It all happened back in January of 1692. Bethany Harris was the first victim of possession, which meant people thought she was a witch. Now Bethany Harris was just an ordinary girl. She was the Reverend's daughter with wild red flowing hair. Another thing was she was only twenty years old. She dreamed all her life that one day she would become a mother and marry a wonderful man, just like her mother.

In the beginning of January was when people started suspecting that she was possessed. This happened just before her birthday. Two days before her birthday she was outside getting ready to go to church. She had plans to meet at church with her father, Reverend Donnie Harris, and her beloved fiance, George Burroughs. They were to meet to plan the wedding, which was set for June. Even though he was not a wealthy man, he was very respectful. He helped out with the church, and did as much as he could for the town. He was a man that would do anything for others. He most certainly would do anything for his fiance, Bethany, whom he loved very deeply.

As they pulled up to the church on the cold winter day in the open horse and buggy, all they felt was the crisp cold air against their skin. They could feel the chill of the snowflakes on their bare hands as they fell gracefully. Once they stopped in front of the church, they could hear birds chirping, the squeaking of the wooden wheels from the buggy, and the horses hooves stamping on the snow covered ground. For some reason it was oddly quiet in the town of Salem. That day they soon wondered if something was wrong. As George stepped out of the buggy, he held out his hand to help Bethany get out. She stretched her pale cold hand out and grasped his warm hand tightly.

While they were walking to the doors of the church, all they could hear was the crunching of snow under their feet. Once they reached the doors, Bethany walked up the old creaky steps and touched the doorknob. She quickly pulled her hand back, as if she was hurt.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” George asked worriedly.

“The doorknob burned my hand. It hurts really bad, please help me!” Bethany cried.

George then went up to touch the doorknob, wondering how it could possibly burn her. The church wasn’t on fire, so why would the doorknob burn her? The doorknob was ice cold when he touched it. He slowly walked down the stairs and crouched down next to Bethany.

“Honey I will be right back. I’m going to go get your father.” George said calmly.

As Bethany sat there she noticed her father, Donnie, walking out of the church holding a Bible, holy water, a wooden cross, and a blanket. Bethany than stood up and ran towards her father screaming with fiery bright red eyes. They were blazing red and she looked so evil. She looked like she wanted to tear her father and fiance up in pieces. She wanted to devour their flesh and tear them limb to limb. This was definitely not herself. She looked so evil, you couldn’t even see one little trace of herself left in her at that moment.

“Bethany stop, I beg of you, if you can hear me. Stop possessing my little girl you demon. Get out of her now, you have no right to possess her. I command you to get out now!” Reverend screamed as he walked toward his daughter with the Bible and wooden cross.

Bethany stopped and backed up slowly screaming an ungodly scream. She slipped over a puddle of holy water and her skin started to burn. She passed out and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Her father gently laid the blanket over her and tied her up. He picked her up and set her in the buggy. As he turned toward George, his face showed an expression of worry on it.
“Put her in her room and tie her hands and legs to the bed posts. This will not be pretty, but just do what I say, I don’t want her to suffer any longer. I will be home soon to start the exorcism. Call her brothers, sisters, and the rest of the family to join us, I want as much support as I can for my darling Bethany.” Donnie said quickly.
“Ok sir, I’ll do as you say. By the way, I have a question. Do people normally die during exorcism's?” George asked curiously.
“Well George, I have only performed only two exorcisms, and both of the girls survived. (Donnie lied.) But I have heard stories of people dying from these demons possessing them. I know my daughter, Bethany, can stay strong and get through this. Now George, go on and do what I say before she wakes up. It won’t be pretty when she wakes up, so be careful!” Donnie warned as he walked away.
With that last comment, George got into the buggy and started on home.
Donnie is left wondering and hoping that his daughter will make it through this terrible time. Once he is back inside the church, he ran down the old creaky staircase to grab his instruments. The basement had old tools that looked like they had never been used.
In one of the corners there is a wooden (almost new) bookcase. In this bookcase lies the tools for an exorcism: rope, Bible, holy water, blanket, wooden cross, and finally a knife just in case, if needed. Donnie stopped, and looked hesitant, as if he isn’t sure what to do, either to perform the exorcism or not. He slowly reached out his hand and placed it gently on the wooden cross. He then remembered what happened to the young nine- year old girl he did the exorcism for last year.
This girl’s name was Rachel Cole, the daughter of the sheriff from the town of Salisbury. She was a pretty little girl with rosy cheeks, long golden hair, and big green eyes that twinkled every time you looked at her. She became possessed exactly one year ago and that same day her father called Donnie asking him to exorcise his daughter. All Donnie could remember after the call was looking down at the bed, seeing the little girl dead. She looked so peaceful lying there, almost as if she were asleep. But he knew she would never wake up; at least not in this life. He knew he did something wrong, he remembered that he said the exorcism wrong, which did not kill the demon, but instead the little girl. He vowed to never do another exorcism again.
As Donnie looked at his hand on the wooden cross, he decided he needed to pick it up. He needed to save his daughter's life. As he walked over to the closet, he reached out his arm to open the door and when it opened, he pushes aside his suits and ties and grabbed the briefcase lying on the floor. He sat down the large briefcase on the table and opened up in a hurry. In the briefcase are all the tools he needed from the bookcase. After he slammed the briefcase shut, he glanced back and ran up the stairs.
Outside the church, he saw a cluster of parents looking worried, and even some had been crying.
“Reverend please help us. It seems as if our children have fallen ill. When we talk to them, it seems as if they are in a trance. All they do is give us blank stares. Will you help us?” Lydia Carrell said worriedly.
“Please go home, and I will be to each and every one's house soon. Meanwhile call the doctor over to come and look at your children.” Reverend said without hesitation.
The Reverend rushed out to the street and sprinted down the road to get to his house. He could see he is going to need, so by the time he reached his house, he ran upstairs to Bethany’s bedroom. When he is finally up the stairs, he walked slowly, as if to seem calm, and then reached out and turned the doorknob slowly. He entered and saw his many sons and daughters there.
“Father, why are you sweating? Are you falling ill?” Bethany asked.
“My dear Bethany, are you alright?” Reverend said.
“Yes father, why wouldn’t I be fine? Are you sure you're ok?” Bethany asked confused.
“You tripped in a puddle of holy water and fell unconscious. Don’t you remember?” Reverend asked worriedly.
“Father I think you're nuts. I don’t understand why everyone is here. Please go home, I’m fine, I just want to rest.” Bethany said sweetly, as if nothing was wrong.
With that last word she fell into a spasm, as if she had a seizure. Her body twisted and turned in ways it was not supposed to and all you could hear was the sounds of the ungodly scream and the cracking of bones. Her arm lifted up to grab her father and just before she touched him, her arm cracked and twisted up while the whole room was screaming in terror. Horror filled the room while Bethany twisted and squirmed in ways you can’t even imagine.
_ _ _ _
Meanwhile next door the Barker twins had fallen ill as well. Amanda and Amy Barker laid in their beds with sweat on their foreheads. Beads of sweat poured down their bodies like water when it hits your body the moment you would step into the shower or rain. The room was dead silent, you could even hear a pin hit the floor. Just before their mother entered the room, the twins screamed out in pain.
“Mama, it hurts!” Amy cried.
“Sweetheart, what hurts? Baby you're burning up, I’m going to call the doctor.” Mama said concerned.
She dialed frantically in the other room and waited for the doctor to answer.
“Hello, doctor? Doctor it seems as if my dear children have fallen ill. Their bodies are burning up and they refuse to eat. Pain hits them everyday, and it seems like there's nothing I can do. Doctor please help us, I can’t lose another child. They’re all that I got.” Mama cried.
“Mrs. Barker, please calm down, everything will be alright. I promise you that you will not lose another child. I’ll be right over to check up on them. Stay put, and meanwhile try to get them to drink at least a little bit of water.” Dr. William Griggs explained.
Mama rushed downstairs and went out to the well to draw some water out. The bucket was overflowing and water splashed out from the top, while she ran back upstairs. Water drenched Mama’s clothes, but she didn’t seem to care. The only thing on her mind was her daughter’s health and protection.
“Mama, what are you doing? We aren’t thirsty, we don’t wanna drink. Mama it really hurts.” Amanda sobbed.
“My babies, it’s going to be alright, I called the doctor and he’s on his way now. He will help you get better. He knows what he is doing.” Mama explained to her girls.
“Mama, I’m cold, can you please place another blanket on me?” Amy asked.
“Sure thing, Amy dear.” Mama said with a worried smile on her face.
While she went into the other room to grab the blanket, there was a knock on the door. Mama went to open it and outside stood Dr. William Griggs.
“Hello doctor, come on in, they’re upstairs in their beds. Both of them were just complaining to me that they were burning up and now Amy said she is cold. Please tell me what is wrong with my dearest children.” Mama sobbed.
“Mama, it’s going to be ok, they probably just have the flu, which is curable.” Dr. William Griggs explained.
“What if it is not the flu. What if it is worse?” Mama asked curiously.
“Take me upstairs and I will tell you what is wrong with them. I promise you they will be alright.” Dr. Griggs assured her.
As they walked up the stairs, screaming filled the room. This was an ungodly scream, almost as if they were demon possessed. Dr. Griggs ran into the girls room and what he saw scared him.
_ _ _
Outside was cold and frosty, you could feel the chill in the air. This was the kind of chill that made your arm hair stick up and your breath would be seen in the cool brisk atmosphere. It was as if it was about it were about to snow, or possibly everything would eventually be frozen.
Sarah, Alexander, Amelia, Sebastian, Damen, Nancy and Rose were all wondering around in the snow covered woods. They noticed the woods strange dead silence. Nobody was seen or even heard in the woods that day besides these teenagers. Not even one deer or bird was found. The only fresh footprints found were from the teenagers.
“I think something is wrong. The woods are completely silent and not even one child was found running around the woods today. This is strange and I want to find out what is wrong.” Sarah Winchester said to the gang.
Sarah Winchester was a beautiful young woman about eighteen years old. She had long brown hair, big brown eyes and she always wore a heart necklace around her wrist. If you looked at her you would think she was some kind of angel. She was the leader of the group since everyone looked up to her. Alexander, Amelia, Sebastian, Damen, Nancy and Rose were the rest of the group members. Each and every one of them had a special talent used in the group.
Sarah also had a twin brother whose name was Alexander. He had shaggy brown hair, big brown eyes, and just like his twin sister he always wore a necklace around his wrist, his was a wooden cross though. People said these twins were sent down from heaven, since they were kind, intelligent and very beautiful.
Amelia Brand was the next group member. She was seventeen years old with long flowing curly blond hair, with gorgeous green eyes and freckles sprinkled all over her lovely face. She always had to wear a different pink dress with ruffles on the bottom. Even though she was seventeen she acted as if she was an actual adult, but I guess most people acted that way in this particular group.
Sebastian Haze was about sixteen years old with black shaggy hair, bangs in his eyes, brown eyes, and he always carried a Bible in his pocket. People thought he was a little strange though, due to the fact of how he dressed. He was a preacher's son and of course his goal in life was to take over his father’s career once his father was ready to retire.
Damen Rose was also about sixteen years old and mistaken for Sebastian’s twin brother, although they were really cousins. These boys had almost the same look except to figure out who was who you would have to look to see what they carried. Damen carried around a journal with him everywhere, he thought he needed to have it, just in case something were to happen, he could capture the moment on paper.
Nancy White was eighteen years old with blond hair that flowed down her lower back, bright blue eyes and she always carried the scent of roses along with her.
The last group member was Rose Montgomery who was seventeen years old. She was a “wild child” as some would say. She had bright blazing red hair, brown eyes and she always wore the same rose necklace around her neck. She said it symbolized “new life” which she hoped to find when she got married and had children.
“I agree with you sis, what do you suggest we do? Whose power are we going to use this time?” Alexander asked curiously.
“I think we should use Sebastian’s power of spying. He could go along and listen in on the people’s conversations in the town. My guesses are the people in town will know what is going on. Everyone else will stay out here just in case if someone comes along. Also, Damen, did you remember to bring the stuff I asked you to bring?” Sarah explained.
“Yes I brought the book of witch spells. Why do you need it exactly?” Damen asked.
“We need it due to the fact that we are going to perform some of these spells for real.” Sarah said.
“Um Sarah, I don’t think we should get involved in witchcraft. I heard that that stuff can be really dangerous. Also if we get caught people will think we are real witches, which could mean we would be hung. I’m sorry but I want to live.” Nancy said while trying to change Sarah’s mind.
“You know what I say goes, and I want to perform some of these spells. Now everyone go do as I say, NOW!” Sarah screamed with anger.
With that last statement everyone left and did as she said. No one else argued or complained. They knew this was wrong but they also were afraid of what Sarah would do if they did not do as she said. Even though she looked and acted nice around others didn’t mean she didn’t have an evil side. They were about to find out, and they were scared.