Transgressions In Toni Morrison's The Adventures Of Alcina

“Of course, any knowledge of the girls transgressions by the village leaders would be dealt with swift punishment for all involved, and it ultimately did. “But as time passed, Abellona, Emma, and the other girls continued on visiting Alcina out in the forest, and only after having been caught doing so did they admit to having really grown fond of her. They eventually even confessed to Alcina having taught them many things about the forest, for she truly was a very knowledgeable woman and had been at one point a much respected member of their village community. “As the girls continued visiting Alcina, one day a village boy by the name of, Simon Gay, who was widely known in the village for being somewhat of a peeping Tom, followed Abellona and her friends into the forest as he spied on them. From his hiding spot perched up in a tree he saw the girls with Alcina, and he watched as they dance and played in the forest with her like they were suddenly possessed—under Alcina’s power somehow. Simon then took what he saw back to the village where he then informed the elders of what he had seen. “The villagers set off at once to find their children, but when they had arrived at Alcina’s cabin, they only found Abellona and Emma Barrett still there, for the others had left for home mere moments before the villagers had found
their way to Alcina’s cabin. “At this point the village vicar, Joseph Baker, accuses Alcina of witchcraft and for having poisoned Abellona and Emma’s minds—who he then also accuses of partaking in the craft. All three were then subsequently arrested. Alcina, who was given no trial, no defense, was quickly condemned to death by the vicar, her execution would be carried out by burning. He, had convinced the villagers it was the only way he, a man of God, could save her soul, and free the village from her dark magic. Purification by fire he had called it. “Abellona and Emma were later questioned and then locked away in a shed that been used to store the village’s excess food supplies but had recently, for the past few years at least, remained empty. “Wait…” I then said stopping Terra because I was becoming somewhat confused. “I thought Abellona was the only girl the villagers had arrested, and that they had put her in the stocks where Emma had then visited her during the night?” “No, I’m afraid not, Cera.” Terra said, and I then glanced over at Katelyn who just shrugged her shoulders at me saying, “I told you I didn’t know every detail as an absolute fact. And, your grandmother wouldn’t divulge that much to me.” “Oh, Abellona did have a visitor in the middle of the night though it wasn’t Emma.” Terra then said picking back up where she’d left off.
“It wasn’t Emma because she’d been locked in the shed with her. The visitor was, Victoria Barrett, Emma’s sister.” Terra then opened the book to a page which contained an etching of a family photo consisting of Victoria, Emma, and their parents. “Victoria had visited both Abellona and her sister in the middle of the night and had informed them that the villagers had executed Alcina by fire that evening and were planning on doing the same to the two of them at first sun up if they didn’t
confess. “It was Emma though who had refused believe that the villagers would do anything of the sort to her and Abellona. She believed that their parents would never allow such a thing to happen, and that the vicar and the rest of the villagers were just out to scare them as a form of behavior modification. “Abellona although, had taken the news of Alcina being executed much more seriously, and had begged Victoria to help them find a way to break out of the shed and escape the village, to which Victoria denied her fearing that she would only get in trouble and would then be accused of witchcraft as well. “After Victoria had left them, Abellona went on trying—for it was her only recourse—to convince Emma that they needed to find a way to escape. She told Emma that they could run to the forest where nobody would ever find them and that they could live out their days all by themselves like Alcina had. She’d been convinced that between what they had already learned from the village elders and what they had learned from Alcina about forest life, they would be just fine. “Emma, had remained inexorably stubborn and convinced that no harm would come to either of them come sun up. She even tried herself to convince Abellona, who by this point had worked herself into hysterics, that they’d be just fine. “Eventually, Abellona became angered and enraged with Emma’s refusal to accept what Victoria had told them the villagers had planned to do being true. The girls then argued most of the night away whiles Abellona worked feverishly to find a way out of the shed to which she ultimately failed. “Near morning, Emma had fallen asleep, and when Abellona had not been able to find a way out of the shed, she began to stare at the moon as she looked out the room’s only small window, and then she began to pray. “It is believed that at first she prayed to the good lord for help, and when he hadn’t answered her prayers she began praying to Hecate the Greek goddess and mother of all witches from whom she had learned about from Alcina. But praying to that deity also hadn’t provided her with any answers to her predicament. Then, just as the sun was beginning to break over the horizon, Abellona having gone delirious with fright began praying to Satan as a last resort, and in him her prayers became answered. “The fallen angel had appeared before her offering a deal, her soul in exchange for powers. Powers she could then use to protect herself and that she could also use to exact any revenge on the villagers that she wished. “Abellona reluctantly agrees to the deal, but then Satan tells her that because this realm that she currently resides in wasn’t built by him and that it belongs to God, he cannot do anything for her until after she is dead. For her soul belongs to her but her body forever remains bound to the earth. He then informs her that once the villagers have destroyed her earthly body her soul will be free having been released from it—soon afterwards the powers that he had promised her would then come into existence. “Now, so that Abellona’s vengeance could be carried out, Satan also grants her a two hundred year lease on her soul before he would come to collect.” “Wait! So, the Devil’s real then?” I asked stopping Terra again and surely sounding astonished. And, while my mind was busy struggling to take everything in she answered, “Well, yes. You believe in God, don’t you, Cera?”