Ritual in Flight

Chapter 11

"Vi." A voice called out to her. She rose from her sleep, curiosity driving her actions. Walking from room to room, looking for the source of the voice. Finding nothing amiss, she walked back to bed, seeing the time she knew there would be more time to sleep rather than stay awake.

"Vi." It slowly whispered out again, just as she had fallen asleep. She decided to just stay in bed this time, hoping it would just come to her or let her be. She drifted into her dreams and the voice joined her.

:Dream:

Vi found herself wandering the halls of a grand church, beautifully decorated with ornate grucifix;s and elemental symbols. She was in complete awe at the magnificent sigh. She came upon a large door, a depiction of Baphoment carved into it. She ran her hand over it, feeling every detail and recording it to memory. It suddenly opens and a blinding light shines upon her. She shields her eyes with her arm but can barely see a shadow of a figure.

"Vi." The voice speaks with a calm yet earth shattering tone. "They are searching, they will find. You are needed. Go with them and fulfill all the master desires." It continued, whispers heard intertwined with each word, like a thousand voices calling out to her.

"Who is searching? How will I know?" she asked with desperation. She longed for any answer, any confirmation of her thoughts.

"The Eyes." It said. The door slowly shit, yet the whispering continued on, repeating 'the eyes' as Vi was slowly pulled from her position at the door, floating away and being taken out of the church. She soared into the clouds feeling the cool fluff beneath her arms, it felt like flying. She closed her eyes hoping to be immersed in the feeling.

Vi shot up in her bed, the sun blinding her through an open curtain. She rubbed her eyes and face, throwing off her covers, swinging her legs over the side and onto the floor. Groaning a few curses before walking to the window, looking out, she could still hear the whispers in her mind.

"The Eyes, huh?" she chuckled. "My mind must be slipping." She spoke to herself, looking at her phone and see it was still quite early. "Well fuck, let's just start the day then."

Vi did her normal routine; shower, hygiene, and then a cig to calm her nerves. All throughout, the whispers lingered. She tried to silence then with music, as loud has she could stand it but the whispers persisted, playing softly in her eardrums.

"Sigh, okay. The Eyes are searching. For me? I guess.. Well how are they gonna find me?" she called out into the empty air thinking maybe the whispers would answer. :Absurd, I'm trying to communicate with whispers in my mind now. They aren't Lucifer, then who are they? Who are the eyes? Why are they searching for me?: She let her mind wander as she made her way into work. She couldn't waste the time trying to figure out how to silence the whispers so she would just have to suffer through them.

"Finally!" Vi shouted as she locked the doors to her store front. "Freedom is mine!...ish!" She made her way to her car and drove home, excited for the night ahead!

It was ritual night again and even better, it was on a Harvest Moon! Vi danced through her front door and began to pack what things she would need for the road trip to her ritual site. Walking to the backyard and disassembling her rig, she wondered if these eyes would find her tonight. She wished so, these whispers were drilling holes in her head. Packing the car, Vi set forth to her ritual site. She loved the long drive, it gave her time to listen to the music she loved and think over all the moves she would be doing in her performance. She enjoyed watching the city disappear in her rear view mirror and the sight of the forest ahead of her always made her forget the troubles of everyday human life.

Vi never felt truly human anyways. She faked it very well in order to hide in plain sight. She had spent all of her teen years hoping she would grow out of those feelings, watching everyone around her grow into their own bodies and mature. She never could pin point what felt off, but it was something she felt every day.

Her mind wandered to distant memories of her encounters with these feelings. Her child-like fascination with fire, the time she set her mother's coffee table a blaze and enjoyed the dancing flames. Her desire to feel the clouds as if they were her own pillows. The admiration of flowers and trees as is they were her pets. The times she had stayed in the bath well after the water turned freezing because it still felt like a glorious hug all around her. All these feelings that still manage to elude reason.

Vi shook her head and regained control of her thoughts. She needed to focus on tonight, not the past. She parked her car on a deserted road, as close to the clearing as she could get. Making several trips to and from, she assembled her rig and made a small fire to keep warm.

The sun had not yet set, so she decided to enjoy the sounds of nature and relax. The fire dancing, the trees and colourful clouds radiating from the sunset, she felt as though she had always meant to be here. A genuine smile grew across her lips, even though she was alone, with the whispers still singing, she felt an overwhelming happiness.

Night soon fell and Vi began to hear the music. As it played on the whispers died out and she sighed in joy. Gathering herself from the seat next to the sire, she undressed and began her ritual.

The song played on, she switched from her hoop to her straps to her grucifix. It was going to be an extra long evening as the blood moon rose and shone an orange hue over the earth. She contorts her body around the metal frame in tune with the rhythm. Every note playing out in her moves, the emotions painted her face and the stage was set.

The song died down suddenly, causing Vi to be drained of everything she felt. Silence spilled into her and she stay still, desperately hopeing for the music to return. Instead it was replaced by feelings. Cold shivers ran over her body, the feeling of presence once again burned in her, Frozen in place, she let her eyes wander around the space, searching for anything. Needing an answer but too frightened to move, she called out.

"Are you watching, Master? Is it you who is searching?"

She heard no reply.

Vi released her held breath and came down from her apparatus, she had hoped that after her vision or dream that the Master would come to her, finally. She walked towards the fire and let her eyes get lost in the dancing flames...