Touch of Time

Chapter 19: The Ritual

Marsha and Jane just returned home after getting some water from the waterfalls.  The materials asked by the seer for them to gather were complete.  They already have the water, the black candle, an item that belongs to Ersha and last one is the unblemished white chicken which took them so long to find.  It took them a week to collect what they needed and two weeks from now, it's going to be a full moon and they shouldn't delay on summoning back Ersha or else, all their struggles will go to waste.

"Okey, since we got everything ready, let's go back to the seer's house." said Marsha.

"Yes, we should not delay this" answered Jane.

The two ladies begin their journey back to the seer's place at a similar hour when they first got there.  As they get farther, the clouds start to turn heavier and darker and then thunderclaps start to be heard.  Marsha and Jane walked faster or else. they'll be caught up by a heavy rain.  The kilometer and half distance was travelled like it's only a few blocks away.  When they were already getting nearer, as soon as they saw the house, they immediately run towards it and in just a nick of time, the rain fell.

Behind them, the door opened by itself due to the strong rushing of the wind.  Marsha and Jane get inside and called out the seer if he's there.  Unfortunately, no one answered but a smoke is coming out further from the inside so the two of them followed it until they were lead into the kitchen.  Inside, different kinds of herbs are hanged on the wall and in the fireplace, a big pot filled with water is set on fire and it's boiling already.  As they were looking around, a hand grabs Jane's hand from behind and it frightened her so much.

"You two are back already.  Now let me have that chicken so we can start the ritual."  said the old man in a weird voice.

Jane gave the chicken while Marsha gave the other things requested by the seer to gather.  The two didn't talk to each other and they just keep on observing what the sorcerer is doing.

On the fireplace, he opened the lid of the boiling pot and there he slit the neck of the chicken.  Blood came out oozing and got mixed with the hot water.  The chicken wiggled as if fighting for its life and after a minute, it stopped moving so the sorcerer dropped it in the pot and then removed it.

He then placed the dead chicken on the table and instructed Marsha and Jane to sit with him on the table in different directions.  At the middle is him while Jane is on his right and Marsha on the left.  He gets the black candle, Ersha's belonging and the water.  The candle is then lighted, Ersha's belongings placed inside a small basin and then poured with the water they brought.

"If you want your friend to successfully come home, always follow what I'm going to say.  Don't be disrupted with anything.  Just concentrate on what we are doing."  informed the sorcerer.

"Okey, let us hold our hands together and be sure to hold tight or else, the ritual will be interrupted." So Marsha and Jane followed.

Now let us close our eyes, then the chanting of the old sorcerer begin ......

Marsha and Jane started to feel cold, cool wind brushed into their faces and the table begins to shake.  The two of them begins to feel scared but the sorcerer reprimanded them to ignore what they feel and hear.

Voices of Ersha starts to whisper into their ears.  Help! Help!  Don't leave me hear...  another is a sound of cry from Ersha...

Marsha couldn't hold on anymore but the old man, tightened his grip on her hand informing her that she shouldn't give up.  Suddenly, the surroundings is clouded with smoke and everything fell silent.