She stood on the stand of the hanging post. The other villagers also gathered there. She saw her son standing in front of them with a grin on his face. As she stood upon the ominous platform of the hanging post, the woman's heart clenched with a mixture of anguish and disbelief. Her gaze swept across the gathered villagers, their faces twisted into grotesque masks of hatred and zealotry. But it was the sight of her own son standing among them, a cruel grin etched upon his features, that pierced her soul like a dagger.
Summoning every ounce of strength within her, she pleaded with him, her voice a desperate whisper amidst the clamor of the crowd.
"My son,"
she implored, her eyes brimming with tears,
"I am not a witch. They seek to deceive you, to turn you against me. Please, listen to your mom."
