The Arcanist – May 29, 2020
“Scars” by Dan Rice (962 words)
A witch goes to a village to deal with what she suspects is a rogue witch, only to discover that the villagers who have the same scars and pustules as she does aren’t manifesting magic use, but rather simply died of a pox that could have been treated had the villagers called a doctor in earlier. An interesting piece that begs more thought and question. The main character is brusque in a way that makes her seem unlikeable, but by the end of the piece, she seems to be more complicated, with a bigger history than what’s revealed on page. While it is a traditional portrayal, I’m not a big fan of using disfigurement as punishment, though.
