Salem Moon

World Castle Publishing

Pensacola, Florida

Copyright © Scarlet Black 2011

ISBN: 9781937085
384

Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2011928102

First Edition World Castle Publishing June 1, 2011

http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com

Licensing
Notes

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

2011 Forward National Literature Award: Genre: Fantasy.

Cover: Karen Fuller

Editor: Beth Price

Acknowledgment

This novel is dedicated to all those souls who lost their lives during the Witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts in
1692
.

No one writes a book alone and this one was no exception.

It is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank the following people who have lent me their expertise and knowledge to bring this book to life.

C.B: for sharing the inner workings of Wicca.

Larry Savignano: for providing accurate crime scene procedures.

Ye Olde York Historical Society: Information on the Candlemas Massacre of York Maine.

The many friends and family who shared their photos and memories with me on their visits to Salem, Massachusetts.

My husband, Larry and my two dogs, Harley and Zeus who
’
ve put up with my long hours at the computer without complaint!

And of course, my wonderful publisher: World Castle Publishing who was kind enough to put their faith in my work.

“
If it was the last moment I was to live, God knows I am innocent…
”

-Elizabeth Howe, h
anged as a witch, July 19, 1692

Chapter 1

T
he ground fog rose eerily even as it wrapped itself all around the woods still visible at this early hour, just short of dawn on this mid- July day. The ground was wet with dew and the promise of a hot day to come. A full harvest moon, unusual for this time of year, hung low in the sky
,
washing the land in a pale,
beautiful
white li
ght.

Gabriel Blackstone was the only one in his household to witness its splendor. His sister, Abigail was still asleep. His father, Dr. Samuel Blackstone
,
Salem Village
’
s only veterinarian
,
was busy tending to a sick horse on a neighboring farm.

Dr. Blackstone was an educated man and believed the acquisition of an education was paramount to opening the world around oneself. To seek, to understand, to gather knowledge would lead to that one special passion;
that
which would provide meaning to one
’
s life.

Consequently, he gave both Abigail and Gabriel many books to read; books on such subjects as science, adventure
,
and the great classics of English literature.

The Blackstones also owned one of the largest dairy and poultry farms in the county
, so
they were expected to read practical books on farming and animal husbandry as well.

This time of the morning was for hunting wild game; mostly, the deer that the family depended on to feed them through the long, cold and bitter New England winter.

Gabriel did not understand why the hunt for deer was necessary and would often ask:
“
Father, how is it that you can kill some animals and yet care for others?
”
To which his father would reply,
“
God has made each animal to serve a purpose.
”

As for Gabriel, he would have been happy to never eat the flesh of an animal
,
preferring to find sustenance in the abundant fruits and vegetables that grew on their land. However, that would seem odd, and appearing odd in these times was dangerous.

In the beginning of
th
is
very year,
1692
, word had come of a deadly Indian attack on January the 25
th
in the town of York in the district of Maine, part of the province of Massachusetts Bay; more commonly known to the colonists as
“
the Eastward.
”
In what was known as the Candlemas Massacre,
100
settlers in York Village had been brutally murdered, their homes and businesses burnt to the ground by
the
Indians
.

While the events occurring in Salem Village were not the same in nature as Indian attacks, they were just as ominous and frightening.

Gabriel was well aware of what was happening in Salem Village; the witch hunts, the cursed accusations, the public hangings at Gallows Hill.

In early June, it had begun with the a
ccusation, trial and
hanging for the high crime of witchcraft of a woman
named Bridget Bishop. She was ha
ng
ed
on June 10
th
of that year.

After the hanging, it seemed as if Salem Village, Salem Town and its surrounding colonial towns were incited to crave more blood. So, the madness began; a madness that would
forever
paint a dark smudge on Salem
,
Massachusetts.

Although Gabriel would never dare to say it aloud, he did not believe in witchcraft, nor did he believe in the strong religious fervor of the Puritans. He believed in
God
, whom he loved, but not in the zealous and dangerous way that the Puritan religion was causing neighbors to accuse one another of practicing witchcraft. He understood that it came down to simple human nature. People needed a scapegoat, someone to blame for the evils of the world, real or imagined.

After the onset of the hysteria
,
it fed upon itself
,
turning what had once been a sleepy little town into a place where unimaginable evil now resided. Evil that did not come from any supernatural source, instead from the very people with whom they shared their lives
,
neighbors
,
and friends who would allow their brethren to be persecuted and murdered.
T
here really was no other word for it, was there?

Those who were perceived as
“
different
”
from their peers became perfect fodder for a witch hunt. Why, even his own twin sister, Abigail, who lay asleep at this early hour, could be accused! H
er gentle, caring nature toward
all living things, the way she hummed to herself while going about her chores, her extraordinary beauty, which spiked jealousy in s
ome of the other girls her age—
all of these things made her vulnerable.

He and his sister shared stunning good looks. Both
were
blessed
with
incredibly lustrous, dark brown hair and exceptionally long lashes over unusually pale, grayish violet colored eyes and pleasingly slim builds. Gabriel
’
s
looks differed from his sisters
in that her hair was long and straight and hung to her waist, while his had a slight wave to it.  As was the fashion of the day, his hair was on the long side, just touching the rim of his shirt collar. A few strands fell across his forehead, lightly brushing his eye lashes. He was taller than she at six foot one, while she was a more petite five foot five. He had a strong uppe
r body; a finely chiseled chest
and heavily muscled arms from years of working outdoors.

He knew the young girls in Salem Village sought his company
. They
would stare openly when he made his way into town
,
quickly averting their eyes when he caught them. He had no interest in any of them. In all his eighteen years, no girl had ever captured his heart and he was beginning to wonder why that was. Surely, he
’
d find his soul mate someday, just as his father had found his; Gabriel
’
s mother, Mary
,
whom his father had loved dearly. There had been no one else since her death many years ago.