The Book of Sacrifice

Trick of The Devil

Adonis' chance at processing his loss was delayed by the scorching vortex that he found himself tumbling through. Though it was a mere instant no faster than a light switch being flipped, he had the misfortune of experiencing every moment of teleportation. His body felt as if it were not his, like he was riding in the passenger seat while it fell further and further into the seemingly endless pit. A whizzing sound whipped at his ears, filling them with a noise so loud, it'd surely burst an ordinary man's eardrums. He fought for control of himself and clamped his hands against his ears. Shutting his eyes, he grit his teeth and tried to resist. Adonis would soon find relief as his feet met solid ground. The sudden heat had been replaced with cool night air. To his right was his neighbor, Miss Ortega's, home. To his right was a vacated home. Before him was his own home, the very place he swore to return to once the work was done. Yet here he was with an unfinished fight and-

"Don't think too hard," Moloch's voice rang throughout his ears. Behind Adonis was the Demon, who placed a hand on his shoulder and trailed his gaze, "What comes to mind, now that you've seen your old home a second time?"

"Why?" the Hunter's voice was lost to him. He spoke so quietly that even those with the most keen ears could not have heard him. Moloch did and upon leaning in much too close, he asked; "What?"

"Why did you kill her…?"

Moloch stood and shook his head, a dry chuckle leaving his lips. "You didn't notice, hmm? Back there at the bayou, you established a connection to the pages. You held them in your hands, listened to it's melody. The Mambo was an obstacle, one of the few who could read it. The problem was that she could not embrace it, not as willingly as you did anyway. Thus you've dissuaded my concerns about you. I know now that you'll be a vital part of my plan. Before we can begin our work.. we must stop here."
"There's nothing here for you. You're only wasting time.." Adonis found his voice though it was still fickle. His eyes met the Demon's as he stood. "You see, Adonis, that's where you're wrong. Look."

Without taking his eyes off of Adonis, he nodded his head back towards the house. The Hunter's eyes slowly rose to the second story window and widened. Petrification's cold hand gripped him tight and froze him in place. Words could not find his tongue, movement could not shift his body. My momma's room, he thought, as he noticed her room light was on, along with a woman's silhouette on the other side. It was at this moment that Adonis abandoned Moloch and made his way to the door. Each step felt as if he were stepping on piles of sand. Caution demanded such slow movement. As he approached the front door, he noticed it was already cracked open. A gentle hand pushed it open to reveal the hall leading to the parlor, the same hall that echoed with the painful memory of that fateful night so long ago. With each footstep, a horrible creak followed. The air was thick with the familiar smell of blood. He could taste the coppery substance if he wanted. His mind was against him the moment he stepped inside. Leave. Turn back. were warnings he could not help but consider. Still, he continued on. His movement halted completely as the sound of something.. horrible hit the floor. Again, something hit the floor with an awful squelching sound. Again, it fell.

And again.

*One step.*

And again.

*Two steps.*

And again.

*Many steps.*

Adonis had not realized his quickened movement until he reached the parlor, where the source of the sounds had occurred. The moment he stepped in, the noise stopped– the source of the noise stopped. A man he instantly recognized as his father sat hunched over in a fetal position, surrounded by overturned furniture. Even in the dark, he could see the gallons of red that was splattered along the floor. There was enough of it spilled to make a blood-starved beast sick. The Hunter's shoulders sagged and his eyes stung. Calling out for his father felt like a task too difficult and yet he croaked; "Dad…?"
His father turned to reveal himself. His face was wet with blood, as well as his clothes. His eyes had abandoned their usual brown color for a pair of pale white scleras surrounded by red. His lips parted to reveal a wicked smile made up of rotted teeth. If Adonis looked closely, he could see bits of flesh in between each tooth. Now that his father turned around, he could see what lied beneath him. His heart sank at the sight of Miss Ortega's torn carcass on the floor. In his father's hand was his hand axe that he used to chop wood. Instead, it was caked in red. "Donny? You're finally home.." The father's voice sounded awful, lined with a certain bass that was most definitely not his own. The reverb of it carried as if the two were standing in a bathroom. He trailed his son's gaze to Miss Ortega, "She made me do it, son. She put the axe in my hand and told me to.."
"Who…? Miss Ortega?" Adonis cautiously stepped forward. His father's expression left him, as well as his smile. His pale white orbs gazed past his son and to the hall. The light was now on, revealing the stairs. A shadow cast itself on the wall next to it. It was the woman's silhouette again. If Adonis was not already petrified, surely this would earn his terror.