The time approached when Sarah Neufeld was to be marched up the stairs of the gallows awaiting the moment her fate would be changed forever, ending her wicket ways, according to many who believed her to be guilty of witchcraft. The news of her guilt had spread swiftly, for the only ones who did not believe in her guilt was her own family. They would not buy into the hysteria that was launched by two local girls. The parents believed in their daughter's innocence and knew she could not have committed such an offence; especially a sin that would warrant the death of a young girl, whose only crime was perhaps of spreading a few rumours about their friends and the local boy who had kissed them. It was said out of amusement and not to be taken seriously, although the hysteria had traveled rampant throughout the small town of Salem. Samantha had played into the whole ploy when the two local girls had blamed her friend Sarah of being a witch. It had all began with a little malice, but not intended for the adults to take seriously. Nevertheless once rumours began; they were difficult to stop, given that the local girls would have had to admit to their lies that would have discredited them. But far worse than all that; their father, too, would have much to lose, should word reach the good people of Salem that any deception, lies and such had been spread from his upstanding and respectable family. So, the girls kept quiet, not willing to admit to any wrong doings. With the courts finding one guilty, the penalty was inevitably death by hanging. One person had already been put to death. As Sarah stood on the platform awaiting her fate, in flashes of recollection, she remembered meeting Samantha. It was by far the happiest day of her youthful life. When she had been sent to school to learn, although she had this unrelenting feeling of being alone even with many other children surrounding her, Sarah felt awkward because she was very shy. Sarah grew up on an immense estate not far from town. She barely knew her parents, an older sister, Elizabeth, and of course her Aunt Harriet. Being with so many strange children at school, the ordeal created much turmoil in her life, making her stomach feel rather queasy. She could still hear her mother's words: "You will listen to the instructions of the schoolmaster and you will mind your manners, young lady." But other than that Sarah was not sure what had been expected of her. Until that day, Sarah and her older sister had been schooled at home with a governess, but her father had dismissed the woman. The other children looked more relaxed and happier to be at school, for they giggled while playing outside, but for Sarah the whole thing was rather scary. Presently, as she stood on the platform remembering her first day of school, it all appeared seemingly mundane compared to what she now faced for her real fear was about saving her own neck.