

Carl's eyes went round with shock. Why were the police here?! Why couldn't these people understand?!

Doors opened and slammed shut. Feet thundered towards him. The weight of the men who held him was relieved for a moment before being replaced by someone else's. Icy metal was wrapped around his wrists with a click that sounded like laughter to Carl. Handcuffs? What were these people doing?! Didn't they understand?! It wasn't a girl dead on the road next to him! It was a demon from Satan's circle! She was going to steal every human soul she could and then summon her master for the rest! Why didn't these people understand?!

"She's evil!" Carl yelled as he was hauled to his feet. His eyes darted madly from one face to another. A crowd had gathered around him, their cars blocking the road. Some police officers where actually doing crowd control, telling people to move away for their own safety. 'Well at least someone had some sense,' Carl thought. 'Satan could be here at any moment to take revenge on human life as a whole.'

"…Everything you say can be used against you in a court of law…" the officer to his right said. Apparently Carl had been yelling everything he had been thinking about because he had not heard the first part of what the officer had said. He knew his rights, he watched all those cop shows and knew what they said every time they arrested someone. He just never expected them to be used against him.

"Carl?"

"Maggie!" Carl yelled, turning towards the familiar voice. His wife stood on the front stoop, wearing the blue night gown he had bought for her after they lost their son to a still birth. Her eyes were filled with horror, those same eyes that had looked at him with love not half an hour ago.

"Maggie! Tell them!" Carl demanded, dragging his feet to delay the cops who were escorting him to the nearest cruiser. "Tell them that she was a demon!"

Maggie's eyes fell upon the body of the thing. A moment of sickening replaced the horror in her eyes before she lost consciousness and fell backwards into the doorway.

"Maggie!" Carl screamed, watching his wife fall. Another woman ran towards her from the road side, kneeling to cradle Molly against her chest.

"I need a cold compress!" the woman ordered a man near by who obediently ran into Carl's house.

"Maggie!" Carl yelled again, struggling against his holders. His attempts to break free were fruitless however, the quickness he had been blessed with when battling the thing taken away as suddenly as it had been bestowed with it.

Somewhere along the way, one of the cops had pulled out his night stick. With a hollow thud, the wooden rod was brought down against Carl's head, hard. A black miasma swept across his vision, his consciousness slipping away to join his wife as the police dragged him the rest of the way to the cruiser.

Author's note: So I know it's in no way related to Harry Potter as of yet but it will be soon! Promise! I just had to get a few details set in place first. Hope you enjoyed it so far. Please R&R!!!!!