I forgot who Goody Marish was in the book (the play script)

But I remember reading this back in 2007. Tituba, Reverend Paris's Barbadian slave, and Sarah Good were in fact guilty. Tituba gave the children blood to drink as Betty admited. Abigail Williams danced naked.

Tituba even said near the end that "devil no like Massachusetts because it freezes his tail in winter." Something like that and that "devil" liked the Carribean better because it was warmer.

Reverend Hale left the court in the middle of the proceedings. Reverend Paris was voted out of office and became destitute after the girls stole his savings and fled.

Abigal allegedly became a prostitute in Boston.

Proctor was executed via hanging for witchcraft after he refused to sign a false confession. Elizabeth lost all rights to her husband's inheritance and property.

Giles Corey refused to confess and died Christian under the law. Stones were pressed against his chest until he suffocated. His sons inherited the farm. He was in his 80s.

Giles's wife Martha and Rebecca Nurse were also charged. I forgot what happened to them.

Proctor became charged because Abigail accused him of witchcraft after Elizabeth discharged her.

I WILL get back to Sickening next tag, but I wanted something appropriately Halloween-ish :)

I love the sense of urgency right off the bat with Goody Marish waiting for her cat to return. I can hear the voiceover of "Tabby knows..." and picture a little feline form darting through the shadows, avoiding all other people and any other hint of civilization as he runs through the grass in search of the mystery object. I also really like the imagery of the fire snapping and crackling and the trailing ellipses help portray that sense of urgency even more than the words.

I've never read Crucible so I don't know if that song she sings to the little one is from the book or if you made it up/found it elsewhere, but it's a beautiful little lullaby. I really like the last line of the chorus—it's a loving touch to the rest of the song. Just sad that she's singing it to keep him calm when she is surrounded by fanatics who want to kill her :/

And oh good, kitty is back! I was worried that he might not make it or, worse, be caught by the fanatics and tortured :/ Now I understand the mention of lilacs in the title—that's what the cat has brought to her.

And oh my, she's feeding him the poisoned brew so that he will just die in his sleep rather than be tormented by the crazies for being the son of an accused witch. So sad! But so fitting—better a calm death at his mom's hands, where she will make it easy for him to fade from this life rather than a torturous one at the hands of cruel men -_-

Very well done, dear :)

This was...bizarrely awesome. Not bizarre that it is awesome, but awesome in a bizarre way.

First off, the structure is odd, but in a way that's very cool and definitely works in the piece's favor. It feels, to me at least, like it's both part prose ("Stoke the fire...his head. Waiting...") and part poetry ("Witch...So be it."). I like that it's only dialogue that feels like it's poetry and the action that feels more like regular prose. I can't really put into words why I like the way you decided to structure the piece, although I wish I could, so all I can say is it works perfectly here.

This piece feels like it's, for lack of a better way to put it, smack on the border between the fantastical and the mundane. Part of it is the stuff with the tabby cat who seems to know what its master needs eerily well (which I suspect means the accusations of the mother being a witch have a few shades of truth to them) but also the descriptions you use ("Watch the flames...snakes bonding together.") If my suspicion is correct, I'd speculate that this was done intentionally to give the mother an air of mysticism to clue the reader in.

WAIT A SECOND, SHE'S CASTING A SPELL, ISN'T SHE? I figured she was, like, a hedge witch who used the cat as a familiar to collect what she needs for medicine, but that poetry-esque dialogue is a spell she's using in conjunction with the "infusion" to save her son, ain't it? Yo, this story is awesome.

I also liked how the summary works with the piece, providing important context to help you fully understand what's happening.

The only little nitpick I have is that I feel like you over did the ellipses a tad. Other than that though, this was crazy awesome from start to finish.

I read the book, but I don’t remember the characters very well so forgive me on my fandom blindness.

Your writing in this drabble-like poem is beautiful, simplistic and understandable, says so much in so few of words. The emotions are palpable and potent, powerful in its delivery. I feel for the mother in the story. It seems that you made an OC for the story, and despite the 204 words that you used, it felt like eighty thousand.

The style in which you wrote was very interesting, intriguing. I like the stream of consciousness used so appropriately - in fact, it reminded me of the Romantic writings of Edgar Allen Poe, one of my favorite authors ever.

Tabby knows, tabby must get it, tabby must be fast… nobody else can know. - I’m glad that you used an older term in reference to the cat but also chose not to use the word “pussy” for the cat... which, because I’m immature, makes me laugh.

Anyways, it was actually the second line that hooked me into the story - more so than the actual opening.. because it made me understand why they were “Waiting for the cat to return…”

The “Tabby this and Tabby that” worked for setting the tone of urgency that is in this mother’s heart. With the accusatory sisters about, one can understand why she wanted to be so careful! :)

make the blaze stand up bright and tall. Watch the flames hiss and snap, a thousand tiny snakes bonding together. - This is a beautiful description that entails what she wants to do with the fire, what’s she’s doing, and what the fire appears to be doing. The flow is worked like a staccato note in music... (Think of how Beyonce ends her notes in the verses of “Halo”)... and this actually heightens that feeling of emergency!

Watch the flames hiss and snap, a thousand tiny snakes bonding together. Feel the heat pressing against the skin, faster, like a dance. - Again, beautiful description and works magic for your story. I love the comparison of the flames being like “a thousand tiny snakes bonding together.” In the line, you not only appeal to the visual but also the touch sensory.

And know that you are always mine." - I feel so sad when I’m reading her dialogue... I feel like she knows that she won’t have much time with her child, and though he’s sleep, she’s trying to make him understand how much she loves him,

The ending was well-done, love how you brought it back to the beginning’s thought process with the cat returning...

Awesome job on another fanfic,
Until Next Time,
Neo

This is beautifully penned:-) Flows really well, and you can sense the tension, and the relief.

Well done:-)

This was awesome! I really love that Goody Marish has to depend on the cat to save her son. Ah, but she can't tell for fear of what would happen if the others found out. Witch or not, it doesn't matter; the love for her song is clear and beautifully written. Of course, I'm reading this with a modern mindset; back then, anyone different was called a witch. I'm really glad the cat made it back with the secret flowers. This was beautiful! Well done, my love! :D