Dark Offering

by Elizabeth James

  “Thank you, Arlen,” he whispered, then shut his eyes and fell into sleep. Teeth flashed into his dreams but while he was usually terrified of them, he was almost comforted. Threads of fear wound through him as the woods loomed large in his nightmares but again, it was almost comforting. Arlen waited in the woods. It was no longer an unknown death that haunted his dreams but a certain one, certain not just because he couldn’t escape it but because he no longer wanted to. He woke refreshed and he felt strange. Like yesterday morning, there was no lingering fear from his nightmares. He felt only content and saw Arlen waiting in the exact same spot. This was the last day of the peace.

  Chapter 5

  Arlen carried most of the bags again without hesitation and Jarl realized he was making very good time. Normally he would arrive towards evening but it would be afternoon at the pace they were making. The colony would be surprised and pleased to get the pollen pods so early. Their supplies always started running low before the planet subdued enough to let them leave to harvest the plants and they would be pleased.

  “What will you tell them?” Arlen asked. They had been chatting casually since he had woken up, but this question was a good one. What would he tell them?

  “I’m not sure,” he admitted. Was it safe to reveal that he had spent so much time with a creature? Should he tell them what he had learned? Or would that endanger Arlen in some way? He glanced at Arlen. The tall alien was shouldering all but two of the bags with no difficulty and because he was so tall, the bags didn’t tangle in his legs the way they did with Jarl. He noticed Jarl’s attention and smiled.

  “Why wouldn’t you tell them everything?”

  “I don’t want you in danger,” he said.

  “As long as I don’t show myself in the daylight, I’m not in danger,” he pointed out.

  “I suppose that’s true,” he said, considering. “But they might kill me if they find out. You’re supposed to be an enemy.”

  “I would think they would be happy that a creature is offering them peace,” Arlen said.

  “You don’t know humans,” Jarl said, thinking of the terror others would feel hearing that a creature had approached them. They wouldn’t understand how a creature could be friendly. All they knew was a century of fear and hate. It would take time for them to recognize that not all creatures were unspeakably evil, and he didn’t have that time. Tomorrow night he would be drawn out. He shivered, but it was no longer the same fear. At least he would see Arlen again.

  “You have to go soon, don’t you?” he asked, because the sun was nearly at the horizon. Arlen glanced at it.

  “I can stay a little longer, if you like.”

  “Aren’t you in danger?”

  “Not from you,” Arlen said with a smile. “Or have you changed your mind?”

  “No,” he said softly. “I don’t want to kill you.”

  They walked further as the sun began to rise, talking to each other. It was odd how easy it was to talk to him. He was curious about everything and Jarl told him some of the history of the colony, though it felt odd to be telling him. Most of their history involved strategies for getting rid of the plants and animals and defending themselves from the horror of this place, but Arlen was part of this world and was probably offended. He looked curious, though, not angry, so Jarl told him everything he could think of. He wasn’t well-versed in their history but knew the basics, and knew their current society. Still, Arlen knew nothing, so he was almost an expert when compared to someone with no knowledge whatsoever.

  When the sun had fully come over the horizon, Arlen sighed.

  “I need to leave now,” he said. “We’re close enough that there might be others returning, or out on patrol. I can’t risk it, though I would love to hear more.”

  “Then I suppose I’ll see you tonight,” Jarl said, and Arlen grinned.

  “I suppose you will, or some night very soon. You’re not afraid?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “Good,” Arlen said. “Maybe you’ll survive.”

  He set the bags down and Jarl set his bags down as well, then extended his hand. Arlen looked at it in confusion for a moment, then cautiously took it. Jarl shook it firmly, tempted to pull the creature into a hug. But he would leave it as a handshake. Arlen probably wouldn’t understand the difference between a handshake and a hug in terms of the intimacy it implied but Jarl did, and he didn’t want to cross any lines. Arlen was right. There might be other humans around, and he didn’t want them to see him hugging a creature even if that was his instinct.

  “Goodbye for now, Jarl,” Arlen said with another fang-baring smile.

  “Goodbye for now, Arlen,” he responded, again tempted to hug him. Arlen had kept him safe and helped him return with hours to spare. He would only have to walk a few hours on his own and he would be home. The creature turned and faded into the darkness of the woods and Jarl picked up all the bags, again reminded of how awkward they all were. Arlen really had been doing him a favor by carrying these, he thought as they tangled in his legs almost immediately. He reorganized everything and headed off towards the colony.

  When he drew close enough to see the metal glinting through the thinning trees, he came across the first humans sawing down the trees. Each year they went out to try to get rid of as many trees as possible. They wanted the woods as far from them as possible and this was the only time of year it was safe to spend extended time out here. The trees regrew quickly and it was a hopeless task, but the trees were noticeably thinner as he approached.

  “Is that you, Jarl?” someone called, and he saw one of his friends weighed down with bags just like him on another path near him. Kandor, who had gone to another patch and was one of Jarl’s dearest friends. His patch was the second farthest out and he wondered if he had also met with a creature. Maybe Arlen wasn’t the only one trying to make contact, though that hadn’t occurred to him before. He felt a surprising flash of jealousy at the thought of other creatures making contact. He wanted to be special, for his relationship with Arlen to be special.

  “You made good time,” Kandor continued, setting his bags down and extending his arms for a hug. Jarl set his bags down as well and embraced him tightly. Kandor looked human, and it was rather jarring after seeing only Arlen these past few days.

  “I got tangled up less than usual,” he said with perfect honesty, though he didn’t want to get into the specifics of why that was.

  “Let’s go show the others what we found,” Kandor said with a smile. “Did you get the full harvest?”

  “Every plant was ripe,” he confirmed. “How about you?”

  “One wasn’t,” he said with a sigh. “It happens so rarely, but nothing to be done except wait for next year. It shouldn’t matter. Even in the years when there isn’t a full harvest we always manage to hang on. And there’s always the reserves. I just hope everyone else is as successful as you.”

  They approached the heavily fortified gates of the colony, which were open because the sun was high in the sky and it was still the safe period. Starting tonight, they would be firmly shut except for the few daytime excursions the colonists made. Others began crowding around them as they approached the sorting facility, people congratulating them and admiring their full bags. Jarl especially got compliments for arriving so quickly and he wondered what they would say if they knew how he had gotten here. Would they accept that he had befriended one of the creatures or would they shun him? Would they exile him? He shivered. If they exiled him, what would happen if one of the other creatures found him before Arlen did? He doubted any other creature would be as friendly.

  “Kandor, welcome home,” a voice said. “Jarl, you made good time.”

  The head of processing grinned at them and for a moment, Jarl felt a flash of sorrow that it was such a human expression. But he smiled in return and they went into the facility to unload their pollen pods. Everyone inside helped them sort the pods out. The ones they had tested would be eaten first, as the skin had alrea
dy been punctured and they would only last a couple of weeks. The others went into storage. Everyone commiserated with Kandor on the unripened fruit in his patch and informed them that everyone else had returned. Two others had incomplete harvests, but they felt confident they would survive. There were always a certain number of pods they held in case of emergency. They were rotated out every year so they would be fresh and he knew that even if a harvest failed entirely, they would be able to survive on reduced rations until the next year. The processors were extremely wise with how they doled out the pods and they relied on other food as much as possible.

  As they processed the pods, one of the old timers came over. His name was Doss and he had been a harvester. He was the one to prepare them each year, helping them train and keep in shape so they would be able to get to the patches and back in time. He clapped Jarl on the shoulder and congratulated his speed, and Jarl wondered what he would think about the creatures. He considered. This was one of the old timers who had once seen a creature, he knew. The man had spoken of it in whispers. Surely he could be trusted a little.

  “How did you make such good time?” the man asked. “I must have done an especially good job training you last year.”

  “I saw a creature,” he started hesitantly, and the man’s eyes widened as he inhaled sharply.

  “A creature? But you’re safe?”

  “Yes,” Jarl said, wondering if should expand on that. Doss chuckled.

  “I was quick the year I saw one, too. They’re fearsome, aren’t they? Like nightmares brought to life. I’m glad you didn’t lose or harm any of the pods in your haste. I dropped two of mine that year.”

  “It wasn’t as terrifying as I thought it would be,” he said, wondering if he should go farther.

  “You’re a braver man than me,” the old timer laughed. “But don’t tell the others. I don’t want them hesitating next year. In time, when you’re old like me, you can tell them. But not yet.”

  He nodded. Best not to explain then. If he wasn’t even supposed to mention it to the others, then he wouldn’t explain that he had actually talked to the creature and he wasn’t frightening at all. He wondered, though. Arlen had said he was drawn from all of Jarl’s dreams but the old timer said it was like a nightmare. Did the creatures used to base themselves off nightmares alone? And was the creature the old timer saw the one that was spawned from his dreams or a different one? He hadn’t been drawn into the woods yet so Jarl had to assume it wasn’t the one he was intended for. He shivered at the thought that everyone here had a creature spawned from them who was waiting to lure them out into the woods. Some people escaped, he knew. Some people died natural deaths, and not just accidental deaths. Some people died of old age. They were honored. It was a feat few accomplished, but it wasn’t impossible.

  As he headed to his home on the outskirts of the colony, he wondered what would happen tonight. He knew he would be drawn out, but would the guards stop him or would he slip through? His mind was a whirl all day and when he got ready for bed, he was careful to get in his best pajamas. After all, Arlen might see them and he wanted to look good. He got into bed and shut his eyes as the wind began to pick up outside. He shivered and felt the stirrings in his mind. The peace was over and the wind was no longer harmless. He wondered how many others would be driven to seek the woods tonight. It always seemed to be more than usual right after a peace.

  The wind increased and he heard it clearly in his mind. It was the same song he had heard while sleeping under the moon, he realized. He hadn’t been able to remember it after that night but hearing it now, he recognized it instantly. It was a siren’s call, driving him to action. He was vaguely aware of getting up, of going to the door. So he would be aware of this. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that but it did mean he would be at least somewhat conscious when he saw Arlen again. That gave him some relief. But it was eery watching his body move without his command. Perhaps this was how the other creatures of the planet felt as their actions were dictated by the collective consciousness of the planet. It was a strange feeling of helplessness and inevitability. He was under the planet’s spell and the song wound through his with increasing urgency.

  Someone grabbed him just as he reached the walls. A guard.

  “I have to leave,” he murmured, trying to push past the guard.

  “No, you don’t,” the guard said gently, though Jarl knew there was no point trying to persuade those driven to leave. No one had ever been talked out of it. They could only stop them physically. Besides, he didn’t want to be talked out of this. He wanted to go to the woods. He wanted to see Arlen.

  “He’s waiting for me,” he tried, but the guard sighed and gripped him tighter. How did others get past? He heard the song pick up again and suddenly the guard winced and released him, falling to the ground. Had he hurt the guard? He knew they were attacked but he wasn’t even aware of attacking him. He kept walking. It was possible to survive the drop from the wall, he knew. No one knew how people survived it but everyone did when they were called to the woods. Everyone survived long enough to get there, and then they died. Always.

  Another body tackled him and this time he was aware of fighting, but there were two bodies on him, then three. He fought but it did nothing. Handcuffs were put on him and he broke them apart with a strength he shouldn’t have possessed. Nothing would stop him from following the siren’s song and getting to Arlen. He was aware of constant people pulling him back and grew desperate. He needed to get through. And then something broke through the song. It fractured and he flinched. The song driving his actions was gone and he was suddenly in control of his body. He looked around.

  Four guards surrounded him, two of them holding their sides as if injured. They watched him warily and he looked to see that the sun had broken the horizon. He slumped down. They had successfully stopped him and he didn’t know how to feel about it.

  “He’s back,” one of the guards said. “Get him back to his home. He’ll sleep it off safely.”

  Chapter 6

  Jarl opened his eyes to the sun streaming in. No nightmares. Or at least they weren’t nightmares anymore. Just like the night before, he had dreamed of the usual shapes and figures but they hadn’t filled him with fear. Last night, they had filled him with longing. That was this morning, he supposed as he stretched and got ready for the day. The night had been his attempt to get to Arlen. He couldn’t quite remember the melody that had lured him and he wondered why not. As soon as the sun had fractured the notes, they had vanished from his memory. He had no responsibilities for the first week after he returned, he knew. Going out to harvest the plants was a dangerous task and those who completed it were rewarded with this short break from their duties. Normally everyone pitched in with the basic functioning of the colony. He was almost always helping with the cooking, as he had a knack for it, but he was sometimes sent to clean out the animal pens. That was one of the least desirable jobs and everyone rotated so no single person would get stuck with it. There were a few jobs like that but it would probably be a month before he had to spend a week in muck. He was also responsible for keeping himself in shape and then, in six months, his formal training would begin again to prepare him for next year.

  Only there wouldn’t be a next year. At some point the guards would slip up and he would be drawn into the woods. Should he warn the old timer who was in charge of preparing them? They had young people in training to take over in case anything happened to them while harvesting the plants, but none would be ready to take on the furthest path without serious training. Well, he likely wouldn’t last long and they would get their full year of training and be prepared.

  As he left his home, he was surprised to see the old timer waiting outside. The man nodded to him, then gestured for him to follow. He was taken to the president’s house at the center of town. He had been here before; his job as a harvester gave him quite a few honors and all harvesters were sometimes recognized for their hard work. But it was usually on the da
y they returned, not the day after. The president was waiting for them and she smiled broadly as they approached, waving for them to sit in the comfortable chairs scattered around one side of the room where the old timers often sat and helped the president lead the colony. Jarl sat uncomfortably, not sure what this was about.

  “You were lured out last night,” the president said. “Do you remember?”

  “Vaguely,” he said, because he couldn’t remember it clearly.

  “Doss here says you saw a creature. The year after he saw a creature, he was drawn for days before he was able to control himself.”

  Jarl looked at the man in surprise, wondering why he hadn’t said anything or warned him in any way. The old timer sighed.

  “You’re wondering why I didn’t tell you, aren’t you,” he said. “Well, I was hoping it wouldn’t happen to you. You’ll be under watch the next week or so. I don’t think we could have stopped you last night if I hadn’t warned the president. It took four of them to keep me back, too.”

  “Is that unusual?”

  “Normally a single guard can stop people,” the president said. “But we’ll keep four focused on you until this passes. It’ll weaken our guard elsewhere, but we’ll risk it.”

  “You can’t do that,” he said, shocked. “You can’t risk other lives just to save mine. I’m just one person.”

  “You’re one important person,” the president pointed out. “Perhaps the most important. The long path is difficult to manage and you’re the only one trained for it.”

  “We’re all equal,” he pointed out, repeating one of their basic lessons. Every citizen of the colony was equal. Some had more influence in certain areas due to their ability or experience, but everyone had equal rations and equal protection against the night, and everyone shared equal responsibilities to some extent. Even the president worked with the animals sometimes, he knew. Everyone was equal.