Serrated Love's Deceit

Chapter 7: Soul Ties

Out of the blue darkness, green skin that looks like army camouflage is all I see on the body attached to my view. A pale grey, thin, baby doll dress adorns my body. My long black , afro curls gently blow in the ocean breeze as I stand atop a tall tower beside other touching towers made of grey stone. I focus my attention on a fleet of battleships nearing my island's coastline. A circular, shiny amplifying device stands before me. I release a series of shrieks and screams into it. Then rogue waves attack the ships. The two green, fleshy wings on my back readjust and I grow silent. Instinctively, I cross my legs and reach my palms out like the other ladies in their amplifier towers. We sing a transfixing tune. The sea water in the arms of our crescent moon shaped island, violently knocks up against the ships until they capsize.

We fly to the beach from our towers to look for any survivors who miraculously made it to shore. We found a few and we use our sharp long toe nails to stab their jugulars. I walk past the carnage we have left at the shore to sit crossed legged and dive into meditation. Other ladies flop their butts down on the shore beside me, I think of the dimensions that led me to this one. Time is merely an illusion and the brain is powerful. Where my mind is now? Looking through my Akashic records with my wonderful warlord. You want to know more about this harpy? Well, it is time I show you the the dimensions that went wrong.

In one dimension, I made it to five years old and then I was sacrificed to a volcano in a lush green forest to ensure a good crop year by my tribe. I remember my little brown feet being coerced over the edge into hot flames by muscular, tattoed tribesmen with grass skirts,brown skin, and sharp spears. Hot flames turned to darkness. The next dimension, I made it to twelve years old until I was sacrificed again to an otherworldly entity. My parents said I would be its bride in exchange for rain to help the crop yield in the village. My brown parents were spineless just as the last ones in the last dimension were. My old tattered tan brown dress was switched into a red and beige wedding dress with offering sigils written all over it. The village witch-doctor rang cowbells and placed a big gold necklace on my neck. We walked around the village and the villagers put precious metal tokens in the witch-doctors offering sack before we went to the big stone temple near the forest edge of the village.

A group of village folk followed us around until it was time to enter the  elaborately designed temple. The witch-doctor signals for them to stay outside the stone fence with gargoyles sitting on each entrance post. He guides me in and lights the torches on the walls of the entrance hallway. Orange light flickers across our faces. "Hurry child, we don't know how long the deity will be here." The witch-doctor says to me in a raspy voice.

"The deity?" I ask and my shrill voice echoed down the hall.

"Shh!"

We tip toed down the hall to the last corridor with glowing blue, orb lights hanging from the ceiling. A tall, wide shouldered figure stands directly under the orbs with a silver hooded cloak. "Go on!" The witch-doctor whispers and shoves me forward. I look back at him. It feels like I have done this before because I have in different instances and in different worlds. Tears brim the lower lids of my eyes. Why am I always the one sacrificed to the unknown? Why am I always tasked to give up so that others who are older and younger than myself can survive? The sacrifice has become a trope plaguing dimensions I dwell in but next time will be different. Next time, I won't be the prey or the sacrifice. I will be the hunter and the one who makes all the weak souls who dare think they can come near me, rue betraying me. There will be swift moments of pain when they are in my presence. I furrow my brows and look at the poorly lit stone floor beneath. A lean grey hand touches my shoulder and in a blink I am in a place that looks like a cloudy Tundra. Blue ice walls shoot into clouds and what appears to be roofless buildings.

The towering hooded figure turns me to face them. They pull their hood back to unveil reflective eyes and iridescent skin. "Wow, what are you?" I ask as I analyze their strange hue with my eyes.

"Your husband." He says in a raspy deep voice. I crease my brows. He chuckles.

"I can't marry you. You're too old.  Besides... I'm to young to get married."  I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"You're right. This is a future contract." He smirks and transforms himself to a teenage boy version of himself.

"Let me guess you're going to give them great crops this year in exchange for me being your wife."

"No, the witch-doctor wanted a skill boost. I gave him knowledge on manipulating sound to make objects levitate and to power advanced technology." I cross my arms. Of course the witch-doctor lied because that's just the nature of people most of the time. Right? Just selfish. Do I really feel bad for my parents and heartless villagers that saw me as nothing more than a burdensome vessel worthy only for sacrifice? No, I don't trust anyone and they should have done the same.

"I am tired of being sacrificed for others' gain or benefit. What about what I want?" 

"I don't want you to be bitter because of all of this. Look, I've even changed my look to make you more comfortable. So, what do I have to do to motivate you to be happy to be my wife?" My jaw drops and I shrug. That was a thoughtful gesture he did.

"I want an endless supply of massive power to wield against my enemies so that I will not ever be disrespected again." He rubs his chin and shrugs.

"That seems fair and it's something I can do for you. That ritual requires blood exchange. Are you okay with that?" I nod my head.

"Give me the power boost, buddy!" He leans his head to the side and looks at me for a bit. He chuckles and shakes his head.

He pulls a golden dagger with glowing blue sigils on it from his black pants pocket. He nicks his index finger. Dark blue blood drips off his short sharp nail. He grabs my left hand and nicks my index finger. Once my red blood touches his blood it mixes, and it turns magenta on the tip of the dagger. The sigils change to a bright magenta hue. He licks our blood off the edge of the dagger.

"Mmm... Sweet. We'll do more blood exchanges when you need them. I'll send you to other dimensions where you will hibernate in the trunks of trees until you're ready to be my wife." He said. Bewilderment painted my face.