Me, Myself, and I

I love to dance, secretly, though it may not be just and holy in Salem. I respect my morals, I do, but sometimes all things aren’t fair, so I gathered the girls to the forest. Tituba sang her Barbados songs while we danced around the fire. Uncle Parris just so happened to see us. Cousin Betty lays in bed in shock and Uncle Parris believes that we’ve done something in the woods. In Salem, there has been a rumor of witchcraft, I told Uncle Parris he should go down and say we danced but nothing else, especially not anything pertaining to witchcraft. Uncle Parris says he saw a dress on the ground as he saw us dancing, he says he saw someone running through the forest naked. I assured him that Betty had merely passed out when he frightened her. I guess I didn’t intentionally call out Tituba as a witch, but I did what I had to do. This accusation has now become a big thing in Salem and John Proctor has decided to come to town. I was a housemaid for John and Elizabeth Proctor, while in their house, John and I sort a got close. He swore on his wife’s grave that he would leave her and live his life with me. He taught me so many things. You can say I live my life based on what John taught me. Oh how I love him! The only thing stopping me is that darn Elizabeth!

Get that retched Elizabeth out of the arms of my beloved John! I must do anything possible for my love!

Uncle Parris leaves me with Betty. My friends, Mercy Lewis and Mary Warren are here. We talk about the dancing in the woods. I persisted to tell them that if questioned we were merely dancing and Tituba was the one conjuring Ruth’s dead sisters. Of course, I try to get the story right and keep our names clean but that little Mary Warren wants to be the naïve and scared little brat! I have to convince her much more; she must do as I say. John comes by, he nearly scares Mary and makes Mercy leave. God, I love the power he peruses.

John and I talked and kissed. He insists he does not love me. I know in my heart that he does, he said so. He never found joy in he and Elizabeth, I know it. As we talked, John explained that the reason he had come into town was to see what “mischief my uncle’s brewin’,” obviously I don’t believe him. I know him too well to know that he was looking for me. I’ve waited for him and I assure you he has done the same. I speak of Elizabeth and how cold and sniveling of woman she is. He only bends a knee to her.

My name sha'll be cleared, for God's sake!

Old man Giles and Hale interrogate the hell out of me, but yet I hold my strength. I blame everything on Tituba. Stupid old men believe anything I say; shh no one’s supposed to know that.

I saw Mary Warren making a poppet in court; she stuck a needle in its back. She was giving it to Elizabeth, perfect. When dinner comes around I have conjured the perfect plan. I shall say that it felt as if I was getting stabbed in the back then will tell them about the poppet. I wish I could have seen Elizabeth’s face when they told her she was charged, but I would rather to have seen Proctor’s more.

We’re in court and they bring Proctor and I to the stand, Proctor reveals that he is a lecher and that if Elizabeth were brought to the court she would say the same, we’ll see about that. Proctor said Elizabeth would not tell a lie; hah think again I guess she was just protecting her husband. As the court proceeds I obviously know about the happenings between Mary Warren and Proctor, I can’t have her ruining my plan. The girls and I act as if we see Mary’s spirit as a little bird coming toward us and then run out of the court. Things are happening; the Mary Warren comes back on our side and speaks of Proctor as the devil. Turns out he is the anti-Christ, what a surprise!

Time to get out of Salem!

John and Elizabeth are both in jail. I heard Elizabeth has become pregnant. Now that my name in Salem has been blackened, the only way for me to escape this horror is to simply escape. Mercy and I have packed up our things and I’ll take some of my uncle’s money, after all I need something to live off of. Since my body has worked for him my whole life, I guess it won’t fail me now.

Signed,
Abigail