Things Are Not What They Appear

By Isabella C.

Introduction

It was a fine afternoon in Salem Village in the 1600’s when I was playing with my dog Bud outside. My name is Rose Delrosa and I was 11 years old. I went in the house and I told my mother that I was going to my friends Susan and Maddie. I never heard any response. I knew she just got over with a bad sickness, but I went into the living room just to make sure she was alright. Then I looked in the living room and saw her laying on the couch. “Mother,” I said. She didn’t move. She looked at me with ghostly eyes. I yelled at her again and still she didn’t move. I went up to her chest and tried to hear a heartbeat, but there was nothing. I tried to give her c.p.r., but that didn’t help either. Again I tried to listen for a heartbeat, then I heard one and started to hear breathing. She was alive! Quick, I ran to the house where John Adam lived. He was the one that helped my mom get better. I ran into the house and yelled his name. He quick ran down the stairs and I told him about my mother. John followed me into the living room and went by my mother.  Then, I went back into the house and asked John,” Is she all right?” He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes. “Did she………..” trailing off my words. John nodded and went over to me to give me a hug. I started to cry because I couldn’t take it. He then whispered in my ear something thoughtful and then asked, “Do you have a father” and John took a step back and looked into my eyes. “No, but I did have one when I was a baby, then somebody kidnapped him the next day after I was born and I never saw him again.” I said. I saw him look away from me and looking up at the ceiling.”John, are you all right?” I asked suspiciously. He said, “What is your name and your mother’s name?” I said, “My mother’s is Ella Delrosa and my name is Rose Delrosa.” I was sure I could trust John because of all the things he has done for my mom and I. Then a week later my grandma came to live with me, but John was so nice he let me stay at his house until my grandma came. The next day, I said to grandma that I was going to Susan and Maddie’s. She said, “Don’t be late for supper dear.” I waved her goodbye, then off I went across the street then a block down. I was finally at their house and knocked on the door. Lizzy (the maid) opened the door and said I could come in. Susan and Maddie were already waiting for me. We quick ran upstairs and started to play games. I offered to make a snack for us, so then I went downstairs. While I was walking down, I saw a ghostly figure waving to me. I realized it was my mother. She looked young she was about 18 and I was so terrified that I ran all the way downstairs. Lizzy came upstairs to tell the girls a story. I said it would be a good idea. When she was telling it the girls had looked terrified, but kept listening frozen as ice with fear in their eyes.

Chapter 1 Whats Happening!

 The story that Lizzy told them was scary and frightening. From downstairs I could hear screams and wailing. I ran quick to Reverend Samuel Parris (father) and told him to get John Adam. Then I ran upstairs to see what was going on, but upstairs I saw my mother again. Now she looked older standing by the door looking at me surprised, I ignored her. Upstairs I see the girls trying to speak and they couldn’t do anything except scream and wail like banshees. Wow, it hurt my ears, but I wasn’t supposed to be worrying about that. Right behind Susan and Maddie was Lizzy curled up like a ball in the corner of the room. I asked her, “What’s going on?” Then she ran downstairs shaking her head and saying ”No.” Just when the John came, then those two collided into each other. “Seriously,” I said. They were both unconscious. Now I know I wasn’t the right person to make someone feel better, but I ran back upstairs. The girls were still there but silent. I said, “I’ll be your healer today.” I liked the name that I made up. The girls looked at me wide eyed. “Okay,” I said. So I did all these things to Susan and Maddie, and they finally talked. They said,”A witch put a spell on us.” I said to myself “A spell?”

Chapter 2 Witches

Soon I laid the girls in bed and said, “Rest.” I ran back downstairs to see if Lizzy and Adam were all right. Jacob just came over to work with Samuel on the house. Now Jacob was splashing water on Adam and Lizzy, then I saw my mother trying to wake Adam. She tried to wake Lizzy, she was slapping their faces back and forth. It was kind of funny. Soon they became conscious and Adam went up to inspect the girls. When we were upstairs Adam checked out the girls. He said, “A devil must of done this,” the rest of us looked in horror, but then when I saw my mother she disappeared in the air like mist. We went downstairs again and asked Lizzy what happened, she didn’t say a peep.

Chapter 3 More

 I stayed at their house for that night. When it was morning, the girls seemed to be better again. They told us what happened, but I asked, “Are witches real?” They looked at me as if I didn’t listen to what they just said. “Sorry,” I said, then I finished eating breakfast. The girls went up to their room to play. After a little while, Samuel said that we had to do something about this because more girls were acting the same way like Susan and Maddie were actng. I said it might just be temporary, but it wasn’t. When Jacob was still over, we heard screaming again. I said, “Banshees are back.” We went upstairs. Susan said that a witch was pulling her hair and Maddie said that a witch was trying to take her doll. My mom tried to tell me something, but I don’t know because it looked as if she were doing charades. Then she faded thorough air. Jacob and I made  the dramatic madness finally stop. The next day, we brought Lizzy to court to explain herself, but they wouldn’t let us. So, I said why don’t we make a court just for witches, but it was too late before I could change it.

Chapter 4 Trials

 So we made a court for witches and I was the judge with my assistant Jacob. The first day of the trials began in 1692. The first person was Lizzy, dear old Lizzy. Two villagers came up behind her and inspected her arms. One person said, “There’s a mark on her arm, so she’s a witch!” We gasped in shock! Then Lizzy said,”You are all liars, you are a witch, you are a witch, all demons all of you!” “Take her away, villagers,” I said in disappointment. The villagers put her in jail and the next day she was hanged. There were more people being accused, all of them were innocent. I recall from my friends that they were the group of girls only accused people that they didn’t like. I was beginning to feel suspicious. My mother reappeared and was telling me not to do this but I let her go and put her out of my mind. Then, she started to appear every day. The group of girls became so popular, that they were brought to other towns and villages. This witch hunt was getting so out of control and I told myself that this had to end. When the girls came back to Salem, they accused Rebecca Nurse. She was very kind and went to church to pray to God and worship him. They took her away. The next day she was hung, she died on July 19, 1692. One day when we were not at court we went to Samuel’s house to settle some things. I said to Samuel and Jacob that the trials had to stop and they agreed with me.

Chapter 5 Listen

I went into town and started to try to convince people that I saw my mother right behind me to try to get people’s attention, but they wouldn’t listen. I went to talk to Susan and Maddie’s, then in my thoughts I probably wouldn’t ask, so I didn’t. “I had no luck this week for convincing,” I said to Samuel and Jacob. My mother returned and was trying to show me something because she kept going around the room pointing to things, then she tried to do something with her hands. “Are you alright?” asked Jacob. I quickly got my attention back to him. “I’m fine,” I said. “Why don’t you and Samuel go into the kitchen and make a snack and talk about the problem?” I said. “Do you want to come, Rose?” “No, no, I’m fine right where I am,” I said anxiously.” I caught my breath and looked at my mother again to see what she was doing, but she was nowhere to be seen. I thought about what mother tried to show me by using her hands.  “Wait,” I said because a lightbulb popped in my head. I ran into the kitchen to meet the boys. “What if we had a fake trial to tell everyone that this should be to an end,” I started to discuss it with them. “Are you in?” I asked. “I am,” said Jacob.“And so am I,” said Samuel. So then the plan was set.

Chapter 6 Operation Witches to an end!

I soon told the people in Salem Village about the biggest trial being held and it was. On Saturday, the court was filled with people and even the group of girls were there. My mother as light returned to her ghost self and sat in the first row in front of me. I said to the girls to come up in front of everybody. ”Order in the court,” I told Jacob that I always wanted to say that he was standing right next to me, giving me a smile. Once everyone was quiet, I started talking “First,” I said. Well, I haven’t known what to say because I get stage fright and everyone was staring at me then I looked at my mother. She was showing me something to say. I tried to make it out and I said breath taking,”Here it goes.”

Chapter 7 “Um”

“Girls I have a question for you. Susan and Maddie, please step in front.” Mom was showing me to do something on my arms, then I figured it out.  I said, ”Inspect my arms and look at me.” Mom nodded her head at me. Then, mom had a picture in her hand pointed at my face and other parts of me that are marks. So they did and I asked, ”I have marks like freckles on my face, so I must be a witch.” The two girls said, “No you can’t possibly be a witch,” “Oh really?” I said daringly. “Then why have other people got thrown in jail and hanged because they have freckles or just a birthmark?” “Lilly, you have freckles and a birthmark, but these girls don’t accuse you.” I asked suspiciously. I was on a roll with doing this, but then I looked back at my mother and she vanished into thin air. Now I was really scared because I had nothing to say. Then Lilly stepped in front and spoke up. She said “No,” then I asked why and she said,”Because they are my friends and they don’t hate me, or dislike me like other people.” Then she put her hand over her mouth. “Hate or dislike you?” I asked.

Chapter 8 Let’s Talk

“Susan and Maddie please step forward again,” I said and they did. “Now, I know you wouldn’t lie to me right?” They stood silent and looked down to the floor. “So, I’m figuring that this whole scene of a story is just fake?” “Ladies and gentlemen I think these girls just want attention and to get whatever they want,” I said. “ Isn’t that right girls?” Then Paige stood in front of the crowd and said “I’ll confess.”

Chapter 9 Confessing Time

“This has been a whole charade of lies,” Paige said. “Rose was right and we were wrong, we were only thinking about ourselves,” said Paige. Then Lilly, Samantha and some other girls began saying it too. Everyone at court was surprised, but I wasn’t really because I told everyone that the girls were faking it. I said, ”All of you girls confess right now  what you done to yourselves and all the people you got killed.” They did it but the girls were in so much trouble, you won’t even believe what happened to them. I don’t even know what happened.

Chapter 10 Hip, Hip, Hooray, Rose saved the day

After court, there was a huge celebration in town square, but before that I got to open the door to the jail cell, so many people were crowded in there. I said to the people that they’re now free and you are not a witch. Everybody ran to their families and were so happy again. I said to Paige,”Thank you for telling the truth, now the people that were not hanged  get to be with their family again.” Then we all danced around and the celebration was like a fair. I even got some treats, it was very good. My mother reappeared and smiled at me. She came up to me and whispered in my ear, “Father, John Adam” and disappeared. I don’t now what she meant, but I never saw her again, but someday I hope she’ll come back. 

Fast Facts

ln October 1692, a bill was signed into law on October 31 (Halloween), after more than 300 years when it began, the case of the Salem Witch Trials was finally closed. The Salem Witch Trials were the darkest chapter and biggest witch hunt in history!!!!!

“Salem Witch Trials.” America the Beautiful. Grolier Online, 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.

Zeichner, Oscar. “Salem Witch Trials.” Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online, 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.