(𝐕𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐗 𝐅. 𝐎𝐂)
❝What is going on here?❞
JOANNE LENIOR SIMPLY WANTED
to be a good friend. That was why she
followed her best-friend Dani into the
depths of Sweden for a celebration of
...
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THE WORLD WAS so hazy that none of it truly made sense. Was she drugged? She felt drugged. But it had to have been hours before the second tea kicked it and it had been hours since the wedding. The decorations had been quickly pushed aside as another festivity began to take place.
Joanne wasn't paying attention, it all passed her by with little impact on her stressed mind. She was too busy thinking about whether it was even real.
If it was all real, why was Dani covered head to toe (with only a face opening) in flowers in what appeared to be a giant flower gown? That couldn't be real. Right? Not with the flowers pustulating as they were. Picked flowers didn't move like that. Even in her screwed-up state did Joanne know that.
Hårga was patiently quiet until Siv began to speak, "On this, the day of our deity of reciprocity, we gather to give special thanks to our treasured sun. As an offering to our father, we will today surrender nine human lives. As Hårga takes, so Hårga also gives. Thus, for every new blood sacrificed, we will dedicate one of our own. That is four new bloods. Four from Hårga. And one to be chosen by the Queen. Nine in all to die and be reborn in the great cycle."
Siv motioned to Dani. Joanne kept her eyes on Dani. She too looked extremely out of it, her gaze empty. What had happened? She didn't look like this before she left. A man upon the stage spoke now, even though it took Joanne a moment to process it, "The four new bloods have already been supplied. As for our end, we have two already dedicated and two who have volunteered.
"Ingemar and Ulf. You have brought outside offerings. Plus volunteering your own bodies. You will today be joined in harmony with everything. And to Pelle," Joanne slowly turned to the man next to her who was smiling proudly, a crown of sorts on his head as well, "who has brought new blood and our new May Queen, you will today be honored for your unclouded intuition. And so, for our ninth offering, it is traditional that our fair Queen shall choose between a preselected new blood and a specially ordained Hårgan."
The man walked a few steps to his left, stopping in front of a machine that looked like something they would have at a bingo night. But instead of calling out O68, he would be calling out a name that would ultimately decide the person's fate.
Everyone watched as the ball that had been selected fell through the elaborate pathing, being grabbed at the end of three spirals and read aloud, "Turbeyon." The man announced, his voice growing in excitement, "Honorable Turbeyon! Please step forward. And... Christian Hughes. These are the candidates for the ninth and final offering. We patiently await your verdict."
