Free His Wicked Sins by Silver Eve

her. A cage. A coffin.
    She needed to walk, and since her duties of the day were complete, she had obtained
    Miss Percy's permission and set out.
    Her day had been long, both trying and fulfilling. Now, as the wind slapped her cheeks
    and her blood pumped with exertion, she revisited frozen moments in time, sifting through
    recollections of her classroom performance, learning from them, using that knowledge to
    plan improvements to tomorrow's lessons.
    Approached from the correct perspective, any puzzle could be solved, including a
    determination of how best to engage her pupils.
    She did not stray far, only just around the sharp bend in the road, until the looming
    shadow of Burndale Academy disappeared behind the line of massive trees, their branches
    colored by the red-brown hues of autumn.
    Beth found that the landscape, the trees, even the smells, were all strange and foreign in
    comparison to London. The only sounds were those of her own footfalls and the whisper
    of the wind. Accustomed as she was to the city, to buildings on either side and carts and
    people and the sounds of activity that almost never ceased, she had contradictory reactions
    to the countryside.
    While the vast spaces were wonderfully appealing, the unfamiliar lack of noise was
    unsettling. Too quiet.
    That quiet made the suddenness of a sharp sound all the more startling. Beth froze
    midstride and glanced about. What was that? The snap of a twig? A small animal
    skittering along a branch?
    HIS WICKED SINS
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    Wary, she turned right, then left in quick succession. The hair at her nape prickled and
    rose. Prey to the eerie sensation that she was not alone, she searched for a glint of light, a
    reflection from unseen eyes that watched her from the depths of the copse.
    Was it her imagination, or was something … someone … there?
    She studied the foliage, feeling both wary and foolish as she did so. Imagination was a
    powerful thing, capable of conjuring all manner of ghosts and demons.
    She huffed out a shaky breath. Of course she was alone. Did she imagine that some
    creature watched her with malicious intent?
    The quiet only made her anxious, or perhaps the vastness of the heavens, unbroken by
    church spires and roofs, unsullied by the smells of city life. She enjoyed the open space,
    but she did not enjoy the sensation of feeling so solitary here beneath the saucer of
    darkening sky.
    Beth twined the edge of her shawl through her fingers, then let the soft cloth slide free.
    Darkness would be full upon her soon. It was time to return to Burndale Academy.
    Only … she could not completely dissuade herself from the certainty that there was
    something…
    A last glance revealed nothing amiss. Nothing. Only her imagination.
    Nonetheless, caution made her close her fist in the cloth of her skirt and raise the hem
    above her ankles lest she find herself in a position to bolt down the road at a tearing pace.
    Now there was an image. It made her laugh at herself. Gathering her emotions, she
    forced the tension from her shoulders. She could not allow the familiar terror to wriggle
    free, to swarm through her veins until her heart raced and her mind knew only fear. On
    that path lay only heartache.
    No, panic was not welcome here, but reasonable caution was.
    Retracing the steps that had brought her to this point, she walked quickly back along the
    road toward the school. The perfect beauty of the pink and orange sunset overtop the trees
    made her feel as though the evening sky had sprung to life, as though it breathed and
    sighed. The sight brought her quiet joy, but the reasonable caution she had deemed
    appropriate did not let her slow her pace, or tarry to enjoy the view.
    As she rounded a bend, a movement caught her eye, a man in the distance walking
    parallel to her through the field. Turning, he cut across toward her.
    Momentary alarm gave way to recognition when she saw it was Mr. Fairfax
    approaching. And then she had the thought that