Hale Scorn

Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scornned

The street light at the corner flickered in its usual pattern. A painfully slow and steady on and off, like a zombie cashier, still ringing that can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle because he has quite figured out he’s no longer one of the living. Apart from that, Ellen’s Street was void of life. In a town like Halesend not much went on after dark. That statement was even more true at 3 am, the witching hour for most people, but for the folks of Halesend, it is more commonly known as Hellen’s Hour. For that was who this very street claimed its name. Ellen Hale, the wife of the town’s founder Arthur Hale, was rather infamous in these parts.

The story goes that for many years, Ellen was the shining example of matriarchal virtue. A dotting wife, leader of the women’s group within the church, read to the town’s children and even taught them their letters. She organized feasts at her family home for the town poor. She was the leading woman of Halesend, but all that changed, on this very night, 200 years ago.

Baron Arthur Hale was a hard and firm man. He cared a great deal for the prosperity of his small, but ever-growing settlement. He often spent many months away attaining new business ventures, at least that’s what they say. The good Baron had an appetite for young ladies. Especially the various servant girls he had taken into his…