[IC] A Modern Fantasy Sacrifice

Warlington is a small town nestled between flatlands ideal for farming and a rich woodland grove. Hundreds of miles away from other civilization, so remote there’s not even a Starbucks™. Along the main thoroughfare, one is able to get clear cell phone reception though wander any further away and that reception becomes spotty at best.

There is little known by the outside world about this town, it is not a tourist destination nor is it well known for any particular trade. Warlington is one of hundreds that contribute to the corporate wheel of commerce, providing a fraction of the grain stock required to be of any note. In fact most of the trade stays within the town, offered to the local bakery, the butcher, and the dairy shops first and foremost before being sent away.

[Zanavy]

Day 0

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

-- Mary Elizabeth Frye, "Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep"

---

Aaranya Singh

The young woman's ceremonial robes fluttered like a wind-tossed cherry blossom as she knelt to light a single small candle. Her smoky brown hair was carefully washed and braided, and she had even bothered to brush her teeth that morning. Tasks too great for the past week, but everyone expected her to look nice on this particular day...

Aaranya whispered her usual prayers and added a couple more for good measure. For a minute, she bathed in that small warmth of a single candle in an infinite bleak universe. Then she forced herself to blow it out. At that moment of adjusting to the darkness, a voice like ice hissed in her ear.

<The hands, the hands! Blood, eyes, hands, kill, blood, kill you!>

Aaranya let out a shaky sigh.

"I already know that, Kali. I didn't ask you."

With her lone moment of peace gone, Aaranya packed a purse with a small amount of money and her phone - all the supplies she'd need for the rest of her life. She started to leave, but she noticed a candle still lit, so she blew it out. Then she started to leave, but she noticed a candle still lit, so she--

Oh. Of course it was going to be one of those days.

Aaranya took a minute to steel herself, convince herself that she was not about to burn the house down. She tiptoed across the hall and stared at a closed door for a minute... or maybe twenty. Kabir slept in that room. The man who gave her a place in his home and heart throughout everything. He had wanted to make Aaranya a nice breakfast that morning, escort her to the festival, spend a little more time with his baby sister.

But Aaranya couldn't bring herself to feel hungry, let alone face Kabir. So, she had sneaked into his room during the night and turned off his alarm. The woman breathed the softest thank you and left a notebook at his door. The worn and hefty book was filled poems, some of Aaranya's own creation, most an arbitrary medley of poets she had loved. The book would express Aaranya better than any words she could speak today.

The girl took in a deep breath and opened the front door, out to the worn cobblestone street, dawn just breaking on the horizon. She stepped over the threshold. And with that, Aaranya Singh passed away. There was no more Aaranya, only the good and proper Sacrifice that Warlington needed her to be.

---

A blur of time, the good and proper Sacrifice walks among the faces

A blur of time, the good and proper Sacrifice has no family, the man is just a man now

A blur of time, the good and proper Sacrifice screams until she vomits in the bathroom. Everybody hears. Nobody hears.

A blur of time, the good and proper Sacrifice sways to idyllic melodies

A blur of time, the good and proper people wear saris, a celebration of flowing color, to adorn forgotten closet corners for ages to come

A blur of sound, the voices, the Sacrifice is not good enough

<blood falls, blood fails>

A blur of time, moon rises, night roses, a taste of death upon her hair

The time has come. The good and proper Sacrifice stands tall at the fountain, brazen light of a hundred candles surround. The good and proper Sacrifice has the honored privilege to redeem her town, to redeem her karma. The good and proper Sacrifice shows no fear...

...The good and proper Sacrifice was not able to choke down enough food and water today. The good and proper Sacrifice sinks to the ground, placing her head between her knees. Aaranya fought to stop the spinning and shaking as she let out some improper sobs.

[Moonshadow]

Flickering candles in the dark shadows of the woods moved, the creature that haunted Warlington over the centuries was awake. It rose from its lair and strolled through its forest at a leisurely pace as the sun set beyond the horizon. It had no little care for this monotonous tradition these days. They celebrated the sacrifice with a festival, the creature could hear the sounds echoing through the trees. The humans feared death more than they feared its wrath, how very different the new generations were from the ancestors who made a pact with the monster of the woods. The ancestors who had the decency to fear the unknown.

A large skeletal maw unhinged itself to left out a dull croak of noise. The sky would render itself dark for the creature soon and as the bright glow of the sun cast its red hue on the town, the birds fled their nests and screeched across the skies above Warlington. At least they knew fear, they knew to flee the very sound of the awakening.

What even was the point in accepting this sacrifice? The creature wondered as it passed through the forest. Darkness fall and the festivities ended. The town went dark shortly there after, save for the circle of candles around the fountain at the center of the main road. A supernatural darkness followed, should any civilian attempt to peer through their window to catch a glimpse of the horned beast all they would see was shadow, not even the candles could penetrate the shade cast upon them.

The beast entered, as it always had, from the forest and across the fields to the welcome sign at the front of town. It drew breath, the black cloak masking its physique billowing despite there being no breeze. The air was eerily still. It moved forward, its pace unhurried, the sacrifice wasn't going anywhere. Wait, was the sacrifice was crying? That was new, they hadn't done that in many years.

Large skulled head tilted as amber eyes peered down at the sobbing thing. It had crumbled to the floor, this one was different. The beast rose and looked about the silence of its surroundings. No noise, save for the quiet sobs of its sacrifice. What was the beast to do with this?

Already hesitant to accept this year's offering and perhaps cause a bit of chaos for the humans who had taken over its lands, the creature slipped back into the shadows. Why not change things up? It could be fun, something different, something new. He left the girl to cry herself to sleep, leaving behind only a bone pendant to mark that the beast had even been there.

[Kenshi]

Hider

Creed drove the old beat up green Ford truck down the gravel road, radio blasting country music.
His Native American friend, Jim Thunderhawk looked at him with puzzlement.
"You sure are in a hurry to get there, it's not going anywhere, you can slow down."
Creed let up on the gas pedal and slowed down, turning the music down as well.
"Sorry, I'm just...I dunno how to explain it Jim. "
" We have to stop the killings, we gotta kill this damn thing, not just for Molly , but for all that have been sacrificed."
Jim nodded his head in agreement, "But, we have to be very careful , we are dealing with an ancient evil."
He shook the medicine bag around his neck, "It's gonna take a lot more than this or me to defeat it."
Creed looked over at him, "We have to try Jim, no matter what happens, we gotta stop it."
The young man turned left and down a paved road, only a few miles now from his hometown.
"So, you think he will let us stay?" Asked Jim.
Creed snickered, "who? My old man, that son of a bitch is nothing but a drunkard, his ass will be so far up Jack Daniels , the end of the world could happen, and he wouldn't give two sheets in the wind."
"It might come to that. " Jim said.
Creed glanced over at him, "Huh?"
The old medicine man looked at Creed with a blank face and said, "End of the world."

[Kenshi]

NPC Bobby Duncam Jr.

The flashy transam pulled off to the side of the road, and the driver door opened, a few beer cans fell out onto the pavement.
Bobby Duncam Jr stepped out and shook his medium length blonde hair from his eyes.
He gulped down another beer, before tossing the empty behind him, letting out a loud belch.
Bobby reached back into the car, grabbing a flashlight and the remaining two beers from the six pack.
He clicked the light on in his eyes to check the brightness, "Shit!"
Bobby blinked his eyes a few times, trying to get his vision back.
Taking his phone out, he looked at the directions Steve gave to him.
"Alright, so I just cut thru the cemetery and I should be able to find the boogeyman, hahahahahaha."
He shut the door of the transam, and walked around to the other side.
Unzipping his pants, he relieved himself on the cemetery gates, and even spelled his name out on the dirt.
Laughing , Bobby entered the cemetery , popping open another beer.
As he walked along , not caring if he walked over graves or not, and even kicking a few headstones over, he finally reached the back fence of the cemetery that lead into the haunted woods.
"I bet anything the guys already out there and they are gonna try and scare me, but I got them, they'll get it good." He said pulling a can of mace from his jacket.
"THE JOKE IS ON YOU, ASSHOLES!" Bobby yelled at the top of his lungs.
He climbed over the fence as best as one could being not fully sober, and managed to rip his pants near his crotch.
" Son of a bitch!, damnit! "
Bobby nearly lost his footing but managed to stay up right, "Damnit you guys, you're gonna pay for this, literally. "
He walked for what seemed to him like hours until he came upon some weird Blair witch looking symbol made out of sticks and a deer head.
"What the fuck?"
Bobby pulled his phone out to take a picture, but heard something , like a branch break.
" Oh ha ha I get it, you guys think you can scare me? "

[Moonshadow]

The creature was on its way back from the town, leaving behind the sacrifice with a token to be found in the morning when the ruckus had been heard. Who dared!? The creature picked up pace, feeling the pull of some fool upon its lands. The creature moved through the woods with great agility and silence until the misfortune of a branch crunched beneath a hooved foot. The mortal laughed, looking about with a phone in his hand and a tear in his pants.

Croaking deep and dull the eerie sound echoed around the unfortunate drunk who thought this all a joke. This, the creature thought as it observed, this was far more interesting than some dedicated sacrifice aware of its impending doom. This could be fun. In a swirl of mist the creature vanished, retaking form.

A dark haired young woman approached and it had to be the alcohol in Bobby's system that made her eyes appear red in the dim lighting of the forest. She seemed to be caught off-guard, looking up shyly as the boy looked about and questioned the friends that were not present. The creature had observed humans long enough, it could speak their tongue and take their shape.

"Are you lost and scared?" The girl questioned in a gentle voice that was just a touch off, again nothing the copious amount of alcohol coursing through the man's body couldn't misinterpret.

[Kenshi]

@Moonshadow

Whoa, where did you come from baby?" Bobby asked as he finished off his fifth beer.
He dropped the phone into his jacket pocket,"Steve and the guys put you up to this?"
Bobby lightly touched her cheek, and then moved in for a kiss, pushing himself up against her, his hands felt all over her body.
"Mmmmmm baby, if this is what nightmares are made of, terrorize me" he joked, as he kissed her neck.

[Vampiretwilight]

Danielle Wolfe was attending a booth during the festival/ceremony preparations. She was actually in slight tears over it. She had actually considered the sacrifice to be a friend, but had never been able to voice it out loud. Mainly because her voice was always cut off or drowned out by others. But, another big reason, was that she was never allowed to be friends with her. Her parents had always told her to stay away from the girl. Her father, to this day, sent goons to keep an eye on her and keep them away from each other.

Danielle sighed and fought to keep from showing how upset she was around her family when the time came. She was forced to watch as it happened. When no one was looking at her, a tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away before anyone could see it. Luckily, no one had, not even her parents.

She looked up at the red moon....

it would soon be time......

She was dragged off by her parents and others since the creature was arriving......

That was the last thing she saw before she had to leave. She was now pacing in her home, thinking the girl was.....She did not finish that thought.

[Moonshadow]

Well, it thought this would be fun but this fool of a mortal was worse than the creature could have fathomed which was saying something. Its female form tilted her head to the side, seeming to permit the man access for his affections. Her head turned, lips near his disheveled hair as the voice begun to twist.

"You are not nearly frightened enough," The body beneath Bobby's hands contorted, bones rising up through skin in a visceral crack and pop of joints. If the human hadn't stumbled backwards, he would have been torn by the change. A root rose up and tripped Bobby onto his arse as the creature shook out its mangy black mane.

"Foolish child, daring to come tread away from your town and into my woods? Is it not enough that I permit your kind access to my lands, my fields?" The angry low-octave voice wrapped around the area with a snarl. The creature reached out with one long black hand to grab the human by his hair with its clawed fingers. He severed the man's head from its body with one thorough upward jerk of its arm.

The creature devoured the meat of the man, leaving the shredded body at the edge of the woods along the field leading back into the town as a warning. It may not have taken its sacrifice, but it would not tolerate further trespassers.

[Moonshadow]

Melissa and her father, Aleksander, manned the library's booth during the festival though the young adult spent the majority of the time with her nose in a book like always. This one was about the very beast that was to come as the red moon rose to claim its sacrifice. The historic tale was convoluted, at best. There was cohesion between the accounts of centuries prior and none of the more recent generations had every laid eyes on the beast.

The moon rose and, just like the rest of the town, the families returned to their homes. Melissa paced the windows facing the center of town on the second floor of the library, eager to try and catch a glimpse at the thing that had taken her mother a decade ago. The thing that had taken her childhood friends from her.

The night went dark, unusually dark. Even pressing her face against the window, she couldn't see a thing. Not even the candles. How strange. The redhead turned to click on the flashlight of her cellphone but even that seemed to fail. She scrambled, tripped over the couch and thudded to the floor. That would leave a bruise. At least it was comfortable on the couch.

A yawn escaped her lips and she felt a wave of unexplained tiredness take over. The couch was comfortable, the night was dark, and in moments she fell into a soft slumber.

[Kenshi]

Creed pulled into the driveway of his old home, his dad's mustang was there.
He remembered when him and his dad used to work on it, before his mom died and his dad turned into a drunkard.
He turned the pickup off, and got out, closing the door quietly.
Jim on the other hand slammed the passenger door shut.
Somewhere down the street a dog barked.
The two of them walked to the front porch and a motion light came on, shining in their faces.
The front door opened, "Who's there? Who...my God, Creed?"
Creeds father stepped onto the porch and hugged his son, kissing his neck.
For once , his father didn't smell of cheap booze, his father smelled like old spice and car grease.
"Dad."
They hugged for several minutes on the porch, Jim was glad , this was a good omen.
"Come on in son. Jim good to see you again." Said Martin as they shook hands.
" Does anyone else know your back?" Asked his dad.
"Nah, this is our first stop, was hoping to stay the night."
"Just the night?"
" We didn't wanna put you out dad."
"Creed this is your home to, have y'all eaten, I got some tv dinners."
"Sounds good dad, I'll go put our things away."
Creed grabbed Jim's bag and went to his old room, it hadn't changed since he ran away.
He sat the bags on the floor and sat down on his bed, he was looking around the room and saw a picture of his best friend Melissa.
Creed picked up the phone, " What's the chance their home number is the same?"
He dialed Melissa's number, and it rang once, then twice, and then someone picked up and creed chickened out, and hung the phone up.

[Moonshadow]

Aleksander had awoken well before sunrise yet well after the time the sacrifice was to be taken. The older gentlemen stumbled from his bed with a long yawn and stretch, making his way from the bedroom down the hall towards the kitchen. Spotting his daughter asleep on the couch, he shook his head and detoured to pull a blanket over her as she slumbered.

The landline connect phone rang, something it didn't do often. He made no rush to answer, given the time of morning and the likelihood of it being a junk call.

"Rudel Residence, hello?" The light haired man answered, waiting, shook his head, and hung up. Another answerless junk call, he assumed and continued on to make a pot of coffee.

[Vampiretwilight]

Anna Smith was about to open the doors to her little place of business, if only for the evening/a short time. She thought she was doing alright with it despite the threats that loomed over it. However, this was not the most important thing on her mind.

When it had been time for the festival/ceremony to start, she felt a great weight against her heart. She felt guilty that she was not trying more to stop it. She may not have been friends with the girl in question, but even SHE felt that this was wrong.

Anyway, she mainly sighed as she thought about that.

[Kenshi]

Creed came back into the kitchen to join his dad and Jim, "So when did you stop drinking?"
His father looked at him with tearful eyes," The day I thought I lost you, they told us, you were dead."
Creed looked puzzled, "Who said I was dead?"
"Sheriff Branson, he said that he tried to help you , but you ran off into the woods, and he heard you scream."
"Help me? The son of a bitch tried to shoot me, and then threatened to put Melissa up for sacrifice if I ever told anyone."
His father was pissed, " I oughtta go over to his office and give him a piece of my mind."
"Melissa, is she okay? "
"She's fine son, Melissa and her father still run the book store." replied Martin.
"Jim, you'd like the book store, occult books." Creed said as he looked at his Cheyenne friend.
" Might wanna look into that in the morning, could find something to aid us." Jim said.
Now it was Creeds father who looked puzzled, "Aid you in what?"
"Dad, I came back for one reason, and that is to kill whatever that thing is,Jim has a few ideas what it could be." Answered Creed.

[Vampiretwilight]

Danielle wolfe was pacing. She was worried and scared. She wished that there was something she could do. She took a deep breath. She left her house without anyone knowing. She needed to be alone to think.

------------------------------

Anna Smith was staring out the window. She frowned. She sighed. She still felt bad. She felt helpless and unsure. She had a business to focus on, yes, but this terrible event was more important.

[Vampiretwilight]

@Moonshadow@Kenshi@Zanavy

[Kenshi]

"Creed....son, please...I, we lost Molly. I can't lose you to son."
"Dad look around at the town, it's dead, I didn't see one person when we drove in tonight, no garage doors opened and guys working on their cars, there were no kids running and playing kick the can."
"Jim is a medicine man, a shaman and he believes we can find it's weakness, and then kill it." Creed said.
Martin had tears forming in his eyes, "son please be reasonable, I can't bury you to."

This enraged Creed, "BURY, REALLY DAD? ITS A DAMN EMPTY COFFIN, THAT MONSTER RIPPED HER TO SHREDS AND ATE HER!!!"
Creed was pacing back n forth, " Look , I'm glad you ain't a drunk anymore, but one thing that hasn't changed, your still a damn coward."
Creed walked back into his room, grabbing his and Jim's stuff.
" We'll find lodging elsewhere, come on Jim. "

[Zanavy]

Aaranya Singh

The first thought that came to Aaranya, stirring in the first light of dawn, was Why is this hard? Am I sleeping on the floor? ...Oh well. The rejected Sacrifice shifted to a more comfortable position and drifted off for a few more seconds. Then her mocha-hued eyes flew open in shock.

I'm supposed to be dead!! Why am I alive? Is the Creature running late? Did it decide I'm not good enough? Is this real? Am I real? What will happen to Warlington?! WHAT DID I DO WRONG!?

Aaranya dug her nails in and clutched the earth as if she would fall right off into space if she didn't hold tight enough. She cycled through the wheel of questions in her head for who knows how long. After a while, another thought emerged. Kabir. He would know what to do, or at least take a good crack at it.

The woman slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, stopping there for a minute to avoid dizziness. She was still quite thirsty and hungry -- odd complaints for a supposedly dead person, she mused. Then Aaranya noticed something on the ground next to her that she didn't recognize. It looked like a bone-white necklace with patterns of skulls and roses. Lovely and ominous.

Aaranya hesitated, then reached out to grasp the object. She drew her hand back and let out a startled yelp - hot! Burning to touch!

But... why would it be?

Aaranya observed closely the grass beneath the mysterious pendant. There was no wilting or browning. No heat waves wafted off the object into the crisp morning air. The evidence suggested it was likely not hot for real. But she held her palm an inch away and felt radiating warmth. There was no going around it - Aaranya must treat it as scorching for the purposes of handling it.

She tentatively touched the silver cord and found it tolerable. A soothing warm, in fact, like a hot shower. Aaranya wrapped the pendant up in its cord and placed it inside her purse for the time being. She could further explore it later, if it didn't burn a hole through her bag.

With that, the young woman stood and walked back to town. She took a winding way around, keeping to side streets and lightly wooded areas. Her dawn-pink silken sari could give her away, make her recognized among the ordinary people feebly striving to live an exceptionally ordinary day. But it was early still for most to leave their homes, so that was in her favor. Aaranya flowed silently as a ghost, praying she would face no townspeople before she reached home... or ever again, if the gods were feeling generous.

[Kenshi]

Creed and Jim woke up in the pickup truck, he had parked in front of the library.
"This was lousy, I'm not gonna sleep in the truck again Creed, my neck is so stiff." Complained Jim as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Wasn't any better for me, at least you didn't have a steering wheel cutting into your gut."
The two got out of the truck and stretched their aching bodies, before walking up to the front door.
"You think they're open this early? " Jim asked.
"I didn't know libraries close, I thought they stayed open like Wal-Mart. "
Jim chuckled, " Boy I don't know how you ever graduated. "
Creed knocked on the library door," Hello anyone in , Melissa?"

[Vampiretwilight]

@Moonshadow@Zanavy
Danielle was outside. Her parents did not know that she was gone. She glanced around. She sensed something amiss and wondered what happened. She blinked when she suddenly thought that she heard footsteps. She gasped and looked behind her.

[Zanavy]

Aaranya Singh

@Vampiretwilight
All was faring well. As predicted, the winding paths were hushed, deserted in the early mourning glow. Aaranya stared straight ahead, blankly, numb to the world as she rounded the corner to her next destination.

Aaranya came to a sudden halt, eyes wide as she teetered for a moment. There was somebody there. One of long brown tresses blocking her chosen path. Aaranya slipped back behind the corner just as the woman began to turn her head. She flattened her body against the shaded wall of a quaint shop. Running might be a better option, but the pink-adorned woman couldn't will her feet of stone to move. She just had to hope that woman, that everything, would float away like smoke.