What was going on here? I couldn’t figure out what we were doing in the middle of the woods, why we had to come here, or what kind of people celebrate in the woods. I knew I had to stop thinking about these questions, which had no answers, and concentrate on where I was walking. I had a feeling that if I fell over again, that would be bad. Very bad indeed!
Eventually, after a little over an hour of walking, the pace quickened. We entered a clearing full of people I knew and others I had never seen. The women wore beautiful blood-red silk dresses and the men wore black shirts and trousers with red ties. The young were dressed in colours not as deep a blood red as the adults. Our party led us to the corner and sealed us in a space with other such mortals. Blood red ropes went around the circle and I sat there trying not to shake as I took in the scene around me.
The trees were basked in the glow of the lanterns, and although the clearing was large, it could barely fit the number of people in it. Every face out-with the ropes looked excited and expectant and within the ropes most of the people looked dazed, unable to focus and some had expressions as though they were completely out of it.
Most of them were older, over thirty. Two other young people had the same wide-eyed expression that I felt on my face. I tried to see if I could find Nate through the crowd, but it was too thick. I tried to reach out with my mind, but I couldn’t get my mind to stretch as it normally would. I tried to untie the ropes at the edge of the circle and when that didn’t work, I tried those on my hands, but I had no joy. It made me tense up to be sitting without being able to use my powers and I began freaking out as a group of around sixty and more came through the trees. Some of these people looked bewitched to me; it was just something about their deadened eyes that bewildered me.
I watched as those with the dead eyes were lead into another penned in area across the clearing from us. Some wore the same blood red clothing as me and others the white with red roses. My stomach began churning and nausea rose in my throat as I tried to figure out what was going on.
Another girl of around my age, and a boy not much younger than us showed some awareness as they came in with the next group, filling the clearing to a bursting point. Time went on; it was almost eight p.m. and the noise was all consuming. It seemed to be coming from everywhere when suddenly everything stopped. The music, the voices, and the chatter instantly died as if someone pressed the mute button.
Nate’s dad then stood as everyone else sat as one, with no sound at all. The only thing I could hear for a moment in the dead silence was my heart thudding in my ears. I closed my eyes and felt four different pairs of hands on me. I tried to scream but no sound came out.
I was lead backwards and placed by a tree, held there by some invisible force as Nate’s dad started speaking, “My dear brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, we, family and friends, come together tonight October thirty-first to celebrate our birth from the blackness of the world. Our real faces shall be seen from this point forth until six a.m. tomorrow. No demon shall cover their true identity. It is now time for our first course. We have the blood of newborn lambs for your drinking pleasure and music from the harpies. Let’s drink, dance, and be merry.”
The faces all around turned into the hideously evil things that I’d seen a few times around school and although I knew what they looked like the sight of them creeped me out. They had skin like the bark of a tree, eyes as pitiless and black as the night, and mouths with teeth as sharp as sharks. Their hands curved into claws and the fingers joined to make two pointed fingers with a thumb behind them. These were the only visible changes and I wondered for a second what other changes would be taking place. I was terrified and looked down, but some unseen force turned my head towards them to watch them drinking and dancing around.
The music started and it sounded like breaking bones, cracking wood and nails on a blackboard. As it started a huge roar went up from the party goers and my blood ran cold as I caught a glimpse of Nathan. I could tell him, even with his demon face and he was standing with a demon with flowing blonde locks. Before he was swept up again in the crowd I saw him lean down and watched as his lips met hers.
I stared away and saw the harpies dancing around and laughing. They had flowing brown hair, pointed ears and wings that protruded from their simple brown dresses. They each had some sort of instrument and when one danced closer to me I could see pale coloured string, like a harp but made with bone and skin. My whole body revolted as she came closer to me, her brown eyes boring into my own.
“Well,” she whispered, in a high pitched, breathless voice, “you’re a special one aren’t you?” I wanted to shake my head when she walked closer to me, but someone caught her arm. I didn’t need to look to see it was Nathan, but hearing the coldness in his voice was painful, “what are you doing Entralla? You are supposed to be supplying our music. She is of no consequence to you, so stay away from her.”
She nodded at him and backed away, as Nathan sank into the crowd again. I closed my eyes trying to block out the awful sounds that had started, it sounded like screeching, high pitched and so loud my ears rang. Everyone around danced to this, with the exception of those of us who were penned in like cattle.
After the harpy coming close to me not one of them looked at us and since they had only five of us lucid enough to feel fear and disgust, it didn’t seem like they cared. I had no idea what would happen. Nate wouldn’t answer me and I knew without knowing how or why, that I was all alone now in this nightmare. He had turned back into a monster and wasn’t coming back for me.
Eventually, the ‘music’ and dancing stopped after around three hours and my ears rang in the silence. I could barely hear as Nate’s dad again stood. I gave myself a good shake as his mum stood. Together they spoke, “As it approaches the magical hour, we invite you all to bring out your offerings and enjoy. It’s now dinner time!”
A loud cheer went up, breaking the sudden silence around the group gathered in the clearing, with the exception of the bewitched mortals who as time had gone on looked even more bewitched than before. I counted thirty-two of them, but there could have been many more, bewitched and unaware of what was going on. They were gathered and led into the centre of the group by numerous pairs of hands. Those who remained were left to watch, attached to the trees surrounding the clearing.
Placed in a loose circle around each family member, they were all naked, except for a sheet covering their modesty. Those in the middle of the group of demons didn’t show any sign of fear. It seemed as though they were resigned to their fate, but I wasn’t sure what this fate was. I had the sickest feeling in the pit of my stomach and I could barely watch what was going on.
Nate’s parents then cleared their throats and spoke into the expectant silence “Let us consume our offerings now!” I already had an idea of what was coming, because of the disco. I knew it would be awful as each family member surrounded an offering. I became more than petrified and I tried to close my eyes, as the scene grew more horrifying. Because I was still attached to the tree, I was unable to run away, or fight.
I stared transfixed in horror as they sucked the various body parts around their victims, and although I was not able to see what they were getting from it, I could only imagine from the conversations I’d heard earlier in the evening.
Attempting not to look was difficult, as one by one, each victim fell to the ground, cut open with a sacrificial knife, or so Nate said in his mind, forgetting I could hear him. This was done, I assumed, by the head of each group, since Nathan’s father opened three different offerings. Each member was given a different organ to eat with Nate’s father eating the heart of the victim, his mum the brain, Jenny the kidneys, Nick the liver, and Nate got the lungs.
I watched in terror and tried to close my eyes, but they kept opening and I realised that Nate had placed some sort of enchantment on me so I had to watch. My heart throbbed as I thought of the boy and I loved and the monster who he had become. I tried again to close my eyes, using
my powers, but it wouldn’t work no matter how much I wanted it to. I wanted to un-see this, to go back to my innocent lives where demons were in stories and monsters didn’t kill innocent people for whatever the hell this was.
As the crowd moved I saw a little one fall to the floor and a rage unlike any I had ever known rose up in me. My ties loosened and I was about to stand, with no thought in my head, but avenging the baby that had just been devoured. Tears stung my eyes and my feet dug into the earth.
Joaquin’s voice sounded in my ear, “do not move precious. You will be killed and consumed this night if you move.”As he spoke the ropes retied themselves onto my wrists and I sat staring at the ground until the blood reached my feet. I tried to scramble back in disgust, but I couldn’t move without great effort. I offered a silent thank you to Joaquin, as I sat there plotting revenge against these monsters for the deaths of the innocents I had, had to sit and watch.
After a while those gathered had devoured each of their offerings and the ground was saturated with blood. The remains of the bodies lay facing a stone altar covered in blood, making it look like a sick clock made up of uneaten body parts.
The bodies then disappeared and the party continued, much as it had before. There was singing in some foreign language I didn’t understand, dancing and kissing. I finally caught another glimpse of Nathan standing with his arm around Lisa and as I watched, he leaned to her with a passion usually reserved for me. I sat watching as he worked on destroying my feelings for him completely. The kiss seemed to go on forever and I felt like this night of horrors would never end, watching him practically grope her. I managed to turn my head away, as his voice sounded, loud and clear in my thoughts, “Look at me, Jasmine. I never wanted you. I was just using you to make sure you were here. I have never loved you.”
Constantly seeing and feeling the death strokes of our relationship, I felt so sick. All I wanted to do was lie down. My head swam and my insides wobbled like jelly. I wasn’t sure I could stay standing, tied to this stupid tree. All I wanted was my mind to shut down and to not think ever again, of what I had seen. Realising at that moment that these faces would haunt my nightmares for months, possibly years, I would never, ever get over seeing so many helpless victims devoured by a crowd of monsters.
Jasmine, you must be dreaming. Monsters don’t exist, not in real life. Jasmine, what are you thinking? You must have a sick mind if this is what you dream about.
Eventually, the crowd thinned and the remainder of the partygoers left around six a.m. Nathans family left last started the walk through the woods, after blindfolding me in the clearing. Nathans gentled hands tied the blindfold, but he was quick and touched me as little as possible and I wondered if his words were true.
Had he just used me? Was I just a game to him? Was I really only something to toy with until after Halloween?
Jagged pains rocked across my chest and my brain hurt from all the things that rocked through it. I had to stop with the thinking and after a few moments, we started moving. I had someone on each side, holding on to me in case I what, I wondered, decided to run?
As much as I was going to run, and after what Nate had said, I was completely certain I would run. As that thought crossed my mind, hands tightened on my arm, but I ignored it and focused on the colour black, trying to shut my mind down.
. The atmosphere was still like a family party as Nate and Jenny pulled me through the woods. I was pulled as if I was a marionette who had strings attached to my arms, torso, and legs. This, and only this, led me forwards.
My stomach twisted and rolled, nauseous the whole way back to the barn. My mind was finally fully numb. I never even looked around as we made our way back through the trees and it wasn’t until much later that I realised I was no longer blindfolded. I couldn’t tell if Nate was talking to me, if anyone was talking to me. Knowing no one else could hear our thoughts, as a part of the charm of our relationship, I still couldn’t figure out what had changed this weekend to take him from me. At that point, I didn’t feel particularly bothered, but seeing him beside me holding hands with Lisa was like a knife in the stomach.
We eventually got back to the house and Jenny led me into the barn. I was told to lie down and go straight to sleep. Nodding in agreement, I lay down, closing my eyes and fighting back tears. I lay there trying to force the images of the last few days out of my mind, but they played on a loop — Nathan in the school eating parts of that boy… walking in the woods… at the clearing… seeing Nathan kiss Lisa… seeing Nathan eat someone’s lungs...
Eventually I nodded off, straight into dreams about it, only this time I was a victim and Nathan was the one who stabbed me. His knife sliced into me as though I was butter and the pain in my chest increased. I awoke cold, shivering and screaming into my pillow. Lying there, I tried to control my breathing but I couldn’t stop the sobs and the tears. Pulling out my favourite book, I lay trying to read, but couldn’t focus on the words. My eyes blurred and tears kept falling. Eventually I gave it up as a bad job and closed my eyes, this time falling into a dreamless sleep.
A while later, it could have been minutes, hours, or days, I heard voices in the barn but I couldn’t lift my head enough to see who it was. I eventually fell asleep again and had the most horrific dreams. I dreamed again about Nathan as a demon, killing me, but this time stabbing me with a burning machete. The pain was incredible and I awoke groaning, but I safe in the knowledge that they were just dreams now, although I had no idea when they would again turn into reality for me. That thought was truly sickening.
The next few days passed in a haze and I tried not to think or look at anyone. I knew seeing their faces would remind me of the awful events of Halloween. Lisa Q had disappeared by Sunday afternoon, leaving only myself in the barn, but the house was still very busy, with what looked like gifts lay on a table. There were a number of pumpkins on the table and at each pumpkin, small cups of blood sat around them. Having noticed this as I went into the house to shower on the Monday, I wondered what the gifts meant.
Monday evening constituted a family feast and Juliette, Nathan’s aunt, came over and asked me to help. Although she asked, I didn’t feel like I had any choice. I was still numb from Saturday night so seeing Nathan with Lisa sitting on his lap didn’t bother me in the slightest. When she turned and kissed him, I noticed that their hands were in places they shouldn’t be. Reacting in shock, one of the glasses I carried slipped out of my hands and smashed all over the floor.
“Oh, for fuck sake, can’t you do anything right, mortal?” Nathan asked. Sickened, I quickly placed the remaining glasses on the table and picked up the larger pieces of glass, cutting my finger as I did so. I wasn’t bothered about the cut, I’d been through much worse pain that a stupid cut finger. I glanced at it as Lisa walked out through the other set of doors into the living room. I tidied up, ignoring Nathan completely and turned away from him.
“You’re hurt?” he asked with a question in his voice. He walked over to me and reached for my hand. Just looking at him made my stomach churn, especially with what I had just walked in on. My head spun and I turned away, not answering him.
“Oh my God, you saw that?” he said in a low voice, obviously listening to my thoughts.
I refused to answer and walked towards the door with as much composure as I could muster, I muttered, “I hope you’re happy.” Instead of sounding unconcerned, my voice cracked and I walked out, fighting the lump in my throat again.
Before the door closed, I thought I heard him whisper, “Not at all.”
The rest of the evening passed in a blur with me ignoring everyone, serving them food and drinks, and clearing up. The numbness was back in full force and eventually I was dismissed at nine. I couldn’t stomach being in the same room as Nathan and Lisa. They hadn’t touched, that I had noticed. Nathan, when I glanced at him as I was leaving, looked troubled, but he didn’t look up. In fact, he stared morosely into his glass of whatever he was drinking, sitting in the far corner
of the dining room.
On Tuesday, we returned to school and for the remainder of the week, even in class, he ignored me completely. Going back to school was a relief; I was sure the work and daily routine would provide a welcome distraction from the horrors going on still in my head. I also wondered why I still had thoughts about Nathan. Although my head was still full of the images from Halloween, I sometimes wondered if there was any way we could survive this.
He had shaken my faith in him before, but I was completely disgusted in him and had blocked him completely from speaking to me. I walked with him to and from school, but spent my days in the school library, reading, doing my homework, or doing extra credit work for my teachers. Unable to bear being in the same room as him, I avoided the dining hall like the plague and only saw him in classes.
Thursday afternoon, walking home from school, was the first time since Monday that he had spoken to me. “You are to attend the bonfire tonight.” That night, his family had a huge bonfire in their front yard with a number of fireworks, sparklers, and food.
Not answering was difficult, but I kept my eyes straight ahead and I could see him shaking his head in dismay. “Jasmine, did you hear me? You have to attend and at least look like you’re having fun.”
Fun he wanted? How dare he?
I couldn’t even speak, I was so angry. I walked quicker so I could get away from him, but he matched my pace. Walking into the woods, trying to get away from him, I soon slipped on the dead leaves that lined my path. All I could think about was getting away from him.
“Will you just speak to me, please?” He reached out to me with the hand that had been touching Lisa and my face screwed up in disgust. “I’m so sorry about all that. I wish I could explain it to you, but I can’t.” He held onto my wrist and pulled me closer to him, but I just looked at the ground. As he touched my chin, I snapped my head back away from him.
Ignition (Escaping Demons Saga Book 2) Page 9
