Ritual

🔮

elsie hurst didn't know what she was getting herself into.

it had been a last minute ritual, fueled mainly by desperation - she'd snatched up her prehnite and citrine, chucking them on the rug before bringing her book of shadows and sage down with her. making sure to ground and centre and cast her circle before she started (she didn't want any unwanted mischief-makers getting in her way), she began her summoning ritual.

she was used to spirits. the domestic kind, the kind that lingered in houses and brushed up against your back while you thought you were home alone. the souls of the unbaptised still roaming the warm upper circle of purgatory were the ones to keep elsie company throughout her childhood and adolescence. if she were being honest, she preferred their company to that of the living. they never judged, or made her feel uncomfortable or unsafe. they were a warm familiarity she appreciated. it's nice not being afraid of the dark, because you always know who's there.

but...maybe not for much longer.

leo yeun was trouble. if he had his way, he would claim every single spirit she knew, and on top of that he'd call in hellish beings from god knows where just to have some fun. he didn't have any bad intentions - it was just his way of getting what he wanted, and he was not used to being denied of that. even if it meant giving up parts of his soul just to get ahead, leo was willing to take that risk.

thinking of this, elsie's concentration intensified. the little chant she'd written came out in deep murmurs as she sat cross-legged in the middle of her bedroom. she'd made sure to beg for the help of a being more powerful than the lost souls she knew so well, but at the same time nothing nefarious. something neutral, something powerful enough to help her... she wasn't even sure if something like that existed. neutrality in a world of balancing extremes? it didn't seem p-

oh, wait.

something's coming.

a heavy presence filled the room. the long walk-in closet facing her, with the mirror at the end, began to open. for the first time in her life, this made her nervous. she didn't know who this was.

she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on making them stay, trying to familiarise herself with this new presence. she kept seeing things in her mind. she could see a bloodstained hand, pulling at long dirty hair.

meanwhile, something is crawling out of the mirror.

a sharp knife, dripping and dirty, is dropped on the forest floor. the metallic smell of blood and lavender strikes her senses.

lithe hands are peeking through the doorway, edging the creaky closet door open.

the enormous, imposing moon, is glaring down from above - it's so large it's almost suffocating. it's all elsie can see. the white light on the moon strikes down on the blood-stained lavender, overwhelming her senses with earth, blood, metal, violet, violet-

violet eyes.

violet eyes were staring down at elsie when she looked up. the person looking down at her was pale, small, and would be nothing special if it weren't for their jarring violet eyes practically glowing down at her. they looked weak and frail, and elsie suddenly realised they were the last thing she was expecting to see.

"who are you...?" she breathed.

the person pursed their lips.

"you can call me mica."

elsie regained her composure for a moment and remembered what she started out to do.

"i need you to help me, mica." she said in the most stern voice she could muster. it came out shaky, and desperate.

mica scoffed, looking down at her almost condescendingly as they crossed their arms. elsie's assumption of their weakness was quickly overturned as she was suddenly aware of their immensely heavy, heavy energy that was almost felt like it was pushing out on her bedroom walls. she was reminded of the oppressive vision of the full moon in the crisp clear sky, soaking its way past her eyes and into her core. mica's eyes narrowed and elsie swore she saw its twinkle in their eye as they smirked.

"i really don't think you know what you're getting yourself into."