The legacy of the dark blood

Chapter 03

The awakening

Gradually, Liz regained control over her body. As she opened her eyes, she could distinguish a flash of light coming from a ceiling that mixed red and black colors. Bit by bit it became an artwork half way between renaissance and Machiavellian, with images of faces expressing terror and pain in front of demonic figures. The pain of the blow was subsiding, although the mild headaches that made it difficult for her to stand up remained.

In an attempt to get up, Liz succumbed to a strong burning in the abdominal area; a disturbing image involuntarily came to her eyes and disappeared on the spot: deformed creatures being cruelly mutilated. She realized that her jacket, as well as other belongings, had been removed.

The burning in the right side of her abdomen was unbearable. The girl stood up and lifted part of her shirt to reveal strange wounds inflicted with a bladed weapon that formed a five-pointed star, just like the mysterious symbol she had identified on several of the huts. Liz touched her wound once more, it burned like a second-degree burn. To her surprise, her jacket lay to the side with all her belongings, including her gun and radio transmitter. It was, however, not knowing what her captors' intentions were that puzzled her the most.

Liz took her belongings, wiped the sweat from her brow and briefly worked on her relaxation exercises. Her current mission was to investigate and report on the mysterious individuals who attacked her, as well as the identity of the old woman who tried to stop her. She had not, however, finished appreciating the place where she was; judging from the strong smell of incense and other substances emanating from an altar, she had the impression that it was some sort of chapel built for black magic practices. On a stone rested a huge heart covered with its own blood with a dark hue.

For a while she was glad that this had not been her final destination, after taking a quick panoramic view of the walls of the chapel, with a very elegant crimson tapestry with golden stripes. The diabolical art was illustrated in its greatest splendor in the images of the paintings of the place, showing methods of torture that would not even cross the minds of the worst psychopaths in history; apparently their motto was: the bloodier the death of the prisoners, the better: skinning, live dismemberment and people devouring their remains when they were still fresh, vampirism, ect.

The images portrayed horror at its best, she knew that some kind of ritual had been carried out in that place, which surprisingly did not end with the death of the victim. Her abdomen wound together with the creepy image of the altar were other points that he had to clarify as soon as possible.

As she left, not only did she notice the gothic style of the façade of the place; there was still sunlight, not more than a couple of hours had elapsed since her encounter.

Darkness was increasingly taking over the bowels of the forest, where only the shuddering screeching of the crows could be heard. The situation was compounded by a spectral cold that, for the time of the year they were in, was not at all common, as well as a thick fog, impenetrable to sunlight. She knew she didn't have much time left to rejoin her companions.

Liz drew her gun with the intention of staying on guard while she identified her whereabouts and located the rest of the group; she did not lose hope that they were not far away. Suddenly, her radio transmitter beeped; without a second thought, she answered.

"Liz here, any report on the situation?" she asked seriously, hoping that it was Bernard, although it was the voice of her leader that was heard.

"Here Max, it's all right with you, baby" -despite everything that happened, Max's words didn't stop bothering Liz, however, she was so happy to be able to communicate with someone that she decided not to reproach him in that opportunity "What the fuck is wrong with you guys not following my orders?, I've been waiting for you here for ages" he said pretending to be worried about his companions" Anyway, now that you know, I hope you come here, tell that to your little friend."