The Sacrificed

Chapter 2

   As darkness creeps in I walk. I have absolutely no idea where I'm going or how long I'll walk. I just keep walking. The woods used to scare me at night. I was suspicious of every snap of a twig or animal call. But now nothing can phase me. Twigs and animals will not be my death tonight. Something more terrifying will.
   I wish I would've paid more attention to stories of the gods my mother used to tell me. They might be able to help, but I'll never know. I barely remember anything. My brother loved learning about the gods.
    I push thoughts of them away and swallow to keep from crying. I haven't cried yet and I will not start now.
   I think back to my knowledge of the gods. There are five 'good' ones and three bad ones. My death tonight will be ushered in by the 'good' ones.
   I try to remember as much as I can about the bad ones first. My mind can only remember the most well known one, Kydulid. Known as the god of death. He is known for trickery and his murderous ways. He truly is the worst of them. He hunts the woods at night with three large, gray hounds. He won't be hunting these woods tonight.
   I can only remember two good gods. First is Luciana. She is goddess of the stars and time. Sister and opposite of Kydulid. She is also known as a seer of the future.
   Last is the god I'm mainly for tonight. Rolandin. He is the god of plenty. Patron god of my village. He provides life for everyone and he only demands a small thing in return. It didn't feel so small to me.
   Did he care that he was taking away something so precious? I'm supposed to marry a farmer and grow food for the village, have children. In a short time my brothers wife will have her first child, it's predicted to be a boy. I wanted to be there to see my nephew. I want to hold him. I was supposed to grow old, become an elder, see my grandchildren. But that future is gone now. The future is so small now.
   Fog begins to wisp around my feet, growing thicker by the minute. Soon I won't be able to see anything. The chill of the night finally catches up to me and I begin to shiver. 
   Unsurprisingly, my dress isn't very practical for a night in the woods. I stop walking and lean against a tree and slide down. My head is pounding.
   I try to look up and try to see stars or the moon. Tree branches block my view, I have no clue how long I've been in these woods. I've lost all track of time. The only thing I can even think of using to count time is the rhythm of my teeth clattering.
   Maybe he can't find me. Maybe I'll survive tonight and get eaten by hounds tomorrow night. For some reason I can't help but to laugh at that. It's dark but it's the closest thing to a joke that I've thought of in a long time. If I'm not eaten tonight does that mean the village would starve?
   I can't decide whether or not I'd care. I wouldn't be around to see it myself, but would I even care? I hate myself for thinking like this. I would care. I'm not heartless. The woods are getting to my head. Maybe I'll go crazy before I even die. Maybe I'm already being toyed with. Maybe this is them trying to get me to not trust myself. 
   The only tool I have is my mind. I can't let them take that from me.
   I watch as my breath is becoming less and less visible. It's not getting darker, why can't I see it? I huff a big breath and look for it. None. My goosebumps reside and I stop shaking. It's getting warmer. It's not getting lighter out, this shouldn't be happening. I try to come up with an explanation but I can't. The fog that used to just be by my feet is now up to my chest. It's rising. If it's getting warmer there should be less fog.   Nothing is making sense.
   I decide to stay where I'm at and keep a hand on the tree. It would be so easy to get lost in this fog. The fog becomes thicker and thicker. I can't even see the tree. The only reason I know it's still is the fact that I'm touching it. In the distance I hear a set of footprints. I stay as still and quiet as possible. I can't let them know I'm here. At the very least the fog is keeper me concealed. No one could possibly see through it.
   As if to spite me the fog begins to reside. I have to hold in my curses. I can only hope now that they walk right past me. They seem to be about five trees away. With each step they get farther and farther away. I don't let myself breathe. They can't know I'm here. I can't hear the steps anymore. Either they paused or are too far for me to hear. I pray the later of the two.
   Something nudges one of my feet. It's a sprout, some kind of plant. It starts growing before my very eyes, growing thornes and a bud. What blooms is beautiful. It's a rose. When I notice the color I fall backwards. I stumble back until I hit the tree.
It's perfectly white. But that's not what scares me. It's dipped in blood. It's so perfect, yet so revolting. I remeber something, I remember what one of the priestesses said to me. 
   Roses were supposed to be everywhere in the afterlife. This harmless flower means the end. My end. I swallow a scream and try to calm down.
"You know, most people aren't afraid of the roses" says a deep voice. A man steps out from behind a tree. He's tall and athletically built. He makes me feel small and like a child. He seems to be about my age. He has tan skin and short golden hair that seems haphazardly thrown on his head. He smiles at me, he must smile often, his face has smile lines. He has one dimple. He's practically perfect. Something is off. No one would dare enter the woods on sacrifice night.
   "Then what are they afraid of?" I ask. I should probably keep quiet, I don't know him and I have no idea what's going to happen. This isn't a good idea. But then again, I'm a dead woman no matter what
"Well, to be honest they're terrified of everything by the time I see them, even me. They just scream and scream and scream, and to be honest it's quite bothersome, I can't hear myself think when they blabber like that, it happens every year" he laughs it off and shakes his head. As if remembering some good old times. I stand back up, I don't want to seem weak. Weakness is the enemy. One question keeps running through my head. Who is this man?
   "I like to keep a level head, screaming will do me no good" I say. I don't know why I'm telling him this. He's probably not interested, he probably doesn't care. Shouldn't he be staying away from me? I was told I would be alone tonight.
   "You are right about that, I'm just surprised you aren't running or begging or something" he's arrogant. It seems as though talking to me is below him. The priestesses would probably faint if they knew someone was disrespecting me right now.
   "Now why would I be scared of you?" I ask. I can't help but to be defensive, crossing my arms.
   "I thought a girl like you would be smarter than that" he grins. It's eerie. What once was warm is now mocking. He's having fun and insulting me at the same time.
   "I'm stupid because I don't know a random stranger I met in the woods? And you're calling me stupid?"
   "You'd do best to hold you're tongue girl" he says with a bite. I almost flinch but I stand my ground. He's losing his patience with me. That can't be good.
   "Or what? You'll kill me?" I ask. I have nothing left to lose, so why not get mean with this man? He can't do anything that I'm not already doomed to.
   He laughs. Not a fake one either. A real one. If it didn't freak me out because of the situation I might have actually found it enjoyable. It was deep and real. Like one I haven't heard in two years.
   "Don't make me tell you my name, you'll be quite embarrassed " he says slowly stepping forward.
   "Now why would I know it, I doubt you're that important" he will not get into my head and make me feel inferior.
   "You're right, I'm not important, my name is Rolan, and yours?" he asks raising a eyebrow and extenind his hand out for me to shake. My face pales and I feel the world swirling. Rolan as in Rolandin. I've been arguing with my future killer. I guess he can kill me.
"Oh" is all I can manage to get out. I feel so stupid. How could I not put two and two together? It was so obvious.
   “Oh, is that all you have to say? You were right though, I'm not important, but, neither are you” he says. It's as if he doesn't care that I downright disrespected him and his authority. This time I look him in the eyes.
   “I'm tired of waiting, get it over with, I don't want to talk to you anymore” I say. I cross my arms and wait for him to move or say anything. But he doesn't. He just stares at me. His eyes are void of any emotion right now. He's thinking, but about what? I don't know and I don't plan on finding out.
   “Okay, I know you have all eternity to stand here but I don't. Let's get this show on the road ” I say it with more force than last time. I'm done being toyed with. I'm done living in fear. This needs to end.
   “You strike me as very different” says Rolan. I sit down and lean against the tree. If this is it I want to be calm and happy. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing.
   He begins to move. My heart pounds against my chest. I quickly begin to think back. I think of my father. He was always so kind. He taught me so much. I loved my mother and brother but they weren't my dad. I hold nothing against them anymore, they were just trying their best. I probably could've done better too. Every dying person has regrets.
   Maybe after this I'll see my father again. Maybe he's waiting for me. We'll be together, maybe there will be roses, I wouldn't mind them, just not covered in blood.
   “Hey, hey, get up” he says. He shakes my arm until I open my eyes. He's kneeling by me and looking into my eyes. There's something there, guilt maybe? I'm not dead. That's a good thing. I think.
   “Why aren't you killing me?” I ask. Its not like I want to die. I'm curious, no one has survived being sacrificed, so why me? I'm not special. I'm just another girl from the village.
   “Well, I need another priest, one of mine finished her service and it's not like I can find another one walking in the woods” he says with a smile.
   “What?” I ask. I can't be a priestess, I wasn't chosen. Only two girls my age were chosen. He looks up at the sky and I follow his gaze. It's becoming lighter out. The dawn is here, birds begin to sing and little animals move about.
   “Look at that, you've made it to morning,  congratulations” he says. I'm so confused. I was supposed to die.
   “B-but the village” is all I'm able to stammer out. Will they starve? Will they know that I'm alive?
   “Oh, they'll be fine” he says beginning to walk away. I follow him because I don't even know how to get home.
   “How do I get home?” I ask trying to veil my excitement. The village might be mad that I didn't die, but I don't care. I especially can't wait to rub it in the head priestesses face.
   “You can't go home”
   “What do you mean I can't go home?” I ask still following him.
   "Okay, listen," he says turning around. "I have a reputation to withhold and if people see you walking back in the village I'm going to lose some serious respect" he finishes and continues walking.
   "Respect? Respect! You're a god and you're worried about respect? If this wasn't really happening to me it would be laughable!" I can't help but to scream out my frustration at him. I would say it's not his fault but it kind of is.
   My feet get stuck on something. When I look down I see vines growing up my legs.
   "You know I could still kill you" he taunts. I have two options. I can either stay trapped in these vines and die when Kydulid sends his hounds after me or I can hold my pride at bay and go wherever he's going. I survived thud night in the woods. It would be a shame for me to die now.
   "Ok, I'm sorry, can you untangle me now?" I ask. He smirks and releases me. I jog to catch up.
   "So where are we going?"
   He lifts his hands and the air begins shimmer.
   "Wait, I am not going through that, what is it?" the shimmer air scares me.
   Rolan wraps his arms around me and before I can protest he throws me through it.

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Word count: 2,350

I'm so sorry about the long wait! I've been having problems with my account. I hope you enjoy!!! Don't forget to vote and comment! Bye bye my little sacrifices!