Witchfinder General_New December 13

[TeenFan]

Witchfinder General
Chapter 1. Too Much Trouble for one Town


In the year of 1645 the townsfolk of Hempstead in the western portion of England near the old Welsh border were terrified by a series of
terrible misfortunes. At the beginning of the year the snow was too heavy. Several barns caved in due to the weight on the roofs, killing many
of the animals within. In the spring the cows of Mr. Hampton gave nothing but sour curdled milk, and the strange malady of the cows spread throughout the valley. This was followed by the twin girls belonging to Mrs. Bumpkin both getting head pains and losing their sight. This series
of unfortunate events came to be believed by many to be caused by a witch.

The mayor of the town, along with the church leaders, consulted with each other. An investigation into the possibility of the town being
cursed must be done, that became their only plan of action. A court of inquiry was set up, and a summons sent to every woman of the town.
The young women who were married or of childbearing age were questioned, but none of them aroused suspicion. Then the more serious
work of investigating the older widows commenced. Most likely the witch would be found among the senior citizen population of the town
or nearby foothills of the mountains.

Rumors and accusations flew wildly. At the pub the town elders debated who it could be. After much deliberation it was decided the
two oldest women of the town were the likely culprits.

Evidence against the two old women was gathered. Both of them were known to gather herbs and mushrooms in the forest. Both of them
were of withered and wrinkly appearance. Both of them had husbands who died without any good explanation. Both of them were impatient,
rude, quick to temper, and occasionally foul mouthed. Truth be told they looked like witches.

It was decided by the good leaders of Hempstead that two witches were responsible for their troubles. To solve this the two old women were
put on trial. Nobody had a good word in their defense. As the trial was in progress the gallows for the hanging was built. In the old days the
witches were burned by a bonfire, but in 1645 the townsfolk were more civilized, and a mere hanging would be good enough for the treacherous
spell casters.

The people thought the troubles were over after the double hanging. However, as spring turned to summer a bolt of lighting set off a
grass fire that burned most of the crops. The good news it rained to put out the fire...but the storm also brought hail the size of horse hooves
which did much damage to the wooden roofs of the town's houses. The wife of the mayor got hit on the head by a large hailstone, knocking
the poor woman out. When she regained consciousness she couldn't remember who she was.

"We are still under a curse," the mayor of Hempstead declared at a meeting of the elders. "This is beyond our ability to ferret out the
cause of our calamities. I will send a request to the Duke for help."

Two weeks after the dispatch was sent, a carriage with two armed guards and a woman dressed in red arrived. The guards presented the
woman, who was surprisingly young and tall and dressed in a nun like habit (except it was colored red and white), to the mayor at his mansion,
and she presented her credentials to the town elders.

TO ASSIST IN FINDING THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING SO MANY DISTURBANCES IN THE TOWHSHIP OF HEMPSTEAD, I SEND YOU THE
WITCHFINDER GENERAL OF THE PROVINCE OF WALES. MS. WORMGRUBBER HAS EVERY AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT AN INQUSITION AND IDENTIFY
THE WITCHES OR OTHER EVIL DOERS IN YOUR MIDST.

Signed: The Duke of Bristol

After conducting a long question and answer session with the town's leaders, Ms. Wormgrubber declared she doesn't expect to find any more
witches in Hempstead.

"I concur with your findings on the women folk of this town and territory. I suspect this town may harbor something more deadly and evil.
There is a Warlock here. I will begin my investigation immediately. It's more difficult to find a Warlock. It could be any male in this village.
It could even be someone standing in this room." The tall woman looked from one started male face to another. "I will have the answers to everything if I am granted full authority to question everyone...but it may take some time, and it must be done very delicately. The evil
one will not show himself easily."

[Vader]

I suspect the town males are going end up doing some very embarrassing things to prove they are not a Warlock.

[Jeepman89]

Intriguing start to this story.

[TeenFan]

Witchfinder General
Chapter 2. Narrowing the Search


Being reasonably certain that no more women witches were to be found in the township of Hempstead, the Witchfinder General took it upon
herself to find out if there be any male Warlocks in the region. Ms. Wormgrubber was set up in what the town used for a detention facility or
jail. The building was sturdy, made of thick brick, with windows too small to allow a grown person to squeeze through. This building wasn't used much, as there wasn't much crime in Hempstead, and often the punishment for minor offenses was done publicly.

The finder of witches quietly went about her business. She did her best to blend in, though that was nearly impossible since her outfit of red
the color of fresh blood stood out in sharp contrast to the brown and gray clothes the simple people of the town wore.

To find a man who is guilty of crimes...one talks to the women. Ms. Wormgrubber visited with each and every household of the married
families. She made sure the man of the house wasn't home at the time. Now women naturally complain constantly about their husbands
failings, but usually only to their best friends (which of course was another woman as no woman can be friends with a man).

The inquisitor didn't go to visit these houses empty handed. Bribed with wine and fresh cheeses, the wives and mother in laws, the grown sisters
and cousins, the good women of Hempstead begrudgingly confided the faults and personality defects the men of the town exhibit. There
were plenty of stories of drinking to excess, of not working hard enough, and more importantly how often these men had wandering eyes that
gazed at ladies they aren't married to.

The next step was to investigate further into the activities of the men who possibly might be having carnal dalliances with somebody not his
wife. But try as she might she could not get proof of any illicit affairs. These men covered their tracks too well, and anyway, mere affairs of
a sexual nature were best left to the church pastor to deal with. It was actions of the supernatural that Ms. Wormgrubber must find the source
of.

The town did have a small number of unmarried men. Two young men in their twenties who had not yet married, along with two older men
whose wives had died. These four men were rounded up by the two guards the Duke of Bristol sent just for this purpose. The four men
were confined to the largest cell of the detention building and were to be held there for a full week. These men were only given scraps of
bread and water for their daily meals. Hunger could be what brings somebody to talk. If a full week starving didn't get anyone to fess up, the
witchfinder would go to the next step...stripping and the stocks of the pillory. If that didn't work she might have these men tied up and
tossed into the river. It was common in the old days to determine if one is a witch by whether or not they can float with their hands and
legs tied up. Unfortunately, the innocent ones drown.

However, the week did not reach an end before they were let go. Something happened while these unmarried men were locked up.

First it was three black birds that flew headfirst into the window of the church pastor's house. A loud thump got his attention. A second
bird was then seen flying right into the window moments after the first one fell lifeless to the ground. Then a third bird broke the window
and it flopped all around the floor as its broken body died. It was a terrible omen witness by several of the council members who were
visiting the pastor at the time. The next day the schoolteacher, Mrs. Cliffington, said she had a terrible nightmare. She said she witnessed
in her vision the schoolhouse with an evil looking storm cloud hanging over it with lightning flashes lighting up the front of the school.
The door of the one room schoolhouse flies open. Lit up by the lightning flashes, the students of the school came running out. The students
were not dressed in their school clothes, but were naked and covered in war paint of the type used by the wicked druids of old Scotland.
Blue paint covered their bodies, but the teacher could make out faint marking on their skin the paint didn't completely obscure.
The teacher said the boys, there being only male students in the school, looked vicious and angry. These naked boys formed a circle and
began to chant in a strange tongue. These demon children, ranging in age from eleven to sixteen, chanted and the lightning light showed
the forest trees rotting and dying. The schoolteacher said all of this in the presence of the mayor, the church pastor, and the Witchfinder
General.

"Maybe a terrible drought will make us all suffer," the mayor said. "This could be the end of our settlement if our crops fail and the
animals for hunting flee the nearby forest. Something must be done."

Ms. Wormgrubber agreed the nightmarish vision was a sign, and she set upon a course of action. The unmarried men were set free from
the jail. It seemed clear the tentacles of the Warlock's influence twisted among the hearts and minds of the group that should be the most innocent...the precious children of Hempstead.

[TeenFan]

Witchfinder General
Chapter 3. A Teacher's Confessions, Part One


Ms. Wormgrubber thought the tea made by Mrs. Cliffington to be most insufficient. The tea wasn't hot enough, and it could have used some
locally grown ingredients. The tea in the cup came from London. There's nothing wrong with it, but it could use some dried elderberries to give
it some tartness without needing lemon, but Mrs. Cliffington probably had no knowledge of what could be gathered in the nearby woods.

Mrs. Cliffington lives by herself in a quaint, little cottage not far from the school. She lives there alone ever since her husband took off to go
adventuring in a colony of the New World, so she is like a widow and only Twenty-two years old. She is the primary instructor to the thirteen
boys who attend the school. Girls don't currently go to the school, being taught the few necessary rudimentary lessons by their mothers.

It's early in the witchfinder's investigation, less than a week into it. The four unmarried men of Hempstead sit in the town jail, and this has
everyone on edge. Incarcerations, even if only temporary, leave a feeling of dread throughout the community. Ms. Wormgrubber smiled at
seeing the hand of the teacher trembling as Mrs. Cliffington sipped her tea. Nobody can be completely at ease while being questioned by the Witchfinder General.

The witchfinder is ready to get down to business, but first some small talk to ease into it. "So...you have thirteen students at school here. That
is an interesting number."

"They are mostly well behaved, as they should be coming from good breeding, from good moral families. Though it can be difficult to keep an
eye on everyone all the time." The teacher avoids direct eye contact as she explains her role as a teacher. "I got educated by my father, but
I don't know enough to turn a boy into a real scholar. But not too much is expected of me, fortunately."

"Do any of these students cause any disturbances? Are there any who can be disruptive?"

The teacher coughs and clears her throat. "Well...There are three who have difficulty sitting still all day, three who try my patience."

The inquisitor nods with a knowing smile. "They can't all be perfect little angels. Are they the reason the experiment with mixed gender instruction only lasted for half a year?"

The teacher's eyes widen, and she makes full eye contact. "Oh, you heard about that. I thought it to be a good idea at the time." The teacher
looks down at her lap.

"Our cups are empty. Would you like to sample some of this?" Ms. Wormgrubber pulls a small glass bottle from her handbag. A reddish-brown
beverage is poured into Mrs. Cliffington's ceramic cup. "Drink this down and tell me all about it. You must tell me everything...sparing no
details." The witchfinder sits back into her chair.

After five minutes most of the nervousness Mrs. Cliffington showed is gone, replaced by a giddy eagerness to talk, as if she were intoxicated by wine. For the first time the teacher smiles before going into a story.

"Not all the parents approved of their daughters attending the school as a mixed class, so only four girls actually attended classes regularly
during that half of the year. The thirteen boys were well behaved most of the time until the girls became classmates. Suddenly many of them couldn't concentrate on their readings or pay attention to my lectures. Their eyes kept wandering over to the corner of the room where the
four girls sat at their desks. Well, one day during recess I had the boys flying kites in the meadow by the brook. A kite got tangled in a tree. Thomas Beck dared Tabitha Huntingale to climb the tree to get the kite. As the girl climbed the trunk, as she made her way across a lower main branch, Thomas stepped directly underneath that branch. I caught him looking up Tabitha's skirt.

'He saw the bottom of my smock, Mrs. Cliffington,' Tabitha complained to me when I walked over to the tree. I figured turnabout was fair
play. I told that mischievous Thomas, who is twelve years old and should know better, to remove his clothes down to his last undergarment...
which turned out to be tight fitting pantaloons with holes in several places, even showing a patch of bare skin of his bottom end. Thomas then
had to climb the tree like some wild native Indian to get the kite down. The laughter from his classmates was infectious. I too had a chuckle or two."

"You enjoyed that," Ms. Wormgrubber leans forward in her chair. "I've seen Thomas Beck. His is quite adorable, wouldn't you agree?"

The teacher immediately agrees. "Thomas is the most innocent looking boy in my class. His straw colored hair makes even the girls envious. I admit I was amused looking at his lithe and supple form with no shirt to cover his bare chest. I actually wished Thomas had done a greater act of indiscretion so I could enact a more humiliating punishment."

"Opportunity to employ creative punishments were soon to come I surmise?" The inquisitor has a gleam in her eyes, and she refills the teacher's
cup after it becomes empty, the teacher eagerly gulping down more of the tasty red concoction, and this causes some giggles to sneak past
the young woman's lips.

"Ha ha...Yes, you are correct. I ended up having to use drastic measures to keep some my students under control."

[Trundle]

Fantastic concept for a story. Not sure I've seen something set in this era before for an ENM story.

This should be fun.

[TeenFan]

This story, especially the title, is influence by a Vincent Price movie from 1968.
The film can be found under two different titles.

"The Witchfinder General" and "The Conqueror Worm"

This is where I get Wormgrubber to be the name of the Witchfinder.
There were many movies focused on witches during the 60s to early 70s. I have no idea if a good movie has been made this century on
this topic.

I'm doing research on the punishments used during this time period, and how people were accused and tried for being a witch.
However...I think most people accused and executed for witchcraft were those folks the community just wanted to get rid of, and the trial
of witchery the convenient method to dispose of these people.

[SensoryOverlord]

Very intriguing setup! The three boys who required 'drastic measures' and can't sit still.... The young single schoolmistress and the 'official inquisitor'... In the superstitious 1600s...

The only worry I have, is that anti-witch/warlock measures tended to be fairly swift and lethal. Hopefully Ms Wormgrubber takes a more thorough approach, giving the boys and teacher her close attention for many months. Investigating the efficacy of the teacher's 'drastic measures' and their consequences. Over the fullness of time. (pun intended)

Btw: "measures to keep some OF my students under control."

[TeenFan]

Witchfinder General
Chapter 4. A Teacher's Confession, Part Two

INQUISATOR: One who inquires, especially one who is unduly harsh, severe, or hostile in making an inquiry.

Ms. Wormgrubber takes her position as an inquisitor seriously. Spain has their Inquisition on a large scale, but here in England the search
and removal of witches and others who make use of sorcery or incantations is deadly serious. The woman, who is around thirty years old by
appearance, won't stop at any show of resistance, won't give up on any possible target. The Witchfinder General will get her man...if it be a
man she is after.

There is evidence of trouble at the school. The teacher used a program of mixed gender instruction and that only lasted half a year
before the program got buried. Several boys acted up, but was it only boyish curiosity and mere rude behavior? Was there something deeper,
more mysterious going on? Is some outside force influencing the behavior of the disruptive boys in Mrs. Cliffington's class?

Ms. Wormgrubber is determined to get to the bottom of it, and she's pulled out the concoction of red wine mixed with certain herbs. It helps
to relax people, makes their tongues less tied up, almost like a truth serum. This mixture is well known among the dabblers of the dark arts,
but when it comes to catching witches...use their own tricks against them.

The sentence spoken by the teacher that has the inquisitor's complete attention is "I ended up having to use drastic measures to keep some of
my students under control." This must be searched out thoroughly. If one or more boys is under the influence of a dark master, then how they
behaved in class is very important to know.

"Now think back, Mrs. Cliffington. What happened the second time one of your students became disruptive?"

While sipping on her second cup of what was served out of the glass bottle in Ms. Wormgrubber's handbag, the teacher giggled occasionally.
Even though the direction of questions was beginning to question the teacher's methods, the teacher showed little fear at the moment.
Wonderful stuff whatever it is she is drinking.

"Hee hee...oh, where was I. Oh yes. The second incident of misbehavior was done by Kevin Zegersby. He is fourteen years old, tall for his age with a mop of tar black hair on his head, naturally shiny and curly, and he can't keep his hands to himself. Kevin was sitting behind one of the girls in class...it was his own sister, Helena. Kevin's sister had gotten to her feet, was leaning forward to speak to one of the other girls. Kevin got the bright idea to take the ink bottle from his desk, then he leaned over and down to pour some ink onto the chair. Helena sits down and naturally
has no idea what just happened. It was when I asked Helena to come to the front of the class that this fouling of the dress was discovered.

Helena was upset to the point of tears. Fortunately, one of the younger boys had seen what happened and I called Kevin to the front.
I spanked Kevin in the usual manner...a birch switch over his britches which made Kevin tearful after five hard swats. However...I didn't think
this was enough of a punishment. I told Kevin to stand at the front of the class, and he was to face the wall with his backside easily viewed
by the entire room. "Kevin, drop your trousers to the floor", I told him next. "Pantaloons too...everything down to the ankles."

The room erupted with laughter. I stood a couple feet away from him, and I found it so exciting that my own hands trembled slightly
as I saw Kevin's hands tremble a lot. I got all giddy inside when his hands unbuckled the belt. I took in a deep breath and couldn't help
but grin when the trousers began to slide down the legs. I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it. The glimpse of Kevin's bottom was brief,
as his shirt is long enough to completely cover it once the trousers and undies slipped to the floor. I walked over to the boy so I could pull up the long shirt. I pulled the loose ends tight so the shirt stayed wrapped around the waist. I could hear the chuckles from the boys behind me, could hear the giggles from the four girls.

But I was not yet finished with Kevin's butt. I asked Helena Zegersby to come up to the front of the class, to stand next to me. "Bring your
inkwell and quill" I told her. For a few moments the young girl and I stood there close to that girl's brother, both of us admiring the smooth
white skin, the toned spherical muscles of a fit boy's bottom end. These boys work hard year round chopping wood and helping to plow the
soil. They are all in the peak of physical perfection for children their age.

Finally, for my final punishment...for at that moment in the classroom. "Helena, take your quill and write these words on your brother's
rear end. You will write BAD BOY in large letters. One word on each hemisphere of that lovely behind." A fresh round of laughter ensues
as the sister kneels down, her face only inches from her brothers bare legs and firm bottom. I wanted to squeal like a pig in pleasure,
and I could barely keep my lips sealed. Helena wrote the two words boldly and in capital letters. Kevin's body shivered at the touch of the
quill pen. It must have been ticklish.

For the rest of the afternoon Kevin had to stand with bared bottom facing the other students. I don't think the class got much learnin' done
but I truly didn't care at that point. The punishment was teaching these students all they needed to know at that moment. Then when the
school day was done I walked with Helena and Kevin to their home. I wanted to explain everything to their mother...and devised a way to
add to Kevin's punishment.

At Kevin's house, when Mrs. Zegersby opened the door, I pushed the boy inside and followed in after.

'Set the bathing tub with water to give this boy a cleansing' I told the mother. I left no room with the mother to question my motives or
intentions. Mrs. Zegersby pulled the wooden tub to the center of the main room next to the stove. She put pans on the stove to heat some
water. I stood by silently as did the two children. A child should not speak unless an adult addresses them. I enjoyed watching Kevin squirm
as the water filled the tub. 'Get your boy into the bath and you will know why I do this', this I told the mother. Once the boy got fully
undressed, I was again giddy to see how he kept his butt end from the mother's view. He tried to get into the tub and sit down. It was funny
how he tried to keep me from seeing his front end while attempting to keep the butt end away from the mother's eyes. I had Mrs. Zegersby
turn the boy around to look at the words written on her son's body.

"Bad Boy these words say. What did he do?"

It was at this point I had Helena turn around to show the ink stains on the back side of her pretty dress. "You son did this to his sister. I had
Helena write those words on her brother. Those words on his skin will wash off a lot easier than the ink will be removed from Helena's dress."

Standing knee deep in the bathing water, Kevin got a second spanking. His mother swatted that rear end with mighty wallops. Kevin's hands
flew behind him in an attempt to protect his bottom. It was at this point I got a full and unobstructed glimpse of Kevin's male anatomy. I tingled
all over seeing this beautiful boy. The penis was larger than I expected, and the sack dangled down enough to sway back and forth. There was a small, incredibly dark patch nestled up next to Kevin's penis. It made me think how boys this age are used as models to create works of art all
throughout France and Italy. Alas...here in England such creativity is frowned upon."

The teacher looked up with a peculiar gleam in her eyes. Mrs. Wormgrubber had rarely seen such an expression on a young woman's face. It
was divine. The memory of that event must be wonderful and exciting.

"It was the first time I saw a boy naked like that," the teacher confesses. "I am ashamed to admit I...I liked it, very much enjoyed seeing
how red Kevin's bottom became as the BAD BOY was scrubbed off."

"It was truly the very first time you saw a male without clothes on?"

The teacher suddenly got rosy cheeks, as a shyness spread all over her. "I don't have any brothers. I never saw my husband without his trousers
on. When he came to bed it was only after the candles were blown out. I felt him...but I never saw him."

"Then seeing the bared body of Kevin Zegersby, front and backside, that must have been a fabulous moment in your life. Did you make your
departure then?"

"Oh no...I wasn't about to leave yet. I insisted that Helena help the mom wash the words off. I got to take a chair and witness that boy be
thoroughly scrubbed from one end to the other. It was most educational for me. I can barely get the words out. I saw my first penis and
other sexual organs. How I envied Helena at that moment, knowing girls who have a brother get to see this every bathing day. When I did
get up to leave, which was after Kevin had been displayed before me for nearly an hour, Mrs. Zegersby actually thanked me.

Walking home I noticed I was not the same way physically as earlier in the day. I noticed a dampness down at a certain part of me...that was
most peculiar...but I can't talk about that, not how I took care of that."

[SensoryOverlord]

"but I can't talk about that, not how I took care of that."
Ha ha ha. Says the lady currently under the effects of an 'almost truth serum' and speaking with an expert inquisitor.