I swear

Just go faster, you stupid horse! I kept hitting the horse’s neck even though I knew it couldn’t go any faster, but I needed that thought. I need to go faster if I want to have any chance of saving her. It's my fault that she was taken away and I won't ever forgive myself if they killed her. 

“Stupid horse! Don’t go slower, go faster, you idiot!” I screamed my lungs out. I felt all that frustration growing inside of me. Only if I could go any faster. Why won't this stupid horse go any faster? Don’t worry, my love, I’ll save you, I swear – in moments like this I wished I believed in someone or something, but I just can’t bring myself to it. 

I know I shouldn’t have trusted that man a few days ago, he was no good, no one was buying anything from him. Unfortunately, my pure angel tried to convince him that he may have a family of his own that will starve if we won't buy anything from him – foolish girl. I should’ve stopped her, or at least tell her to hide her hair or her beautiful eyes. That beautiful hair of hers, looked like copper in the sun, always wavy, always untamed, just like her and her beautiful eyes, like storm clouds. She was easy prey! She kept smiling and smiling like she always does and he got the wrong idea. 

I know what I'm talking about because I used to be the same. That beautiful girl, just got in our village and she just tried to get to know everyone, but her unique hair and eyes gave her away. She was an outcast and she had no one to protect her. Call it pity, call it curiosity, I don’t care, but I started talking to her. At first, she was distant – again, I don’t blame her, after all those weeks of being bullied. As time went by, though, she turned out to be a nice person, and before I could stop it, I was deeply in love with that weird girl. 

She was too caring and it was easy to love and also hate her. Her beauty was like no village girl, her beauty stood out. That’s the reason so many women hated her, they wanted to be like her, to have the same eye color as her. She was unique and she was mine. That man wanted her, I could see it in his eyes, but as she kept her distance he got offended and called for the apes, calling her a witch, demanding that she should be burned and that she is a threat to the village. They came as I got home from a long day of cutting wood. 

The look in her eyes was devastating – her beautiful still-blue eyes were wide open and she was screaming, begging for help, but I couldn’t get myself to get up as I was got that terrible punch from that stupid brute. They didn’t want me to get involved so they beat me up good. Way too good, if you ask me – it took me a few hours to get them straight to get up, as I laid there barely breathing.

Oh, that shame and all that fault I felt as they took her away in that stupid cart, like she was some sort of animal, on its way to being slaughtered. All I did was to sit there, trying to catch my breath after those apes put me down and cry – cry like a baby because I couldn’t save her – as the cart kept getting further and further. 

If I go a little faster, I could even get there before them and save my love. Well get away from this place, from all these ugly people, and settle for a place of our own. I already got tears in my eyes as I got to the top of the hill and I saw that awful building, the church. Thank – someone – that they didn’t take her to the patriarch and only took her to a normal church. In that way, it would be easier for me to get her out of there, but first, I need a plan. I can't just go there and say that I'm here to rescue the love of my life and promise that she’s not a witch. 

I pulled the horse’s harnesses, to let it rest for a few seconds before I continued my run like the mad man that I was – a mad man in love. A poor old man was sitting in front of the stable’s doors. I gave him one of my best smiles and told him that I'm there for the witch. My stomach crumbled as I said those words. ‘I’ll get you out of there, I swear’. He looked at me in disbelief - probably asking himself why am I bothering him so late at night - so I had to improvise. 

“Are the rest of them here yet?” the poor guy’s jaw dropped. So I'm the only one there yet. That’s good. That fool gave me all the information that I needed and led me to where they kept her. Because I left my horse with him, I had to run towards that place. ‘I'll get to you in seconds, my dear. Don’t be scared, I’ll save you. I swear!’ 

“Damn it!” as I got there, the cart was empty, they took her before I got there. Where did they take her? On a hill, that’s for sure, but where exactly? I turned my head as I heard a scream coming from somewhere in my left. I started running again, not minding the pain that I felt in my entire body. 

I kept running and running, the night growing darker, but a strange light was coloring the trees around me in different shades of orange and red. At the top of the hill, I saw it – she was tied up to a tree trunk, with haze all around her. The haze was already on fire and it was spreading fast towards her. She was screaming, cursing them, and also begging them to forgive her. Priests and monks stood there, watching her suffer, laughing at her despair. I walked past the trees so that they won't see me. When I got close enough, I stepped out of the shadows and ran towards the pyre. 

I jumped on the burning haze, hurrying up to get to her before it was too late. I heard screams somewhere in my back, but I didn’t care anymore, it was now or never. I pulled the knife out of my sleeve, in my attempt to cut the ropes on her arms and legs. I cursed myself that I didn’t get a bigger knife but I didn’t have time for that either. I kept cutting and cutting and when I could feel the flames getting closer, I finally cut the last rope.