The Devil Within

Chapter 5

 As I walk towards the nemeton, I start to feel lightheaded. I realize that someone was here. Only the nogitsune and the nemeton can make me feel that way. I walk into the clearing that the nemeton was in and see Celyn sitting there. She turns to me with glowing, white eyes. I realize that he has taken full control. My ally was here to witness the event. It terrifies me to think that he will be here in the body of my best friend. I stare at her and contemplate how to kill him slowly and painfully. "I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you were gone or at least had found someone new," I say to her with a hint of disgust.

  "Is that anyway to treat your ally, Jacquelyn? I just wanted to say congratulations about becoming a high priestess. You are now officially tied to the nemeton. It is your life force. I told Celyn to warn you against it. Fortunately, you will be stronger than before," she replies with a little hurt in her voice. I give her a world class glare. I sit down on the nemeton and open up the book to read over the spell.  She looks over my shoulder at the spell. "What language is that? It looks so old," she wonders aloud.

 "Would you please leave me to my peace? I need to study this before the ceremony. I feel violated by you looking over my shoulder," I snap.

  "I could help you, you know. I am not that stupid. Teach me what you know. I am your ally," she snaps back.

"Well, then go get Dr. Williams for me. She can go through the ceremony with me. I have no idea what I'm going to do for it," I tell her.

 "I can do it. That I can do. I can't leave my best friend to potentially kill herself," she responds. She turns to look at me. Her eyes flash brown but then return to the milky white of the nogitsune. She walks towards the asylum, leaving me in peace until she comes back with Dr. Williams. I sit and ponder over my choice. I take in the information that she gave me. It seemed smart but now I realize, I have more power than a homicidal girl needs. I look at the trees. I remember when I was first here. I made the first huge mistake here. Suddenly, I let out a piercing cry. My back felt an excruciating pain much like the pain I felt the first time.

 She comes running back to me. "What happened?!" she yells at me.

"Look at my back!" I scream back at her. She unzips my dress and sees a Celtic design lace around my back. The center of it was a Celtic knot. The pain suddenly subsided. I stared at my palms which had a strange Henna-like tattoo wrapping around my fingers. It was the sign that I had been marked by the nemeton. It was finally complete. By this time it was around midnight. I was prepared for the final sacrifice. I started to see the people file in. Celyn sat next to me on the nemeton. Some of the people stared at me like I was insane. Dr. Williams approached the nemeton with the final sacrifice. I stand and hold the book in my hand.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our final sacrifice kneeling before us. Miss Jacquelyn has become our head Druid Priestess. She will perform the spell and they will be sacrificed restoring full power to the nemeton," Dr. Williams spoke with confidence. The crowd starts laughing at her and I.

 "She's our head priestess?! I expected someone with more qualifications," someone yells. I know that voice anywhere. Ross. He was the most notorious patient until I came along. He hates me for it. My eyes start to glow and I start to chant the spell. Dr. Williams looks at me in amazement. The tattoos start to glow and everyone averts their eyes as the power of the nemeton flows through me. As the light subsides, the sacrifice is gone. I had performed that without knowing it. My blue eyes were now a brilliant green. I had been claimed. Everyone ran from the nemeton. The next thing I know, I fall to the ground and see nothing but black.