Garofano
By Anna Bopp
Footsteps slowly creaked on every step of the stairs. The bedroom door handle turned slowly. In walked Mr. David Holtz, snow-covered and freezing. His wife, Amercia, sat by the warm hearth in a rocking chair, needling some embroidery.
“They broke into the coop again. Blasted wolves. Mayor oughta have someone shoot ‘m all.” David said as he set the collected firewood in the crate. “Warm enough?’
“Yes quite,” Amercia said in her whispery voice. “You sure it’s the wolves? I heard some in town whispering about how dear Mrs. Yorker’s baby 20 years back was a changeling and she left the imposter baby in the woods. They say it’s taking its revenge now that it’s older.”
“Enough of that rubbish. It’s all gossip. It’s impossible.”
“David?”
“Yes, dear?”
“Will our baby be like the Yorker’s baby?” Amercia said as tears found their way down her cheeks. David sighed before walking over to his wife’s rocker.
“Don’t think such horrible things. It makes you get all worked up.” Amercia sniffled and set her embroidery aside, as she wiped her face clean. A violent banging came from the front door, startling the family. David grabbed his shotgun and went to the door. Outside in the snow was Warren Allen, the chief of police in the small town. Behind him were other young men holding pitchforks, lanterns, and shotguns.
“Evening, Mr. Holtz.” The chief said. David’s eyes jumped from Warren to the other young men.
“Evening, Warren. You gave us quite the start you know,” David said before setting his weapon against the wall. Warren looked at him apologetically and tipped his fur cap.
“I beg your pardon, sir, but we’re hunting Jarilo. He’s gone and murdered widow Aester.”
“Jarilo? Who’s Jarilo?”
“Jarilo Yorker. Novelle’s little changeling.”
“Ah, let me grab my hat then.” David closed the door to keep the cold night at bay before returning to Amercia’s side.
“So you do believe it? Will you really leave me defenseless in my condition if you don’t believe it?” America mumbled mostly to herself. David sighed and kissed her pale cheek. “Please be safe. Please come home to me.”
“I will, Amercia my dear, I will.” David said before grabbing his fur hat and his gun and exiting the safety of the small wooden cabin.
———————————————————————————————————————
After combing the woods for hours, the sun had woken up. The hunting party had not found the thing that they were looking for. He wouldn’t let them. As they shuffled defeatedly out of the woods, he stood watching; his left arm pulled back and his spine crooked, causing him to perpetually lean forward, his right eye all but swollen shut by benign growths. Jarilo’s left eye scanned the sea of fur hats till he saw one that stood out to him. The fur hat had stopped and was turned scanning the green void for movement. Something about the man made Jarilo feel vehement rage. Perhaps it was how perfect the fur hat was or how normal he was portrayed. Eventually, the fur hat started to catch up to the rest of the group.
David finally rejoined the hunting party, panting a bit from the jog. He readjusted the fur hat on his head and tightened his grip on his gun.
“You saw a ghost, Holtz?” one of the others, a banker named Matthew Ellis, said, noticing David’s flushed features.
“Don’t be ridiculous, no such thing as ghosts.”
“Then why in the world are we out here in the dead of winter? Bit silly isn’t it?”
“Enough banter, you two. You’ll alert it.” Chief Allen’s voice said from the front of the pack. Suddenly the sound of a shrill voice cut through the trees.
“Mrs. Yorker has started an uproar in the courthouse!” That shrill voice belonged to Miriam Mercy, the last person in the town who still cared about the yorkers. She reached Chief Allen and clung to his shoulder while she caught her breath. “She’s screaming, yelling, they called for Judge Parva. Oh she’s really lost it now. Some say she’s going to get arrested.”
“Calm down, Miriam. Ain’t nobody arresting nobody.” Chief Allen said as the group trudged back towards civilization. Just as Miriam said, Mrs. Novelle Yorker was standing in the middle of the courthouse, yelling nonsense.
“My boy’s a good boy! He’s an angel!” she screamed. The townspeople watched the women in hysterics as if it were a spectacle.
“Shouldn’t someone go calm her down? Where’s andrew?”
“At the bottom of a bottle in the tavern, I reckon.” Matthew whispered back. Suddenly, the doors swung open with a loud bang. In walked Judge Parva with his powdered wig and robes. He walked by a few women in front, his head barely up to their chests.
“You monster! You devil! You damn innocents with each crack of your gavel! May God strike you where you stand!” Novelle screamed as the judge climbed into his chair. “You know nothing of justice! You’re a coward hidden underneath pompous wigs and false piety.” The courthouse erupted into loud arguments.
“Order! I will have order in my court. Now mrs. yorker, why are you causing such a racket?”
“I mean to sue you. All of you! For defamation, and-”
“Nobody’s defaming anybody. Are you quite sure you know what that means?” The judge’s voice cut through and echoed around the room. The court froze and looked up at the judge. “Now listen. You will take a deep breath, then explain — calmly — what brought you to such hysterics.”
“Widow Aester died late last night. The whole town went up in arms claiming my baby a monster. He aint nothing. It was wolves that gobbled up the old widow. I know it was. The doctor said so after they took up their arms and stormed the woods.”
“Which doctor?”
“Doctor Dorian Octer, sir. Examined the body himself.”
“And you dare to insinuate that the fine men of this town believe your baby killed her after hearing this news? The same baby that died 20 years back? The devil’s child?”
“The baby ain’t died, sir. I couldn’t let my only baby die. I take him some extra bread and cheese and water. He ain’t die. I wouldn’t let him die. And my baby ain’t no devil. I never– never with the devil. I never!”
“Doctor Octer, can you confirm that widow Aester was eaten by wolves?” Judge Parva asked. A man in the back row stood up. He cleared his throat then adjusted his glasses before speaking.
“Your honor, I did examine the body, but I saw no conclusive evidence of wolves now I-”
“You liar! You liar! I asked you. You told me straight it was wolves.” Novelle started screaming again as the whole court erupted into angered shouts. Judge Parva sat in his high chair and watched the headless chickens squabble.
“Order! Order in my court!” he barked as his gavel collided with the desk. The chaos of the room ceased and all were quiet as they listened. “It doesn’t matter what anyone feels towards the yorker’s and their boy. A woman is dead and we must give her justice. I want all the men able and willing to go out in that woods and find our culprit. I don’t care whether it be man or beast.” The sound of the gavel made as it slammed down again reminded David strangely of funeral bells. The assembly dispersed; women went home to do house work while the bravest and strongest of the townsmen gathered supplies, all shaking as they went.
David lagged behind the pack, dragging his feet against the leaves. Was Amercia alright? Would she be okay while he was away? Would she be– his thoughts suddenly halted as he looked up and noticed he was alone. The rest of the pack had gone on without noticing his absence. His eyes scanned the foliage for movement. Suddenly–
There came a shadowy deformed creature, slowly stalking closer. David tried to shuffle away, but tripped on a large rock and let go of his gun.the creature grabbed david’s legs trying to drag him off, but david thrashed, and fought, and kicked. His hands grasped the large rock he tripped on and started beating it against the creature repeatedly. The creature collapsed. David started attacking its head as it tried in vain to protect itself; it thrashed, and fought, and kicked. Eventually the body stopped fighting and stopped moving, so David lifted the stone. Dashed upon the rock was no beast nor monster, but man, a very unlucky man.
