It Was Always Satan
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Chapter One
My name is Maria and I live my life in service of the lord. I live on a Mennonite colony in Manitoba and the year is 1895. I am a virgin, I have never married. I am married to Jesus. Marriage is god approved fornication, god allows you to be weak if you're married, but I will never allow myself to be weak. Satan has his claws in everybody but me, everybody but me and a girl I think of as a daughter named Mariam.
A woman has recently been burned at the stake for being a witch, as she should have been.
Our pastor, Peter, has a direct line to God. He speaks to God and God speaks through him, but he is still but a man, he is weak, he gives into Satan on a daily basis in the form of alcohol but nobody knows this but me and him. It would damage the community if it came out so I will make sure it never does.
Every man here is boorish and piggish and every woman a slut. I am the only one who is pure and one day it will be recognized.
Chapter Two
Today we're burning Elizabeth Krahn at the stake. She's a whore and she has it coming. Her children were the only ones to protest but the husband knew we had to do it. She showed an interest in another man. They never sinned but the desire was there. Her husband obviously felt very betrayed.
Chapter Three
Mariam is a ball of energy, she's adorable. She's 13 years old but her mind is as sharp as an adult. She's naive, though, she thinks women can do anything a man can do. It's adorable.
She tells me "We never would have burned Lisa if she were a man who looked at another woman." "Well that's because men will naturally lust after any woman. He doesn't owe it to the women he's only acting as god made him. Women don't have the same drive, if a woman lusts after another man it is Satan speaking through her." "That doesn't bother you?" "It's merely God's way, I have no power to change it." "But it does bother you." "I would prefer it if men showed a little more discretion."
Chapter Four
Today Peter is going into Winnipeg to buy his alcohol. His people think he goes out into the wilderness and talks to God, but I know he's a troubled man. I don't think he's a fraud, I do believe he is God's vessel, but God picked a troubled vessel. The people must not know what I know, they wouldn't be as forgiving as I try to be.
He's told me the reason I never married was I was too ugly. He said he would have married me if I weren't too ugly.
He's horrible when he drinks, but he's horrible when he doesn't too. He is a living embodiment of the wrathfulness of God. God chose him for a reason. We are the ones who needed to be saved.
After his wife was burned at the stake he immediately remarried. And when his new wife was burned at the stake he remarried again.
Chapter Five
We need to be saved because Satan has entered all of us. All of the men are pigs and all of the women are whores. We pretend to be God's people but God is in a battle with Satan for all of our souls. We think just being Mennonite is enough but we are the lost tribe of Mennonites. Rape runs rampant. Alcohol has taken our pastor.
As far as I'm concerned every woman here is as much a witch as Elizabeth.
Mariam doesn't believe witches even exist, such a simple little girl, the world has not crushed her yet.
Chapter Six
Woman after woman burned at the stake. Every man has accused his wife of being a witch as every man's wife was bedded by one of the other men as all of the women here are whores. They always claim it isn't their fault but it always is. Men can't help it it's up to the women to repel their advances.
Mariam thinks it's only because the women can't overpower the men but that's not where women need to make it stop. Women need to make it stop before it comes to that.
Me and Mariam are the only women left. There is no hope for the future of this colony.
Chapter Seven
And then they come for poor Mariam. The men were tired of her saying things like women are just as valuable as men. Or that as the birthers we hold all the power. The men don't like being told they aren't the ones in power. I suppose we'll see how much power the men have over us when there's no women left and society collapses.
Satan has come for us. Satan has won. We will all burn in hell for being so wicked. I will burn too as I had the power to protect her and I did nothing.
She only suffered for a few minutes. Apparently once the nerve endings are burned off the pain stops.
Chapter Eight
If we're all going to hell anyway I have nothing left to lose. I kill all of the men who accused poor Mariam. The deed is done, I await your wrath, God. I'm sorry I couldn't stop this. I'm sorry I gave into weakness. My whole life I pride myself in not giving into my weakness but in the end I let my weakness overpower me. This colony is dead because of weakness, it was my weakness that delivered the finishing blow.
I'm burned at the stake and the colony dissolves into nothing. On the stake I deliver my message from Satan. Satan says with this action he wins. All of you have been a vessel for Satan. Even you, Peter, I thought you were the vessel for God but in the end it was Satan.