It Took Billy

by Miguel Lopez de Leon

  I continued to follow the cultist down the corridor, until he turned a corner and led us all into a large hall. It was about the same size as the other two, and had the same open windows and shut doors. The space was also made of the same ancient looking stone and was devoid of any furniture. The recruits who had won the second test were laying on their sleeping bags in the middle of the hall. They were being tended to by the older cultists who were bandaging, disinfecting, and stitching up their many injuries. I overheard one cultist tell an injured recruit—who was screaming in pain—that his shrieks would delight the sisters. The recruits who were still able to chew were being served more honey bread, and gratefully consumed it as fast as they could. I briefly wondered if the bread also acted as a kind of painkiller. Whether or not it did, it certainly seemed to calm the injured recruits.

  At one end of the hall, many more cultists were tending to the unconscious losers of the second test. Not only were the beaten recruits being stitched and bandaged, but many of them had bags of different colored liquids being administered to them intravenously. A good number of them also had their arms in slings, while others had splints attached to their broken limbs. All the recruits in the hall, whether they’d won or lost, was a bruised, bloody mess. They were already dragging Phil’s unconscious body to the “loser section,” and as they did so, I quietly lifted the sleep enchantment off him, though he still did not wake up. I must have kneed him even harder than I thought.

  But despite all the activity around me, what was truly holding my attention were the five huge stone statues at the front of the hall. They were all thick and heavy looking, especially at their bloodied bases, and while they were not intricate carvings of the five sisters, I could still tell which sister each statue was meant to represent. The sheer size of the statues was impressive. As I gazed at them, I immediately thought of the descriptions in Billy’s journal, and assumed that we were in the same hall that he had described. Although it was devoid of the long tables, chairs, and computers that he had written about, those could have easily been moved. Or maybe that setup was only ever in this hall, so he would mention it in his journal. Regardless, his descriptions of the heavy stone statues were accurate, and I found myself openly staring at them.

  Noticing my focus on the statues, the cultist who had led me into the hall said that I was about to be granted a great privilege. As he led me in front of the huge figures, he told me that the winners of the second test were given the honor of placing their blood on the base of one of the sacred statues. And although he informed me that we were free to worship all the sisters, the statue that I picked signified a special bond that I had to that season. Thinking fast, I chose the statue of Lenaru. She seemed to be who Chaos wanted to focus most of his revenge on. And although I don’t know if it makes any difference, the more I do what pleases the cult, the more likely my chances are of getting in the same room with Chaos himself. I smiled as I knelt in front of the base of Lenaru and used my hand to wipe off some of the thick blood from my nose and mouth. I mentally offered her, and her sisters, the peace that I hoped this mission would eventually bring, and I apologized for the violence that was being done in their names. And as I placed my bloody hand on the reddened base of the statue, I grinned back like a fanatic at the cultist who was smiling at me, and fervently hoped that the sisters would forgive me.

  Once my offering to the statue was completed, I settled myself among the recruits in the middle of the hall and prepared my sleeping bag and journal. And after several cultists came by and tended to my wounds—thankfully, my hand and nose were not broken—they gave me more bread, which I had to swallow down with enthusiastic glee.

  And here I am, laying on my sleeping bag, writing this entry. Another bruised recruit is being led into the hall. The much bigger man who she evidently beat during the second test is being dragged in behind her. And there she goes, being led toward the statues. She’s hesitating…but she just placed her bloody hand on the statue of Autumn. The woman is now facing the cultist who led her there, and I can clearly see the wide smile on her pale, damaged face.

  She’s thrilled.

  THE HALL OF STATUES: MORNING

  After writing in this journal last night, I focused as much healing energy as I could toward my sore hand and face, and while both are no longer throbbing, the rest of my body is still sore from yesterday’s test.

  After the last of the broken recruits were either led or dragged into the hall, many quickly fell asleep after being tended to, and so started another long night of cursed music and chanting. This morning, I saw Phil a couple of sleeping bags away, and he waved at me as if nothing had happened. His nose definitely looked broken, and was partially covered in bandages. I felt extremely guilty as I waved back at him but reminded myself that I had to do what I could to end the fight quickly.

  After most of the recruits woke up, the cultists served us more bread. I noticed that all the new recruits were moving very carefully, and it was obvious that everyone was feeling wrecked this morning. Some of the people in the loser section were still unconscious.

  And as I observed all the injured people around me, my eyes kept returning to the large imposing statues of the five sisters staring down at us. And despite the constant cursed music playing on a loop, I could not help but think about the real story of the sisters, and how sinister all this suffering done in their names truly was.

  But as I look at the statues, I cannot help but wonder about the nature of the event that caused all this. According to the stories, the sisters really felt that what they were doing was necessary to prevent mankind from perishing in another ice age. Chaos, on the other hand, really did think that he was being cheated from what would have potentially been one of his most prosperous periods—namely, all the havoc that would’ve happened to mankind when trying to survive Lenaru’s season. Yet, if mankind were to have eventually perished, Chaos would not have been able to torment us for as long as he’s been doing—albeit on an infinitely smaller scale than mass extinction. Yet both parties are sure that they’re correct.

  I suppose then, that one has to look at the results. At the root of it all, the result of the sisters’ decisions has been the survival of man. The result of Chaos’s decisions has been the suffering of man. And even if that’s exactly what Chaos wants, I think the results speak for themselves.

  THE HALL OF STATUES: AFTERNOON

  As the morning pressed on, one of the cultists made an announcement, and told all the recruits that they should be proud of themselves for how well they did during the second test. He went on to say that as soon as everyone was awake and able, the third and final test would take place the next afternoon. Amid the enthusiastic hooting and hollering from the battered recruits, the cultist instructed us all to rest. He comfortingly said that the third test was really more of a formality, and that he was confident that we’d all pass with flying colors.

  THE HALL OF STATUES: MORNING

  After everyone woke up and had their breakfast-bread, another cultist reminded us that the third and final test would take place this afternoon. Despite their excitement, all the new recruits around the hall still looked damaged. The losers of the second test, however, were now all awake.

  In preparation for whatever the third test is, I’m focusing all my healing energies in an effort to strengthen myself as much as possible. And while I’m still a little sore from the fight, I do feel much better.

  THE HALL OF STATUES: AFTERNOON

  After my last entry, I continued to try to rest as much as possible but was quickly distracted when a large group of cultists asked all the recruits in the middle of the hall to gather their things and move off to the side, near the walls. The cultists then began to carry in several long wooden tables and benches, and assembled them in neat lines, leaving a large space between the tables, and the statues of the five sisters. Once the tables were all set up—to my great surprise—they started to decorate them. They covered all the tabletops with smooth, crim
son fabric, and at regular intervals down the center of the tables, they arranged low flower centerpieces—crystal bowls holding beautiful multicolored Spring flowers that overflowed onto the table. Between each of the floral centerpieces were several thick candles that cast everything next to them in a faint, flickering glow, despite the sunlight streaming in through all the open windows. The entire finished scene looked very elegant, and reminded me of a convention lunch, or maybe even a simple wedding reception.

  After a short while, Kate walked in front of the five statues and addressed the hall. In her ever-pleasant voice, she asked all the recruits who’d won test two, to come and sit near her, in the front sections of the tables. She assured everyone that this was merely for organizational purposes, and that even the recruits who had lost the second test would have a great experience today.

  Along with many of the recruits around me, I walked over to the front of the tables, and took my seat on one of the long benches, before awaiting further instructions. Kate then asked all the recruits who had lost the second test to come and occupy the remaining benches that were left. These recruits, most of whom were helped along by many of our hosts, understandably moved much slower, but eventually found their way to the tables. Once everyone was settled, the cultists in the hall disappeared into a corridor, and momentarily left Kate alone in front of the assemblage.

  Kate took the opportunity to congratulate all of us for making it this far in the process and informed us all that—as of that moment—we were all officially part of the cult. Everyone erupted into fits of fanatical joy, despite their fresh injuries, and many were so overcome that they burst into tears. Once everyone had calmed down, Kate went on to say that, the third and final test was more of a tradition, and that she was sure everyone would do well. A moment later, the rest of the older cultists returned, each carrying several plates of food. They swiftly placed a plate in front of each of us. As I looked down at my meal, I tried not to let my disgust show on my face. Not only was the dead squirrel staring back at me with wide, glazed-over eyes—it was still whole, raw, and furry. Everyone had a fresh squirrel-corpse in front of them. Some of the new members looked excited, while most stared blankly at the dead animals, still waiting for further instruction. They wanted to be told what to feel, and what to do.

  As the older cultists gathered behind Kate, she went on to say that although the feast was meant to congratulate us all for our commitment to Chaos, it also acted as our third and final test. With a giggle in her voice, she said that she understood how this was probably not a dish that many of us were used to, but that any discomfort should be offered up as a sacrifice to the five sisters. She explained that although we’d all been given similar meals, the winners of the second test, as a prize, had been served squirrels that were saturated in the blossom-woman’s water, while the losers had been served regular squirrels. She also assured us that all the carcasses had been specially treated, so that none of us would get sick from eating them. Kate instructed us to begin, and told us that, except for the bones, the rest of the entire animal had to be consumed for us to pass the test.

  All the new members around me picked up the dead squirrels in front of them and hungrily tore into their cold, raw flesh. Not wanting to seem hesitant to the watching cultists, I also picked up the carcass and pretended to smell and lick its rigid belly. Although I realized that in many areas of the country, it was not at all unusual to eat squirrels, I was certain that it was not the norm to eat them raw and whole. After all, I was used to eating cooked chicken, but to have to eat one raw and whole would have been just as difficult for me to do, not to mention that it could potentially kill me. Even just picking up the squirrel was making me feel nauseated. I tried to think if there was anything that my powers could do to make the dead animal in front of me more palatable, but other than using my power to cook the meat—which everyone around me would immediately see and smell—I could not think of anything else to do. And as the new members around me hungrily tore into the furry flesh, I tried to block out the sound of crunching bones, and the splattering of blood, juices, and matter that were already covering the table. The people who were seated around me were enjoying the meal tremendously and looked like they had never tasted anything so succulent. I assumed that the meat saturated in the blossom-woman’s water was causing an effect much stronger than the honey bread—which explained my seatmates’ sudden appetites. But although their actions were eager, their faces, upon brief observation, still looked slightly disgusted. It was like they knew what they were eating was foul, but they still couldn’t stop themselves. The sections of members who’d lost the second test, and who were served the unsaturated squirrels, were also eating with vigor, but they too looked slightly revolted. They were simply following orders. Several of the more battered members had to awkwardly hold the carcasses with their injured hands and were having a difficult time gnawing and tearing through the rubbery meat—but they were still doing it.

  Without thinking any more on the matter, which was the only way I was going to pass this test, I closed my eyes and forced myself to bite into the cold belly in my hands. At first, I couldn’t tear through the furry skin, and had to vigorously gnaw into it before breaking through to the slimy meat inside. Since I was virtually immune to the effects of the blossom-woman’s matter, there was nothing even remotely appetizing about this meal. The only thing I could do was try not to think about it. Bite-chew-swallow. Bite-chew-swallow. Bite-chew-swallow. I could feel all the fur getting stuck between my teeth, and the meat itself left a musty taste in my mouth. When I bit into what was undoubtedly organs and ribs, I tried to shove my mouth through the ribcage, breaking and pulling out the ribs with my fingers, and chewing and swallowing the internal organs as fast as I could. I bit into what felt like a tiny balloon, only to have its thick, liquid contents gush into my mouth, tasting of acid and sour milk.

  As I glanced at the man eating ravenously beside me, I saw him rip out the squirrel’s eye from its socket, and chew. I quickly looked away, shut my eyes, and tried to concentrate, chewing around what I knew were the spine, limbs, and skull. I’m not even sure how to describe the smell. It was not exactly like rotting meat, but rather a mixture of rot, blood, pus, a light floral scent, and wet fur. It was disgusting. And as I kept my eyes closed and tried to swallow and slurp whatever was remaining in my hands, my eyes burst open and I started to cough and choke. Moments later, I spit out part of a paw and claws that I didn’t even know were in my mouth.

  After I finally stopped eating, I tried not to even glance at the small heap of bones, skull, and furry skin on my plate. I silently hoped that I’d eaten enough, because I knew that if I were forced to take another bite, I would have vomited all over the table. Even as it stood, I was having an extremely difficult time keeping the meal down, and was trying to breathe through my mouth, so I wouldn’t smell the nauseating stink that was all around me. I reminded myself to smile and feign satisfaction, as if I was thankful for the delicious meal.

  And as I looked down the tables, I was surprised that I was not one of the last to finish eating, and that many of the new members, especially those eating the unsaturated squirrels, still had much more to go before they had finished their meal.

  Eventually, everyone finished eating. The older cultists then checked all our plates and, after instructing a few people to consume a little more, finally decided that we’d all done a great job, and had passed the final test. All the new members and I burst into joyous applause.

  Kate once again reminded us to offer up the meal as a sacrifice for the five sisters and proclaimed that The Tests had officially concluded.

  All the new members and I are now back on our sleeping bags at the edge of the hall. Right after we left the tables, the older cultists quickly removed all the dirty plates, bones, and stained cloths, and replaced them with fresh, clean fabrics. After they put the flower and candle centerpieces back in place, it looked like our traumatizing feast had never even happened. />
  THE HALL OF STATUES: EVENING

  A few hours later, after the sun had set, all the new members were still excitedly wondering why the cultists had remade the long tables. I was busy trying to focus all the energy in my body toward my stomach and hoped that I’d be able to digest the last meal. Our hosts did not allow anyone to use the bathrooms after our impromptu lunch, to prevent anyone from throwing up in the toilets. My stomach was violently gurgling, when I suddenly felt a jolt of energy flash through my body, as if I had been electrocuted. It was all I could do not to shout in surprise. When the new member sitting beside me looked at me, I had to smile and say that my stomach was still spasming from our delicious meal. But as I casually looked away, I knew exactly what the jolt of mystic energy meant—Chaos was near. And not only was he near, he was suddenly so near that it caused a violent reaction inside me. I immediately calmed myself and initiated the procedure that the four other mystics and I decided would be set into action when the time was right. Even though I had no idea where I was, I knew that the other mystics knew my location, and even though they had to stay significantly far away so that our combined energies did not alert Chaos to our presence, now was the time to signal them so that they could start to make their way over to me. I strained and focused the energy in my mind, and reached across the distance between us, into the mind of the strongest telepath of our group, Rachel. Without her being on the other side of the communication, my telepathic signal would not even be strong enough to hear. Not wanting to exert any more energy than I needed to, again, in an effort not to alert Chaos to my presence, I felt as the connection was made between Rachel and I, and I sent her a brief, but clear thought: He’s here. In moments, I felt the power of her mind reach into my own, and clearly respond: We’re coming. Even that short telepathic communication left me exhausted, and I was reminded of how so many of my abilities—telepathic, telekinetic, and others—were so much weaker, or practically non-existent, without the other mystics near me.